top of page

The EncountHer #2

and upcoming forum information

Thanks for coming by and participating in The EncountHer #2 on July 13. We believe this kind of connection is a positive way for us to share, learn and grow.

At The EncountHer #2 we took a journey into our "inner world". Needless to say we had a challenging and very insightful discussion – and of course we know, where there is no challenge, there is no victory.

After we snacked on some lite summer fare, we were ready to explore questions like:

  • Do you know yourself?
  • What kind of self-image do you have?
  • Do you value yourself?
  • How have people throughout your life influenced these things?
  • Do their views and opinions matter? Why or why not?
  • Does outer appearance reveal who or what we are – why or why not?
  • What do we want others to see in us?

And in considering these questions, we discussed where and how we get our identity - our sense of who and what we are. We determined that at the end of the day, the one who created us and loves us is the only one who is qualified to define and establish who we are.

Psalm 139:13-16 says,

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

you formed me in my mother’s womb.

I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I’d even lived one day. (The Message MSG)

Awesome!! Meditate on that word!

And there are many more scriptures that tell us how much God loves and values us. (listed at the bottom of this page)

Then it becomes our job to believe what God says about us and apply it to how we live. "Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new." 2 Corinthians 5:17.

We considered how we each process messages we receive when observing other people and how we use that information to define or make deductions about their character – what they stand for, etc. We believe that we can never fully "know" someone on the inside - only God does.

We ended our time together with one final question to ponder – considering how much we see in the media about makeovers of appearance, wardrobe, etc. We agreed that taking care of our appearance definitely has its place, but…..in considering our own behaviors, mind-sets, attitudes, etc….what is one thing about our inner selves that we feel needs a “makeover”? Or have we dug our heels into the ground and declared, “well too bad, this is just how I am - and people will just have to deal with it”. Or – “I really want to change, but I’ve tried and I can’t”. Maybe there are too many “I’s” involved.

Two powerful life-changing scriptures:

Romans 12:2 says, “Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him. Contemporary English Version (CEV)

2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We (believers) use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. (The Message MSG)

The human mind has the God-given ability to focus on specific data according to the will of the individual. We determine which thoughts we concentrate on and then we determine what we do with those thoughts. That’s why our minds need to be transformed and renewed. Mind renewal - another great topic to unpack at another time……

An inner world journey causes us to face ourselves head on. If we do it sincerely and honestly - with God’s help - any false information will be exposed and truth will be revealed – and knowing the truth will set you free. Self-appraisal should be an ongoing part of our life-long journey and can be tough work, but it’s necessary and worth it. No challenge – no victory.

What did we take away from our brief excursion inward? These important points:

  • Since we are made in God’s image and likeness, we need to be sure that we are defining ourselves and seeing ourselves based on God’s point of view. The Bible shows us some powerful and wonderful things about how He thinks of us. And because of that, Godly self-esteem, value, worth and confidence belong to us.

  • Humans look at each other and judge initially by what’s seen on the “outside”, but God sees and knows us on the “inside” – “He sees and knows our hearts”

  • Getting to the place where we truly believe that God loves, forgives, and accepts us, is foundational to receiving inner healing. Knowing that God loves you and isn't angry or disappointed in you creates an atmosphere where you can freely turn over your past, your present and your future and trust Him to take care of you. Then we can begin to see God as a concerned Father who is loving and caring, and eager to heal any life-wounds we may have. Our defense/protective mechanisms are lowered, then the light of Christ can begin to shine on our life-wounds and bring healing to those areas of need

----------------------------------------------------------------

If you have suggestions/ideas/thoughts about topics you would like to see the The EncountHer address, please let us know. Along those lines, we’re planning to have a “relationship summit” in the near future where we will invite a select group of men – representing different ages and backgrounds, married and single – to one of our upcoming EncountHer forums to share in dialogue about relationships.

Some of the relationship topics we want to cover are:

·          What is friendship?

·          Building a relationship

·          Expectations - realistic vs unrealistic

·          Problem-solving in relationships

·          When/how to end a relationship 

Do you have a male friend, relative, co-worker, neighbor or husband you would like to invite to our relationship summit? More info about this coming soon…..

We look forward to seeing you at the next

EncountHer

on Saturday, August 10, 2013

Just a few promises God has made to His children:

  • He will go with you, sustain you, and strengthen you. (Psalm 89:21, 22)
  • You are His beloved, He believes in you. (Rom. 1:7)
  • He will be your confidence. (Prov. 3:21, 26)
  • He has set you apart from the world. (Psalm 4:3)
  • He will deliver you—no matter what. (Psalm 18:19)
  • He will increase you mightily. (Deut. 6:3)
  • He will hear you if you ask for help today. (Prov. 3:21)
  • Even if chaos abounds, you will experience perfect peace. (Isaiah 26:3)
  • The waters may rise; but they won’t overtake you. (Isaiah 43:2)
  • You do not labor in vain. (Isaiah 65:23)
  • He will reward you. (Psalm 18:20)
  • If you are called to wait on Him, you’re gonna be okay there. (Isaiah 30:18)
  • He will fill you when you need it—just like He always has. (Psalm 81:10)
  • Your barn is going to bust open with blessing. (Prov. 3:9-10)
  • You can’t imagine the mercy ahead. (Psalm 18:25)
  • You will have the things you need. (Psalm 34:9)
  • God will restore your soul. (Psalm 23:3)
  • You will keep going and not grow weary. (Isaiah 40:13)
  • Your words will extinguish anger. (Prov. 15:1)
  • You will find happiness as you share. (Prov. 14:21)
  • Your reward beyond today is heaven (Psalm 23:6)
  • If you mess up, He will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7)
  • If you are wise, you will win souls. (Prov. 11:30)
  • You’ve got blessings waiting around the corner. (Psalm 24:4-5)
  • He’ll guide you through the rough spots and help you do the right thing. (Psalm 25:9)
  • Your soul will be at ease amid the storm. (Psalm 25:12-13)
  • You’re stronger than you think—because He will strengthen your heart. (Psalm 27:14)
  • Angels are encamped around you. (Psalm 34:7)
  • The troubles of this day can’t stand up to His power. (Psalm 34:17)
  • You will experience supernatural peace. (Psalm 37:11)
  • He will be the order that covers your disorder. (Psalms 37:23-24)
  • He will deliver you from wicked, conspiring people around you. (Psalm 37:40)
  • His Spirit will teach you and fill your gaps. (John 14:26)
  • He will bless those who declare His name. (Psalm 89:15)
  • He will hold all the pieces of your life together. (Psalm 46:1)
  • He will keep you safe under His mighty wings. (Psalm 91:1)
  • Nothing needs to offend you today. His Spirit in you is bigger than all of that. (Psalm 119:165)
  • Carry on through sadness. He will replace your tears with joy. (Psalm 126:5)
  • He’s going to tame your doubt and fulfill that dream in your heart. (Psalm 37:4)
  • He will provide everything you need. (Psalm 23:1)
  • Have confidence. He will make His words known to you. (Prov. 1:23)
  • Surrender your view of things and people—He will give you spiritual eyes. (Psalm 146:8)
  • If you seek Him, you will find Him. (2 Chronicles 15:2)
  • With each day, you are growing stronger and stronger. (Job 17:9)
  • He will pour out His Spirit on you. (Prov. 1:23
  • God will put a new song in your mouth—and many will put their trust in Him. (Psalm 40:3)
  • He’s got wisdom ready for you to use. (Prov. 2:7)
  • You will lay down tonight and have sweet sleep. (Prov. 3:21)
  • He loves you to eternity and back. (Psalm 146:8)
  • His covenant of Love to you will never, ever fail.

Romans 8:38-39, "I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us." The Message (MSG)

bottom of page