Arise Women's Ministry

Finding Rest in the Chaos: Arise and Shine Devotional

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 NLT

Arise and shine, dear one! God is with you!

My phone buzzed with a notification from the school district about potential changes coming. At that same moment, I heard the voices of two of my children, talking over each other:

"Mom! I want to go to the park... can we pleeeeeease go right now?"

"Mom! There's a sale on clothes for back-to-school and it's today only. Can we go? When can we leave? How much can we spend?"

My phone buzzed again, this time a text from a friend, as my oldest child announced there was a garage sale with fishing supplies he wanted to check out… today, of course. With each new need, my thoughts spiraled:

What impact will these school district changes have on my kids?

Of course my son wants to go to the park that's the furthest away. How am I supposed to fit that into today?

I haven't even looked at our budget for back-to-school shopping yet... but it's a good sale. How much can we actually spend right now?

My head began to spin and my heart raced. It felt like too many decisions and too many people needed me, all at once. Everything was coming at me in the same breath, and I could feel myself reaching my limit.

I longed for time to sit, gather my thoughts, tackle one thing at a time, and carry my worries to the feet of Jesus. I took a deep breath to calm my body, inhaling "The Lord is my shepherd" and exhaling "I have all that I need."

In that moment, I remembered Jesus' words to His disciples, as if He were speaking directly to my heart: "Come to me, daughter. I know you're weary and overwhelmed. Rest in me. I've got you."

His peace met me in the middle of my chaos. One request at a time, I surrendered my struggles to Jesus, and one by one, my racing heart began to settle.

Are you feeling overwhelmed today, dear one? Take a deep breath. Come to the One who offers you rest, and lay your burdens down before Him. Whatever is spinning through your mind right now… the texts, the requests, the what-ifs… bring it to Jesus, one thing at a time. He's got you.

Our Online Fall Bible Study is called The God You Need to Know by Margaret Feinberg and it's about learning practical ways to engage the Holy Spirit in our lives as we encounter God's Spirit throughout the Old Testament.

View a short (1 min.) trailer video here: https://youtu.be/lYfNy2ZZJ-I?si=xOu6iGYHyoa29gUF

You've got options for how you'd like to engage in this study! You can purchase the workbook and just watch the videos (about 25 minutes long) and participate in our discussion using the questions in the workbook. You can go deeper by doing the three days of personal study homework each week in the workbook. There's also the option to read the corresponding chapters in the book The God You Need to Know. This study gives you flexibility for what works best for you in this season of your life!

Our study begins Monday, October 5th at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PST and our last meeting will be on November 16th. You can learn more and register on our website: https://www.arisewomensministry.org/onlinebiblestudies

Reserve your spot now for our Deeply Rooted Fall Retreat on October 16-18 at Christian Renewal Center! Overnight and Saturday-Only options are available. New ladies are always welcome to join us!

Learn more and register on our website: https://www.arisewomensministry.org/retreats

Rooted in Colossians 2:6-7, our Deeply Rooted Fall Retreat explores what it means to be a woman whose faith runs deep enough to hold her through any season. Through stories of bold Biblical women, including the woman with the issue of blood, Esther, Deborah, Huldah, and Mary, we'll discover that radical faith is not about feeling fearless. It's about acting on what we know to be true, even when it's hard. You'll leave with roots that go deeper, a faith that moves mountains, and a heart overflowing with thankfulness for the God who holds your story.

Beach day fun at Pacific City! We were thankful the rain clouds moved out and God sent the sunshine! ☀️

When the Sky Lit Up

“Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.”
Psalm 77:18-19 (NIV)

"Whoa! That was a BIG one! Did you see that, Mom?"

My son's squeal of delight was contagious as he sat enthralled, watching the sky light up with lightning. The thunder grew louder. Rain began to fall, and our typical Pacific Northwest drizzle quickly shifted to a massive downpour, overflowing the gutters in seconds as the wind picked up and the lights began to flicker.

My son grabbed a flashlight, prepared in case the power went out, but still with a smile on his face. There wasn't a hint of fear in his eyes. He had respect for the power of the storm, but he wasn't scared by it.

That same posture, respect without fear, is exactly what I find in the words of Asaph as he writes of his own experience with God.

Psalm 77 captures Asaph's journey through emotion and remembrance. He cries out to the Lord in the night, longing for help and comfort, wrestling with doubt and disappointment. But then something shifts. He stops rehearsing his circumstances and starts recalling who God is.

He's the God of miracles, the God of redemption, the God who parts the waters. He's the God whose thunder roars from the whirlwind, whose lightning lights up the world, who makes a path through the sea, even though His footprints are not seen. He's the Shepherd who gently guides His people along the path they should go.

When Asaph's thoughts shift from his circumstances to recalling what God has done, the tone of the entire Psalm changes: from sorrow to hope.

Are you in a storm, dear one? Open your Bible today and read Psalm 77. You don't have to fear the storms of life, because you know the One who is with you in the midst of it. Like my son watching the sky light up, may you watch the storms of your life with respect, not fear… because you know who has authority over the storm. Trust Him to lead you through, and even when you can't see His footprints, you can be assured He'll never leave your side.

Our Beach Day is coming up this Saturday, August 1st! We'll meet up at the parking lot at West Salem Christian Church (1155 Glen Creek Rd NW) in the morning on Saturday, August 1st at 9:00 and then carpool to Pacific City where we'll spend the day enjoying the sand, visiting the local shops, and eating lunch.

If you'd like to join us, please register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/sVqD2YwGgM