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His Light in the Darkness

Dec 302010

Greetings from the Alaska Region,

Tomorrow marks four years that my family and I have lived in Alaska and we all are really enjoying our time here. One of the things I find absolutely amazing here is the dramatic difference between summer and winter. This time of year is the darkest – the least amount of daylight in the northern hemisphere, and here in the Anchorage area that equates to about four hours of daylight. To some this actually causes a physical issue and I can see why. When you can’t see where you are going it is hard to go anywhere, it is easy to focus on how dark it is. The reverse side of this is we are actually gaining sunlight daily now, as much as 5-10 minutes a day. Living in this environment has forced me to have a tangible meaning to what God being the Light of the world really looks like. Psalm 119:105 states “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (NIV).”

We just celebrated Advent; a time of Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. A time of preparation for Christ. We spend many hours getting ready for Christmas, telling the story to children, watching the plays, really immersing in what this time of year means, and then it is over. The time after Christmas can be such a let down after the amazing build up it is. The tree is still up and the smells are still in the air but the day has come and gone. Is this actually a dark time for you?

God’s word is the light and the more time we spend in it the more Light we have in our lives. If I turn towards the Son I will not look so much at the darkness. As this season draws to a close we can continue to be immersed in His Light if we choose to be and let the true Light of Christmas continue to shine all year long.

Submitted by Alicia Mayer, Alaska Region President

That's The Way We Shine!

Devotions, Local Limelight

Nov 122010

Submitted by Moriah Hamm, 1^st VP for the Minot AFB

She shines as she prays with her husband before he leaves for work each morning. She shines brighter as she prays for him throughout the day.

She shines as she asks a sick spouse if she needs anything from the commissary. She shines brighter when she brings that spouse ice cream even after she said she didn’t need anything.

She shines as she cooks dinner for a family with a brand new baby. She shines brighter when she prays over the baby.

She shines as she delivers cookies to the dorms for airmen at the holidays. She shines brighter when she gathers a group to pray for the airmen.

She shines as she holds the door open for the person entering the Shoppette behind her. She shines brighter when she lets the person through the door before her.

She shines at the spouses’ social as she praises her husband while other spouses complain about theirs. She shines brighter when she doesn’t boast about it to her husband.

She shines as she smiles at the gate guard when he checks her ID. She shines brighter when she wishes him a great day.

She shines as she tips the commissary bagger a little extra on a rainy day. She shines brighter when she does it on a warm sunny day.

She shines as she opens her home to a friend who needs a shoulder to cry on. She shines brighter when her house is a wreck but she doesn’t think twice about inviting in that friend.

She shines as she invites her neighbor to Bible study. She shines brighter when she introduces her to other ladies at Bible study.

She is fictitious, but she isn’t unattainable. In Matthew 5:16 Jesus commanded each of us to let our light shine before men, that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven. Look into your hearts. Is your light shining? Are you living a life that glorifies Him? And if you are, how can you shine brighter?

Lord, we ask that you give us opportunities to shine for you. Alert us when we have those opportunities so we may glorify you to the best of our abilities. We long to follow the command of Christ to do good deeds that make others praise you. And, Lord, in Philippians 2:14-15, we are told to do everything without complaining or arguing, so that we may become blameless and pure, children of you, God, without fault in a crooked and depraved generation; Then we will shine like stars in the universe. Lord, help us accomplish this. Help us reflect your light and shine for you. We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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.
______________________________________
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).

Intentionally for Jesus

regional review, Testimonies

Sep 092010

Submitted by Alicia Mayer; AK Region president

Intentional seems to be a word that comes up again and again lately. It sounds good and important but what does it really mean? According to Webster’s dictionary; intentional means “done by intention or design.” Done by design, hmm, design. I love that He, my Lord and Savior, has designed me. That He was intentional about everything about me, including every hair on my head. I want to be intentional for Him as well.

I want to be intentional in my relationship with Him. I want to be intentional in growing the relationships I form with the other ladies called to the board. This means I don’t just hope I run into them, I make a point to contact them. I don’t just want to bump into Jesus at a prayer before dinner; I want to intentionally spend time with Him and get to know Him.

I want to be intentional in this job that He has called me to. That means I can’t just do things by accident. It means I have to have a design, a design He has already laid out. Some might call this a vision. In our region God gave a piece of the vision to all called to the board and when we came together, intentionally for vision, we were able to put it to paper. I want to intentionally walk that vision out for Him. Unless we are intentionally walking it through, that vision does nothing but sit on the paper.

PWOCI has given us a great amount of resources to be intentional. We have a Mission Statement, a Readiness Position Statement and Aims all at our disposal to guide us, but they only work if we are intentional about using them. This year we are to Shine in the Light of His Glory taken from Matt 3:14a “You are the light of the world” A friend pointed out that we are not to be like the light, Jesus says “you ARE the light” (emphasis added), this is intentional.

I am looking forward to a whole year of intentionally being the light Jesus asks me to be, are you?

Shining in Asia

regional review

Sep 072010

Submitted by De’Etta Goecker

Asia Region: your mission, should you choose to accept it, bring salt and light to Asia.

Our irresistible mandate is based on Mark 12:30, 31: “Love God Wholeheartedly; Love Others Deeply.” As we seek to love Him fully and to love our PWOC sisters well, God is birthing dazzling creativity across our region. A rising call from Father God challenges us to ALSO look “outside the gates” and shed His salt and light with our host nations. Camp Humphrey’s Life in Korea summer series is a beautiful example of meeting real needs of our women, while looking beyond ourselves to see where God would place us at work during HIS current assignment for us in Asia.

Belinda Corlew, PWOC President at Camp Humphreys has graciously agreed to share with us. Enjoy!

“By nature, I am an adventurist. I love to move around, I embrace change! Not everyone adjusts as easily. It’s especially difficult to embrace change in another country as you are an ocean away from what’s familiar: family, friends, Wal-Mart, etc. The language barrier is just the beginning; added adjustments include transportation, housing, and the unique aromas of Korea.

During PCS season, I felt we needed to share the heart of Jesus by sharing the experiences of women who are thriving in Korea. God led me to invite three specific women who have lived in Korea for some time to share any unique events, challenges, or lessons God has taught them through their journey in Korea during our summer session. We incorporated field trips to Pyeongtaek, Icheon and Anjung Ri. We also coordinated a prayer walk through USAG Humphreys focusing on praying for the Chapel, families in housing and off-post, children of all ages and schools including CDC, soldiers and the women in our community.

I began the series with a short devotion and a challenge based on Matthew 5:13 – 16, “We are called to be the salt and light. God has a mission for us here in Korea. We should choose to look at this as a God appointed calling. Living in another country, having to make new friends, understanding a new culture, can be very intimidating. We should not let fear of a new culture dim our light. God is not about fear. The enemy is and he will use fear to his advantage. If our focus is on God, our light will shine. He will fill us with the boldness to put our light “on a lamp stand”, the boldness to experience Korea and allow others to see our light shine!”

Well done, Camp Humphreys.

Until next month, Shine On! De’Etta

Grow in the Light of His Glory

Devotions

Jun 072010

The weather in Japan has been nice lately. The hot, humid temperatures haven’t descended upon us yet. Everyone has been enjoying the outdoors and working hard to mow the grass weekly and keep things neat and trimmed to pass Air Force standards for base quarters. Many people have planted flowers, bushes and added outdoor décor in the neighborhood in hopes to create an appearance that is nice, beautiful and different from the next door neighbor. That is difficult to do in base housing. But it is achievable with hard work and time.

My friends that live in the quad across from me have beautiful gardens growing. They get a lot of sun during the day because of the position their house is facing. Unfortunately, my house is facing the opposite direction, so my front flower garden is not receiving the sunlight needed for the flowers to grow and flourish. I should have planned logistically and purchased predominantly shade plants or plants that require only part sun, but I bought some that require full sun and they are not growing as well in the shade.

Another gardening problem I am encountering is a pine tree that sheds a lot of needles in my yard. These needles create a huge hindrance as they fall down upon the ground under the tree. The needles produce an environment that is harmful and can destroy the grass, so my husband and I rake the needles every week to remove them because they prevent the grass from growing and spreading.

God is the great gardener of our lives. He desires for us to grow spiritually, flourish, bear fruit, and spread His love and the Gospel to others. We must position ourselves before the Son, the light of the world, in order for God to be able to create and bring forth a harvest from our lives in order to bring Him glory. It is not easy in the world and sinful environment we live in today. We must be sure to rake or remove areas that hinder our growth, not just weekly, but perhaps even daily that could prevent us from becoming the person that God desires to create. It takes much time spent with God and sometimes hard work and perseverance when the needles start falling down upon us.

Tip of the summer season as we take a break from PWOC activities: Don’t neglect the garden….spend time with God in His Word and time in prayer.

How is your garden growing? Are you beautiful in appearance and bearing fruit? Do you need to do some raking? Are you planning and positioning yourself before the Son of God and allowing Him to shine His light upon you so that you may grow and bring Him glory? That thought actually brings me to the new PWOCI theme, Shine In the Light of His Glory.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. Psalm 79:9

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Rays of Sunshine

Devotions

Mar 082010

Submitted by Kimchi Blow

“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

We experience so many moments throughout the day that can so easily pass us by. Here lately, the Lord has been having me slow down a bit to enjoy just a few. Thankfully, today at the park, I was able to watch my two toddlers playing joyfully. While there, I experienced a moment that took my breath away, and I wanted to capture it in my mind forever. After running around chasing her brother for what seemed like hours, my two year old daughter suddenly stopped with her face towards the sunshine. It was like a scene from a movie where time stopped and all I could see was her. With her face towards the sunlight, I could see each of her amazing features. Her skin appeared perfect like a porcelain doll, while strands of her golden blond hair blew gently across her face. The rays of light hit her striking blue eyes in just the right places and they danced with delight. Then slowly, she closed her eyes and gently tilted her head toward the sky, as if God had taken His hand under her chin and gently lifted it towards Him. Peace exuded from within her. She stood there with a smile enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face and wind through her hair. All I could do was hold my breath. I walked over to her and just held her, kissing her sweet face. Immediately, I thanked God for the moment. It was a moment to cherish, a moment to love, a moment to thank, and a moment worth living for!

I walked away from the park overwhelmingly changed somehow. Why did this moment touch me so intensely? Why did I feel a stirring deep within? Why did I want to just stop time right there and not move another second forward? Why? As I pondered these things, I even began to pray and seek God for the answer. And then it hit me and I was moved even more profoundly than when I was watching my daughter. It became so apparent to me that God was giving me a picture of how He stops and cherishes me like that throughout each day! Stop to recognize the moments God pours His love on you today.

Another day on the road for PWOC

Bits & Pieces

Jun 252009

This has been a busy season for me. My various roles in PWOC have meant a lot of traveling, some by air but most by car. Today is another day on the road as I prepare for the Southeast Region Leadership Weekend at Fort Benning, GA. It will be a blessed time of fellowship and learning.

The beginning of my day, however, suggested something else altogether. As I prepared to take my bags out to the van, I realized that I must have locked my keys in the car the day before. This would not be the first time, of course, so I quickly retrieved my hide-a-key from the secret inside pocket of my purse. Crisis averted. That is until I got out to the car only to find that I had not just left my keys in the car, but in the ignition…in the ‘On’ position…with the satellite radio on…until it drained my battery! ugh.

I must confess, that a dead battery is also nothing new for me. Sad, but true. Therefore, I have my very own set of jumper cables AND I know how to use them! Go Army Wife!

So as I’m well into my 6+ hour drive, I’m contemplating how my life as a believer is different than others and how I allow God’s light to shine through me. The morning’s events prove that we are not immune to the challenges of daily life and as a military spouse, don’t these challenges always happen when our spouse is away?

So what makes a believer different? How does the Light of Jesus shine through me?

It’s how we handle and react to the challenges of daily life that make a difference. Rather than throwing a temper tantrum because my plans were being threatened, I lifted praise to my amazing Provider who always knows what I need. I had the key, which I acquired through another opportunity for praise. I had the cables, which I knew how to use because of yet another opportunity for praise. I had the time because by some miracle (!) I was actually 30 minutes ahead of schedule.

Coincidence? I don’t believe in those. I firmly believe that my Redeemer is surprised by nothing and prepared for everything! Through Him, I can relax and enjoy the Light of His presence and provision.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

PWOC International Blog

His Light in the Darkness

That's The Way We Shine!

This Bible

Intentionally for Jesus

Shining in Asia

Grow in the Light of His Glory

Rays of Sunshine

Another day on the road for PWOC

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