Set Apart Girl Conference 2009

So many girls!

That was my first thought as I found a seat in the Panorama Room for session #1. But as I sat there watching them all enter I could suddenly feel the presence of God so strongly, and it was so overwhelming that I was almost crying. How amazing to think that God brought each one of these girls to this place, for reasons perhaps unknown to them, and that He loves them each intimately and has a special plan for each of their lives.

Quite a few people have been curious about this conference that Nana and I went to, and when we came back they were curious as to what it was about. Since the subject was basically one, and yet wide and varied in all it's aspects, it takes more than a simple 5 minute chit-chat conversation to explain. Since it's easier for me to write, I will try it that way. I describe it as some of those "excellent things" that I have fallen in love with of late. (see proverbs:)

Here is a little glimpse into what each session was about. It is mostly from portions of my notes and may not necessarily flow together very smoothly, but for those who want to know a little of what it was about, here it is:

Session One: The Lost Art Of True Beauty

{What it Means to Be Set-Apart}
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dying that He might live;

decreasing that He might increase

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What is the secret of great living?

Entire separation to Christ and devotion to Him.

Thus speaks every man and woman whose life has

made more than a passing flicker in the spiritual realm.

It is the life that has no time for trifling that counts.

-Amy Carmichael

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There are some who would have Christ cheap.

They would have Him without the cross.

But the price will not come down.

-Samuel Rutherford

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If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 16:24,25

Session Two: The Sacred Code Of Honor

{Reflecting Christ in the Daily Life}

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Tell me in the light of the Cross,

isn't it a scandal that you and I live today as we do?

-Alan Redpath

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James 4:4

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A pure heart is one to which all that is not of God is strange and jarring.

-Tauler

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Questions to prayerfully ask:

Where do I spend the best hours of my day?

Where do I turn to for rest, enjoyment, and pleasure?

Are there things in my life that I can't imagine giving up?

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Areas for consideration in the light of the Cross and the Word of God:

{Gossip}

{Guys}

{Crude/Coarse Jesting}

{Free Time/Entertainment}

{Conduct}

{Manipulation}

{Social Status/Popularity}

{Future/Career Ambitions}

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God's primary purpose for us is not that we would be happy,

but that we would be holy.

-Elizabeth Elliot

Session Three: The Sacred Shield

{Removing Breeches, Putting on the Full Armor of God}

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The only saving faith is that which casts itself on God for life or death.

-Martin Luther

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Common areas of harassment from the enemy:

Fear?

Anxiety?

Depression?

Guilt?

Confusion?

Insecurity?

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Eph. 6:10-11

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The book of Nehemiah is an excellent study in FORTIFICATION.

Fortification is the victorious life that we are called to, which God has purchased for us by his blood. Let us therefore fear... (Heb. 4:1)

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Another good study in the Word is: Our God vs. the enemy.

God's pain versus the enemy's pain.

Light vs. Darkness

Father of Lights vs. Father of Lies

Discipline vs. Abuse

Bridegroom vs. Harsh Husband

Shepherd vs. Roaring Lion...

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The first step in Fortification is identifying the breeches.

What access points does the enemy have?

Common breeches:

Unconfessed sin

Sinful strongholds

Satanic objects or activities

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What do we feed into our minds?

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The second step is making a sacred list of every area in need of fortification, understanding the power of prayer, and wrestling in it.

The third step is wrestling until the break of day.

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He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.

-Andrew Bonar

Session Four: The Sacred Season

{God's Amazing Plan and Purpose for Singleness}

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This session was amazing. Krissy, Eric's sister, shared her story with all of us. It is such a beautiful picture of God's faithfulness and love. When Krissy was very young, around twelve years old, she set herself completely apart for her LORD and her future husband, even as every other young person around her was doing the complete opposite, including her brothers.

Eric described some of their life growing up, how Krissy didn't care about popularity or guys or clothes like the rest of the teenage girls around her, but befriended the outcasts and oddballs in her school and found her joy in her Lord. Eric and Mark would mock her; their nickname for her was Saint, and from their tone it was not a compliment. Eric laughs now because here he is now, years later, and he and Leslie are holding a conference called "Set-Apart Girl", and saint means set-apart.

Krissy was joyful and fulfilled in her Lord Jesus all through her single years, obeying Him and trusting Him and serving Him. She wasn't waiting around for God to bring her a husband, but rather pouring herself out for her Savior. It wasn't until she was in her early thirties that God brought her husband Scott into her life, and the story of that is amazing and beautiful. (And thoroughly hilarious when Eric helped Krissy tell it.)

There is lots more to her story, and it's worth looking into. They include it in several of their books, or you can listen to a short podcast of it in Leslie's podcasts at Set Apart Girl.

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At lunch time on Saturday a group of us girls gathered around Krissy and asked questions. I don't remember the question that one of the girls asked, but one of her reply really caught me. With a joyful smile and huge excitement she proclaimed: "Right now, you have the Perfect Husband!" She was so sure; she knew this deeply, experientially, truly; I was transfixed by her words, chosen so carefully and prayerfully, spoken so gently and yet like pure iron. She extolled the awesome qualities of our Husband, the blessedness to be only His, to belong to only One, to be single, to be Single-Minded! She laughed. "When you marry, you marry a man, and men are sinners! But if your Lord would have you love a man, a sinner like yourself, He will teach you how."

Listening to this woman was beyond inspiring. She is old enough to be my mother, and yet her spirit is like that of a young girl. She knows Wisdom, and she shared Him freely, joyfully, and lovingly with a little group of girls from across the nation, from ages 15- 30, all so different and yet joined in one central Bond, who hunger for Him.

Session Five: The Sacred Claim

{The Beauty of a Poured-Out Life}

This session was perhaps the most life-altering for me. The need is huge, too huge for 200 young girls to ever meet on their own. But that was not the point. The point is the greatness of our God, who has called us and empowered us by His grace to obey. May we seek to GO.

As Mary of Bethany, may we pour our most priceless possession, even our very life, at the feet of our Redeemer. Even if the world mocks. Even if those who call themselves His "friends" mock. Even if it appears unnecessary, ridiculous, or extreme. May we GO. Lord, whatever it means in our own lives, may we go!

I won't try to describe what we heard in this session right now, but be assured that you will hear more of it in the future!

Session Six: Answering the Guy Questions

{Shaping Guys into Warrior-Poets}

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This session was excellent too. Eric ended up doing it with Leslie, which was really cool. Guys, you probably would have been a little uncomfortable as Eric boldly proclaimed exactly what a real man is like, and you might have been even a little more uncomfortable as he set manhood first into three categories, then rated it from 1-10. Yep, it would have been funny to see your face. But it was good stuff. If you're curious, perhaps you would be interested in reading Eric's books God's Gift To Women, and The Bravehearted Gospel. But it's a lot to describe, so I will try to share another post on the subject later on.

All in all, it was amazing. Eric and Leslie's hunger for God is unquenchable. Their joy and love for Him is contagious. It wasn't the truth that they proclaimed that hit me as much as their lives. Even the way they relate to people, especially their son Kip's tummy mommy Bex, who also attended the conference, is nothing short of a picture of Christ's love. Bex is a young girl just like me, just like two hundred other girls, and we share a common song: we have been called out of darkness and into marvelous light, that we might proclaim the praises of our Lord. What a blessing to meet girls like her.

Well, that's all for now!