When life gives you lemons … make lemonade!! And that’s just what the JEWELS of Hanover Baptist did today during the 11th annual Ladies’ Tea. This year’s theme centered around lemons and daisies. Fourteen tables were donned with centerpieces made from half lemons with daisies in the center of each. The tables were full of lovely women from surrounding churches from King George. Our program this year consisted of special music (sung acappella by the Pizana ladies), a dramatic reading by Amber French, Humor by Sharyn Halpin, and a heartfelt devotional by Betsy Crookshank. I believe all of those present left the lemon-filled fellowship hall with laughter and hope in their hearts. It was indeed a lemonade kind of day!!

Here are some photos of this soaring event

Click one of the small pictures to get a blow-up, then use your arrow keys to step through the larger pictures. Just click on the large picture to see the thumbnails again.

How many Baptist women can you fit into a closet or a tiny private dining area in the back of an Italian restaurant? That was the question that we Hanover women were determined to answer tonight as one by one and two by two we filtered into the very small but very nice back room at Regina’s Pasta Factory in Dahlgren, to celebrate Betsy’s 50th birthday. The waiter was sent in and out to gather more beverages or chairs often enough that he joked excessively about how we continued to multiply each time he left the room. I believe there were 19 ladies, youngish and oldish, in all who attended.

Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy (Psalm 126:2–31—NIV)

We had wonderful conversations, but I can’t imagine that they were very different from those of the men that attended Western Night the same evening, as we admired each other’s haircuts, hair color, costume jewelry and excellent taste in eyewear. After we discussed what we were wearing the conversation turned to what our men and boys had worn on their outing, all of which sounded much more interesting than the garb we had chosen. However, it wasn’t all frivolous as we shared some experiences regarding raising children and some of the awkward moments we have found ourselves in.

Eventually, dinner was eaten, stories exhausted, and having outlasted every other patron in the restaurant, it was time to go.

From beginning to end it was fun and funny. From young women to grandmothers it was a time of lighthearted blessings and sharing. There’s more I could say but I was told that “What goes on in the yellow room stays in the yellow room.” You’ll just have to come out to Betsy’s next celebration.

Our ladies held their 4th Annual Fall Ladies Night Out tonight. They came expecting fun, laughter, and a special time of devotion. What they got included all of the above plus near-injurious levels of laughter during the (so-called) silent auction. Don’t you wish you had come?

This was our second Back to Basics event. Brandon Foster, a member who works at the Charles County Sheriff Department, taught a valuable class in self-defense techniques. He started with a time of devotion and then delivered a riveting presentation. Techniques were demonstrated with Brandon’s son LaShaad Hopewell, so no JEWEL was injured in the making of this event.

LaShaad (after a brief recovery) also demonstrated the survival technique of drying meat—complete with delicious samples.

This year’s Tea—our 10th—was treasured by all who attended. We had a very special program this year. Our guest speaker, Lydia Vinson spoke on the fruit of the spirit as embodied in Galatians 5:22–23.

Lydia is the Worship Leader and Ladies Ministry director at Faith Christian Fellowship in Fredericksburg, where her husband Tony is pastor.

“My heart for Women’s Ministry is to see each woman come to a deep, intimate relationship with our Savior. For her to see her worth and value in God’s eyes…to see her calling in her home, her work and in the body of Christ. In our time together, I am excited to see how God is working in and through us to bind our hearts closer to Him and to one another.”

One of our own young ladies, Kirsten Lowe, performed two worship songs in sign language. Kirsten is a home school senior, graduating in May. Since the age of nine, after watching “The Miracle Worker,” she has been interested and intrigued with sign language.

“One way to reach the deaf is through music. Even though they cannot hear the words as we do, they can experience the joy of worship. Although I am not deaf, I have come to realize that putting sign language to a song takes me to a new and magnificent level of worshipping my Savior. My hope is that God will use the words and signs of these songs to draw you closer to Him.”

And as always, the Hanover ladies put together a fabulous feast of fellowship, fun, and favorite foods. (Frances Ensminger’s superlative asparagus casserole recipe has finally been posted!)

Here are some photos of this joyful event

Click one of the small pictures to get a blow-up, then use your arrow keys to step through the larger pictures. Just click on the large picture to see the thumbnails again.