HEARTLANDS News Winter 2022

HEARTLANDS is the quarterly email for EmpowHer – a network of Tasmanian women growing and encouraging each other in their God-given potential.

Table of Contents

    Diary Dates

    Check the details on these events by scrolling down.
    Have you subscribed to Heartlands to find out about events in your region?

    • Fri/Sat 24/25 June SOUTH Shelter Retreat – read the overview!
    • Sunday 31st July NORTH Cosy Cuppa, Chat & Craft at Westbury Baptist
    • Saturday 17th September NORTHWEST Coffee and Walk, Latrobe
    • Late Oct/Early Nov World Women’s Day Of Prayer – events across the state

    OVERVIEW: SHELTER Retreat

    Southern Event

    FRI/SAT 24-25 June 2022, Blackmans Bay

    How the Shelter retreat weekend unfolded

    OUR THEME: SHELTER

    Shelter Retreat, Heartlands Autumn 2022

    Everyone needs it. God provides it. We sleep, eat and live in it.

    But how do you live in the SHELTER of the Most High God?

    “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

    Psalm 91:1

    Overview of the SHELTER Retreat

    Denise Stephenson and Jenny Baxter
    Denise and Jenny
    • The retreat was led by Denise Stephenson (LifeWay) and Jenny Baxter (Hobart)
    • A rejuvenating literal Sabbath, from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday
    • Delicious home-cooked meals, in an intimate setting
    • Great connection with old and new friends
    • Amazing harp music – live and in-person!
    • Times of input, plus silence and reflection
    • Creative activities to keep minds focussed, and hands busy
    • A trip to the beach to explore and reflect
    • Private counselling and prayer opportunities
    • A real sense of God’s SHELTER in this busy world

    Denise and Jenny are available to run similar women’s retreats in other parts of Tasmania.

    To express interest please contact Jenny at empowher@tasbaptists.org.au

    What’s Coming Up?

    Pig Island Walk, Latrobe

    Northwestern Event

    10:30am Saturday 17th September
    Pig Island Walk with EmpowHer, Sept 2022

    Invite Others! Download Brochure

    Join a friendly leisurely walk at Pig Island Latrobe on the Mersey River.

    Continue with coffee at at Monclair of Latrobe and Madame M Cafe.

    All women welcome!

    RSVP or MORE INFO:

    Gabrielle – 0421 434 138

    International Women’s Day of Prayer

    Late October/Early November 2022

    This year there will be Day of Prayer events held in the north, northwest and south of Tasmnia as we pray toether and raise funds for Baptist women working on some amazing projects in developing countries.

    Subscribe to HEARTLANDS to find out details of these events as they come to hand!


    Cosy Cuppa, Chat & Craft

    Northern Event – NOW OVER!

    2:30PM, SUNday 31st JULY 2022

    Invite Others! Download brochure

    Come along for a cuppa and craft at Westbury Baptist for a relaxed afternoon together.

    We will be joined by special guests Maria Hutchison (Newstead) and Lacey Holloway (Westbury).

    RSVP or MORE INFO:

    Jenna – 0488 330 390; Belinda – 0408 267 188 | Or via our Facebook group: EmpowHer (North)


    Action for You

    Invite someone along

    Have you noticed that not everyone is back yet?

    Winter walk at the beach
    We all need each other!

    Post-Covid hesitancy is a thing. Maybe it’s because people are reluctant to move out of their houses and safe spaces. Or maybe we got used to managing on our own.

    Whatever the reason, it’s true to say we all need each other. Being part of a community is critical to good mental and emotional health.

    Whether or not you are wary about getting back into circulation, why not ask a friend to come with you? That could be as simple as going for a walk together on the beach, grabbing a coffee at a local café, or heading off to the gym or church together.

    Or maybe you could invite someone to one of the EmpowHer events lined up in your region.

    It’s a good time to be the blessing!


    God’s Whisper

    It’s so easy to think up your own answer to a problem. Instead, remember to listen for God’s still, quiet voice.

    By Jenny Baxter

    Too many people and not enough food!
    How many times have you been caught in that situation? I have to admit, I’ve been there a few times. Tiny servings of apple crumble, and thinned-down pumpkin soup have featured on my table, much to my horror.

    Read More >


    To find out about EmpowHer events and activities for women in Tasmania, please subscribe to HEARTLANDS!

    EmpowHer

    HEARTLANDS News Autumn 2022

    HEARTLANDS is the quarterly email for EmpowHer – a network of Tasmanian women growing and encouraging each other in their God-given potential.

    Table of Contents

      Diary Dates

      Watch out for more info coming from your region, directly to you.

      • Saturday 21st May NORTH Basin Café and Gorge Walk.
      • Saturday 24-25th June SOUTH Day-Retreat: “Shelter”
      • Late Oct/Early Nov World Women’s Day Of Prayer – events across the state

      What’s Happening?

      Basin Café and Gorge Walk

      9:30am, Saturday 21st May 2022
      EmpowHer Walk May 2022, Heartlands Autumn 2022

      Invite Others! Download brochure

      Join us for a cuppa at Basin Cafe (RSVP required)

      A walk through the Gorge to Duck Reach will follow (weather permitting)

      RSVP ESSENTIAL


      SHELTER Retreat

      5pm to 5pm, FRI/SAT 24-25 June 2022, Blackmans Bay

      SHELTER

      Everyone needs it. God provides it. We sleep, eat and live in it.

      But how do you live in the SHELTER of the Most High God?

      Shelter Retreat, Heartlands Autumn 2022

      “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
      will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

      Psalm 91:1
      • Led by Denise Stephenson (LifeWay) and Jenny Baxter (Hobart)
      • $45/person Covers food and materials. (This is a non-residential retreat.) Contact us if you have hesitations about cost. There are other ways you can contribute. Contact us if you have any hesitations about cost. There are other ways you can contribute.
      • Get your Rego Form Call or SMS Jenny 0401 652 566
      • Invite Others! Download brochure

      Action for You

      Praying with intention

      Do you often pray like this?

      Praying with Intention; Heartlands Autumn 2022
      • God bless Mary
      • Lord, please look after my son
      • Jesus, can you please stop all wars
      • Father, give me a good life

      These are all good prayers, and quite legitimate, but they are so general! They are all “motherhood prayers” – prayers so broad it is impossible to know if God truly answers them.

      Instead, pray with intention. Fill those prayers with meaning and talk to God about what worries you. And, when prompted, follow up your prayer with action. Relationship is critical to answered prayer.

      How different are these prayers to those above?

      • God, how can I bless Mary today?
      • Lord, give me wisdom as I call my son, so I can encourage him.
      • Jesus, I pray about the war in Ukraine. Is there something I can do to assist?
      • Father, help me to love and care for others around me, even if my life is not so good.

      It’s a time to be the blessing!


      Undervalued or Super Loved?

      Undervalued or super loved, Heartlands Autumn 2022

      Women’s ministry at Beauty Point

      By Rachelle Hawkins

      Since the The Point* Baptist’s inception in 2006, we have endeavoured to hold many outreach events to reach our town of Beauty Point.

      The message is always about who Jesus is, and why it’s important. These events include men’s dinners, women’s dessert nights, concerts, kids’ clubs, and an annual visit by Texan missionaries who do all the above, and more.

      We, as a church, long to share the hope Jesus offers.

      Read More >


      The Science of Seeing God

      ANNETTE SPURR, Heartlands Autumn 2022

      Gratitude and thankfulness for the World, the Universe, and Everything!

      By A.J. Spurr

      Recently, I interviewed a young man who had been struggling with addiction since the age of 12. He had completed a program at a Christian rehab centre, and while he was there, he encountered Jesus.

      “The first thing I noticed,” he said, “was that I could feel the breeze on my skin. I’d never experienced it before, even though it had been happening the whole time. I was finally able to feel it.”

      So, what had changed?

      Read More >


      To find out about EmpowHer events and activities for women in Tasmania, please subscribe to HEARTLANDS!

      EmpowHer

      The Science of Seeing God

      The science of seeing God

      Heartlands – Autumn 2022

      In Awe of God’s Creation

      Gratitude and thankfulness for the World, the Universe, and Everything!

      Heartlands News
      "I could feel the breeze on my skin. I’d never experienced it before"
Seeing God
      “I could feel the breeze on my skin. I’d never experienced it before.”

      Recently, I interviewed a young man who had been struggling with addiction since the age of 12. He had completed a program at a Christian rehab centre, and while he was there, he encountered Jesus.

      “The first thing I noticed,” he said, “was that I could feel the breeze on my skin. I’d never experienced it before, even though it had been happening the whole time. I was finally able to feel it.”

      So, what had changed?

      Romans 12:2 explains that you’re transformed as you renew your mind. But how does one go about doing that?

      ‘You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

      Matthew 5:8 (MSG)

      Awe and Wonder

      Have you ever watched a newborn discover their hand for the first time? It’s mesmerising. They slowly turn their wrist, then watch in wonder as each finger, one by one, moves by the power of their mind, their eyes as wide as dinner plates at the sheer wonder of it. Then they discover their feet and toes and the slow, awe filled dance continues.

      But then one day, their hands and feet are just ‘there.’ No longer mesmerising, just existing without fanfare.

      A while ago, a friend severed the top of his finger and it had to be surgically reattached. His whole finger was wrapped up tight for weeks while it healed. When it was finally unwrapped, his fingertip was so sensitive to touch, like electricity running through his hand, he had to get used to it all over again. I imagine that’s what it feels like for newborns; every touch like electricity, until their brain and senses adapt.

      Auto-pilot vs High alert

      The fact is, if we spent our days staring at the wonder of our hands, and feeling electricity at every touch, we wouldn’t get very much done. So our brains have a ‘block out’ system, ensuring we only notice what’s ‘necessary’ at the time. It’s why you can drive home from work and have no recollection of the journey.

      Your brain is on ‘auto-pilot’ in familiar surroundings. But it’s on high alert, taking in every street name and landmark when you’re driving in unfamiliar territory. Put simply; if we took in every piece of information thrown at us each day, our brains would not cope.

      It means that noticing things which have become familiar doesn’t come easily. We have to consciously make an effort to notice, and strive not to lose the wonder in the familiar. Being transformed, as it were, by the daily renewing our minds (Romans 12:2).

      Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

      Romans 12:2

      Seeing God

      So, what does a breeze have to do with seeing God? Well, what if I told you that God is speaking to you every day through His creation?

      ‘See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth… “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”’

      Psalm 46:8-10 (MSG)

      Your whole outlook on the world changes when you literally stop to smell the roses. Stand under a canopy of trees and recognise the creativity that went into designing each leaf, and the delight God must have felt as he crafted each of the colourful birds chattering amongst the branches, and taught them to weave elaborate nests, miraculously engineered to survive summer storms.

      smelling roses, seeing God
      “Your whole outlook on the world changes when you literally stop to smell the roses.”

      I explain more about the science behind ‘God encounters’ in my book, ‘The Simple Joy of Seeing God.’ But when the Bible says, ‘Be still and know that I am God,’ here’s what it really means…

      A while ago, I was struggling with anxiety as I walked through a particularly stressful season in my life. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, literally causing pain in my back and neck. My heart racing, tears flowing, I stepped outside and lay on the thick carpet of grass in our backyard.

      As I lay still, gazing upwards, slowly, the thoughts in my head quietened, and for the first time in a long time, I started to hear birds happily chirping as they flittered to-and-fro, and the wistful hum of bees as they gathered around a tree bloom. A sense of peace and lightness came over me.

      “Now,” His familiar voice gently whispers, “now I have your attention.”


      ‘Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence.
      Remember the world of wonders he has made.’

      Psalm 105:4-5 (MSG)

      A.J. Spurr
      Author, The Simple Joy of Seeing God (2021)

      A.J. Spurr is a speaker, freelance writer and regular radio guest who has worked in media for over 20 years. A.J. is a praying mama of two boys and happy wife of a footy-loving, barbecue aficionado. 

      READ MORE in the Autumn 2022 Heartlands

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