The Five B's : Conclusion

The Five 'B's' of a Godly Woman: A Blogged Bible Study

Syllabus:
July 29 -- Intro
Aug. 5 -- B1: Brave
Aug. 12 -- B2: Beautiful
Aug. 19 -- B3: Bold
Aug. 26 -- B4: Bride
Sept. 2 -- B5: Becoming
Sept. 9 -- Conclusion

...here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. -- Ecc. 12:13

The word 'conclusion' triggered the memory of that verse, and I decided to start today's discussion with it, more or less tongue-in-cheek. But as I was typing it out, a recurring theme from the last five weeks resonated, and, ya know, there may be something to this. Let me emphasize one bit:

...the conclusion of the matter: Fear God...

Did anyone else notice how often the notion of being afraid vs. fearing God cropped up? Not only in the discussion of bravery, but in the rest of them.

Let me do a little recap:

Brave: being afraid and doing it anyway

Beautiful: Fully mature, not pursuing false beauty, which is based on being afraid of the opinions of others, but pursuing God, who has made all things beautiful - Ecc. 3:11, and not giving in to fear

Bold: Filled with the Holy Spirit and not conscious of fear, operating in the grace of ability and the ability of grace...bravery grown up

Bride: Throwing off fear of intimate knowledge; allowing God to cleanse, anoint and dress us in preparation for the wedding feast...and what follows.

Becoming: Overcoming the fear of being 'too much and not enough' and resting in the knowledge of being 'appropriate for God to work on, suitable for Him to use,and in the proper place at this time'.

Everyone of those attributes has an aspect of fear that must be overcome. And we need all of those attributes to overcome fear. If we understood...really understood...that the Enemy's only weapon against us is fear, we would fight our battles differently.

I didn't really plan to do this, but then these things rarely go according to plan anyway, so... consider the story of David and Goliath. Or rather, consider Goliath of Gath (1 Samuel 17). Over 9 feet tall, armored in heavy bronze, and a 15-pound tip on his spear, he intimidated the entire army of Israel. For 40 days, the sight of him and the words he shouted immobilized Saul and everyone with him. Fear kept them from fighting.

Do you see that? Fear kept them from fighting!

Then along came David, who knew from experience that God delivers intimidating enemies into the hand of His servant, and he was not afraid.

The only weapon Goliath had a chance to use against David was fear...and David did not give in to fear. Instead, he knocked down the giant with what God put in his hand, and then killed the giant with the giant's own sword.

The weapon the enemy threatened to use was the weapon that took the enemy's head!

But it had to be wielded by one who was not afraid...and fear of Goliath's battle abilities was only one of the fears that David had to overcome. He had to also overcome:

-fear of being misunderstood...his own brother accused him of being conceited and evilly ambitious.

-fear of responsibility. If he failed, the entire nation would serve the Philistines. There was more than just David's life riding on this battle.

-Fear of man; he first had to convince the king that he was fit for fighting such an enemy, even though he was only a young man. He did not let Saul's position cow him into considering himself unable to carry out what God put in his heart, but persisted in stating his case until he received Saul's blessing to go.

-Fear of reprisal: he selected five stones, not because he thought the first stone would fail, but because Goliath had four brothers! He was ready.

David refused to give in to any of those fears; by refusing to give in to fear, he took the enemy's only real weapon from his hand and allowed God to give him a victory.

If we overcome fear, the battle is won before it is fought.

But...consider this:

All five 'B's are characteristics of what a daughter of the Most High King is, not characteristics of what she will be someday in the future. God has already declared us to be brave enough to overcome the fears of the flesh, beautiful and desirable to Him, bold in our spirits, hiding nothing from Him, and exactly right for what He purposes for us. Now.

The only delay in that is the time it takes us to get that truth into our spirits; the truth of who we are, not who we will become. What we will be is unknown...only that we will be like Him (1 John 3:2). Don't confuse what we are now, thinking we are less than that, with what we will be, thinking that what He has declared us to be is the goal ahead. There is a greater thing that we do not know, cannot understand, ahead of us.

So we need to be fully...right now...all that He has made us.

Closing thoughts What are the fears that hinder believing I am brave, beautiful, bold...His Bride, most becoming? Write them down; be honest with the Bridegroom...open, vulnerable. He will not reject or ridicule...but provide what is needed to overcome them. Allow the Spirit to discern when those fears are operating...and choose to overcome them.

And, now that we've kind of established a bit of groundwork, anyone who is in the area is invited to come to the SHE Revolution, which begins Friday morning, and Seek His Embrace....

The Five 'B's': Becoming

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

The Five 'B's' of a Godly Woman: A Blogged Bible Study

Syllabus:
July 29 -- Intro
Aug. 5 -- B1: Brave
Aug. 12 -- B2: Beautiful
Aug. 19 -- B3: Bold
Aug. 26 -- B4: Bride
Sept. 2 -- B5: Becoming
Sept. 9 -- Conclusion

A Godly Woman is...Becoming


Ya never know what the dictionary might say... here's what my American Heritage has to say for Becoming:
(adj)1) Appropriate; suitable; proper
2) Pleasing or attractive to the eye.

I have to go up a bit in the word list to become to find what I expected...the intransitive verb which is defined 'to grow or come to be'.

Perhaps there's a lesson there.

I have been mentally laying out my discussion for this lesson for a couple of days; all centered around the idea that 'becoming' basically means changing, growing, morphing. The verses I planned to use included things like 2 Corinthians 3:18...And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

And -- I'm being honest -- I was kind of resigned to the notion that I really wouldn't find anything *new* to say, no fresh revelation. Haven't we all been told, often, how God is in the process of remaking us? From even simple children's songs.. He's still workin' on me, to make me what I ought to be... to T shirt slogans; PBPWMGNFWMY (Please be patient with me, God's not finished with me yet) to posters (I have one with a cute kitten picture on the wall in my Jr. High Girl's Friends Club room that declares: God loves me the way I am, and too much to let me stay that way.)

I did think for a moment about 'becoming' as being attractive, flattering, as in that color is so becoming to you! and thought I could slip that in the study, but to find that becoming (adj) is defined as appropriate, suitable and proper was something of a surprise.

And, to be perfectly clear, I really believe the verb was the intention in our lesson on the Five B's back in July, which was the inspiration for this study.

But perhaps there is something God wants to say to us now about 'becoming' that is new and unexpected.

One of my recent 'Wow' books is Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldredge. I realize there are very varied opinions about it, but there is a profound statement on pages six and seven (and, no, I am not going to turn this into a study of the book; Stasi says something I need to quote): I know I am not alone in this nagging sense of not being good enough as a woman. Every woman I've ever met feels it -- something deeper than just the sense of failing at what she does. An underlying, gut feeling at failing at who she is. I am not enough, and I am too much at the same time.

That feeling like I'm 'too much and not enough' has plagued me for most of my life. That is just the best description of it.

But, what if a Godly woman really is 'becoming'...the adjective? Then I find that I am neither too much nor not enough, but appropriate, suitable, proper.

To quote Goldilocks, 'Just right!'

Ok, I realize that this could be heading off into dangerous ground. Ground that says I'm just fine as I am, thank you, and I don't need to change anything about me. Ground that really does away with those Scriptures about changing. And that's not what 'becoming' should mean at all. Yes, we are being changed from glory to glory. Yes, we are being conformed to the likeness of Jesus. We are a fallen people in a fallen world and we must be renewed and transformed. The Bible is very clear on that!

But, what I think we do sometimes is allow the Enemy to convince us that we are not worth God's time, God's effort, God's love. We are too much sinner and not enough saint for Him to bless us, or be concerned with us, or answer our prayers. That, my beloved friend who's stuck with me this far today, is a lie that must be recognized and dealt with.

The key is...who is doing the transforming? Am I trying to transform myself so that God will accept me? If I am, then the word I need to know is that I am BECOMING. I need to know that I am appropriate, suitable, proper. Appropriate for God to work on, suitable for Him to use, and in the proper place at this point in my life. Once I know those things, then it ceases to be me doing the work and simply becomes me being receptive to His work. Allowing him to prune those things that are too much and cultivate those things that are not enough.

When we submit to His process, then we truly are becoming...both the verb and the adjective.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor. 5:17

...put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Eph. 4:24

For you were once darkness,but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Eph. 5: 8 - 10

But now, he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. Col. 1:22

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:6


Closing thoughts: How have I allowed my need to grow and change to become an obstacle for believing God loves me and accepts me as I am now? In what ways do I limit God from acting in my life because I believe I am 'too much' and 'not enough'?

The Five 'B's -- Bride

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

The Five 'B's' of a Godly Woman: A Blogged Bible Study

Syllabus:
July 29 -- Intro
Aug. 5 -- B1: Brave
Aug. 12 -- B2: Beautiful
Aug. 19 -- B3: Bold
Aug. 26 -- B4: Bride
Sept. 2 -- B5: Becoming
Sept. 9 -- Conclusion

A Godly Woman is a Bride

(Warning: I'm going to get really abstract here...)

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns! Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.' -- Rev. 19:6-7

I began studying this under the assumption that the Bride of Christ is clearly stated to be the church, but as I really dug into it I found that there was no scripture reference that states this explicitly. There are, however, scriptures that *imply* that the church is the Bride of Christ...most notably the passage in Ephesians 5: 22-32, which compares the relationship of husband and wife to that of Christ and church. Also, the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 18 describes the catching away of the believers (which is commonly called 'The Rapture',and although that name is not given to it in Scripture it works as a short description of that catching away) as very much like the traditional wedding ritual of the Bridegroom taking the Bride from her father's house to the house he has prepared for her. Compare that imagery to John 14: 1 - 3: Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. That is a picture of the Jewish Bridegroom preparing to receive his Betrothed.

So the entire body of believers is the Bride of Christ...and there's a wedding coming.

But the abstract thing is that what we are corporately, we are also individually. I have no idea how God manages to do this, but we each are, in this case, not one part of a whole, as in only experiencing the event corporately, but each one experiencing the marriage as an individual, with the whole attention of the Bridegroom. We will not be hidden in the crowd, occupying just a part of the bridal train; we will, as individuals, 'see face to face...know fully as I am known.' (1 Cor 13:12)

Think of the most incredible corporate worship service you have been in. When the Spirit of God is moving, the body as a whole perceives it, but it is because the individuals in the body experience it; each experience is fully individual. God moves on the body...and each person experiences God's presence as a personal event. So it is with the Bride.

As far as each individual is concerned, each one of us is...alone...the Bride.

The most intimate knowledge is reserved for the Bridegroom and His Bride.

I still remember the moment that I realized that the Bride of Christ is going to be celebrated at the marriage feast...and what follows a marriage feast is a consummation.

What can the consummation of that marriage be? We have no earthly idea, because such a thing is not an earthly possibility. Not only is it beyond our experience, it is beyond our ability to consider.

But there is a greater marvel than that.

Consummation leads to conception leads to birth.

What will the marriage of the Lamb and His Bride engender? CS Lewis was right to call it 'the beginning of all things'.

Closing thoughts Revelation 19:7 states that '...his bride has made herself ready.' Verse 8 goes on to state that her garment is fine linen, which stands for the righteous acts of the saints. However, Ephesians 5:25 - 27 says that '...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,...to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish,but holy and blameless.' Think of the bride on the morning of her wedding...bathing, anointing, dressing...preparing for the ceremony. However, much of that has been done for us, as the Bride of Christ. HE has cleansed us, anointed us, provided the garment of righteousness for us. Our task in making ourselves ready is only to receive what He has done, and put on the righteousness He has provided. How am I submitting to that process, and in what ways am I still trying to substitute my own righteousness, which Isaiah 64:6 clearly demonstrates is not a bridal gown, for the true righteousness He has provided?

The Five B's: Bold

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

The Five 'B's' of a Godly Woman: A Blogged Bible Study

Syllabus:
July 29 -- Intro
Aug. 5 -- B1: Brave
Aug. 12 -- B2: Beautiful
Aug. 19 -- B3: Bold
Aug. 26 -- B4: Bride
Sept. 2 -- B5: Becoming
Sept. 9 -- Conclusion

A Godly Woman is Bold

Well, sort of, anyway.

Y'see, the American Heritage Dictionary lists the following varied definitions for the word 'Bold':
1)Fearless and courageous
2)Requiring or exhibiting courage and bravery
3)Unduly forward or brazen in manner
4)Clear and distinct to the eye: standing out prominently

Three out of four, would you say?

1 and 2 are basically different ways of saying the same thing; 3 is definitely not a quality of the Godly Woman, and there are verses pertaining to that kind of boldness, but I'm not going there in this little study. Finally, I believe 4 is true, but in an abstract fashion.

As I said in the study on 'Brave', I think the difference between being brave and bold is that someone who is brave is facing fear and yet proceeding, while someone who is bold is unafraid.

And, I think there are two ways of being unafraid.

The first way is through grace of ability. Just for example, it's not difficult for me to get up in front of people and speak. Oh, I might be nervous about doing a good job, but I'm not afraid in the sense that I want to bolt out the door or toss my breakfast. It's something I can do, I know I can do it, I even enjoy it a bit. I may or may not do a good job of speaking...but I'm not afraid to try it. And if I mess up (by saying 'Moldovia' instead of 'Moldova', for instance), I can laugh at myself.

"The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." - Prov. 28:1

"Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold." - 2 Cor. 3:12

"After they prayed, the place where the were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." - Acts 4:31

"For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." - Acts 28:30-31

I think the second way is through the ability of grace. It comes by the way of bravery...doing something, even though I'm scared spitless, until I find that God really does take it and make it into something I could never do on my own. Then the fear is gradually outgrown, and I can be bold where once I was brave.

"When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted." Ps. 138:3

"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." - Acts 4:29

As I jotted down references from the concordance, I noticed that the largest concentration of the words boldly/boldness is in Acts. I don't think that's a coincidence; look back up at Acts 4:31: 'And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.' The ability to shift from doing it afraid to doing it without fear has got to lie in the filling of the Holy Spirit. He enables us to do what makes us afraid, then teaches us in the process that we have nothing to fear.

And a woman who truly is not afraid is...someone who stands out against the crowd. Distinct.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." - 2 Tim. 1:7

Closing thoughts: One of my favorite challenging questions now challenges me again: "What would you do if you truly were not afraid?" What are the first steps I must take with the Spirit in order to do those things?

The Five B's : Beautiful

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

The Five 'B's' of a Godly Woman: A Blogged Bible Study

Syllabus:
July 29 -- Intro
Aug. 5 -- B1: Brave
Aug. 12 -- B2: Beautiful
Aug. 19 -- B3: Bold
Aug. 26 -- B4: Bride
Sept. 2 -- B5: Becoming
Sept. 9 -- Conclusion

A Godly Woman is Beautiful

This subject has been preached/taught on for so long, in so many ways, it's really hard to come up with a fresh view of it. But we need to...because we forget that, as women who are pursuing the One who pursues us, we are beautiful. Really beautiful. Truly beautiful...

Oh, we all know 1 Peter 3:3-6 : Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

All kinds of indignities have been imposed on women down through the years based on those verses....and no, I'm not going to list them. You've seen it, you know. And you know that such things are not the Father's heart for His daughters.

So, what is beauty? The real thing, not the fake images foisted upon us by the entertainment and fashion industries? Or the other extreme...the precise and legalistic application of 1 Peter 3:3-6.

Now, don't get me wrong...I do believe Peter is describing a truly beautiful woman. But I don't believe he's talking about a woman who takes no care at all for her personal appearance. No, he's describing a woman who is excellent in all things, but her greatest priority is not her personal appearance...not her jewelry, not her shoes, not her hair style/color, it's her spirit that gets her greatest efforts. And don't neglect the last sentence: do what is right and do not give way to fear. There is a strength in beauty...true beauty does not give way to fear. This is not a drably attired, mousey, quiet, intimidated woman he's describing. It is a 'woman, fully grown' (anybody else watch the 'Tammy' movies years ago?); fully matured into a woman as God intended a woman to be. As I think about it, the false beauty being touted by various folks who make money from it has a lot of fear mixed into it...buy this dress, wear this look, correct this flaw, wear this size...or you won't be seen as successful, smart, and worthy of someone's time.

We had a weekly ladies Bible study at church a few years back which was taught by various women in leadership. They ranged in age from...30ish...to grandmothers. And at some point each week, listening to the speaker for that week, I would look at her and think, 'Wow, she's beautiful!'...and it was true of each and every one of them. God's spirit shone through them in such a way that ANY one looking at these ladies' faces would have to see their beauty.

We don't need to compare ourselves to any airbrushed image to figure out what beauty is; we don't need be afraid to express ourselves as women who like pretty things. We just need to hear what the King says about us:

The King is enthralled by your beauty - Ps. 45:11

How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh,how beautiful!...Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. - Song of Songs 1:15, 2:10

Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her...'In that day, declares the LORD, 'You will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.' - Hosea 2:14,16

Friends: Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning on her lover? - Song of Songs 8:5


Closing thoughts: In what ways have I exchanged God's view of beauty, which does not give in to fear, for a false beauty that's based on fear? How would my day-to-day conversation change if I *really* believed that the King of the Universe is captivated by my beauty?

The Five B's: Brave

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

The Five 'B's' of a Godly Woman: A Blogged Bible Study

Syllabus:
July 29 -- Intro
Aug. 5 -- B1: Brave
Aug. 12 -- B2: Beautiful
Aug. 19 -- B3: Bold
Aug. 26 -- B4: Bride
Sept. 2 -- B5: Becoming
Sept. 9 -- Conclusion


A Godly Woman is Brave

Brave: 1) Possessing or displaying courage (the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger with self-possession, confidence and resolution; valor); Valiant (possessing or acting with valor (courage, boldness, bravery); brave, courageous, stouthearted); 2) Making a fine display; splendid. Applies to admirable human action in difficult conditions; frequently associated with an innate quality.
(The American Heritage Dictionary, slightly paraphrased for brevity)

Brave: Possessing the ability to pursue an action or maintain a moral stance even when afraid of possible painful results; proceeding in the face of fear. (ahem - my definition).

What the difference is between brave and Bold (that's lesson 3)? what qualities distinguish bravery from boldness enough that they were listed as two different characteristics? I'm not going into boldness here -- I AM going to save it for the post in two weeks -- but I will say that what I came up with was boldness is behaving from a position of lack of fear, while bravery is being afraid...and doing it anyway.

If you look up 'Afraid' and 'Fear' in the concordance, there are many, many entries entreating us to trust God and not be afraid. Here are just a few:

"Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God" - Deut. 1:17

"The LORD is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear?" - Ps. 27: 1

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Josh. 1:9

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." - John 14:27

On the other hand, there are also numerous scriptures exhorting us TO fear -- God. Again, a small sample:

"Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God." - Lev. 25:17

"Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing." - Ps. 34:9

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." - Ps. 111: 10

"Better a little with the Fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil." -Prov. 15:16

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell." - Matt. 10:28

"Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." - 1 Pet. 2:17

So, how to reconcile the 'Don't be afraid...but fear' message? I think the key is in 1 Corinthians 2:14: "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." We still have a flesh...a 'man without the spirit' in us, even after the rebirth that makes us spiritually alive. This part of us, our flesh, is still subject to fear. The spirit in us is not afraid, but knows to fear and honor God.

Bravery is the choice to follow the spirit, which is the fear of God, rather than give into the flesh, which is just afraid. The flesh, or to put it another way, the old nature, the self, is afraid of lots of things:

In my self, I'm afraid of pain and suffering -- physical and emotional.
I'm afraid of rejection, I'm afraid of failure. I'm afraid of being left alone. I'm afraid of poverty. Lots of fears.

In my spirit, I know that God will give me all I need. I know God will never leave me or forsake me. I know that any failure, rejection or pain I endure by following Him will serve a purpose and will be requited by Him when that purpose is served. I know, so long as I choose to obey God, He will take care of me in all ways...so why should I be afraid of anything? I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

But the flesh is still there, and the flesh voices its fears loud and long.

To be a brave woman of God, I must daily face those fears, and choose to fear God instead.

And do it even when the flesh is afraid.

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you." - Ps. 56:3

Closing Thoughts: In what ways have I allowed the fears of the flesh to determine my actions in the past week or month? What would the fear of the LORD have directed me to do in those situations, had I listened to the Spirit? What lesson can I learn from that to enable me to follow the Spirit's leading next time my fears confront me?

Bible Study: The Five B's

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

By saying I was seeking direction, I really thought I was looking for the next book-of-the-Bible I was to dig into and study with those who drop by here. But I kept getting a big blank answer when I asked about what book should be next.

What I kept being drawn to, however, is preparation for the women's conference.

I tried to argue my way out of that, since only the ladies who live locally will likely make it to the conference, but that's ALL I'm hearing in my spirit right now. So, maybe I'm supposed to prepare myself for the conference and just present it for whoever else might need it.

So...our conference this year is titled 'The SHE Revolution' (SHE = 'Seeking His Embrace'); I'll quote from Pastor Leisa's Invitation: a conference dedicated to empowering us to be everything that we were born to be…brave, beautiful, bold daughters of God. You are His baby girl. You are meant to be passionate, nurturing, unique, beautiful, creative, and free. To be loved and too love others so extravagantly that the world around you can’t help but be changed. You were meant to laugh, to dance, to have fun with your sisters, and to eat chocolate…lots of it... This is for all of us. For daughters, mothers, sisters, and friends who need to know that true revolution comes when we allow the embrace of God to be our source of worth.

I have no idea who is going to be speaking at the conference this year; in years past, we have brought in special speakers, but I'm not so sure that's going to happen this year. As I said in an earlier post, this is...different. The vision for this came from some of the associate pastors and it is coming with a freshness, a newness that this is not our usual women's conference.

At our last women's ministry meeting, the associate pastors spoke on preparing for the conference, and they listed the 'Five B's' that characterize a woman of God. I've got six Tuesdays before the conference, I think I'll take one 'B' a week, and study it out...that'll leave the sixth Tuesday for a conclusion. I really don't know what kind of a conclusion I'll get to at the end. It'll be interesting to find out.

So, Here's our Syllabus for our 'Five B's' Study:

July 29 -- Intro
Aug. 5 -- B1: Brave
Aug. 12 -- B2: Beautiful
Aug. 19 -- B3: Bold
Aug. 26 -- B4: Bride
Sept. 2 -- B5: Becoming
Sept. 9 -- Conclusion

I'll be honest...I haven't tackled a study quite like this before. So I'm stretching myself a bit...or, rather, I'm being stretched, which is a different thing. Anyway, I'll welcome anyone who wants to join me on the 'Five B's' and comment along as we go!