Vessels of Honor

The bible tells us that we are "vessels", "earthen vessels".  Yes we are made of earth (the dust of the earth) and God said we are vessels in which he wants to dwell... 

"...in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour." 2 Timothy 2:20

"...we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." 2 Corinthians 4:7

If you are looking for a theme and message for your next inspirational ladies meeting, how about the topic of "Being and Building Vessels of Honor".

For scripture references and other thoughts on this topic please click HERE for my "Being and Building Vessels of Honor" post.  I think you will come away with some very inspiring ideas and information with which to encourage your ladies in this area.

As with all ladies meetings, there must be decorations!  For this theme, try finding a bunch of "earthen vessels" (clay pots) to use as centerpieces and such.   You can find terracotta pots just about anywhere during the gardening season and they are relatively inexpensive.  If money is really tight, ask the ladies to borrow things they may have around their house or garden.

We chose this theme for our last Mother/Daughter banquet.  We used old fashioned bowl and pitcher sets as decorations which we borrowed from some of the ladies of the church and displayed them on the rungs of old ladders, as seen below.

Have fun and use your imagination!  Most importantly, make sure your ladies come away with a message from the Lord about "Being and Building Vessels of Honor".

Troubled on Every Side...yet NOT Distressed!

In recent years it seems as if all hell has broken loose in this world.  There seems to be trouble everywhere.  I'm not just talking of wars and foreign affairs but trouble in our own backyard.  Our country and our own lives are in a state of crisis.  Things are just falling apart!

 

We have family troubles too numerous to mention, financial troubles, health problems and employment issues.  There has even been troubles with the weather.  We have had a drought and now ferocious storms are tearing things up.  You name it, there is some kind of trouble in just about every aspect of our lives and nothing seems to be getting any easier nor does it seem as if these troubles are going to end any time soon and people everywhere are going berzerk.

Sounds depressing doesn't it?

However, I am reminded of God's inspired word as written by the Apostle Paul...

We are troubled on every side, yet NOT distressed; we are perplexed, but NOT in despair; persecuted, but NOT forsaken; cast down, but NOT destroyed.  2 Corinthians 4:8-9

What? How can this be?..Troubled, yet not distressed?  Did the Apostle Paul have a secret we don't know about?  How can he have peace in the midst of crisis?

He gave the answer to this mystery in the scripture just preceding the above passage...

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

2 Corinthians 4:6

We are the earthen vessel, the treasure is the Holy Ghost. When we are filled with the Holy Ghost we receive the power to be able to endure trouble but not be distressed and by that, others can see the excellency of the power of God's Spirit in us and glorify Him.  

Jesus described it like this...

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father has sent in my name, shall teach you all things; and bring to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  John 14:26-27

Jesus Christ has sent us peace in the midst of a troubled world.  This peace is the gift of the Holy Ghost.

You too can have peace in the midst of your crisis by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost today.  Yes, we are in deed troubled on every side, yet not distressed because Jesus is our comforter.  He is our peace and he can be yours too.  Please don't hesitate to call on the Lord in your time of trouble and ask him for this gift of peace which he sent in his name to ALL that would receive Him.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3

Garden Party

Do you love gardening, pretty plants and flowers?  Do any of the other ladies in your church or group love those things too.  If so, why not have a GARDEN PARTY.  This is an outdoor party is all about location, location, location.  Host this party at a place where there is a nice, beautiful garden to enjoy.  This could be in your backyard, one of the other ladies backyards or perhaps a nice park where there are some beautiful annual and perennial gardens to enjoy.

This party can be as formal or casual as you like.

Set a date, time and location.  Then, hand out invitations.

On the invitation be sure to ask each lady to bring small potted seedlings (enough for each guest to take one home) of their favorite plant/flower/herb from their very own gardens.  You may need to hand out the invitation a few weeks in advance to give each lady a chance to get everything together.

Ask them to make sure each potted seedling is marked with what type of plant/flower/herb it is.

 

This is an exchange type party, i.e. if each lady is supposed to bring 10 seedlings of one kind of plant (one for each guest), each lady will take home 1 seedling of 10 different plants to either repot or transplant into their own yard/garden.

Suggestion:  You may want to provide a few refreshments, light snacks and beverages for the occasion. If so, think about how you can use garden tools and things like flower pots as serving utensils, i.e. use small hand trowels as serving spoons.  Place cupcakes in the top of small terracotta pots.  Serve chips in larger flower pots.  Use your imagination.

Suggestion:  Depending on how formal or casual you decide to go, you might want each lady to dress up in gardening attire (gardening hats, gloves and summer dresses).  You may also want to decorate the outdoors for the occasion as well.

Suggestion:  This type of party would be great as a house warming party for a friend who has just moved to a place with little or no landscaping.  In that case, have each lady to bring only one seedling/start from their garden to give as a housewarming gift.


Follow any of the links below for more ideas:

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/party/seasonal/garden-party-tips/
http://www.midwestliving.com/garden/ideas/host-a-plant-swap-garden-party/
http://www.countryliving.com/outdoor/decorating/garden-party-0808?click=main_sr#slide-1