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I’m incredibly blessed to have had many people pour into my life over the years. I want to share about three very different women and how they have each transformed my faith!

Most girls can attest to the fact that their mothers had a big impact on their life; I know that mine certainly did! It wasn’t always having deep conversations or reading the bible together, most moments I remember were simply watching her live her life out for Christ. The way she loved, the way she offered grace, and the way that nothing was so important that she couldn’t pause to listen to me; even if I was only telling her something silly at five years of age. I got to do dishes by her side, helped her clean, and learned what it looked like to be a woman of God; a maiden warrior for the kingdom of heaven (which, by the way, is as epic as it sounds). I watched her stumble, heard humility in her repentance, and saw as she got back up and kept going.

You might wonder how watching my mom walk out her faith actually impacted me for Christ? It's true, we weren’t always talking about the Bible or doing studies together. What I learned from my mom, what I felt and experienced in our bond was just as important; the power of relationship. Just like Christ wants to have a relationship with us, my mother demonstrated (and still does) how that relationship looks. That God is never too busy to hear my plea, no matter the time of day. That my loving Father smiles and laughs with joy when I dance in the kitchen or the field or sing praises to Him. She showed me that He is always there, always ready to listen, and always guiding me if I rely on Him. Because she proved herself to me in the little things, she was able to prove herself in the big things, like talking about Jesus and why I needed a Savior from my sins. I am so grateful for my mom; especially as she continues to impact, challenge, and encourage me in my faith daily.

There are two other women who have also transformed my faith; both are sisters, one by blood and one by Christ. My sister, Rebecca, has been one of my best friends since high school. If we go a week without getting some good one on one time with a cup of tea and passing the baby back and forth (because, you know, snuggles), we feel a bit empty. The connection with this woman and sister of mine is amazing to me because I know that only Christ could have transformed us from bickering siblings to best friends! He truly is the one that gave me a change of heart in regards to my sister, started the bond between us, and continues to pull us together. She’s a fellow warrior. Sometimes we’re fighting side by side on the spiritual battlefield. Sometimes she’s guarding me from the arrows of the enemy while I kneel in exhaustion from the fight, listening as she whispers verses and truth in my ear.

There’s something uniquely special about having a sibling following Christ next to you; the fearless ways they speak in truth and love. It’s like they know you’re not going to leave them and there’s a security about the relationship. There have been many times when Rebecca was far more willing to speak a hard truth than to allow me to continue to wallow in self-pity or anger. Did I like it? Nope, but I always came back and appreciated it later. By the grace of God, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and the prayers offered up for me by said sister, I always come around. I think it’s because, just like my mother, she has made a point to be in relationship with me. She’s never failed to be there for me- even if all she could do at the moment was let me know she was praying for me. She’s never been afraid to step in and help me fight my battles whether by encouragement or boldly pointing out the lies that I’ve been listening to. She is truly my sister, in every possible way, by blood and by Christ.

The courage she presents and the strength she possesses inspire me, daily, to live my life for Christ and Him alone. To continue growing myself, to push past what the world deems ‘ok’ and instead strive for what God says is ‘good’. To run the race with diligence so I may hear one day, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’. I think I’d like to keep her around, always.

And my sister in Christ, Desarae. While we may live states apart, God has given us an incredible connection. While visiting Desarae and her family in Quitaque, Texas a few years ago, my spiritual life changed forever. There was something about Desarae, something about her family. I felt right at home the moment I stepped through the door. When I got to participate in their Sunday night prayer meeting, God opened my eyes to what it feels like to be intimately connected to people I’d only met 15 minutes before. To experience the overwhelming love of Christ being poured into you by strangers is one of the most incredible things that has ever happened to me. That night at the prayer meeting I sobbed. Yes, sobbed, in front of strangers. Their response was to surround me in love and grace.

All this came about because a woman named Desarae, whose heart is so full of love for others, reached out and wanted to be my friend. God placed Desarae in my life during a time I desperately needed the love she had to offer. I had been incredibly hurt just a couple years prior, a wound that cut deep. I had attempted patching it over, stuffing it down, and trying my best to ignore it. Desarae was the friend that was able to wrap me in a hug and help me see that my brokenness was nothing to be ashamed of. That I didn’t have to be strong in the hurt and the pain. I just needed to let God hold me and heal me.

Besides that, she invested in me. Despite the distance, she has worked hard to maintain our friendship. To encourage and pray for me when I’m down and to allow me to do the same for her. She has become a true friend, a sister in Christ, and has given me a friendship that will last through eternity.

I could go on for hours about these amazing women in my life and the countless others who have impacted my life in some way or another. However, I picked these three to share about because there is one common thread between them that I think is really important: relationship. Through my unique relationships with these women God has been showing me that I don't have to do it all of be it all. I often get overwhelmed at the idea that I have to be everything to a person. That I have to always have the right thing to say or do when someone needs me. But the beautiful truth God is showing me in all this is that I don’t. Sometimes I get to be a part of someone’s story for only one chapter. Maybe even only a sentence. Perhaps for some, I get to be part of the entire book. It’s easy to get caught up in what we think we have to be doing in order to shine a light or make an impact in someone’s life. It can be exhausting to think and believe that. Yet I’m encouraged as I read through God’s word and learn about all these different men & women in history. How each one was unique and different and yet still used for the Kingdom of God and His glory. Not a single one “did it all”- except a man named Jesus who did do it all by conquering sin and death.

To my three mighty warrior maidens, thank you. Thank you for taking the time to love me right where I was at while encouraging me to grow. Thank you for showing me friendship in so many ways. Thank you for pointing me back to Christ every single day but never looking down on me when I struggled to move in that direction. Most importantly, thank you for striving to be like Christ, remaining humble through it all, and loving others like He loves us.

If you are struggling to find a sister in Christ we'd invite you to visit our Women's Ministry page and get plugged in at MCC. We have women's Bible Studies, a new Titus 2 Women's Disciplship program, and quarterly women's gatherings. There is a place for you and we'd love for you to join us!

During Women’s Bible study, at our first small group meeting of the year, our leader asked that we each share a little bit about ourselves. Oh boy….an ice breaker, everyone’s favorite. Ladies started with basic information about children, spouses, places they had lived, how long they’d attended this study and where they went to church. We quickly made connections of which states we’d lived in (Texas is well represented in our small group!), having the same number of children, etc. Then something special, something unplanned and holy-spirit led, happened: we started sharing our testimonies.

Something that began as a basic introduction soon became intimate. Acquaintances became confidantes. Memories from when we had struggled or been hurt, been encouraged and drawn to our Savior were shared. We nodded in understanding, laughed with each other, and stood in awe of the ways God had pursued each of us. The commonality among each story was that none of our stories represented lives lived solo…..in every story SOMEONE had prayed for us or spoken encouragement into our lives, SOMEONE had come alongside and invited us to church, SOMEONE shared the gospel, their testimony or their faith with us. Every. Single. Time!

In 1Peter 3:15 we are reminded,

“You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”

In my Bible study that morning, these women lived that, what an example!

As I look back on my life I am awed by the number of people God set in my path….some for years and others only for a season. A childhood friend’s mother who wrote me letters sharing the gospel when I was a non-believer, a neighbor who shared God’s word with me when I would call and ask for advice, women who kept showing up and praying over me and my family. Although their words were important, their PRESENCE was life-changing.  

"It’s impossible to change someone’s past experiences

about religion and church

but it is entirely possible to share your testimony

of who Jesus is and how He has transformed your life."

You see, life is not meant to be lived solo. In Pastor Frank’s sermon a few weeks ago he said, “We are designed to be in community.” Do you wonder what that looks like? He continued, “We should be asking ‘Are you struggling? Can I help you? We should be willing to say ‘I will commit to walking with you, to walking thru this with you.’ To be the one who says, ‘Yes, I will join that group and be in community.’”

I wonder if most of the people who changed our lives that we shared about on Wednesday even know the impact they had; they were Sunday school teachers, neighbors, friends, parents of friends and more. It made me wonder, “Jodi, how are you showing up for the people around you? Are you ready to share your testimony and why do you hold back?”

Be encouraged to show up in people’s lives in a real and tangible way. It’s impossible to change someone’s past experiences about religion and church but it is entirely possible to share your testimony of who Jesus is and how He has transformed your life.

MCC has so many opportunities for discipleship, fellowship and community and we would love to help you get started whether it’s in a community group, Bible study or serving with a local ministry or international missions.  

When a fellow church member asked me several years ago to volunteer at Care Net Pregnancy Center as a counselor, my first response was “No … I can’t possibly counsel a pregnant teen … I have never even been pregnant … How can I possibly help?” 

My hesitance was reversed when I learned that Care Net provided training for volunteers.  I realized that if Care Net was willing to take a chance on me, I would be willing to serve.

You see, my serving through Care Net has brought me full circle. I can look back now and see how God has transformed me throughout my walk with Him. How God used my past experiences to shape how I now serve Him.

When I was 17, with no gospel foundation, I took a friend for a pregnancy test.  She was not in a stable relationship, she was young, and she was afraid. But after she tested positive, I, in all my youthful wisdom, I “counseled” my friend to have an abortion. 

By God’s grace, she absolutely could not.  And now, 37 years later, I’ve witnessed my friend’s devotion as a single parent and I am blessed to know her beautiful daughter, who is happily married with 3 young daughters of her own. I stand in awe of God’s plan for my friend and for me, knowing this could have been a very different story. 

Care Net has thousands of stories about women, men, and children whom they have loved, served, counseled and stood alongside. Stories like Ricardo’s:

"My fiancé and I had our first baby; I was excited and nervous because we had little income and I didn’t have a stable job.  She had heard about Care Net’s services and we went to check it out.  We were glad to hear about the Earn While You Learn program, where you can spend as little as 30 minutes to an hour or 2, learning about pregnancy, birthing, and parenting, while earning money to buy (very inexpensive) diapers, clothes, and baby supplies.  My fiancé “ran away”, leaving me with our 2 month old son.  I love my son, and want the best for him, and so I continue to take classes and have fellowship with Care Net.  They have helped me so much to care for and raise my son."

I have now volunteered at Care Net for 5 years. I have witnessed many couples with happy stories; they are glad to be pregnant and receive our services.  I have also witnessed not-so-happy stories…women of all ages experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, not sure of their future, but through God’s grace, relentlessly pursue having a child and, either being a single parent, or releasing them for adoption, they choose LIFE as God intended. 

My story is full circle.  From a naïve 17-year-old, full of false wisdom, to a dedicated servant of the Lord, assisting young women and men to make Godly decisions in the place I was least prepared to. How has God used YOU where you least expected it? 

Click here for more information about Care Net and volunteer opportunities or contact JoAnn. 

Mothers of Preschoolers, MOPS.  

For me, the name elicits many things. For one, it is the mental image of a frazzled mom with a young child clinging to her side and maybe another strapped to her belly.  It is a weary mother who cannot seem to brush her own hair, though she has brushed her children’s. It is an exhausted momma who tries to keep a clean house, but fails regularly.  It is a woman, a mother, who might be tired, often overwhelmed, certainly underappreciated and likely underpaid.  She works hard, loves deeply, struggles mightily, and fights fiercely for those she loves. But still, too often she neglects her own needs and is left feeling empty.  This is one image I get when I hear Mothers of Preschoolers because…This. Is. Me. But this is only part of the story.

You see, there is another image that comes to mind when I hear the MOPS acronym, one of joy and of challenges shared.

After having attended MOPS for three years I see the image of a community of women and their children coming together to combine their strength, what is remaining of it, to combine their gifts, talents, ideas, and skills.

That together, these women would thrive; their burdens and joys shared!

Each woman content, knowing that there will be days when she is the one being carried through the messiness of life, and other days when she will be the one carrying! Much like Paul shared with the Corinthians, that both our abundance and need be shared.

“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality—at the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality.”  -2 Corinthians 8: 13-14 (NIV)

Having seen and experienced the beauty of this community, of joys and burdens-shared, between mothers in the East Mountains I know that there is a transformation that happens as God uses a community of women to lift one another up. And as women, once we’ve experienced the hope, gratitude and strength of that generosity, it inspires us.

MOPS is about living lives intertwined.

It is about the hope given to other mothers in the middle of their struggle; whether it be the birth of a new baby, postpartum depression,  or health problems, MOPS moms have risen up to the challenge to provide for not just the basic needs, but also providing hope. 

I’ve seen God in our midst, as we are the served and the servant.

The MOPS community sends the resounding message that we are not alone in this marathon of motherhood and life. 

Instead, we persevere together. Friendship is born from this kind of space.  Stronger women and families emerge from this community because, though it can often feel lonely raising kids in your own home, you know you are not alone.

There are women here who have your back.

Visit MCC's MOPS page to learn more about this ministry.

“Your life is a lot like a quilt,” Barb said, “a masterpiece tapestry made by the Master Craftsman Himself, God.”

I was sitting in my kitchen, still in my pajamas, late in the morning, with a coffee cup in one hand and a phone in the other.  My two year-old hanging on my knee.  I thought, “Disordered tapestry, yes. Masterpiece, no.”

Barb Procter has spent years attending, and then facilitating, MCC Women’s Community Bible Studies.  I know she has been where I am now.  But more than that, I want to hear how she survived it.  What had studying the Word meant to her?  How had His presence made these times easier?  How had the relationships she developed, the moments of vulnerability, and the stories she heard from other women during these Bible studies helped her in the day-to-day?

As she spoke, I was reminded of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Barb drew a beautiful word picture for me about how it is that God stitches together each experience, memory, and emotion to make something completely unique, completely you.

Yes, your life is like a beautiful tapestry; there might be days it feels more like a dishtowel than a masterpiece, but every single stitch, fabric, color and design are there for a reason.

Barb said, “The Lord weaves our lives together with wonderful colors of bright purple, royal blue, orange sunsets and yes, on occasion, darker colors too.”

While we may wish that every fabric was bright and beautiful, and mourn those dark colors, or hard times, there is a reason for those, too. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we are reminded of this when He says, ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).’  Barb reminded me that the tapestry of our lives wouldn’t look the same without these experiences.

I was taking notes as Barb continued, “Our life, this beautiful masterpiece, is a testimony of God’s work, in our lives. The stitches woven throughout our life, our quilt, are His Word; woven into every moment of our days, weeks, and years. It is the strong thread of His Word that holds it, and us, together.”

That image, this word picture, absolutely stuck with me and keeps me wondering what my tapestry will look like when it’s all said and done.  When I stand beside Jesus.

I have to think that it is good to consider where we are at. Are we spending enough time in prayer?  Enough time in the Word that He, our Master Craftsman, might stitch together the broken bits along with the brightest and most beautiful moments, the everyday and mundane?

What might he stitch together to bring something remarkable, Godly, and God-glorifying to and of our lives?

Is God, right now, weaving the experiences of your life together to make a unique tapestry?  Have you welcomed those stitches, the thread that weaves these experiences together, or have there been times when you wanted to pull them out? I’ve done both, sometimes on the same day!

My conversation with Barb has convinced me that there are women here who can help.  My mundane and terrifying is their melody and tenor.  And that the MCC Women’s Community Bible Study is just the place for our washrags to be transformed into tapestry. 

As Barb points me back to God’s constant and unchanging Word, I realize she is an example of how to thrive, not just survive.  My knowing that God is using every moment – even this one- to make a tapestry that I will laugh over, cry over, smile and sometimes mourn over, makes me happy to be His work of art. 

We have four amazing women's Bible studies at MCC going on right now! Today is the perfect day to get involved! Click here to see all the Women's Bible Study options!