Reflecting God's Love

 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34 (NIV)

As followers of Christ we are called to reflect God's love in our daily lives. Being a Christian is not merely about attending church services or reciting prayers; it is about embodying the teachings of Jesus and living out His commandments.

In John 13:34, Jesus gives us a new commandment: to love one another as He has loved us. This commandment is the foundation of being a god centered Christian. It challenges us to extend love, grace, and compassion to everyone we encounter, regardless of their background, beliefs, or actions. 

To be a Christian means to be a vessel of God's love in a broken world. It means showing kindness to the stranger, forgiveness to the offender, and empathy to the hurting. It means being patient with those who test our patience and extending a helping hand to those in need. It means loving those who sin differently than we do and remembering the sin and temptations God has saved us from.

Being a godly Christian also involves living a life of integrity and righteousness. It means aligning our thoughts, words, and actions with God's Word. It means seeking His guidance and wisdom in every decision we make, and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us from within.

Let us remember that being a godly Christian is not about perfection, but about progress. It is a lifelong journey of growth and transformation. We may stumble and fall along the way, but God's grace is always available to lift us up and empower us to continue walking in His ways.

Today, let us commit ourselves to being a God honoring Christian, reflecting God's love in all that we do. May our lives be a testimony of His goodness, mercy, and grace, drawing others closer to Him.

Does Your Heart Break?

I watch them daily as they cry out for love and acceptance. They become angry and bitter about past circumstances, disappointments, and rejection of those they trusted and loved.

I watch their brokenness grow deeper. They run after all the wrong things. The lies they believe are so subtle, and so deadly, but they do not see them. They believe lies of an enemy they don’t know or understand. Lies told to them by their parents, siblings, friends, Hollywood and the world.

They say they know God yet walk in disobedience or as prisoners of their past.

Who are “they”? They are the daughters of God. Those who are free yet walk in bondage. They are those who don’t know God as their Father. They are the ones who are currently lost yet will come to know God as Father. They are His chosen daughters. They are my mothers, sisters, daughters, granddaughters and friends.

Does your heart break? Mourn?

I cry out with Jeremiah in chapter 8 verses 18-22…

“My sorrow is beyond healing, My heart is faint within me! Behold, listen! The cry of the daughter of my people from a distant land: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King not within her?" "Why have they provoked Me with their graven images, with foreign idols?" "Harvest is past, summer is ended, And we are not saved." For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?”

Oh how I wish I had time to break this passage down precept by precept, but as I read it my heart is in anguish and pray that you will hear it.

There are women are all around us who are broken and live without hope. They live in bondage to the father of this world. These women sit in the pews of churches every week and yet they still live in bondage. They believe lies that keep them from the freedom that Christ has given them. They are lost, afraid, and filled with anxieties.

So my question is this. Where are the daughters of God who can lead them to the “balm of Gilead”? Where are the women who can lead the sick to the Healer God, Jehovah Rapha? Why are so many of the healthy, spiritually mature women content to remain on the sidelines?

I know they are out there. I see some of them reaching out in grace, love and mercy. They are taking the broken and leading them to the Father where there is help, hope and healing. But there needs to be more women reaching out. The need is so great, greater than most even imagine.

The women of the church need to rise up and embrace their sisters. We need to rise up and begin to help them to build up the broken, weakened, and destroyed walls that have come tumbling down.

My prayer….

Oh Father, You know the cry of my heart. I pray that that my heart would remain broken and in anguish over Your people. Help me to walk along with my sisters in Christ and lead them to a deeper, healthier relationship with You.  Father I thank you for bringing me the healing and hope that you have. I thank you for continuing to show me the brokenness of my own heart and life. Oh God how can the daughters of Zion ever reach a dying world if they still walk in bondage? Oh Father, show me the sin in my own heart and thank you for Your grace and forgiveness. Continue to reveal to me the need of the cross, Your blood offering. Pour Yourself in me that I may pour myself out to You as an offering.  Oh Jesus draw me near to you….

Thoughts of an “Older” Woman

I’ve been reading 1 Timothy. I’ve always loved the relationship between Paul and Timothy. As a young woman, mother and wife I longed for a “Paul” in my life. A woman who would disciple me. One who would help me learn to be the woman God created me to be. Who would show me how to “fight the fight” and “finish the race” in grace and love.

As I look back over my life I can see those that God brought women along the journey to help me. Most were more peers than “older” women, but they were beyond me in their spiritual walk if not their season of life. They were friends who took my hand in theirs and guided me in the disciplines of faith. In so many ways they discipled and mentored me. They encouraged me toward a deeper walk with Christ. They helped me be a better mother and wife. I still value the lessons they spoke into my heart both by their words and the life they lived.

I remember during those times still longing for a spiritual mother. As I looked around the church I often wondered why the older women weren’t investing in the younger women. In my mind I imagined seasoned women who knew so much more about life than I did. They had finished the “race” of parenting and managed to stay married for 30+ years. I just knew their lives must ooze of wisdom, grace and love that could be shared. Yet more often than not that wisdom remained hidden away as if it was a secret not to be shared.

I often wondered how do you arrive in their season of life with such godly wisdom? They appeared to have such great faith. They had been through storms and suffering yet still clung to their God with a surety and passion I longed to have. I suppose I could have just asked them. I suppose I could have began the conversation. But they seemed so out of my reach, so spiritual. Oh how many times I wanted to ask questions and yet my fear of perceived “unattainable” spirituality kept me from approaching them.

I am now the age many of them were then. I have raised my children and been married 30+ years. My love for the Lord is stronger, deeper and more real today than it was then. But this is what I now know about those older, more mature saints. They didn’t see themselves as full of wisdom, grace or love as I saw them. No, most likely they felt a lot like me and wondered if they even had anything to offer the younger generation.

Recently I have had several different young women say to me how much they value the wisdom I have. They see my life and want to be the woman I am, they want to know God the way I know Him. I must admit I am always taken aback. I usually don’t know what to say. Inside I am thinking, “Are you kidding me? Do you know what a mess I am? Do you understand how much I still don’t know? Do you see my weakness and failures?”

What could I possibly offer anyone? I am so far from the woman I want to be. There is so much heart work yet to be done, so much of me, sin and selfishness etc.…how can I possibly disciple anyone? How can I even think of taking anyone by the hand and say along with Paul come, “follow me as I follow Christ”?

And then I stop and wonder. I wonder if those older women of yesterday felt the same way? Did they see their failures more often than their successes? Did they focus more on how far they still needed to go than how far they had come? I wonder if they allowed the enemy to feed them lies about what they had to offer? I wonder did they arrive at 50 with disappointment thinking they would be farther in their spiritual journey? Did they think maybe they’d have a few more things figured out? Did they think they would finally like how they looked? Did they think that somehow being older meant having your life figured out?

So I say to the spiritual mothers of today, let us throw off the lies of the enemies and embrace the calling God has given us. Let us rise up and embrace the younger women in our churches. Let us help empower them to fight the fight God has called them to, not because we have all the answers but because we’ve been there, we understand.

Let us rise up and disciple this younger generation of women not out of our  strengths and successes but our weaknesses and failures. Let them see our failures and how God used them. Let them see that we do continue to fail, we have not arrived and we still have so much more growing up to do. Let them see that in those failures and sorrows of life even though our faith may have faltered it was not completely shipwrecked. We have endured. We are enduring.

We are fighting the good fight, maybe not perfectly but we do keep going. We do have life lessons and stories to share. We do have wisdom that God has given us. Let us stop hiding all that God has taught us.

So to you who are older let me remind you of what Paul reminded Timothy. Until Jesus comes, or calls you home, give attention to reading the word, exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect, regardless of your age, the spiritual gift that God’s Spirit has given you. Use it for the benefit of those in the body. Persevere in teaching truth. Pay attention to your own teaching, and how you are living so that your evidence of growth will be seen. (see 1 Timothy 4:13-16)

“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…” (1 Tim 6:12) We are not to stop fighting, we are never told to give up and stop using our spiritual gifts. So let us, as older women, join the younger women and fight the good fight of faith together. And when they come to us let us be brave, open and vulnerable with them sharing both our joys and our sorrows. Don’t be afraid to let them see your strength and your insecurities. Show them your true selves, but most of all show them Jesus.

 

Join others as they share at

 

Stand Together and Fight

I fear for the young mom today. She, more than the mothers of yesterday, are trying to raise a family in a hostile world. A world that continues to grow hostile towards anything godly.

If she is a stay at home mom most often she is looked down upon and in some circles even mocked. Women no longer have biblical role models readily available to them. My generation of women have been strongly influenced by the media where we see women who are often portrayed as strong, bold and overbearing women who berate their husbands and rule the home. Or we are sex objects. TV shows offer very little in between.

I was recently talking to a stay at home mom who shared with me how she feels like an outcast among other believers. Most of the moms in her church work outside the home. She and her husband have made sacrifices and don’t have the kind of cars others drive or the houses they have. She is content and believes she is doing what God has called her to do but still she feels left out so much of the time, and has so little in common with the other families. Often activities are offered that are really geared, price wise, to the two income family.

She understands some must work, and some choose to work, but why must it seem like it’s an “us against them” battle. Why are we fighting one another? She shared some of the comments that have been made that are just heart breaking. Some just down right mean. When did it become such a bad thing to be a stay at home mom?

She was told by one Christian mom that it’s actually healthy to let someone else raise her children and that she has the right to pursue a career. When did children and families become expendable? When did what I want or desire become more important than my family?

It wasn’t much different in the 80’s and 90’s when I was raising my own children. The message wasn’t quite as loud, but it’s volume was increasing against the mom who would stay home. Stay at home moms were still being attacked, looked down upon. But at least then you felt supported. There seemed to be a greater acceptance of those who choose to stay at home, make sacrifices, and raise their children. Today the stay at home mom finds peer support difficult to find.

I think as the messages of the world has gotten louder it has filtered into the church. The church used to be a place that supported and even encouraged moms to stay home. Recently I heard someone from church leadership (not my church) say that the church shouldn’t help a particular young family out if the mom was unwilling to go to work. Really? Please understand, we weren’t talking about a family that consistently made unwise financial choices but who had several major things happen all at once and just needed help. Fortunately there were some families that helped them out, but is this the message of the church? Is this the message of God’s word.

My heart broke for this family. Then I thought of Nehemiah Chapter 4:14 when he said

"...Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."

So who is going to fight for our daughters... the women of the next generation?

I remembered that this is the call God gave me quite a while ago. To fight for the women of the next generation. To fight for my sisters, daughters, and for godly families. And just so I am clear families can be godly where or not a mom works outside the home.

But do they want me to fight for them? Many will argue that young women will do as they please, in spite of other’s experiences. So why bother trying to be a spiritual mother or disciple? History does prove that often this is true, but it's not a good reason to not try.

While the ideal is for mentors to teach and try to prevent mistakes, they can also support and help work through mistakes. A spiritual mother is the one who can say “Here’s my experience and how I dealt with it, and I can support you while you go through it.”

I believe that we as older women can have great influence among the younger generations of women. We can help them navigate through the storms of life. We can walk with that young stay at home mom who feels isolated. We can help support the mom who chooses to work. We can encourage the mom who must work.

Honestly it doesn’t really matter what I believe about whether or not moms should work outside the home.  It’s not up to me to judge, but I am called to encourage, support and walk with her. Regardless of your beliefs we need to stand together and fight for the Christian family.

Let us join hands and hearts and be there for one another. Let’s stop judging and start encouraging. Let’s stand against an enemy that would rather see us fall apart.

   

photo courtesy of geyerbaby @ http://www.morguefile.com/

Why We Need the “Older” Generation

Many years ago I remember sitting with an older woman who shared with me that she really didn’t have anything left to share with the body of Christ, except to pray. It was time to let the younger ones take over. She didn’t say it with conviction, but with a sadness of heart. A sigh. As if she had resigned herself to being “put out to pasture.”

I remember thinking how sad it was to come to that season of life and feel you have nothing to offer. I wish I would have thought to ask her why she felt that way or how she had come to that conclusion. I did however try to encourage her by saying that she still had much to offer and I for one would love to  have just half the faith she had in her God.

Today I am sitting here working on my Bible Study lesson as Beth shares, “Contrary to my expectation, the women who stood before us were not beaten down by a youth-obsessed culture nor were they gearing down for spiritual retirement. Their heads were raised high…they weren’t proud but, make no mistake, they were confident….They’d suffered too much and lived too long to pretend to the rest of us that life turns out like a Disney movie.” (Beth Moore: Children of the Day;135-36)

I am of an age that it’s easy to give into the lie that I no longer have value in the church. Too often it seems the younger generation are the movers and shakers and the older ones are being left behind or left out of the work. Maybe it’s just that I attend a church where there really are not any women over the age of 65 and the age demographics are closer to 30 to 40 something.

As I reflect on this season of my life I understand now, how and why that older woman may have felt the way she did, but I want to choose to be like the women who stood confident knowing that they had a lifetime of truth to share.

I am tired of giving into the lies that I have nothing to offer a younger generation. What better way for the enemy to lead a whole generation astray than to convince an older generation that they are not needed.

The truth is they are desperately needed. They are needed because

- they have walked through suffering, sorrow, heartbreak and come out on the other side stronger in the Lord. They can walk along side the younger generation and show the way.

- they have been successful leaders and business owners, and they have learned from their failures. They can mentor and teach from both their success and failures.

- they have raised families, buried children, prayed for the prodigal, and walked through life with a special needs child. They can help guide the younger mother.

- they have lived life in the valleys and on the mountains. They have walked through the hot humid deserts and the land of fertile soil yet still found God true to His promises.

- they have life experience which is different from book learning. This new generation has a greater opportunity for higher education, which is valuable, but books can not always teach us everything about actually living life.

- they have been in plenty and want yet have seen the faithfulness of God.

Yes I want to be an older woman that stands with confidence knowing that her God is not ready to put her out to pasture. I want to stand firm on what I know in the face of the lies and self doubt. I want to live life to the full (at least as full as this decaying body will let me) and know that while I can most certainly pray there is still so much work this older woman can do!

But the reality is, most days, I am too tempted to give into the lies that I am no longer needed….or worse…wanted.

Oh God may you speak truth into this stubborn heart of mine and help me stand firm in the knowledge that you still have a purpose in my life. As I heard someone say recently if I’m not dead then God isn’t done with me.

I still have a purpose for Your Kingdom…help me see it.

 

 

4 Qualities Younger Women Need in an Older Woman

It gives us new life, knowing you remain strong in the Lord. How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy in the presence of God. Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill up anything that may still be missing in your faith. 1 Thess 3:8-10

I find myself in a surprising place. I am not sure how I got here so quickly, but regardless, I am what Titus 2:3 calls an “older” woman. I have weathered many storms in life. Walked hard paths and steep mountains.   I have grown through my failures and my successes. I am far from perfect.  I still make mistakes.

Quite honestly it would be too easy to think I am done. And sometimes, because the areas that have caused me the greatest failure is also the voices that speak the loudest I believe I have nothing left to give. It would be easy to give into the lies that the younger women can take over. They don’t really need what I have to offer.

 But, in His grace and mercy I continue to grow with the Lord. I am not done. We are not done. There is still a whole generation that needs us.

We, the older women, have a calling, an exciting calling. God is calling us to be spiritual mothers. He is calling us to pour our lives out in discipleship. Now more than any other time in our lives we have the opportunity to come along side other women to love them, train them and disciple them. We can help complete what they lack in their faith. (1 Thess 3:10) We can strengthen and encourage them as they are in the trenches of motherhood. We can help them gain a better understanding of how to be mothers, wives and sisters.

As I have processed through this, asking God what I am to do and how I am to move forward I see 4 area’s that older women that need to be evident in our life in order to meet the needs of a younger generation. We do not have to be perfect in any of these area’s but we do need to humbly be willing to admit our weakness and press on towards a deeper growth.

A Godly Example: One of the first things younger women need from older women is a godly example. They need to see a consistent growth in our desire to know God. They need to see one that runs to God, holds fast to truth and stands firms through suffering. They need to see those times when we falter and forget truth but know how to reach out to ask for help. 

They need to see older women who have learned to refrain from gossip and idleness and aspire to a Christ-likeness in our character and actions. They need to see women of integrity who have learned to handle the word of God accurately. (Titus 2:3-5) 

A Nurturer: A Spiritual mother needs to be a nurturer. In the fallen world we live in it is just a fact that many women have not had the opportunity to be nurtured by their own mothers. Many come in to our churches bruised and wounded. A mother’s heart  is needed to perceive what is going on whether or not it’s openly shared. Mothers need to be checking for the one with the bruises because when something goes wrong or someone is hurt she needs to be able to come along side and help in the healing process. 

We need to genuinely care. Be the one who will teach them how to walk, live, and pray through the hurts. Mothers need to nurture and equip their spiritual daughters to stand firm against an enemy that wants to destroy them, their families and their testimonies. 

A Chastiser: I think one of the harder aspects of being a Spiritual Mother is the role of a chastiser. But older women need to be willing to come along side and help the younger woman know how to act. Some women may need to know how to set godly boundaries in their life and relationships. We need to be willing to chastise wrong behaviors, doctrine or attitudes.  

Many women have not been taught properly from their own mothers and need tender correction. Older women need to be willing to do the hard task of correcting an disciplining in areas of life, but always with love and a whole lot of grace. 

A Leader: In a world where more and more women are leading and the lines of what a godly leader looks like are blurred, we need to be women who lead well. We need to be women who model godly leadership that knows how to lead with humility. We need to model before the younger woman how to lead strong yet be teachable. We need to help her understand the difference between strong leadership skills and being hungry for power or desiring to do things her own way. 

We need to be willing to allow younger women to come along side and lead with us. If we are in ministry leadership positions be willing to bring younger women with you and teach them about that ministry. Don’t be threatened by her youth, her ideas, or strength, instead help her see the value she has to that particular ministry. Yes someday she make take over that leadership position, but that is a good thing. A God thing, not something that should make you fearful to share your ministry.

I know that they are many other areas I could talk about, but truly these four areas encompass much. One thing we need to remember is that while we do not need to have mastered all the above we do need to be growing in them. For example I am not much of a nurturer, It doesn’t come naturally to me and I have to work at it. But that is the point, I work at it. With God’s grace and the nurturing of older women in my life I am learning to be a better nurturer.

We can not give what we do not have. We can not model humility in leadership if we do not have it. We can not help younger women to be teachable if we ourselves are not teachable. Again, we do not need to be perfect, but we must be willing to grow in these areas.

We must be willing to look openly and honestly at these four areas and ask God’s Holy Spirit to show us what area’s we  need to grow in. Then with love and humility begin praying that God might open our eyes to a young women who we might walk along side with and be an encouragement.

May we stop believing the lie that Satan has so easily caused us to believe, “that we are no longer needed”. Younger women do need the older women. And unless you are dead you still need an older woman too. Besides I believe that as an older women we also have a lot to learn from the younger woman too!

Bottom line is that we need each other! So let’s rise up, grab hold in one hand a younger sister and in the other hand an older sister and journey together through this life.

WANTED: Christ Followers

For those seeking peace, grace, love, mercy, healing, security, hope, forgiveness, riches beyond anything this world has to offer and so much more there is a place for you. There is one who longs for you, seeks for you and has died for you.

You see long ago before the world began God saw you and loved you. He wants a personal relationship with you, but a man and woman sinned. As a result you and I are born into sin, as sinners. So in order to rectify the sinful nature that now separates us from God He needed a spotless perfect sacrifice in order to make a covenant with those who would accept Him. God the Son, Jesus, willingly laid down His life so that all who are willing to believe on Him may enter into a covenant with Him.

There is a cost however. The cost of the covenant has been paid through the flesh and blood of Christ and forgiveness is offered to all who, by faith walk through the blood of Christ. As one who is now in covenant with God there will be a great cost, but the reward is even greater.

If you are a follower of Christ the cost will be...

• We will have a common enemy with Christ, Satan. He will seek to destroy you.
• You will be persecuted and betrayed by the world, including your own family. We will suffer in this life.
• We will be afflicted.
• Sorrow.
• Weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions and difficulties.
• To carry your own cross in which you must bear.
• Die to self.
• You will be hated by the world.
• To give up pursuing treasures in this world.

There is a Reward of being a covenant partner with Christ. These things are promised to every follower.You can expect:

• You will not battle your enemies alone – Christ fights for you and with you.
• He will never leave nor forsake you.
• Your soul will be entrusted to a faithful God who will do what is right.
• To be worthy of the Kingdom of God
• Favor with God
• To draw on His Strength.
• A new self, a new robe of righteousness.
• Forgiveness of sin.
• Eternal life with Christ in heaven with God.
• Co-Heirs with Christ.
• Called beloved of God.
• Saved from God’s wrath.

These lists are not exhaustive, there is so much more to see – to know. But for now I just want you to understand that to be a follower of Christ means that there is a cost to pay. Being in Covenant with Christ means that we are willingly taking on Christ and His sufferings. It means that we will persevere until the end when God’s glory WILL be revealed in us. Oh what a glorious day that will be!!

One final caution, if you are a true follower of Christ you WILL suffer in this life for His sake. You will choose to die to self and all the pleasures (sin) this world offers. If you are not willing to “count the cost and carry your cross daily” you might want to ask the Holy Spirit if you are truly a follower of Christ.

For further study see Matthew 10:16-39; Romans 8:17; 2 Cor 1:6; Phil 1:29; 2 Tim 1:12 \ 3:11; 1 Peter 4:19; 2 Thess 1:5, 1 Peter 2:19; 2 Cor 12:10; Luke 14:27; Matt 16:24; Col 3:9-10; Mark 13:13; John 15:18; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Romans 5:6-10…

Re-posted from 2010

Motherhood, in Life and Ministry

There were days when my boys were young that I was just tired and wanted to run away. Seriously. I didn’t want to even hear the word “mommy”. In fact, I was one of those girls who grew up saying I’d never have children. I did not have some overwhelming desire to be a mother.

 I often wondered what God was even thinking when He allowed me to be a mother. I would grow weary of doing for my children without appreciation or notice. I would be selfish and just want to get away. Why couldn't I be like those other mommy's that seemed to have it all together and LOVE motherhood.

Then God, in His faithfulness and gentle ways would cause my heart to look upon those precious little faces and my heart would remember truth. The truth that He did call me to be a mother. He placed these precious, loud, curious, rough and tumble boys into my arms with a heavenly purpose in mind. Yes God desires us mothers to raise them for Him, to teach them the word and show them the love of the Father. But, I believe God also give us children in order to teach us.

They teach us to be a mother. They help us understand the Father and His love, patience, mercy and grace. So often we, as mothers, get so caught up in trying to do and be what we think a good mother would do and be that we forget the lessons that God is trying to teach us through our raising children.

In those moments that I wanted to run, give up and give in I learned to run to God. I learned that it was in His strength I could go another day. It was because of Him and what He was doing in my heart that I would learn to keep on fighting for my children. After all if I wasn’t teaching them, loving them, holding them, praying with and for them who would? No one. I was the one God called. I would be the one who would lead them.

Over seven years ago when I led me into women’s ministry I found these same emotions arising. I would become weary of being a spiritual mother. I would become frustrated in the fighting for “children” who seemed to not care. Day after day I would fight battles within and outside that threatened to rendered me useless. My enemies, were my flesh, Satan, the world and the very ones I was trying to minister to. The lies, betrayals, gossip and criticism at times brought great bouts of  discouragement. I wanted to quit, run away and give up.

But God has called me, and so, just like when I felt this way raising my boys, I learned to once again run to Him. God, once again being faithful, reminded me that it’s not about me, or how I am feeling. It’s about them, what’s best for them, and what they need. It’s about  who they need me to be – who God expects me to be. I was reminded that I have a God who empowers me to do that which He has called me to do. He called me to be a mother. This my dear friends is a blessing – a high calling. And I had learned that God will enable me to rise above my flesh and do what He has called me to do.

So today God continues to call me into “Mothering”. As I look back I can see how all the lessons beforehand led up to this role as a "mother". The women God brings to me today are broken, many know nothing of God let alone what it means to be loved by a mother. God is calling me to mother His lost children. Children who do not know Him or know very little about Him. These women, these young girls need to see and experience what being a mother really is about. They need to hear the truth, not only about being a mother but about their heavenly Father. They need to know they are heard, seen and understood. They need mothers who have not only “been there” but who are real and honest about the struggles, and heartache of mothering.

This journey has only begun and I stand with great anticipation to see all that God will do. I am thrilled to serve God in this way. I am humbled that He has chosen me to help Him save these girls and their unborn babies. Working in a pregnancy center will bring new, hard challenges I know and I fully realize that there will be day that I will not  “feel” like fighting for them. I will grow weary and feel  like giving up.

And yet, I have learned who to run to and I will rise in confidence of who Christ says I am and believe the truth of what I KNOW – not what I feel or the lies that the enemy would have me believe – I will stand on the truth of who Christ is and the truth of what His word says.

I will think like a mother, sacrifice like a mother, love like a mother. I will fight like a mother! I will fight with God to help save a generation that does not know Him.
 
 
 
Photo courtesy of morguefile.com by greyerbaby

Called to Live and Preach Christ

There is a quote that has often bothered me. It just didn’t sit right in my heart. The quote is often attributed to Francis of Assisi and says “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

Quite honestly it just doesn’t make sense to me.  I mean if my neighbor sees me living my life in service to others and being a good neighbor, loving those I meet, all he will think is that I'm a nice person. He doesn’t  come to know the content of the gospel  simply by watching me live my life.

Shouldn’t  I also speak the gospel so that he will know?

So, I sat down to do some research on the quote. I wanted to know the context of the quote. Maybe the context had been distorted over the years. Interestingly enough what I found was that Francis of Assisi never said it. Read more here.

Mark Galli of Christianity Today says this about the quote, “First, no biography written within the first 200 years of his death contains the saying. It's not likely that a pithy quote like this would have been missed by his earliest disciples. Second, in his day, Francis was known as much for his preaching as for his lifestyle.”¹

I love what Jeremy Carr writes about the quote on his blog One Thing, “ While it commends us to live out the Gospel through our life, it falls short of what it means to preach the Gospel and it actually makes no sense at all. I recently heard D. A. Carson comment that it would be like telling a news reporter to "Give the news and if necessary use words." After all Gospel means good news. News is something you tell people.”

Some might say who cares who said it, after all it’s still a good statement. Maybe,  but I wouldn’t want someone to say I said something when I didn’t, or take something I said and misquote it. Would you?  I imagine not. So it is import to understand that Francis of Assisi did not say this.

But is it a good quote regardless of who said it? I really struggle with that in light of what scripture says. God’s word is very clear that we are to live out the gospel and we are to preach the gospel.
We live the gospel when we love one another. What if the body of Christ so loved one another that they actually did 1 Thess 5:11-13 and encouraged, built up, showed appreciation, encouraged the fainthearted, helped the weak, was patient, and sought what was good for one another. Wouldn’t that speak volumes to the world if they saw the church living out the gospel in such a way? So yes,  we absolutely must live out the gospel before the world.

We are also told to preach the gospel. Jesus tells the disciple to “go preach the gospel.” (Mark 16:15) and Paul says “for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” (1 Cor 9:16) In fact as I searched scripture (but did not do an in-depth study) it seems that the New Testament writers often preached the gospel to those outside of the body. They did not leave it up to the idea that “if I just live right before them they will know I am a believer”. No they PREACHED Jesus! (2 Cor 10:16; Rom 15:20; Mark 15:15)

A quick look at 1 John 3:18 “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” John is telling us that if we speak love only with words and no actions it is not love. When taking the gospel to a dark world we need to both live and preach the gospel. It’s not one or the other. We are called to live and love as Jesus did. He IS our example.
My dear beloved, Jesus both lived and spoke the gospel. His life both showed and spoke the love of the Father. We should go and do likewise.

¹ http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/mayweb-only/120-42.0.html

A Reminder For The “Older Women”

She sat across from me, tears streaming down her face as she shared her story with me. A story of brokenness and pain. She was a young Christian mom of two precious babies, married to a godly man and yet there was a deep sadness about her. Her sadness allowed me to see into her heart, a heart that loved God, desired to be the woman God created her to be.

I did not know her before this day and yet her story was all too familiar. It was a story I had heard far too often. It was my story. You see she had gone to others for help, but the advice had all been pretty much the same. “You need to renew your mind.” “You are believing lies. You need to think on truth.”

Before she went any further I took her hand in mine, looked her in the eyes and said, “Oh sweet girl you are wondering what are the lies and what is truth.” With tears pouring down once again she choked out the word, “yes.” Squeezing her hand I let her know I understood. I too had been there. I can still be there at times.

I don’t know if I will ever see this young mom again but my advice to her is the advice I wish I would have received as a twenty something young mom and wife. It wasn’t until my forties that someone finally took the time and invested in my life in order to help me understand the lies I was believing. Lies that I had heard my whole life that sounded like truth. Destructive words that had gone so deep into my heart that they had taken root and grown strong. These are the kind of lies that need help to see. We need others to help us expose them, to destroy them and then to replace them with truth.

There are two things I shared with her that day. There are two things she needs to know and we, as older women, need to remember.

The first thing I shared is that she needs to be able recognize what lies she believes about God, about herself and about her circumstances. She needs those in her life that she can trust to tell her when her thoughts are based on lies. She needs  to be willing to open up and share her thoughts in a safe place.

The second thing I told her is that she must read and study the word of God. His word is truth and the only way to really know truth is to know it for yourself. It’s not a practice that you do occasionally or haphazardly but a discipline that we pursue and seek after. Truth comes when we know and understand the character of God.

But what does this look like in the everyday?

In my life I have a couple of friends I can trust enough that I can call them and say, “Hey this is what is going through my head right now. Am I believing a lie? If I am what is the truth?” These sisters consider it a privilege to walk along with me, there is no judgment. They don’t make me feel stupid, instead they just love me and speak truth. They will take me to the word of God. They have helped me replace lies with truth. They have walked with me through it enough times that today as my knowledge of truth grows it becomes easier to recognize the lies. Lies become easy to spot when we know truth.

I left this young lady with two devotional type Bible Studies to consider doing in her quiet time. Both are written by Kay Arthur called Lord, I Want to Know You and Lord, Heal My Hurts. The first one is a study on the character of God, the second is a study on Jehovah Rapha, our Healer God. Both studies help you dig into the Bible and learn truth for yourself.

A few reminders to those who are leaders, mentors, or the “older women”.

 Do not just assume that they know what lies they believe.  Sometimes it requires getting involved in the messy part of life in order to help see and know the lies they believe loving their husbands and children. We need to walk with them and help them to see the lies and then show them what truth is.

Be patient with the one who is trying to see the lies she believes. Some lies are so ingrained that she may forget and will need constant reminding until she believes truth. Give them the same grace and love that you have received from Christ.

Finally, please, please stop telling them that they just need to “renew their minds” or “take captive their thoughts.” Yes, this is truth. It is what they need to do. Most likely they have heard it over and over . But what they really need is someone to love them enough to show them. They need those women in their life that will walk with them in love and truth.

We, as older women, who pour our lives into the younger generation, need to remember that not everyone understands or sees the lies behind what they are thinking or feeling. How will they know they need to replace it with truth if they don’t even know it’s a lie? So let us love them enough to walk  and talk with them instead of just talking to them.

 

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Teach What You Know

 

I was reminded of something recently. Too many times I can allow what I do not know to keep me from sharing what I do know. What I fail to remember is that I am simply as resource to be used by the hand of God’s Spirit. It is God who knows all things. He is the source of all truth, wisdom and knowledge. He doesn’t expect me to know everything about what I am teaching or speaking about. He only desires that I am obedient to share the truth I know. It is God who will then fill in the gaps. He will make sure my children, those I mentor, teach or lead.

Acts 18:24-28; 19:1-7
In Acts 18:24 and 25 we are introduced to Apollos. He is an eloquent man, which means that he is skilled in speech, a man skilled in literature and the arts, versed in history and the antiquities. We are also told that he is “mighty in the scriptures” which tells us that he is strong in soul, strong in Christian virtue and excels in what he does. Scripture also tells us that Apollos was taught in the way of the Lord and then taught what he knew with zeal and fervor. He taught carefully and thoroughly about the Lord. At the end of verse of 25 we read that while he was teaching accurately the things of Christ he was only acquainted with the baptism of John. He was only familiar with the baptism of repentance and not the return of Christ or the Holy Spirit.

God sent Priscilla and Aquila to him so that they could explain to him the way of God more accurately. I love His attitude. Instead of thinking he alread had sufficient knowledge he had a heart that was teachable. Due to Apollo’s teachable heart he gained greater knowledge of the things of God.

What I find helpful to remember is that God used Apollos mightily even though he didn’t have full knowledge, there were parts missing so to speak in what he taught. In God’s timing He showed Apollos what was lacking. Then continued using him to speak powerfully against the Jews and to those who had believed by grace.

In chapter 19 God has Paul pass through Ephesus and Paul is able to teach the disciples there about the Holy Spirit. Paul teaches them what Apollos lacked to teach.

Awesome Encouragement!

As a mom, mentor or leader I am encouraged that the things I don’t know or have failed to teach, due to lack of full understanding of truth, He will send those to teach what I did not know. One of my biggest regrets is seeing those I failed because I did not know how to parent in the most biblical way. But God will send those people into the lives of my children to build upon what I already accurately taught them.

God will also send those to speak into my life and heart the things I do not yet understand. It is important to always have a teachable spirit. If I do not have a teachable heart and think I know it all (pride) then my usefulness to God will decrease.

Don’t you find such freedom in this! You do not need to worry about making sure you do everything absolutely perfect. All you need to do is be obedient to what He calls you to. You can teach, lead, and train your children with the knowledge God has given you now. While leading and training remain open to the teaching of those older and wiser and be teachable by them. Then you need to trust in the sovereign God who will send others to “fill in” the spiritual gaps you have left.

Oh Father thank you for continuing to use me even though there are so many areas of inadequacies. I thank you for the knowledge you have already given me. Help me to keep a soften heart toward those you send to continue to teach me. Father help me to have a heart of humility that knows I still have so much to learn. Help me to see those areas where I may be sincere but don't understand the full truth of your Word.  Amen.

She Showed Me Who I Am

I still remember the first time I met her. We were in a Bible Study together. I didn’t get to know her very well but she made a big impression on me. She knew God. She knew Him in a way I wanted to know. You could see Him in her, in her answers, in the way she carried herself. I knew then she was someone I wanted to know. Someone I wanted to be like. And like so many before her I thought I would just watch her from a distance.

Months would pass by before I came into contact with her again. This time she was leading a study called Beloved of God. I sat there week after week just absorbing the truth she shared. She walked us through truth after truth about who we are in Christ. That He calls us beloved. He called ME beloved. She shared how God collected our tears in a bottle. He collected my tears, each and every one of them. I remember sitting there thinking it must be a pretty big bottle. The tears I have cried over the years were numerous.

That study planted seeds that would eventually blossom into a woman who could see and accept that she was beloved of God and precious to Him. But I would walk a hard road before I could completely embrace who I am in Christ.

During this same time I was meeting with our assoc. Pastor for counseling. I remember sharing parts of my life with him and saying that I really believed that somehow God was going to use it all. He asked me if I had met Sally. Well I knew who she was but we had never really talked. He encouraged me to meet with her. It took many weeks before I was brave enough to call her and ask her to meet me for lunch. She was a woman I wanted to know but figured she would never really be my friend.

It’s funny how we make assumptions about people before we ever really meet them. I wonder how many relationships I’ve missed out on because I just assumed they wouldn’t want to know me. My view of myself was so skewed that most of the time I just knew women like her would never really be my friend. They wouldn’t want to know me and even if they did know me they would abandon me. Oh yes, I had issues! Don’t we all?

The day came to meet with Sally and I instantly loved her. A woman so filled with the grace of God. A woman filled with so much love. But still something deep within me said to hold back. Don’t let her know the real you. The dark side of who you are. It was that deep part of me I so often held in a safe place where people wouldn’t see. I couldn’t let them know who I really was.

As time moved on Sally and I would come into contact every now and then. We’d attend the same Bible Studies. We emailed back and forth quite often but not much face time. I remember shortly after I took on the leadership of women’s ministry Sally came to me and said that she felt that God had knitted our hearts together and she wanted to come along side me to encourage me as I learned to lead. I had barely gotten to know her over the last two years and she wanted to mentor me? Come along side me? Why? I didn’t understand what God was up to but I did know I needed help! I needed the wisdom and experience that she could give me.

From that moment on God began doing a work in me that I didn’t even know I needed! God used her to touch parts of my heart that I thought were long dead and buried. As time went on I would share parts of my story with her that no one knew. Her love and acceptance of me never changed. I shared some of the ugliest parts of me with her. She just continued to show me love and grace.

Do you know what she did? No matter what I told her, no matter how awful I thought it was, she would remind me of who I was today. She would constantly remind me of who I am in Christ. No matter how ugly I thought I was she would hold up a mirror and show me who she saw. She saw a beautiful woman who was beloved of God. She kept telling me the truth of who I am until it finally sunk in. She didn’t give up on me.

Even now, 10 years later, if I forget who I am in Christ she will remind me. There are so many ways she has impacted my life. I have written about them here, here and here. In the truest meaning of the word she is my spiritual mother. She nurtured me toward a place of healing. She nurtured me toward a deeper relationship with Jesus.
God used her in my life to touch those places in my heart that only a mother could touch. Today, even from a distance, she continues to be an important part of my life. She, along with another dear sister (I’ll share her story next), have taught me you really can stay friends though you are miles a part. Women do not always abandon you, they can be apart of your life always.
She has become apart of me. A part of the woman I am today.

She Showed Me The Father

I don’t remember the exact moment we met but I can tell you that our friendship was instant. I think it was around 1985.

It was/is one of those friendships that are rare. You know where both husband and wife connect as couples. They fast became family.

A sense of family. That is what she (they) gave us. We would vacation together, spend holiday’s together and practically spend a part of every weekend together. Our kids grew up together.
While I could share about their impact on my life as a couple this series is about the women I come from so I will speak of Ann’s impact. In reality there is so much I could share. She has taught me so much, probably more than I even know! But there is a moment that really stands out in my mind that changed the course of my thinking.

I remember that she once described how she saw God. God was not just Father, but her Abba Father. A Father who loved her and welcomed her to come before Him. To sit with Him, talk with Him. A Father of love, grace and mercy. I told her that I just couldn’t see God that way. It was hard for me to see Him as “Abba”. Her reaction pierced my heart. With tears in her eyes she said, “Sharon I want you to see God that way. I don’t want you to miss that part of God. I am going to pray that God would reveal that part of His character to you.”

Ann walked along with me, and I her, through some tough times. We grew as women, mothers, wives and daughters of the King. We grew together. She spoke truth. She discipled me.

It was with Ann that I did my first Kay Arthur study, together we did quite a few of them. That is important because it was through those studies and Ann’s love of the word of God that I began to study God’s word instead of just reading it casually.

Today she lives twelve hours away. Neither of us do very well with long distance friendships, meaning there are not a lot of phone calls, emails or other contact. In fact I must admit that in the years since they moved we haven’t even been to visit them. Some might wonder if we are still friends.

But here is what I know, this is what I believe is true. When we are together we pick up where we left off. If I needed her, she would be here in an instant if at all possible. I know she loves me, we are sisters. Sisters of the heart. Distance has not weakened our love or friendship.

What an amazing gift God has given me in her friendship. There is such a part of her inside of me. God used her in so many ways to help grow me into the woman I am today. For this I thank God. I thank her.
Oh! I have learned to see God as my Abba Father. God used Ann to plant that hope within me that it might be possible, then God continued to water that seed of hope. Today I see clearly my Abba Father who loves, cherishes and adores me.

So my sweet sister I thank you for showing me Abba. I love you dear sister.

30 Days of Blessings: Heart Sisters

 

There can be no situation in life in which the conversation of my dear sister will not administer some comfort to me.  ~Mary Montagu

Sisters are such a blessing in ones life. Whether they are God given through blood or through a bond of the heart I am not sure how we can get through life without them. Some call them sister friends or friends of the heart. Regardless of what you call them they are those women who come into your life and heart and never leave. They are the ones you can count on no matter what is going on in your life, or theirs.

I’ve been blessed with many sisters. But today I am thinking of those who have blessed my life as they have come into my life and touched my heart in a profound way. They have come along at a time when I have needed support, love, grace and strength. They each have walked on different paths of my journey and I theirs. They are the women who I can still call up and they would be there with an encouraging word and a prayer.

As I sit here listing them in my head I realized that most of them no longer live near me in fact only one lives within a few minutes. The others are hours away because either I have moved or they have. What is sweet about them though is it doesn’t matter where they currently live we are tied together through our bond and continuing journey together. While some I have already written about in my series “The Women I Come From” and others I will still write about I wanted to take this time to list, them and say thank you.

Thank you for sticking by me when I needed you. Thank you for allowing me into your heart and life. I want you to know that even today I still carry you in my heart. You are apart of me, the woman I have become. I thank you for not letting our relationship be one sided but it’s been a journey together, knowing we can count on each other.

Listing them in the order they came into my life these, my sweet sister friends, in one way or another have changed me. They helped me grow spiritually, emotionally and in so many other ways. The first sister would have to be my blood sister. Sheila is apart of me. I share with her the experiences of growing up, heartaches, and losses.  Through childhood I don’t know what I would have done with out her love, support and even our sibling rivalry. These women, Gina, Ann, Jill, Sally and Eileen have changed me in profound ways. They are women who are still, regardless of distance, in my life. They came and never left.

There is a quote by Maya Angelou that says “I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers.  It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage.  Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.”

Heart sisters are those women who work at the relationship to stay connected. It goes both ways. We both make the effort to not let too much time go by that we are not connected. It’s an open honest relationship where the masks and walls have been removed and we can be ourselves.

Today and everyday I am blessed by you.

Oh Father I pray that I might be a better friend to these you have brought into my life and heart.

She Showed Love

I’ve prayed long and hard about other women who have impacted my life as a young girl, but the four mentioned are all God has given me. There seems to be about three years that my life was devoid of any real nurturing influence. They were hard years. Years that honestly I don’t remember much about, apart from a few bits and pieces.  Those bits and pieces weren’t good. I remember feeling very much alone. Forgotten. Unlovable. During this time I began looking for love and acceptance where ever I could find it. I just waited to feel loved.

But then, what was love? I didn’t really have a clue. The love that was often showed to me was conditional and skewed. It was a love that took and left me empty inside. There was my mother, who I know loved me. Cared for me. Made sure my needs were being met. But there was never any emotions expressed. The words were never heard. She hadn’t heard them either.

I wanted love. Needed love. But I only knew a wrong kind of love.

When I was 15 I met a girl. Her name was Gina. I don’t remember what is was about her exactly that drew me to her I only knew I wanted to be her friend. I was drawn to her in a way I had never been before. There was something different about her.

I now know it was Jesus.

Gina told me that we couldn’t be finds. Her parents didn’t like her to be close friends with girls like me. Girls like me? I didn’t understand. They had never met me, how did they know that I was a bad girl? I kept it to myself. But inside I was even more afraid. Could people really see me? Could they see all the way into the deep dark places?

She went on to tell me it was because I smoked and I wasn’t a Christian. We could still talk in school but we couldn’t “hang out” together.

“I wasn’t a Christian?” What did that mean? I asked her to tell me what she meant. She told me about Jesus. I had heard a lot about God and I had already decided I didn’t need Him. I didn’t need no father. But Jesus? He died for me and I was a sinner – a really bad one too. Inside I knew there was nothing good about me. But she told me that it didn’t matter, He knew all about me and still chose to die on the cross for my sins. WOW!

I wanted to know more. She went on to explain that it should had been me to die for my sins. I deserved death, not Jesus. But God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son so that I might live forever and ever with Him in heaven. She asked me if I wanted to invite Jesus into my heart and life. I said yes. Anyone who loved me enough to die for me must really love me.

I realize looking back now that I choose to ignore the fact that Jesus was God, they were One. I worked very hard to keep them separate. I still didn’t know if I really needed a heaven Father. But that’s another story. :-)

Gina shared her Jesus with me. We became good friends. We became sisters. She stuck by me through a lot of difficult moments, many wrong life choices. She didn’t always understand. I am sure there were times she wanted to give up on me. I never let her into the dark places. I never let Jesus into them either.

She was and is my sister. It’s been 35 years of friendship. Of sisterhood. Sister Friends. We’ve had years go by without much communication but when one of us would pick up the phone and call it was like we talked yesterday.

I deeply value the part of me that is because of Gina. She showed me Jesus. She showed me His love for me. A real love, an unconditional love. She showed me the love of a sister. A sister who always loves no matter what.

I wanted to be like her when we were teenagers. I still want to be like her.

I followed her around school. We were always together…except when we were fighting! You know-girl drama. lol  I still follow her. Only now it’s on Facebook, Twitter and Blogging. I follow her as she follows Jesus.

Today with social media we are in contact even more. Sharing prayer, God moments and notes of encouragement. I love her deeply from the heart with a love that desires God’s best for her. I am thankful that God brought her into my life 35 years ago and I am thankful she has chosen to stay in my life.

It Felt Like Home

My memories of Loretta and Janet are few. They had a big impact on my life prior to my family moving away when I was 10.


Loretta: I remember days on the farm playing with her children, my second cousins. Jumping in the corn that had been harvested. Running around the barn, playing hide-n-seek.

It was a safe place. She was safe. I felt accepted and loved. It was a place of refuge. Warmth. Laughter. And for those moments in time I felt free. I could forget the pain of home.

I loved my time spent with her and her family. It felt like family. It was family.





Janet: Another special woman. Another family. Same time of my life with a similar impact on my life.

I remember spending a lot of time on their farm. Playing with the little piglets. Carefree days of playing with her children, laughing and being apart of farm life.

It was a place that, once again, I felt safe. If I sit, and close my eyes I can still feel the embrace of her mother’s arms around me. She had a lot of love to give out. I still can picture her smile.


We moved away when I was 10 and too many years would pass before seeing either of these women again. But their impact always stayed with me. Even during the hardest times of my childhood there would be times that the memory of their love would help me through.

I remember my first trip back as an adult. Now with children of my own. I was nervous. Sick to my stomach nervous. I was unsure, and questioned if I should really go. So much time had passed by.

Was love still there? Acceptance? Had I been forgotten?

But when I saw their faces. Their smiles. Felt their hugs. They still felt like family. They are family and I was home again.

Today I look back and realize how precious these two women were in my life. How precious they are today.

They were a constant in my life when there seemed to be so much uncertainty. Their love was a safe place to feel, at least for a time, everything was normal. It was good.

I am grateful that God provided these women at a time when this little girl needed nurturing and loved.

I am grateful that God has brought these memories back to remembrance. Thank you Father.

Mentor:It’s Who You Are, Not what You Do

In recent years mentoring has become a hot topic, not just in the church but also in business. Why? Because mentoring works.

There is no better why to learn something then by having someone walk along side you helping, encouraging, modeling and teaching you. You can have all the book knowledge there is to have but until you actually put it into practice in the real world it’s just knowledge.

Do a search on the internet and you’ll find all kinds of thoughts, theology and programs on mentoring. Seems everyone has an idea of how it should look, or what it is. (Including me!) So I thought I’d share what I’ve come to believe is most important about mentoring.

Imagine a body of believers where you find the older supporting, counseling, teaching, mentoring the younger. Mentors who saw potential in the younger generation and were willing to share their wisdom and love. A place that you can fail and make mistakes and not be judged but be loved and encouraged to pick yourself up and continue your journey, learning from your failure. 

Imagine a place that others cheered you on to be the best that God created you to be. A place where you were taught to know God for yourself by studying His word for yourself. A place where deep, intimate, soul searching life and relationships happen. A place that would be “as iron sharpens iron” and a willingness to confront issues in love. Imagine a place where nothing was more important than to train up spiritual leaders who are mature in there faith, who know, live and believe truth and were willing to pour their lives into others. A place where leaders where made so that they could in turn go out and lead others to an intimate relationship with their Creator.

“So often though we find people encouraged to participate in church services and programs, Bible studies, para-church organizations, or evangelistic ministries in order to bolster his or her faith and “grow strong in the Lord.” The theory is that more teaching from God’s Word plus more ministry participation equals more spiritual maturity.” (Kreider)* 

I think it just makes me busy and tired.

I mean all these things are important but the reality is that in many cases after you’ve listened to a sermon, read books, go to conferences and bible studies there is still a void. There is still a feeling of aloneness. Why? Because what we really crave, and need is relationship.

We need deeply intimate, nurturing relationships with one another that cause us to grow deep into our relationship with Christ. We need relationship that encourage each other to grow up spiritually. But so often we become “fat spiritually and fail to interpret what he or she is learning so that he or she can pass it on to others. This person doesn’t know how to meaningfully and sacrificially impart his or her life to others because he or she has never been properly parented. Without a role model, he or she remains a spiritual infant, needing to be spoon-fed by the pastor or other Christian worker.” (Kreider)*

I believe there are a lot of spiritually fat believers who are failing to become involved in other’s life in a deep and personal way. We, as those who are spiritually mature, need to help those younger know God for themselves. We need people who are willing to get messy in the relationships of life and walk along side of those who are struggling or failing in their walk.

We don’t need to point them to programs but to Christ and how to grow in the word and their relationship with God. We need to help them know God for themselves. In other words we need to teach them “how to” study God’s word for themselves. We need to teach them “how to” grow not just tell them they need to grow up.

We do need to grow up spiritually. But just telling someone to do so is just pointless. Or my personal favorite, hand them a book and say “read this”.  Honestly it is very hard to do when so often we are left to our own devices. Reading a book, going to a bible study, or sitting in a pew is not, in and of itself, going to help anyone grow up spiritually. It takes getting involved in one another’s lives and allowing other’s to know our real selves.

Many of you are thinking, “who has time?” And it’s true, in the world today we are busier than ever. I think we have allowed the enemy to do his job well in keeping us so busy that we often find ourselves isolated. And let me tell you, from one who has tried, it is VERY difficult to live life by ourselves. I mean we would never expect a child to raise her self and yet that is, through our actions (or lack of them) what we are saying to the younger generation.

The answer to mentoring is not more programs, books, or conferences it’s just getting out there and doing it. It’s living life along side one another. Mentoring is not something you do it’s a way of life. It’s who you are.

You are a mentor. We all are mentors to someone. We just need to go out there and begin pouring out the life and love of Jesus into others.

How will you help someone today to know God in a deeper way? How will you come along someone and be Jesus “with skin on” in order to encourage them toward spiritual maturity?

Each day is an opportunity to mentor someone…

What for my next post on “Why We Don’t Want to Mentor”

*Authentic Spiritual Mentoring; Nurturing Believers Toward Spiritual Maturity. Author, Larry Kreider; Published by Regal from Gospel Light, 2008

Celebrating a Friend

Today is a very special day. I get to celebrate the gift of my precious friend. She is not only a gift to me, but so many who meet her. So today I would like to share my friend with you.

She is a woman that gives others life. She has such a generous spirit which greets others with a smile, a kind word, or a hug. You are drawn to her as she touches your life with love. The precious love of Jesus.

She has an amazing capacity for spiritual mothering. Her heart for coming along side other women to encourage, love and grow is just what is described in Titus 2:3-5. Many women of various ages consider her their spiritual mother. She has helped women grow from girlhood to godly womanhood. She has helped many grow and even flourish in their relationship with Christ.

She is a beautiful model of a Christian woman. Through her life she demonstrates a life of godliness. A life that will point others to Christ not to herself. She is a picture of pouring grace and encouragement into the lives of others. Her love motivates toward a deeper relationship with Christ. Many have said of her, “I want to be like you when I grow up.”

She is a truth speaker. With grace and love she speaks truth into the lives of those around her. She willingly helps women understand the lies of the enemy and helps them to speak truth.

She is like many of us who are just ordinary women being changed and used by an extraordinary God. What I see in her life is a willingness to be humble, ask for forgiveness, to make things right. She is willing to listen, learn and grow. She relies on the faithfulness of God to change her, to strengthen her for the work He has called her to do. She follows hard after God to serve, love, obey and live for Him in a way that brings glory to His name.

I am thankful that I am able to call her my friend, sister, mother and sometimes daughter. But more than anything I am thankful that she has modeled before me the woman I want to be.

As I write this I am reminded that we all need to take the time to share the impact others have had on us. Not in order to lift them up, but so that they might be encouraged and God be glorified.

I am also reminded that their have been many women who have come into my life that have left parts of themselves in my heart. They have poured life into my heart, for that I am forever thankful.

What about you? Do you have that mentor or spiritual mother in your life that you are thankful for? Have you told them?

If you don’t have one, may I suggest that you begin to pray for one, or become one in the life of another?

Mothers and Sisters

I have a drawer full of cards. Cards sent to me by some very precious women in my life. I call it my encouragement drawer. There are days when I forget who I am and that I am loved. Days that I become discouraged. On these days I can open up the drawer and read words of love from these dear friends. I am reminded I am not alone. I am loved. Valued.

Honestly these women have been more than a friends. They have been mothers and sisters often touching my heart on a deeply spiritual level as they have taught me to grow, to love, laugh, cry, celebrate, mourn, wait, endure, to be strong and to be able to show my weaknesses. They have challenged areas of sin, wrong attitudes, wrong thinking and lies I have believed.

They have taught me how to grow deeper in life, and love. They have taught me to love God’s Word. They have walked beside me when times are tough. They have held my hand when I was afraid. Carried me me when I didn’t think I could go on.

I have received many blessings from these treasures in my life. Sometimes those blessings come in the form of a phone call, an email, a text, a note or card (see above picture), a hug, a cup of coffee, lunch, time spent together or just knowing they are there if I need them.

What I have learned the most from these precious women in my life is how to be like Jesus. They always point me back to truth and Christ.

Jesus, while on earth, lived life with His disciples. He taught them, challenged them, walked with them, He encouraged them, shared a meal with them, they laughed and cried together, they prayed together and Jesus offered them love, grace and mercy.

I am not sure what I did to deserve their love but I do thank God for it and them.
God is good to give us family. He doesn’t have to for He IS enough, but He chooses to bless us with those who can touch our heart.