Shades Mountain Women's Ministry, 2017 Columbiana Road, Vestavia Hills, AL (2026)

09/22/2022

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We all have the different situations, prayers, relationships, struggles, and circumstances that plague our minds and worry our hearts as we ponder how in the world it’s going to work itself out.
Maybe the timing feels pressed, delayed, or not in your favor,
Maybe the resources feel slim, scattered, or strained,
Maybe the struggle feels looming, loud, or literally impossible to get past,
Maybe your prayers feel like they’ve fallen on deaf ears or a distant God,
Maybe your life feels far different than the picture you had drawn, the relationships you predicted, or the circumstances you assumed would be your reality.
But then you look back…
You reflect on where you’ve come and how you’ve gotten to where you are,
You remember how weary your heart once felt and how the Waymaker delivered,
You recognize the progress and the process that was necessary to bring the refinement of your soul,
You appreciate the relationships that could only be cultivated through vulnerability, struggle, and the desperate need for grace,
You stop and you see— the Dot connector was always at work.
The Healer was healing,
The Shepherd was guiding,
The Maker was molding,
The Keeper was carrying,
The Advocate was protecting,
The Cornerstone was establishing,
The Counselor was comforting,
The Messiah was moving,
And the Lord was loving you— every single step.
Unpredictable because His ways are higher, His wisdom is greater, His strength is absolute, and His majesty can’t be conceived.
The dots may feel in disarray but do not be alarmed. Do not be afraid. Do not spend today in worry—
You have been here before.
In need— it is the story of your life.
And every time, God has met you here.
Reminding you that He is always working on your behalf.
Don’t try to predict the future; it’s too sweet and too gracious to comprehend.
Stay in today and praise Him for the way He will move.

09/13/2022

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When your life feels like it is falling apart and when darkness seems to cloud your vision, he is right there with you holding you together. ⁠
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You aren’t the exception to his promises. He is working in your waiting, right where you are (Josh. 21:45; Phil. 1:6).⁠
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You aren’t the exception to his deliverance and abundance. If he delivered the Israelites from their slavery, if he transformed Ruth’s life, if he forgave David’s sin, if he saw Jonah in the belly of a whale, and if saved Paul from a hell-bound life…he won’t forget you today. ⁠
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As we head into a new week, if you start feeling like you are the exception, look back at God’s faithfulness throughout Scripture. Remember what he has done in your own life. Speak it over your feelings and ask God to change your unbelief to belief. He is faithful, and soon you will see that you are not and will never be the exception to his faithfulness. –Gretchen (), Founder ⁠
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☀️ God is always faithful, even when we are faithless. We pray the Faithful Challenge helped ignite your desire to be faithful to meet with your Savior daily because he has not forgotten you. If you missed any of our Faithful Challenge, find all the posts in our highlights. ⁠
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09/07/2022

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As Ezra read the words of the Law, the people stood and wept. They were broken before a Holy God. Once again reminded of their shortcomings and failures. But Nehemiah’s gracious words brought hope: the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Many times we are frozen by our failures, like shackles of shame that prevent us from moving on, or even moving at all. It is a heavy burden to bear.

But in Christ there is freedom, and to our lasting comfort, there is joy.

In the constant pressure we put on ourselves, we tend to forget that we serve a redeeming God.

We like to live in a system of law: do good and be rewarded, do bad and reap the consequences.

But did you know that joy can be found on both sides?

Even in our failure, God has the right and grace to pick us back up. We aren’t stuck in our old ways. There’s always a road to walk, a way to His grace.

There is a time for weeping, confession, remorse. But those things do not remove the joy that comes from knowing Jesus. Our joy is rooted deep, like a tree planted by sweet and plentiful waters.

Find your strength not in what you’re able to achieve, but in what He is able to do through you. He is a redeeming God.

Encouragement today from my husband

09/06/2022

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It is so difficult to let go of our plans and deadlines and trust that God really does have our best in mind.

Maybe for you,you are:
…waiting for a job
…praying for a spouse
…wondering if you should move
…believing for a calling to be fulfilled

Friend, these times can be so anxiety filled and even scary, but we can lean on the truth of God’s Word and stand in faith that even in our unknowns, God will be faithful!

Save this post to remind yourself of who God is and what He is doing when you are struggling to trust Him with the plans for your life.

08/30/2022

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08/25/2022

This Sunday, we’ll honor Susan Forehand in our services for her 43 years of faithful service to Shades as she enters retirement at the end of this month.

Immediately after our 10:30 AM worship gathering, we’ll host a reception for Susan, her husband David and daughter Blythe, in the Conference Center. The reception begins at 11:45 AM and lasts until 1:30 PM. Make plans to be with us this Sunday as we celebrate Susan, her family, and her ministry.

Share your favorite memory with Susan in the comments below! 🤍

08/24/2022

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From once upon a time until kingdom come, You are God.

Welcome back to the Psalms for Summer’s End podcast series! These near and dear podcast episodes were previously released to my patron audience only and now we’re making them available to YOU! These were recorded a few years back but God’s Word is living and active, so I hope that they meet you right where you are with the peace that only God can give!

Today we’ll dive into a not-so-obvious Psalm that’s one of those that you love at the beginning but you have no idea what to do with the middle and then “yay!” the ending is back to the fun stuff! Following the circle of lament, we’ll learn to wrestle with that weighty stuff in the middle–that our lives are basically a vapor–here today, gone tomorrow. But, there’s HOPE in holding the tension that we can actually build something that long outlasts us, as we make the most of our own “once upon a time until kingdom come”.

08/13/2022

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Every event is meant to point to Jesus and invite others in.

Whether it’s finding a Bible study, going on fair rides or raising hands in worship, we want to know Jesus more and live sent in our community!

For allllll this info, visit shades.org/events

08/08/2022

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✨ He numbers all the stars and calls them out by name (Ps. 147:4). ⁠
✨ He makes the sun rise and set each day (Ps. 113:3). ⁠
✨ He tells the waters of the ocean where their boundary line is (Job 38:11). ⁠
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He holds the world together—how much more can he hold your life together? Joy comes from knowing who he is, not from the ease of our life or the absence of trials.⁠
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If you struggle, like me, to find your identity and joy in the things of the Lord and not in your appearance, achievements, and efforts, let me encourage you in this—you will never know who you are apart from knowing who God is. It is in cherishing and knowing the unwavering, unchanging, unshakable character of God that we find our strength, joy, and hope. Rejoice in who he is this week! –Gretchen (), Founder

08/07/2022

Breathe is Sunday, August 21!

A time to refresh, refuel & remain …designed especially for women

5pm -
Coffee and Community in the Lobby- Invite a friend to join you!

5:45pm -
WC Doors Open for Breathe

08/02/2022

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Our lives should be marked more by meaning than a simple to do list that is checked as we go.

We were made with intention to be intentionally relational, investing our time in the people that surround us. After all, what value is a long list of life long accomplishments if there is no personal impact in their wake?

In the hustle of our dreams we often miss the reality for which we are designed. It’s ok to be unproductive.

I always feel a tension on days where I don’t get much done, but don’t let that tension overshadow the value of sitting with your kids and playing legos in the floor. Don’t let the need to be productive take away from a two hour conversation at a coffee shop with a friend that is down on her luck. Don’t let the speed of life force you to miss the simplicity in which God meets so many of our needs: through the love of our friends.

Sometimes we want God to do grandiose things, but what if He truly does just want our hearts? What if the true gain in life is seeing Him in the mundane, through the heartache and struggle, in the early morning quiet time or the late night desperate prayer? What if His presence is what we’re after, and not all of these temporary things?

There’s nothing wrong with slowing down. Living simply. The joy in today can simply be that we can gladly say, “God has been near.”

It’s okay to value presence over productivity. In our friendships, with our families. Live in the beautiful moments that He has given. Desire His nearness, abide in Him.

Encouragement today from my husband

07/26/2022

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The smoke alarm went off as I rushed around the house trying to get everyone ready for the day. I’d just ended and, to be quite honest, my heart and body weren’t ready for the day. As the loud beeps filled the house, I let out a huff and threw my hands in the air, thinking, “Of course this would happen today!”⁠
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I felt like a mess for most of my busy and chaotic morning. But that smoke alarm beeping was signaling my heart to slow down. God didn’t make us to rush and hurry and hustle and worry. He made us to rest in him, to come as we are, to receive his grace—in every moment of life. And he made us with alarms in our hearts that sound loudly when we're looking away from him. The alarm is actually a good thing, because it’s there to protect us. ⁠
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I listened to the alarm of my heart and took a nap while my kids napped. I set my phone down and played with them at the park. I remembered that life isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon, and Jesus is the prize at the end of the race.⁠
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So today, if you’ve got an alarm sounding in your soul, listen to it. Pause and pour out your heart before him. Loosen your grip on what you’re clinging to and hold tight to his grace.⁠
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Come as you are to the throne room and let your King quiet your heart. –Gretchen (), Founder⁠

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Shades Mountain Women's Ministry

09/22/2022

09/13/2022

09/07/2022

09/06/2022

08/30/2022

08/25/2022

08/24/2022

08/13/2022

08/08/2022

08/07/2022

08/02/2022

07/26/2022

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