Sitting on the hearth in our den is a stone plaque given to us with these words engraved on it: “Write these words upon your heart. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and … Continue reading
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Category Archives: 1 • Julie’s Corner
When Was The Last Time…
When was the last time you were awe-struck by God? I asked those in our chronological Bible study to consider that question last week as we were studying Nehemiah’s prayer in Nehemiah 1. Nehemiah began his prayer like this, “Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God…” Even though I begin my prayers acknowledging the greatness of God, I don’t know that I’ve addressed Him as “the awe-inspiring God.”
This morning I was reading Luke 5:1-11. Jesus was teaching from a boat because the crowd had gotten so large and all of them wanted to hear God’s word. He had to push away from the shore so that they could see and hear him. 
When Jesus finished teaching, he said to Peter, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter, did what I so often do, he began to make excuses. “Master, we’ve worked hard all night long and caught nothing.” I know Peter must have been thinking, “Are you serious? I’m the fisherman, you’re the teacher, trust me, Lord, it’s not going to work!”
However, rather than argue the point anymore, Peter said, “But at your word, I’ll let down the nets.” Good idea! Luke 5:6 records that when Peter did what Jesus asked, “They caught a great number of fish, and their nets began to tear.” They had to signal for their partners in another boat to come in and help them. When help came, they filled both boats so full that they began to sink!
Peter saw it with his own eyes and he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “‘Go away from me, because I’m a sinful man, Lord!’ For he and all those with him were amazed at the catch of fish they took.”
Just an ordinary day, with ordinary people, but then Jesus shows up and everything changes! Continue reading
Truth or Dare!
Reflecting today on an amazing night at our first Truth or Dare event. I’m so grateful for all who helped pull off such a great evening. And am amazed by the 806 women who were there! It’s so fun when all campuses come together. Praying for God to continue to speak truth and minister His grace to all who attended.
Overwhelmed by our Sovereign God who created us Male and Female and gave us specific roles to fill so that we would reflect His glory. I love hanging out with women and watching God at work.
Here are some things etched in my mind from last night:
Hundreds of women flooding into that room when the doors opened.- The chatter of that many women!
- Women who took dares to stuff marshmallows in their mouth and sing, put on make-up blindfolded, eat lemons and smile, spin around while looking up at the baseball bat they were holding above their heads (Pics to follow)
- Funny stories of women who chose to share a truth about themselves!
- Testimonies from women Jesus has healed!
- Truths shared from a panel of wise and funny women.
- Worshiping with 800 women.
- Favorite thing: Women being set FREE! Continue reading
For Women Only!
I want to refute a myth that I think the women of Long Hollow have believed for far too long. At Midnight Train earlier this month, with all the women attending in one room, I asked those who were involved in Women’s Ministry to stand up. A minority did which perfectly illustrated what I feared has happened.
Somehow, someway, we have developed the mindset as women that we serve in preschool, children, student, adult, volunteer, music or women’s ministry. But please hear me…IF YOU ARE FEMALE, YOU ARE THE WOMEN’S MINISTRY!!!
Women’s Ministry at Long Hollow exists to meet WOMEN where they are and help take them to where God wants them to be, a fully devoted follower of Christ. Our purpose is to provide opportunities for you to grow in Christ and equip you to serve Him in the unique role that God has created us, FEMALE!
Therefore, all WOMEN are invited to TRUTH OR DARE, September 9! We are excited about this event for a lot of reasons:
- We’ve not had a Women’s event since February
- It’s a Girls Night Out
- Lots of Desserts
- Lots of Laughs
- Testimonies from Everyday Women who struggle
- Opportunity to ask questions and hear from a panel of women counselors on some of the issues that we as women struggle with and the lies that women believe.
You thought you were the only one struggling? That is a lie that you’ve believed for far too long. We’ve all got issues! The most wonderful news though is that God’s Word gives us answers on how to deal with our issues.
Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) We want to provide truth so that we as women will realize that freedom that we have in Christ.
If you are:
Single, Married, Mom, Divorced, Lonely, Happy, Searching, Bible scholar, No Bible knowledge or somewhere in between, Truth or Dare is for you and your friends. Invite someone to come with you. This is for ALL women!
Click here to register and find out more details. Childcare is available upon request.
Can’t wait for our Girls Night Out! See you there!
Julie
When You Feel Out of Control
Don’t miss Truth or Dare, September 9th, 6-8 pm! We are going to have lots of fun and also frank discussion about specific issues that we as women struggle with at times. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Whether or not you think you struggle with issues, you know someone who does. We not only want to speak truth in to the lives of women who are dealing with issues but also equip ourselves all with tools to minister to family members or friends that we all know who are hurting.
Part 1
Do you trust God? When thinking about that question I normally would give a resounding “Yes”. However, circumstances in the last couple of weeks have caused me to wonder if I really do!
A week and a half ago my son accepted a job which required him to move to California for eleven weeks. Last Tuesday he packed his clothes, an air mattress, some food and a few other necessary items in his vehicle and headed west all by himself with no place to stay! Part of this Mama’s heart was excited for the great adventure that he was embarking on and the other part was scared to death!
In the week since he has been gone, you can only imagine all of the emotions I have felt. At the core of who I am, I know God is in control and yet I feel so out of control! I guess that’s the whole point! Reality is I’m not in control of anything.
Do I really believe my God is capable of watching over and protecting Jordan? Yes I do. Do I still worry about him and wonder how he is doing? Yes I do! Just being honest here. Are there times when you worry and feel out of control?
I’ve been preaching to myself a lot and hanging onto truths from God’s word that have brought peace and comfort. Here are some of the reminders that I have clung to:
- “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3
- “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
- “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
Do you find yourself worried and out of control today? If so, pick up God’s word and start reading! Read out loud. I can’t explain it but I’ve found it to be true, peace really does come when my mind is stayed on Him and I am not consumed by worry.
Part 2 Continue reading
I Hate It When That Happens!
Well I must admit there is sadness today because the 2012 Summer Olympics is over! I’ve already expressed how much I enjoyed watching the games over the last two weeks. The one thing that drove me crazy though was all the build up to an event and just about the time I could hardly stand the wait, they would go to a commercial break and I was put on hold! I hate it when that happened!
Anticipation is building over the start of Women’s Bible studies and yet we must keep hitting the pause button! Because of the delay in Sumner County Schools opening, we have made the decision to postpone the start of this week’s Tuesday, August 14th AM and PM studies and Wednesday, August 15th AM studies until school starts. The Wednesday night studies that started last week will go on as usual. The only Wednesday night exception is iMom, which will begin with the start of school!
This delay just gives you more time to invite your friends to join you for one of the excellent studies that we have to offer for women. There is no better place to find fellowship, friendship, and growth than joining in community with other women. You can check the list of studies being offered this semester and register here. We’ve already had lots of women sign up and the excitement building, we’ve just pushed the pause button for now. Know that as soon as school begins, our Tuesday and Wednesday, Women’s Bible studies will start.
Would you please help us get out the word by posting on your Facebook and Twitter?
Life is filled with uncertainty just like when school will begin. However there is one thing that is always certain, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 Now that is some good news! No matter what you may be going through today you can know with certainty these things:
- Jesus is always there. Even when it doesn’t feel like it, He is ever present.
- His character never changes! He is the same! All His promises are sure.
- His love for you is constant whether you’ve had a good day or bad, been obedient or disobedient, nothing can separate you from His love.
- His commitment to you remains steadfast in all things, at all times, and in all ways.
- The world changes, people change, circumstances change, everything changes EXCEPT Jesus!
Julie
Thoughts From Julie
Are you as into the Olympics as much as I am? I cannot wait for 7:00 pm to get here each evening so that I can watch it. As much as I enjoy watching the Olympics on TV, following along on Twitter may be even more fun! Here are some tweets from people I follow commenting on the events last night:
- “Who cares about his pommel horse score? His hair alone could take gold.” #respect #LouisSmith #GreatBritain
- “I might’ve just pulled a hamstring working out on the elliptical while watching the Olympics. Fluffy middle-aged wannabe!”
- “The ‘Olympic proposal between athletes’ exists to make the rest of us hate our own stories.” #Olympics
- “Okay, if you don’t feel happy for that 15-year old Lithuanian, check your pulse.” #Olympics
And on and on it goes throughout the evening! I laughed my head off at the tweets that came every second during the competition and the reporter’s questions afterwards!! Everyone was freely sharing his or her opinions.
What I hate most is when I get breaking news on my phone from USA Today that gives away the medal winners in the middle of the day! Oh well, such is the world of technology!
Enough Olympics talk! Things are ramping up at Long Hollow for an exciting Fall! There are a lot of opportunities for women to plug in and grow. I hope that you take advantage of the things that are offered. You can find out more information under the “Women in the Word” tab at the top of this blog post!
Midnight Train is this Friday night. If you volunteer or want to volunteer at Long Hollow in any area, this evening is for you. Find out details and register here.
PLEASE HELP US GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT ALL THE EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AT EVERY AGE AND STAGE IN LIFE.
Here’s how:
- Post your favorite blog posts to your Facebook wall! Tweet about new Bible studies and what God is teaching you! And retweet our upcoming events! All of these are HUGE ways we can spread the word! Use #lhwomen when tweeting about us and make sure you follow us. Click here if you don’t yet!
- Make a phone call and invite a friend to come with you. There’s nothing better than a personal touch to someone. Be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus to someone in your life today.
What would happen if 1,000 women joined together for fellowship and to study God’s word together this Fall? It can happen with your help!
Julie
Changing the Filter
There is something that I have a hard time remembering to do: changing the filter on our AC/Heating unit. When was the last time you checked yours? 
If left too long, it can be really nasty when I finally get around to replacing it with a new one.
I teach a small group on Sunday mornings for young single professional women. Right now we are doing a study called Divine Design, a study on Biblical Womanhood. We are learning about God’s design for male and female and how differently those roles look according to God’s design versus the world’s definition. Yesterday we had a discussion about how we as women can undermine men with our words. Quite interesting!
One of the things that we discussed was the importance of putting a filter on what comes out of our mouths! For those of you who may be like me, I sometimes speak before I think and as soon as the word is off my tongue, I want to take it back but guess what…it’s too late!
Proverbs 25:11 says, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.” Have you ever made the mistake of saying the right word in the wrong circumstance? Me too. That is why a filter is important! God has uniquely gifted us as women with the ability to speak many words! Not only that but our words have great influence when they are spoken, whether in the right or wrong circumstance. Oftentimes in conversations with men, we can tear them down with our words and we don’t even know. Sometimes it’s by what we say, how we say it, or just saying too much! Can anyone relate?
Do you use a filter in your conversations? When was the last time you checked? Like my AC/Heating filter, if not checked frequently, our conversations can get out of control really quickly and then it gets nasty. Continue reading
To Read or Not to Read 50 Shades of Grey, That is the Question?
I am concerned and have not said anything before now, but here goes! The hype about this book is unbelievable. As a matter of fact, one of the reviews said that Fifty Shades of Grey fever is sweeping the nation. Scary! Here’s why I am concerned:
Check out this Amazon review: “Romantic, liberating and totally addictive, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is a novel that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.” Well that is reason enough for me not to read it! The only thing I want to possess and obsess me is the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in me.
God created sex for our pleasure but whatever God created for good, Satan seeks to counterfeit. Marriage in Scripture is given as a beautiful picture of Christ and the Church. What God meant to be a perfect expression of love between a husband and wife, the enemy has distorted in all kinds of ways.
Remember who the enemy is, Jesus said in John 8:44, “…He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” There you have it! We have become a sexually depraved society in so many ways because we have listened to the father of lies instead of the One who created sex. Continue reading
Choose Joy
Ever had a lousy day? It started off right. 
You spent time with the Lord and in prayer but before you knew it, everything went south! Me too!
What do you do when such a thing happens? Normally there are two choices. I can throw a pity party which I’ve done on plenty of occasions or I can choose joy! The only thing wrong with the pity party is that the only one who comes is me! My other option is to choose joy. May I say that in the midst of a pity party, joy is the last choice I want to make! However, it is a choice!
When I choose joy God changes my whole attitude! You know what I’ve found out? A joy party is much more fun than a pity party!
One verse that encourages me to choose joy is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Choose joy today. It works!
Julie
