There is just something about bringing women together – no make-up, hanging out in their sweats all weekend and pressing into God.
Back in 2003, I had a vision of doing just that… to go to every state, draw women together and create an environment where the Holy Spirit is able to restore, refresh and empower women! That and much more just took place at a “Women’s Empowerment Weekend” I had in Branson Mo. The Holy Spirit moved with great power but yet so tenderly as 21 women opened their hearts to receive in areas where they least expected it!
Here is a small taste of what happens when women come together – no make-up, hang out in their sweats and press into God!
Kelly
PS. No weekend could have been complete without the help of a team! Thank you Charlotte, Darla, Dana, Ebbie, Lori, Melissa and Wendy!
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I [am] God is what I keep hearing echoing throughout these mountains!
Reminds me of when I was a little girl and my dad would take me hunting. I always found it hard to nestle down and “be still”! Everything within me wanted to move. The more I heard my dad say “shhh…be still” the more itches I found myself having! Amazingly years later as a grown woman, I still find it hard to nestle down and “be still”.
Today is day three of a retreat and I’m trying my best to do just that… ”be still”! My surroundings are perfect for such an occasion… a beautiful log cabin tucked away in the great Smoky Mountains so high that a cloud floated into my bedroom through the sliding glass doors the other morning. That in itself is another story! The view is breathtaking. But none the less, I find it hard to “be still”. Something always has my attention; talking on the phone, checking my email, and texting at the same time. Yes I could have left those “itches” at home. But what if there was an emergency?!
As I try to ignore all the little itches of life I find myself pressing in and meditating on…
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I [am] God.
The Psalmist description of “being still” is to sink down, relax, withdraw, abandon, refrain, and to quiet yourself. But my favorite description of “being still” is to abate. The apostle John sums it well.
“He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
So I asked God, show me my heart and that He did! Not in a condemning or shameful way but in His gentle and kind way, where you know without a doubt it is God speaking! He reminded me of how much I enjoy being the center of attention at a party – makes me feel special. Oh and how I love having the last word in a conversation – shows how smart I am. But most of all He showed me how I take great pleasure in the way He uses me while ministering to others. That I am most proud of!
Well…I was proud, that is until I began nestling in the clouds – learning to “be still”.
I find it very humbling and a bit embarrassing, realizing who I really am and discovering how much more He can be.
Now I know these four things might sound really silly to some, but if you have ever been on a long fast you will say “YES” and “AMEN” to what I am about to say!
Learning from experience, here are four things I try to avoid while on a fast ….
1. Crowds, Crowds and more crowds. I find it very disturbing being in the midst of a lot of people during a long fast or any type of fast for that matter - unless they too are fasting! The conversations, noises, questions, and intensity of inter acting can all be overwhelming – consuming all your energy. In order to stay focused, at peace and single-minded, it is important to seclude yourself to a quiet place (if at all possible!).
It is in this posture where I can hear my name being“whispered”!
2. Cookbooks and lots of them! Now I know you probably are saying “C’mon Kelly… for real”? Yes for real. Cookbooks and lots of them. While living in Malaysia, a few of my girlfriends and I went on a weekend fast together. We didn’t pack food but we did take lots of cookbooks with us. Wasn’t such a great idea as all it did was make our mouths water, tummy’s rumble and create a huge temptation for us to want to break fast!! Finally we did have to say enough is enough and put the cookbooks down so we could focus on prayer and the whole purpose of why we came together to begin with! But just in case you are wondering… here are a few of my favorite raw recipe books and a yummy bRAWnie recipe too!
3. Ignoring my emotions! We spend enough time burying, hiding, feeding and totally ignoring our true emotions. For me I just shut off my emotions and stay busy with life. I have discovered that fasting is a perfect time to allow the Holy Spirit to probe deep into my heart – revealing the real me. Just as my body experiences a physical healing during a cleanse so do my emotions – they have a voice but will we listen?
4. Breaking fast with PIZZA! I know I know… it was silly of me and believe me I will not be tempted to do it again! It’s just that it “smelled” so good and besides all I really ate were just a few bites. But those few bites were all it took. All I have to do now is remind myself of how sick I got that night! Since that 3 day fast I have come to realize that it is much harder to discipline myself coming off a fast then it is to stay on one. Now when I come off a fast, I break it with juices, then fruits and then on into smooshed steamed veggies and I do it very S-L-O-W-L-Y.
I would love to hear what you have learned to avoid while fasting. (and no… avoiding fasting all together is not an option!)
Drop me a line and let’s learn together.
Bless you
Kelly
