Thursday, February 08, 2007

Ending and Beginning (Passing the Peace) Exercise 7

10 comments:

Carri said...

Jemila, I am thankful for your hunger for a group "where I don't have to minimize either my intellectually questioning/doubts, or my passionate hunger for a deeper relationship with my Creator, Redeemer and Friend." I thank God for what he has done and continues to do in your life.

Jemila Kwon said...

Thanks carry, means alot :) Back at you!

Jemila Kwon said...

Amy, I really appreciate how much you've grown and blossomed in the brief time I've had the privilege of observing and participating in your journey. It's almost like I can see the shackles falling off, a few at a time :) I have the utmost respect for your courage. Your walk has inspired me and helped me open up and be able to be more embracing of people who still have a connection to evangelical churches/subculture and not put up my defenses of, "that person's going to judge me or judge someone like me." Thank you for helping me so much in my healing process!

Nancy said...

Jemila, I pass the peace to you in gratitude for being a living demonstration of a woman who can be educated, articulate and wise regarding scripture and yet remain independent and free with her life in Christ. You are not afraid to push the limits and yet do so with such a huge knowledge base behind you. I really respect and admire you for it.

To each of you women participating in this "study", I pass the peace. I have been so encouraged, informed and inspired by your stories. I appreciate the precious hearts of each of you, so willing to share and wrestle together. You are brave and faithful. THANK YOU for being who you are and for striving so to become what you were made to be.

Amy said...

I don't even know where to begin in passing the peace. I long to "see" each of you, to hug you and to look in your eyes and hope that the gratitude in my heart shines through in a way that words don't seem adequate to express.

Jemila, thank you for opening your heart to me and where I'm at in my journey and for journeying with me. The path is so much easier when traveled with a friend.

For all of you, thank you for sharing who you are. I am inspired, broken and challenged. I am grateful to share life with you.

My heart is so full...

Jemila Kwon said...

Nancy, thank you. I also pass the peace to you in gratitude for the centering you bring to the group. Your presence, even across the miles has a very beautiful,deep and calming authenticity that is a balm to those who are blessed to be with you.

Lori said...

It seems I can only "pass the peace" that I've been given. As I mentioned earlier, this is my first venture into the "blog" world, and I'm still adjusting a bit to the experience of disembodied communication. However, this place has become a refuge of sorts, somewhere I look forward to meeting each of you, and anxious to see how God is speaking to each of us, through each other. So thank you for sharing God's shalom with me in this way.
Jemila, thanks for your dedication in maintaining this site, and for fostering a wonderful community. Amy, thank you for your openness and example of a woman "swimming upstream". Kate, your "very, very small wheel" made me laugh out loud, which felt so good! Nancy, I sense depth and very intentional thinking in what you've written; thanks for the encouragement to do the same. And Carri, you're great at getting to the point. I can certainly learn from you. :)
To each of you, a huge thank you for letting me be part of this journey, as together we can grow to know Jesus better.
Shalom

Kate said...

I am thankful for you all. This is a place of encouragement, discovery, faith, wisdom, humor and honesty. I love the glimpses that I've been given of your individual personalities and passions. It means alot to be able to come to a place such as this and be amongst wise women!

Jemila Kwon said...

Kate, I am thankful for your fire and vulnerability and gift for put your journey into words. Seeing the similarities and differences in how God creates each one of us is so inspiring in a place like this where there is so much simultaneous resonance and diversity! It's so great having you here!

Lori, I feel so blessed by the comfort you seem to have grown into in being in your own skin, seeing where you're journey has taken you so far, without shying away from expressing longings and doubts, yet embracing the goodness of what is, and of God in it.

Jemila Kwon said...

Lydia, if you're lurking, thank you for being you, for the inspiring and interesting things you always bring to the table, for your risks in being open and significant work you do at the ooze.

All of you are such beautiful, incredible women! What a privilege to share each of you a bit of this road.