so they may encourage // little sister adventures

"Older women are to be reverent in their behavior . . . so they may encourage the young women . . ."

{Titus 2:3}

As daughters of the Almighty God, Christian women are called to live in fellowship with one another as sisters. Think of the typical family where there are big sisters as well as little sisters. The older sisters have gone through a few extra years of experience (some good, some bad) that is usually helpful for younger sisters to learn from (whether fashion advice, not listening to seniors on first day as a freshman in high school, or how to talk to boys once you realize they don't have cooties after all).

 As the oldest of three sisters, I wish I could have had someone older I could have confided in as a young teenager many, many (undisclosed) years ago.   It may have saved me from years of internally fighting lies from the enemy all on my own because I was afraid I was the only one going through specific issues. Little did I know, so many other girls dealt with similar struggles. 

The enemy is a liar and deceiver, working often by isolating us from one another and silencing us into hearing only his lies. That is why it is so important to hear God's word in our daily life though personal study of the Bible, teachings/sermons, worship music, and fellowship within our family of Christians.

 Although I don't consider myself an "older" woman of Titus 2, I definitely feel the burden of the younger generation of girls to have "big sister" figures in their lives to help point them to Jesus. Even though I am single and cannot teach younger girls the art of being a mom or an expert homemaker, God has so faithfully taken care of my needs and led me through an exciting adventure, especially in the past three years and I am excited to share them with these girls.  He has brought me redemption and freedom by giving me a bigger view of His amazing love for me as His beloved daughter. This was done mainly through Bible-believing, Jesus-loving community. Two years ago, I joined a community group (similar to "small groups") of young-ish marrieds, singles, and in-betweeners (who soon became marrieds) and experienced what I believe is God-glorifying fellowship. A few months later, I started living with five Christian ladies in an adorable house by a lake that I absolutely adored. These groups of people became family. I was encouraged, loved, and prayed for in tough times, but also challenged to go beyond my comfort zone. I celebrated exciting events (like my grad school graduation!) with these "family" members, while also being covered in their compassion when I walked through dark valleys. 

Now that I am living closer to the church I grew up in, my heart yearns to show the younger generation of girls that they are not alone. Although us "older" young ladies are not perfect and we are still learning lessons ourselves, we believe that God can use us in spite of our own flaws to show these girls how amazing our Father is. 

So what happened a few months ago is that a group of girls who had this similar heart's cry answered the call and began to reach out to the "little sisters" of our church in a one-on-one fashion. These "older sisters" are in many walks of life:  married, single,  mothers. Some are in college, others are post-graduates working full-time. But all share a desire to reach out to our "little sisters" and walk through this life together by using modern conveniences such as texting, Facebook, and emailing to connect with the young teen ladies. In addition, the goal is that each "big sister" meet with their  "little sister" once a month for coffee, a walk in the park, or some other venue to meet and talk, pray, and explore life together. And surrounding all of this is lots of prayer for these "little sisters". Because face it, no matter the age, girls today are being barraged by the culture's crippling definition of beauty, relationships, and self-esteem. Everywhere they turn, the world aspires to teach them lessons fully contradictory to the Word of God.  It's about time they get to hear other voices too! Voices that point towards the works and power of a God who died for their mistakes and failures. Voices that will point them to true joy and peace everlasting that is found in Jesus. 

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So, this is what my "little sis" and I did yesterday! I told her to invite a friend and took them both to the Portland Art Museum. What resulted was a whole lot of fun!

The Cyclopedia: Iconinc Biciycle Design exhibit showcased 40 bicycles, each chosen by Vienna-based designer/bike aficionado Michael Embacher to show pivotal moments in bicycle design. As one of the cycle-friedliest cities in the U.S., Portland is the perfect place for this special exhibit.

European Art exhibit, which focused on Renaissance works. 

English Silver exhibit. I just loved the seafoam room among all that silver!

our favorite piece in the Contemporary Art exhibit was this big red glass thing

I was so excited to see Monet at  the Impressionism corner  of the P.A.M... swoon!

We enjoyed a late lunch at the amazing Nuvrei Patisserie & Cafe in the trendy Pearl district of Portland, where we each ordered delicious sandwiches (my Croque Madame was superb!) and mouth-watering sweets (macarons, croissants, and brownie cookies, oh my!) 

I enjoyed hanging out with these sweet young ladies yesterday and look forward to more adventures!

 I pray that I use this place of influence as a mentor to showcase Jesus whether we are talking about difficult topics or whether we are perusing an art museum and laughing at weird statues.  I am not there to fix her problems or to be the first person she goes to in hard times. Instead, I am there to hopefully guide this sweet lady closer to the God who absolutely adores her and has a great plan for her. The God who sent His son Jesus to redeem and save us. The God who calls us to be in His family and no longer walk alone, but together.