 September is really here?
As we turn our calendar over a page, we bid farewell to the carefree living of summer and usher in all the newness that comes with school and schedules. This month is often harried and tiring as we readjust our minds and bodies to schedules we didn't have from June til August. Demands that we put aside over the summer must now be started up again. We wonder how summer went by so quickly...
School Days and Apple Pies
autumn thoughts from
Heather Carter
Yes, September is really is here and with it comes all the sweet start ups, sites and smells. First days of school. Filling backpacks with new school supplies. Harvesting the first of the fall fruits - apples. The best applies for pies are the firm, tart apples. When combined with a little sugar and cinnamon in a flaking crust, they produce a sweet and tangy pie. September is a little like that - tartness from leaving summer living behind until next year combined with the sweetness of the new possibilities of the season. Be encouraged, dear one ... with new changes come new adventures, new friendships, and new blessings.
By the end of the summer, I am ready for something new. When I was younger, I couldn't wait to get new school clothes and a new back pack for the first day of school. There was some nervousness as to who would be in my new class but more than that was an excitement about what was to come. Now as a mom, I am excited for my kids as they start a new school year, anticipating how they will grow. And ... excited for myself that I, too, will be doing some growing as my September unfolds. I know some can't wait for the school bus to come for the peace and quiet that an empty house brings. Some look forward to cleaning out the closets with nobody intercepting the broken items bound for the trash. Some might even feel lonely without a house full of chaos.
September is really here. Whatever that word brings to mind, I hope you will make a choice to embrace this new season and be on the lookout for new adventures, new friendships and new blessings.
CLICK HERE for Heather's Apple Pie Recipie |
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STRENGTH |  | Websters def; noun;
1: the quality or state of being strong: endurance 2: power to resist force: solidity, toughness 3: power of resisting attack: fortified, secure "Look to The Lord and His STRENGTH; seek His face always." 1 Chronicles 16:11 |
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| Soul Question
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"It's not hard to decide what you want your life to be about.
What's hard is figuring out what you're willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about."
-Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet
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Single MOM?
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A NEW! group for single moms begins Tuesday evening, September 20th, meeting 7-9pm each week except the last Tuesday of each month. Our vision is to provide a place of connection, confidence and care for you in the season of single and parenting. Email Louann to get connected. |
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| | Be Still and Know I am God |
"It is better to be standing still in His will than moving around at high speed outside of it."
- Lois Evans
Seasons of a Woman's Life
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Encourage
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"Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something and has lost something." -H. Jackson Brown Jr ~~~~~~
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BREATH
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"Life isn't measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away."
- anonymous
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 Reaching Higher. Are you building your core for the climb of life?
Do you have strength to navigate the interruptions life brings?
Join us as we DIG DEEP in the pages of God's Word to REACH HIGHER.
We are building strength in our inner core... strength for the journey of life that often brings us unexpected interruptions -- strength for the times when we need to surrender to someone greater than ourselves.
1 Chronicles 16:11 tells us "Look to the Lord and his STRENGTH;
seek His face always."
SEEK HIS FACE. ALWAYS.
Sounds easy - straightforward - clear.
But life interrupts.
Are you building your core for the climb?
Join us in small group study that will bring to life
God's Word for the
STRENGTH we need in our every day lives.
We have four study tracks to choose from:
- MARRIAGE...For Women Only (Shaunti Feldheim) - Sacred Influence (Gary Thomas) - What's It Like to be Married to Me? (Linda Dillow)
- EXPERIENCING GOD - Henry & Richard Blackaby; supplemental teaching by our own Karen Hicks
- FAITH...going deeper (Beth Moore/Kay Arthur/Priscilla Shirer)
- PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING...essential Biblical truths (discipleship)
We meet 3 times a week -- all studies are offered all three sessions:
- Tuesday evenings, 7-9pm [during Jr. High Ground Zero]
- Wednesday mornings, 9:00-11:15am [infants-Kindergarten]
- Thursday mornings, 9:00-11:15am [infants-Kindergarten]
ALL women are welcome to join us.
REGISTER TODAY
Study begins September 20-21-22.
Have Questions? Contact Louann, 610.431.0300x109 or email lkrodgers@comcast.net
Download study descriptions (flyer)
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Affinity
Groups this Year | This year's Women's Bible Study has small groups we want to be sure you don't miss...
Young Moms: offered on Thursday mornings, this group is designed to be a place of rest for moms with children age 5 and under. One group will study the Faith (Great Authors Beth Moore/Kay Arthur/Priscilla Shirer) study; one group will study the Marriage Series.
Single MOMS: offered on Tuesday evenings (except the last Tuesday of each month) this will be a place of connection, confidence and care for women who are in the season of single and parenting. The group is led by women who have been single moms. Elementary childcare provided at no charge; Jr. High Youth (Ground Zero) meets also at the same time for students 6th-8th grades.
Senior Ladies: offered on Thursday mornings, this is an affinity group for some of our senior women who desire the companionship during this season in life...this year this group is studying The Truth Project.
Soul Purpose: this is not really new this year, but a reminder of a different type of small group (offered all three days of study)! Soul purpose groups are smaller groups whose members commit to sharing the leadership of the group (rotate facilitating and leading week to week). Soul Purpose keeps you accountable with homework, attendance and participation. Perhaps this year is time for you to step into soul purpose!
| | Download a description of our Bible Study programs... |
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F r i e n d s h i p
I have always recognized the value of friendship. Friendships are a gift.
True friendships last. Friendship
brings that "inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts or measure words -- but pouring them out just as they are, chaff and grain together -- certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them--keep what is worth keeping -- and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away." [Dinah Craik]. This type of friendship is priceless.
I have learned to truly treasure my friends. They are irreplaceable. What would we have done without friends to help us navigate those growing up years? We need friends to help us walk along in the journey of life. Friends help us sort out the jumble of circumstances and mistakes. Friends help add a perspective that we may have missed.
Friends allow us to be difficult. They are comfortable being silent with you. They tell you what you honestly need to hear. They are genuine.
I can see the face of God in every encounter in which I have with the friends God gives me. Most of my friends were 'given' to me. Given through circumstances of time and season... college roommates, moms of my daughters' friends, walking partners in the neighborhood, the person I sat next to in my small group... Friends share in the laughter, help us get through tears, and mostly hold us up when life brings us down.
Here are 5 ways to build friendships: 
PRAY. Pray for wise friendship. Pray for your friends and with your friends. Prayer brings a bond of friendship like no other. "Where two or more are gathered in My Name, I am with them." Matt 18:20 BE PURPOSEFUL. Friendships take a commitment of time and purpose. The older we get, the smaller our circle of true friends - friends who remain through the years are golden. God's Word instructs us in how to care for others. I have friend who likes to walk - during our walks the deep things of life are covered across streets and sidewalks. A handwritten note brings a word of encouragement to a friend... or today, a text! Be creative and pursue friendships. CLICK here for Biblical insight on caring for one another...
JOIN A SMALL GROUP. Small groups help us pursue wisdom.
 They give us the blessing of shared insights. Small groups give us a place to belong, to connect personally, sometimes intimately, as the truth of God's Word reminds us that we all need more of God in our lives - that we are not alone in this effort.
We need that purpose of friendship that draws us into a safe place and points us to God. CLICK here for more small group info...
EXERCISE TOGETHER. Body & Soul meets Tuesdays & Fridays! Studies show that sharing in exercise with a friend brings greater accountability and commitment. It certainly helps motivate us through the sweat and discipline we need.
SHARE A HOBBY or INTEREST. Friendships bring
color to a world of black and white, new sound to an otherwise regular tune. Sharing a hobby or common interest deepens the jo y of that passion and brings a unique tie to your friendship. Girls Night Out has a gathering on October 26th on Hospitality - plan to bring a friend and join us!
Let's pursue the treasure of friendship together!Who can you encourage today? Who needs a phone call from you? Do you need to reach out to restore a broken relationship?
What resources do you have that a friend could use?
Where can you fill a need for a friend? Call one of your friends today and thank them for the gift of friendship! "Two are better than one... if one falls down, the other helps [her] up..." - Ecclesiastes 4:9
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September Garden
Relish in the colors and brilliant displays this time of year. Enjoy the new blooms on your perennials. Let the leaves drop a little and relax. CLICK HERE for Gardeners Tips...
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 The Garden Post is designed to share news, connections and information specifically for women, offer spiritual encouragement and insight, and provide resources for wise living. I welcome the opportunity to connect with you and want to hear from you. Give me a call or email me any time... a difficult question, spiritual concern, fresh idea or suggestion, perhaps a great book to recommend or insight to ponder... anything at all, I'd love to connect. Louann Rodgers 610.431.0300x109 LKRodgers@comcast.net
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The Women's Ministry of Christ Community Church is here to help you grow spiritually in your relationship with God and connect purposefully with others in friendship. ||Women's Ministry||Christ Community Church|| 1190 Phoenixville Pike|| West Chester PA 19380|| 610.431.0300x109|| www.RootedToGrow.com
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