President’s Pen » PWOC International Blog

Simplicity

Feb 012012

Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…(Hebrews 12:1b)

In order to have a fresh start to the new year, my family and I went through our house (especially the basement!) giving away things we no longer needed and throwing away the things that were no longer useful…to anyone! We had a great time together going through memorabilia and recounting memories, and the resulting order and release of weight was so wonderful.

My other “New Year’s Fresh Start” dealt with the budget. It was time to take a good look at where the money was going and how we were going to make it stretch in today’s economy. Although this task was just as necessary as the household clean-up, it wasn’t nearly as fun. I had to decide where to cut spending today in order to preserve savings for the future.

I realized that when I’m choosing to give away or throw away things I no longer need, it’s a somewhat pleasant process for me and I call it “simplifying”. But when it’s not initiated by me and it’s a necessary cut-back, I call it “pruning”. It got me thinking. If simplicity is aiming for the bulls-eye in the call that God has for me, will I simplify by laying aside those activities or responsibilities that are actually distracting me from hitting the goal? Or will I hold on to those things until God begins to prune them?

Beth Mills

President PWOC International

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Intimacy on the Board

President's Pen

Nov 022011

Submitted By Beth Mills, International President

Fall is in the air, (more crisp for some of us than others!), kick-offs are behind us, and a great year together lies before us. The year is off to a great start, and for your board, the honeymoon is over. Now is a good time to remember the great training in board relationships you received at WILD last spring. When we move from those beginning stages of “excitement and build-up” into more of a “maintaining the pace” mode, it’s often easy to overlook or neglect our relationships with one another on the board. We’re most vulnerable to misunderstandings and irritability when we’re tired and spent, so let’s remember to rest in the Lord and to pray for and with one another often to maintain healthy Kingdom relationships. Here are a few tips to help keep your board unified in love and encouraged on the journey:

1. Assume the best intentions when interacting

2. Gently model open communication

3. Ask your Titus 2 to teach the board on forgiveness and the Lord’s Prayer

4. Expect conflict, but recognize our enemy is not flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12)

5. When conflict arises, be dedicated to peace-making, not just peace-keeping

6. Bear with one another in love (Col. 3:13)

7. Celebrate what God is doing in you and PWOC

Not on the board this year? Please remember to pray for your sisters who are serving in this way and to send an encouraging word their way. You’d be amazed how a gentle word or hug will make someone’s day!

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Just Take the Next Step

President's Pen, Real life stories, Testimonies

Sep 282011

Submitted by Beth Mills, PWOCI President

One of the greatest challenges of the military lifestyle is creating authentic friendships. Just when I feel like we’ve really got some solid friendships developing, I learn that either they have to PCS or we have to PCS. This is one reason why I’ve loved PWOC so much. As I’ve developed close friendships while serving with other ladies on a board at my local PWOC or while praying with them in our Bible study care group, I know the Lord will watch over us and keep us until we meet again. The regional and international conferences are so refreshing because old friendships are renewed and we can catch up with one another again, even if it is only for a weekend.

Some of you know my PWOC story. When we came into the Army, my tongue-in-cheek motto was “Make friends or die”. I took my kids to a homeschool PE swimming class. The other moms and I began to form a friendship and on several occasions they would talk about whatever was going on in PWOC. I usually tuned out during that portion of the conversation; I wasn’t interested in another Bible study, let alone a large group of women. One of my new friends was getting ready to move (of course!) and she said the first thing she was going to do when she got to Germany was find the local PWOC because she knew that she was guaranteed to have instant friends. At that moment, I decided I’d take the next step and go to PWOC that summer.

What my friend said is still true for me today. PWOC is where I find instant friends, but I have to take the next step if I want to create an authentic friendship and not just another acquaintance. Mixers and ice-breakers are not my favorite activities, but I’m learning that they’re a great vehicle to starting a friendship. We find out some pretty crazy stuff about one another-like who’s been a contestant on The Price is Right or who’s taken a journey by caravan in the Sahara Desert! We also find out some things we have in common with one another that we might not have known had we not participated in that mixer. When I find that touch-point where I have something in common with someone new, I take the next step in our friendship and engage her in conversation. I often find that we have even more in common. It becomes easier and easier to take the next steps after I’ve taken the first few-the next step of praying with one another in Bible study; the next step of meeting for coffee or lunch in one another’s home; the next step of asking for or extending forgiveness when it’s needed; the next step of bearing one another’s burdens and sharing one another’s joys. The next thing you know, one or both of you will have moved on to the next duty station and be separated for months or years. But there may be a time during one of the PWOC conferences when you’ll hear that familiar scream and run with arms wide open for the PWOC hug in the lobby! And that’s just a tiny taste of the amazing homecoming we’ll all experience together at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb!

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Intimacy with Children

President's Pen, Real life stories

Sep 152011

Submitted By Beth Mills, PWOCI President

My husband and I had our five children within six-and-a-half years, no twins. When I realized I was going to have five teenagers, I’ll admit, I felt a stab of fear. But the Lord graciously dispelled the subtle lie of the enemy that I had bought, that the teen years are supposed to be filled with bad attitudes and rebellion. The Bible has many promises for right relationship with our children, promises that extend far beyond the teen years. Praise the Lord, it’s never too late to begin anew with our children, no matter their ages. We’re living in the days when the hearts of the fathers are turned to their children, and the hearts of the children are turned to their fathers (Malachi 4:5-6; Matt. 11:14; Luke 1:17). Deep, loving relationships with our children are made possible through the Lord’s Holy Spirit at work in our hearts and lives.

Following are some ways we’ve nurtured intimacy with our children.

1. Protect family time– We purposely spend regular time with our children. We had “Daddy-Daughter Dates” and “Mommy-Son Dates” when we just took one of our children for a soda or a walk around the block. That daughter or son had our undivided attention in those moments. Priceless. We guard our family meal time and keep one night a week free for games, stories, movies or just sitting around the fire together.

2. Love language—using what we learned from Gary Chapman’s book The Five Love Languages, we “practice” communicating our love in each child’s language, and we taught them to do likewise with their brothers and sisters.

3. Words—words have the power to build up or tear down (Prov. 18:21). The purpose of discipline is to build up our children. We determined to break their strong self-will without breaking their spirit. Speaking the truth in love and with grace builds trust in our relationship.

4. Forgiveness—as much as we want to be perfect parents, we still make mistakes in our parenting journey. When we do, we ask our children to forgive us. Rather than making us “appear weak” by admitting our faults, forgiveness brings strength to our relationship. In turn, when our children disobeyed, we extended forgiveness to them and prayed with them in the disciplining process.

5. Prayer—we followed the axiom, “The family that prays together, stays together.” We pray together over our moves, our challenges in school or with friendships, our future calling, etc. When the children were small, we taught them that their prayers were not small. Together, our faith in God has grown deeper as we share what the Lord has shown us in His Word and in prayer.

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Intimacy with God

President's Pen

Aug 242011

Submitted by Beth Mills, PWOCI President

About 10 years ago, I came to realize a life-changing truth about God’s love. It’s not business, it’s personal. I grew up singing, “Jesus Loves Me” and learning that “God so loved the world He gave His only Son….” I thought, “Of course Jesus loves me. He loves the world; He’s God, He’s supposed to love me.” Right? But the more I read God’s Word, the more I spend time with Him in the morning, or on walks or in those midnight “Lord-heal-my-sick-baby” prayer times, I’ve come to realize that this relationship is personal. Jesus loves me, not because He has to, but because He wants to.

In an atmosphere of intimacy, we live in authentic relationship with God. One of my favorite devotional tools for pursuing an intimate relationship with the Lord is a book called Secrets of the Secret Place by Bob Sorge. In it he says, “Isn’t it incredible that the awesome God of the universe has invited us to a breathing, growing relationship with Him!” Wow, God invites us to this very deep, personal relationship with Him that continues to grow in depth. This book unlocks some of the secrets of the Kingdom like listening to God’s voice, radical obedience, and walking in humility. It gives practical steps for spending quality time with God, journaling, and praying the Scriptures. The more I’ve gotten to know God through listening, waiting, or worship, the more I want to know Him. And He meets me every time I go looking. His Word says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

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An Atmosphere of Intimacy, Simplicity, and Legacy

Leadership Development, President's Pen

Aug 102011

By Beth Mills

Are you ready? It’s almost time for Kick-off! Local boards have been to excellent WILD trainings where they were equipped with leadership skills, given tips and training for their board positions, and filled with fresh vision. We also shared a picture of what we will be as we continue to live out our four aims and as we discover the truths God is bringing to light in our new theme, “Your Kingdom Come!”

The vision for PWOC International:

We will be women who foster an atmosphere of intimacy, simplicity, and legacy.

Atmosphere sets the tone for everything we’re involved in from Bible study, to worship, ministry to children, even our communication on the website. An atmosphere of intimacy is one in which we focus on relationships, not just programs; where we live a Kingdom lifestyle, not just a religious routine; where we have encounters with God and one another, not just meetings. In an atmosphere of intimacy, we’ll live in authentic relationship with God, our families, one another, and our chaplains.

Simplicity doesn’t necessarily mean “easy”, although we do want to keep things simple and uncomplicated. However, simplicity is the opposite of duplicity. Simplicity is undistracted obedience to God’s Kingdom principles and His call on our lives. It requires us to seek the Kingdom first and aim for the bullseye. It may require us to lay aside “good ideas” in exchange for the “best ideas” in order for us to hit that bullseye.

An atmosphere of legacy promotes generational transfer. When our younger and older generations actually weave together, we draw out the gifts and abilities in each other. Fresh ideas and creativity paired with wisdom and experience are the recipe for a vibrant, healthy PWOC.

The atmosphere of intimacy, simplicity, and legacy is organic, not mechanical; it’s orderly, not methodical; and it’s intentional, not mandated.

Lord, in this atmosphere of deep relationship with you and the women you’ve called us to walk beside, we pray Your will be done in our lives as we set our hearts with on one purpose. “Your Kingdom Come!”

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There's a New Girl in Town

President's Pen

Jul 072011

Submitted by Beth Mills, PWOCI President

There’s a new girl in town. Have you met her yet? I’m guessing she’s somewhere between 18-25 years old. Her name? It might be Megan or Jasmine or Haley. She and her husband have only been married a couple of years. They’re already on his second deployment and they just had a baby.

Her vocabulary may be filled with words like “fair trade”, “organic”, “sustainable”. Her lightning-fast thumbs are skillfully developed from sending thousands of text messages. She can surf the web to find any kind of information faster than you can say, “I’m not sure where you can find that information…” She even has her Bible on her iPhone. She’s come to chapel once or twice. She definitely wants a deeper connection with God; she’s just not enthusiastic about the traditional chapel setting.

She’s been invited to PWOC, but she thinks it’s a little too formal. She’s not really interested in a packaged Bible study with prefabricated questions that lead you to the “right answer.” She’s more interested in figuring out how to cope through this deployment and sleepless nights with her baby girl. She’s trying to figure out how to be a good mom and live well on her tight budget. She wants to talk through the issues of life, connecting with other people like herself.

We first introduced you to the “new girl in town” at the 2010 PWOC International Conference. You’ve heard of Baby Boomers, Busters, GenXers, etc. Megan is part of the “Millennials” or “Mosiacs.” Although no one completely fits into these categories, there are certain trends in each generation which help us discover innovative ways to reach them with the Gospel. I encourage you to get to know Megan personally–in your neighborhood, your unit, perhaps in your chapel. Rather than focusing on how to “reach out” to her, make the effort to “reach in” to what she has to offer. It will require making some changes to the way you think and do things, personally and in PWOC.

If your installation hasn’t already done so, start a Facebook page[1]. It’s a great way to send out information as well as networking people in community. Consider offering a short class on a hot topic like “Healthy Living” or “Organic Gardening,” weaving in Biblical truth. The Bible is very practical! As you trust the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you, you’ll be amazed at the opportunity you’ll have to engage God’s Word during these studies. In these small groups, create a safe atmosphere for “being real.” Pray for one another and with one another. We’ll all be enriched by the relationships we develop as we discover new ways to experience God together.

The PWOCI president update is posted the first Wednesday of every month. For comments please email president@pwoc.org

[1] We have instructions and guidelines for setting up a Facebook page in the Resource Library at pwoc.org.

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One Thing People

President's Pen

Apr 062011

Submitted by: Beth Mills, PWOCI President

Luke 10:38-42

Mary and Martha were sisters in Bethany who were friends of Jesus and often welcomed Him and the disciples in their home. Martha exercised her gift of hospitality; however, at one point her desire to serve actually became a distraction rather than a gift. Her thoughts were distracted with worry and she became upset with her sister for not lending help in the preparations. Jesus’ answer to her complaints was that Mary had chosen the “one thing” that was needed, sitting at His feet and learning from Him in that moment. A good thing, her desire to be hospitable, actually distracted her from the “one thing” that was needed.

We have many “good things” in our lives that can actually become distractions from the “one thing” we need as well. Shuttling our children to and from after-school activities and sports, community involvement, social responsibilities to our military units, volunteer opportunities, serving in PWOC are all good things. But we mustn’t allow them to take precedence over the “one thing” that is needed–fostering a deeper relationship with God and learning from Him. Now is a wonderful time to take inventory of our activities, determining through prayer which ones we should lay aside so that we, like Paul, can “press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of [us].” (Philippians 3:12b)

Now is also the time for us in PWOC to look at what we’re doing at our installations, to ensure that the “good things” we do are actually fostering the “one thing” that is needed. From opening session to Bible studies, fellowship to outreach, we lead women to Christ and foster their growing knowledge of Him. Your PWOC has a unique makeup and calling to reach others with the love of Jesus. Determine to lay aside whatever distracts from that one thing, even if they’re “good things”, and press on toward attaining that goal.

May God bless you abundantly with His presence and His peace as you press in to do the “one thing” that is needed.

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A Place in the Family

Leadership Development, Leadership Wednesday, President's Pen

Mar 022011

By Beth Mills, PWOC International President

[W]e were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

I Thessalonians 2:8

I love it when our family is invited to dinner with new friends. Often when we arrive at their home, everything is already prepared and ready. Although I offer to help serve or clean up, the offer is usually turned down. “You’re our guest,” our friends reply. I leave feeling special and a bit pampered by their kind hospitality. But when I’m allowed in the kitchen with my hands plunged deep into soapy dish water, I know I’ve crossed that tipping point when we move from “guest” to “member of the family”. When I take part in the preparation and clean-up as well as the great dinner and conversation on the couch, I feel like I’ve been given a place in the family, and that’s a home I want to return to again and again.

It kind of reminds me of my first PWOC experience. Our president at the time was masterful at involving women in chapel ministries, helping them to feel that sense of belonging to a family. She rarely had to make a plea from the podium for volunteers. An unsuspecting newcomer in our midst often found herself right in the middle of great conversation as she and others stapled packets of paper, filled goody bags, or decorated tables for a program. Many times I found myself by our president’s side passing out bulletins for our Sunday chapel service, or helping her clean up tables after a Sunday Fellowship Dinner, laughing, talking, and learning. Although I didn’t carry the responsibilities of a “position” in PWOC at the time, I was given a “place.” And I found it was a place where I belonged.

We can make the atmosphere at PWOC a home, where our guests become a member of the family. Let’s invite women to become a part of our lives, a part of the life of the ministry at our installation. If we’ll give women the spur-of-the-moment personal invitation to join us in the task at hand, it communicates that they’re presence is important to us. We value the part they play: lowering the lights and screen for worship time, holding a squirming baby so his momma can listen to the devotion, placing a special favor on each chair prior to opening session. Involving women in chapel ministries gives them a “place” where they’ll want to return to again and again.

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Authentic Love

President's Pen

Feb 022011

Submitted by Beth Mills, PWOCI President

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Song of Solomon. According to the introductory notes in my Bible, the theme of the Song is “The Quest for Authentic Love”. It seems that everyone is on this quest; we want what’s real, and we don’t want to settle for less. But what does this authentic love look like? Our entire life’s journey is about love. Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God and to love your neighbor. He says in John 15:12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” All through the Bible, God shows us the way of love because He is love (1 John 4:8b).

Misty Edwards has a moving song called “Arms Wide Open”. She sings about gazing upon Jesus on the cross, weeping and dying for our sins. “Love’s Definition”, Jesus, has “arms wide open, a heart exposed”. Imbedded in the definition of authentic love is not only that we lay down our lives, but that we are vulnerable and open with God and with one another. God is jealous for our love and devotion. He wants all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. You can’t get much more authentic than that! And we know that God can be trusted with our hearts if His love has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). We can remove anything in our lives that keeps us from loving Him.

And because His love is poured into our hearts, we can rely on His Holy Spirit to help us love one another as He has loved us, with “arms wide open and hearts exposed”. With God’s love at work in us, PWOC can be a place where we can be real. When women come to our meetings, unsure of the way of love, we can be ready to greet them with the authentic love of God and let them know they’ve come to a safe place to find the Truth that sets us free. Together, we can encourage one another in this Quest for Authentic Love until the Day He returns for us!

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Simplicity

Intimacy on the Board

Just Take the Next Step

Intimacy with Children

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An Atmosphere of Intimacy, Simplicity, and Legacy

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One Thing People

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