Memory Verse:
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
Wow, I had to read our chapter over and over today before actually finding the words to blog for you! – Do I say this every week in my blog? I think so [grin] because it seems every week it takes several times before I ‘get it’ and truly understand what it is that God is instructing me to pass on to you!
Now without further ado, along with reading the words Priscilla wrote, I googled ‘the great women of the bible’. I googled the women I didn’t know well, googled those I did, and really tried to get to know these women so I could share just the right message. Then it became apparent, a light bulb went off ~ He truly wants me to teach you that it’s more than okay to be a girl ~ it’s an honor and privilege to be a girl! The heck with society – as women, we have a purpose!
~we are fearfully and wonderfully made – Our God makes no junk! (Psalm 139.14)
Unfortunately being raised Catholic, mass, confession, and communion were all led by priests. Attending the Baptist church, I soon learned that there were certain situations where women could not teach or lead men. There is and has always been an awful lot of emphasis on what women could not do, could not say, or could not be, instead of what WE CAN DO (based on the God-given talents we received and His intent for our lives). This is intent, by the way, that He blessed us with at creation ~ it’s not something He decided years later to develop or invoke ~ it’s part of the BIG picture, His BIG plans for us – the ones he put into place many, many years ago as he was picking out the color of our eyes and the number of freckles on our noses!
We are NECESSARY – Did you realize the statistics in church these days? Sadly, there are more women than men in attendance. On Father’s Day in the church I attended, there were 1/3rd the number of men to women. Although men are to be the leaders in the homes and in the families, many families are unequally yoked and it is necessary for the women of the house to ‘train up their children’ in the ways of the Lord. We were given the characteristics of a ‘feminine heart’ full of wisdom, along with the gift of soft touch ~ things as wives and mothers we will use to keep Christ in our homes. We have been prepared ahead of time for what the days may bring.
We are IMPORTANT and WORTHY – When Jesus met the woman of Samaria at the well he treated her with mercy and love. He held conversation with her that showed he truly cared, that she mattered. He asked her opinions and valued her responses. Jesus treated her like a somebody, he treated her with importance and worth. He set the stage for the women of today – we too are valued. We are worthy of the Messiah’s ‘living water’. – Let me say that again, “WE ARE WORTHY OF THE MESSIAH’S LIVING WATER”
Are you there yet? Are you believing how great it is to be a ‘girl’? We have been given gifts in abundance! Our cups runneth over with amazing goodies to be used as we work with little children or the elderly ~ as we travel to other countries to share our hearts ~we lack nothing and have been blessed with all ~
Along with Priscilla in her book The Resolution of Women, there is another author who does an amazing job showing us we are loved by our Heavenly Father ~ through LOVE LETTERS to us from Him, Sheri Rose Shepherd teaches us where we stand in the eyes of our Abba Father. Here are a few of her quotes. I know they will touch you as they have touched me.
Favorite Quotes by Sheri Rose Shepherd
- Although I am God, my arms are not too big to hold you, My beloved daughter.
- Don’t let anyone define you but Me, your Daddy in Heaven.
- The beauty I had in mind when I created you is a reflection of Me. (WOW! yes, created in His image)
- You are royalty even when you don’t feel like a princess. (always important to Him!)
- Inside you is a supernatural surprise a gift that is waiting to be unwrapped…by you. (continued blessings!)
Regardless of the situation, regardless of the time and place – we are WOMAN, hear us ROAR! No, Seriously, I say this time and time again to those with no self-esteem, to those who feel less than adequate – to those that are unhappy with their physical appearance and allow that to carry over into their hearts and abilities – GOD MAKES NO JUNK!
We were each individually, especially made to fulfill God’s plans for our lives. We are not PERFECT, but being made by the KING we are precisely and exactly what we are supposed to be – each flaw intended! We are beautiful, worthy, necessary, gifted and blessed beyond words!
PRAYER:
Abba Father, Thank you for the blessing of being women who were created specifically to fulfill your plans and purposes; who were designed wonderfully with beautiful hearts, tender touches, and amazing gifts. Who are worthy Father of your ‘Living Water’ and understand your intentions in creating us. Be with us as we utilize these many tools, that lives are touched and that everything we do brings glory to you. May we always embrace your/our purpose. In your precious and Most Holy Name we Pray, Amen.
HOMEWORK:
Choose one of the many roles you currently play in your life and record for each one how you are…….. Good for it, necessary to it, an important component of it, worthy to be a part of it, and trustworthy to fulfill your role in it. Comment on the blog and let us know what this role is for you and ‘how you are’ with it.
Remember, You are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made – God doesn’t make Junk! and don’t forget to go back over to our Facebook group and see what fun Megan has going on for you over there today!
<3 Kelley
About Kelly
I am the wife to my husband. I am his help-meet. I am his support. Sometimes I am the truth he doesn't want to hear but must. I am diplomatic. I can do things on my own but will sometimes wait for his help so that he can be my hero. 😉 I am always there for him. I am the person he can bounce things off of and know he'll get the truth back. I am the love of his life. 🙂 <3
AMEN! You Go Girl!!!!
I LOVE THAT Tracey! Amen!
I work in the Car Parts Industry and I work with all man , and sometimes it is just plain hard because there are times they have a mouth on them , but they are learning to apologize when it comes out of there mouth , so I think it is okay to be a woman in my work place , I want to be beautiful and be the woman God has called me to be and I want to feel important in the workplace . I know there is more a majority of man that shop there and. Some of the customers that come hesitate to come to me at the counter. Because apparently they think I do not know nothing.
Thanks for postin this
Really needed that this a.m.
Carol
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Carol, you are top notch sister!!!! You have a HUGE heart and Love People and Life!!! It won't be long before you know all the men that shop there and they will be totally comfortable coming to Carol for information! God gives us every tool we need to be the best we can be! You rock! I'm looking forward to your future post (and yes it's coming) telling us how you are shining in that all male world you work in!!!!
Carol, be bold and step right up to that customer and say "How can I (bold letters I) help you?" YOU have a gift my dear! A gift to be a witness in all settings! Love you tons!
I was in a similar position working with a bunch of guys since I got out of high school and went into the military and them again in the power industry when I got out. At the beginning of my years at the power plant I was just as brazen as the guys, trying to fit in so that's what they became comfortable with because I was ok with it. When I had a Hod breeze a few years later and cleaned up my act I didn't feel I could ask gem to change their behavior just because I was changing but after a little while they started to notice and changed the way they spoke and acted around me. It was really cool to see and RECOGNIZE the difference in the way I was treated. Love that you get to see it, too! 🙂
awhhhhh thanks for sharing this beautiful testimony Tracey!!!! I love it!
I have had to learn to be necessary, important, accepted, and loved. I was raised by a man that did not think very highly of woman in general. He belittled my mother and because I was born with a cleft lip and palate, I was less than a person. I was not whole, I had to be fixed. My mother found the best doctors in the area and she spent many, many hours making sure that I was taken care off. Medically things 60 years ago was a LOT different than they are now. I accepted the Lord in my early 20's and my journey to allow myself to be loved was a long and messy one. It was after doing a Bill Gothard study that it finally sank in. . .My aha moment! If I do not accept myself as being made in His image, just the way He wanted me to be ~ cleft and all ~ I am calling Him a liar. Oh my goodness, I could not stand that thought, so I started looking at myself differently and I accepted the fact that I was not made whole because God wanted it that way and it was part of my story and it is the reason I am who I am today. I am a child of God, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a business owner, a help-mate to my husband and I am a woman made in God's image.
And you are absolutely PERFECT in His image!! Every flaw designed specifically for you! I am thankful that you accepted yourself as just the person He created you to be – wonderfully made! and now you are able to share your testimony with others who feel less than they are! Hugs!! Thanks for sharing your story!
You hit the nail on the head…."if I do not accept myself as being made in His image, just the way He wanted me to be … cleft and all…I am calling Him a liar". WOW!!!!! You are so right!!! And I truly needed to hear that today!!!
I am the mother to 2 young sons. One day those boys will marry and have babies of their own. I am their daily example of what a Godly wife and mother should be. While my husband does a fantastic job of teaching them to hold doors open and speak respectfully, I feel that as a woman it is just as important that I be a good example to them, not so much in words but in actions, in hopes that they will eventually find wives with the same godly traits and know how to love and respect them the way God planned for husbands to.
Amen, beautifully said and awesome reminder!!!
Every boy needs a mom like you, Kimberly!! 🙂
Jackie you are beautiful because you are made by GOD for GOD. As for myself Iam first a child of the KING ,I'm a mother, a grandma ,a great-grandma,and my joy in life is to be an example to them and let them all know how much GOD loves them and wants to spend eternity wilh them.
Kelley love this!! I'm going to print it out for my teen girls at church and the women I minister to. You're awesome lady! Thank you for this today, it blessed me! <3
Thank you Robin!!!!! You make me feel like I'm being "published"!!! I'm so glad it blessed you as it has!
Good for it, necessary to it, an important component of it, worthy to be a part of it, and trustworthy to fulfill your role in it.
I too had to read this again and again! The first time I read it, (which was a week earlier) I wasn't getting it at all, and felt very discouraged. I didn't feel good for it, necessary, important, worthy at all, or trustworthy. I felt so unworthy to be a wife and mother. More like a poser, whose heart had been stolen. It hasn't always been like this. Throughout several trials, as well as hormonal issues, my focus became more inward, instead of on Jesus, and my family. Thank the Lord, though, my heart has become repentant, once again soft, my eyes fully on Him, and trusting Him fully in my role of wife first, then mother. I love my family so much, I know how much I am needed as helpmeet to my husband! I know God picked me for him, to compliment him, we fit together so perfectly. God has trusted me to be a wife, He knows I can do it! He's began this good work in me, and His word says He will be faithful to complete it! I feel His mercy, and His love is overwhelming! My husband trusts me too! For years, I've been striving to be like the virtuous woman…In Pro. 31, it says:(11) The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely! One day, I pray he will say: her husband boasts of and praises her, saying (29) Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all. 🙂 I am content in my role, and so thankful to be reminded that I am good for it, necessary to it, an important component of it, and worthy and trustworthy to fulfill it!
There is absolutely not a thing I can say Tawnya – You "got it" – I'm glad you read it and read it until you did!!! Content is a HUGE word. How many of us are truly content in our life? I am so glad you realize that God DID pick you! He has your entire life planned out and what a blessing it is that your heart is full knowing this! Hugs
this part of the 'purposefully feminine' chapter has really gotten my attention, kelley. you wrote: "…we are precisely and exactly what we are supposed to be–each flaw intended." so after reading your words, (and, thank you for your heart communicated through them!) as well as priscilla's and megan's i am considering my role as robert's wife…and in that role i am:
– good for it because God has provided me as wife for him (proverbs 18:22, 19:14)
– necessary to it because "two are better than one…for if they fall the one will lift up his fellow…" (ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
– an important component of it since God saw that he (as adam did) would need a helpmate, counterpart, completer (genesis 2:20-23)
– worthy to be part of it because God and Jesus love me (john 3:16, 1st john 3:1,2)
– trustworthy to fullfil it because he can rely on me and i do him only good (proverbs 31:11,12) <3
I love how you took every part of your role and applied scripture to them!!!! there is nothing bettr than having scripture to backup every single thing in our lives. We are so blessed to have you in GCH
I am trying to feel like I'm loved, and beautiful in God's eyes Worthy. I was brought up always being belittled, criticized not being good enough. In fact I was told only like 4 years ago if you can believe that one, that I was a mistake I wasn't supposed to be here. So still 50 years later I have a very low self esteem and don't feel worthy and loved by the Lord or others.I'm just now trying to change all that. I am a wife, and mother and God loves me. He let me have this role as wife to my husband and I need to fill it (if that makes sense). As long as my husband ane God loves me!! I know God does not make mistakes and he does not make junk, but I am still trying and I mean trying to digest that, believe it so I can say I'm a loved child, daughter of God!!!!
You said it first, You are a LOVED child of the King! Enough Said! He makes no "junk", that is correct! Love yourself as the creation you are….
I am a girly girl, always have been and perfectly happy to be one. I have never bought into that women's lib business and I truly believe that takes a lot away from us as women.
I depend on my husband for many things and I am ok with that, that's why I have a husband, but my husband also depends on me for a lot that's why I am his wife-his helpmate. The way God made us to be, the way He intended it to be. It is what makes us happy, we know our place in our relationship. We submit one to the other. When push comes to shove. He is the head I submit to him, He submits to Christ. I have raised two beautiful girly girls like myself, I have always told them that true beauty comes from within, I've also raised them to know that when the time comes for them to marry they must respect and love and honor their husbands as they have seen me do with their dad. And that they should consider that an honor not a burden. We worship God through our relationship with our husbands.
I feel wonderfully and gloriously feminine and I do not have to compete with my husband for position or power I am happy because I can be shielded by his love and protection and know that he will answer to God for how he behaves towards me.
Ladies our role is not to be male-like, independent, bossy, feminists, afraid to show our vulnerability in fear of being taken advantage of. Our role is to do what our Lord has requested of us to be women of a quiet and gentle spirit ( and I don't mean being a pushover: trust me I'm not!) but allow ourselves to be women, so our men can be men. Know that they will answer to God one day. We have to trust the lord. The Lord made man the head of the home, if we try to take that role all we'll have is a two-headed monster. God knows what he's doing. Embrace your role as a woman, more so, a woman of God, and you will experience the joy God meant for us because he made us different and special.
I love this!!!! What perfect advice!!! Beautiful post
I am Evan's wife. The Lord gave us a romantic love after a year and a half of great friendship. I am his helpmeet, used to make him more like Jesus. God has equipped me and I fulfill this role by his grace. When my old nature peeks through God's grace is sufficient to cover my mistakes and bring me to repentance and submission. For 21 years I have had this role and am blessed every day for it! I know what a mess I would be without being covered by the blood of Jesus. It is great to be His girl!!!
Beautiful!!! I love it Judy!
Choose one of the many roles you currently play in your life and record for each one how you are…….. Good for it, necessary to it, an important component of it, worthy to be a part of it, and trustworthy to fulfill your role in it.
I have a lot of roles — Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Daughter, Sister, Friend, Leader, Confidante, a Woman created in His image, and a Child of God.
In all of these roles, God has created a need for each one, and has only given ME the tools that HE saw that I would need to fulfill the roles that He has given me.
The thing I am seeing here is He created ME to be the wife of my husband Gary, the Mother to all 4 of children, the grandmother to my 10 grandchildren, the daughter to my parents, the sister to my siblings, a friend to all my friends, a Leader here in GCH, a confidante to all who want to share with me their private innermost thoughts, all because He knew that I was the ONLY ONE that could do the job that each of these roles required.
He knew that I would be the perfect helpmeet to Gary. He gave me my beautiful children because He knew that I would be the only one who could love them and nurture them the way He would want them to be. He gave me my precious grandchildren because He knew no other "Nonnie" could love them like I do! And He gave me each of my other roles because He said "YOU are the one that I want to spread the gospel for me, to be a friend as I would be; to be someone trustworthy to share and keep confidences; and so on…..
I've asked myself a million times "why me, Lord", and all I keep getting back from Him is "Why Not You???" He created me because of the plan He had for not only MY life, but for the plan in each of the lives that I would touch along the way. He knew that I was the only one who could do what He had designed me to do, and reach the people He was needing to reach. Don't take that as being arrogant, please!!! It is not meant that way, at all.
What I mean is that God created YOU that way, as well. Each and every person you come into contact with every single day, God created YOU in His own special way, to reach the ones that He has put in your path.
When you look at it that way, that is a very special job to have for Him! He trusted YOU to fulfill that role!! And He will equip YOU to fulfill that role, if you seek Him and listen to Him every day! No other person could do your job any better, because it was not designed for them!! It was designed for YOU, because that's who He created you to be!!!
AMEN?
Man, I am LOVING this book, and I AM LOVING BEING A GIRL!!!!! WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE GOD'S GIRL!!!! WOW!!!!
WOW Christi!!!! WOW – I love this – "No other person could do your job any better, because it was not designed for them" Loving your post!
I decided to consider my role as Scott's wife because that is the role I struggle with right now. I am:
Good as his wife because I love him with all my heart. I bear Christ's image so I try to love Scott unconditionally just as Jesus loves me.
Important because I pray for Scott, often without ceasing. I am his support, his encouragement & sometimes his sounding board. And, I may be the only "Jesus" Scott sees.
Necessary because God has big plans for Scott & my participation & input is required if Scott's outcome is to be what God has purposed it to be.
Worthy to be his wife because God gave me this treasure. If God thinks I am worthy to be his wife, who can say otherwise?
Trustworthy because if I wasn't I would have walked away years ago. Instead I chose to honor him above myself & others, give more than requested, and do more than demanded, while trying to ask for nothing in return
OY! As my Jewish Father in heaven would say! (I can't write what my Irish-German Father in heaven would say!) I wrote out my well-thought out- long comment on my not-so smart-phone and then I lost it!!! My eyes are a little blurry now, but here it re-goes!
The Lord has been laying on my heart recently of how I can really still be a srong influence on my grown, adult children. Sadly, none of them are following the Lord since they left home. BUT His word does not come back void!! They were rasied in our loving, Christian home and were fed the word all of their young lives!
My role as mother in my children's lives is good because he entrusted them to me! I am worthy to be a part of it because on April 1, 1979, I commited my life to Jesus in front of God and everybody, I was water baptized – out with the old and in with the new. It is so necessary because everybody needs a mentor, an experienced Christian in their lives to learn from, to model, to cry with, to pray with. Who better than a mother for this role!?? I am trust-worthy with this role because I have remained steadfast in my love and belief of the Lord. I may have waivered in my relationship, but I have always believed and loved Him. The important component of all of this is because though my children believe in Him, and though they have been baptized of their own accord when old enought to make that decision, they are not walking with him daily. I interecede for them, pray over their difficulties, and most of all that they recommit their lives to Jesus. It's all good, it's THEIR journey!
Donna, this is my journey!!!! This is where God has been leading me for several months now. I will admit, I have some children with issues and I honestly have to love from afar one that actually lives right next door…but that's okay because like you I pray intercessory prayer and BELIEVE God has got them. My role is Mother, even if tha tmeans doing everything I can with God from afar.
I am the girl God has called me to be mother, wife, homeschool mom/teacher, a godly example to my children and husband and a servant to the most High God. I am good, neccessary, important, worthy, trustworthy and fully qualified by God's equipping. I treasure and esteem the gift of being a girl:)
LOVE!
I choose my role as a mother. Sometimes I feel inadequate. I know that He has equipped me an He is ready to guide me. It's mine for the asking.
Yes, he has equipped you and he's guiding you. Love yourself and be strong in yourself! You are blessed with a God given job and He knows you are completely adequate! Rejoice in that!
When I read the title of today's lesson "It's Good to be a Girl" my immediate thought was YES it is cause we get to do some things that men don't…like have babies….have menstrual cycles….oh how special Gods plan is for us…..then I moved on into the lesson and many memories started to flood my mind….I didnt have anyone to teach me that I was suppose to seek God to show me who my helpmate would be in my life…I was in puppy love that turned to true love many years later….I only dated one man in my life for 4 years then I married him and we have been married for 33 years….we have not done everything right in our lives or our marriage and I know that neither of us sought God that many years ago to determine if we were each others helpmeet…because we were not in a spiritual relationship with each other in our dating years to even know we should be doing that….and also I was in a relationship with the Lord when I accepted Cjrist on Aprl 17 1979….but my soon too be husband was not but still no one took the time to tell me to "seek God"….so I married and we were unequally yoked spiritually….we were married 9 years before children came into our family….and all this time I served Christ alone….then children came and still me serving Christ alone….trying my best to teach our children what I wanted to be taught growing up….now my children are grown…daughter 24 married, her husband a youth pastor and they are loving serving Christ…son 21 still in college…and yet he still needs to learn about seeking for that woman (yep he has been taught by me) what to do and yet he is still in the college world of peer pressure trying to "fit in so to speak"…..but yet I am still not giving up teaching him of these truths that God is needing him to understand about a helpmeet for his future..and still today it's me serving Christ alone….and I tell you all this to say this…..even though hmy hisband is not serving Christ with me I am still his helpmeet….I still surrender to his authority as the leader of our marriage and our family….but when something doesn't coincide with God's Word then I am straight to the bone with him and say Whoa we need to talk!….and I have been praying for 33 years for that one day to come when I get to experience his arm coming around my shoulder in the church pew and we are serving Christ "together" as I know God wants…..and I will never give up praying for that….and whew when he surrenders his life in service to Him…watch out cause God is gonna do some major work through us as Team McCormick comes on the scene…..I love being his wife and his helper and I know when he truly surrenders his complete life to God our marriage will be even more complete and I will know even more how good it is to be a girl….
Beverly, I too long for that arm around my shoulders at church, or the hand that grabs mine when I pray…but when I gave my life to Christ about 4 years ago and began truly building a relationship with him, I vowed then that I am in for the long haul – God put me here, he intends me to stay her and I am to be the best helpmeet possible for my husband. After 21 years together, I think he's a little bit closer – but not quiet there yet – but that's Okay. The days coming when God is going to overwhelm him like a freight train and we will be truly yoked! Thanks for sharing your heart!!!
I love that is wife has been especially created to be her husband's helpmeet. It says Adam was given a helpmeet comparable to him. I believe means more than just another human being vs another animal.My husband can and does serve me, but I was created to help him not the other way around!
I love this quote by John Piper,
TRUE Womanhood is a distinctive calling of God to display the glory of His son that in a way would not be displayed if there were no womanhood!!!!!! (John Piper) ! I'd say God considers pretty special! A special part of His plan!!!!
Thank you for sharing Claudine! I love John Piper and I love this statement by him! Yep, God had our role laid all out for us – and it is our goal to bless and fulfill or marriages – being the Helmeets as god designed.
I'll take my role as a mother… I'm good for it because God gave me a nurturing personality, I like to take care of others, especially my baby and my husband 🙂 I'm necessary to it because I'm the only mother my son has…. I have to be a good example to him of a Godly mother and wife so that he will be able to find a Godly wife one day also. I'm an important component in raising him, along with my husband, to teach him and guide him into becoming a man of God when he grows up. I'm worthy to be a part of it because God chose me to be my son's mother and entrusted him to me and my husband to raise. If God says I'm worthy to be his mommy, then I believe I'm worthy! I'm trustworthy to fulfill this role because I take it seriously and I know that my actions and my words speak volumes to my son, he's watching me all the time and getting his cues on how to behave from me and his dad… I intentionally try to be a good example for him every day 🙂
I love the strength and confidence that is resonating from your post!!!! You are a precious person!
When reading this all I could think about was Wow! I did not grow up being taught how to be a woman in Christ. In my late teenage years I did rebel somewhat but through all of that God still allowed me to meet a godly man at our high school ticket booth football game and 5 years later we married and have spent a wonderful 30 yrs together. I thank God everyday for my husband and us sharing our life in Christ together. I do not have any daughters but God did bless us with 3 boys and through Christ I tried to be the best Godly mother and wife I could be. Were there trials, YES!!! For sure. If not for God being with us and showing us and helping us through it all, I probably would have given up a long time ago. I pray for my boys and their families everyday that they will in turn give to their wives and children the Godly home that they should be brought up in, in Christ.
Beautiful Pamela!!! Just beautiful!