Championing My Sisters

That title might sound like I'm championing a movement for declaring our rights as women. Well, yes, I am, in a sense. What I'm actually declaring is the power that God placed within us to be world changers and history makers. I am so blessed to be a leader for a beautiful group of women who have raised their hands and hearts to also be leaders who lead other women to follow in drawing closer to God. The closer we get to Him – the more like Him we become – loving, serving, giving.

It may seem I have an over-zealous desire to see my sisters become mighty warriors for God. Well, as a matter of fact, I do. I want to see us move from a state of complacency and weakness to “be strong in the Lord and the power of His might”. Ephesians 6:10. And, to be moving on up in our faith and determination to be more effective as faith-filled women in our homes, schools, workplaces and marketplaces. This world needs to see that in women -- to be dominant and ruling over the enemy of our souls who has deceived us and made us feel weak long enough.

I am one of you and if there's anything I desire to do, it's to be a role model who teaches, speaks, writes and who walks the walk and talks the talk of an empowered woman -- who is empowered by the ONE Who lives big in me. Trust me. I didn’t show up overnight with this zeal. It has grown exponentially in me – especially since the love of my life went to heaven. Right then, I knew if I yielded to my natural feelings, I would go underground to retreat from life. But, I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. I knew my mission had just begun. Truly, God loves women. He calls us and equips us. It's backed by God's Word. Just look at some of the Bible's women of faith who set the pace for us.

Besides Judge Deborah, Queen Esther, Ruth and Hannah in the Old Testament, in the New Testament is Elizabeth who recognized the Mother of our Lord, Mary who gave birth to the Messiah, and Anna who spoke about the Messiah to all who were looking for the redemption of Israel. When the time of His Passion drew near, Mary of Bethany anointed the feet of Jesus, Mary, our Lord's Mother, stood at the cross of Jesus, and Mary of Magdala who spoke with the risen Jesus and told His disciples, “I have seen the Lord”.

That sure makes me wanna’ jump up and shout: “I know Him and I’ve seen Him too, Mary!” He is alive and He is on the move in women’s hearts, filling us with His power, so we can tell a hurting, angry world about a loving, life-changing God.

My beautiful and precious Sisters-in-Christ (SIC) – scripture says we are a mighty throng. “The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng” (Psalm 68:11). Indeed we are. This is where everything begins: acknowledging that God alone is our source of strength. Let us proclaim our mighty Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ as our champion! Indeed we are a mighty throng!

We Stood on Holy Ground

Having spent the last 4 days at Camp Copass in Denton, TX with 79 beautiful “sisters in Christ” and experiencing God's peace in this away-from-it-all location, was what God ordered for us. I knew we were on HOLY GROUND when we arrived at the campus and this sign welcomed us: SHOW ME YOUR WAYS O LORD, Psalm 25:4. That is why we went there in the first place.

My word for today is: Holy Ground -- sacred grounds or areas; it is not necessarily that the ground, itself, is holy, rather, it is the presence of the Holy God that makes it holy.

That is why we went to Camp Copass – to be in the presence of our Holy God and come to know His ways even more. Finding ourselves in many occasions to see AND hear God’s ways enveloped us in His tangible love through “sisterhood”.

We often sign our emails or other notes as YSIC. One of the retreatants asked "What does YSIC mean?" It means "Your Sister in Christ". After all we are God's daughters and when His daughters get together, we are Sisters in Christ. We were single and married, young mothers and more mature mothers -- all living with daily opportunities to face conflict AND noise, who needed a break and refreshing, -- from careers, family dynamics, attending school, raising children, health, relational, and financial challenges, etc. And, in this place of quiet and stillness, we had the incredible opportunity to refresh, restore, and rejuvenate.

Serving as a one of the 39 team members and preparing for this retreat meant weekly meetings for 3-1/2 months , plus much study and prayer, and diligence to give those 40 retreatants a HOLY GROUND experience that had the potential of tremendously impacting their lives. Every time we met, we knew we were on HOLY GROUND, as we fellowshipped, prayed for each other and for the retreatants. Our Mission was accomplished – based on the many testimonies of those precious women who left this weekend transformed.

Here’s the best part of the retreat. We disconnected from the busy, fast-paced, hustle and bustle of everyday life. What does retreat mean? With an army, it means to withdraw from enemy forces, and maybe that army looks like the forces the enemy of our soul uses when we’re stressed, overloaded, under-appreciated, and facing fears and challenges. For us, “retreat” is better defined as withdrawing from the routines of life to go to a place of refreshment and revitalization, being able to rekindle and deepen our relationship with God. We get to leave behind usual distractions we all face, to have our faith deepened. as we look inward to the HOLY GROUNDS of God in our lives.

Before I left this HOLY GROUND yesterday morning, I took the time to drive around the campus and capture photos of this camp’s “rules for success”, God’s tools from His toolbox (His Word) and His faithful promises to us. Wherever we are – not just at a camp where the signs appear, but anywhere we will be standing on HOLY GROUND – because He is Emmanuel – God with us – and where He is, holy. Our homes, our places of work, our children’s school, the grocery store and the gas station. All are places where the Spirit of God is, because we show up at all those places – and, then, SO DOES HE! In our hearts and minds, we can "check-out" of the routine and experience HOLY GROUNDS -- any time and in any place. He'll meet us there. I KNOW! I'm there right now!