Becoming A Mother in LA - Bethany Dirksen

We moved to LA when I was 5 months pregnant with our first child.  Although we were quickly becoming seasoned veterans at moving, this transition combined the nerves of my impending motherhood was daunting.  The only course of action we knew to take was: FIND A CHURCH…and stat.

We moved into a little one bedroom on Franklin Street and saw that two blocks up and one blocks down was a little community church.  It was in what seemed to be a warehouse, but we weren’t going to hold that against them, yet.  We went without looking at the website, researching other churches nearby, or even giving it a second thought.  It was nice.  The people talked to us, the music wasn’t like a pop concert, and they even did communion regularly.  We said to each other, “That’ll do,” and searched no further.  Westside Christian Fellowship had officially become our LA church home.

Community

Thoughts from Zabelle Huss:

I recently sang at a retirement tribute to Dotty Larson who has led Community Bible Study in Santa Monica for 49 years. I wrote personalized words to “Thanks for the Memories,” only to find out, after I’d agreed to sing, that I’d be singing for Marty Goetz who would be performing, too! All went so well, thanks to the prayers of so many of my friends in the audience.

I tell you this because something occurred to me as I sat in the second pew and watched many women get up to speak or perform. I looked at these women and, not for the first time, it struck me; “where else does one find such truly good women of such fine character, no gossip I’ve ever heard (in the 10 years I lead at CBS), a true love for each other, caring, concerned, prayer warriors for anyone who needs it?”

Then I thought about our wonderful WCF Retreat a couple of weeks ago and how I’d had the same feeling there. We understand each other, we share life issues together, we know our concerns are taken seriously and prayed for by our Christian friends.

Musings from Meredith...

I recently attended our church's annual women's retreat; the theme verse for the weekend was Exodus 33:14, "My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest."

Throughout the weekend, we were encouraged to remember particular times when God was especially present in our circumstances of life. Sometimes we are able to tangibly experience God's peace, His Comforting Word, and His provision. Yet sometimes we don't.

On Monday morning, as the retreat was already becoming a fading memory, I opened a devotional book given to us at the previous year's retreat and read the same exact verse: "My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest."

Introducing...

We just finished our church's women's retreat over Mother's Day weekend and it was a BLAST.  Some of you weren't there, and you were certainly missed.  Those of us who made it enjoyed 26 hours of meaningful conversation, began new friendships, deepened old ones and relished working out our faith together.

Then the retreat ended and we scurried back to our hoods, called our moms and dove into another busy week.  All of us thinking:
That was amazing.
I needed that!
The quiet.
The conversation.
The women.
The focus.
Can't wait to do it again...in a year or two...it depends...what's on the calendar?  Oh, ok.  I have a free weekend in 2023.  Let's plan on that.  Sound good?

No!