Woman 2 Woman

The Blessings of Obedience

2009-09-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Let me start by apologizing for the length of time since my last post. My life has been filled with "nesting". I have spent the last couple of months preparing for my groom's homecoming. If you are new to my blog and do not know my story here is a blog entry of a short testimony: http://womanoftitus2.blogspot.com/2008/09/mark-and-cheryl-love-story_26.html

I'm currently overwhelmed with the peace, joy, and blessings of obedience. I told a friend today, "I feel that if God sends one more blessing I will go crazy with JOY!"

In Deuteronomy 28:1-3 it states. "If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country." I wish I could say that I "fully obey", but honestly I still have areas in my life where I struggle. These are areas I'm working on and they remain me I'm a sinful human in need of a graceful God. However, 14 years ago I chose to obey Him in one area of my life...my marriage. God asked me to stay and I did.

Obedience is a hard walk. It is a path filled with little stones of irritations and big boulders of doubt and obstacles. There is a secret to walking the path of obedience....You have to know your God. I'm not just talking about your salvation knowledge. I'm talking about KNOWING Him: His character, His purpose, His strategies, His love, His ways, His discipline, His motives, and His power. THEN you understand the secret: the walk of obedience is about HIM, not you. The result is He uses your walk to show Himself to others. Again, It is about Him.

There are blessings for obedience, but those blessing are to show once again who He is. In the past five years Mark and I have had so many blessing in our relationship, which I know are the direct result of our obedience to Him. However, in the last four weeks the Lord has poured overwhelming blessings out on us. He has done more then we can ask or image. I'm not boasting to bring glory to myself or my husband, I'M BOASTING FOR WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE and TO GIVE HIM ALL THE GLORY!

"My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice." Psalm 34:2

"In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever." Psalm 44:8

"This is what the LORD says: 'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,' declares the LORD." Jeremiah 9:23-25

The best blessing is to able to shout out what the Lord has done as you have walked the path of obedience. My friends trust me...take the road less travelled. It is full of wonder.

The Healing Hand of God

2009-06-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

I have done this teaching at several women's retreats. I'm going to use excerpts of it, because it is so apparent how much emotional and spiritual hurt woman are dealing with. It is a long entry, but I pray that it will be valuable to you or for someone you know.

The healing of emotional and spiritual wounds are often more painful than what actually caused them, because we have neglected them for so long. Your wounds may be from family: a raging parent, a parent who demands perfection, abandonment, divorce, or even death. Perhaps they come from your own choices: alcohol, drugs, low-self worth, bad relationships, or sin. The wounds can come from others who have inflicted them: physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. There could be wounds you have forgotten about or that you may consider "small wounds" something like name-calling…I had an uncle who would always say to me, "I rather be dead than red on the head." For years I hated my hair. In fact I only began to like it in the last several years when it became popular to have red hair. Wounds large and small are painful and if left unattended will grow and affect other areas of our lives.

Let me share with you about a friend of mine. At the age of 26, she began to have memories about a neighbor who sexually abused her when she was six years old. God revealed in her heart that the memories were true and the forgotten wound began to open up. She chose to ignore the emotional wound. As a result it grew bigger and bigger. The wound began to infect her life. When a wound is infected it contaminates or corrupts. However, there came a day when she decided to deal with the pain and accept THE HEALING HAND of GOD.

There were four phases she experienced in this healing process with God:
PARTICIPATE - EVALUATE - ANTICIPATE - GRADUATE

Participate in the Healing
Matthew 9:20-22
"Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak. She said to herself. If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed. Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart daughter", He said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed that moment."

Do you see it? The woman participated! She reached for the cloak, she had faith. When we read about physical, emotional and spiritual healing in the Word someone participates in the healing along with God. The woman touched His cloak, the father ran to get Jesus for his daughter, Zacchaeus climbed a tree, A Samaritan woman was vulnerable at the well, the men lowered the cripple down to Jesus, and the thief asked for spiritual healing hanging from a cross.

Let me make a couple of side points here: First, We participate we do not heal. The great Jehovah-Rapha does the healing. That name for God means - the God that heals. We participate by going, believing, and applying what He gives us.

Second, too many times I have caught myself participating in other people's emotional/spiritual healing and ignoring mine. There is a time for us to be supportive of others and help them out. But are we so busy mending everyone else that we are neglecting our own wounds. The world calls this avoidance, denial, co-dependence, and enabling; but God calls it disobedience. If you want God's healing hand to work in your life you have to go to the source, ask from the source, and believe in the source. In other words participate.

Evaluate the Hurt
Once we decide to participate there comes a time when our wounds need to be evaluated and examined. This is where many people run away and try to ignore the wound. The wound has to be probed, pulled, scraped, and scrubbed to get it clean and ready for the healing to begin. We have to evaluate and examine our hurts for the healing to begin. If we don't we end up with scars that remind us of that pain each and everyday.

Lamentations 3:40
"Let us examine our ways and test them and let us return to the Lord."
The woman I mentioned earlier who was sexual abused as a child came to this point in the healing process where she had to evaluate what happen to her. She had to say what happened out loud to herself, her counselor, and the Lord. It was the most painful and agonizing thing she had ever done. But she had to do it in order to evaluate it, to allow God excess to that part of her heart she held closed off. A lot of tears flowed, but God is faithful during those times.

"Would it turn out well if He examines you? Could you deceive Him as you might deceive man?" Job 13:9 We can deceive others, but we can never deceive Him. He knows what is under all those "I'm fine" and "Nothing is wrong" we tell everyone. When my husband and I separated it came as surprise to many people, because Mark and I went around pretending everything was all right. What those friends didn't know - God knew. You cannot deceive God, so why hold back from him. Psalm 62:8 says, "Trust in Him at all times, O people pour out your hearts to him. For God is our refuge"

Anticipate the Healing
Once you have poured out your heart and evaluated your hurts with God then you begin to anticipate the help. When we anticipate something we are usually looking toward something in the future-at something to come. But in order to anticipate healing from God's Hand we have to look back to the past. Look back at what God has already done.

Hebrews 13:7-8 tells us:
"Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever."
These verses follow Hebrews 11 "The Faith Chapter". This Chapter reminds us of all the leaders of the past and how God was faithful to them because of their faith. We have all heard the old stories - Noah and the ark, Abraham and the sacrifice of his son, Moses crossing the Red Sea and not to mention all that Christ did. Our anticipation comes from knowing the miracles and faithfulness of God.

"God is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8
God did great healings in the past- we can anticipate healing for our wounds because of the past. When my husband and I went through those terrible times some people told me to let go and divorce him. However, I knew in my heart God wanted me to hold on. I anticipated that God could heal my heart, Mark's heart, and our marriage. I could anticipate because I knew what God had done in the past. When Mark or others would talk to me about ending it, I held on to the story of God parting the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites and I would say to them "if God can part the Red Sea, God can heal my marriage." God is the same yesterday and today and forever. In my case the marriage has been reunited, however even if it hadn't been my hurt and pain would have been healed. Anticipation is about faith.

Graduate to Give Hope
There comes a letting go time - Graduation. I remember when I graduated from High School. I felt so excited about what laid ahead. I was letting go of a part of my life and was going to begin a new phase. It is similar when we graduate from our heart wounds. There comes a point when we have to move on.

Many times Christians want to skip through the first three phases and just go on to the graduation stage. If we skip those stages what are we graduating from? The reason many Christian women get stuck in their Christian walk is that they try to move on before they have done the work to graduate. The Bible says that we are to work out our salvation. Everything isn't fixed about us because we have accepted Christ. There is still work to do. Otherwise, we won't have Christians sinning.

Psalms 119:71 says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." There are lessons for us to learn from our hurts and just like school when the lessons are learned we are to graduate to help others. By the way, that friend I mentioned earlier, was me. After going through these four stages of healing I was a rape counselor in Tampa for about two years. Now the Lord has given me the heart to help women heal from their hurts. It feels great to graduate from the hurts of the past. Will you join me? I promise it is so good on this side of the healing.

Broken and Beautiful

2009-05-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

What does it mean to be broken? It is not a pleasant word for us, for many broken means damaged. In our culture we dislike it when things are broken. Junk yards are filled with broken cars. Drive in the city on garbage day and you will see broken electronics and household products discarded for pick-up. Just like the world throws away and discards broken things, it also throws away and discards broken people.

But God does not!! God loves the broken. God’s ways are not our ways. God chooses to take the broken and create something beautiful. What God can do with a broken person? Plenty! It is when a person reaches a breaking point and then chooses to be broken that God can create the work of art He has longed to create.

Watchman Nee says, “Our spirit is released according to the degree of our brokenness. The one who has accepted the most discipline is the one who can best serve. The more one is broken, the more sensitive he is.”

Jeremiah 18:1-4 tells us, “This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him." God wants to mend and make us useful for His kingdom.

Some choose to harden. Men like the Pharaoh of Egypt who would not let Moses lead the people out of Egypt. Men like King Saul who did not do what God asked him and refused to seek God’s forgiveness. Men like Judas Iscariot who betrayed the savior into the hands of his enemies. The person you know who cannot move past a situation in their life and has harden their heart towards God.

Some choose to be broken. Men like King David who committed adultery and murder, and when God confronted him with his sin, begged God for mercy and God called him a man after His own heart. Like Daniel who was a slave, but stood his ground and only worshipped the one true God. Men like Peter who denied Jesus and later preached the first sermon declaring the good news about his death, burial, and resurrection. Men like Saul the persecutor of Christians who became Paul the Apostle of Jesus. People you know that have endure a great hardship yet their faith continues to grow.

Every time we celebrate communion we honor the power of brokenness. Christ had to be broken for our sins. God is calling every one of us to be broken before him. The good news is found in the resurrection, after the brokenness there is the new life in Him. He will bring our life to a point of brokenness so that we may live in his presence, power and greatness.

Is He bringing you to a point of brokenness today? Maybe you need to be broken over your sin and denial of Christ? Could it be that He is breaking you over the addictions, idols, pain, or issues you have not allowed Him access to?

Ask God to do this, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Lord, make me broken before you, so You can create your beautiful work in me.

Content is Imperative

2009-05-07T05:46:00.000-07:00

In the last 13 years it has become so important to me to really study His Word (not just read) and take it seriously. I have been blessed to find some good studies that use the Word as the main teaching. I would encourage you to do the same. Stay away from studies that insert their opinion, cute sayings, or popular trends.

Let me give you an example of why it is imperative to study content. A Christian co-worker said the other day, "God will not give us more then we can bear." He said it in reference to his hectic life. I know that statement is popular and sounds good. It is used as if it is scripture. Did you know you will not find that phrase in the Bible?

Here is the closest scripture you will find: "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." I Corinthians 10:12-13

You may read this scripture and say, "What is the big deal? The statement is similar to the verse." BUT it is not when you put it into content and you miss out on so much. Read the whole chapter...go ahead get your Bible...I will wait.

When you read the first 11 verses of the chapter, Paul is giving a short history of Israel. At first he speaks of all the wonderful things Israel experienced from God leaving Egypt. Then in verse 5 things change, "Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert." WHY? Read verses 6-10, Israel turned to evil things and let temptation seize them. They turned to idolatry.

Now re-read these verses: "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." Now, does the statement, "God will not give us more then we can bear." still work here? NO! What it says is "He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." Even more important: it is about God being faithful and providing a way out of the temptation.

When we shorten scripture to a "cute and easy" phrase we miss out on all that God is saying to us. This is an issue for Christians today...we want it quick and we want other people to tell us. Stop! It does not come quick and you have to study the Word for yourself.

Here is my challenge to you. Find another statement Christians use as if it were scripture and try to find the verses it may originated from. Read it all in content and see how much more you will learn about God. Let me know what you find.

Protecting Boys from America’s War Against Manhood

2009-04-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

It is a difficult time in America to be raising boys. Manhood is under attack and that affects the little boys in our lives. Why should you be concern about this? Because as women we have a part in this war. Here is a passage from a website that will help give you understanding and guidance in protecting our boys.

Supporting Our Boys Out There
VisionaryDaughters.com

As we look at the battle that surrounds us, we have come to believe that one of the most important things we will ever do, as daughters and sisters and wives and mothers, is to build strength into men and help make them great.

America’s war against manhood.

There is a crisis facing our nation’s boys. Their masculinity is under attack. This is no longer a debate; it is a copiously documented fact, actually old news. Bold, commanding masculinity has become pathologized and penalized. We’re not just talking about the rise of metrosexuality, either; over the last century, men have been taught that their leadership is oppressive, their protection is insulting, their authority is tyranny, and their position as the head of the household is utterly illegitimate. To read more click the link: http://visionarydaughters.com/2008/07/supporting-our-boys-out-there

Moms and Daughters

2009-04-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were not able to have children of our own. However, I have always loved being around them and try to be a good role model to my friend's children. I would like to share some mommy advice I have read from woman who have been there. So, the next few post will be for moms.

Maryann Loveing gives moms some very practical steps they can take with their daughters:

Teach her truth while she is young.

Help her establish a daily walk with God. (When we’re getting too busy to take our daughters to the Word, we need to reorder our personal world.)

Be “H.O.T.” about your own failures: honest, open, and transparent.

Tell your kids when you’ve messed up and you’re sorry. Our kids need to know that we’re not perfect.

Date your daughter. Do what SHE likes. (Yes, even if it means spending time in Claires! Ask them questions about their week. What are their greatest challenges? What are they most excited about?)

Encourage godly examples (female/male) that promote right(eous) living. (We have to be their first role model. We can’t go home and watch Desperate Housewives and then expect them to be pure.)

Do not fear being counter-cultural.

Steps to a healthy marriage begin now.

Make an Effort

2009-04-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

I heard this term one morning this week on a Christian radio station. It was used in reference to: What husbands really want from their wives, but are afraid to tell them. Can you guess what it is?

Make an effort in your physical appearance

The men were not talking about weight, the perfect body, having no wrinkles, etc. Their heart was to express how much it means to them when their wives make an effort to eat healthy, exercise, wear nice clothes, do their hair, etc.

Here are some truths I have come to realize about men:

Men are visual. Like it or not, it is the way God has created them. They love the female form, how we take care of it, and how we "dress" it up.
Most men are not as hung up about our bodies as we are. I say "most men" because I know there are some men who have brought into the lies of our culture about how women should look. Most husbands want their wives to be healthy. If you feel you have to starve yourself or spend hours in a gym everyday you are not being healthy. If you are eating junk food and sitting on the couch you are not being healthy. There is a middle ground. Guess what? Your husband would enjoy it if you both exercised (walking, hiking, biking, swimming, etc.) and ate healthy meals together.
Men find inter-beauty just as important. Your husband may have been attracted to you first physically, but it is your mental, emotional, and spiritual beauty that convinced him to make you his wife. If you are not making an effort in these areas it will not matter how much you make an effort in your physical appearance.

I grew up as an over-weight child and still as an adult. So, I completely understand the pain of feeling like you are always judged on physical appearance. For some of you to hear this it can add to your pain. But I would ask you to instead pray and be honest with yourself, "Do I make an effort in all these areas?" If I'm honest with myself, I am not making the effort with exercise. The simple truth is I hate doing it, but I have made a commitment to God, my husband, and myself to improve in this area.

God bless and let Him search your heart.

I Said, "I Do" - Now What?

2009-03-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

The mysterious answer to this question is....the same things you were doing when you were dating and engaged. Pray for him, study the word, dream, communicate, and seek the counsel of an "older" woman. Too many times after a couple gets married they fall into a routine and forget the basic of maintaining a relationship. Then they are surprised one day when marriage is not all they expected it to be.

Fairytale stories have created a lot of false expectations and hopes for young woman. Forget Cinderella and Prince Charming....You are not her and he is not him! We live in the real world with all its sins, temptations, deceits, personalities, expectations, stresses, etc. Take Cinderella and Prince Charming out of the castle and they would not know what to do.

Here is the good news: You are going to sin and make mistakes in your marriage. He is going to sin and make mistakes in your marriage. BUT if you are a believer and follower of Christ you live in a world of forgiveness, change, and hope. This is so much better then a fairytale. To be able to walk through life together and learn to forgive one another, see God change one another, and to have the hope of Christ lived out in each other is a once in a lifetime experience.

Here is the bad news: Too many Christian couples forget to forgive one another, forget that God can change a person, and forget about the hope of Christ in one another. If you are keeping a long list of the ways your husband has "wronged" you - STOP. Choose to forgive, believe that God can change him, and hope for Christ to increase in his life.

Every time you think about the "wrong" do as Philippians 4:8-9 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." This takes practice and is an on going process. For example, just the other day my mind went back to a wrong my husband did 14 years ago. I had to capture that thought and say to myself, "You have forgiven him and he is not the same man he was back then. God has done a great work in him."

My dear sisters, the forgiveness you and your husband display to each other demonstrates the forgiveness Christ has for us. Your marriage may be the example that leads someone to Christ.

I Said "Yes" - Now What?

2009-03-04T07:38:00.000-08:00

That is a good question and not too many ask it before marriage. Pre-martial counseling is so important, but sometimes it is neglected or not taken seriously. You need to spend more time preparing for marriage then you do for your wedding. The engagement period is not about planning a wedding, it is about planning a future marriage. Instead of a wedding checklist here is a marriage checklist:

Pray for him. You need to spend time praying for your future husband. I have found a book that helps me when I am praying for my husband, "Praying God's Will for My Husband" by Lee Roberts. I like it because it is praying scripture over my husband. I'm praying according to the Word and will of God.

Study the Word. I can not stress enough how important this is. If you want to understand God's plan for marriage and the Christan family you have to study the Word. Start with these verses: Genesis 2:18-25, Proverbs 31:9-31, I Corinthians 7, and Ephesians 5:22-33.

Talk about how your family will work. This is an important discussion, because both of you come from different family dynamics. The backgrounds you come from influences the marriage you will have. There will be things that you and he will have to change and compromise on. You need to be able to safely discuss these. For example, How will you discipline your kids? Will you work outside the home? If you work outside the home, how will the home jobs be divided? When children come, will you stay home or still work outside the home? The list could go on, but you get the point. The engagement period is the time to discuss these items.

Take time to dream. You have dreamed about your wedding day since you were a little girl. Now it is here and God has given you someone to dream with. Take the time to dream with your fiancée about the future, because when you say, "I do" he becomes your future and you become his. Be sure to include God in those dreams.

Discuss communication obstacles. Now is the time to talk about any concerns with communications. You have been dating and getting to know each other. Is there anything about the way you or he communicates that is a concern? Now is the time to talk about it. For example, My husband knew when we were dating I struggled with telling him what I thought and felt about situations. But we never talked it through while dating and it caused some issues early in our marriage. Now I have learned that he wants to hear my thoughts and feelings. He also knows that he has to ask questions sometimes to find out how I feel.

I would love for others to add to this marriage checklist. Please just add your comments. God Bless all the future marriages and keep safe the current ones.

Is He the "One"?

2009-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

The main goal of this blog is to encourage and teach younger woman in the faith (Titus 2). I know a few young ladies who have recently become engaged or married. This morning I spent some time emailing back and forth with young lady I just met, and she is struggling with the decision to marry or not. So, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about the marriage decision.

The decision to marry is the second most important commitment a Christian can make. Why? Because God ordained marriage to reflect his relationship with the Church. So, He is serious about it. Considering the high rate of divorce between Christians is it any wonder that the world does not see Christ love for the church. It is my conviction that if Christian marriages improve, then the church improves and if the church improves, then marriages improve.

The first step in improving the marriages is to choose well. Actually, the opportunity to choose is not that old of a concept and is a very western idea. But that is another discussion. Here are some steps I believe are biblical and will help you choose well.

Keep your relationship pure. When the Word says, "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." Hebrews 13:4 God means it! Your marriage bed can not be pure if you are sexually active with your future husband before marriage. When you are active, your decision abilities are dull. There are too many emotions that cloud your intelligent when sex is involved. PLUS, it is not what God wants from you.
Know your Word. Study what the role of a husband is in the family. Is this the guy that can do it? If you are making excuses for some things and allowing the present day culture to form you thoughts then please seek God's Word. Is there a perfect man - NO! But be honest with yourself, is he striving to be a future biblical husband. ALSO, study what your role as a wife is. Are you ready for marriage? Is this the man you will be able to submit and let lead the family?
Ask your parents. It does not matter if you are 18 or 40, your parents should be honored. Ask them how they feel about him AND listen. Do not get defensive. Remember, they know you best. If you have an estrange relationship or your parents do not have Christian views then also seek out an older woman in the church you can talk to about him and marriage.
Know and understand the marriage vows:
"To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness."
When you are in a relationship you only want to think about the better, richer, in health part of your vows. BUT there is the other side: worse, poorer, and in sickness. Take time to think about what is the worse thing that could happen, what would poorer look like, and what is the sickest one of us could get. Then be honest with yourself and ask, "Is this the Christian man you can stand with through all of these things? AND is he the man who will stand with you?"

If you are thinking about making a marriage decision I encourage you to find an "older" woman in the church (who has been married at least 15 years) who will hold you accountable, and will teach you about marriage. Remember, it is a life-changing decision, but if you choose well it will make for a more joyful future. God Bless.

To Have a Job or Not to have a Job, That is the Question

2009-01-02T06:09:00.000-08:00

I would imagine this question has been asked by most Christian woman: Do I have a job outside my home or not? I have even sensed a division in woman at churches over this issue. The stay-at-home woman vs. the outside-the-home woman.

Let me be up-front, I have worked outside the home my whole adult life . In fact I still work outside of the home. I'm married, but we were not blessed with children. I want to give you this background, so you will know I have struggled with this question many times.

I can tell you that there is no direct answer to this question from the Bible. What I mean is, there is no verse that says a woman must stay home or must go to work outside the home. However, there is the reason we were created and the role God has set for us. YOUR MARRIAGE AND HOME ARE YOUR FIRST PRIORITY, NOT YOUR CAREER.

Lets consider Proverbs 31 a portrait of a woman who balances both work and home. When you read these verses keep in mind that everything she did was for the benefit of her husband and home. It was not self-center, but family-center.

"A wife of noble character who can find?She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

My personal thoughts are: If you are married, the decision to stay home or have a job outside the home is between God, your husband and you. You have to trust that God will reveal to your husband where you need to be. However, if the decision is for you to work outside the home keep in mind, you work for the benefit of your family. Do not get so caught up in a career that your home is neglected.

If you are single, the options are limited. In order to support yourself and your children (if you have them) you may have to work outside the home. Look for a job to support, not take over your life. Then if you have children you are able to place them first. Also, if you do marry and decide to stay-home it will be easier to step away from the job.

As Christian women, we should not be judging other women's (or families') decisions in this area. We need to support each other. If you work outside the home invite a stay-at-home woman to the movies so she can have a break. If you are a stay-at-home woman surprise a working woman with a cooked meal after a work day. We need to take care of each other. God Bless.

The Christmas Story

2008-12-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

Sunday at church, a beautiful friend, Lori, sang a song I had not heard before. The chorus included these words, "a baby changes everything." The song brought me back to what this season means. It is about passing on to others how a baby, Jesus, has changed everything in your life.

My favorite part of the Christmas story is told after the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:21-35:

"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

A CHILD CHANGES EVERYTHING!!

Doctrine and Truth Matter!

2008-12-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." II Timothy 4:2-4

Weak doctrine produces weak behavior and sound doctrine produces sound behavior! Our culture today teaches us relative truth, but that contradicts what God teaches. He teaches there is absolute truth. That absolute truth is found in God and His Word.

Relative truth is the idea that some elements or aspects of experience or culture are relative to, i.e., dependent on, other elements or aspects. That truth is always relative to some particular frame of reference, such as a language or a culture

Absolute truth is always valid, regardless of parameters or context. The absolute in the term connotes one or more of: a quality of truth that cannot be exceeded; complete truth; unvarying and permanent truth.

There are some Christians who take the Bible as relative truth and not absolute truth. In other words, parts of the Bible (His Word) can be ignored, because it is not relevant in our culture or experience. Why has this become dangerous to the church?

Our culture accepts homosexuals, so let's have practicing homosexuals lead the church.
Our culture does not like the message of sin,repentance and the judgement of God, so let's only teach about the love and grace of God. Which leads to so-called Christians who believe you can continue to sin, because God's grace covers it all.
Our culture says woman can be good managers, CEOs, and speakers in the workplace, so they should be able to lead a church.
Our culture is about entertainment and having fun, so let's spend millions of dollars on state-of-the-art buildings, make our church services "relevant" and have marketing campaigns.
Our culture says you do not have to stay married, so Christians are getting divorce for no Biblical reason and the church says nothing and creates watered-down doctrine to accept it.

These are just a few examples of how relative truth has damaged the church body. Here are a few verses about each of these subjects from the source of absolute truth.

Homosexuality: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
"Now the overseer (pastor, elder, bishop) must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect."
Gospel and Life of Obedience: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good."
Woman Leading a Church: "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." I Timothy 2:11-12
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train 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 no one will malign the word of God." Titus 2:3-5
Conformity to the World: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." II Timothy 4: 3-4
Marriage and Divorce: "Another thing you do: You flood the LORD's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, "Why?" It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel," Malachi 2:13-16

I know there is more to study and say about each of these subjects. However, the point is if you view the Word of God with relative truth then truth is in the eye of the reader (ever-changing). But when the Word is viewed with absolute truth then truth is in the eye of God (always the same).

The Fear of Submission

2008-11-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

Let's get real - we have fears in submitting to someone else (parents, husband, boss, pastor, etc.) and even submitting to God. I can remember early in my Christian walk being fearful about praying these words, "God, I will do whatever you ask of me." My fear was that he would send me to some third world country and I would have to live in a grass hut, dirt floors and eat insects.

Our fears are not about submitting, they are about losing control. Losing control of our:

decisions
family/marriage
career
rights
privileges
money
lifestyle

The list can go on. Think about it for a minute. What is it that you are the most fearful of losing control of? What do you hold back in submitting to God about? What do you hold back in submitting to your husband about? your boss? These are the things you are afraid to lose control over.

Reflect back to Genesis and when Eve was tempted by the serpent. The temptation was to be like God, to know what He knows, to control what He controls. Eve chose control over submission and we have struggled with it since then.

I have found in my walk these past 30 years with the Lord, the way is easier when I choose submission over control. Currently, I'm struggling with an issue that my husband and God have asked me to submit on. I have been back and forth about submitting in this area. When I take control, I always mess it up. The times I submit: I feel less guilt, organized, relieved , less stressed, etc. YET the need for control has such a pull that I get off course. It has been a hard lesson that I could have learned sooner, if I had chose submission. Thank the Lord for His grace and for my husband's love and patience.

I encourage you to let go of your fear of losing control. Take on the sweet spirit of submission as Christ did.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross." Phil. 2:5-8

The 10 Letter Word - Submission - Part 2

2008-11-04T07:22:00.001-08:00

In my last blog I talked about there being extremes to the way women handle submission: Women Power and Doormat Women extremist. Please refer to Part 1 to find out more about the Women Power extremist. Today we will discuss why the Doormat Women extremist is also the wrong view of submission. Doormat women are the women who say, "Whatever you want dear. I have no opinion about this. I will follow and keep my opinions to myself."

Let's take a moment and review why the woman was created. We are going back to where it all started.
"The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
Genesis 2:18-23

What a great passage! Woman was created to be a "helper" or King James says, "help meet" for the man. The Hebrew word for helper is`ezer which means: help, succour (help for somebody), one who helps, a help as his counterpart, a help suitable to him, a wife.

If you subscribe to the Doormat Women view of submission how can you be a help to your husband. A help-mate is someone who shares her views in a loving and caring way. She wants her husband, herself, and her family to be successful. You must communicate to be the help you were created to be. Communication and participating in your marriage is a wonderful part of submission. It is how and when you communicate that is important.

Two examples:

Eve blew it when she took leadership of her relationship with Adam and made a decision that forever changed the world. Then she used her communication to tempt Adam into sin.

Esther saved a nation by how she communicated with her husband, the King. She understood what it was to be humble, respectful, honoring, and gentle in her communication with her husband. Read the story it is beautiful.

Proverbs 31: 25-19
"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."

Does this sound like a woman who never communicates or participates in her marriage. Our husbands want to hear our thoughts and opinions, even if they are a different view. BUT say it in gentleness. Do not use a sarcastic tone. Do not yell about it. Do not be disrespectful.

If you struggle in this way I hope you will see just as God is waiting for you to come and talk to Him; so is your husband.

The 10 Letter Word - Submission - Part 1

2008-10-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:22-24

The more and more I talk to woman I realize we have missed the mark on Biblical submission. Woman tend to go to the extremes when thinking about submission. One extreme, "Women Power", are the women who say, "No way!! Not going to happen! We do not live in the middle ages any more." The second extreme, "Doormat women", are the women who say, "Whatever you want dear. I have no opinion about this. I will follow and keep my opinions to myself." BOTH are wrong, so let me share why they are wrong. Let's look at the first extreme today and then another day we will look at the second.

Women Power Extremist: The Word says in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." The feminist movement is a "pattern of this world". If your desire is to become a woman of God you must leave this pattern of thinking and begin to look at the Word for the renewing of your mind.

I will admit in my own journey as a follower of Christ it has been a hard pattern to let go of. I was single until I was 31, so my life was focused on career. In the career world woman are often set-up to be "woman power extremist". It was not until I started my journey with my marriage that I began to look at the Word and renew my mind about what it means to be woman/wife of God. May I suggest that if you are following after the "pattern of this world" concerning your role start reading and STUDYING Proverbs 31. There is some great teaching at this web-site. http://www.reviveourhearts.com/

Here is how one Bible dictionary describes submissive:
1. (a.) Inclined or ready to submit; acknowledging one's inferiority; yielding; obedient; humble.
2. (a.) Showing a readiness to submit; expressing submission; as, a submissive demeanor.

Submission is an attitude and behavior, one that shows humbleness, respect, honor, and love at the cost of ones own "rights". As Eph. 5:22-24 states, it is the wives attitude and behavior that reflects how the church should submit to Christ. AND how Christ submitted to the Father. "Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26:39

It may not be your will, BUT it is the Father's will that you are submissive to your husband. Humble yourself to the Father's will and see how much more He can use you. After all Jesus submitted to the will of the Father and became the Savior of the world.

The Role of Women - Part 2

2008-10-17T07:21:00.001-07:00

For this blog I'm going to refer you to an article already written by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. It is a great overview and thought provoking article on our role as women. I said in the previous post that this would not be painful. I may have been mistaken, it may be a little convicting. There is a "Read More" link at the bottom of this entry. Click to read the whole article.

Biblical Portrait of Womanhood
By Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Within my lifetime, there has been a sweeping revolution—a revolution of how women view themselves and their roles, how they view men, how they view their families, and how they function in our culture.

Whether they realize it or not, the vast majority of Christian women have bought into this “new” way of thinking. In the home, the church, and the marketplace, they have adopted the values and belief system of the world around them. The world promises freedom and fulfillment to those who embrace its philosophy. But sadly, millions of women who have done so have ended up disillusioned, wounded, and in terrible bondage.

For more than 20 years, I have listened to the heart cries of these women:
women who are exhausted from trying to juggle the demands of job and family
women who are desperately lonely
women who feel trapped in unhappy marriages
women who battle a pervasive sense of hopelessness and despair
women who live under a crushing load of guilt and failure
women who are struggling to find a sense of purpose in the midst of the “daily-ness” of life
women who have never known what it is to have whole relationships built on mutual love and commitment
women who live with crippling fears and chronic anxiety

I find that many women have given up hope that they can ever be released from their emotional and spiritual prisons. But over and over again, I have seen a light kindled in their eyes when they discover that the “abundant life” God promised truly can be a reality, regardless of their circumstances. The purpose of this booklet is to help us discover the path to that abundant life and to examine our lives in light of God’s design and plan.

Before you go any further, I feel I should warn you that what you are about to read is not politically correct. It flies in the face of what we have been taught as 21 st-century, “liberated” women. It is contrary to our natural instincts. It will never be the majority position and is likely to make some women uncomfortable.

But I can assure you that it is the only path to true joy, peace, and fulfillment as a woman. You see, God made us, He loves us, and we can only be whole when we function according to His design for our lives.

If your heart longs to be free to fulfill the purpose for which you were created, I invite you to join me in seeking to know the heart and ways of God. I am praying that God will orchestrate a counter-revolution in our day—a quiet revolution of women who are willing to pattern their lives, not after the world, but after the Word of God. I am convinced that the influence of an army of godly women will be incalculable—in our homes, our churches, and our culture. Will you be one of those women?

Read more

The Role of Women in Marriage - Part 1

2008-10-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

I took a long drive through the national forest a couple of weeks ago. I love these quiet drives because I enjoy talking to God in the car. He and I have the best conversations in the car. It was beautiful. There were lots of yellow and purple wildflowers. My mom would tell you, I'm crazy about wildflowers and love to pick them. I made few stops along the way and ended up with a beautiful bunch of flowers.

As I was driving and praying to God my heart was overwhelmed with the burden to pray for marriages. When I say overwhelmed I mean it. I have not cried before the Lord like that in a long time. I had to pull over. My heart is aching over the condition that Christian marriages are in. We have let the worlds standards and ideas about marriage enter into the church and it is destroying our marriages.

Ladies, the world has sold us a bill of goods about our role in marriage. If we continue to embrace it we will see more and more marriages fail. I know that there are two people in a marriage. I know that both either make or break a marriage. But the purpose of this blog is to teach women, so I'm going to focus on our role in marriage for the next couple of blogs.

In II Kings 17:9-15 it states. "The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the LORD had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that provoked the LORD to anger. They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, "You shall not do this." The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: "Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets."

But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, "Do not do as they do," and they did the things the LORD had forbidden them to do."

What are high places? High places were usually natural (e.g. hills and mountains) but sometimes man-made (e.g. towers) places where people worshiped or made sacrifices. The Canaanite "high places" were notorious for pagan worship where various heathenistic idols, altars or buildings were located, and where some of the most wicked and horrendous behavior imaginable went on. As such, when the Israelites entered the Promised Land they were commanded by God not only to have nothing to do with high places, but to destroy them because they would be corrupted by their presence - a command that was largely disobeyed, to their regret.

The world (and many in the church) worship the feminist movement and has made it a "high place". We have been told that our role as a woman and wife is the same as our husbands. That our husband is not the head of the household. That woman can have it all and do not need a man to have a family. These are "altars of lies" and our marriages are being sacrificed on these altars.

You can be upset with what I'm telling you, but the Word of God is the Word of God. "They imitated the nations around them although the LORD had ordered them, "Do not do as they do," and they did the things the LORD had forbidden them to do." We have imitated what the world has told us about being a wife and look what is happening. We are to be different. We are to want to be the wife that God has command us to be, not what the world says we should be.

The next blog will look closer at what the LORD says is our role in marriage. I promise it will not hurt.

The Mark and Cheryl Love Story

2008-09-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

My husband (Mark) and I will be celebrating 16 years of marriage next Friday. Every anniversary has become a special day for us, because we almost ended it at number three. I would like to celebrate my marriage with you, by telling you our love story.

We fell in love in church; we grew in love in prison.

Mark and I met in church and fell in love fast. From the time of our first date until our wedding day was seven months. It was the most romantic courtship I had ever been a part of. The wedding was perfect with just the right amount of funny mistakes. The first year of marriage was going well, but the second year things changed.

Falling in love is wonderful until you begin to stumble and trip over each other. Life is not always perfect and neither is marriage. What a disappointment that was to Mark and I. In that second year we were falling apart and not falling in love anymore. The day came when my husband decided we needed to separate. I was full of anger and hurt. He was full of disappointment, guilt, and discouragement. The situation drew me back to my loving God, but it turned Mark away from Him.

We had been separated for nine months when the Lord spoke to my heart that Mark was in serious trouble. I had not spoken to my husband in several months, but God used the unity of marriage to let me know Mark needed prayer. My pastor and I prayed one Sunday that God would do whatever it took to bring Mark back to Him. Three days later my husband was arrested. I knew God had heard our prayers. He gently spoke to my heart, “Rest in me. Do not abandon Mark. I will heal him and your marriage. This is your time to stand firm in Me.” I made the commitment right then to stay in my marriage.

I wish I could tell you I never had any doubt or thoughts of leaving. When these doubts came God would always remind me, “Cheryl, if I can part the Red Sea, I can save a marriage.”

October 3rd Mark and I will celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. I can proclaim to you that God did exactly what He said He would do. Mark and I grew in love sitting in the visiting room of a Federal Corrections Institution. He has become the husband that God knew I needed. Mark is the man I can cry and laugh with. The man I can share my sorrows and joys with. Mark is now the man that God created for Cheryl. AND Cheryl has become the woman God created for Mark.

Psalms 20: 5 says, “We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.” The banner Mark and I will lift says, "Glory to God. He is the Healer of our Marriage."

Modesty - What is It?

2008-09-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

I love Casting Crowns new album, From the Altar to the Door. The first song is called, What this World Needs. There is a line in the song, "What this world needs is for us to care more about the inside than the outside. Have we become so blind that we can't see God's gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt" I agree with this. We do not need to judge or exclude anyone because of the way they dress. We are to instead train them!

When a woman is first seeking out the Lord or has just begun her walk with Him, she still has impressions from the world about how she should dress and look. Sometimes seeing a younger woman in the faith dressed seductively or showy can take us back. BUT an older woman in the faith dressing that way is SHOCKING. So, if you are younger woman learn from this post, if an older woman use it as a reminder.

Many women in the church today do not understand the meaning of modest. The dictionary defines it:1. Humble: unwilling to draw attention to your own achievements or abilities 2. Shy: not confident or assertive, and tending to be easily embarrassed 3. Reasonable: not large, extreme, or excessive 4. Simple: not showy, elaborate, or pretentious 5. Not overly sexual: reserved in appearance, manner, and speech, especially in relation to sexual matters.

The Bible defines it this way:
“I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” 1 Timothy 2:9

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” Proverbs 31:30

Does this mean you have to give up all your jewelry, never do your hair, or not wear make-up? No, that would be a little scary for some us. What it means is that when I'm dressed and ready to go I ask myself some questions. Am I trying to draw attention to myself? Is this outfit, jewelry, makeup, etc too extreme or excessive? Am I being showy? Is the way I'm dressed today going to distract men in a sexual way? Am I trying to gain men's attention with this outfit?

You may be thinking, "Well, isn't that their problem (men) if they can not look at a woman without sexual thoughts." Maybe yes, maybe no. But we can only examine our part.

Here is what the Bible says we are to do:
"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way."Romans 14:13

"Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak." 1 Corinthians 8:9

The Word commands us to not be a stumbling block to our brothers. Frankly, there are enough stumbling blocks just walking down the mall for them. We should not want to add to it. If we wrap ourselves in modesty we will not be a stumbling block. A Christian woman's beauty is in her heart's desire to follow God. God adores a humble and modest daughter.

Why Do We Need Titus 2 Women ?

2008-09-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

We hear words today like mentor, advisor, counselor, and consultant. The world thinks this a new idea, but God ordained it long ago. In Titus 2 God told men to train men and women to train women. The sad part is the world embraces this concept and the Christians have moved away from it.

I have to wonder, "How many Christian marriages and families could have been saved from breaking up if we had done a little training? How many Christians would still be attending church if we had done a little training? How few would fall for false prophets and teachers if we had done a little training?"

As an "older" woman in the faith I do not have all the answers. I still look to those around me who are more mature than I to teach me. I learned this early in my Christian faith. When I was in my mid-twenties the church matched me up with an "older" woman to help teach me. Frances Scott was instrumental in helping me to hunger after the things of God. She challenged me to study the Word and find the answers. Frances was the one who encourage me to do short-term missions in Japan. I spent two years there and my faith in God grew stronger and prepared me for the years that came. If she had not "trained" me I would have been tossed about by the trails that came later in my life.

If you are an "older" woman you do not have to have all the answers, you just have to be grounded in the Word and vulnerable. If you are a "younger" woman in the faith seek an "older" woman and ask for the help. Let's get busy ladies, the Lord commands it.

P.S. I put " " around older and younger, because it does not refer to age. It refers to the time a woman has walked in her faith in Jesus Christ - her Spiritual maturity.