It's Tough Being A Woman: The Whole Megillah

      This past Monday welcomed the first ladies bible study of the fall semester. We are so excited to be using Beth Moore's video study over the book of Esther, appropriately themed, "It's Tough Being a Woman".


     
      Diaspora:
              1. to scatter seed
              2. the movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland.

     Literally, calling Esther a Diaspora story refers to the scattering of the Jews like seed outside of Palestine after their release from exile in Babylon. We may not feel like we can easily relate to what life was like under the King of Persia, but we certainly can relate to what it feels like to be somewhere we dont belong. Scattered and far from our comfort zones.

Just like the Jews were out of place in the secular and lavish Persia, Esther doesn't easily fit the mold of the other books of the Bible. Esther bears a few very unique properties that distinguish it from it's biblical counterparts.
 
The first, is the total absence of any reference to God. At first glance, it may seem that if it doesnt mention the Lord then the book of Esther may not belong in the scriptures. However, Beth is quick to point out that our God is a mysterious God and doesn't need to sign His name to make His mark.
She continues to say that because of the lack of 'the character God' we see in other stories, we are forced to look at the tools He uses to make Himself known in other ways. Another unique characteristic is simply  the God-ordained emphasis on human responsibility. Scripture is God-breathed, so we are forced to wonder why He so purposefully left His name out and emphasized the names of those so much lesser than He.
  
These two unique design characteristic challenges our faith, but offers hope. We are force to face the questions like "what do we do when the Red Sea doesn't part?", when God doesn't remove our obstacles in one fell swoop. Instead, we find great theology in not seeing Him, but knowing He is there. And instead we see traces of Him in the lives of everyday people.

"Maybe there is no bigger miracle than God working in the natural realm, God working mightily even in us"

                                      

     The third unique characteristic abut the book of Esther is simply that the title bears a woman's name.  Woman were made to complement men, and in that are very different from their partners. Beth warns us not to forget that this book is about a woman who had all the struggles and 'stuff'' of a woman.
  
In a survey she conducted on over 400 women of different backgrounds and beliefs, Beth collected lists of the toughest things that being a woman entails. There are many blessings to be afforded by these glimpses into those women's lives. The first revealed to us this week is simply that we women have these challenges in common. The following are the top three most common responses from her survey, how well can you relate?

1. Yielding
2. Balance
3. Hormones

     We would encourage you over the rest of this week to really dwell on this question, and when you have your list. Know that you are not alone in your struggles. We deal with it too. And so did Esther.

The session ended with a glimpse into what we will be studying in the daily personal study sessions over the week. We hope to see you next week as we discuss how we've wrestled with and learned from our first scenario.


    
   It's tough being
           a woman in another
                        woman's shadow.











Posted By: Kimberly Bailey

The Heart of All Creation

Just a little food for thought...

     The next time you escape the stress of our world by putting your minds for a few minutes on fellow creatures and things that "take life blithely", or the next time you soak in the warmth of the sunshine or marvel at the vast beauty of the ocean, remember that there is a sacrifce at the heart of it all. 

     "The Lamb became Shepherd, bearing and caring for the sheep, laying down His life for them both as Shepherd and as Lamb, and, in the end [still]...shall wipe away every tear from their eyes".    Jesus paid it all.

             Paraphrased from Love Has a Price Tag by Elizabeth Elliot.

Posted By:  Kimberly Bailey

Story of Grace: Holla Hallelujah!

Ify Nwachukwu

Favorite Color: Gold

Animal: Cheetah

Major: Nursing

Classification: Junior, 20yrs old

Quote:

"No God- No Peace, Know God-Know Peace"

      If you've had the pleasure of meeting Ify Nwachukwu then you know that there is never a dull moment. You also know that she is a woman after the Lord's own heart. When we asked her when she first became a Christian she answered us with an even better question:

"Generic Christian or full throttle Christian?"

    Ify was 17 and a senior in high school when she decided to go full throttle. She had been raised in the Catholic church as part of growing up in a Christian home. In the beginning, she had no idea what to expect when it came to really pursuing God.

"I thought it would be easy, like Holla Hallelujah! But its never easy for me"

     Her favorite passag of scripture is John 16:33: "I have told you these things so that you may have peace, in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world"

    Ify told us that she has come to learn that it is a struggle everyday - every harsh word, every inconsiderate driver, every rude customer - she has to make the conscious decision to live like Christ. Despite the frustration, Ify doesnt shy away from a challenge. Last summer, when working at a camp she hit an all time low. It was at this extremely difficult time in her life that she was able to see the Lord the most, and she's grateful for it!

"Miserable and low, I was refined by fire into purity"

     Now Ify says she has been praying and asking the Lord to help her be more open with people, she wants to be a listening ear for others. She believes in the importance of really relating emotionally to others and being able to connect with them on a deeper level. She is also trying to learn to connect deeper with her Lord through prayer, she plans to combine the two by faithfully commiting to pray unceasingly for two young women she meets over this year.

 "I'm learning patience, and pray, pray, pray!!!"

     Advice to Freshman: Stay above the influence, don't try to be something you're not. Be real with yourself and surround yourself with good people who accept who you really are and want to be. You can do it!
    






Posted By:  Kimberly Bailey

Extreme Makeover: True Beauty Part Two

One topic that always seems to come up when talking about Christian beauty is the idea of modesty. This idea is something I’ve dealt with a lot recently, and at least for me, it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. Because first off, how do we even define modesty? Some people would have you believe that applying their rules like a dress code to your life will make you modest. My problem with this statement is that sometimes these rules do not cover every girl’s body or every man’s imagination or vice versa.

For example, there was a survey done in which in one particular survey question said that 7.6% of guys thought that painted nails were a stumbling block. I don’t know about you, but I love painting my nails, and I’ve never thought “Well, I’d better not paint my nails or it might cause a guy to think sexually about me.” The truth is, no matter how hard you try, guys will think about you sexually. However, there are things that are serious stumbling blocks that I didn't even know about. One that surprised me is that 71.2% of the guys surveyed between ages 18 and 25 thought that showing any amount of cleavage was immodest. It may seem legalistic to us, but if it causes guys to stumble shouldn't we think about minimizing that?

In fact, modesty isn’t even about us. And quite honestly, it isn’t about guys either. Sharon Hodde Miller writes: “Men and women are urged to pursue a modesty by which our glory is minimized and God’s is maximized. The body the spirit and the mind all have a created role that is inherently God-centered. When we make ourselves central instead of God, we display the height of immodesty.” To have a healthy relationship, a man should first be attracted to the relationship with God he sees in us and a physical or sexual attraction should not exceed that.

The point is, when you choose your outfit, try to think more of who you are looking to honor with what you wear. If you are looking to honor yourself, when people see you, they’re only going to see you. When you are looking to honor God that is who others will see. The truth is, Christians shouldn’t just honor God in the way they speak or the way they act, but also in the way they dress.

If you would like to learn more about this subject, you can check out these websites: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/12/why_we_can_dump_modest_is_hott.html

http://www.therebelution.com/

Posted By:  Tiffany Miller

Good Luck Freshmen Episode 2

Hello students,

Welcome to the fourth week of school. Can you believe we have already been at this for a little less than a month. Midterms will be here before you know it. We at the BSM hope that you are having a blast meeting new people and getting involved on campus. The first set of exams are approaching this week and the following one and the lovely Katharine Rosa has put together, yet another wonderful video to encourage you and help you as you transition into the school year! Have a wonderful week, and remember, "Keep Moving Forward!"

Good Luck Freshmen!

Stumbling Through the Easy

Good Morning Girls,

The week is almost over! You can do it! We have been praying for each of you and are thrilled that you are enjoying your first full week of school. What a blessing it is to have such an opportunity. As I was reading this morning in the lovely, Ms. Sarah Young's devotional, Jesus Calling, the Lord directed my eyes back towards the present. Read the following passage as a message from the mouth of Jesus to your heart.

"Follow me one step at a time. That is all I require of you. In fact, that is the only way to move through this space/time world. You see huge mountains looming, and you start wondering how you're going to scale those heights. Meanwhile, because your're not looking where you;re going, you stumble on the easy path where I am leading you now. As I help you get back on your feet, you tell Me how worried you are about the cliffs up ahead. But your don't know what will happen today, much less tomorrow. Our path may take and abrupt turn, leading you away from those mountains. There may be an easier way up the mountains than is visible from this distance. If I do lead you up the cliffs, I will equip you thoroughly for that strenuous climb. I will even give My angels charge over you, to preserve you in all your ways. 

Keep in mind on the present journey, enjoying My Presence. Walk by faith, not by sight, trusting Me to open up the way before you."

For He will give His angels charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways. They shall bear up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. 

Psalm 91:11-12

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7

Is there a mountain in your life that your eyes are distracted by? The Lord does not desire for us to stumble through the present. Let's choose today to fix our eyes on the next step and allow the Lord to take care of what is ahead.

Extreme Makeover: True Beauty

This summer I made a decision to go completely make-up free for 30 days. Now why would I do this? First off, let me just say that I did not have some sudden revelation that make-up is evil. Quite the contrary, I enjoy make-up very much. I think it does wonderful things for self-esteem, which is something we all need. However, it can also have just the opposite effect.

How many of you have seen a girl with perfect make-up or hair or clothes and just thought, “Man! I wish I looked like that!”? This brings me to my second point. For me, make-up had become somewhat of an idol. So, I decided for that set amount of time, I was going to fast from make-up and instead use the time I would use to apply make-up and obsess over how I look and use that for my quiet time in the morning. It worked wonders, or rather He worked wonders. It literally took my half the time to get ready in the morning, not only that, but my relationship with God grew stronger and stronger.

In my study of beauty and self-image, there are several points which really defined what they are. First of all, before we define beauty, we must differentiate between what God considers beauty and what man considers beautiful. I’m sure many of you have heard Genesis 1:27 when dealing with the subject of beauty. It reads, “So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.” Unfortunately, at least for me, I’d heard this verse so many times when dealing with beauty that it became something that I simply stuck in my back pocket without understanding its full meaning.

One thing that I’ve struggled with when dissecting this verse is the phrase “image of God”. I don’t know about you, but the first thing I thought when reading that phrase is that I’ve never physically seen God. However, that’s where faith comes in. God told us that he made us to suit his perfect plan for us, and we must accept this as true. I read a commentary once that said, “Faith proves to the mind the reality of things that cannot be seen by the bodily eye.” Hebrews 11:3 states that “By faith we understand that the
universe was created by God’s command, so that what is seen has been made by things that are not visible.”

Another problem that I’ve always come up against is that if God made us all in his own image, why don’t we all look the same? I recall once, reading an excerpt from a magazine, that if God had a plan for Esther’s beauty, then he has a plan for the way you look as well. Another illustration comes from James 3:12; “Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring produce freshwater.”

Now as most of you don’t frequently see olive trees or fig trees, here’s a different way to think about it. Imagine yourself as an apple tree, and God has told you that he wants you to produce apples. An orange tree, however, tells you that you can only be beautiful if you produce oranges. So, you listen to the orange tree and spend the majority of your time trying to produce oranges and end up creating shriveled apples and never creating oranges, therefore never living up to the orange trees’ expectation of beauty and not fulfilling God’s ultimate purpose for you. This is what we do when we spend our time idolizing the world’s version of beauty whilst ignoring God’s purpose for us.
This does not mean you cannot have one without the other. A friend of mine recently told me that repentance was not turning away from our sin but turning towards God. For me, make-up had become an idol, so I chose to give it up in order to focus my heart on God and set my priorities straight before I chose to take it up again. I urge you that if there is something in your life that is keeping you from God in any way, that you fast from it or give it up completely until you can refocus on God.

Also, I urge you not to do this alone. If you have a friend who can keep you accountable, then ask them to do so. The more the merrier, in fact, and don’t be ashamed. The Bible tells us that we all stumble in many ways. I pray that one day what you struggle with will become the foundation for your faith. I also hope that one day you will all look in the mirror and feel content in the beauty God made you with, a beauty that no man can define and only God can appreciate to its fullest.

Good Luck Freshmen: Part One

Welcome Freshmen,


We have been praying for you and anticipating your arrival! The first few weeks are going to be a very exciting time for you and although you may not be here are some tips that we put together to help calm the nerves. If you see any of the people on this video on campus be sure to say hello and ask questions you may have they would be glad to help and would love to meet you.

Check out this video and Good Luck Freshmen.

Good Luck Freshmen: Episode 1

Erasing Hell: Making Progress

As we've been progressing through the book Erasing Hell we've taken a look at what a) the Jews of Jesus' day believed b) what Jesus himself believed and c) what Jesus' followers believed. And we've reached some startling conclusions:

1. Hell is a place of punishment after judgment.
2. Hell is described in imagery of fire and darkness, where people lament
3. Hell is a place of annihilation or never-ending punishment.

These are not necessarily things we wanted to believe. Nevertheless, we can not deny the words of Scripture. If we are not going to question what God means when He says that as believers we will reign with Him "forever and ever" (Rev 22:5), then we cannot question He also means what He says when He uses the same "forever and ever" when He speaks about hell. 

Chan encourages us to stop trying to fit our view of justice on top of God's word. We must trust that our omnipotent, omniscient God knows what He's doing.

"I really belive it's time for some of us to stop apologizing for God and start apologizing to Him for being embarrassed by the way He has chosen to reveal Himself."

Another thing we must take from what we learn is that we are not just reciting facts, we are dealing with peoples souls and the power of God's word. The Lord calls us to "tremble" at His word (Isaiah 66:2), which never goes from Him without accomplishing its purpose (Isaiah 55:11). If He has said it, we can trust Him to do it. No matter how beautiful or terrible it may seem to us.

"For if we have died with Him, we will also live with Him;
if we endure, we will also reign with Him;
if we deny Him, He will also deny us;
if we are faithless, He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself"
(2 Timothy 2:11-13)

This week we will be talking about what all of this has to do with those of us who already call ourselves "Christians". Hell doesnt just threaten murderers and blasphemers, but also the racists, those who call their brothers and sisters names, and those who lead others astray (Matt 8, 5 and James 3). 

It is time to decide if we are ready to let eternity permeate every aspect of our lives. And if we are,
It is time to change.

Story of Grace: Beauty with Purpose

Tiffany Miller

Age: 20

Major: Earth Science

Year: Junior

Favorite Animal: Jellyfish

Favorite Quote:

             "You can’t get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me”

                                                                                          -C.S. Lewis

Tiffany grew up in church and had been hearing about Christ since she was a small child. But it wasn’t until her first days as a college freshman that she really felt interest in the real relationship forming between her and her Savior. And happily, she hasn’t stopped pursing Him in the years since.

Tiffany tells us that one of the major turning points in her life was learning to hear God’s voice .Tiff had pursued the voice of God to frustrating ends many times in the past and as she sat in a room dedicated to that very purpose at last year’s ABIDE conference, she didn’t really know what to expect. Her heart poured forth questions and eager pleas to hear her Beloved’s voice as we often do in prayer. And in a sweet moment between breaths, she heard the whisper, “Stop running.”

Running from what? Tiffany wouldn’t get the answer until weeks later in her weekly meeting with former BSM director, Wayne Dillon. Tiffany had begun to become interested in missions and even had a particular GoNow trip on her mind so she was delighted but still doubtful when Wayne told her she still had a chance to apply. However, that night after a sermon on Jonah and the wise counsel that “sometimes running from God is just staying where you are”, Tiffany was ready to begin working towards what would be a life changing trip to New York to share the Gospel.

Tiffany later described her GoNow experience as a conduit to see herself and God in a completely new way.

“God used me in ways I never thought I could be used”.

Having learned French in high school but never finding opportunity to use it, Tiffany was thrilled to meet a woman at a festival while in New York who was deliberately seeking out a member of the team who spoke French. After basic introductions and small talk Tiffany had made a new friend and planted an important seed. The woman and her companions spent the rest of the festival at the mission team’s table and Tiffany and her friends would later find out that these weren’t just any guests, but guests of honor who were supposed to be in prime seating but chose to keep the company of the young Christians instead. Praise the Lord!

“Now one of the local New York missionaries goes to their home weekly and tells them Bible stories, and they are Muslim!”

Tiffany hasn’t stopped growing in her identity since the trip and is constantly enlarging her view of our great God. Recently she’s been studying true beauty. She says she’s been seeking the wisdom of scripture to help her understand the visible and invisible qualities that the Lord created in us.

“People tell you all the time that beauty isn't just on the outside, but I never paid attention until now. When He [God] says we are made perfect, we are made perfect to suit His will. God had a purpose for Esther’s beauty, maybe He has a purpose for yours too.”

Advice to Freshman: Looking back over the past few years, from where she was to how far she’s come, Tiffany advises freshman to get plugged in, as fast and as soon as they can. She warns them not to be stagnant or turn away, to keep pursuing the Lord and never give the devil a foothold.

Go Nowers

Hello Ladies,

Please be praying for two of our sisters who are still serving this summer on missions. Desi in Houston and Stephanie in Venezuela. I know that they really appreciate your support. Also, we recently welcomed home Kimberly from Asia. Please continue to pray over the work that the Lord has done, as well as all that he continues to do through the hands and feet of our sweet friends and the long term missionaries who are currently serving where they have been sent!!

The Ultimate Make-Over: The Benefits of Concealer

At our last captivate meeting I was trying to take some pictures for our new blog. In doing so, one girl responded as we all often do, "I don't have any makeup on." Several other girls began to comment and discuss that they too were in a similar situation. However, then one bold young woman chimed in and began to share her testimony with us about her recent commitment to abstain from the use of makeup. She went on to explain that she posses the head knowledge that the Lord has decreed her beauty but desires to establish that as heart knowledge. 


 All it took was one woman sharing her brokenness to unveil a room full of beautiful women who are constantly trying to cover up their imperfections out of insecurity.

One of the ways we try and make ourselves feel better is by saying, " I only use concealer and mascara." All the while meditating on the fact that we wouldn't be nearly as confident outside of our homes without those two things.

 According to Webster, the definition of concealer is as follows:


        1. One that conceals 


        2. A cosmetic used to conceal blemishes or discoloration under the eyes 

 Webster has it spot on. The makeup is a cover up (no pun intended). Out of insecurity our solution is to conceal the truth of how we have been created in order to fit into the standards of the society we live in. I recognize this is not always true daily, but maybe it is.

Although on the surface at our meeting we discussed body image there is more to it than just that. This goes deeper into the constructs of our souls. 


We come together and play the part, some days it's just easier than being transparent. However, it is harmful to our spirit to contain our sin and behave as though we are not who we truly are.

How beautiful it is to share the burdens of the darling spiritual siblings around you. Our heavenly father desires for us to not conceal the truth of our identiy but rather to share our shortcomings in order to elevate him higher. So in a spiritual sense, what are the benefits of concealer? 

What fears keep you from sharing your life open and honestly with those around you? Is there something that you are concealing?

Erasing Hell: The Beginning

Have you ever said that you just couldn't believe something about God?
I just can't believe God lets bad things happen to good people.
I just CAN'T believe an all-loving God would send people to hell.


I know I have. Sometimes the things I "can't" believe about God are so stressful to me I just brush them under the rug and try not to think about them.
Like hell.


But according to Francis Chan, its not really that we "can't" believe these things about our God, its that we just dont want to.


This past Monday, our women's bible study met  and discussed the first chapter of Chan's book, Erasing Hell. Our goal is to find out, as the book describes, what God had to say about eternity, and what we as Christians, nonbelievers, sinners and desperate people, have made up.
    
We shared that as we've grown older and matured, so has our view of what hell is. From a literal lake of fire to the sheer emptiness of a place that is void of God. Although we are still unsure and have much to learn, here is what we have discovered so far:


     1. There are no second chances after death.
     2. God gets what God wants: But, just because it is in God's moral will for everyone to be saved, it  may not      necessarily be in His decreed will. This is where our free will comes into play.
     3. God is God. His ways are higher, and He knows more than we do. God has the right to do WHATEVER He pleases.
    4. Not everyone will go to heaven.
And last, but not least
     5. We can not afford to be wrong.


People are at stake and even though it is a scary subject, we are determined to understand as best as we can. Chan's introduction afforded us a beautiful prayer that we have decided will be our compass for the next few weeks:

God, I want to know what is true.

I know I have cravings that sway and distort my abilty to reason.

You promise that Your Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth.

I pray that He will now.

I don't want to be wrong.

I don't want to be deceived by others or myself.

You alone possess all truth, and I want to be on Your side.

Give me eyes to see and ears to hear.

Give me courage to live and speak what is right no matter the cost.

I don't want to believe anything about You that is not true.

Amen.

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field'."

Matthew 9:37-38

<3 Kp

P.S Check out what Chan had to say as he began writing this book, just follow the link and click "watch video". Its worth it I promise!



http://francischan.org/#/erasing-hell

  

Go Now Missions

One of our students, William Bowden, is currently serving in Wales for the duration of the summer. This is a video blog made by him and his team members.

Do you feel called to serve on a go now mission? If so, what is holding you back? To learn more follow the link to their website on the side of this posting.