W E L C O M E
The Garden Post is designed to share news and information specifically for women, offer spiritual encouragement and insight, and provide resources and connections for wise living.
I welcome the opportunity to connect with you and want to hear from you. Stop by my BLOG periodically or give me a call. Email me any time with a question or suggestion.
I'm thankful for the gifts of friendship and want to share them. Do you think about the unique role you have as a woman in your home, your community? Do you have a question about your faith? About God?
Let's connect today... Louann
Louann Rodgers
lkrodgers@comcast.net
www.RootedToGrow.com
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Spiritual Growth through Mentoring Friendships...because two are better than one... [Ecclesiastes 4:9)Navigating in today's culture is challengeing and sometimes overwhelming. Women face unique pressures as they find themselves in so many diverse roles. We need wisdom, help, ecouragement and guidance.
Sunday March 15th we are offering a Mentoring Workshop, 10:30am in Room 214 for all women who want to understand the instruction in Titus 2, and hear how God can use us to be purposeful in our friendships. A spiritual friendship is guided by prayer, encouragement, and accountability.
Join us for this one hour of sharing by several of our women. You will come away inspired and encouraged.
Questions? Contact Nikelle, 610.269.6353 or email women@RootedToGrow.com
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knit together
Join us the first Wednesday of each month for a time of connection and friendship as we rediscover the art of knitting.
7-9pm at the home of Rebecca Swayne, 861 Shelton Road, West Chester, 484.887.8110.
JOIN US THIS WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 4th
"...a cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
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s c r a p b o o k
c o n n e c t i o n
second Wednesdays
Do you have a project you are working on and just need to get to it? Need some space to spread out and make some pages?
Join us in the Main Lobby
Second Wednesday of each month, 7-9pm.
Questions? Contact Marna, 610.430.8815 or Ruth, 610.696.0669.
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b o d y and s o u l
'where faith and fitness meet'
Body and Soul is a cardio and strength training
program set to contemporary Christian music, for women of all fitness levels. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes and bring a mat or towel.
Stength & Flexibility
(NEW!) Class
Room 201
Strength & Cardio
MPR Room
Tuesday & Friday Mornings, 9:30am
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Pure JOY...
"You will show me
the path of life,
in Your presence
is fullness
of JOY!"
- Psalm 16:11
Joy, joyful, joyfully, joyous... these glad words make 246
appearances in the English translation of my study Bible. Joy, however,
does not visit each of the sixty-six books of the Bible equally.
The Psalms
alone account for almost twenty-five percent of the times Joy graces the pages of
scripture. The Psalmists sing, shout, and cry for joy. Their hearts leap for joy. They
write of being anointed by the oil of joy and even speak of being clothed with
joy.
The Psalmists lived in a different day than ours to be sure. But they also
seemed to look for joy in a different place.
They found joy...
In taking refuge in God (Psalm 5.11) In God's presence (Psalm 16.11; 21.6) In God's Word (Psalm 19.8; 119.111) In God's victories (Psalm 21.1) In God Himself (Psalm 43.4) In God's salvation (Psalm 51.12) In God's just rulership and guidance (Psalm 67.4) In God's name (Psalm 89.12) In God's unfailing love (Psalm 90.14) In the work of God's hands (Psalm 92.4; 126.3) In God's comfort (Psalm 94.19)
Today we find joy in events. The Psalmists found joy in a Person, in the
Living God. Events are temporary. God is eternal.
Therein lies a key to living in lasting joy!
- excerpts from Alicia Britt Chole, "Pure Joy" |
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K O I N O N I A
"...Friends are friends forever, if The Lord's the Lord of them." Michael W. Smith
Koinonia is the Greek word for intimate fellowship, or community. Found in the Bible 20 times, the first time in Acts 2:42, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Friendship is a key aspect of the Christian life... we are to come together in love, faith, and encouragement. This is the essence of koinonia.
I
experienced the joy and blessing of Koinonia, following the
passing of my mother into the arms of her Savior two weeks ago. At
mom's wishes we planned a small intimate service, and our family was
encircled by mom and dad's "Koinonia" group. This was the name for
their small group of couples, long time friends of my parents who
shared the bond of the love of Christ and who walked the path of life
together for more than forty years.
This was a group of friends
who studied The Word together, who shared in life's celebrations
together, and who cared for one another during times of crisis, tragedy
and death.This group of koinonia friends knew me as a child, and now,
as adults, we stood togther. As we said our final goodbye to my mother
they encircled me, my sisters, and our families, in koinonia love.
As I look back on what my parents gave us,
so many thoughts come to mind... our spiritual legacy, the love of
family, laughter, endless memories of family traditions, festive
celebrations, great family jokes and exhuberant love... I cannot miss the gift of example they gave us in friendship.
Phillip Yancey tells us that koininia is best seen through the phrase 'one another'. Scripture commands us to be devoted to one another, honor one another (Romans 12:10), (Romans 12:10), live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16; 1 Peter 3:8), accept one another (Romans 15:7), serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13), be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32), admonish one another (Colossians 3:16), encourage one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13), spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24), offer hospitality (1 Peter 4:9), and love one another (1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11; 3:23; 4:7; 4:11-12). This is what true biblical koinonia should look like.
Our
God is a god of relationship, and so we see that thread of relationship
all throughout Scripture. And God instructs us in the relationships of
our lives... in marriage, family and friendships. It's incredibly
profound that the God of the universe reveals himself through the
people He has placed in our lives. He ministers to our grief through
those relationships. He speaks words of wisdom through their
encouragement.
God gives us glimpses of himself in others around us... don't miss them, embrace them. Pursue koinonia... share in intimate friendship.
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Breakaway with us April 17-19th.
REGISTRATION IS THIS WEEK!!!!
Women's Spring Retreat. A retreat is a pause in routine, a breath
that
creates space for rest and reflection. A
retreat gives you time to slow down, to connect with old friends and meet new friends, to hear from God, and to
listen, reflect, and refresh your faith.
This year we are back in Rehoboth, Delaware, at the oceanfront Atantic Sands Hotel, [www.atlanticsandshotel.com]
Registration packets are available HERE [PDF Download]. Registration is THIS WEEK, March 1st-8th.
 We are delighted to have Sharon Thomas, author and founder of Established Footsteps Ministries
as our guest speaker. Sharon will challenge us with three questions: What are you looking
at? Where are you living? How are you counting? This dynamic, insightful
and biblical message series will help us see how the circumstances of
our everyday lives can be viewed with an eternal perspective so that we
can have a spiritual vision, live with purpose, and encounter joy.
This is a weekend of ocean breezes to awaken your
spirit, dynamic teaching from God's Word, sunrise worship, laughter,
friendship, rest, refreshment...and more.
Bring a friend and Breakaway with us! |
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 Spirit to Spirit...
Unanswered Prayers
Encouragement by Linda Slavin
"What is it Lord that you see about me that will not let You,
Let me
go? Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall
live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you."
Isaiah 55:3
Unanswered prayers, accumulations of tests and trials. Our everyday lives and
the temporal things of this world. How do we turn them into the eternal blessings and into
the full reliance that is only found in Him?
There are tough times in
all our lives, times that seem so hard.
Things that we don't want. Paths that seem to us as though we are searching those deep places in our
lives... alone.
We find ourselves not knowing what to focus on. Not
being able to trust our eyes or our minds. Just wanting to let go but we
become fearful of what that may bring. We know we need to see. We need to hear and be imparted with strenghth and power.
So I ask what do I do?
The Lord says, "Realize that My light IS and it will not let you go. Ever. There will never
be true darkness in your life. The truth of the Word is not only surrounding
you, the Word that you hold so dear to your heart is no longer what you
hold but what IS Holding you." As I hear these Words I realize there
is no greater joy than worship and glorifying our Lord Jesus Christ. My spirit rejoices!
Regardless of the situation we find ourselves good or bad we can be
confident in this one thing: that God is faithful. His perfect truth, perfect
life and perfect proof will one day be perfected in us. Hope, as Paul hoped and surround yourself in Him and in an enviroment that is so full of Light
so that you have no choice but to find yourself surrounded by His eternal
glory:
"We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure,
so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the
sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but
on God, who raises the dead." [1Corinthians 1]
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Save the date... May 8th, 7:00 p.m.
Plan to join us for our annual Mothers & Others Event...
Featuring nationally acclaimed author and speaker, Angela Thomas.  This evening is an intergenerational event for the youngest teens to the wisest among us. Come and share desserts, music, gifts, friendship and encouragement.
TICKETS $12 ~ RESERVED SEATING
Tickets will be availalbe in April.
Questions? email women@RootedToGrow.com
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