BETH MOORE SIMULCAST 4/24/2010

Bonus Blog: April 25, 2010

Friday night, April 23, my middle daughter, Erin, her two Mom’s (her Mom-in-law and me), and her 3 daughters, ages 3 ½, almost 7, and 10 going on 16, had a girl’s night: soaking feet, doing nails, having Sundaes, watching a movie (Because of Winn Dixie). We had never done that before as a girlie group. It was fun – and a fun memory for the girls to have both of their Grandmas – who both love them dearly – together to soak toes and just hang out as ‘the girls.’ Originally we were to go to the ‘Retreat’ that night – but because of circumstances we needed to adapt the plan - and our adapted plan was a wonderful treat – and invested in the girls in a very positive way.

Saturday, the two Moms joined Erin for the retreat she had invited us to attend with her. It was a Simulcast done by Beth Moore titled after her book, SO LONG, INSECURITY.

We were in a room with several hundred women – and we were connected via Satellite to a church in Birmingham, Alabama, where Beth was speaking live. A church called Woodstock! There were something like 869 other sites around the country who were all connected as well, for a total of more than 300,000 women. What an amazing tool Satellite connection offers. Pretty incredible….

In addition to her two teaching sessions, we had worship led by Travis Cottrell and a Praise & Worship Team who did a fantastic job – all via satellite…. When there were little glitches in the satellite transmission the ladies gathered at Real Life Family Center in Puyallup just kept going – and the simulcast rejoined us in perfect timing….

Beth’s message was to women – but anyone who is grappling with feeling insecure in some area of their life – man or woman – could benefit from the message. While I disagreed with her in her book when she ‘assumed’ all women feel certain ways – attributing feelings to ‘all women’ I have never felt – she is undoubtedly right that we all have some area where we feel insecure.

Among the many good points she made were:
Insecurity will not do one single thing for your life.
Insecurity is not humility. They are two different things.
Insecurity is not weakness – it is unbelief.
Live a life worthy of your calling:
We are meant to be free, secure and made new by grace.
It is a battle of the mind.
People who feel graced by God will extend grace
It does not honor God for us to disbelieve His forgiveness.
Forgive others even if they have not asked – even if they don’t want forgiveness.
We can give grace away and still keep it. We don’t lose it by giving it.

She made an acronym of S-E C-U-R-E, did 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon:

WHAT A SECURE WOMAN LOOKS LIKE:
She is:
1. Saved from herself
2. Entitled to truth
3. Clothed with intention
4. Upended by grace
5. Rebounded by Love
6. Exceptional in Life

I have 4 pages of notes covering what she said on those topics.

One thing she said that really got my attention was this: One of the curses spoken over the earth after Adam and Eve sinned was that there would be thorns. She identified it as the sign of sin on planet earth. Jesus was crowned with thorns – and his blood sprinkled onto the earth in front of the cross was akin to the sprinkling of blood in front of the mercy seat. Accordingly, he paid the price for earth as well….

Wow! That was a new thought to me. I had never correlated the crown of thorns specifically with the curse on the earth when sin entered the world. And Jesus was crowned with a very symbolic crown of thorns. Because of my very intentional journey through Jesus’ final days on earth – that really stuck out to me….

I imagine the simulcast will be distributed later. I highly recommend it for a ladies’ day – but even men would benefit…. I really enjoyed sharing the day with Beth. She is an amazing speaker – very humorous as well – and conspicuously loves the Lord!

As for the book – I had a problem occasionally with being told what I feel – when in fact I had never felt some specific thing she assumed was common to all women – but in general the book was worth reading. At 64, I’ve dealt with most of my issues, I hope! Still – there was one chapter that really spoke to me, and it was one on the fears we face, as in ‘What is your worst fear?’ What she says God showed her was to take it one step further: suppose that ‘worst fear' came true, then what? Of course, for one who loves the Lord – and knows He loved us even before we loved Him – we know He will be with us through it – whatever it is – and beyond.

For my own little bunny trail on that topic: As Peter said to Jesus when Jesus asked him, Will you leave also?” the immediate reply was “To whom would I go? You have the words of life.”

We live in a fallen world. Rotten things happen to people – even good people – but the difference for those who know the Lord is that we know He walks with us through the storm, and only He can bring comfort in the darkest hour. That is a confidence we have, so we can face life with security in Him – because there is no security in anything else.

Bad stuff will happen. Count on it. But don’t let it immobilize with fear. Fear just steals today’s life and today’s joy – and ruins today. Don’t anticipate trouble. Know He will walk with you, in you, beside you – and be there when you reach the other side….

Go in His grace….