Bear MUCH Fruit

1

Ladies, let’s bear MUCH fruit! As we prepare for the growth that will follow our move into the new building, let’s remember that even if we get big, our sweetest fruit will still be small. Jesus assures us, "If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit" (John 15:1). Notice that Jesus promises MUCH fruit, not big fruit. Sometimes we want big fruit though, don't we? Big, juicy, blue-ribbon-winning fruit; fruit people "Like" and “Share” on Facebook; fruit worthy of a headline. As believers, we've adopted the cultural mantra, "bigger is better." We might be too “spiritual” to admit to wanting bigger salaries, bigger houses, or bigger toys, but don't we often covet bigger spheres of influence, bigger publicity for our service, and bigger heroic moments? We want to be noticed. We want to be respected. We want the blue ribbon. But blue ribbon fruit doesn't actually taste very good. Have you ever tried it? As it swells to prize-winning proportions, it loses its flavor.

2

See when we bear big, flashy fruit, we run into big problems. Pride and condescension creep in. We focus on appearances and public opinion. Our motives shift from feeding people to winning that blue ribbon. No, when we live in Jesus, we bear much fruit. Fruit like “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22). You won’t see a front page headline about someone’s astounding patience and gentleness, but those virtues transform families and communities. Peace and kindness dissolve anger. Love and joy heal hearts.

3

Would it be easier to react heroically in a single moment of crisis or to live cheerfully and patiently with your family day after day for years? I’d argue that reacting nobly in a single “big” moment is vastly easier than reacting nobly in “small” moments for a lifetime. With this in mind, let’s shift our focus from big fruit and big moments to small fruit and small moments. Let’s watch Jesus bear much fruit in us. Let’s strive to “live a life worthy of the Lord… bearing fruit in every good work” (Col. 1:10), realizing that most good works are small… and taste so sweet.

I am the Vine you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and

so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:5, 8

Ladies of LIFE

Issue II, Fall 2016

PLAN AHEAD *Lad ies B ib l e S tudy* Because of our December move-in date, we will not host a Ladies Bible Study this fall. We encourage you to host a home study or venture out to a local community study. We’ll resume our Ladies of Life Bible Study in the new building after the holidays. Chr i s tmas Tea and Bazaa r (Saturday , December 10 , 10 a.m . – 2 p .m. ) Celebrate Christmas with worship and friendship! We’ll sip festive tea & enjoy holiday goodies as we delight in our Savior’s birth. Please bring a sweet or savory dish to share. You’ll also discover handmade items created by the Ladies of LIFE – you might even make headway on your Christmas shopping! (Want to be a vendor? Contact Linda Gragilla: lgragilla@lifecharlotte.com) Key Keepe rs Conf erence ( Januar y 27-28) : These engaging workshops will encourage and equip you as the Key Keeper of your home. Enjoy time with other Ladies of LIFE as we discover strategies for tackling everything from home organization and meal planning to parenting and more! The Wel l (F r iday Even ing , May 12 , 2017) : Bring your friends, coworkers, and neighbors to this evening of encouragement for all the Ladies of LIFE. Come thirsty; leave refreshed!

Lorem Ipsum

REACH OUT Guest Se rv ices greets and assists

guests. (Pam Meyer - pmeyer@lifecharlotte.com)

In H is S teps teaches girls’ dance inspired by faith. (Donna Smith - ihsdance.com)

K idL IFE introduces children to their Heavenly Father. (Rebecca Peters - rpeters@lifecharlotte.com)

L i f e Café provides coffee for the masses. (Bob Conway -rconway@lifecharlotte.com)

L IFE Care prays, cooks, and serves families in need. (Louis Smith - lsmith@lifecharlotte.com)

L i f e Coach ing helps women navigate life’s stressors. (Heather Conway – heatherrheaconway@me.com)

L i f e Groups do life together. (Pam Meyer – pmeyer@lifecharlotte.com)

Love L i fe Cha rlot te reaches out to moms facing crisis pregnancies. (Dan Burrell - dburrell@lifecharlotte.com)

Pr ison Min is tr y encourages and disciples local inmates. (Mark Howard - mark@precastsupply.net)

Saturday Shar ing reaches out to the homeless community. (Justin Barnes - justinjbarnes1221@gmail.com)

Sav ing Suppl y fights human trafficking. (Chris Meyer- chrismsales@gmail.com)

Spi r i tua l ly S ing le S i ste rs connects spiritually single, single & widowed ladies. (Leslie Hines & Alicia Coyle - lhynes@gmail.com)

S tudent L IFE equips and encourages students. (Simon Foster - sfoster@lifecharlotte.com)

Wo rld Venture creates positive change for children worldwide. (Rick & Diana Wilson - RickDianaWilson@msn.com

1

Vicki Shallish radiates joy. True joy. Joy that savors God’s blessings and trusts His goodness. Joy that refuses self-pity despite suffering loss. Joy that profoundly affects her daily life. What’s the secret to this real life joy? Read John 15. Here, Jesus invites us to live in Him through love and obedience. He tells us outright, “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (John 15:5-11). Vicki’s joy overflows because of love and obedience. She enjoys Jesus and obediently RE-presents Him each day. No wonder her life bursts with fruit! Here’s what it looks like: 1) Vicki really loves her boyfriend. In junior high, Vicki’s long ponytail and big smile caught the eye of 7th grade safety guard, Chuck Shallish. He became her boyfriend and eventually her husband, but the ever-smitten Vicki has persisted in calling him “boyfriend” to this day – more than 50 years later! (Vicki’s references to living with her boyfriend have raised some eyebrows!) 2) Vicki really loves her girls. Vicki and Chuck moved south from New York (their birth-state) to be closer to their daughters, Amy and Denise. Vicki’s face glows when she talks about her girls! Vicki has taken many other young women under her wings Titus-2-style too. She’s got a big open heart and big open wings. (How appropriate that her yard is an official bird sanctuary!) All Vicki’s girls savor both her wisdom and her scratch-baked goodies that make discipleship delicious! 3) Vicki is not a safe place for complaining. She emphasizes the vast difference between drama and trauma. Most of us usually fret about the former. 4) Vicki is a safe place for encouragement. Vicki shares comfort and empathy honed by her own experiences of traumatic loss. She also encourages those of us burdened by un-traumatic life stressors… without indulging the drama. 5) Vicki smiles. Vicki chooses her attitude. She knows that in Christ we are new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) with the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) who RE-present Christ to the world most strikingly through our attitudes. Emotions and circumstances do not dictate our attitudes, we do. Far from superficial or naïve, Vicki’s optimistic and thankful attitude is rooted in the truth of God’s goodness. 6) Vicki wears braces and fruit-of-the-loom. Vicki prays on the armor of God (Eph. 6) each

2

morning. Along with the helmet of salvation, and belt of truth, she also puts on braces to guard her mouth (Ps. 141:3) and spiritual fruit-of-the-loom underwear (Gal. 5:22). 7) Vicki puts sprinkles in her sugar bowl and fills her home with delightful details. Vicki lavishes her family and guests with pink Himalayan salt, rolled bouquets of paper towels, freshly ground coffee with frothy cream, precious heirloom silverware and treasured family recipes resurrected in her blue porcelain interior oven. May we all so enthusiastically and skillfully fan into flame the gifts God has given us (2 Tim. 1:6)! 8) Vicki welcomes people she doesn’t know well to her home, all because she has a hunch they need to be blessed. No cliques, no favoritism. Just an open heart and open home! 9) Vicki people watches. Every morning Vicki asks the Lord, “Who can I bless today?” Then she keeps watch for people to bless. She’s risen before dawn to make cinnamon rolls and deliver them steamy hot to a neighbor. She’s even shared a home-cooked dinner with a stranded migrant worker. Vicki’s generosity gives the illusion of fabulous wealth, but the 2008 recession affected her family just like the rest of us. What a good reminder that we all have resources to share and that we shouldn’t wait to establish nicely padded 401Ks before sharing them! 10) Vicki follows the commands we sometimes wish God hadn’t given. You know, hard rules like, Forgive. Give and expect nothing in return. Do not worry. Be patient. (Mt. 6:14, Lk. 6:34, Mt. 6:25, I Cor. 13:4). Excuses like “I just can’t forgive that injustice,” “I don’t have anything left to give,” “Worry runs in my family,” or “I’ve just always been impatient” don’t get very far with Vicki. She doesn’t accept excuses for disobedience in herself or others. But this hard obedience doesn’t sap her joy; obedience fuels her joy. Just like Jesus said it would. Look at all that fruit! To use a Vicki-ism, “Wowie!” Vicki’s life is joy-in-Jesus lived out. She’s a contagious joy “carrier,” and I pray that we will all “catch” her delightful infection! Thank you, Vicki, for showing and sharing your joy! P.S. I almost forgot to mention that Vicki and Chuck recently adopted a puppy. Naturally, they named her, “Joyful Sunrise.” JoJo for short. Mary Ann Wilmer

MEET VICKI SHALLISH