Women's Connect - June 21, 2011

Dear sisters in Christ,

Happy Spring!  Yesterday I returned with my husband from a wedding in St. George, Utah.  It was 95+ degrees for the outside wedding and while driving through Colorado we had five inches of snow!  I wore my sandals both days!  Crazy stuff!  Life is like that – crazy stuff!  I don’t know how I would make sense of it apart from Christ.  Britta Voss recognizes that, too.  I really appreciated her response to last week’s women’s connect.  Regarding the book Sun Stand Still she wrote, “I like what he says about prayer and how you need to act upon it to. I believe years ago I use to go to prayer as a last resort. Now I look at my relationship with God as a true and my best friend. I pray whenever I have something on my mind or just need some encouragement or strength. He truly is amazing!”  God is amazing and provides the only Way to survive the craziness of life!  Standing on my desk is this reminder from Jesus,  “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart! I have overcome the world,”  John 16:33.  I trust you know Jesus as the One who has overcome the world and can bring you the peace we so desperately need.  If you want to talk about that or if you have questions in that regard, please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail me.

I’m so excited about tomorrow.  At 10:00 tomorrow we begin the women’s course, “Accepting the Challenge:  Leadership Lessons from the Life of Moses.”  I’ll be facilitating this Bible study and would love to have each of you there!  I realize some of you have eliminated yourself from the course because it has the word “leadership” in it and you don’t consider yourself a leader.  Guess what?  We all are called to be leaders in some sphere of influence.  Please consider this an invitation to discover who God has created and called you to be.  Check the office or posted calendar for our meeting room.  We have already outgrown our originally scheduled space.  If you can only come occasionally that’s okay, too.  I’ll try to allow each session to stand alone.

We are on the home stretch for our Moving Forward Together campaign to expand our ministry in mission, personnel and property.  I trust you have prayerfully considered what you’ll pledge to this vital work.  God’s Spirit is moving at Central and I hope you’ll be a part of that movement!

Our Metro Mission project is also moving, thanks to a team of hard-working Central friends.  If you want to be a part of a neighborhood ministry, come to Central at 8:00 a.m. this Saturday with your painting clothes and paint brushes or cleaning rags!  Sue Hage and Bev Johnson have been the key motivators and project managers at Selby and Victoria in St. Paul.  Arettarie and the families at DIVINE Institute are amazed at the generous contributions of dollars and time and supplies for this classroom remodel.  We could still use financial help to cover the cost of 100 carpet squares so if the Spirit prompts you, please send a contribution this way!  If  you have questions or want more information on this inner-city mission, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Bev or Sue.  Thanks, again, to all of our workers and contributors!

Summer is a great time for engaging in ministry.  Ask God to give you His eyes to help alleviate the craziness of life for someone you encounter this week.  See you soon!

God’s peace and power-

Sonja Dixon