Ladies Day Away at the Cove: 10-2-2012
Written October 11, 2012
Dear Ladies of the Church,
I wanted to write and tell you all about the “Women’s Day Away” seminar that Traci Lloyd and I attended on October 2nd at The Cove. For those of you who have never heard of The Cove it also goes by another name which is The Billy Graham Training Center, located close to Asheville, NC. Dr. Graham created this place specifically for replenishment, renewal, relaxation, and fellowship of the Christian soul. Our speaker for this seminar was Mrs. Cindy Easley, a nationally known author and Bible teacher, who frequently leads women’s seminars as well. The subject title was “The Strength and Influence of a Godly Woman.” She used The Samaritan Woman, Naomi, Ruth, Eve, and Mary as the women of the Bible in which she focused her lessons. I will admit Traci is a much better note taker than I am, I like to listen and let the Holy Spirit talk to me, but I can give you a little of the message I received.
Session 1 was based in John 4 and focused on the Samaritan Woman’s relationship with Christ. She was going to the well to fulfill her physical needs, but she really needed her spiritual needs met. Christ knew exactly what she needed, and was there waiting to provide for her, and He waits for us too! If we will “go to our well” (The Word, prayer, and The Holy Spirit) and spend time with Him, He can “fill us up” like He wants to and like we so desperately need!
Session 2 was based in the book of Ruth, and she spoke on the subject of “suffering.” What was very interesting about this lesson was that she based it on the love relationship between Naomi and Ruth and not Ruth and Boaz. She spoke of Naomi’s suffering and pain and how Ruth took care of her and was so unselfish in spite of the fact that she was enduring her own pain (loss of husband, loss of homeland, begging in the fields, etc.) The question she asked that hit me kind of hard was, “How do we influence others when we are suffering or in pain?” Do we depress or frustrate others with our attitude, or uplift them as they see God’s joy in us regardless of the pain we endure? This session I think touched my heart the most because of my seizures. I admit sometimes, if you let yourself, it is easy to wallow in your own self pity instead of letting God have them, focusing on the good life and the blessings He gave you, and helping somebody else with their needs. These were some ending points our speaker made:
- God is not limited by our circumstances
- God loves you in spite of your attitude
- God may use your pain to work out a much bigger picture in His plan that even surpasses your lifetime
- We can be the instrument of God’s grace in someone else’s life through providing for their needs
Session 3 was based in Genesis 1 and Luke 1 as our speaker talked about Eve and Mary. Both women were faced with an issue of trusting God and made very different decisions on how to respond. The serpent used Eve’s ignorance to trick her and then sowed a seed of pride in making her believe she would be more like God in eating the fruit. Instead of trusting God’s Word she let her pride cause the fall into sin. In contrast, Mary hears God’s Word of the Messiah coming through her, believes it completely, and submits to His plan with no argument! If we all could follow her example of trusting God once in a while, how much easier our lives would become!
After all I told of our Sessions, I thought I could tell you a little of the other aspects of the day. Traci and did have to leave early and get home in the evening but all the fun we had was definitely worth it! The car ride was about three hours but she and I talked the whole way and time flew by fast. The lunch meal that the facility provided along with your program fee was absolutely delicious! And they have a wonderful book store that we spent some time enjoying as well. Over all, we truly had a lovely day off and I look forward to our next excursion in which I just know some of you will want to join in on all the fun!!!
Love In Christ,
Allison
P.S. I have to give Traci credit, I used some of her notes to help me write all this!!!
