This weekend was an oasis of encouragement thanks to the ladies at the Timberlane church in Tallahassee, Florida. Retreat, renewal, respite, refuge and resources…all in a 24 hour time of fellowship and study. The theme was “Ovecoming the World with the Word.” I needed that and am very thankful for the extreme hospitality. The most fun part of the weekend was that I got to stay with my favorite aunt, Lois Lyon, and my cousin, Jill Wallace, was my chauffeur, rescuer and partner in adventure. I always make fond memories with her and this weekend is already one of the best of those memories.
This weekend I also corresponded with a wife who is struggling through a marriage that’s deeply hurt by a pornography problem, a mother who is very concerned about the morals of the girl her son is dating, and a foster mom whose son has been viewing inappropriate (i.e. sinful) programming behind the backs of those parents who are being sacrificial (to the max) for him. I talked with someone who is disappointed in a young man with a very poor work ethic and yet another who is doing her best to bring up children who have deep scars from abuse and neglect on the parts of biological parents. Sometimes I just need to walk away from correspondence and communication for a piece of the Word and some of God’s fresh spring air. (Maybe the part of the weekend when my cell phone was on the blink and I had no computer was a twisted sort of gift!)
But then there was this other correspondence from a young woman who is in her thirties, single, dating and wants to be everything that God desires of her. She asked for resources, groups, and ideas for finding encouragement. She wants to be pure and sanctified in a world of the devil’s negativity and temptation. Perhaps if more people were looking for the right resources before homes begin, there would be less of the pain that sin inflicts in families today.
So here’s the brand new Facebook group you can join if you’re a twenty-something, thirty-something or forty-something lady who’s single and wants to navigate dating and/or friendships in purity and sanctification. Do you want to help others be strong, have a safe place to ask for prayers and have some listening ears when you need godly advice in relationships? Here it is. You can invite others and God can be glorified, at least in small ways, through this group.