In an effort to share their mission of “…serving anyone in need by strengthening families and promoting respect for human dignity and life” beyond those they provide direct service care, to increase awareness of their ministry and enrich the lives of woman of faith, Catholic Charities of Central Texas has begun a Faith and Fellowship Breakfast called “Women of the Well” (WOW).
This quarterly event is open to women of all ages, and is offered to bring women of Central Texas together to be inspired & encouraged in their faith journeys. This is accomplished by inviting local female speakers to share about her experiences of living out her faith in her family life, career and/or community service.
And this past Monday, December 3, Women of the Well lived up to its goal.
Kathryn Whitaker, local blogger and Austin Catholic New Media contributor, was the speaker at Women of the Well’s second Faith and Fellowship Breakfast. She spoke on the busyness of our lives, and how we can and should be purposeful about the things we do, the choices we make, the gifts we use and in our relationships with God and others. Kathryn challenged us to remember that life is not an emergency (check out her blog on this topic yesterday, it’s fantastic!) and to choose one thing over the next four weeks of Advent to focus on. She reminded us that the one thing we choose to focus on should allow us to glorify God, whether it’s making a perfect Jesse Tree, spending 15 minutes more in prayer or doing something else. And though that one thing might mean saying no to some things, the no’s might mean being able to say yes to God.
Kathryn spoke from the heart, mixing both personal and family experiences with Scripture, in a deep and meaningful way that touched the women that were present at Women of the Well. It gave the women that were present something to enrich our lives with and someone to be inspired by. And I anticipate future Women of the Well gatherings will continue to do so.
But don’t just take it from me. As attendee Shawndra Hall said, “Women of the Well was wonderful. I really appreciated Kathryn’s honesty and openness. Her story and her strength were both very inspiring. I would definitely recommend for women to attend the next one in March.”
For more information about Women of the Well (WOW), visit their website or check out their Facebook page. WOW is a quarterly event, with the next Faith and Fellowship Breakfast scheduled for Thursday, March 7, 2013 from 8:30am-10am at the Pastoral Center of the Diocese of Austin.
Today’s Advent challenge is a repeat from Kathryn’s post yesterday (you really should go read it): Name one small way you are choosing to celebrate Advent in your home this season. Don’t go all Pinterest crazy on me. Choose one small way to bring Christ in your home, write it down and own it. Make it happen and enjoy this blessed season!
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