LADIES OF VIRTUE Spending Fast

The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets. Proverbs 21:20 (paraphrase)

The official start date of the spending fast will be June 1, 2013 and will last through June 30, 2013. All ladies who desire to join please leave a post on the Ladies of Virtue Facebook page or groupme chat.

This fast will seek to curb unnecessary spending and help us learn to be better stewards of what God has blessed us with.  To further honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a portion of the money saved can be donated to a missions group, charity or other ministry, this of course is totally optional.

The book of Proverbs will be the primary source of wisdom we draw from. I will be posting a verse and a devotional for the day which focuses on being a better steward. These posts will be on the Facebook page and groupme chat. What we experienced and learned will be discussed, recorded, and posted on the Ladies of Virtue blog (lovislove7.blogspot.com) to help encourage others besides those in our group.

Fasting responsibilities

1.       No unnecessary spending. This means we must not spend money on anything that is not absolutely necessary. If you usually pay for a service, but can perform it yourself, please do so.  For example, if eating out is a problem for you, you must prepare all meals at home unless dining at someone else’s home.  If at all possible, eat breakfast before going to work and take lunch or part of lunch to work.

2.       We must journal each time we are tempted to spend money on something non-essential. Make a note of the temptation in your phone or some other place. This will give us a good idea where our weakness to spend lies. Also jot down how much you would have spent, this will give you an idea about how much you actually saved for the month. This figure will also help you determine what amount you should donate if you choose to.

3.       Take time to mediate on the daily bible verses and devotionals. Pray for yourself and others who are participating in the fast.

4.       Stay away from websites and stores that you usually shop from. Do not let the lure of an once-in-a-lifetime sale, coupons, or other incentives lure you away from your goal not to spend.

5.       Express gratitude to the Lord for His blessings each and every day.

6.       Don’t allow anyone to lead you into temptation to spend.

Comments and suggestions are welcome and I will officially add them.

Let’s get started saving money for God’s glory ladies!

Poverty and disgrace come to those who ignore discipline, but the one who accepts correction will be honored. Proverbs 13:18 HCSB

Bible Study

We will begin this journey with the addition of weekly "food for the soul" as they say. After much deliberation and figuring out times that would work out across the globe, we have decided on
                                 
 SATURDAYS at 12pm ** Note Change

Every other week, one of our virtuous queens will have the pleasure of leading the group in the study. The Virtuous Queen for the week will choose an overall topic, find bible verses and just chat with the group about what it means. The topics will be set by whatever the presenter feels led to talk about.

For example: Choose the topic of "staying focused", find a chapter in the bible about staying focused(I'm not as good at this YET) and then discuss what it meant to YOU. Afterwards, anyone can jump in and talk about what it meant to them and how they applied it to their lives.

It would be a good idea for the leader for the week to post the verse in advance (one week) on here so others have the opportunity to think about it and what it means to them if they want which of course would not be mandatory.

We have been blessed to be able to use anymeeting.com where the presenter can be viewed and anyone can log in online or call in to the conference and join in. The presenter will be the person presenting for the week. In order to send you all an invitation, I will need to add your e-mail to the meeting first. Please comment on this blogpost by adding your e-mail!

Our First Bible Study will be on Sunday, June 2nd @2pm

Ladies, I took the liberty of plugging in some names for people to lead the bible study! If you would like to switch, or prefer a specific day, or are not comfortable,  please do not hesitate to switch with someone in the group by either commenting or connecting with our sisters on groupme. We also have an e-mail attached to this blog which is lovislove7@gmail.com

June 2nd- Tendi
June 16th- Amber
June 30th- L Patterson
July 14th- Nimmoh
July 28th-Arlaysha
August 11th- Sandra Butler
August 25th- Stephanie
September 8th- Shandretta
September 15th- Alicia
September 29th- Bel
October 13th- Carissa K
October 20th- Jacquelyn
November 3rd- Jazmine A.
November 17th- Kayla
December 8th- Zkayy
December 22nd- Shavannah

Don't be afraid to be used by Him to reach others. This is in its infancy stages, please keep in mind that everything is subject to change and completely open to new ideas! We will probably be changing a lot as we go so lets pray to start off with an open mind.

              Don't forget! LOV is Love!!

 In Jesus' name we pray that you open our hearts, minds, and souls to have this group be led by HIM. Father we pray that each of your virtuous queens is illuminated each week of study to speak the words that you have intended for us all to hear that you use this tool to help us grow in our personal lives and in reach and expand our minds.

Amen!

Our Story

The Story of Ladies of Virtue is one that can only be described as being God-Led, a ministry, or a calling among other things. Originally a member of Pinky-Promise, an organization dedicated to women giving their entire heart and life to Christ, Stephanie Ballard suggested some ladies join a group on the phone app "groupme" to discuss the month's bible reading challenge. In 31 days we were to read the 31 chapters of Proverbs. Within hours the group was filled with 50 ladies (the maximum capacity).We spoke every day, not only about the Word, but about life, men, sex, tribulations, challenges, and just randomness! Slowly, He was molding us to begin to trust each other, love each other, and use each other to help us get closer to His Kingdom. A sisterhood was being formed right before our eyes.

By the time the 31 days were over, we were equipped with a strong army of God-seeking women. Facebook groups were created, new "groupme" groups developed, and every week we were introducing a new disciples to our sisterhood.

Today we start this blog as a way to keep our community as we begin to grow. I guess we can say that that we are more than pinky promise, more than ladies of virtue, we are embodiment of Proverbs 31: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."