What does a Christian Woman look like?: Celebrations!

What does a Christian Woman look like?: Celebrations!: This weekend was really busy with birthday celebrations. My youngest daughter turned 9 years old and my granddaughter is now 4 years old. Ho...

Celebrations!

This weekend was really busy with birthday celebrations. My youngest daughter turned 9 years old and my granddaughter is now 4 years old. How I love celebrating them! It makes me think of how God our Father must feel about us. As much as I love my family, his love is beyond my comprehension. As much as I love celebrating them, the celebration that goes on in heaven when each one of us comes to the Father through salvation is inconceivable for me. As I watch my girls and how they light up during their parties and I wonder if I still "light up" or have I become so practical that I can't let myself delight in being celebrated? Too many disappointments have made celebrations hard to accept. Is this pleasing to God my Father? Does it affect my testimony?

Tomorrow we are taking a vacation. Four days of fun in the sun. I am so excited to be able to go somewhere that on the inside I'm shaky. On the outside good ole practical me is packing and planning what to take for the kids. Things to play with on the plane. Swim suits, sun glasses, etc. Don't forget their meds. Did we remember toothbrushes? I want to spin around and laugh and not worry whether or not I remembered everything. After all it's not like we are going to some place far away from civilization. I can always go buy a toothbrush! 

In the morning I will dance and laugh with the children. I won't worry about what I forgot. I will enjoy the gift of time to relax and play. I will CELEBRATE the gift that has been given to me. Life, family, love and most of all You Lord! 

Thank You for providing this much needed break for me. I can't wait!!!!!

Leviticus 23:31-33

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

 ³¹Ye shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
   
 ³²It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening unto evening, shall ye celebrate your sabbath."

 

Exodus 23:11-13

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

¹¹but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still, that the poor of thy people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard and with thy olive trees.
   
 ¹²"Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest, that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid and the stranger may be refreshed.
   
 ¹³And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect; and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.



Ok, it hasn't been 7 years but, Rest on the 7th day, rest the 7th year. And more. God knew our limits and instructed us to rest AND to celebrate our sabbath, our rest!  Father forgive me for not following this law!

What does a Christian Woman look like?: An Anniversary

What does a Christian Woman look like?: An Anniversary: Today's post is all about love, commitment, for better or for worse. 33 years ago today my husband proposed to me. It had been a busy day. ...

An Anniversary

Today's post is all about love, commitment, for better or for worse.
33 years ago today my husband proposed to me. It had been a busy day. I had decided to join his church and part of their membership criteria was you had to be baptized by them. Okey dokes. (I had been saved since I was 8 years old, filled with the Spirit at the same time. Baptized a couple of years later.) My husband-to-be understood where my heart was and so I was baptized. He had made dinner reservations as a surprise. It was my first "formal" dinner. White table cloths, candles, flowers. We were one of the only couples in the restaurant on a Sunday evening. Then we drove along Highway 101. The night was beautiful. A warm wind, clear sky, the moon shining on the ocean waves. We had stopped at a vista point overlooking the beach and we talked. All of a sudden he gets down on one knee and asks me to marry him. It could not have been more perfect.
We were both quite young (19). My husband was called to ministry when he was 14. What that would mean for us we had no idea. 33 years later God still has surprises for us. We have weathered some intense challenges. We have pastored those that God has brought into our lives. We have ministered to families one on one, mothers and fathers, taken in lots of children. Walked with couples through their own crisis. Births, deaths, cancers, addictions, break ups. Life. Some were Christians and some were not. Always we brought God and His Word as the ultimate source for guidance.
All the while growing and maturing ourselves. Growing in our confidence in God and His Word. His love. His power to restore whatever we lay down at his feet. When our own personal crisis have come along we have been able to stand strong. Bend a little but always come back to our foundation. 
When I think of the things I said through my inexperience and lack of knowledge as a young wife to my husband I shudder. I thank God that his Holy Spirit has led me and guided me on my quest to become a Godly woman. And that my husband is forgiving. I am excited to see where the next 33 years take us!

Titus 2:2-4

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

 ²that the older men be sober, serious, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience;

   
 ³the older women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things,

   
 ⁴that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

And so began my quest...

What does a Christian Woman look like?: Love Is?

What does a Christian Woman look like?: Love Is?: I'm sure this is a title I will use many times. I am thinking about a woman who is a minister. I've known her many years. Not close friends ...

Love Is?

I'm sure this is a title I will use many times. I am thinking about a woman who is a minister. I've known her many years. Not close friends but acquaintances. There has always been something between us. For my part I've felt like she just plain doesn't like me. I have been critical of her integrity in recent years. Based on what I saw and experienced in dealing with her. BUT God sees her fit for his use. So how do I reconcile what I know God's word says regarding ministers and what I have seen in her life from my vantage point? 
Before you jump on me for judging her...
I've already been there. Who am I to judge?  God and man know that my own faults are many and obvious. And yet I still can't support her ministry. I just can't.
I think I've finally found a key to the door of peace on this one. God promises that His Word will not come back void. The promise is not tied to the messenger, but to the message. She is willing to present Him. And He honors that.

Isaiah 55:10-12

21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

 ¹⁰For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
   
 ¹¹so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: It shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
   
 ¹²"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

You go to that church too?!?

We were at a birthday party the other night. The kids all had tons of fun. I was looking for someone to sit and chat with. I talked with a grandma, and a few others but there were two women in particular I wanted to chat with. One has a brother who has started a church in a really poor part of town. She and I had chatted a couple of nights before at a school function. Very briefly, just enough for her to relate the basics as to how he is doing. It sounds like he could really use some support but she was quick to inform me that he wants the people to "own" their church and community. They have about 50 people. This time I wanted to see if she would share any more about her brother's church but more importantly I was hoping she would tell me about herself. I am really curious about her and where her heart is. We ended up talking about some needs at the school our children attend. She and her family were sitting with some others they knew from the sports teams their kids are active with. I'm still curious. My spirit says there is something there, but is it strong and healthy? And is it OK for me to wonder?
The other woman works for a fairly well known humanitarian organization and her husband too is working to establish a church. They had tried a home based church last year, but I had the feeling it was proving very difficult with their active family. We discovered that we attend the same church, different services. We had a pretty nice conversation. I hope she will call. I am interested in her perspective on "What Does a Christian Woman Looks Like." Do Christian women reach out to each other outside of Sunday services, seminars or Christian Conferences? Shouldn't we care about each other's spiritual life as well as the physical life that consumes our days?

Sizing each other up?

Well, it seems to me that one of the first things you notice about another woman is her weight. Her clothes. Her hair. Her makeup. Her shoes. Her bag. Her jewelry. The outward dressing. You take note of the style, and expense with which she has clothed herself. And you make a judgement call. Is she like me? Do we have anything in common? Will we be friends or just acquaintances? You notice her hands and her voice. And then you notice her eyes. All of this your brain processes in just seconds. And you make a judgement call. You decide in seconds how to approach her and what you want the outcome to be. I believe that there is an assessment being done on a spiritual level as well. 
Do we have the same Spirit in us?

1st Mention of my Blog

I was at a meeting this afternoon and mentioned that I was starting a blog. "Oh, what about?" I hemmed and hawed because of the type of meeting that was about to start then in a split second decided to be honest."It's about something that has intrigued me for many years. What does a Christian Woman look like?" The immediate response was: " Proverbs 31, of course!" I was wondering how long it would take for that particular scripture to come up.

What I want to look at is more than that. How does Proverbs 31 and all of the other scriptures aimed at women play out in day to day living? As well as the other scriptures related to christian living in general. How do we weave God's Word into the fabric of our lives. Is it the yarn of choice? An accent thread? A shiny accent to dress up the whole cloth? Do you understand where I want to go?

First I have to define what I mean by "Christian Woman". I am not talking about christian in the secular sense.  Christian as in not Muslim, Catholic, Buddhist etc. I am talking about Christian as in a woman who has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her savior, Acts 4:12. What happens after that?

First Things First

I've been thinking about this idea for a long time. What exactly does a Christian Woman look like? How does she think? How does she live out her beliefs? How can you tell she is a Christian?


So, I am going to write about my thoughts and observations and hopefully answer the question for myself as well as you. Sit back, have your Bible handy, open your eyes and ears and let's start this journey!