Good morning Princesses,
We are on the last few chapters of FerVent. Thank you for your continued prayers and for following along this summer. See below for our final chapters and some exciting information about our new season!
1. Coming Fall 2018!
It's that time again! Yes, our Fall 2018 season is just around the corner. Similar to last year, we will be conducting our face-to-face study sessions every other Tuesday beginning September 11, 2018, at 6:00 pm (online will begin the following week, September 18, 2018, at 7:00 pm).
This Fall/Winter 2018 we will be discussing (drum roll please...)
Beginning September 11th (face-to-face) @ 6:00 pm and online September 18 @ 7:00 pm, we will jump right into our Session 8 study.
Full of intrigue, conflict, faith, courage and truth, Esther is a study not just about the destiny of a queen but our destiny as well. Join GO! either face-to-face or online.
The promo link is below. If you plan to join online, just send an email (face-to-face- feel free to register or just come on the dates listed!)
Last, but not least =>spread the word!
2. No GO! Report on Monday, September 3, 2018- Labor Day
3. Final Summer Study Chat
Scheduled for Sunday, September 9 @ 6:00 pm (call in details will be sent at a later date).
4. Our Pressures ~ Inner Strength
(Reclaiming Peace, Rest and Contentment)
Last week we discussed inner strength. The struggle is real! This week the question is how do we reclaim Peace, Rest and Contentment? How's the summer reading going? With the busyness of life and the unspoken quest to live up to those unspoken and unwritten expectations, we place an unspeakable amount of pressure on ourselves. Here are a few questions just to ponder:
How often have you taken the Sabbath (Sunday) just to relax and enjoy your family?
How often do you check your phone to text family, friends or work?
According to a June 2018 article by eMarketer, "US adults will spend an average of 3 hours, 35 minutes per day on mobile devices in 2018, an annual increase of more than 11 minutes. By 2019, mobile will surpass TV as the medium attracting the most minutes in the US".
Moreover, according to Disruptive Advertising (March 2018), the following social media statistics were obtained for 2018:
· The world population is 7.6 billion and the internet has 4.1 billion users.
· Close to half the world’s population (3.03 billion people) are on some type of social media.
· Of the 2.1 billion total accounts on Facebook, 270 million profiles are fake.
· 86% of women will look at social media before deciding to make a purchase.
· People are accessing 69% of their media on their smartphones.
· 89% of people on smartphones are using apps, while only 11% are using standard websites. Unsurprisingly, Facebook is the most popular app at 19% (measured by time spent).
· 92% of American teens accessed the internet on a daily basis, where 56% claim to connect several times a day, and 24% are connected almost constantly to the internet.
Notice anything? Data can tell us a lot. Okay, here's one more from the Pew Research Center (internet and technology). This report is from March 2018 and it describes the social media use in 2018:
~ What's The Point?
The above was just one of many examples as to how our checklists (to do's) can become our very own shackles! Yes, shackles! Why? We spend so much time "doing" that we create real and artificial pressures for our ourselves which can lead to stress and everything else that comes with it. Hmm, whose keeping track of our checklist after all? I'll let you answer that question. The point is that taking time to just relax, creating boundaries around your personal time are all healthy choices. Trust me, like you, I too struggle with this from time to time, but overall I'm starting to learn that it's sometimes okay to just say "no". (LOL!) After all, as Priscilla states on page 141 of her book here's what we need to keep at the forefront above all things when we feel the pressure crouching at our door,
"'God doesn't want something from you. He wants something for you.' Your value is not in what you do (as if you could ever do enough) but in who you are (as if you could ever be more loved and accepted by Him than you already are)."
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Deuteronomy 5:15
Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
5. Staying Strong in Your Most Susceptible Places
6. Reclaiming Peace, Rest, and Contentment
(running time 8:37 minutes)
Oh, princesses of faith...remember
Prayer “empowers and ‘charges up’ every other piece so they can be used effectively against the enemy. Without prayer… your armor, cannot, will not, be infused with the power that only God’s-Spirit can give."
Closing Thoughts-
Know that through the Holy Spirit you can:
· do things you couldn't;
· feel things you didn't; and
· know things you wouldn't.
GO! PLAYLIST...For your praise and worship:
GO! 8/20/18- New feature, contains a playlist of songs and Books of the Bible (from Bible Project) for your praise and worship time.
Housekeeping:
· UPCOMING Fall/Winter GO! Session 8 ~ Esther, It's Hard Being A Women
· Last online chat- Sunday, September 9th
Below is the August 2018 schedule:
~~ August 2018 Reading Sections (Strategies 8-10)=> Pages 133-190 ~ Online Call=> Sunday September 9th
Fervent, A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer
Remember, each day is an opportunity for us to...
Lead, Serve and GO!