Dear Brandi,

Holy Saturday. We made it through the pain, sorrow, somberness of Good Friday and we anticipate tomorrow. Christians get to anticipate Easter.

The disciples did not. They had no idea Sunday was coming. On that first Saturday, Jesus was dead. Peter was living with the defeat of his denials. Judas had already hung himself – stuck in the remorse of his actions. The rest of the disciples were holed up. Fearful. Doubtful. Despairing. Heartbroken. Annas, Caiaphas and the rest of the Jewish Council who supported them were likely feeling quite satisfied with themselves. Avenged. Arrogant. Pious. 

I sat with the weight of this realizing that, until we personally experience the RISEN Jesus Christ in our lives, we live with our feet still in Friday. And I don’t simply mean the moment in time when we accepted Jesus as our Savior. I have found it all too true that I need to experience Jesus RISEN in specific areas of my life where I continue to live in defeat or in areas where I am pious, self-righteous. There is more to this than simply saying Sunday is coming. 

Today – Saturday – is a day in between.

Between death and resurrection.

Between defeat and victory.

Between despair and hope.

Between self-righteous and made righteous.

Between condemned and forgiven.

Between lost and found.

I think Saturday calls us to examine where we might still be living in Friday. So today, I’d like to encourage you to not skip over what Saturday invites us to do. Let’s not brush this day off. Let’s sit with Friday just a bit longer. 

Is there any part of your life where you are stuck in Friday’s defeat? Anything – big or small – you need to experience the victory of resurrection in? 

Today is decision day – will we stay in Friday living or step into Sunday living?

Love and blessings, Denise

Ladies Breakfast – coming up on Saturday April 15^th. This is our last breakfast and Bible study until the fall. We’ll be digging into John 15 and the keys it holds to living in Sunday.

This is a potluck breakfast if you’d like to bring something. No pressure to do so. This is a free event but if you’d like to give a love offering, you can. It’s helpful to know if you are planning to attend so we can prepare for you – you can do that here. April Breakfast

Spring Outdoor Marketplace – Saturday April 29^th. We have 40 vendors who will be selling their crafts, collectibles, art, hobbies, and other good stuff in Hillside’s parking lot. Please mark your calendar to stop by and shop! This is a rain or shine event..

 Volunteers for Friday eve set up and Saturday take down and traffic control are needed. Please contact Erica Cawood to let her know how you (or your husband, son, dad, next door neighbor :))can help at any point in time!

BONUS: We are excited to have Mr. Patrick Bentley and his son Alex, onsite selling hotdogs, chips, and homemade lemonade. Join us for lunch!

Ladies Bible Studies

Tuesday Evening: 7 - 9 p.m.

In depth study/discussion of the Gospel of Luke. All you need is your Bible and a desire to learn and understand the life lessons we can learn from this beautiful Gospel. We'll be using some video teachings and some outside resources, but there is no homework or workbook per se. We will journey through the Gospel for as long as it takes us - so this is a perfect group to join at any point in time. Room 2208

Our other ladies' groups are wrapping up. Stay tuned for new opportunities.

Do you have a study you'd like to do? We are seeking ladies willing to step out in faith to facilitate new groups. Please contact Denise if you'd like to jump in!

For more information on upcoming events, please check out the Women of Hillside website.

Stay connected with the Women of Hillside!