SS30: The Freedom of Submission

Hello, Sisters! I don't have a video to share with you this month, but I do have a study/discussion guide that goes along with chapter 8 of Celebration of Discipline on the topic of submission. There is so much good stuff in this chapter. Check out the study/discussion guide here and join one of our Sister Circles groups that is meeting this week. A group will be gathering tomorrow to have a Facebook Messenger chat at 10:00am and another group will gather for a Zoom call Friday evening at 8:00pm.

We would love to have you join us for one of our virtual meetings this week. Contact Melissa for information about how to find us or look for info in our Butler Women's Ministry facebook group.

SS29: Celebrating Solitude

The timing for this month's chapter couldn't be better! While we are all dealing with different situations caused by Shelter-In-Place orders due to attempts to stop the coronavirus, what's consistent is that we have all had many of our routines disrupted.

For some that means being surrounded by family members much more than usual. For others it means being alone much more than normal. In either case, things might feel extra hard right now! 

In this month's conversation about Solitude, I talked about how solitude (as a spiritual practice/discipline) is more than being alone. It's about being quiet with God. It's also about being present and honest with God and ourselves. Whether we are alone or with others, more than ever, we still have to make the choice to stay still and be quiet and listen.

For many of us, this can be hard, especially when our fears or hurts or insecurities are running strong right below the surface of our hearts. Whether we're alone or around others, sitting in stillness allows things to surface that we often want to drown out and ignore. So we dive into the internet in the name of knowing what's going on in the world or learning something new. We jump onto social media in the name of connecting with people. We find something else to do in the name of productivity. Whatever it takes to run away from uncomfortable things we don't want to acknowledge inside of us.

I'm NOT saying these things are always wrong. Not at all. But I am saying we at least need to be honest about whether or not it's something we're doing on a regular basis.

If you have learned how to sit still and are comfortable practicing listening to God, that's wonderful! Praise God! But if this idea is new to you, I hope you might watch the video and check out the study guide linked below. I'd love to invite you to consider how God might use the extra times of solitude OR the hidden moments of solitude you have to search for to bless your heart in his presence these days.

Link to Celebrating Solitude video.
Link to Celebrating Solitude study guide.
Link to Celebrating Solitude slides.

More than anything, let's take time to practice being quiet with God and let's allow what God does in our hearts to lead us to each other as we share our hearts with each other. Now more than ever.

Blessings,
Melissa

SS28: Ancient Practices for a Whole New World

Wow, Sisters. Less than three weeks have passed since I shared our last Sister Studies post on March 6, and yet it feels like our whole world has changed since then. Back then, our kids were still going to school and COVID-19 still seemed far away. We knew it would get here eventually, but I'm certain the majority of us were totally unaware it would so quickly change the way we were living.

I spent much of last week trying to wrap my brain around the changing circumstances we are all facing. I did too much research and watched too many press conferences. Anxiety clouded my judgment and emotions. It wasn't very pretty.

How did you do?

I keep recalling Pastor Scott's message last time we were at church together... He asked us,"What do you reach for?" Such an important question. When we are losing our balance or our peace and stability, what do we reach for? Do we reach for more information? More groceries? More toilet paper? More opinions and connection on social media? Or some kind of distraction (food, games, Netflix) to help us forget for a little while what all is going on?

Let's keep reaching for God. He is the Rock we can stand on when the storm rages. One day at a time, by the grace of God, I've been reclaiming my sanity and my peace by reaching for God. Here's how the spiritual practices we've been studying in Sister Circles the last months can help us do that.

MEDITATION: So many of us are afraid of what's going on and what is to come. Meditating on the truth of scripture, remembering God's character, and grounding ourselves in God's promises will not only help us keep a right perspective, but it will literally lower our brain's anxiety levels. (It's research proven truth!) Hallelujah! Pay attention to what your mind is stuck on and if it's not good, replace it with this: God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. (REPEAT!!!)
To watch the video, see the study notes, or review the slides on MEDITATION, click here.

PRAYER: We need to be talking to God about so much right now - asking God to give our leaders wisdom and to protect us all from illness, and coming to him to confess our struggles, asking for help and listening for direction. God is with us every moment and we can both complain and express gratitude to him, ALL THE TIME.

To watch the video, see the study notes, or review the slides on PRAYER, click here.

FASTING: I decided back in December to fast from Instagram and for Lent I've been fasting from Facebook. God knew it was what I would need right now! Fasting from food or other activities might be another way God wants to lead you. Also? Reflect on what you are fasting from because of social distancing and shelter at home orders! Whether we would have chosen it or not, we are all fasting from gathering together (or sending our kids to school!) What might God want to teach us from this?
To watch the video, see the study notes, or review the slides on FASTING, click here.

STUDY: We have to stay in the Word right now. It may be tempting to binge the world's news and hoard information, but for thousands of years, God's Word has remained through pandemics and disasters and will sustain us through this one, too. Also? Satan is not taking a vacation right now, but is working to create as much fear and chaos as possible. God's Word strengthens our spiritual immune system, so keep your spiritual armor on and your mind and heart protected!
To watch the video, see the study notes, or review the slides on STUDY, click here.

SIMPLICITY: The timing couldn't have been better for this chapter. We are ALL being challenged to live simpler lives, to trust God to provide in every way, and to share and care for those around us. It does NOT necessarily come naturally, however. The temptation to hoard and self-protect rather than share and trust God is REAL. I'm so grateful God's grace is also real and will never be in short supply!

To watch the video, see the study notes, or review the slides on SIMPLICITY, click here.

(It almost makes me laugh that our next chapter is SOLITUDE. But we'll get into that one in a couple of weeks.)

Sisters, these practices mean so much right now. Habits that bring us back to the feet of Jesus, that remind us of God's goodness, that help us rest in his promises, provision, and protection are ESSENTIAL right now. When our routines are all messed up (which has happened for just about everybody, young and old) there are still routines we can and will do well to cling to. We can't send our kids back to school, but we can take time every day to do our own studying of the Word of God. We can pray. We can worship. We can literally count our blessings! We can't control the headlines, but we can control how often we look at them. We can do more than we think because our God can do more than we can imagine and he is at work in us. (Eph. 3:20-21)

Final Thoughts and Invitations

READING PLAN: Easter is still coming, even if our celebrations are different this year! In preparation, I'm reading through the Gospel of Mark. (I'm noticing new things like how there was no social distancing when the crowds were around Jesus! Haha!) It's only 16 chapters long and so if you start now and read about one chapter a day, you'll finish just before Easter. Want to join me? I made a handy checklist you can print to keep track of your progress and to give you some questions to think about as you read. You can print the Reading Guide in either size and read along with me by clicking here.

I HAVE A NEW BLOG! I'm not sure if it falls under meditation, prayer, or study, but writing is one of the ways I take my thoughts captive and correct my thinking. It's a way I can study, pray, and soak in a truth, sort of all at once. It also gives my mind something better to do than worry or obsess about current events. I write often in my prayer journal, but I've been wanting to share more again, in case what's helping me might help someone else. Because you didn't all sign up to listen to ALL of my thoughts, I created a new blog where I'll be sharing things I'm remembering and learning in the weeks and months to come. If you'd like to check it out, go to www.melissaens.com.

Remember that no matter what comes, our disciples alone aren't what will save us. God is the one who is with us and for us. Our spiritual practices are meant to lead us back to him. May you find much grace and peace this coming week as you turn your eyes to Jesus, remind yourself of God's faithfulness, and trust in God's goodness. He will carry us through.

Grace and Peace to you, Sister.

Love,
Melissa

To sign up or edit your email preferences for Sister Studies (and for my new blog) CLICK HERE. 

SS27: Celebrating Simplicity

Hello, Sisters! Below are the links to the Sister Circles video and study guide for this month's study on the discipline of SIMPLICITY, from Chapter 6 in the book Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster. 

God doesn't desire that we struggle to follow Him. Satan wants to confuse us and keep us busy and striving in every area of life. Christ invites us to rest - literally and spiritually - by trusting Him and believing we don't have to do it all or have it all. I pray that you will take some time this weekend to remember the truth that God is for you and God is faithful. We can choose to stop and spend time sitting with God and His Word. The world won't fall apart if we stop and breathe for a few minutes. ♥️

While we're on the topic of simplicity, I want to mention that it's okay to pursue simplicity in your spiritual life, too. We may be studying a variety of spiritual practices right now, but it doesn't mean you are expected to practice them all every day or week or even every month. If you do and it's life-giving to you and God is meeting you as you practice them, GREAT. But faithfulness and consistency in one or two areas might be all God is calling you to right now. So take heart. God's plans to help you grow are personalized exactly for you and they don't have to look like anyone else's, even if we can learn from each other. 

Speaking of learning together, we'd love to have you at one of the gatherings taking place this month! We're meeting this week - Sunday, 3/8 at church at 9:00AM (childcare available! - Don't forget to change your clock!) We're also meeting Wednesday,  3/11 at church at 10:00 AM, and Friday, 3/13 at 7PM at Starbucks. Get in touch with me if you need more information!

Have a blessed week!
Melissa

LINK to Chapter 6 SIMPLICITY Video

LINK to Chapter 6 SIMPLICITY Study Guide

LINK to Chapter 6 SIMPLICITY video slides

SS26: Celebration of Study (for Sister Circles)

Hello, Sisters! Here are the links to the Sister Circles video and study guide for this month's study on the discipline of STUDY, from Chapter 5 in the book Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster.

We'd love to have you at one of the gatherings taking place this month!
Wednesday, 2/12 at church at 10:00 AM, Sunday, 2/16 at church at 9:00AM (childcare available!) or Friday, 2/21 at 7PM at Starbucks. Get in touch with me if you need more information!

Have a blessed week!
Melissa

LINK to Chapter 5 Video

LINK to Chapter 5 Study Guide

LINK to Study Video Slides

SS25: Celebrating Fasting (for Sister Circles)

Hello, Sisters! Here is the video and study guide for chapter 4 from the Celebration of Discipline chapter on Fasting. Those of us who have met in our Sister Circles groups already have had some great conversations around this topic. May God lead you into greater freedom, joy, and closeness to Him as you explore this discipline God invites us to.

January Study Guide - Chapter 4 - Fasting

Link to Fasting video

Link to review the slides from the video

Blessings to you!
Melissa

SS23: Celebrating the Gift of Prayer (Sister Circles - Chapter 3)

Hello, Sisters! It is such a joy for me to share with you some stories and encouragement about PRAYER! The study guide is right here and the video is here! To review the video slides, click here.

If you're in Fresno, we hope that you can join one of our Sister Circles meetings this week!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, mark your calendars! 

January 4, 2020, we're having a special Women's Brunch! We'll be enjoying some fun fellowship, encouragement, and having a special guest! Mikaela Ens is home from college for winter break and she'll be giving us a lettering art lesson! Whether you choose a word for the year each January or not, you'll leave with something lovely. 😉 We hope you can join us!

SS22: Final Thoughts on Meditation & Some Updates

An Invitation to Sit in His Presence

Our Sister Circles topic and spiritual practice for this month is meditation. I have spent time reflecting on the idea of meditation and practicing meditation more than my usual, and I am noticing the concept more often in scripture as well as in conversations and media around me.

Meditation is teaching me to slow down and listen, to my own heart and to God.

It never feels like there are enough hours in the week to take care of all my responsibilities AND take care of my soul. Last Sunday night, already feeling pressure as I anticipated the coming week, I decided to try listening to a peaceful podcast while I washed dishes. Instead of feeling more peaceful, however, I grew more and more stressed and annoyed as my son kept trying to talk to me. I finally recognized God wanted me to stop what I was doing. Though I was tempted to finish what I had started, I needed to leave the dishes undone and retreat to my room for a while and let God restore my soul before I caused damage to my son’s heart with a stress-filled, impatient response to his simple desire for my attention. I turned off the water and walked back to my room. A minute later, there was a knock on the door. (Of course.) I told my son I needed to stay back there alone for a little while and would be out eventually. He may not have appreciated it, but I have no doubt that when I came out later with a fresh attitude, our relationship was in better shape than it would have been if I hadn’t stopped and retreated when I did. A few minutes of meditation and quiet prayer gave me the victory as I resisted the enemy’s lies that I couldn’t quit.

The next morning I was reminded of Psalm 23. Verse 5 says, “You prepare a feast before me in plain sight of my enemies. You refresh my head with oil; my cup is completely full.” Do you see? The enemy pays attention to us when we sit at the feast God has prepared for us. Satan does not want us refreshed, anointed, and filled by the Holy Spirit, so if he can get us to stop before we sit, he will do just that! But he is too smart to intimidate us outright. He doesn’t jump out and yell, “BOO!” to scare us away like a neighborhood bully. Instead, he sneaks up behind us and reminds us of all the things we haven’t done or the tasks we are doing later. He reminds us that we need to be worried about this, that, and the other thing. He disguises his whispers as our own ideas so we won’t notice when we think, “Oh, I’ll just quickly check Instagram (or facebook or my email) first…” The rest of the day, if he can, he will weigh us down with worry and inspire us to wear ourselves out with activity so by evening, we don’t even think we can concentrate on prayer because we just want to collapse.

James 4:7-8b “So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

Like we are taught in James 4:7-8, I am finding I have to actively resist the enemy and reject the lies that I don’t have enough time to sit and be still before God. If I think I don’t have time to meditate – sitting in God’s presence, drawing near to Him – I am believing the same lie Martha believed in Luke 10. God gives me enough time to sit in His presence, but I admit I too often spend that time doing other things. If the Lord is my shepherd and has provided all I need, that means He has provided the time I need to sit with Him. I just need to let Him lead me to the green pastures and still waters of His presence. Work can wait. Chores can wait. Social media can wait. Netflix can wait. Even the kids and the hubby can wait!

Time spent abiding in the love of Christ, listening to the Spirit’s wisdom, seeking the Father’s strength, reading the Word and receiving the Lord’s peace is an investment that will we will not regret. And thankfully, unlike many earthly investments, time spent in the Lord’s presence often offers an immediate payoff in addition to an eternal one. What a gift!

Sisters (and brothers), may our ears hear the Spirit when He calls and may we rejoice and grow as we learn more and more to sit quietly and meditate in His presence.
Amen.

&&&&&&&

RESOURCES:

A friend shared this podcast with me and I have really loved it! It's called The Presence Project and the host shares about the same kind of ancient, soulful practices we are discussing in Celebration of Discipline while connecting the practices with modern brain science. (I love how modern science is proving that spiritual disciplines have been good for humans all along!) She teaches a bit and then leads listeners in a quiet, meditative practice of prayer, meditation, or other reflection. I encourage you to try it out if you can.
https://thepresenceproject.libsyn.com/ (all episodes)
https://thepresenceproject.libsyn.com/trust-in-god-built-one-gratitude-after-another (Especially perfect as we reflect on Thanksgiving and move into December)

BIBLE READING PLAN UPDATE:

Back in January, some of us began working together on reading through the New Testament chronologically. We haven't gotten through the whole thing, but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the books in order based on when they were written. It's been fascinating to me. If you are interested in reading along, here's what we've read so far:

• Luke
• Matthew
• Acts 1-15
• Galatians
• James
• Acts 16-18:17
• 1 & 2 Thessalonians
• Acts 18:18-19:22
• 1 Corinthians
• Acts 19:23-20:1
• 2 Corinthians

In order to allow time for anyone who needs to catch up AND to allow some extra time to reflect on the Advent season (the weeks leading up to Christmas) I'm taking a break from the NT reading plan and will resume in January with the book of Romans. For now I'll personally be reading along with the (in)courage website's Advent reading plan, focusing on 25 Christmas Promises. YouVersion has  many Advent reading plans to choose from as well. I hope you will take time to sit with God's Word, allowing God to speak to you as you meditate on His truth this month.

DECEMBER SISTER CIRCLE GATHERINGS:

Our December gatherings will take place on December 8, 11, & 13. We'll be discussing PRAYER. If you have the book Celebration of Discipline and would like to read chapter 3 before we gather, please feel free to do so! I'll share the video and study guide soon, as well.

Thank you all for joining me on this journey! I learn so much more when I'm not learning alone. May God bless you all this Advent season with a renewed sense of wonder at the coming of Jesus Christ.

Blessings to You!
Melissa

SS21: Meditation (for Sister Circles)

Hello, everyone!

I am looking forward to gathering together this coming week. It is so lovely to be able to talk and laugh and pray together in person.

We'll be discussing Celebration of Discipline's Chapter 2 on the Discipline of Meditation. It has been very interesting for me to study this chapter and to practice meditating more than I have in the past. I'm not an expert AT ALL, but I'm enjoying learning and I hope you do, too.

Whether you are meeting with a Sister Circle group or not, you can watch the videos and look at the study guide (links below) if you'd like to follow along. (You can also watch the video with your group if you attend the Sunday morning or Wednesday morning group.) Send me your questions or comments by email and maybe I'll share a follow up post in a week or two.

Here is a link to the video for November's Sister Circles gatherings, which will be taking place in the coming week and here is a link to the November Study Guide.  If you'd like to view the slides from the video, click here.

For more information about Sister Circles, including how to sign up, visit http://www.butlerchurch.org/sister-circles/.

Have a Blessed Week,
Melissa

SS20: Intro/Chapter One - Celebration of Discipline (for Sister Circles)

Hello, sisters! I'm so excited to share with you the first video for Sister Circles! And I am excited to meet tomorrow for the first Sunday morning circle.

No matter which circle you'll be meeting with, if you would like to watch the video ahead of time, please feel free to do so! You can find it right here:

If you are able to join one of the Sister Circles meeting in person this month, we will have copies of the study guide printed for you to take home. If you would like to print a copy for yourself, it's right here.

If you aren't able to meet with a group and would like to share your thoughts, feel free to share in the comments on the post or by sending me an email.

May the Lord open your eyes this week and month to all He wants you to see and may He lead you on the path that leads to blessings.

Much Love,
Melissa

You're Invited! (Sister Circles are starting this month!)

Hello, sisters!

Here is a quick video to tell you about the newest way for women to connect at Butler Church.

We hope you'll join a Sister Circle!

Sister Circles are small groups for women that will meet monthly at a variety of meeting times, so hopefully there will be one that works for YOU!

You can get more information here and sign up here!  (By signing up we'll be able to send you updates regarding meeting times/locations, etc.)

Have questions? Email the Butler office, call the church office (number and email on the church website).

We really hope you'll join us!