Sister Studies: Discerning the Voice of God Session 3 (January 2023)

Happy New Year, Sisters! Whether we're ready or not, it's 2023. A new year has started and I hope and pray it is filled with spiritual growth and much fruit in our lives as we seek to walk closely with God, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, our faithful Guide.

January Sister Circles are meeting next week! (Join us! Click here to sign up.)

• Sunday morning Jan 8 at 9:15am at church (Let us know in advance if you'd like childcare or want to join this group by Zoom)
• Wednesday, Jan 11 at 10:30AM at church
• OR Friday, Jan 13 at 7:00pm at Starbucks!

This month we'll be continuing with our Discerning the Voice of God study - Session 3. (You can find all of the previous posts for this study here.) The Sunday and Wednesday Sister Circles will watch the videos together, but you're encouraged to watch them on your own as well or if you can't make it to one of the groups.

If you have a copy of the Discerning the Voice of God Bible study book, you can follow along with the Session 3 viewer guide on page 71 of the book. If you don't have the book, you can print a copy of the viewer guide for this session using this link: Session 3 Viewer Guide to print

To think about or discuss before you watch the video:

• Does the idea of "practicing" to discern God's voice make sense and come naturally to you? Why might it seem a bit strange at first?
• Read John 10:27-30 and think about God's role as our shepherd. In verse 27 we see how God is intentional to speak in a way we can hear: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me..."  What does that mean to you?

SIGN UP FOR SISTER STUDIES EMAILS HERE AND WE'LL SEND YOU AN EMAIL WITH A LINK TO THIS MONTH'S VIDEO.

After you've watched the video, here are some other questions to consider.

• Do you have a story of a time when you clearly heard God's direction? Or a time when God asked you to wait?
• Priscilla said "Waiting on God means being obedient and fully engaged in what He has currently given you to do until your Guide tells you to take the next turn." Is there an area that you've been asking God to work in and He seems to be moving more slowly than you like? If we applied this quote to our situations, how would that inform our daily walks and attitudes about our current circumstances?

Holy Spirit, thank You for being so patient with us as we learn to listen to You. Thank You for speaking so that we can hear You. Help us seek You with all of our hearts.

FOR THE REST OF JANUARY:

(I know it's a little confusing...) After you've watched the video, read through pages 72-101 this month. It will say "Week Three" in the book, but for us it's "Month Three". Our slower pace works out to approximately one page per day. We'll watch Session 4 (page 103) in February.

May God bless you as you seek to follow the Holy Spirit's leading this first month of 2023!

Much Love,

Melissa

Sister Studies: Discerning the Voice of God Session 2 (November 2022)

November Sister Circles are meeting this Sunday 11/13 at 9:15 in the youth room, and Wednesday 11/16 at 10:30. (The Friday pm meeting date this month is to be determined.) (Join us! Click here to sign up!)

I hope you've had a chance to watch last month's videos and to read last month's study lessons in the book. They were so rich and such great preparation for this month's study. (Find all of the study posts here.)

If you have a copy of the Discerning the Voice of God Bible study book, you can follow along with the Session 2 viewer guide on page 39 of the book. If you don't have the book, you can print a copy of the viewer guide for this session using one of these links: 
Session 2 Viewer Guide with "Fill in the Blanks"
Session 2 Viewer Guide with Answers

Before you watch the video:

• Read Genesis 22:2-3. What comes to your mind when you think of the word "obedience"? In what areas of your life are you sensing God asking you to make changes in order to follow Him in obedience?
• Read John 16:5-15. Think about the Holy Spirit's role in your life and about your thoughts in general about the Holy Spirit. 

SIGN UP FOR SISTER STUDIES EMAILS HERE AND WE'LL SEND YOU AN EMAIL WITH A LINK TO THIS MONTH'S VIDEO.

After you've watched the video, here are some other questions to consider.

• What, if anything, in the video teaching challenged the way you currently view the Holy Spirit and His work in your life? How have you seen the Holy Spirit work in your life up to this point? Are you willing to adjust your preferences and decisions as the Holy Spirit leads?
• Remember the "Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light" illustration. What times can you think of when the Holy Spirit has led you in a similar way and you've experienced good results when you obeyed?

Holy Spirit, we need You. We need your guidance and strength. We need your power and wisdom. Please help us to grow in hearing and responding to your voice. In Jesus's name, Amen!

Keep an eye on your email (or here) for a mid-month bonus post in a couple of weeks. If you have the book, we'll be reading through pages 40-69 in the next few weeks.

May God bless you as you seek His face, His heart, and His voice.

Much Love,

Melissa

Obedience is a Seatbelt and a Seed (Fall Sister Studies Session 1 Bonus Recording)

Hey, Sisters!

I have a question for you. When you hear the word "OBEDIENCE" do you cringe, either because you don't like to obey or because your kids or students don't obey you? Hang on… don't click away just yet. Yes, God calls each of us to obedience but it's a BLESSING, sometimes like a seatbelt that protects us and sometimes like a seed that grows in surprising ways.

I hope you have watched the first teaching session for Discerning the Voice of God, where Priscilla Shirer teaches on the importance of deciding IN ADVANCE that we will obey whatever God asks of us. (If not, you can look for it here!)

In this BONUS recording you'll find...

• an overview of what Priscilla discusses in the study book that goes with the first video.
• stories from Shelly Spencer about getting obedience right... and wrong!
• a few extra thoughts to encourage you on the way.

Listen to the audio only in your favorite podcast app or here...

Watch the video here or click here to open it in a new window.

For more information about joining a Sister Circle monthly group, visit https://www.butlerchurch.org/sister-circles

May you experience God's richest blessings as you walk by faith in obedience in the days and weeks to come.

~Melissa

Sister Studies: Session 1 (October 2022)

Hello, Sisters! Here is Session 1 of our study for this year, Discerning the Voice of God with Priscilla Shirer.

If you are joining with a Sister Circle, you may want to watch this video ahead of time. (Some groups will watch the video together and others will just discuss the questions.) 

October Sister Circles meet October 9, 12, & 14. (Join us! Click here to sign up!)

If you have a copy of the Discerning the Voice of God Bible study book, you can follow along with the viewer guide on page 7 of the book. If you don't have the book, you can print a copy of the viewer guide for this session using one of these links: 
Session 1 Viewer Guide with "Fill in the Blanks"
Session 1 Viewer Guide with Answers

Before you watch the video, take a moment to think about these questions:

• What first comes to mind when you think of hearing from God?
• Does hearing from God come easily or has it been a struggle?

In John 5:30, Jesus says, "I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will."

• Considering Jesus as a model, what might it look like for us to submit to God's will in our everyday lives?
• Does this come easily to most of us? Why or why not?

SIGN UP FOR SISTER STUDIES EMAILS HERE AND WE'LL SEND YOU AN EMAIL WITH A LINK TO THIS MONTH'S VIDEO.

After you've watched the video, here are some other questions to consider.

• What resonated most with you from the video?
• How do you struggle with stillness and prayer? What can you do to intentionally practice stillness?
• Have you ever been reluctant to obey something you felt God was telling you to do because you didn't think God would "work" that way?

Father God, please soften our hearts and purify our wills so that we would desire to obey You more than anything. Help us to say, "YES, LORD." May we mean it with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. In the Name of Jesus, Amen

Keep an eye on your email (or here) for follow up posts throughout the month. If you have the book, go through the first "week" of the book (Days 1-5) and we'll look at Session 2 together in November!

(November Sister Circles will meet November 13, 16, & 18.)

May God bless you as you seek His face, His heart, and His voice.

Much Love,

Melissa

Fall 2022 Sister Studies and Sister Circles with Priscilla Shirer!

Hello!!!!! It's been a couple of months and I'm so glad to be back with some exciting news! Sister Circles and Sister Studies are back! Butler Church Common Ground Women's Ministry leaders (that's me, Shelly Spencer, and Helen Ens) are excited to announce we will be going through the Discerning the Voice of God study with Priscilla Shirer this year. (No, sorry, Priscilla Shirer won't be joining us in person, but we'll get to watch her on video!) If you have ever heard her speak, you already know it's going to be so good! If she's new to you, I can't wait to introduce you to this gifted woman of God.

Check out the Discerning the Voice of God Bible Study Trailer here!

You can engage with this study in several different ways.

1. Join a Sister Circle! We have 3 Sister Circles that will meet once a month to watch and/or discuss the videos. One will meet on a Sunday morning, another will meet on a Wednesday, and the last one will meet on a Friday evening at Starbucks or another location. (This month we'll meet October 9, 12, & 14. Pick the one that's best for you!)
2. Watch on your own online. I'll be sharing the videos here on the blog so that they can be accessed any time during the current month. (Due to copyright restrictions, they can only be up for a limited time.) Make sure you have signed up for the Sister Studies emails (see link below) so you don't miss anything. 
3. Get a copy of the Bible Study book. You don't have to have the book to participate, but you'll definitely get more out of the study if you do! We have a limited number of books available at church for a discounted price, but you can also order one on your own from any book retailer. (Just be sure you get the correct version. It should look like this. Not sure if you want the book? Here's a sneak peek of the first chapter shared by Lifeway.com.)
4. Watch for additional content! Hopefully at least once a month I'll be sharing an extra bonus video based on what I'm learning from the book as well as what others are saying they are learning. (We would love to hear from YOU!)

SIGN UP HERE so you can get the emails and/or join a Sister Circle!  The first study video will be in your email tomorrow!

May God bless us all as we seek to hear His voice in the coming months.

By His Grace,

Melissa

DIVINE: Knowing Our God of Peace - Reflection

Are you searching for peace? What is peace, anyway? Who is our God of Peace and what will He do? How do we respond? 

In this Sister Studies video, I share my reflections after spending a few weeks listening to and studying these verses seeking to know God more deeply as our God of Peace. 

Here are a couple of the lessons God has been teaching me:

Having a mindset of the Holy Spirit that leads to life and peace is less about WHAT I'm thinking about and more about the PERSPECTIVE I'm looking at things from.

When I need peace and God hasn't yet calmed the storms in or around me, I can find peace in His nearness instead of being frustrated that He's not doing what I want.

The Bible gives us some specific steps to take to help us find and hold onto peace:

Click here to download this image.

Watch the video recording here.

(Don't see the video? Click here.)

Want audio only? Listen to this reflection here or on your favorite podcast app by searching for Sister Studies. This recording is episode 07 - Knowing Our God of Peace.

Click here for the printable video notes: Knowing our God of Peace Video Notes w/verses

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

The Lord be with all of you.

(2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV)

Simply Scripture: Knowing Our God of Peace

Hey, friends. In a few days I'll be sharing a reflection recording based on what I've been learning or remembering about knowing our God of Peace. In the meantime, I would love to encourage you to spend some time listening to or reading this collection of verses about our God of Peace. Listen to the audio in a podcast app (or right here). Watch the video. Print out the verses and read them slowly and meditatively. You can read them all or just pick one at a time to focus on. Listen to how the Holy Spirit speaks to you. God wants us to know Him and His peace.

Simply Scripture - Knowing Our God of Peace printable pdf

(Can't see the video? Click here.)

You can also listen to the audio recordings by looking for the Sister Studies podcast on most podcast apps or by visiting anchor.fm/melimayens.

DIVINE: Knowing Our God of Hope - Reflection

 

I'm so thankful God led me to search for and know Him more as our God of Hope this month. We need hope now more than ever, don't we? The reflection I'm sharing here is based on my observations after taking time to read and listen to the verses shared here about knowing our God of Hope. 

I talk about the surprising number of times we find faith, hope, and love mentioned together in the Bible, and I also talk about Diet Coke and Mentos. Curious? Click play below and listen in...

(Click here to open the video in a new window.)

Want audio only? Listen to this reflection here or on your favorite podcast app by searching for Sister Studies. This recording is episode 06.

Click here to view the printable video notes and discussion guide.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 CSB

Simply Scripture: Knowing Our God of Hope

This recording contains scripture focusing on knowing God as our God of Hope. 

You can read along as you listen here.

You can also listen to the recording (without video) here or on a podcast app like Apple podcasts. You can listen to the verses WITH or WITHOUT the piano background music. 

Visit https://anchor.fm/melimayens for more info. 

Click here for a printable copy of the verses.

Romans 15:13 CSB Psalm 146:5-6 NIV Psalm 33:18, 20-22 NLT Psalm 130:7 NET Jeremiah 29:11 NIV Isaiah 40:31 NIV Lamentations 3:21-26 NET Micah 7:7 NIV Hebrews 11:1, 6 NIV Romans 5:2-5 NLT 1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT 1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV Colossians 1:5 NET 1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV 1 Thessalonians 5:8 CSB Romans 12:12 NET Hebrews 10:22-23 CSB 2 Thess 2:16-17 NET Ephesians 1:17-19a NET Psalm 31:24 CSB

DIVINE: Transformed by Knowing God (More!) (Fall 2021 Intro)

 Hello, everyone! I don't know about the rest of you, but it always takes me MUCH longer to settle into new routines than I want it to and this year has been no exception. Getting into the flow of new school routines isn't easy for me -- especially after over a year of distance learning! Well, it turns out that getting back into the flow of creating and sharing these studies is also taking a bit more time than I wanted it to. Oh well! I'll just keep going, trusting in God's grace upon grace and your understanding and patience as we get into the swing of things for this fall. We'll get up to speed eventually!

We have already kicked off our first two Sister Circles meetings where we discussed the video and notes below. Like I mentioned in the last email, you can now also LISTEN to this reflection on being transformed by knowing God on the Sister Studies Podcast if you prefer the audio only. Look for Episode 05 ~ Transformed by Knowing God (Fall 2021 Intro).

CLICK HERE (or below) to watch the video where I reintroduce our theme of Knowing God.

VIDEO NOTES:

Why are we still studying what it means to know God?

 

1. Our growth brings glory to God. 2 Peter 3:18 (NLT) "Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen." When we grow in the knowledge of Jesus, our growth and lives will bring more glory to God and we will know His glory! Growth might come more slowly than we want it to, but it will come!

2. We want to be more like Jesus. Colossians 3:10 (NLT) "Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him." Being like Jesus is something we grow into as we know God, not as we force ourselves to be better or different.

3. As we know God more, we will trust Him more. Proverbs 3:5-6 (CSB) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight." As we know God more, we'll experience His faithfulness and know more peace because we'll know He is trustworthy. We will make better and wiser choices in every area of life as we trust and listen to God.

4. We experience God's grace, peace, power, provision AND MORE as we KNOW HIM.  2 Peter 1:2-3 (CSB) "May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." God has provided so much and blessed us in so many ways, but if we don't know God, we won't experience all He has for us.

The more we SEEK GOD, the more we will KNOW God. 

Let's ask God to help us know Him and His...

Presence, Pleasure, Purity,

Promises, Peace, Perfection,

Perspective, Plan, Purpose,

Power, Provision, Protection,

Perseverance, and Patience.

I truly believe God longs to comfort and guide us when we are hurting or lost. When we PAUSE and PRAY, asking God to help us know Him exactly where we are, the Holy Spirit will remind us of God's PRESENCE with us always, His PLEASURE because we are calling on Him and seeking Him, and the PURITY of His love for us. God will remind us of His PROMISES, fill us with His PEACE, and lead us into His PERFECTION (rather than a perfection of our own imagination). Jesus will open our eyes to see His PERSPECTIVE of us, others, and our circumstances, remind us of His PLAN to work everything for our good and His glory, and help us see an eternal PURPOSE beyond what we can imagine. The Holy Spirit will fill us with POWER as we believe, PROVIDE for our every real need, and PROTECT us from attacks and harm from the enemy. God will teach us to PERSEVERE and be PATIENT as we walk by faith. And we will PRAISE God for His goodness to us.

I'm not saying that every time we stop to pray we will be conscious of experiencing God in all of these ways. I do believe, however, that in time, if we take the time to seek God, we will experience more and more of God in this way. So no matter what kind of Problems, Pain, or Persecution we might be facing, let's remember OFTEN to  PAUSE, PRAY, and PRAISE.

Let's also remember that one of the best ways to know and experience God is by spending time with the Body of Christ. You are still invited to join one of our Sister Circles! They will be meeting again later this month. We have one group meeting once a month on a Wednesday morning and another group meeting once a month on a Sunday morning, and we'd love to have you join us. (Other groups may be added if schedules allow and enough others are interested, so let us know!)

May God bless you as you continue to grow in Him. He loves you so very much.

Love,

Melissa

DIVINE: Knowing God as Shepherd Video Reflection (Week 13)

"The Lord is my Shepherd." Psalm 23 is probably one of the most famous and loved passages in the Bible. Knowing God as our Shepherd is truly a comfort to our human hearts. As I have reflected on the verses that show how God shepherds us, I have been challenged over and over again to trust God more. (Click here for a PDF printable of all of the God our Shepherd verses Click here for the video and click here for the audio to hear them read to you.) In the video reflection on Knowing God as Our Shepherd I recorded this past weekend, I share the ways God promises to care for us as our Shepherd. 

DIVINE: Transformed by Knowing God as our Shepherd VIDEO NOTES

What is God saying about who he is and who we are when he calls himself our Shepherd?

1. God is always present, watching over, and protecting us. (Psalm 121)

2. God provides: rest, strength, guidance, comfort, abundance, honor, blessings, goodness, and unfailing love. (Psalm 23)

3. God is our shelter, refuge, and place of safety. His promises protect us. (Psalm 91:1-4)
4. God is leading us and helping us lead others. (Isaiah 40:11; Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 116:7)
5. God rescues us when we stray. (1 Peter 2:25; Isaiah 53:6)
6. God speaks to us. God knows us and helps us know him. (John 14:6-7; John 10)
7. God wants our worries and trust. (Matt 6: 25-34; 1 Peter 5:6-7)

8. God will never leave, abandon, forsake, forget about, or give up on us. (Matt 28:20; Hebrews 13:5-6)

9. God will help us do his will. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
10. Trusting God blesses our hearts. (Psalm 28:7-9; Numbers 6:24-26)

For Reflection or Discussion:

1. How often do you remember the promises listed here? Which of the 10 points listed above is the most encouraging to you in this season? Which do you want to hold on to and how can you remind yourself to do that this week?

2.  God wants our worries and trust.

In 1 Peter 5:6-7, we are told to humble ourselves before the Lord by casting our cares on Him because He cares for us. I studied that verse this weekend and the word for "CAST" doesn't imply gently setting something down. It implies throwing something, kind of like what I would do if I picked up a box and there was a big spider on it. I wouldn't likely set it down gently. My reflex reaction would be to get it as far away from me as possible as quickly as possible! I think that is how God wants us to treat our worries. As quickly as possible, God wants us to toss them to Him and let Him carry the weight of them. It's like a life changing game of catch or hot potato, and GOD WILL NEVER DROP THE BALL, even if He doesn't always answer in the way we want. We cast our worries on Him and He will carry them and us. We stay close to Him and obey Him, and He will lead, provide, and watch over us and those we love. 

This CAST/CARE prayer helps me remember that I CAST and He CARES. Fill in the blanks with whatever or whoever is weighing on your heart or mind. Trust those things and loved ones to God your Shepherd's loving hands. I'm NOT saying this is easy. I come back to God with my cares and concerns over and over. But with practice it does get easier, and it's so much better than carrying them on my own.

God, You Care About ____________. I Surrender ___________ to You. God, I Trust You to ...

Carry _____________,  Abide (stay) with me, Respond to my prayer, and Equip me to do Your will. (Heb. 13:20-21)

3.  Since we started this study, I have said knowing God will help us experience God's Presence, Pleasure, Promises, Plan, Perspective, Provision, Purpose, Peace, Protection, Power, Perfection, and Purity.

For you, which of these are most connected to knowing God as your Shepherd? 

Lord God, our faithful Shepherd, as it says in Psalm 28, You are our strength and our shield. Our hearts can trust You and we can celebrate and give you our thanks. Strengthen us, save us, bless us, shepherd us, and carry us this week and forever. Thank You for helping us to know You more. May we be transformed into people who walk by faith more and more. In Your name Jesus, amen.

COMING UP NEXT:

Two Sister Circles are meeting this week. One meets Wednesday (tomorrow) 5/19 at church and the other will meet on Sunday 5/23. (Contact me for more details.) For the next few weeks, I'll just be sharing a few more thoughts on being transformed by knowing God. I'll be reflecting on what we've learned so far but not introducing a new characteristic of God. Sister Circles will meet again the 3rd week of June and then in July we'll be taking a break from the regular weekly posts. Before starting again in August or September, I'll want to get some feedback from everyone to see what you have liked most or least about these studies, so watch for a survey next month.

May you be blessed by our faithful, always present Shepherd this week.

Trusting our Shepherd, 

Melissa

If you've missed any posts from the DIVINE: Transformed by Knowing God series, you can find them all here.

DIVINE: Transformed by Knowing God as Our Deliverer Video Reflection (Week 9)

For the last three weeks, we've been seeking to know God more as our Deliverer. In the video this week, I'm sharing with you what God has been showing me and what promises and truth I have been holding onto. Watch the Video Reflection on Knowing God as Our Deliverer here or click below. In the notes below, you'll find the main points and some questions to consider. (Click here for a printable copy.)

VIDEO NOTES & DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. God our Creator is also God our Deliverer.

How can knowing God as our Creator help us have confidence in Him as our Deliverer?

2. God is always paying attention, watching over and listening to us, but He doesn't keep us from experiencing trouble and difficulty. 

Why doesn't God keep us from experiencing pain and difficulty and trials?

3. God is teaching us to persevere and wait and He is training us for future battles. This kind of character building work TAKES TIME.

When have you had to wait for God to answer your prayers? What have you learned by going through difficult times?

4. Waiting can make us feel weak and weary and the devil will try to take advantage of that.

Do you usually remember to stand firm with God's armor so you can resist the enemy? What does "standing firm" look like?

5. God our Deliverer is WITH US in every difficult trial we face and He will always make a way even when we can't imagine how it's possible.

Have you experienced God making a way where it seemed impossible? Are you waiting for that kind of deliverance now?

In the first video in this series, I shared this belief: 

The more we know God, the more we will experience God's Presence, Pleasure, Promises, Plan, Perspective, Provision, Purpose, Peace, Protection, Power, Perfection, and Purity.

6. Remembering God is my Deliverer helps me find rest for my soul. When I trust Him and pour out my heart to Him I find refuge and peace.

As you continue to know God as your Deliverer, how do you hope to experience more of God? 

If you are able to join a Sister Circle this week, you can share your answers to any and all of these questions there or you can always leave a comment or send me a message and let me know what is connecting with you. I'd love to hear from you!

Next week we'll be shifting our focus to seeking to know God as our Shepherd. I know it's going to be so good and I can't wait to learn along with you.

May God our Deliverer give you strength and hope as you trust in Him and wait for Him this week.

Much Love,
Melissa

If you've missed any posts from the DIVINE: Transformed by Knowing God series, you can find all of them here.

DIVINE: Transformed by Knowing God as our Creator Video Reflection (Week 5)

Hello, sisters! Some of us have just spent three weeks reading or listening to verses and thinking about who God is as our Creator, as well as who we are as His creation. (Read the verses here. Listen to me read them here.) 

Last week I suggested you reflect on these questions.

After these weeks of focusing on God as my Creator...

What stood out to me? What surprised me?
What did I notice about God? About myself? About others?
What do I want to remember?
What did I see or do I hear God saying to me now?

Watch the Video Reflection on Knowing God as Our Creator here.

In the video this week, I take some time to share some of my answers to those questions. Here are some things I have been noticing about God, our Creator.

VIDEO NOTES & DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. God is SO CREATIVE! The world around us is filled with so many different kinds of plants, animals, and people! It's really incredible when we stop to think about it. God was also so creative in how He made us. Each of us is made in God's image and we are creative in different ways! (Yes, you!)

What's your favorite kind of creativity? Art? Music? Cooking? Hospitality? Leadership? Problem Solving? Caregiving? Gift giving? Something else?

2. God made us to notice beauty and glory. He made us to worship. Being in nature inspires me to worship and helps me feel connected to God. What about you?

Where and when do you feel most connected to God?

3. The created world reflects the spiritual world.  Not only do we see God's glory in the beauty of nature, we can also learn from the lessons nature has to teach us about who God is and other spiritual truths. (Like how God always brings light out of darkness, or how the vastness of the ocean reflects the vastness of God.)

What other "object lessons" or parables or references to nature reflecting spiritual truth can you remember or think of?

4. If I'm honest with you, I'll admit that I don't like all of God's choices - especially about how He made me. (Did you read my Mama Bird Sings story? It was inspired by my own life. I share more about my struggles regarding how God made me in the video.) It can also be hard to accept He knows about all of the hard things and allows them anyway. (Psalm 139:16)

Do you struggle with how God made you? Or with what He has allowed to happen to you or others?

5. God made us so we would need Him and others. Nobody is made to thrive alone - not without God and not without other humans. 

How do your weaknesses make you depend on God or others? Can you see how that is a good thing?

6. Meditating on Creation leads us to our shortcomings and failures and The Fall, where we see clearly that we need a Savior - a Deliverer. God our Deliverer is what we'll be studying next month!

In the first video in this series, I shared this belief: 

The more we know God, the more we will experience God's Presence, Pleasure, Promises, Plan, Perspective, Provision, Purpose, Peace, Protection, Power, Perfection, and Purity.

Every month, I want us to come back to this question. 

As you have spent time thinking about God as your Creator, how have you experienced more of God? 

If you are able to join a Sister Circle this week, you can share your answers to any and all of these questions there and you can always reply to these emails and let me know what is connecting with you. I'd love to hear from you!

REMINDER! Sister Circles are meeting THIS WEEK!!!

Sister Circles will be gathering THIS week. Visit butlerchurch.org/sister-circles to sign up for a Sister Circles small group. We'd love to have you join us!

     Sunday, March 21 at 9:00 on Zoom

     Wednesday, March 24 @ 10am (in person with Helen)

     Friday, March 26 @ 7pm (online or in person)

I'll be sharing some new study verses next weekend as we begin seeking to know God as our Deliverer. I can't wait.

Blessings to you. May you know the love and care of your Creator this week.

Much Love,

Melissa

Sister Studies & Sister Circles - New series!

Hello, Sisters! It has been too long since we last gathered or studied together, but I am excited to let you know about a new series we're about to start called "Divine: Transformed by Knowing God". This video tells you a little about what's coming!

What can you expect this time around? This series will be like a combination of the original Sister Studies posts WITH the joy of monthly Sister Circles gatherings.

Based on our theme of Knowing God, I'll be sharing something with you (hopefully!) each week that you can read or watch, along with some suggestions for further study or application throughout the week. Then once a month, those that are interested will gather (online or in person) for a time of conversation around what we were learning that month.

You can participate however much you want. Follow along and read/watch all the Sister Studies without joining a Sister Circle, join a Sister Circle even if you don't have time to read/watch. Or do it all! Our goal is simply to connect and encourage each other and to grow in our faith and understanding of who God is and to know God more throughout our daily lives. We're excited to do that together.

To sign up for the emails and/or join one of the new groups, head over to butlerchurch.org/sister-circles and let us know that you're in!

We can't wait to know God more together this year.

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