Happy December!

School is in full swing, sports are in season, and holidays are wizzing by. I love the fall-approaching-winter season, but I always feel the same way—my life is moving way too fast! As soon as the stores start putting up Christmas decorations (which sometimes can be as early as October. Yikes!), I feel like the world starts going into fast-forward mode. With all the excitement, activity, and, yes, homework, sometimes it can be hard to enjoy this wonderful time of year.

I hope all of you are having a great school year so far! And, I also hope that you have been able to spend some time with your SCA Sister. Even when life gets busy, it is important to continue investing in friendships with the people that you care about. Call your SCA Sister, write her a letter, plan a time to get together, or simply pray for her!

Psalm 23 is a Bible passage that has been on my mind lately (probably because I have to memorize it in Spanish for my Spanish class :)). It’s a passage that most of us are familiar with, but I think it is a perfect reminder of how much God loves us. When I read the passage, I am reminded of God’s omnipresence, omnipotence, love, grace, faithfulness, and kindness. I am filled with peace when I remember that God is sufficient for us no matter how crazy life gets. And, He is the best friend we are ever going to have. This Christmas season, take some time with your SCA Sister to talk about how God has been working in each of your lives.

Merry Christmas!!

With Much Love,

Ashlyn

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Service Project Re-Cap

Hi SCA Sisters!

Thank you to all of you who joined us to serve at Open Doors Ministry last Thursday. Kari, the women in charge of volunteers, e-mailed me and said, “Thank you so much for bringing your young women mentoring group to serve with us. The boys were a great help too!”

For those of you who weren’t able to make it, we missed you! We hope you will be able to join us next time. If any of you have any other ideas for a service project (or fun SCA Sister event in general), please let us know!

In the meantime, let’s all remember to encourage our SCA Sisters to serve other this fall!

Love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

SCA Sisters' Service Project!

Hi SCA Sisters! 

     Please join us for a fun service project on September 15th from 12:30-2:30pm! 

For several years I (Ashlyn) have worked as an intern for Open Doors Ministry. I'd like to share with you my passion for the cause of Religious Freedom.

Open Doors Ministry recently launched a campaign about standing up for persecuted Christians. You can check out more information about the One With Them campaign at http://www.onewiththem.com/. 

Let's meet at the Open Doors' Office to learn more about religious persecution, and to help package bracelets for their new campaign.

We are hoping to car-pool up to the OD office in Santa Anna, so if any moms are willing to drive, please let us know. Parents and siblings are welcome! Please e-mail or call Ashlyn or Tessa ASAP to let us know if you will be coming. 

Please eat lunch before you come. Other than that, just come with hearts willing to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ who face persecution for their faith!

What are you doing today? :)

“What are you doing today?” When my (Ashlyn’s) Little Sister Sarah texted me last Monday, I didn’t know how much fun I was going to have that afternoon! After I got off of work, I drove over to her house. We baked, talked, ironed (seriously!), made crafts, and discussed one of our favorite activities—reading. I had so much fun getting to know her! Sarah was ready to be spontaneous and to take initiative to make sure we spent time together. You don’t have to have an elaborate day planned to have enjoy being with your SCA Sister. Sarah and I raided the shelves to find cookie ingredients, and we had a blast!

So, what are you doing today? :)

Summer Activities

Allyson, Ellysa, and Carissa recently took their SCA Sisters (Denise, Elise, and Ollyvia) on a group date! They went to watch Winnie the Pooh and to eat lunch together. Allyson said, “These girls are amazing, and I’m looking forward to getting to know not just my SCA sister (Denise) better, but also my sisters’ SCA sisters too.” Going to movies and going out to lunch are two perfect activities to do with your SCA Sister! And, we love the idea of getting together with other sister pairs. :)

What have you all been doing with your sisters?  

Cheering for our SCA Sisters

I (TessaJoy) was so blessed to have my little sister, Naomi, come to cheer for me at my Junior Olympic Swim Meet. She even made me a great sign! Just as Naomi cheered me on, we can all be cheering on our little and big SCA Sisters to live for Jesus. 

What have you done with your SCA Sister lately? 

Words

Words are powerful. We probably all disagree with the cliché, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” As you deepen your friendship with your SCA Sister, be conscious of the words you use.

            Unfortunately, as girls, we can fall into the trap of gossip. Proverbs 16:28 says, “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” It is easy to  tell the latest “juicy news” about somebody else, but consider the impact that it has on that other person. In your conversations with our SCA Sisters, let’s choose to instead talk about things that would glorify God.

            Instead of gossiping, use your words to encourage one another! Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Even when we are not discussing Biblical topics,  we can use our words as a tool to encourage our sisters.

            It is our prayer that we can all be an encouragement to each other using our words! So, write a note, or give your sister a call this week! :) Happy summer! :)

Love,

Ashlyn and Tessa

Here are some ideas of topics to discuss with your SCA Sister:

Gossip-- http://www.gotquestions.org/gossip-Bible.html

Power of Words-- http://www.openbible.info/topics/power_of_words

Also, check out our website for devotional ideas: http://scasisters.webs.com/devotionals.htm