Captivating Ch. 3 (+ Cakes)

Eve, What happened?
-She was inviting, alluring, captivating
--Is that us now?
--We are tired, drained, stuck in routine
--efficiency has taken the place of adventure
*Every woman is haunted by Eve in the core of her being
--We are more keenly aware of our own shortcomings than anyone Else's
-We are often enchanted, falling prey to lies of our enemy. We forfeited our confidence in God and take matters into our own hands

The Curse
-Women are cursed with loneliness, urge to control and with dominance of men
-Most women hate their vulnerability. We are guarded, not inviting
-We hide our true selves to control our world to have sense of security

Dominating Women
-Notice in Disney movies, most of the wicked witches are women
-If a woman cannot secure her relationships, then she kills her hearts longing for intimacy so she will be safe and in control
*Simple truth: women dominate and control cuz they fear their vulnerability
*This kind of a woman never considered that by living a controlling and domineering life, we are really refusing to trust God

Desolate Women
-They tend to hide and no speak up, stay busy, don't initiate sex with their husband, dismiss compliments, relinquish major decisions
*They hide because they are afraid/will hurt less
*By hiding, its in our hands and don't return to God with broken and desperate hearts

Indulging
-If the deep longing feeling doesn't go away, we indulge
-When we cant satisfy feelings, we indulge with "bad habits"
*Take a moment and consider your. Where do you go instead of to God when the ache of your heart begins to make itself known? cleaning? tv? working? drinking? shopping? eating?
*These longing should drive us to God because only He can satisfy

Eve's Lingering Fear
-A woman's worst fear = abandonment


Bumblebee Birthday Cake
Matching 1st Birthday Smash Cake
Mickey Mouse

Red Peterbilt Truck Cake

Captivating Ch. 2

Women Struggle with self worth
-due to what we were created for...

We must go back to the beginning to understand: Creation (Eve)
~Re-read the creation story
-notice the importance that each creature is more intricate than the last
-God creates his masterpiece, Adam, but still missing something
-God creates Eve, she is breathtaking
*she fills a place in the world nothing/no one else can fill
--she is a crown creation

We are made in his image, something he wanted to reveal about himself:
1.He is relational to his core, just like women. Most women define themselves in terms of a relationship and the quality they deem those relationships to be. This is not a weakness, it is glory that reflects the heart of God.
2.He has a heart for romance. the desire and capacity for intimate relationships is Gods desires just as a woman's are too. He yearns for us, He cares, He has a tender heart. For how much we yearn for our own men to love us, do we have that same yearning for God?? We tend to be more jealous, which God has the same characteristic for us.
3.He wants adventure. Women have heart for adventure and a mission and that mission he put in our hearts is to be fruitful and multiply. God is essential, wants to be needed like we need to be needed. He is also irreplaceable and that's how women want to feel.
4.He is beautiful and has beauty to unveil to us. Beauty is the essence of God. John described God in heaven as radiant, beautiful like gemstones and isn't that what women love to have and feel beautiful? (oh diamonds) His beauty and our beauty is inside and out. God created our bodies to be beautiful. (men are captured best in motion to show strength, not beauty)

Why Beauty Matters:
-Beauty is powerful and dangerous because it matters
1.Beauty speaks- "All shall be well" If a woman is comfortable with her beauty, she is fun to be around
2.Beauty invites- "Captivating" draws you in, holds your attention and wants you to come back for more. All of what both God and women desire
3.Beauty nourishes- God created a woman's body to be able to feed our babies
4.Beauty comforts- We send beautiful flowers during someones loss because only a gift of beauty says enough. Also, we have a sense of peace or awe at a sunset or at the beach.
5.Beauty inspires- "You make me want to be a better man"-As Good As It Gets.
6.Beauty is transcendent- Its the most immediate experience of the eternal. It speaks of heaven to come when all shall be beautiful. Its the most essential and misunderstood of all of Gods qualities and women's too.
*Why so much heartache over beauty?
-women worry, try products, diet, surgery, etc to be beautiful

Every woman longs for a beauty to unveil. This is not just culture or the need to "get a man." This is in her heart, part of her design

Why beauty to unveil?:
-One of the deepest ways a woman bears the image of God is in her mystery
-God yearns to be known, he doesn't throw himself at us
-He says you must seeks me, pursue me. I wont let you in unless I know you love me. He has dignity about it. (this is how we are to be with our men. Let them pursue us and have dignity)
*Like God, a woman is not a problem to be solved, but a vast wonder to be enjoyed

Captivating ch. 1

So Scott and I have started a college ministry with our Vineyard of London Church. Where it's summer and most of the students are Cumberland studnets and dont live here in the summer, we decided on just a small book study to build a core group/friendships. The guys are reading Wild At Heart and us ladies are reading Captivating. I know you are sick of seeing nothing but cakes on here so I figures that I will post notes about what we are reading weekely. I would love for you to get the book and follow along. It is a great book and really puts into perspective why us women act like "women". So here are my notes; hope they make sense :)

A Womans Journey:
-What does it mean to be a woman?
--How are women suppose to be or act? (independent? strong? busy? less emotional?)
--How do movies and books tell us to be? (we dont need men or that we are depent of them)
--How does the church tell us to be? (just serve)
-How do you generally feel as a woman? (like a failure? tired? guilty?

Unseen, Unsought, Uncertain:
-What do you long for? Desires? (intimacy, adventure, beauty, a great story)
-What is the message from our culture & church? (try harder)

The Heart of a Woman:
-The most important thing about us:
--Our heart--> Prov. 4:23
--It is the core of who we are
--Gen. 1:27=Our heart is made from God's image and heart

To Be Romanced:
-Desire:
-Every woman wants to be seen, wanted & pursued (just like God)
-We want to be romanced

An Irreplaceable Role in a Great Adventure:
-We have something fierce in us
--Don't mess with our kids or family
--We are warriors
--We need to be needed

Beauty to unveil:
-"Am I lovely?"
-We love to play dress up; school dances; weddings; play cops & robbers
-The desire to be beautiful is ageless
-The desire is a love/hate feeling (ex. "hate" being hit on but deep down love it)
-Need to remember outward beauty is nothing without inward beauty of the heart

The Heart of a Man:
-Uniquely Masculine
--wants a battle to fight, weapons, action movies
-Men long for adventure
--climb, jump, bikes, boats. test their limits
-Longs for a beauty to rescue
--try to impress us
--love having a girls picture in their wallet

*See how the desires of a mans heart and desires of a woman's heart are meant to fit together?

Conclusion:
The longings God has written deep in your heart are telling you something essential about what it means to be a woman and the life He meant for you to live. (Most women will live 2 lives of being busy, efficient, and getting by at day but at night are living in a fantasy world of romance novels, movies, food, and even addictions)
*You can find that life He meant for you if you are willing to embark on a great adventure. YOU are Glorious, YOU are Powerful, YOU are Captivating



And Shocker! another cake already this week...

More Cakes

Thin Mint Sprint 5k

...Scott and I ran our first 5k. It went better than thought....Scott came in 1st in his division at 30:40 and I came in 2nd (by one stinkin second) at 33:51 in my division. But hey! We came home with free girl scout cookies, hot pink t-shirts, gift card to the RootBeer Stand and our metals. oh yeah...

Rock n Roll