Race for Freedom

As many of you know, we have been focusing on Human Trafficking as the cause for Women Ministries.  Last spring we had the Break the Chains event that raised awareness about Human Trafficking as well as over $1000 for the cause.  At our last Advent Brunch you generously donated over $300 for Human Trafficking.  We would like to continue with raising awareness, funds, and spending time in prayer about this awful crime that goes on across the world through participation in a 5/10 K race.  You can run or walk and bring the entire family (guys welcomed too)!  Watch the promotional DVD and check out more details for the race at http://www.strategicendurance.com/5K_10KRace.html. The women in charge of this race are fellow Christian women fighting for this cause!  What a great way to support them in their efforts!

Race Details

5K Run/Walk and 10K Run

Quincy Reservoir, 5800 South Powhaton Road, Aurora, CO

Saturday, October 30, 2010

10K Run begins @ 9:00 a.m.; 5K Run/Walk begins at @ 9:15 a.m.

Food and awards to follow the race.

5K Registration: $35 by October 22, 2010
10K Registration: $40 by October 22, 2010
No Race Day Registration

This years race will include a "Super Hero" costume theme for those interested. Dress as your favorite "Super Hero" for the cause of stopping human trafficking.

The mission of the 2010 Race for Freedom 5K/10K is to raise awareness of the horrific realities of the human trafficking industry while raising money through race entry fees to be donated to Pearl Alliance, an organization committed to aligning with on site organizations throughout the world that work to combat the trafficking of women and children. Your race entry fee will be donated to Pearl Alliance.

If you are interested contact Carolyn (docholiday4224@yahoo.com) or Kinsey (kringenberg@gmail.com) from our church!  We would like you to register for the race yourself at http://www.strategicendurance.com/5K_10KRace.html. 
Then let us know that you plan to be there by email so we can meet at the starting line (or carpool from ACC) on race day!

We hope to see you there! 

Fall into Fellowship

We are thrilled to be supporting another local business for our Fall into Fellowship! 

Join us at 3 Sons for a great time of food, fellowship, and teaching!

Date: October 10th

Time: 1-3 p.m.

Place: 3 Sons - 64th and Indiana

Cost: $14

Buy Tickets in the Family Life Center between services or in the church office during the week!

Learn how to connect with Women Ministries and Small Groups! This is a great way to meet people and deepen friendships!

See you there!

Fall Retreat at Covenant Heights

Last weekend 14 women from our church had the opportunity to go to Covenant Heights in Estes Park for our Midwest Conference Fall Women's Retreat!  We had a great time of teaching, rest, fun, and fellowship!  Ruth Hill, the national Covenant Women Ministries director was our speaker.  She did an incredible job of teaching us about our identity in Christ.  She taught us that we as women are accepted, precious, loved, and chosen.   Cheryl and Kinsey both did a great job giving their seminars!

Saturday afternoon we had the opportunity for free time.  Some of us napped, hiked and shopped.  Check out these pictures from Lily Lake:

Our wind blown look:

View from Camp:

Group pic:

Our friends from camp:

Several women from our church took a step of faith and came not really knowing anyone.  That is a difficult thing to do!  For example, Glory, a new member at our church, took the weekend away from her husband and three kids to come up to camp.  She felt God's tugging to come and took a step of faith to come to the retreat not knowing any of us. The following is her testimony from the weekend:

I went to the Women’s Ministries retreat a bit scared but with an open heart. I moved to Colorado six months ago. My husband and I have just become members of the church; I had heard about this retreat for a few weeks but was skeptical because I really did not know anyone at the church. My thoughts were – “How am I going to go there without knowing anyone? I’m going to feel left out and all alone." I had asked my husband if he thought it was a good idea and he said for me to go that he would take care of the kids. I really needed some time alone with God and thought this would be good for me. I really needed to know where God was leading me.

During this series of messages God spoke to me in many ways; first by reminding me that “I am accepted” with the first message. I have often felt that I would not be accepted by anyone if they became aware of my past. But I was reassured that I am accepted by God because He called me by name and He has a purpose for my life. The second message reaffirmed my worth because “I am precious” in God’s eyes. I had issues when I looked at myself in the mirror because I often believed the lies of the enemy who constantly told me that I was not worth anything; that I was not beautiful that I was ugly because of the things that had happened in my life, but I learned that in God’s eyes I AM PRECIOUS! Then the following message really hit me when the sermon was titled “I am loved” because I often thought that God could not love me after all the things I had done, but God in his mercy loves me just as I am. My sins have been forgiven just like the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears. I am a new creation of Christ all of my sins have been washed by the blood of the lamb! On the final day I acknowledge that “I am chosen” –I believe God is sending me on a special journey all I have to do is be willing to do His will.

I recently learned that Women’s Ministries will be working with abused women. The program is called Advocacy for Victims of Abuse (AVA). Having been through this situation I would like to become an advocate. This is something that is close to my heart.

I have to say that the women at this retreat made me feel more than welcome. At every meal someone would ask me to come join them because they wanted to get to know me. My God is a wonderful God! I felt right at home with my sisters in Christ.

Thanks for sharing, Glory!  We hope that her testimony will encourage everyone to think about coming to retreat!  This fall retreat was one of the best retreats up at Covenant Heights! Join us next year!

Ice Cream Social

We started out the 2010-2011 year for Covenant Women with an informative Ice Cream Social!  We appreciated the group of women who came to hear more information! 

I love our decorations for this!  They match our design for the year!

We had the opportunity to hear from our sewing circle!  What a great experience to hear from women who take time to sew layettes, quilts, and robes as well as roll bandages.  They send the fruits of their labor all over the world!  Thank you for the update, ladies!!  Be sure to see the tab on the left hand side for more info about the sewing circle!

We are off to a great start and are excited about where God is leading our ministry!!

Fall Retreat

Fall Retreat

Our Fall Retreat will be held at Estes Park on September 17-19th!

The Theme is GRACEBOOK - What's your Profile?

We are Precious, We are Forgiven, and We are Chosen - Presented by Ruth Hill

A native of Bellingham,Washington, Ruth Hill attended Seattle Pacific University and graduated in 1972 with degrees in psychology and education. She continued her studies in education at the University of Washington. In 1972 she and her husband, Brad Hill, were called by the Covenant to serve as missionaries to Congo (then Zaire). During nineteen years of service there, she taught high school, trained couples for pastoral ministry and was very active in women's ministries. In 1991, the Hills moved back to Bellingham to serve Bellingham Evangelical Covenant Church for the next eight years. Ruth Hill has served on mission boards at the conference and denominational level. In September 1999 she was called to serve as Executive Minister of Women Ministries for the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Cheryl Meakins and Kinsey Ringenberg from our church will be giving the breakout sessions.

Guard Your Heart - Presented by Cheryl Meakins

Cheryl has been a Christian for over 20 years. God has been her healer. Through growing up in an abusive home to a struggle with depression in college and even a marriage on the edge of divorce, God has shown himself to her as “Abba.” His pursuit of her life has been her joy. Her career paths have varied from stay at home mom to Occupational Therapist and is now venturing into Christian writing and speaking. She is currently the Women Ministries Chair at Arvada Covenant Church; the heart of her calling. Visit her blog: http://www.meakinsspeak.wordpress.com/.

Weighty Issues – A Christian Perspective on Obesity and Eating Disorders From a Medical Point of View presented by Kinsey Ringenberg

Risky Business – A Christian Perspective on Teenage Sexuality From a Medical Point of View presented by Kinsey Ringenberg

Kinsey Ringenberg became a Christian at a young age. As a teen she had several medical conditions, including anorexia nervosa, which were the basis for her decision to make the medical field her mission field. Kinsey obtained her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies at CSU before she completed her Masters of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Shortly after graduation in 2008 she joined Indian Crest Pediatrics in Westminster. Kinsey believes that God has called her to this field so she can encourage others in making good life decisions by basing her advice on Biblical principals. Kinsey is married to Luke and they attend Arvada Covenant Church where she is the Vice Chair of Women Ministries.


Come join us for an amazing weekend in the mountains, fellowship, and teaching! There will be time to hike, enjoy Estes, have alone time away from the business of this world, and deepen friendships! Please check out the following website for all the details:
http://www.covenantheights.org/Events/Womens_Retreat.html.
See you in Estes!

Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is starting again on September 11th!! Come for food and fellowship. Contact Joan Hitt for more details at Koolwater101@aol.com.

Leadership Retreat

We had a great group of gals up in the mountains to plan a new year of ministry and we are excited about all that is coming! Look on the left side of the page with information about our first event, the Ice Cream Social.

Carolyn, Sherry, Kinsey, Brenda, Julie, Kathy, Cheryl, Barb:

See you at the Ice Cream Social!

Secret Location of Triennial XIV Revealed!

TRIENNIAL XIV WILL BE HELD IN...............................................................................................

SAN DIEGO!!!

As you all know, San Diego is much closer to Colorado than Washington DC.  It will be easier and cheaper to fly or drive there.  So I am revising my estimated cost (the cost I gave you in my day 4 blog posting) to get to Triennial XIV! You can easily get to the next Triennial for less than $1000!  That means saving around $25 per month for the next three years will be more than adequate to cover your conference, hotel (if you share a room), and flight! Cheryl and I are taking roommate requests now! You will be richly blessed for your faithfulness to invest in attending a conference like this! I hope that a dream is planted in your hearts and that you will be moved, no compelled, to come to San Diego with us! It is a trip of vitality, of healing, of calling out in you what you may be. You belong with us in San Diego! 

Triennial Recap

I love that I not only got to go to Triennial with Cheryl, but that I got the chance to bond with my mom and grandma as well!!

Triennial was a life changing experience for me. It has changed my personal life as well as my passions and goals for ministry.

Let me tell you a little background on my story. At 13 years old I developed anorexia nervosa. While I overcame the acute phase within a year, I still had varying degrees of the illness until I was 21. I spent 8 years trying to heal on my own and could never succeed. During those 8 years, I was able to still be that “good Christian” girl during that time because I compartmentalized that sin into a tiny corner in my life…or so I thought. After struggling with this for 8 years I became resigned that this was the way I would live my life and complete healing wasn't possible.  But God had bigger plans for me.

When I was 21, I went to my first Triennial. At that time I had just decided, after a very difficult period in my life, that I could NO LONGER live this way and begun counseling for my eating disorder. I can’t tell you much about what the speakers said at that Triennial but the one thing I took away from that experience was the taste of freedom. The theme of freedom was interwoven into that conference and I began to see that God had wanted to set me free for years. By God's grace and with the help of a Christian counselor when I was 21, I began to overcome those destructive behaviors. As I’ve grown over the past few years and been able to gain perspective on that time in my life, I see those behaviors didn’t develop because I liked to starve myself and look thin.  There were deeper issues.

Until coming to Triennial and hearing Kirstin Haglund speak, I wasn’t able to label the root of my behavior. She feels that the root sin that caused her anorexia was pride. As I began to think about it more I saw that pride did play a role in my story, but God revealed to me that fear is the core of my issue. Fear that I may not succeed, fear that I will disappoint others, fear that I will make mistakes. This fear in my life led to anxiety and the need to control my exercise habits, eating habits and many other areas in my life. I am chuckling to myself on the plane ride home as I write this. It only took me 14 years (over half of my life) to see the root of my sin was fear.

I am so thankful that since I was 22 years old, I have been healed in that I no longer have anorexic behavior. However, I notice that when I become fearful of circumstances in my life those old thought patterns become tempting again. While I do not revert back to anorexia, I try desperately to feel that I am in control in some way. It usually comes out by having rigid control over my schedule, exercise patterns, and having things “in place” in my home.

Through my experience at Triennial I have felt God challenging me to address the fear in my life. While I am not anorexic anymore, fear brings back that temptation and it also keeps me from fully being the wife, friend, daughter, physician assistant, and leader that God intends me to be. I feel that recognizing the root of my problem is half the battle. Now I need to act on the challenge God has given me and draw near to Him daily for the strength to overcome the fear.

As a leader Triennial changed my heart. I see how powerful a movement of women can be. I now see the bigger purpose to women ministries through conference and national ties in the Covenant Church. E Pluribus Unum (Out of many, one)! There is power when women unite within the church to serve their savior! I hope to continue to strive not to just make a difference at a local and church level but to be part of the bigger picture that includes a movement that is changing the world!  Cheryl and I are excited about the vision God has given us this year and we hope and pray that you will be a part of it!

E Pluribus Unum ~ Triennial Day 5

E Pluribus Unum ~ Latin for "Out of many, one."  This saying is on the seal of the United States.  Cheryl felt it was an appropriate theme for the day. 

The morning began with the testimony of 2008 Miss America, Kirsten Haglund:

Cheryl recaps Kirstin's message for us:

Keynote Speaker: Kirsten Haglund

Triennial has just gotten better and better. Unbelievable, I know – you should try being here with us!

Kirsten was Miss America in 2008 and came to us to share one truth. Perfectionism has no place with Peace. Kirsten knows. She studied to be a ballerina from the age of 7. Unknown to her at this young age was that the world of being a professional ballerina is brutal. Every part of your body must be crazy thin, every position aligned perfectly with every beat of the music and every person you dance with. Everything about being a ballerina meant perfection. And during this time Kirsten decided to diet to just lose 5 pounds. But the diet did not end and soon she found herself lost in the pit of an eating disorder.

God delivered her from this pit. He rebuilt her, piece by piece, until she could stand knowing that the perfection of God in her imperfection was her completion.

After this time she decided to compete in a county pageant, just to try and win a $200 scholarship to help her pay for college. To her surprise, at only age 18 she won. She moved to the state level competition, for yet another scholarship. She won. This moved her on to Miss America. By now she was a little perturbed with God for moving her on this path, not of her choosing. She already had plans on how she was going to serve the Lord. The Lord had other plans for her to serve! She realized in the week of the 2008 Miss America competition that she needed to give herself over to His plan. She was crowned Miss America and gave her year of service as Miss America as a sacrifice unto others. She spent her year speaking and infusing young men and women with the truth about the destruction that comes when you measure yourself by others.

Her call to us is that we should not waste our time plucking off the leaves of jealousy, harsh words, over-eating, under-eating, or anything else that is a surface sin. For the leaves are attached to branches, the branches belong to a huge trunk called INSECURITY, and the trunk stays strong because there is a mass of well-established roots that belong to PRIDE. We must get at the root for there to be a lasting release from the products we see in our leaves. Pride is the assumption that we can make ourselves ‘good enough.’

There is not one of us that is good enough for God. So let him tear out what doesn’t belong to reveal what treasure and beauty He births in you.

We then had a Women Ministries Celebration. As a young women in leadership I have not caught the passion and vision of the conference and national ministries. I can now say that I have caught the vision! As a leader it is so daunting to look at how one ministry at one church can make a difference. But ACC is a church where women make a difference. And we are part of a movement ~ our Conference and National Women Ministries! E Pluribus Unum.

Cheryl recaps our Celebration Session:
Keynote Session: Women Ministries Celebration
We gathered today for an hour and a half to celebrate all that women ministries was, and is and might be. We celebrated the book that has been written to honor women who have influenced an individual’s life. It is called “Balcony Women.” We have purchased a copy to be placed in our church library so that we all may share in the joy of mentoring another in our Faith. Another book that was produced just for Triennial XIII was the very last issue of Inspirit magazine. It is a commemorative issue looking back at the last 33 years of publication. In the near future the paper magazine will be moved to an online, subscription based magazine to alleviate the financial cost of a magazine whose subscriber base has declined in the last year while the e-newsletter subscription base has soared. Look for these two books at our church library and share in the wealth of the written word.

We celebrated with women from the Congo who benefit from both the ministries of AVA (Advocates for Victims of Abuse) and the bandages that our sewing circle wraps and sends to care for their sick. See more about this ministry at: http://www.covchurch.org/women/ava. E Pluribus Unum.

We celebrated with a woman from India who spoke on the dramatic and literal salvation of women held captive in the Human Slavery trade due to our efforts with Break the Chains. Countless young women (and girls under 10 are not spared) are sold into human trafficking. Money from Break the Chains is making a difference one woman at a time. Check out the link on this ministry at: http://www.covchurch.org/humantrafficking. E Pluribus Unum.

Another beneficiary of Break the Chains is A New Day for Children here in these United States. Human Trafficking is not a problem that occurs elsewhere. It is estimated that 300-400,000 women and children are trafficked in the US. A New Day For Children is an organization that gives hope, shelter, and protection for girls 10-18 that escape human trafficking. What a powerful ministry!!! They save girls one by one. Please check out their website: http://newdayforchildren.com/. E Pluribus Unum.

These reports have encouraged me to realize what a strong and vital connection we have to our Conference and the National Women Ministries. For on our own, at our church, we do great work. But together, across our Nation, unified in cause through the leadership of Ruth Hill WE ARE MOVING MOUNTAINS! It was impressed on my Spirit today that we celebrate Women Ministries in our nation’s capital where this motto appears in our Capitol building and on our money “E Pluribus Unum” – “Out of Many - One.”

Women, anointed in God’s work, are an unstoppable and powerful force that God is taking great joy to move among and through. We are many – but when unified to become One we are DANGEROUS!

We joined in the commissioning of our Regional AVA Coordinators, our ministry Coaches and the women who serve us as Clergy. Ruth Hill also received the Evelyn M.R. Johnson Leadership award for her years of service with Women Ministries. Ruth is now in her final year of service in this her third term. Ruth was honored today for her work Nationally with AVA and Break the Chains among many other accomplishments.

Our last bit of news shared during our Women Ministries Celebration is both sad and yet filled with hope as we turn a new page in the wonderful story of history with Women Ministries in the Covenant Church. Ruth Hill has served us well and will be completing her years of service with us at the end of this term. Her announcement was greeted with a sigh of sadness from the entire crowd. And as it is with any remarkable leader, I feel as though we will be lost without her. But as clearly as God has directed Ruth in stepping down I have no doubt that He is raising up the next Woman in our midst to receive the baton of leadership, vision and inspiration. Be in prayer for our leaders to discern God’s Will for Women Ministries.

In the evening we had a concert opened by Michael Pearce Donley. He touched our hearts and made our bellies ache from laughing! Check out his website: http://www.michaelpearcedonley.com/.

Natalie Grant has been on the top of the Christian music industry for years. She is a vocal powerhouse and has a heart for revolution. She is passionate about seeing the end of human trafficking! Her new CD is called Love Revolution and debuts in a month. She sang a song for her new CD and it was amazing! Natalie is just one person, but she is following in the steps of our Savior in a revolution against the injustice of Human Trafficking. Check out her website to hear more about her heart for this cause at: http://nataliegrant.com/. E Pluribus Unum.



What an amazing journey! Look for links to be permanently posted on the left side of the blog! We will be ending our journey with you tomorrow. We hope you have enjoyed journeying with us!

Stimulating the Economy - Triennial Days 1-5

Cheryl and I spent way too much money at the Triennial.  We are a little scared to tell our husbands our grand total! There was a gift shop featured many handmade gifts made from women around the world.  It was such a powerful experience to see unique crafts from places like Ecuador, India, the Congo, .  I am finished Christmas shopping and done with birthday gifts for the next two years (at least for the women in my life)!  What a great conversation piece!  It will give me the opportunity to talk about where these gifts came from and how 100% of the proceeds are going towards such worthy causes.  One such ministry is the Abundant Life Center (ALC)in Thailand. ALC is a part of the Covenant Church in Thailand and their ministry is to reach out to those who are immigrating into the city in hopes of a better life. As they provide people with food and shelter as well provide work for them they are able to reflect the love of Christ through "lifestyle" evangelism.  Here I am pictured with a women from Thailand who designs these unique and beautiful bags: 

 Here are the gorgeous necklaces and earrings from Rahab's rope. This is an organization that looks to share the hope of Jesus with women who have been forced into human trafficking in India.  They do this by meeting physical needs and vocational training.  They provide shelter for up to 30 women at a time and their main source of income to support these women is through the beautiful hand-crafted jewelry.

The Starfish project jewelry is hand-crafted by women who have been rescued by exploitation and abuse.  100% of their proceeds help to provide income, education and support for women in their shelter. The Starfish project rescues exploited women throughout Asia.

Streams in the Desert is an organization that ministers to those in bondage by alcoholism and prostitution in Mongolia.  They also support their ministry through selling crafts.

These are only a few examples of the crafts that were for sale made from women across the globe! What an awesome cause to support.  Most of these causes have websites were you can order jewelry and other crafts to be shipped to your house.  Instead of going to kohls or target to buy gifts for the gals in my life, I'm going to be able to get them a gift that has a unique story to tell! 

Our gifts:

Check out the links to some of the projects listed above.  They will also permanently be at the left side of the blog soon!

Starfish Project: http://www.starfish-project.com/

Streams in the Desert: http://www.mongoljohn.net/

Rahab's Rope: http://www.rahabsrope.com/

Abundant Life Center: http://www.thaicov.org/alc.html

Living Dangerously ~ Triennial Day 4

The morning started with 1000 women worshiping the Lord!  What a powerful way to start your morning ~ listening to a 1000 female voices lift praises to the King. As I was thinking about how meaningful this conference is to me, I began to think about how I can get back to this conference three years from now. I began to use my cell phone to calculate out the cost (travel, airfare, food, conference fees) of this conference.  I figured that if I save $30 per month over the next 36 months I would be more than able to make it back to Triennial XIV. Live dangerously with me and make Triennial XIV a priority.  I'm already thinking about how I can sacrifice $30 per month to make it back to Triennial XIV.   

Lynn Hybles delivers a powerful message!

We got to see Deb Hamilton from Alaskan Christian College (also my mentor in high school at ACC).  The Hamilton family has a special place in our hearts!

Ruth, Deb, Julie, and I:

Noriko in her beautiful kimono dress:

We also had the chance to celebrate the diversity of the women who are attending Triennial at the International Ceremony!

Worship Ceremony in the evening:

Our Speaker for the evening, Elizabeth Conde-Frazier: what a fireball!

Here's a recap from Cheryl about today's sessions:

TRIENNIAL XIII

Key Note Speaker: Lynn Hybels

Book: Nice Girls Don’t Change the World

Lynn shared with us a beautiful and deep story of her life. She grew up in the church, married a pastor (Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Church) and carried with her all her workings for God through it all. And she worked hard; she started Bible studies, played flute in the worship band, guided young mothers through hard times, helped with curriculum…etc., etc., etc. Then one morning in her late thirties, she woke up and just couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t get up one more time and ‘do’ for God. She dove into a great depression and in solitude she considered that she just couldn’t serve this God that demanded so much of her.

Through a wonderful Christian counselor Lynn came to realize that the god she had served all these years was not really God. Because, God does not demand. All the times that she would ‘do’ one more thing for God, He was really standing and quietly saying, “No, don’t take it on, it’s not you, that’s not how I gifted you.” As she rested her body and the Lord began to speak and heal her she realized that to serve God in obligation was bondage, and He did not call her to bondage but to freedom. Lynn was recreated during this time and now serves in her areas of giftedness, completely fulfilled. She challenges each of us to dig in to God, let him define us and guide us to ministry. This is living dangerously free. And women, when we are free, are dangerous to Satan’s kingdom. Learn to live as a dangerous woman, a force of God’s nature that Changes the World.

Key Note Speaker: Elizabeth Conde-Frazier

Elizabeth is a fired up woman whose oratory delivery was strong and powerful! Elizabeth spoke at length that Reflecting God’s Glory is only possible when we move out of the way all that blocks or impedes the flow of the Spirit through our lives and on to the lives of others. If we build a dam where God’s blessing can only flow to ourselves and stops there, then we are not a reflection of His glory. It is our job as sisters to help those who build the dams that prevent the flow of God to move through their lives. Elizabeth is a passionate advocate for the injustices in our world; hunger, poverty, human trafficking, the poor and needy and spurred us on to evaluate what, if anything, is standing in the way of the flow of God’s love in our lives. What keeps us from acting in love towards the injustices that surround us in our world today!

Be sure to check out the videos from each day!  http://www.triennialxiii.org/videos.php.  Looking forward to sharing more experiences with you tomorrow!!

Get Real...Triennial Day 3

Today Cheryl and I went on an all day tour of Washington DC. When I think of seeing DC in one day a certain phrase comes to mind…GET REAL. While it is impossible to get even a small overview of Washington DC in a day, we think that we actually did very well at seeing the highlights. We started out our day by going to Capitol Hill. Here are some pictures in and around the capitol building:

 

 

 

After the Capitol building we went to the Smithsonian Museums. Cheryl and I knew we only had two hours at the museums and prioritized our time. So our first priority was the First Ladies Exhibition at the American History Museum. They have several of the gowns that the first ladies wore including Jacqueline Kennedy and Nancy Reagan who Cheryl and I agree have the most timeless style. We were surprised to see a silk dress worn by Martha Washington and a dress worn by Mary Todd Lincoln (pictured below).

Our second stop at that museum was the Price of Freedom Exhibition. Our favorite part was the piece of Berlin Wall. What a powerful picture.

Next priority was the Natural History Museum. We saw the fossils:

Then our next stop was the Hope Diamond. This is a 45.5 carat blue diamond in a setting surrounded by 16 white diamonds and hanging on a chain of 45 diamonds. The Hope Diamond is one of the most visited museum items in the world:

After the Natural History Museum we visited the outdoor sculpture park at the Art Museum. Our favorite piece was this silver tree:

Cheryl poses next to a unique sculpture:

After the Smithsonian we had a photo op by the White House:

From the White House I walked over to the Washington Monument:

 

My favorite part of the day was visiting the WW2 Memorial. In the center of the memorial was an oval pool with fountains in the center. Surrounding it were wreaths hung on pillars representing each state or province that participated in the war. When we looked towards the Lincoln Memorial there were three infinity waterfalls on either side of 4000 gold stars with each star represented 100,000 men. In front was engraved, “Here Marks the Price Paid for Freedom.” This is a powerful monument honoring the 4,000,000 men who sacrificed their lives in WW2.

To end our tour we got to drive by the Washington National Cathedral. What a beautiful church!

Julie and Ruth went on the Duck Tour:

They got to experience the city on land and water. Here they are posing outside the famous restaurant, Ben’s Chili Bowl:

Julie, Cheryl, and I take a picture to mark the opening session of Triennial XIII:

Our first session began in the evening. Ruth Hill, the executive director for the national women ministries, welcomed us to Triennial XIII. This is Cheryl’s first triennial, my second triennial, Julie’s seventh triennial, and Ruth West’s (my grandmother) eleventh triennial. Ruth Hill will be speaking at our fall retreat in September!

The flag ceremony was a highlight of the night. We have 30 countries represented at this conference:

Noriko from Japan recently came to our church for dessert. She is carrying the flag for Japan:

This is a picture of the beautiful woman representing the Sudan:

We had wonderful worship and ended the night with one of the most (if not the most) powerful messages I have ever heard. If you get the opportunity I highly recommend listening to the message at http://www.triennialxiii.org/videos.php.  Cheryl will recap the message for you!

Trienniel XIII

Opening Talk

Keynote Speaker: Brenda Salter McNeil

Written by: Cheryl Meakins

Tonight Brenda spoke truth! It was truth that all women across our nation and our world needed to hear. Reflecting God’s Glory has been the theme ushered into our Women Ministries at Triennial XIII.

Brenda started the evening by sharing a personal story. She had been incredibly busy in her ministry to students on campus at a college near LA when she determined she would stop and spend time with God. As she invited God to her time of reading and worship she remembered a practice that a professor encouraged them to use in their times of reading scripture. She began to read the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42) but used her imagination to place herself in that story. And in doing so, God brought something to the surface she had no idea had been buried within her heart. She imagined Martha welcoming Jesus to her home and how busy she was, in the kitchen baking, washing dishes and giving orders to those around her to help with the process. Brenda had a flash back to her mother preparing for company and how her mother only wanted the best, in her home and her children. Until that moment Brenda had no idea that she had kindled, for 20 years or so, a resentment for the perfection that was demanded of her. Brenda responded in tears and asked for forgiveness for what she had masked over with her easy churchy answers of, “Mmm Hmmm I am blessed,” “No Mam and Yes Sir.” You see she had been raised in the church and new the ‘right’ things to say, and quite frankly thought she was just too good a church girl for something so nasty to be residing in her heart.

Quite often we all choose the business of Martha because we are too afraid of Jesus coming into our home and finding dirt under the rug, or dust on the mantle. And if He should lift the rug we distract the conversation with our ‘offerings’ of a cold drink or fresh baked cookies. Or maybe it is out of fear that we don’t sit and really talk with our Lord. Maybe we don’t trust that He would reflect back to us the beautifully inspired vision of ourselves, made in his image, as a daughter of the King, uniquely gifted for this time and place.

So as Brenda closed she took us to Revelation 3:14. Where Jesus was talking to the Church! Yes, you got that right, when Jesus said “Behold I stand at the door and Knock” he wasn’t talking to the unsaved, unchurched or heathens in this world, HE WAS TALKING TO THE CHURCH! Why would He have need to knock on the doors of our hearts? You see, Jesus is not interested in being busy for Him he is interested in knowing you and in being known by you. He did not drop in for a social call, he wants to come home and walk in without hesitation and be comfortable with you. He wants the real you; cracked, broken, used, failing. And out of the time spent getting real with Christ you will end up reflecting REDEMPTION! That’s the real reflection! It is time for us to GET REAL!

Until tomorrow...which is now in Washington DC...