{"id":11076,"date":"2013-04-12T00:01:43","date_gmt":"2013-04-12T04:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=11076"},"modified":"2013-04-11T23:23:27","modified_gmt":"2013-04-12T03:23:27","slug":"girls-with-swords-chapter-3-weekly-review-you-might-be-a-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2013\/04\/12\/girls-with-swords-chapter-3-weekly-review-you-might-be-a-hero\/","title":{"rendered":"Girls With Swords: Chapter 3 Weekly Review \u2013 \u201cYou Might Be A Hero\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click Here for\u00a0Next Week\u2019s Reading Schedule<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

What a road trip this has been for the five girlfriends—Jennifer, Teresa, Tonya, Diane, and Martha—who started out going to a women\u2019s retreat! \u00a0As they traveled down the road toward their destination, their \u201cside-splitting giggles,\u201d suddenly came to a halt as they saw a road sign that read:<\/p>\n

\"Prince<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Voting unanimously to continue their journey, despite knowing they were a TARGET, they realized the key to being victorious in battle against the enemy was choosing the right WEAPON<\/b>.\u00a0 To get their thoughts together, they pulled over at a rest stop.<\/p>\n

It was here that they had a surprise visit by approximately 125 women. \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ve heard about your decision to enter into the Prince of Darkness Territory, and we want to join forces with you,\u201d Christi said.<\/p>\n

Much discussion went on between the two groups about the choice of weapon, ranging from the purchase of \u00a0heavy artillery guns to God\u2019s Word.\u00a0 The five girlfriends stood their ground about thei<\/span>r<\/i> choice of weapon—God\u2019s Word.<\/p>\n

Finally, Christi stepped up on top of a picnic table, and gave a roaring speech:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should be seeing the sick healed, the lame walk, the blind see, cancers falling off of people, lives miraculously changed because of Him!!\u00a0 We should be laying hands on the sick and through the power of the Holy Spirit, see them become whole again!\u00a0 We should be spreading the gospel so much more than what we are.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

It was then that the two groups were united and a choice of a weapon was decided upon:\u00a0 God\u2019s Sword (God\u2019s Word).<\/b><\/p>\n

After a time of worship under the moonlight in that roadside park, these two groups, who had met as strangers in the night, realized that this had not been a chance meeting. It was as though God, Himself, had ordained this meeting, and they all felt that their previous plans should be canceled, and they were to spend an extended time together.<\/p>\n

It was decided that they would check into a nearby campground, and study Lisa Bevere\u2019s book, Girls With Swords<\/span><\/i>, which some of them had brought along with them on their trip.\u00a0 The others, whipped out their Kindles, and quickly ordered it.<\/p>\n

And so it was, on the first night they gathered around the campfire at the campground, \u00a0their discussion centered on Chapter 3 in Lisa\u2019s book, You Might Be a Hero<\/b>. Lisa defined a female hero as:\u00a0 superwoman, champion, conqueror, star, protagonist, lead, and brave woman.<\/p>\n

Jennifer <\/b>started the discussion off by giving her own personal testimony:<\/p>\n

\u201cAt age 24, I was told I would never bear a biological child. Too stunned to form a coherent thought, the next eight years of my life went by in a haze of depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. I was lost, and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. My lifelong dream was to have a baby who looked like me with my husband who loved me. I had plans! I had dreams! I had hopes! In an instant, all seemed lost. \u00a0But, He alone rescued me the moment I turned my burden of infertility over to Him, and decided not to carry it on my back anymore.<\/p>\n

Just as Lisa says: \u201cYour journey toward becoming a hero begins when you simply grant God permission to have His way.\u201d<\/i> <\/b><\/p>\n

Ladies, I share my story with you because I need for you to know something very important:\u00a0 \u201cRight now, where you are, you are living part of God\u2019s story.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Teresa:<\/b>\u00a0 I don\u2019t know about you, but when I read Hebrews 11 and recount the heroes of the faith, the last thing I see is \u2018nobodies.\u2019<\/p>\n

Each of the people listed in the Hall of Faith died not even knowing the impact their life would have on the world.<\/b>\u00a0 All they knew was that they were chosen by God to go wherever He asked, do whatever He needed them to do, protect whomever He needed them to protect, feed whoever was hungry, build what He said build, stand when He said stand and FIGHT when God said fight.<\/p>\n

THESE are our ancestors<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0They passed the torch on to us normal people of God to continue the fight.\u00a0 This mild-mannered Jesus girl may look ordinary on the outside, but I have a HERO living inside me that needs to save the world.\u00a0 We cannot lead people spiritually where we have not gone.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Tonya<\/b>:\u00a0 What does it take for us as women to feel like heroes?\u00a0 Is it our ability to multi-task throughout our day,\u00a0our ability to utilize the sixth sense that women are said to possess?<\/p>\n

It all boils down to this:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Zechariah4_6\"<\/a><\/strong>
\n<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, we are called to be heroes in our day, to wield swords, to be super<\/em>human, and to be brave. This can be terrifying. But, our super<\/em>human abilities come from\u2014His Spirit<\/i><\/strong>, the power of our sword comes from\u2014His Word<\/i><\/strong> and, in times of fear, we need to remember who we can run to, who we answer to\u2014the Lord<\/b><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Diane: \u00a0<\/b>Each night before I close my eyes for the day I am reminded of these words: TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, FAITH,<\/b> and<\/i> SALVATION\u00a0 <\/b>with the words, \u201clive by these, apply these\u201d <\/b>underneath.<\/p>\n

Some days I imagine myself with the prettiest pink, bedazzled sword you could ever imagine.\u00a0 I picture my perfectly pink armor filled with sparkles, and I get this joy deep down in my heart because I imagine so clearly God\u2019s words and actions of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation covering every inch of that bedazzling pink armor and weaponry He has handpicked for me to use.<\/p>\n

Ephesians 6 says:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. God is strong, and He wants His daughters to be strong.<\/li>\n
  2. His weapons are supreme.<\/li>\n
  3. With these weapons in hand, nothing the enemy throws at you will knock you off your course.<\/li>\n
  4. You are in a spiritual battle between life and death.<\/li>\n
  5. If you prepare now, you won\u2019t be caught off guard.<\/li>\n
  6. You can\u2019t do this in your own human strength.<\/li>\n
  7. True, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are life\u2019s applications.<\/li>\n
  8. God\u2019s Word is an indispensable weapon.<\/li>\n
  9. Prayer is not optional.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    I picture all of us: swords in hand, shields in place, bedazzled in GOD\u2019S TRUTH, RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, FAITH, AND SALVATION; standing tall, shouting prayers of all kinds to our Holy God in Heaven, as\u00a0we leave behind all of Satan\u2019s lies that kept us tied down from the something we have been craving:\u00a0 God Himself<\/span><\/i><\/b>.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/b>After Diane spoke, other women in the group <\/b>spoke up:<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n