By Grace Alone

Someone is waiting for you…yes, you! Someone who loves you with a true love greater than any other. I saw a video the other day on YouTube from the Irving Bible Church (you can subscribe to their page at this link:  http://www.youtube.com/user/IBCvoice?feature=watch)  If you have about 20 minutes to spare, please check in it’s entirety this amazing playlist of short videos. They’re a modern day version of an age old love story, and it’s beautiful. Stories of true love aren’t always sweet. Many are wrought with pain, sorrow, waiting, humiliation, and infidelity. Yep, that’s what I said! Do you look at people who have been married for 20, 40, 60+ years and imagine it’s been smooth sailing all the way? The reality is chances are it hasn’t been romance and roses all the time. The story of Hosea and Gomer is a real example of crazy love, and I mean crazy (at least by mankind’s standards)!! There’s an important lesson we can learn from the love story in the book Hosea. Its gets ugly, and its messy…but it’s also a testament to how fully and completely God love us. The wisdom we take from this book is that God does not love you because of what you are or what you do. God loves you in spite of that. Think about it…let it sink in….I for one am thankful that Our Creator doesn’t love me according to what I do or who I am or I would be in big trouble. Instead, He loves us full circle all the time… steadfastly… unconditionally….enduringly, no matter how wretched and unworthy we think we are. It’s all about grace. When you stand before

the cross, and truly appreciate the sacrifice made just so He could call you His own, you realize what true love is. And it makes you want to, in turn, give praise and thanks for that very dark day when one man, died a terrible and brutal death because we are loved so very deeply.The Hosea Story       
#LoveStory, #Bible #Hosea

A (Not-So-New) Idea for the New Year

                                                                             Photo source unknown

 

What are you planning for your New Year’s Resolutions?   I make a list of things I want to improve on or change every, and usually they’re always the same! But you know what? I hardly ever keep them!  Don’t get me wrong. My resolutions are important and significant, concerning health, spirituality, and helping others.  I just can’t stay with it the way I plan in the beginning.   So I decided to give up the whole idea of resolutions this year, and instead, take a different approach. I wrote a prayer.   

As I was writing, something interesting happened. I started to think about friends and family who are in need of support through prayer, and my thoughts grew wider to all those in the world who may also be in need of  prayers. So I had a thought: how about if we ALL PRAY FOR EACH OTHER in the New Year?  We all have burdens to bear, and some are very heavy to hold alone. What if we each considered praying along with our resolutions for the New Year?  Praying for each other is a  powerful thing. There’s a strength and peace that comes when we pray this way.  Reflect on others needs; praying for the sick, the disabled, the lonely , the elderly, the children? There are those who have lost loved ones, those who are going through divorce, or loss of a job. There is need for prayer for those in the world who are persecuted, rejected, imprisoned and discarded by society. What about the homeless, the hungry, the lost?  Who better to pray for than the soldiers, police officers, firemen or rescue workers; nurses, doctors, pastors and teachers?  Let’s pray for the strength of families and for marriages which seem more and more under attack these days.  If you have a special intention or prayer request, I will pray for you. I know I need prayers as well.  So let’s do it! Feel free to leave a comment if you have a special prayer and I will pray for you.

We are all intertwined on this earth and we must help bear each others burdens. We need to have each others backs, watch out for, defend and help each other stay on track. Another year is about to unfold. There are sorrows unknown, joys will unfold, promises and hopes to come.  Let us remember that no man or woman; no program or new fad can help truly fulfill us, but only The Father can sustain us. Pray for His Divine Presence to go before and after each of us throughout our individual walks this coming year.  May we all walk in confidence and trust and pray in Jesus Precious Name, Amen.

Remembering.....

                                                                Photo courtesy of Jake Olsen Studios, Blair, Nebraska

Tonight, I am thinking of my childhood. I always looked forward to Christmas eve at my grandparents home every single year while growing up. My grandma made the best food, and my aunts always brought tons of sweets to nibble on. The biggest treat was the pop my uncle brought. (we didn’t get pop except around Christmastime.)Their house was so small we would divide into different rooms. Men got the living room and played cards, women got the kitchen, girls got grandmas bedroom and boys got grandpas bedroom. It might seem that we were separated but we weren't; we could here everyone's laughter from room to room! We cousins would make a Christmas pageant and sing carols to the grownups before opening gifts. Sometimes, I would sneak outside for a bit in the cold, night air. The snow was crisp and the moon shown down through the trees on their little farm. I would stand there, looking out at the barns; hearing the chickens clucking in their sleep and the cows rustling in their pen. Once in a while you could hear the lone barking of a coyote in the distance. But I wasn’t’ afraid, I had grandpas dogs to keep me safe. I watched that little house, with all the lights blazing and through the quiet, listened to the sounds coming from the house; a mixture of children and adults, laughing and sharing stories. I remember thinking of how much I loved my family and the times we spent there, especially at Christmas. It made me sad to think that someday, we would all grow up, go our separate ways. That old farm is only a memory now. The house has been torn down and my grandparents, and my dad have been gone for a long time. Many of us are scattered across this great country and some of us don’t see each other much anymore. But I go back there to that old farm on Christmas eve every year in my mind…and I am a child again. I feel the warmth and the love of my family. I can hear the laughter and feel the warmth of their love…and once again, I am home.

A Women's Journey

Do you ever feel lonely or confused about where your life is headed or if there is more to you than what you are presently? Being on my own and single for many years, I find myself wondering at times if I am on the right track in life. I have my failings, I make mistakes, and I feel lonely at times. But more often than not, I feel a sense of contentment with my singleness. Being single gives me time to reflect more on my role and purpose in this life.  Our society places a great emphasis on not just marriage, but on having someone in your life to “complete” you.  Many times, well-meaning friends and family unintentionally make me feel  a little bad that I have remained single for so long by urging me to get out there and find somebody! And I struggle with my true purpose in this world.

  I believe marriage is a holy and honorable choice, and I am not saying it is something I am ruling out someday. But it is not the be all and end all of life. If you are not happy single, where is the guarantee you will be happy in marriage? It seems the happiest couples are those who were just as happy single. Marital status or couple status doesn’t guarantee happiness and contentment. In my quest for understanding personal purpose in life I have turned to learning more about my role and responsibility as a woman and what God expects of me to find happiness and satisfaction.  I find my thoughts always focus on a specific kind of woman; a “godly woman” and what exactly it is that makes these women different from others.; what makes them seem so happy and confident?  These kinds of women are my heroines. I want to be like them…and maybe someday with a little more prayer and attention, will be.

 Thanks to some amazing individuals, who have crossed my path, I am encouraged to persistently use scripture to guide my thoughts in matters of my daily life, so I turned to the Bible to help me understand what a “Godly” woman should assume as her role in life, church, marriage, family or relationships.  I have come to believe if women truly understand their role in this world according to scripture, she will consequently find happiness and fulfillment in life, regardless of whether she marries, regardless of her status, and ultimately find the true essence of womanhood.

 This subject turned into a very long and difficult study, and I pray that my interpretations and assumptions do not discredit Biblical teachings.  What I have concluded may end up sounding culturally offensive to some, especially to those who consider themselves feminists, although it is not meant that way.  In fact, I believe scripture gives us a truer picture of the real meaning of a feminist. But before I go any further, I must let the reader know that I am a Christian, and I follow Christ and his teachings whole heartedly because my God expects all or nothing from me. To say I am Christian and not follow His word would make me a hypocrite. I am bound by His Word.

So what is a “Godly Women”? I think we all know at least one, if we are fortunate enough to have them in our lives. Even if one does not consider themselves Christian, you can still identify this kind of woman.  They illuminate peaceful, wise and soothing qualities, and, by just being around them, you feel in harmony with life; comforted and able to draw upon their energy for guidance and direction. They are trustworthy, consistent, and breathe The Word of our Creator in everything they do. These characteristics are not limited to any particular age, race or culture…they can be found in the young and old alike.  They have assumed the role of a woman as outlined in the Bible and found peace and happiness in everything they do. These characteristics also give her courage and strength to weather any storms and temptations of evil that come her way.

At the very foundation of a Godly woman’s character is the wisdom of knowing her place in this world. God created man and woman for very specific purposes.  The purpose isn’t what I might write for myself and the times we live in, but it’s not what we “think” that matters, or what fits with the times; it is what God commands.  The very basis of this thinking is that God created man to be in authority over women. I realize this is not in tune with society today. We live in times where individual rights supersede over everything.  But two passages that stand out for me are the following found in the New Testament and written by the Apostle Paul.

1 Tim 2:11-15 “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. Do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But woman will be saved thought childbearing, if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.”

Titus 2:3-5, “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanders or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind and to be subject to their husbands, so that on one will malign the word of God.“

We need to conduct ourselves in a Godly Manner and be submissive to male leadership. As a woman of faith, we should develop self-control learn quietly and assume the role of teaching in a manner to not discredit god. In the role of motherhood, be it in a personal, church or community family, we can be used to the glory of our Creator. Even if you are not a Christian, these words emanate wisdom that extends beyond the Christian religion and that others can relate. I have seen this definition of the role of women in others faiths and cultures. Many other traditions in other cultures submit to male leadership first, with women leading in very specific ways in support of their male leaders.

Many reading this will not agree with what I am saying. It goes in direct conflict with some of today’s philosophies. One can find those out there who will take these scriptures and others in the Bible and explain them in the world’s thinking. The world encourages everyone to stand up for his or her rights and desires. Some in the feminist movement promote women’s rights I believe in a way that constricts and demeans women. In addition, there are men who exploit scripture and Paul’s teachings, using them to dominate and dictate women in abusive and evil ways. This was never the intent of Paul. Women are to be treated with dignity, respected and valued as contributing members of society, and in turn, men are directed to respect the submission of women by practicing sacrificial and loving leadership.

In Jesus’ time, women played a large part in His Ministry. In fact, the New Testament lifted women up in social status as compared to their roles in society before His time. Some of His closest friends and faithful followers were women. However, if you study Jesus’ life here on earth, you begin to understand that a woman’s role was defined in a very specific way that agrees with Paul’s teachings. Women did minister to and with Our Lord, but never in a way of leadership of authority such as teaching or preaching. Paul actually had a high regard for women and their importance in the life of the church. I have read some arguments that Paul’s instructions were only cultural for his time, and that they don’t apply to us today. But after studying the writings of others, I believe it is based more on the principles related to the purpose of the church and to the principle in the Old Testament that God assigned man the responsibility of reflecting and demonstrating the “Headship” of Jesus Christ in the church. In essence, our specific roles, be it in marriage, society or in the church communicate to others what God wishes to communicate to us. That is to say that in order to live as The Creator has intended, He uses His church and His law to model how He wants us to relate to Him. Men, women and children all have a role to carry out in order to demonstrate this properly. Scripture teaches us that the husband is the head of the wife and that  God is the head of Christ (Eph. 5:23) One can also read this in Corinthians 11:13 “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of  every man, and the man is the head of a woman and God is the head of Christ.”

Jesus constantly sought the Will of the Father and never acted independently, even though Satan tried many times to tempt Him into doing so. Jesus brought glory not to Himself, but to the Father; His submission didn’t imply inferiority, but equality of the Son and God in a way necessary for the combined action of the Godhead. It works the same with a woman’s submission to man and does not imply women are inferior. Instead it implies our submission to God.

The question we as women need to ask when seeking to fulfill God’s purpose in life is this: Are you willing to assume the role which God has assigned to you as a woman? Are you strong enough to find real freedom in what we were created for? To accept our place means making it our task to first understand the cosmic duty, and then to find our gifts and talents. If they are not contrary to God’s order, then do it!! We as women are allowed to glorify God, and we do this by being the kind of woman He has instructed us to be. The more womanly we are, the more we can perfectly praise God.

One can see how refusal to submit to God as the head of our lives in the example of Satan. He refused to submit, he was not happy with being the most beautiful of God’s creatures, he wanted to be like God. He wanted the glory. I think we are all tempted by Satan more than we realize, looking for glory for ourselves, attempting to be loved and admired by many, and it gets us into trouble sometimes as we lose sight of our True Purpose. When Satan tempted Eve, he seduced her to rebel against her assigned role, and to be “like God”. It didn’t work for Eve then, and it most certainly won’t work for us today. Satan tempts us to rebel against our roles with the illusion that we can act independently, apart from Our Creator. This path only leads to enslave us more and can have devastating effects on our happiness and contentment.

So how do we fulfill our role in God’s World? How can we bring glory to Him? I know as women we have a lot to offer. I know for sure there are Godly women who bring just as much if not more to a church or to The Faith than some men. We can find fulfillment in doing what we are designed to do with the understanding that we are not inferior to men, but rather subordinates. We have a partnership with men in ruling over God’s creations here on earth. God Himself said “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2: 18) Men are not complete without women, whether married or not. We were created to complete man, and to help him carry out his God-given tasks. We help support and submit to men. In turn, men love, honor and sacrifice for us.  Just think of the harmony in this concept!!

In today’s society, both men and women are faced with an identity crisis where we really want to know who we are. Marriage itself has come under fire, as each person struggles to maintain their identity, and maintain individual rights. Too many married couples today want all the advantages of married life without the sacrifices. If couples implement the roles God intended for us, women first finding their partner’s gifts and talents, and then finding how she can complement them, they will become “one” as He commanded. A woman will find more fulfillment and freedom as one with her partner, rather than as two separate human beings. If you seek to help others find their gifts first, you will in turn find yours.

As for single and divorced women like me, we too have very specific instructions from God. We need model ourselves after the Godly Women in our lives. Use women in the Bible as examples; use those we see around us and do as they are doing. We can minister to other women; we can help the sick, the orphans, and the elderly among others. We can strive for a reputation of good works, assisting those in distress and “washing the feet of the saints” so to speak. We can shine!!  I sometimes feel being single is in itself a gift. The Apostle Paul, one of my heroes of the New Testament, suggests himself that being single isn’t nearly as bad as some think. Singleness, like many other status’ in life come with both an up and a down side…but that is life, and though Him, we find strength and comfort to overcome even the darkest days.

Bottom line is this: Single or married; if a woman seeks counsel and guidance from Godly and mature believers, as well from scripture, she will find true freedom and happiness. She will live a full life, and one of honor. But most importantly, she will be equipped with the armor of God, protecting and comforting her in times of difficulty.

*Photograph courtesy of Jake Olson Studios, Blair, Nebraska

Letter From a Mother To A Daughter

This letter has been around for a long time. But May is a perfect month to remind ourselves of the love our mothers have for us, and of a time when they may need us the most:
"Letter from a Mother to a Daughter: “My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”… Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.
When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl? When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way… remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day… the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If I occasionally lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you. And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked. When those days come, don’t feel sad… just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you…

Spreading Kindness

Today is National Pay It Forward Day.  It’s nice to have one day, but personally, I believe every day should be filled with random acts of kindness! How about making this day the beginning of a new attitude? Everyone, in this wonder filled world, rich and poor alike, can do something. Many things don’t even cost a dime, like an ear to listen to, giving away a book you are finished reading, or a friendly hello to those random strangers we met every day. You hold so much power to make this world a better place; your words, your smile, your time can change another’s whole day,   and that impact could continue to move on and on,  as they say, like a ripple on the water.  Some people make it their life’s work to extend kindness and God’s love every day.  Let’s all step into our own greatness and be passionate about loving this journey in life by giving to others, who never expect it, and Praise God for the opportunity to do so. Have a Blessed day my friends. 

Instinct and Intuition

Watching a flock of migrating birds this weekend, I had a thought. I think of myself as an student of my soul, and at times it’s a perplexing path.  I try not to be aimless in my direction; the only “map” I have is my Bible, my intuition and the teachers who cross my path; people, books, ideas, places. I try to trust my intuition, and distinguish the difference between God’s voice , and that of the one who wishes to destroy us.  It is a daily challenge to stay on the path we’re intended to follow; but if you can quiet yourself in spite of the noise of worldly things, you sense in your soul the invisible pull down the channel you were created to follow.  When you’re there, everything makes more sense, and you feel right  within yourself, sensing The One who is larger than our own small impulses guiding us. The interesting part is even though we each are separate in our souls, we are also joined; like the flock of migrating birds, a shoal of fish, or a herd of buffalo running across the prairie. They move as one, relying on instincts, communication with each other, and a common goal finding a safe and smooth way of staying on path and getting through together. When you look at this from a bigger perspective the basic human instinct is to help and heal others, to keep us all moving in the same direction and help one another along to finish together. It’s kind of like a breaching whale, and the theory that they do this to communicate when the seas get rough so their own kind do not become lost or endanger themselves.  Having that kind of instinct while swimming in this wild sea of life we all know the important thing is to “swim” together, sending out our vibs and stories so others don’t get lost on this precious Earth our Creator has given to us.  Many of us are tired and lost. But there are those among us who are aware of the restoration needed, and are calling out to us to follow the path of healing. If we are thoughtful, prayerful and let our instincts guide us, through them, one by one, community by community and country by country, we grow deeper and richer in our relationship with God. I write these thoughts  mostly for myself, because I long to be healed, and be free. But I write for others as well, in hopes that, together we can find peace and joy in living life the way our Creator intended us to live . Maybe the next time you feel the instinct rise in your soul, with the urge to reach out and share words or actions of love, gratitude and hope, you understand, and act on that instinct.