Women of Promise

   I read something this week that I do not recall hearing in this way before.  It shook me to the core and I was amazed at the all encompassing presence and glory of God in a brand new way.  After researching it some and confirming that the information was accurate and not merely a "feel good" inspirational segment, I have been meditating on the truths shared whenever I had some moments to reflect.  It has brought me to tears of joy and adoration.  It has caused me to weep over the lack of knowledge I have of who our God is and exactly how much He is concerned with the fact that we are made in His image.       First, I would like to share the short piece writing that rocked my world this week: There was a moment when Moses had the nerve to ask God what his name is. God was gracious enough to answer, and the name he gave is recorded in the original Hebrew as YHWH. Over time we’ve arbitrarily added an “a” and an “e” in there to get YaHWeH...

  What happens when things don't go our way?  What happens when a child defies a known directive?  What happens when a monkey wrench get thrown into your perfectly laid out plans for the day or week?  What happens when an authority figure requests or tells you to do something you just don't want to do, because you think your way is better? To be perfectly honest, I have thrown more than one temper tantrum over events like these and it is not pretty.       In our culture, the answers to these questions would most likely be:  "Stand up for yourself!" or "Believe in yourself!"   Possibly, "Don't back down!" or  even, "You don't deserve to be treated this way."   The Evil One has so permeated our culture that we are taught to worship ourselves and place ourselves on quite a pedestal.  This feeds our sin nature's appetite for self-gratification.  In an effort to teach our kids confidence, they are taught to look ...

image source: biblestudytools.com      "But, Mo--om! It's not fair!"  If I've heard this once, I've heard it a thousand times.  No matter how hard we attempt to parent "fairly," there simply isn't a way to ensure that everyone gets exactly the same experiences throughout life.  It may be as simple as pieces of candy, or it may be something bigger -- like an outing with family or friends. As our children grow, they understand the situations better, but younger ones frequently still have to learn the hard lesson that life just isn't always perfectly fair in our eyes.  Choosing to be joyful for another when we feel left out can be quite difficult!      Our culture is very focused on treating everyone equally these days.  However the more they try to accomplish this, it seems that someone or some group is left out or offended. Now, I am by no means saying that this isn't a lofty goal, simply pointing out that, as a society, we haven't f...

       I absolutely hate pop quizzes, don't you?  It is so much more comfortable to take a test when you are confident that you have studied a topic.   My kids are the same.  I have the fun privilege of being both their mom and their teacher, so I do utilize pop quizzes sometimes to check up on their study habits.  If they have studied, the pop quiz is not a problem.  I can tell when they have mastered the content and accomplished the goal of a lesson.  If they haven't, we go back over it until mastery is achieved.       As Christians, are we prepared for the "pop quizzes" that will be thrown at us?  We live in a world in which everyone demands "proof" of something.  Those who have answers that are logical and well-grounded have much more credibility than those answers that are obviously unprepared and without a solid basis for their defense.  That credibility is crucial if we want to be used ...

Source: Billy Graham on Twitter: 2/1/17          Do you ever wake up drained -- exhausted before the day even begins?  Do you ever want to bury your head in the pillow and hide from everyone and everything?  I have heard it called sensory overload, or "needing a mental health day," and other similar things.  Sometimes as a mom, the children pour out their needs and I just don't seem to have anything to give, even for the most simple of requests.  My patience may run thin and I snap over a minor infraction.  Even worse, I may not correct them when they need correction because I "can't deal with it right now."  Sound familiar?  It may be a different source for you that causes you to feel that your "cup has run dry."  Perhaps it is work, friends, or other family members that seem to drain you.  Have you ever heard the phrase, "You can't pour from an empty cup?"  Where do you go when your cup is dry?  Do you tur...