Total Surrender

regional review
Sep 302010

Submitted by Yadira Call, West Region, VP

As I have prayed over what to share, one area of my life that the Lord brought to mind was Total Surrender.  In John 15:4 I am reminded, when I remain in God then I am depending on Him.  When I am surrendering to Christ then He becomes my constant source of strength as a Christian. There are two events in my life that I would like to share that have challenged me to daily surrender to Christ.

When in high school my father led a ministry for two years.  This ministry caused my family’s life to be shaken to the core, causing physical and spiritual damage.  During that time I couldn’t depend on my father, who was consumed with ministry, and my mom had fallen into a depression.  I had youth pastors that loved and encouraged me in God’s Word.  They helped me to trust God during those hard times.  That was my first experience with surrendering to God my situation.

John 15:2 showed me that the pruning process hurts and can be difficult but necessary to grow as a Christian.  I didn’t completely allow myself to surrender my hurts to God during that time.  So, I tried to control my life and told God I would never serve as a leader in church because of what I had gone through.  But God in His grace would bring me to a place of surrendering.

I was in college and studying to attend medical school and do medical missions.  I thought I was doing God’s will for my life.  Then I met my husband, a man who loves Lord and has been called by God to serve as a pastor! Despite the calling he had on his life, I had told God I would never be a leader in a church setting, EVER!  Daniel challenged me to seek God and HIS direction for my life.

Over the next year God brought me to a different place of surrender.  I began to see that I was living independently apart from God.  John 15:5 showed me that when I choose not to surrender to God, I can do nothing.  I wasn’t depending on God in any area of my life but rather depending on what I could control. God was letting me see the lack of surrender in my life for a second time.

I’m still learning to surrender daily to God.  Despite my imperfections, God continues to pursue me and asks me to daily recognize that my life needs to be in total TRUST (of my circumstances), SURRENDER (my desire, will, agenda), and DEPENDENCY (my expectations) on Him.

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The West Region update is published on the fourth Thursday of each month. Submit comments or suggestions to westpresident@pwoc.org

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Where is God Working

regional review
Sep 302010

Submitted by Leona Tatum, West Region President

Since becoming the West Region President, I see God constantly moving in our region.  Early in my term I felt God moving me to look at the installations in which we currently had PWOC chapters and then to look and see where we were not.

As I began to do this God allowed me to see that there were still many installations that did not have PWOC chapters and in some cases when I would call to inquire, I was surprised when I would hear someone say that they had never heard of PWOC.  I have to tell you in the beginning it was very overwhelming as I was trying to understand what God was doing.

Now, I have to say that my plan was to contact everyone and then start sending out information packets because I wanted others to know and experience the love that can be found when “Daughters of God” come together to worship, study, pray and cry.  Yet, over the last few months I noticed that this has slowed down in a lot of ways.  Times that I wanted to work on this I found myself having to do other things; and would not be able to move towards this goal,  yet I knew that God was in the midst of this work.  A  wonderful thing that started happening  during this time was that God divinely positioned women in some of the places in   With every location God showed me , I thought it meant I needed to pursue it. However, then God would send someone to me that would be moving to that location.

I have to say that while there are many more locations to inquire about,  I have learned in this season that when we allow God to show us where He is working, it doesn’t always mean that He needs us to DO anything. He just wants us to know that He is moving in His time and in His way.  So, if you, like I, started this journey thinking of all the things you needed or wanted to get done, and felt that things were moving slow, please be encouraged.  Know that God is working at His pace and in His way.  He sometimes just wants to remind us that all we have to do is to be available to His leading.

The theme that God gave me for the West is Women Positioned for Prayer and I can truly see that as we pray  God is adding not just installations but to those who love Him.  God is truly raising up women that will “Shine In the Light of His Glory”.

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The West region update is published on the fourth Thursday of every month. Submit comments or suggestions to: WestPresident@pwoc.org

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Teaching, Developing and Involving Michelle

Leadership Development, Leadership Wednesday
Sep 292010

Last month we talked about a group of young women who we are spending our time and focus on within PWOC. Remember her? We’re calling her Megan.

Well, what happens a few years down the road, and Megan is now ready to give back to the Lord, pouring back into the ministry that has mentored her in God’s Word and meaningful relationships? Through the discipleship process of Lead, Teach, Develop and Involve, now we see Michelle coming into play.

Michelle is a young woman who has been recognized by the local Titus II or maybe the president or advisor as an emerging leader.  She and her family have now moved a few times with the military. She volunteers. She asks questions. She seeks out those who can help her grow spiritually. Her kids are school-age, and she is realizing her giftings and talents can be used to help other women. Where is Michelle’s place in PWOC? In the chapels? In the communities?

Michelle is ready for local leadership and may be someone who’s identified as being on track for regional leadership, either on a board, a team or as a trainer. She seeks out some of the more seasoned women as mentors and is a quick learner. She wants to be discipled and will soon be ready to take other women through discipleship as well.

Michelle is ready to be used of God.

Does this sound like you? Or someone you’ve seen in your PWOC?

PWOC International loves to lead women to Christ.

But once she comes to Christ, there is a necessity for discipleship.

Michelle’s our gal. She’s ready to be taught the Word of God.

She’s ready to discover and develop her spiritual gifts, leadership styles, personality traits, even wants to know if she’s a Beaver, Otter, Lion or Golden Retriever! And she really wants to know what to do with all of those labels!

Michelle is ready. She’s ready to be involved in the work of her chapel because of the life, light and love of Christ poured into her through PWOC.

Are you Michelle?

Are you currently mentoring Michelle?

Let’s get on board with PWOC’s aims of progressive discipleship and train up the next generation of leaders within this ministry, to the Glory of God!

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The 3VP – Communications update is published on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Submit comments or suggestions to communications@pwoc.org

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When I Grow Up

regional review
Sep 282010

Submitted by Brenda Pace, SE PWOC Titus II

I’m really working on embracing the titles and descriptions of “seasoned”, “older”, “Titus II“, and “mentor.” I have a dear young person in my life that told me when he was 3 years of age that I would never be old because I was too short! Short or not, the age scale is moving upward and I want to embrace these roles and live them to their truest fulfillment.

This spring and summer I had an opportunity to take a further step in that journey as I was privileged to be part of the W.I.L.D. (Women Intent on Leadership Development) training team. The team was a great mix of women from a variety of stages in life, denominational backgrounds and leadership experience. I’ve been reflecting on my role on the team at my age and stage in life and have thought about what it means to serve in the capacity of a mentoring leader. Here’s the kind of leader I want to be when I grow up:

◦                 Is enthusiastic and interested–Enthusiasm cannot be taught, but it can be caught. A mentor who is enthusiastic about her relationship with God and her ministry calling will communicate that attitude through her words and actions. A mentor who exhorts will take the time to get to know what is going on in the lives of those she is influencing. Asking good open-ended questions is a great way to make this happen and it cannot be undervalued.  A fundamental principle of teaching modeled by Jesus is meeting people where they are in order to guide them where they need to be. Discovering areas where motivation is needed can come through the asking of good questions.

◦                 Depends on prayer–The mentor who depends on prayer will be strengthened both personally and relationally. One author wrote that mentoring is not an “assembly line process.” For the Christian, mentoring is spiritual labor and requires spiritual warfare. The enemy of our soul does not want to see more faithful followers of Jesus. A wise mentor will recognize that it is only the power of the Holy Spirit who can bring transformation in the life of another. No greater model for this can be found than Jesus laboring in prayer on behalf of his disciples and those who would come after in John 17. A life that is characterized and strengthened by prayer will overflow into the lives of those we mentor.

◦                 Is intentional about understanding a younger generation–Personally, I think the church in general has created an environment that is not conducive to mentoring. Mentoring is something that happened naturally in cultures/society of past generations. Churches need to be more intentional to teach about the importance of mentoring. There must be a challenge put forth for older people to seek out those who are younger, and vice versa. I would love to see churches and chapels provide opportunities (SS classes, sermons, leadership requirements that younger/newer must be paired with older leader, etc.) for this type of relationship to develop. Too often churches are segregated according to age; as a result there are few opportunities to build cross-generational relationships. It is important to remember that mentoring is not a program, but rather it is a relationship. It’s not about matchmaking, but in the church it is about creating a culture that is conducive to the development of relationships that provide opportunities for biblical mentoring to take place.

◦                 Is willing to be vulnerable—In a mentoring relationship, there is danger to project the best of one’s self. Leadership trainees need to see authenticity. They need to see that there are struggles even in those they consider “mature.” The need to see how a mature Christian deals with those struggles—mistakes and all. C. S. Lewis said it this way: “Think of me as a fellow-patient in the same hospital who, having been admitted a little earlier, could give some advice.”

I pray as this PWOC year progresses you are actively involved in being or becoming a mentoring leader!

©Brenda Pace, 2010

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The Southeast Region update is published on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Submit comments or suggestions to SouthEastPresident@pwoc.org

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God Has A Word For You At Conference

Devotions
Sep 272010

For several weeks I have been considering and praying about whether or not to attend the PWOC International Conference in Dallas, Texas, Nov 11-14 (I live in Japan). Three years ago I was at this same point trying to decide if I should go to the West Region PWOC Conference that was held in El Paso, Texas. A chaplain’s wife persuaded me to attend and it was an awesome experience. The speakers and music were so anointed by God that you could feel the heat and power of God’s presence. God used that weekend to teach, develop and empower me with His Spirit to lead women at the local PWOC that year and to minister to my family.

Quin Sherrer, a speaker at the conference, had some wonderful words of wisdom and testimonies she shared that impacted me personally. She spoke about prayer and spiritual warfare and the sphere of influence we have as Christian women over our home, husband, children, and friends. God places women on the front lines to do battle for their loved ones. God gives us authority in the powerful name of Jesus and His blood, to pray protection and deliverance over those He places in our lives. There is Victory in Jesus!

One particular story Quin shared was about a woman that suffered insomnia. Quin suspected she was experiencing an attack by the enemy because she had a picture of a dragon in her home. When the dragon, a symbol of Satan, was removed, the woman no longer was plagued with insomnia. God used this testimony to bring deliverance in my home. My daughter was experiencing insomnia for several weeks prior to the conference. When I returned from the conference, she was still suffering from an inability to sleep. I remembered the story I had heard in El Paso and decided we needed to search my daughter’s room for anything that symbolized the enemy; something that may have opened the door for a spiritual attack. A picture of a dragon that she painted was found tucked in the corner of her room on the floor. I was surprised! I immediately knew God wanted me to hear Quin’s story so I could be used to minister to my daughter. I prayed over her and the bedroom, removed the picture, and God delivered her from insomnia. God is Great!!

Praise God for raising up women to preach the Word of God and share testimonies that impact lives; not only spiritually, but also physically and emotionally. God wants to raise up each one of us, HIS daughters, so that we can declare, The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. [Is 61:1]

Paul teaches, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

If you are experiencing an attack by your adversary, Satan, then rebuke the evil one in the name of Jesus and plead the blood of Jesus over your self and household. Be bold to proclaim the Word of God with the authority He has given you through His Son and Trust Him to deliver and bring you Victory!

Hope you will join me in Dallas in November for the PWOC International Conference. I am ready to be empowered and filled with the Spirit from the teaching of Priscilla Shirer, music leader Kari Jobe and all the other wonderful teachers that will be leading workshops. I believe God has a special word for the women who will attend that will impact our lives, our loved ones, and the women we serve in PWOC.

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Devotions are published every Monday.  Submit comments or suggestions to Blog@pwoc.org

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What does God say about me?

Bits & Pieces, Local Limelight
Sep 242010

Submitted by Nancy Sheridan

What does God say about me?

The lies I’ve been told along the way fade and dim

as I hear the melody of who I am strummed

against the minor notes of pain in my life.

Who am I?

A light, a sparkle in my Father’s eye,

and when I nestle into His love,

the darkness flees as the next stanza resounds…

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“When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.”

regional review
Sep 232010

Submitted by Kelly Phillips, Pacific Region President

As the mother of two young children, I understand why mama grizzlies go on the attack.  Recently it seems that my eight year old daughter has been the subject of verbal attack from some of the other neighborhood girls.  She walks in the door crying because one girl or another said something mean.

When I see my child hurting, Mama Bear comes roaring to the surface, claws and all.  My first thought is that I want to give that little child a piece of my mind.  I’m tempted to fight fire with fire.

Fortunately at this point the Holy Spirit usually speaks to me and reminds me of Jesus’ words in Matthew 5.

“But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also…But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”

Matthew 5:39, 44, 46

It can be difficult to convince an eight year old that she should turn the other cheek, especially when I am more than willing to go “turn the cheek” of the offending child.  But we are different from most of the families in our neighborhood.  We bear the name of Christ.  Because of that, we MUST react differently.  If I come roaring out of the house in defense of my child, then I am no different from any other person.  And if I come out to defend my child, she doesn’t learn the lesson of how to appropriately deal with sinful people in a fallen world.  Neither of us really wins.

We have a new routine when my daughter comes home in tears.  The first thing we do is pray together.  We pray for the child who has hurt her and then we pray that she would be able to forgive that child.  Recently I was blessed to see her mend a friendship with another little girl in our neighborhood.  It was so very difficult for me to keep Mama Grizzly in her cage when the offense occurred, but by the grace of God I did.  This little girl now comes to church with us every Sunday.  Her brothers have begun to tag along as well.  I have hope that mom and dad may not be far behind.  All because I didn’t try to fight fire with fire.

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A Leader who Shines…Connects with Development

Leadership Development
Sep 222010

Submitted By Tracie Warren

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).”

Ephesians 5:8-9 (NIV)

PWOC’s third aim is, “to DEVELOP in women the skills of prayer, evangelism, stewardship and social service, against a background of personal spiritual development.”  This involves much more than simply teaching women particular skills.  According to merriam-webster.com, the definition of teach is “to impart knowledge; to cause to know something.”  The definition of develop, on the other hand, is “to make visible or manifest; to subject (exposed photograph material) especially to chemicals in order to produce a visible image.”  Do you see the difference?  I can know something, yet not manifest it in my behavior.  I can learn new information, yet never apply it to my life.  If we consider teaching to engage the head, the mind, with information, developing engages the heart and leads to transformation.

This presents a challenge to PWOC leaders because simply presenting information is not enough.  Somehow we have to create an environment where women (ourselves included) not only hear the information, but internalize it and allow it to be made evident through our behaviors.  We need to create an environment that encourages life-transformation, an environment that produces spiritual fruit.  That is a tall order, and thankfully, it is one we don’t have to take on alone.  Scripture promises the presence of the Holy Spirit.  It is God who works in us “to will and to act according to His good purpose” (Phil 2:13).  We are not ultimately responsible for the transformation of those we lead, however, we’re not completely off the hook either.  We do have a responsibility to cooperate with the Spirit and encourage transformation within the body.

So what can we do to promote development, to encourage transformation?  I believe the best thing we can do is live it, be a model.  If we want women to be transformed, we need to be transformed.  If we want women to develop in prayer, we need to develop in prayer.  There is a slogan I’ve seen around town recently that says, “Be the Change.”  Let us be the change we want to see in the women of our PWOCs.  Let us lead by example, modeling the transformation that accompanies the Christian life.  Let us live as “children of the light” shining as a “city on a hill” (Matt 5:14).

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The 2VP – Leadership Development update is published on the third Wednesday of each month. Submit comments or suggestions to leadershipdevelopment@pwoc.org

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The Diamond: Discovering God’s Treasures for the Women of PWOC Part 3

President's Pen
Sep 212010

It was my 25th wedding anniversary to my beloved husband, David.  We held a small ceremony with family and friends where David and I recommitted our love for one another and restated our marriage vows before the assembled witnesses.

It was fascinating to me that all of this was taking place during our theme year of “Prepare for the Bridegroom”, based on Matt. 25:1-13 and Eph. 4:11-13.  I knew deep down that the Lord, in His sovereign plan had orchestrated the timing of this special occasion from the beginning of time. In my heart, I realized what was happening in the natural was symbolic of what He desired in all of us.  It prompted me to pray for the women of PWOC during our ceremony. My prayer was that:

  • Those who are married would recommit their love for their spouse
  • Each of us would recommit our love for our heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus Christ

David sealed our recommitment by giving me a beautiful solitaire diamond ring from Tiffany & Co.  Wrapped in a beautiful turquoise box with a white satin ribbon, the diamond became symbolic of many things that the Lord would reveal to me over the next few years as president of PWOC International.

To be continued…

© 2010 Brenda Marlin

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This Bible

Devotions
Sep 202010

My Bible is falling apart. This burgundy, thinline, bonded leather New International Version Bible is more than 15 years old. Bonded leather is worthless in my opinion. Recently I considered replacing it with a genuine leather version that wouldn’t fall apart.

Searching my office bookcases for Bibles, I hunted for the one I had in mind. I found it. A burgundy, genuine leather, New American Standard Bible lay in my hands. But it’s thicker and heavier than my NIV and not the version I’m accustomed to.

I began to contemplate what it might take to repair my old NIV where a piece of the binding tore off; where worn edges, a bent cover, and loose pages reveal years of use; where smudged pen notations betray tearful reading sessions; and where the shiny gold edging, now dulled from handling, faintly glistens as I flip the pages. What would a Bible repairman have to do to fix my beloved but tattered Text?

As I considered more carefully the prospect of using a different Bible, I felt a hot tension squeeze my heart. What about all the markings I put in it? Carefully drawn underlines, dates indicating significant events in my life, notations made while listening to life-changing sermons. How would I replace those?

Tears trickled down my face as I recalled the moments that this worn NIV had provided comfort, strength, and encouragement. Gazing at it with tenderness, I gently picked it up and held it to my chest. This Bible is historical. It carries my life and breath and tears within its pages. I know exactly where to turn for every verse I seek.

This Bible is the one . . .
I use for every PWOC Bible study;

This Bible is the one . . .
I have carried to every church and chapel service in the last 15-plus years;

This Bible is the one . . .
My silly beagles lick when I’m sitting on the bed reading it;

This Bible is the one . . .
I reach for when I need a Psalm to calm my heart;

This Bible is the one . . .
I hold in my hands while sitting on the edge of the bed sobbing;

This Bible is the one . . .
I held open to Romans 12:1-2 while pacing the floor begging God to transform me;

And, this Bible is the one . . .
I read every day as I sit with the Lord eagerly anticipating a timely word of wisdom.

This Bible is my source of Truth, Light, and Life.
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Today I was struck by an image on the cover of the September 2010 issue of The Voice of the Martyrs. A young Christian woman named Somchi, from the communist nation Laos and the people group Khmu, holds a charred Bible in her hands. The Laotian villagers said the Bible was responsible for her mother’s illness, so they burned it along with other Christian literature they found. Fortunately, Somchi got a new Bible at the house church she attends.

After seeing the burned Bible, I thought of my precious, well-worn and well-loved thinline NIV. It has never been confiscated. It has never been shredded. It has never been burned. And, it doesn’t need to be replaced.

Here in America I don’t need to fear someone coming into my home to destroy the Word of God. At least, not now. So while I still have my religious freedom intact — and I hope that I do until I die or until Christ returns — I intend to cherish my ragged Bible with gratitude and remember God’s faithfulness as I read every page.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . In Him was life, and that life was the light of men (John 1:1 and 4).

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