July 4, 2020 By Jodie Montgomery Happy “Independence Day”! This 2020, it seems odd to celebrate independence when so many are so restricted by a pandemic and socioeconomic barriers. I do not FEEL freedom. The Fourth of July was first celebrated on July 4, 1777 when, in Philadelphia, Congress was adjourned to...
Christmas in July By Jodie Montgomery Luke 2:10-11 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Last year,...
Nature Girl By Jodie Montgomery Job 39:1 “Do you know the time the mountain goats give birth? Do you observe the calving of the deer?..” Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made,...
Ignorance By Jodie Montgomery “Ignorance must be a fun place to live; my parents seem to vacation there year-round.” ― Nenia Campbell I overheard someone saying how younger people are much more open to talk about racism and current events than their parents. I would like to think that I do not prefer ignorance. But in...
Focus By Jodie Montgomery I’m struggling with my vision right now. One of my eyes is corrected for distance and the other for near, but right now all seems foggy. I’m trying to make life clearer by wearing readers, but I find that life involves a lot of looking near, looking far...
Remembering By Jodie Montgomery I think that it is important for people to hear one another’s stories, but stories about old boy or girlfriends can be hurtful to our spouses. So as a general rule, my husband of 37 years and I do not talk about past dating relationships. Today, I break...
Holiness is Our Friend By Jodie Montgomery Some things I just want to force. I love hydrangeas: big blooms, variations of color, bold green leaves, fullness. I know they do not flourish in Florida, but I still plant every hydrangea received as a gift. I babied them in my own non-green thumb,...
Wisdom Literature By Jodie Montgomery The Old Testament Wisdom Literature (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) is very different from the historical and prophetic books. Wisdom literature helps the reader get inside the author’s thought life. Biblical wisdom literature helps the reader get a glimpse into the character of God and...
I Covet (Yearn to Possess) Something By Jodie Montgomery This blog may not interest many of you. It is a confession. I covet something. I think about this something constantly. I realize that my focus on this something is robbing me of contentment. So I went to the Scriptures and I provide...
Translations By Jodie Montgomery I have been walking in my neighborhood more regularly due to the quarantine. Many are doing the same. The weather has been incredible. I’m thankful for the timing of this gorgeous spring season. As I walk, on many occasions I meet up with the neighbor that lives in the...
The Mirror By Jodie Montgomery On our bathroom counter, my husband has a shaving mirror. It is round, set in a bronze stand. It takes up space so I resent the thing. Through the years I have paid very little attention to it other than to note that when I glance at...
Why was Mrs. Beasley still in my attic? By Jodie Montgomery Since I’m home 24/7, I’m doing a pandemic purge. This isn’t bulimic. I’m cleaning out my storage areas; closet and attic. I am not a hoarder… with the exception of Christmas décor. I used to have three boxes of my childhood in...
Trying to Help By Jodie Montgomery 3 John 3-4 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. In times of hardship, we discover what we really believe. Our independence is revealed...
Covid-19 and the Home By Jodie Montgomery In our Women’s Ministry online groups, I’ve had a number of women mention that being quarantined has actually been an incredible time of connecting with their family on a new level. Some are mentioning that they love not racing out the door to school, from...
Zoom Calls and Coffee Mugs By Jodie Montgomery In this time of social distancing, I’m learning a lot about online resources and staying connected through video conferencing. I’m also learning a lot about missed opportunities on video conferencing. I realized that I had an incredible opportunity to look somewhat spiritual online by setting...
We thought we would run some "sanity checks" and see how everyone is doing during this time. Some lighthearted chats via Zoom have been set up with pastor's wives & our women's ministry leaders on different topics. Please click HERE to be added to our Zoom email list. Check out our tentative...
I ate little bugs By Jodie Montgomery While I social distance, I need to be cautious of the dangers at my home. The health care professionals do not need me showing up in the ER because I ate some little bugs. I have a cute container with a seasonal finial (currently an Easter...
Abounding Love By Jodie Montgomery 1 John 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. I am feeling the self-induced pressure of writing something profound, encouraging, not about the virus and relevant to the virus, compassionate...
I realized that I told a little about my grandson’s birth but really the story is my daughter’s to tell. It’s been months now since the event, we were a bit numb from so much emotion. When you hear a loved one is pregnant, you want all to be smiles...
When I traveled to England with my daughters to tour Jane Austen movie sites, my youngest daughter was monitoring social media for any "Pop Ups" we might pop in on. This was another fun adventure in the midst of a fun adventure. I appreciated my daughter's keeping us aware of some...
Children by Jodie Montgomery Throughout the world, children are in need of care. Many see children as an inconvenience or they see themselves as incapable of parenting. This is heart wrenching. His Body through local churches is uniting to increase awareness of children needing care. Pastor Reno at Idlewild oversees our foster...
Speechless by Jodie Montgomery There are so many topics bombarding my thoughts these days that I really have no idea what to say or where to start. Thoughts swirling include what’s for dinner, why such a number gap between church membership and actual attendees, the role of women in the church,...
More on She Loves Out Loud 2020 By Jodie Montgomery In all the years I have been doing women’s ministry, I have never had so many women at an event come and tell me how much they wished more had known about and attended a gathering. The men driving the trams after...
Perseverance by Jodie Montgomery I’m reading through the letters to the churches in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3. Do you know that the word “perseverance” is used repeatedly in these letters? God values perseverance. This word does not equate to the word I like to describe my existence, “comfortable”. I am...
God First Loved Us By Susan Grace In October, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. I could write a long list of things to share on how truly wonderful this baby is to me and my husband! Children are a blessing from God and this baby has greatly blessed us. However,...
My Experience at She Loves Out Loud By Nicole Brinson When Jodie told me about She Loves Out Loud, I liked the concept of it but was super confused over the execution of it. A group of women - across the nation - coming together for a time of prayer. I love...
Loving Words by Jodie Montgomery Happy Valentine’s Day (or week…)! Valentines are such a reminder to me of the power of encouragement, the power of loving words. John 13:34-35 says that believers will be known by their love for one another. Love is expressed! I am particularly fond of Valentine’s Day...
He’s Here! by Jodie Montgomery My son-in-law and I had been at my daughter’s bedside in the hospital since 7 am. We had witnessed her induction and then quiet strength as she worked through the early stages of labor and most of the transition stage. The morning had held some fun...
Humbled by Jodie Montgomery The definition for humble in the Oxford Dictionary online reads to lower someone in dignity or importance, decisively defeat (typically one that was previously thought to be superior), low, lowly. The similar terms for humble are listed as humiliate, abase, demean, belittle, lower, degrade, debase. The definitions...
IBC Women’s Blog January 23, 2020 GOOVI by Jodie Montgomery It’s the first of the year and I’ve got a new best friend, GOOVI. I have fallen in love with GOOVI. GOOVI does what not many want to do, clean up after others. GOOVI is quiet, efficient, and focused in his mission....
We are looking forward to seeing you at our She Loves Out Loud event on February 15, 2020! You can register for this event HERE What is She Loves Out Loud? Listen to Diane Strack below! [embed]https://youtu.be/F5Jmctw_D1o[/embed] What is the cost of this event? FREE What can you expect at the event? The event starts at...
Prayer is an interesting discipline of the Christian faith. It portrays belief in an unseen mighty entity that wondrously values connection to His creation. It is the essence of faith to kneel and cry out to God trusting that He not only knows, but cares. The believer does not automatically...
As a Women's Ministry Director, you receive a lot of requests to host events at "your" church. It takes a bit of effort sometimes to process the requests and to keep up with the information so that if you do want to host something you can remember the details. I...
In 2020, the Women’s Ministry will continue to send a group of women to Queens, NYC to serve at the Asian Women’s Center and through outreach in Diversity Plaza. This is a phenomenal missions opportunity as all the world gathers in Diversity Plaza! I went on the Memorial Day mission trip...
While we want to make sure you're "In the Know" on all things 'women's ministry' within our church, we also want to keep you aware of other ministries happenings that may be of interest to you! Our goal is to share other ministries within Idlewild that we just love...
I’m starting this year a little differently than previous New Years by remembering who I am and who I am not. 2019 got away from me. It started with a lot of questioning and ended with a lot of just trying to keep pace with home and ministry responsibilities. The...
God with Us Reading: Luke 2:25-38 Simeon and Anna were anticipating Messiah, waiting to behold His beauty. God remembered their longing for His righteousness and blessed them by allowing them to not only behold, but to hold the baby Jesus before they died. The result? Both Simeon and Anna still proclaim to...
Alpha and Omega Reading: 2 Samuel 7:13; Revelation 21, 22 The Biblical story does not end with Christmas. There is so much more. May we remember Christ’s gift of forgiveness of sin and newness of Life as we proclaim His goodness. May we remind one another of the things to come as...
Shepherd Reading: Luke 2:1-20; John 10:1-21 I learned Psalm 23 by memory when as a young child I visited my Grandma Burns. She believed that memorizing the Psalm would be a great comfort to me through the years. She was right. Probably more than any gift I have ever received, I cherish...
Beloved of God Reading: Micah 5:1-4; Luke 1:26-80; Matthew 1:19-2:12 In today’s reading, I hope you see the many people that have gone before us recognizing the time is now to worship the King. I vaguely remember days in a little Mennonite Church with Sunday school in the basement when I lived...