Strength in Women

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)

I am a product of the '70s.  My formative years were spent as the feminist movement was starting to take hold.  I remember Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman" as an anthem for many and Mary Tyler Moore was my idol.  Although only in my teens, I remember women burning their bras and seeing protests on the news.  It was certainly a time that influenced me greatly..

During that, my mom didn't get all entangled in what was happening in the world.  My mother stayed true to her beliefs and values.  She believed in loving God, being a great wife and an awesome mother.  She believed in making great family meals and providing for her children.  My mother was a teacher - a working mom.  I vividly remember that on Friday evenings, as we were looking forward to the weekend, my mom was starting the laundry and beginning the weekend chores of shopping, cleaning and cooking.  There was ALWAYS church on Sunday, followed by Sunday School and Sunday dinner.  She wasn't burning her bra in celebration of being a woman, but was grounded in God, prayer, and love.

I may have loved Mary Tyler Moore and all of her independence, but my greatest influence has always been Mom.  Mom always dressed well, but it wasn't her universe.  Mom would do her makeup, but it didn't define her.  Mom is defined by her faith.  Plain and simple.  As the years have moved forward and I have grown into a wife and mother, I look back and realize my guide and counsel has always been my Mom.

Looking back upon the great women of the Bible and my Mom, I see many similarities.  They all believed that God was their strength.  From Mary who didn't question the angel Gabriel when he told her she was going to be a virgin mother to the bravery of Esther, there are plenty of examples that show us women how to live a life that praises God.  Mom's greatest strength is her prayer life.  On more than one occasion, when one of my friends may be facing a great difficulty, they will often say, "And can you bring in the 'big guns'", referring to my Mom.  She goes to her Lord in prayer often, and has taught us to do the same.

There are many gifts I have been given by my Mom.  Yet, the best by far is her trust in the Lord and the ability to 'talk' to him ALL the time.  She does't need to protest or burn her bra.  For Mom it is about being strong in the Lord, and strong in life.  She seems to do it effortlessly, yet, I know it takes a lot to be that strong.  Her strength lies in Jesus.  As I grow, I continue to strive for that strength - the strength of Mary, of Esther and of Mom.  Thank you Mom, for your greatest gift - your faith.  I love you!!

"Heavenly Father, thank you for the wonderful influence of mothers.  As we walk through life, may we be blessed with mothers and care givers who provide us a strong faith in you to handle this life on Earth.  When their time on this Earth is complete, we know that you will care for our mothers in heaven.  Help us to have the strength of the mothers in the Bible.  In your name we pray.  Amen."

Bonding Together

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  Galatians 3:28   (NIV)

A week ago I was nervous.  I was anxious.  I was worried.  Enough to keep me up at night and concerned during the day.  I was travelling abroad.  Not just, "Yea, we are going on vacation to Costa Rica!"  No, this time I was travelling very far away from home - to a very new country.  I was going to China for business.  There was much that had me concerned:

     Would I be able to handle the 15-hour plane ride?

     What if I couldn't understand anyone - who was really going to speak English?

     Was the food going to be too different (not that I can't stand to lose a few pounds)?

     Most of all, I was going for work - what if I couldn't get my message across?

Here I am, a week later.  Yes, I survived the plane ride and the food is great.  Many people I've met speak great English - and when we can't communicate in our native tongue, well, body language works wonders.  Those I have met, from waitresses to company associates, couldn't be any more friendly.  They have made me feel welcomed and part of the team.  It has been an incredible and rich experience.  I am truly blessed.

Yet, it made me think.  All that worry and all that anxiousness.  All those sleepless nights.  For what?  God had this one - in fact he's had this particular concern for a LONG time.  As we face many difficult scenarios around this world, many times we see it is a lack of understanding of the other person.  Instead of facing the "fear" and having a positive viewpoint, we make assumptions, we wonder and we get anxious.  Sometimes, we let those anxious moments drive our viewpoints, creating false understanding.  

God created us.  He created ALL of us.  Regardless of where we are in this great big world, He put us there for a purpose - His purpose.  Whether we are in the United States, China, or another part of this planet, God created us.  He is truly the great equalizer.  It doesn't matter if we are Jew/Gentile, male/female - we were created in His vision.  Yes, some of us may not be baptized Christians, but for those of us who are, shouldn't we walk in the vision God has for us - to truly accept ALL people?  

I have learned much while in China.  I've learned how to eat with chopsticks!  I learned how to say thank you in Chinese.  I've learned that sweet potato leaves are delicious.  Yes, some of the great fundamentals.  What I've learned MORE is that meeting new cultures is wonderful and fascinating.  Learning about struggles for people in a foreign country brings perspective.  I've also learned that making new friends in a new country is exhilarating.  The picture is of my friend Sophia on our visit to Hong Kong.  God has this great big world in His hands - the whole world - not just my small section of it.  Let's rely on His goodness and His purpose as we encounter ALL of His people.  Here's to another great week ahead!

"Dearest God, thank you for sharing a new part of your world with me.  Help us to always come to you with our anxious moments and remember that your purpose for us is far greater than anything we can imagine.  Thank you for being the great equalizer of us all.  In your name we pray.  Amen"

Forward is Backward

"Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

Luke 6:38 NIV

Pay it Forward Day was this past Saturday.  I was thrilled to see many social media, television, radio and other people discussing the importance of taking time to do good unto others.  I've always thought this was a special way to live our lives - to always consider the needs to others before our own.  

I'm sure many of us will agree that when we take the step to help someone else, to volunteer our time or resources to provide for others, that so many different miracles take place.  

• First, the true impact on the other person of what was given.  It may have been a gesture to give them something that they desperately needed - like a meal.  It also could have been warm clothing or even a cup of coffee.  When we give to those truly in need, after having been blessed ourselves, it is God's love shining through.
• Second, there is the impact on ourselves.  I have yet to meet someone who, when they share the story of an act of kindness they gave, weren't impacted themselves.  Our hearts swell with love when we see a gesture we gave mean so much to someone.  When we give, God's love shines through.  When we see the difference, it is Jesus' love coming back to us.

Sometimes, an act of "paying it forward" may seem out of reach.  Maybe we don't have the monetary resources to provide to others.  Maybe we don't have those extra few minutes to work at a soup kitchen.  Yes, we may find barriers in our lives that we believe stop us from paying it forward.  Yet, there are many ways, in our daily activities, that we can pay it forward.  A kind word, a warm hug, a small note, and even a quick text, can provide the miracle in someone's life.

We need to take this verse in context though.  If you were to read the previous verse, it shares the real essence of paying it forward.  "Do not judge, and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive and you will be forgiven."  (Luke 6:37).  The greatest gift we can give to someone is true forgiveness.  It is through this forgiveness that the most awesome of miracles happen.  Our Dearest Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of ALL our sins - not just the big ones.  In turn, we are to forgive others.  Yes, this gives something to the one we are forgiving, but just like an act of kindness, we are the ones who are truly blessed.  By forgiving others, goodness will be poured into our laps, abundantly.  Forgiveness is freeing.  Forgiveness is peaceful.  Forgiveness is joyful.  

So the next time we want to pay it forward, let us be reminded that one of the greatest acts of kindness can be forgiveness.  In turn, giving it forward has a rich reward back to us.  Forward is Backward in Forgiveness.  May we give the miracle of forgiveness to those that need it - including ourselves.   

Heavenly Father, thank you for these key verses that help us understand the power of giving.  Although many acts of kindness can make great impact on others, the greatest gift we can give another is the gift that Jesus gave to us - forgiveness.  May we always be aware of what we can do for others.  In you name we pray.  Amen!

Pouring Love

"And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."  Romans 5:5 (NIV)

As we finally see signs of spring in New England, it is amazing how people's disposition begins to change.  With buds on the trees, flowers blooming, and warmer temperatures, we begin to feel the long winter melting away and a renewed hope that spring and summer are coming.  It amazes me the difference this can make in our moods.

It had me thinking about the hope that our Lord gives to us.  Where does that hope come from?  Why do we feel it some days more than others?  Can "I" do something more to give me a renewed sense of hope?  I know, deep questions, right?  I certainly don't have all the answers to these questions, yet, I searched for a verse that would help me better see where the strength of hope comes from.

Romans 5: 1-5 are my favorite verses in the Bible.  Everyone tends to have their "go to" verses.  This has always been mine:

     "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produced perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope.  And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

Hope comes from our trials.  Hope comes from the difficult part of our lives.  I wonder if everything was always rosy and wonderful, would we think we need hope?  Lives going smooth, what do I need to hope for?  I believe it is in those difficult times that we realize the hope we grasp on to.  Our gracious Jesus provided us that hope to see Him in paradise by dying on the cross for us.  He gave us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us so we can FEEL that hope when we need it most, in times of trials.  

Where does hope come from?  God's love for us.  I love the image from our verse today - he poured His love into our hearts.  Our hearts are there for Him to fill and He fills them up with his eternal love.  As I put my hand over my heart, it helps me to know that Jesus is right in there with me.  As the Holy Spirit lives inside, we can always pull on the love that God filled our hearts with.  The love that brings us hope in our darkest hour.  The love that brings us out of the darkness into the light.  The love that lasts forever.

Dearest Lord, thank you for pouring your love into our hearts.  As you fill us up with your eternal love, may we know that your love brings us hope - hope for our trials of today and hope for an everlasting life with you.  In your gracious and loving name we pray, Amen!

Troubled Hearts

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27 (NIV)

As each day passes, the images of this world break my heart.  Whether it is what I see on TV, what I hear from people, or what I view as I walk through this life, it is painful.  The most recent images of Syria make me cry.  As I hit the mall and see people screaming at each other, I can't help but question the motives.  As I hear about disturbing actions, it produces a troubled heart.  Tomorrow is the Boston Marathon and in New England, the troubled events of a few years ago become painful memories of the trouble in this world.

I thought the image above so accurately depicts that trouble - all of these actions leading to anxiety, panic, stress, depression, anger, frustration - the list goes on and on.  It is hard to not be afraid as we live in a broken world.  It is tough to when we ask "Why God?" and don't seem to get any answers.  What does our dear Lord bring to us as we experience these difficult times in our lives?  How I wish He would come down and hold my hand, sharing with me that it will be okay and life can be healed.

Although He may not be here to hold my hand, He is with me, He is with us!!  We feel Him as a friend or family member holds our hand during our pain.  He is with us through the Holy Spirit - when we can't see the end of the tunnel and a miracle happens in front of our eyes.  He is with us when we feel despair, and a small light brings us to hope.  He is with us in the words of The Bible, the words of a prayer, the words of a hymn or song, or the words of someone speaking to us.  

Each one of us has experienced, is experiencing, or will experience something that brings trouble to our hearts.  Although we may not fully understand the "why" these things happen, we do know that our turn to God will bring us peace.  Yet, the only way we can fully experience that peace is if we relinquish our pain to God.  Our worry, our pain, our despair, and our hurt is what God wants us to give Him!  This doesn't mean that we "throw it over the wall" and then we will never think about it.  Life doesn't work that way.  Forgetting is so hard to do.  The peace comes with letting the pain go, letting the anguish go.  The best way we can do that is through conversation with the only One that can truly understand our hearts - God.  When we give it to Him, he will work with us to bring us peace.

My prayer, for all that are reading, is that whatever you may be going through that is troubling your heart, give it to God.  Let Him have your troubled heart.  Let Him feel your pain.  Let Him begin the healing in your life.  Let Him bring you peace.  You won't find the peace to heal your heart in anything of this world - only God can give you that peace.  

Dearest Lord, please be with this world.  All of us have experiences that leave us with troubled hearts - full of worry, anxiety, doubt, fear, and anger.  Please, take our hearts, Jesus.  Take the troubles away from us and fill our hearts with peace and hope.  Take our frustrations and fill us with the peace that passes all understanding - as only you can do.  In your gracious name we pray, Amen!

Gracious Gratitude

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."  Psalm 100: 4-5 (NIV)

Gratitude - to be thankful.  Having gratitude, or thankfulness, naturally surrounds itself with acts that may have been done to or for us.  I have gratitude for my husband's loving demeanor.  I have gratitude for the friendship of wonderful people.  I have gratitude for the blessings received in career and home.  Gratitude seems as if it comes naturally, and for many it does.

I learned recently of another type of gratitude, gracious gratitude.  In a faith-based definition, this is having a deep level of thankfulness not for WHAT God provides to us but for WHO God is with us.  It begs to be more of a relational way of experiencing God and his goodness.  It tends to overlook the WHAT has been given to us, whether positive or challenging, and focus that throughout all of that, what we have is a God who is WITH us, in love, in power, in goodness.  In straightforward thinking, it takes gratitude to a next level.

I know that I tend to see myself as a "natural gratitude" person - giving thanks to the things that happen to me or for me.  I believe this is a part of every person - the ability to have this type of gratitude on a regular basis.  This is important - not just for us who are extending our thanks, but also for the person who is receiving our thanks.  Sometimes, I feel like the world (myself included), loses sight of the importance of natural gratitude.  We may take the situation we are in or the circumstances around us for granted.  Some may even say "I deserve" all this goodness.  When we look upon gratitude in this form, it becomes self-centered.  Extending natural gratitude is important in every-day living.

Gracious gratitude is providing that gratitude to God for the relationship we have and what He brings to my life.  Above all, He loves me.  It is the type of love that envelopes me into His being through the Holy Spirit.  God brings me peace.  Over the years, I tried to find peace in so many different places.  Peace through music.  Peace through meditation.  Peace through books.  A few years ago, God's peace reigned down on me - through His word.  Now, that is where I find the peace that only God can provide.  I am learning to give this gracious gratitude to the only One who gave Himself for me.

Gratitude is important to share.  We need more of this in our lives today.  Let's step away from entitlement and move to gratitude in our daily activities; natural gratitude for those around us and gracious gratitude for our relationship with God.  As I end, I would like to share natural gratitude for all who read this blog.  Five years ago today, I began an opportunity to share with close friends my thoughts on having simple faith in a complex world.  Today, we are surrounded by roughly 200 people a week.  I have had the blessing of speaking to women about these thoughts and have been more thoroughly blessed by the stories all of you have shared with me.  Please receive my deep-felt gratitude for your continued reading.  

Heavenly Father, may we continue our natural gratitude with those around us.  Help us to lift our gratitude up to you, gracious and merciful.  As we better understand your wonderful relationship with us, may we also hold tight to the love, forgiveness and joy you surround us with - even in times of trouble.  May we hold fast to your great goodness and love.  In your name we pray, Amen.

Lilies of Love

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:  though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."  

Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)

Easter - such an incredibly joyous day.  Yes, there are the Easter eggs, the Easter dresses and suits, the Easter baskets and yes, those lovely Easter bunnies.  Everything associated with Easter brings a smile to my face - it is light and happy.  Such a difference from our grieving of Good Friday.

With all the wonderful images of Easter, one continuously pulls at my heart strings, the white Easter Lily.  The beautiful trumpets of pure white are flowers I can reflect upon for such a long time.  First, there is the wonderful scent they give - so fresh and pure.  Then there are the tall stalks of green that they grow out of - so stately in nature.  The yellow pistils with their powdery substance pop in color.  Yet, it all comes back to the white flower - that is the part that rings true to my heart.

I look at that beautiful flower and all I can see is Jesus.  There isn't any cross of wood in that image.  There are no nails.  There is no crown of thorns.  All of those images take me to Good Friday and what Jesus did for me.  On Good Friday, as I sit looking at the cross in church, I see red - sins of red.  I see the sins that Jesus took upon his head as they put the crown of thorns on him.  I see the sins the Jesus took upon his back as they whipped and beat him.  I see the sins that Jesus took upon his shoulders as he carried the cross through the streets.  I see the sins that Jesus took upon his hands as the nails pierced him.

On Easter Sunday, with the alter filled with lilies, I see white.  I see the scarlet red of my sins gone and replaced with the lily white of forgiveness.  I see the purity of my soul as Jesus sees it.  He loved me so much to take all those horrible sins that I have committed and replaced them with pillows of white.  The white of snow, the white of cotton, the white of lilies.  It is that purity that Jesus so graciously gave to me - because he loved me more than I could ever love myself.

As we move through the next few days and see the lilies that have adorned our alters and homes, I ask that you take some time to reflect.  Reflect on the crimson of our sins.  Reflect on the love of our Jesus.  Reflect on the pure white of our sins forgiven.  It is those sins forgiven that give us a place with Jesus in paradise.  How deep is His love for us?  How deep should our love be for others?  Blessings to all this Easter!

"Heavenly Jesus, as we reflect on all that Easter brings to us, help us to always remember the purity you brought to us.  Through your death, you took the crimson red of our souls and replaced it with the white lily.  May we turn to you throughout each and every day, to say "thank you" for the love you have shown to us.  In turn, may we take that love and share it with others.  In your gracious name we pray, Amen!'