Fort Benning PWOC. Protestant Women of the Chapel December 2013

Transcription

1 Fort Benning PWOC Protestant Women of the Chapel December 2013 Mark Your Calendar 1.9 Spring Kick-Off 2.13 Program Day 3.20 Program Day 4.3 No PWOC Spring Break 5.1 National Day of Prayer 5.15 New Board Installation/ Last Day Got A Flashlight? What comes to mind when you hear the word "light"? - a lighthouse guiding ships away from the rocky shores... - a lamp over a chair in a reading corner - a flashlight in a storm - headlights on a snowy night - front porch lights for loved ones arriving late at night No doubt, each year at Christmas, you hear the familiar passage in Isaiah 9: 2. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined." What an encouraging message. What we don't often hear is earlier in Isaiah 1: "To the people of that time, there was great trouble and sin. How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers. Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them." Throughout Isaiah there is warning of judgment that will come against the sin of God's people, and there is comfort of redemption. He will send His Son to redeem them from their sin. He has sent His Son to redeem us from our sin! His Son is the Light! This is what Christmas is about: redemption. Our world is in much spiritual darkness. Just as it was in Isaiah's time. You have reminders of it around every corner. But, a great light has come, indeed. Only as the light of Jesus Christ shines, do we see the great darkness we live in and around. As you visit with family and friends over the holidays, it might be painful to experience, at first, but the promise of redemption through Jesus Christ is the only hope of this world. How will you bring light to today's world at Christmas? What will your relationship with Jesus Christ look like to those who need His light? -Lauren Dillard PWOC President

2 Christmas Family Traditions We have a birthday cake and balloons for Jesus birthday Jocelyn MacGregor The stockings are always filled with hygiene items to remind us we can t get clean without Jesus. Lauren Dillard Family Christmas Recipes Punch Bowl Cake Submitted by Denise Hart 1 Box yellow cake mix 1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix 1 can cherry pie filling 1 can crushed pineapples (15oz drained) 2 bananas 1 carton whipped topping Walnut pieces Prepare cake as directed on box. Once cake is cooled, break into bite size pieces (not too small) and place in punch bowl. Prepare instant pudding as directed, pour over cake pieces. Slice bananas and spread over pudding. Open cherry pie filling & pour over bananas. Pour drained pineapples over cherry filling Cover with Cool whip and garnish with walnuts. Refrigerate! Simply Delicious!!! We have a birthday party for Jesus, that s what we actually refer the holiday as, Jesus s birthday. We always have red velvet cake and sing happy birthday. Each of our kids get 3 gifts and of course the Jesse Tree. Lisa Redford Read the Christmas story from Luke before bed on Christmas Eve. Kathie Harris On Christmas morning my boys make a birthday cake for Jesus. We sing happy birthday and have cake for Jesus birthday. We read the ight Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. Jana Roman Grandmamma s Peanut Brittle Submitted by Lauren Dillard 1 Cup Sugar 2 Cups Raw peanuts 1 1/2 TSP Baking Soda 1 cup White Karo Syrup 1 TSP salt Start with sugar, syrup, & peanuts in a thick pot. Let it boil (stir frequently). Cook until the candy starts popping and it will turn a golden light color. Then, add salt and baking soda. Pour peanut mixture onto buttered flat pan. After this cools it will easily break into pieces.

3 The Jesus said, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry have burdens, and I will give you rest Matthew 11:28 Spring Retreat Proverbs 16:9 A man s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure Please be in prayer for the upcoming spring retreat in March Pray specifically for Coordinator (Sue Lopez) and her committee Vision & Direction of Planning for Fort Benning Good attendance Childcare for ladies attending Speakers/facilitators Please Join us for Prayer for the Retreat December 12th, January 16, 23, 30 Meet Sue Lopez in the Fellowship Hall after PWOC from 11:45-12:15 Want to be on the planning Committee? Planning Meetings at Sue Lopez s house 218 Miller Loop Fort Benning. Prayer Corner During the Holiday season it s so easy to overextend ourselves. We can get so s t r e s s e d a b o u t t h e shopping, baking, parties, and traveling plans that we miss out on the fun and peace of the season. We crowd our minds with daily schedule with so much stuff that at the end of the day we look back and realize we forgot about our devotion, prayer time, or whatever you offer up to God each day. When you feel like things are getting heavy or wearing you down, don't hesitate or delay, quickly enter into His rest. It s such a calming and peaceful place to lay everything down. Incorporate Him in every decision and activity/event during this season and experience His joyful rest. January 10 & 24 10:00-11:30am

4 Retirement Retire: to withdraw from action or danger (retreat); to withdraw, especially for privacy; to move back; to end an occupation or career; to go to bed. (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary) At first glance, I am not a fan of the word "retire" except for the last part...i really want to go to bed and enjoy a much needed rest. I don't like the word because to me it suggests that I am no longer needed. Sad as that sounds, life transitions usually force me to step back and take a moment to analyze, check my priorities and see if I'm on track with purpose and God's plan. In my early adult years, God began interrupting my life. Women wanted to have Bible studies or needed one-on-one discipleship in the Word and their faith walk. The first person God brought my way was Barbara. She had just found out her husband was having an affair. My husband & I led her to Jesus and walked with her through this crisis. And then my husband turned to her and said, "Would you like to meet with my wife for discipleship?!" And so... that was the launch of God's calling (interruption) to disciple women in the faith. In 1997, God opened all the doors (and windows) to allow my husband, Stan, to be an Active Duty Army Chaplain. (Did I mention he resigned his commission after a couple failed attempts of coming on to active duty?) Never underestimate the God of the impossible. This new adventure inside the Army left me wondering how I would define myself and what would I do. Well, I hung out for the first year, watching and observing life inside the Army. There was no women's bible study on that installation, so I started one. Our Catholic sisters joined us and we studied, "My Heart, God's Dwelling Place" by Beth Moore in the fellowship hall of the Ft. Detrick Chapel. The rest is history. They are now an "official" PWOC group. God did it again... He opened the door through chapel ministry. At our second duty station, I was introduced to PWOC in Germany - teaching and training women in the faith through God's Word. I have LOVED PWOC for this opportunity to train women - not to mention the friendships, community of support & faith that saw me through some rough times! You, PWOC Sisters, I will miss the MOST! Fast forward 16+ years and I am facing another major life change, retirement, in just 6 short weeks! I don't know exactly what that will look like, but I know my God! He is faithful. He does not want me to withdraw but press forward to advance His Kingdom, make Him famous, and love Him and others in His name. Retire? I think not! God has too many plans so His work is accomplished through each of our lives - no matter what age, what culture, what subculture, or season! See yourself in there... while you may be staying in the Army (or other military branches), God wants to accomplish His plan through you. Never say retreat! Move forward with God. I want to leave you with a few of my life verses that God gave me at pivotal points in my personal faith walk: Philippians 1:6 "...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Micah 6:8 "He has shown you, O [sister], what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever." I couldn't say it better than all of Hebrews 13. Please, take time to read it. Keep the faith and continue WALKI G I LOVE - be the genuine article, live it and when necessary use words. Blessings of Grace, Love and Peace to you, dear PWOC Sisters - Bev Arnold, Titus 2 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever Hebrews 13:8

5 Spring 2014 Bible Studies It is with much prayer and great joy that we announce the PWOC Spring Studies at Fort Benning. I pray that you will find a place to grow in your walk with the Lord! Please contact me if you have any questions. Teachers will be announced at Kickoff in January. Walking in Love, Jennifer Read 1 st VP, Spiritual Life Daniel:- Join Beth Moore in a faith-building study of prophecy, and learn how to shine for Christ in our modern culture. Just as the prophet Daniel faced unbelievable pressures to compromise his faith, to live in a hostile culture, and confront temptations and threats, today's believers face many of the same trials. Examine the life of Daniel in an extremely contemporary way. Then explore the fascinating prophecies from the time of Daniel through the second coming of Christ. ehemiah- ehemiah is not only an example of great leadership; his story shows us in living color God's sovereign plan to work through his people for his redemptive purposes in Jesus Christ. ielson leads us to immerse ourselves in a dramatic story of God's people led by a godly leader at a crucial point in salvation history. Growing Kids God s Way- The Ezzos offer biblically based solutions that work. 'Along the Virtuous Way' is the core curriculum of the Ezzos' presentation. Here the emphasis is on reaching the heart of children with the virtues and values that flow out of the character of Christ. The Ezzos' unique discipleship approach produces morally responsible and biblical responsive children who are kind, courteous, respectful, confident, sensitive to others, obedient to parents and whose lives are compelling testimony of the Christian faith. James- The book of James has a welldeserved reputation for providing practical advice, yet it also contains challenging teachings on wealth, prayer, healing, and relationship between faith and works. Through clear exposition of the biblical text and thoughtful application questions, this guide helps us rightly understand James as a stirring exhortation to fruitfulness-ultimately reminding us of the necessary connection between genuine faith and heartfelt obedience. The Gospel of Luke- Luke brings the gospel of Jesus from the outside in. From start to finish he depicts Jesus as accessible to the unknowns, the outcast, the lost, and the hopeless. Luke shows the stunning embrace of the returned prodigal son and the embittered response of his 'righteous' brother. Luke displays Jesus' invitation to Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector eavesdropping on Jesus from the outside and shows the grumbling response of the crowd on the inside: 'He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.' As Jesus' ministry continues, Luke points out that Jesus' desire was not just to call sinners but to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). That is, through Him sinners could find reconciliation with God. As a result, this return to God by outsiders causes insiders to re-evaluate the biblical story and examine what the foundation of their relationship with God ought to be. Love & Respect-Cracking the communication code between husband and wife involves understanding one thing: Unconditional respect is as powerful for him as unconditional love is for her. You and your mate can truly start afresh with the groundbreaking guidance provided in this interactive guide. This class will use a workbook along with the book, Love and Respect to dig deeper into marriage and God s plan.

6 Lemon Lush Submitted By Sherry Avery-Hooker 1 Cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup plus 2 TBS chopped pecans, divided 1 Stick of Butter 1 package of Cream cheese, softened 1 cup confectioners sugar 1 8oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided 2 (3.4oz) packages lemon instant pudding mix 2 2/3 cup milk Reminder PWOC starts at 9:00 am Preheat over to 375. Combine Flour, 1/2 cup pecans and butter in a medium bowl and mix well. Press onto bottom of an 11x8 baking dish. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 min. Let stand to cool. Place Cream cheese in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium sped until fluffy. Add Confectioners sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add 1 cup whipped topping to cream cheese mixture and fold in gently. Spread over cooled crust. Combine pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl. Beat until thickened. Spread on top of cream cheese layer. Top with the remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Chilll, covered, for 1 hour. Store any leftover in the refrigerator. DID YOU K OW. We have facebook!! A D A WEBSITE!!