Made Beautiful ... Seasons of Surrender and Transformation

From the time we are little girls, we dream of how our lives will unfold.  We often spend tremendous amounts of time and energy trying to make sure that those dreams come to pass.  Along the way, and often through heartache and struggle, we sometimes discover that God has masterfully crafted plans for us that far exceed our own.  However, that realization brings us to a crisis.  Will we surrender to him?  Will we allow him to redirect our paths or even redefine how we assess our value?  Surrender unlocks the potential for transformation and purpose.

September 21

7:00pm

Worship Center

Doors Open at 6:30pm

Calvary Baptist Church

5000 Country Club Road

Winston-Salem, NC

by Debbie Sheppard

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Encore Event! May 11th

A Better Way to Live

March 23rd God Encounters Workshops

 A Girlfriend’s Guide to Stress: Too Much Stress...Too Little Time! - Tanya Gunter, M.A. Ed, NCC, LPC tgunterlpc@gmail.com  

Practical applications for the Christian woman struggling with the Martha versus Mary dilemma. Living your priorities enhances your happiness and contentedness with the life God has provided. In this workshop we will identify specific strategies to organize and prioritize your life tasks so that stress is minimized and life can be lived with intentionality and fullness.

Unveiling the Princess Within: Image and Inner Beauty - Rebecca Lowry, MA, LPC, NCC  www.rebeccalowry.com

This workshop is about exposing the lies that bombard us about beauty and significance, and replacing them with the Truth. It's about renewing the mind by gaining an understanding of what it means to be made in God's image and understanding our infinite worth in God's eyes. It's about transforming the heart by finding our identity and security in Christ.  

Rest for the Soul: Freedom from Anxiety, Worry, and Depression - Heath Greene, PhD, www.christiancounseling.org

Do you find yourself consumed with worry? Do you have friends or loved ones who are haunted by doubts? Do you feel isolated and cut off from the people around you? Do you see everyone else seeming to “get it” and close to God when He feels so distant to you? This workshop will address the nature of anxiety and depression, as well as hope for those dealing with these issues.     

The Power of a Purpose-Driven Mom: Parenting Teens - Sara Hepler, MS, NCC, LPC  www.sarahepler.com  

Parents can find themselves in power struggles with their teens over clean rooms and unfinished homework.  Sometimes, they end up riding the emotional roller coaster that can define adolescence and wonder when it will ever end.  In this workshop, we will discuss parenting adolescents from a spiritual, developmental, and transitional perspective.  You will learn how to build empathy with your teen (yes, it is possible!), communicate with your teen (even on difficult topics), and gain insight into your own parenting style, beliefs, and attitudes.  

Let Freedom Ring: What to do with Guilt and Shame - Kelly Harris MA.Ed; LPC; NBCC  kharris@triad.rr.com 

Guilt and shame keep us busy women rather than loved women.  We can become distracted rather than present, and burdened rather than empowered.  This workshop is designed to discern the lies embedded in guilt and shame and to shine light on the core issues that try to hold us in captivity.  We will discuss strategies to help us cooperate with healing and love.  We will celebrate the invitation from our heavenly Father to become loved women instead of “good girls."  

When Relationships are Hard: Boundaries and Co-Dependency - Greg Letourneau, LCSW, CSAT, PLLC 

Early traumatic experiences often translate to an adult life of secrecy, addictive behavior and insecure attachments to others.  How does God’s grace work through imperfect relationships?  How does He restore the mind/body/ connection? How does one set healthy boundaries with self and others?  How can co-dependent relationships be transformed into more intimate and caring relationships? Flawed families of the Bible will be used as case examples to how God transforms imperfections into godly character.  

Free from the Grip: Substance Abuse and Addictions - Alan Malchuck, LCSW, MSW, SureCord, Inc., www.surecord.com  

Are you concerned your loved one, friend, or family member is addicted?  Do you wonder if you are part of the problem?  This workshop will help you get answers.  We will consider the following questions:  Is the addiction a sin or sickness?  What predisposes some to addiction?  Are there key symptoms of addiction?  How can family impact substance abuse or addiction?  What's the process of successful recovery?  

Time to Deal with “IT”: Forgiveness, Healing, and Restoration - Don Schmidt, LPC; Associate Pastor for Discipleship & Counseling 

Forgiveness is a biblical mandate, but many believers fail to understand the distinctions between forgiveness, healing and restoration. Properly understood forgiveness is both humanly impossible and profoundly liberating. This workshop will lay a biblical foundation for forgiveness while also exploring how healing and accountability are essential aspects to true restoration in human relationships.

Exodus 29:46, “They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.”

I have been reading in Exodus about when the Israelites were leaving Egypt and God told them to ask for gold and valuables from their neighbors. He said, “Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” (Exodus 11:2) Now, for the Israelites, this was probably very strange. First of all, how awkward for them as slaves to approach their masters and ask them for, not just a handout, but a valuable handout! They had to have been questioning what God was asking them to do. Secondly, they probably were wondering why in the world God would have them tote all that stuff when they were obviously going on a long journey. Hadn’t God heard the phrase, “Traveling light?”

Then I got to the part when God instructed the Israelites to make the priests’ garments and the tabernacle furnishings. As He carefully listed off what the people should make and how to make it, it was clear that God was thinking ahead when He asked them to take the gold and other valuables from the Egyptians. He knew in advance what He was asking and how it would all turn out. Exodus 12: 35-36 says, “The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.”

Even though the Israelites couldn’t see the big picture of what they were facing, God could. He had it all under control. He didn’t ask them to do anything He hadn’t already prepared them to do. This story was a great comfort to me today as I pondered the Egypts in my life. I thought of the times when God asked me to trust Him and obey—even when what He was asking sounded crazy. I thought of how He knows the future and provides our needs ahead of time. I thought of how He can soften hearts as He did with the Egyptians and how I can trust every situation to Him. He sees the big picture, when all I see is what is right in front of me. I need to rely on Him when the future looks scary. I need to say “yes” to whatever He asks of me, instead of arguing based on my limited view. I can only have a big picture of life when I see it through His eyes. That truth continues to bring me peace—even in the midst of this crazy, mixed-up world. I hope that it will bring you peace and hope today in whatever you may be facing in life.

Check out Marybeth's blog: http://marybethwhalen.blogspot.com/