At the brink of Summer, 2013, we began a little Bible Study at my kitchen table. There were only two girls, Ashley and I, and we met over breakfast to discuss our need for more of God. We read a few scriptures, had a lot of discussion, ate cinnamon rolls with coffee and smiled at the thought of having personal devotion together during that summer. It was a sweet time for us and for our friendship. Two weeks later, Jessica joined us, followed by Kourtney, and by the end of the month, we had begun our first book with our faithful four!
Fast forward two years later, we are 13 girls strong, with weekly meetings, weekend trips, community outreach, social media interactions and, to celebrate our growth in the Lord, our much anticipated 2nd Annual Ladies Luncheon!!! This year, our Luncheon was held under a beautiful blue sky, in Lindley Park, with the company of God's gorgeous creation! Our mentors/guest speakers traveled all the way from Charlotte to share their love and encouragement with us. It was a lovely success and, I believe, just a sneak peak of what more God has in store for us all!
Pearls of Hope serves as an undeniable blessing in my life. It's a joy for me to witness all that God has done for us and doing within us in only a short amount of time. We are more than just a Bible Study, we are an accountability group, filled with love and commitment toward one another, all for the sake of Christ! There were times when people close to us discouraged us from meeting. They didn't understand the vision God had placed within us. But our faith in the Lord and in each other is the only source from which our success grows! Our friendships are blooming, our confidence is growing, our relationships with Christ, although very individual and specific to each one of us, deepens with each study we complete, each prayer that we pray and each hug and encouragement that we share!
Hebrews 10: 23-25 is the scripture we have dedicated to represent our organization, as well as define our purpose and our friendships with one another:
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day [of Christ's return] approaching".
At our 2nd Annual Luncheon, we were able to celebrate the growth and accountability that we share
together in Christ! We are so thankful for His blessings and look forward to ALL that God has in store for us as we progress in Him! 2015 is filled with such promise as we endeavor upon our 6th study and plan for ideas that Christ has already begun to lay on our hearts for 2016!
"[Our] 2nd annual luncheon was nothing short of amazinggg!! This Bible study has been such a blessing to me and I can confidently say, all of the other pearls as well! My relationship with Christ grows stronger with each study and I'm so very thankful and grateful for each one of you. It is no coincidence that the things I was missing, the Lord saw fit to provide in and through this group. I love you all and I admire your pursuit of Christ, I pray God continues to grow our love and fellowship with each other and his people. Great things with be birthed from this group, the best is yet to come but God's NOW is pretty amazing"
~Jessica G., Pearls of Hope Member (Facebook Quote)
Pearls of Hope has become, not only a priority in our lives, but a necessity, because within this group, we can be transparent and vulnerable with each other, without fear. We can confess our struggles and short comings, lean on each other for encouragement, strength and forgiveness and hold each other accountable through the Word of God and in prayer. We are not just a club or a "girl's group", we are dynamic, fearless, passionate and unstoppable because we belong to the Lord!
What sets us apart? It's not our looks, or our talents. It's not the measure of our success or our intellect. What makes us phenomenal is our heart's pursuit of Christ! He has taken a group of broken, lost, mistreated and abandoned women and has exchanged our earthly treasures, existence and false senses of security for his eternal love, value, forgiveness and acceptance. We are daughters of the Most High King and it is His LIFE that makes ours BEAUTIFUL!!!
Thank you Lord for your blessings and our friendships! We celebrate them and we cherish you!
~Pearls
