Gather Her Journal entry #13
Originally posted 4.20/16. Tomorrow night we gather for our very first CW: Gather Her! With all the excitement, I thought it would be best to share why once again we are gathering.
(Journal)
“Lord, you woke me up with three distinct things to do that were very clear. I’m thankful you speak to me and I’m thankful for coffee and a time to rest today.”
Have you ever been woken in the middle of the night while sleeping so peacefully and really hard? Maybe by a loud sound, your child coming in needing mama or maybe you just had to go to the potty! Whatever the reason, you couldn’t go back to sleep and the only thing you could do was get up, make coffee, and pray you’ll find time later in the day to rest.
That’s what happened to me early Sunday morning when the sun was not even close to waking up. I woke up from a deep slumber with three very clear thoughts. As I ran over them in my mind, I thought, “Okay Lord, help me to capture these thoughts so that when I get up I can remember and do all three.” I pray this often when I have what I think is a great thought but don’t have a piece of paper around practicing the scripture 2 Corinthians 10:5.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
(Side Note: This scripture is often used in reference to negative thoughts, but God showed me a few years ago that thoughts don’t have to be negative to capture them and give them to God. They can be God-ideas that you want to capture and make it obedient to Christ.)
Back to my story.
As I laid there, I started to toss and turn finally arguing a little bit with God that I wasn’t a morning person and I really wanted to go back to sleep. Even though he was silent, I knew I wasn’t going back to sleep. Begrudged but obediently, I got up, brushed my teeth and went straight to the coffee pot.
While the coffee brewed, I wrote down the three things that had woke me up:
- Update the mission statement
- Write your message for the first CW: Gather Her using the write your purpose principles
- Write a journal entry telling HER about it
Well, the third you are reading now. So let’s start with #1.
Since our very first CW Family retreat the last week of March, the Lord has had me write everything down based on Habukkuk 2:2-3.
“Then the Lord replied:
“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald[a] may run with it.
3
For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it[b] will certainly come
and will not delay.”
Since the end of 2014, I have been continuously praying for clarity. God has answered my prayer with so much clarity that I can hardly contain it all! So, I’m writing it down and have come to understand that this year, 2016, we are laying the ground work to build this organization, Created Woman, into what God has always intended it to be. After years of good things like social events, and many pilot programs like as design labs He has sharpened us, trained us, and now He’s ready to release us. The vision has just been pouring out from pen to paper so clearly!
Just this past week, I re-wrote with much more clarity the mission statement for Created Woman. Apparently, though, I left out a thought that must be included at the end of the final paragraph (You can read Mission Statement at end of blog).
Okay, #1 check.
Now to #2.
During our retreat, one of the many things that was revealed was understanding and learning more about HER, aka, you. As a team, we dissected her, wrote down who she is, what her dreams are, what her needs are and how we can reach her. It was beautiful to see the heart that every team member had for you!
It became very clear that when we talked about HER, about you, that the idea the Lord had sparked in my heart just a few weeks earlier, the time had come to bring it to life. That God-idea was to just simply Gather Her.
Gather HER for dinner. Talk to HER. Share with HER. Equip HER. Position HER. Release HER. Spend time with HER.
My friend Natalya who is a beautiful writer for CW and is the very one who edited this post you are reading now, often writes and talks about gathering around the table and the special moments that happen while enjoying food and fellowship. Its special moments in time that create memories that are often remembered with a smile.
So the plan was set in motion. With the goal to gather Her, we found the perfect little slice of heaven in Austin where we could gather for dinner, brush off the day, enjoy moments with old and new friends and be empowered through a message catered to give you the tools to embrace your purpose, run your race with endurance, and show up well as an ambassador of Christ.
With a clear goal, that of course has already been written down, the third reason I was awaken in the wee hours of the morning was to write the message down that I was to share for the very first CW: Gather Her. It wasn’t to be an inspiration rah-rah message that left you feeling glad you came. But one that would practically help His girls move forward into who they are created to be.
He brought me back to that scripture in Habakkuk; write it down. So I’ve written it down and just to share a secret, when we gather, you will write it down too! You will have the tools to write down:
- Who you are
- What you are suppose to do for such a time as this
- Who you are to do it for
- How to move forward in your purpose
You see, a beautiful thing happens when God-girls gather around a dinner table under twinkle lights (Eak! The girly-girl in me is so excited about the twinkle lights). He never designed us to live life alone, but to live life with a purpose and on purpose along side a community of others who share your passion. To run your race well. To know and understand that we are His ambassador and we are to show up well!
As I finish writing this journal entry sipping my second cup of coffee, I have to confess: I’m tired! I know the day that lays ahead of me, the schedule and the kids that will be in tow, but I’m refreshed. I’m excited to continue to write it down. I’m even more excited to gather with women who are just like me. Who want to embrace who they are created to be, run their race and do it all in their own unique style. (Classic: Jeans and t-shirt)
What about you? What is the Lord telling you to capture and write down?
Maybe it all starts by coming to our first gathering. So take this as your official invitation to share an evening with women who are just like you at CW: Gather Her.
CW: Gather Her is an evening of fashion and faith meant to refresh her through power messages, food, pampering and a time to share, create and grow with other dreamers and women of purpose.
I can wait to meet you but until then, I’m going back to bed! Good night!
Gather Her || 10.20.16
..whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.
Enjoy an evening with women just like you who want to explore their faith and love all things fashion:
10.20.16
6:30 – 8:30 pm
SpaSocial
720 O'Connor Dr., Round Rock, TX 78689
FREE for all women!
RSVP on facebook
If you believe in the mission, we do accept donations! Click Here to donate.
At Gather Her, you will:
~ Find refuge in a lovely environment.
~ Create authentic, pure relationships through girl talk time after each message.
~ Hear truth through our monthly guest speakers.
~ Meet women who are real, fun and authentic who love to laugh during our mix & mingle time!
~ Learn how to take care of yourself as an Ambassador of Christ through our monthly fashion partner.
Light Bites & Wine provided + Photo Booth
October Guest Speaker: CW’s own, Lynn Marie Cherry, Author.
Lynn has just published her first book and will share her personal journey of walking through betrayal and how we, too, can get to other side our hurts and hangups we may have experience in our lives. It’s real #GirlTalk
#IamCreatedWoman
#Purpose
#LegacyBuilder
SpaSocial
Created Woman: Equip & empower women to be who they are created to be inside & out.
[title subtitle="A little something extra"][/title]
Notice in Habbukkuk, there’s a foot note next to the word herald. During our retreat, I read the footnote for the first time and it reads, “or whoever reads it.” So re-read the scripture and insert that phrase in place of herald. It will look different.
What I got: It means that what God is showing me I need to write it down. Because what He’s showing you to write down, is not just for you, it’s also for whoever reads it. Our words are our legacy and the only thing that will last. So what are you writing down? Are you writing it in a way that whoever reads it, can run with what you say? Whether it be a business plan, an organization like CW, a family mission statement, your life’s purpose, or just simply a grocery list for your hubby, are you writing it down plain and simple so that whoever reads it knows how to follow it?
Make it plain. Make the God-idea in your heart plain on paper so that you can run your race well and whoever is running beside you, knows exactly where you are going.