A Message From Your Director
by Emily Webb
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I love plants! I’m not like the other plant moms, I’m a cool plant mom.;-) I have more plants than I can count now, all with names, and they are in every room of my house. The fiddle leaf fig pictured above is “Foxy.” As I grow my collection of plant babies, I also increase my knowledge of what they need and how to best take care of them, and the FLF (fiddle leaf fig) is no different. If you are a plant mom of an FLF, you know that they can be a little finicky. They are known as the “treenagers” of the plant world. Happy one second, and angry the next, dropping their leaves for no reason at all! One thing they need daily is a good shake. Someone once told me to “shake it like it owes you money!” So, I have been diligently shaking Foxy and my other girl Fiona since I got them. “But why?”, I wondered. Why must I shake those girls so fiercely? This led me into a little research and as a result I also found a Biblical parallel. FLFs need to be shaken to strengthen their roots. When fiddle leaf figs grow in the wild, their roots are strengthened by the wind to withstand stronger gusts that might occur. We shake those plants indoors to ensure that their roots grow deep and strong to handle the large leaves that they produce. This new understanding of FLFs reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-25, “‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” “These words of mine” that Jesus is referring to are in the two previous chapters. Here He talks about the importance of prayer, fasting, and banishing worry from our lives by trusting in the Lord for all of our needs. When we build a strong foundation in our faith, we will be able to withstand the storms that life brings. Although we will be shaken, we will not moved (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) because we have placed our hope in the only One that calms the storms (Mark 4:39). So, shore up those roots, and don’t be afraid of a little rough weather, for it is in the shaking that we find our strength.
Let’s do this!
Emily
xoxo
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By Kristi Dodson
My husband and I enjoyed a typical quiet evening together, watching a movie. And then it happened, as it often does—one of the characters delivered the coup de grâce of lines from his deathbed. The line that, for me, prompts instant tears and uncontrollable quivering chin—“Son, you really made me proud”.
Some songs also bring me to instant tears: Harry Chapin’s ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ because I don’t want to be “that” parent; ‘Auld Lang Syne’ because I’m ever-nostalgic around the holidays; the Temptations’ version of ‘Silent Night’ because the deep baritone sounds like my own dad’s singing voice that I’ve missed for more than three decades… But that movie dialogue hits a deeper nerve—“Son (insert daughter), you really made me proud”.
I was surely a daddy’s girl. He was my role model and hero into my early 20’s when he was called up on angel’s wings. I admired him without question…still do. His personal testimony was a powerful witness to our family, and I feel blessed to have been touched by his life. No doubt, I coveted dad’s approval. He was quick to offer recognition for a job well done, encouraged me to break limits in achievement, admonished constructively when I lacked direction, consoled amidst sadness. I feared disappointing this man that I revered. What sweet music to my ears to hear him say “Kid, I’m so proud of you”. “Kid” as he called me even when I had one of my own.
For many people childhood was not so idyllic, fractured at best. All do not share the same carefree memories as I do. And yet, our Heavenly Father remains steadfast. His love for us never wavers. In that we can be certain. He is gracious, merciful, even when we fail. This OW journey continues to build my often-weak faith. As I’m challenged to draw closer through the Holy Spirit, the tear-jerker movie dialogue gains deeper meaning. How much more fulfilled my life becomes when I pursue the recognition of Christ with the same focus and desire as I had toward that of my earthly dad.
What a glorious reunion it will be in Heaven if I’m greeted by my Holy Father with those words, “Daughter, I am so proud of you”…my earthly dad standing alongside, holding my hand once again, sharing the joyous moment.
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Wednesday March 16th at 6:30am (EST)
Calling all prayer partners! 2022 is the year to make prayer a priority, especially as Ordinary Women. Please join us every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30am (EST) for 30 minutes of prayer via Zoom. This is an opportunity to come together and pray as an OW community that is firmly rooted in Christ.
Click the link below to join:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3970820505?pwd=ZGlTQVVQaVEzaGlRQ2lhSzhIZnpDQT09
Or use:
Meeting ID: 397 082 0505
Passcode: 4321
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VIRGINIA OW LEADERS MONTHLY COFFEE MEET UP |
The 2nd Saturday of every month at 7am.,
we will meet at Hyperion Espresso (301 William St.)
starting March 12th. This will be an informal gathering of all past and current VA OW leaders to gather and learn from each other. No need to RSVP
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Many of you have had the pleasure of meeting one of my college roommates and a fellow Ordinary Woman, Nikki Greenfield. She has spoken (via Zoom) at several OW retreats and her testimony is one that resonates with most women. In addition to being an incredible speaker, she also has a website called ForgetfulandFierce.com with a weekly blog post. This week’s post really spoke to me, so I am linking it below, but everything she writes is so timely. Check it out and send her some love for using her gifts to encourage women and advance the kingdom!
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The first 5 people to email Emily Webb at [email protected] will receive a FREE OW bag! Just put GIVEAWAY in the subject line and include your name and address in the email. Good luck!
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