November 21, 2024

“I AM” Chapter 3 – Day 1: The Great I AM in the Books of the Minor Prophets

July 22, 2013 by

Memory Verse

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights.

Habakkuk 3:19

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As we begin our week examining the books of the Minor Prophets, we begin with Hosea and Amos.  Do not be fooled by the size of their writings because their message is mighty.  Through Hosea’s life we see God revealing Himself (for the first time) as a Faithful Bridegroom and the children of Israel as His bride.  That imagery runs all through the New Testament.  What a legacy!

For thousands of years and many generations, God has been patient with His people.  God demonstrated His love for His people using marriage as a metaphor.  Ouch!  If our life was a metaphor for our relationship with God (and it is) what would it say to the people around us?

In looking at Hosea’s story, I noticed seven ways God used Hosea’s life as an example to the people around him.  Let’s see if they might pertain to our lives as well.

  1.  Our relationship with God is like a marriage.  From “Will you…” to “I do”… to “?”
  2. God uses our struggles to display His POWER through us.  Not what we can do on our own.
  3. God uses our challenges in our relationships to reveal His LOVE to others.  We have a choice.
  4. God calls us to love the unlovely – even those who have hurt us deeply.
  5. Our disobedience to God brings judgment and severe consequences.
  6. God calls us into a covenant relationship with Him. He WANTS you!
  7. God expects us to live in a manner that would connect others to Him.

From the moment we say “I Do” to a relationship with the Great I AM we are in a committed, monogamous, covenant “marriage.”  Why does God use marriage as an example of His relationship with us?  Marriage is that object or state of being we have sought after (in one form or another) most of our lives.  When we were young, we would dream of our perfect wedding to the perfect person and we would live a perfect life.  Happily Ever After, right?

Then maybe we found that perfect someone, promised a perfect “forever” and began to live that dream.  Then…that “perfect” life hit a few bumps along the way.  Our perfect marriage gets rocky…then what?  Dreams are shattered, hearts are broken, eyes are opened.

Look at God’s example.  He used Hosea’s life and Hosea’s marriage and Hosea’s service to speak to the Israelites about their “marriage” relationship with God.  Just as those “perfect” dreams were shattered, our relationship with God becomes broken.  It is at this moment of broken dreams that we find we have a choice.

We can choose to honor our marriage vow or walk away.  We can choose to love the unlovely one or cast them aside.  We can stand firm when the going gets tough or we can faint in the face of struggle.  We can choose to OBEY or expect the consequences of our actions.

We can break our promise to God.  We can leave those “other people” out there in the dark instead of leading them to the Light.  We have a choice.  Because we chose to say “I Do,” we get the blessings of a life in relationship with the Creator of the Universe.  Because we said, “I Do,” we have a Helper, a Leader through our struggles.  Because we are “one flesh,” we are loved when we are un-lovely.

So how can God use us  –  You and Me – to lead others to Him?  How can God use a broken heart and a broken spirit to shine its LIGHT?  He changes our heart.  We were born with a heart problem, but God is our Healer.

The prophet Amos (who studied under Hosea) told the Israelites their words were empty without the right heart.  They needed the heart of a worshipper and the heart of a servant.  Oscar Wilde once said,

“Every Saint has a PAST.  Every Sinner has a FUTURE.”

God showed Hosea how to love his wife, Gomer, the way God loved Israel; the way He loves you and me.  Hosea forgave Gomer, rebuilt the marriage and taught others to follow God.  Hosea’s struggles did not disqualify him from service.  Gomer’s wicked ways did not prevent Hosea from being used by God. Their children, who were given very unfortunate names by God, were restored and dearly loved in the end.

We were born with a heart problem, but we have a choice.  We can choose to live with a bad, broken heart, or we can give the pieces to God and let Him make something lovely.

Let’s Pray:

Lord, We bring You the pieces of our broken hearts and our broken lives.  Thank You for loving us when we are un-lovely.  Thank You for making a way for us to go from an unfortunate name of “I am not your God” to “I AM your God.”  You asked us “Will you?”  We want to say “I Do” and live under Your Protection all the days of our lives.  We love You, Lord.

AMEN

 

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 14: Our Cross-Carry (pgs 214-220)

June 26, 2013 by

Going through this book I have loved the various crosses that we are to carry. I have loved learning of the true power that we have as girls with swords.  I have loved learning about the true power that those swords possess.  We are instructed to wield different kinds of swords, to possess different characteristics; and, yes, I have asked, “How, Lord? How do I do this and do it the right way?”

Two words:  “Follow Him.”

Jesus spoke the truth, fed the hungry, cast out demons, healed the sick, confronted religion, and raised the dead. He did this to show love, forgiveness, healing, freedom, and redemption.

Christ:

Loved the people

Matthew 4:23 (NKJV)

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  

Forgave the people

Matthew 9:2-8  (NKJV)

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”  And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said,“Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” And he arose and departed to his house.  Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. 

Freed the people

Acts 10:38 (NKJV)

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 

 

Redeemed the people

Psalm 107:2 (NKJV)

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

 

One of the things that stood out to me the most is the need for us to follow Him, for us to model our lives, words, actions, and thoughts after Him. Lisa said more than once that this generation, the world we live in today, needs these things more than ever. We need love and forgiveness, we need redemption and freedom. We need miracles, and we need signs and wonders. We need to follow Him in His actions, in His efforts to draw others closer to Him. We need to show that the Cross was the “ultimate display of His unconditional love for us” (pg. 214).

“The Cross is our sign and you are His wonder.”  We were placed here to pick up our swords.  We were placed here to follow Him and to build the kingdom of Christ.

The final verse of this section touched my heart:

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NKJV)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Love. Forgive. Free. Heal. Redeem. Encourage.

FollowHim.jpg

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the example You offer to us.  We see so much hurt and pain in our world.  We know that we have the sword and we know that we have the power, but how to use these sometimes escapes us.  Lord, remind us to follow You, remind us to model after Your example.  Most importantly remind us to love.  Through love so many other tasks can be accomplished.  As You instruct in Hebrews 10:23-25, let us stir up love, let us stir up good works, let us lift one another up.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 13 – “The Sword of Forgiveness” (pgs. 200-205)

June 19, 2013 by

Working as a hospice Bereavement Counselor, I have heard and seen stories like Lisa’s numerous times. These stories do not cease to touch my heart. But I have seen stories of forgiveness have two different outcomes as well.

There are two decisions that can be made in a situation such as the one depicted in this chapter.

1.  Forgive 
2.  Don’t forgive

As a Bereavement Counselor I have the opportunity to speak with some of the most interesting individuals I have ever met. Our patients have lived full lives, raised families, and created legacies. When working with our patients and their families all too often we are faced with issues of unforgiveness—either on the side of the patient or on the side of their family.  I have seen unforgiveness lead to children not visiting their parent as they die. I have seen unforgiveness breed words of hurt and hate; open wounds that were thought closed; and cause those wounds to go unhealed…opportunities gone.

I have also seen forgiveness build bridges, heal hearts, and create new beginnings and new opportunities. Relationships restored and mended. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing!  It is a beautiful gift that we are given by God to have relationships with others after our flesh and the world has tried to corrupt them.

Forgiveness is the remission of sins.
For it is by this that what has been lost,
and was found, is saved from being lost again.

–Augustine (pg.205)

Lisa questions how forgiveness impacted her father that night she went to go see him, she doesn’t know exactly what happened, what he was thinking? But, she did know that God moved that night. Her willingness to forgive, her willingness to pick up that sword and walk forward with God by her side made a difference in her father’s life. It made a difference in her life and it made a difference in the life of the social worker who cared for her dad. She didn’t know what forgiving her father would do but she knew that it was something that needed to be done.

We don’t know what events will follow after we choose to say ‘yes‘ to God, we don’t know what will happen after we pick up that sword of forgiveness and carry it with us on our journey. We don’t know what will happen after we forgive that mother, that father, the brother, sister, friend, whomever it may be. But what we do know is after we forgive, after we lay the issue at God’s feet and allow love to fill the space where the unforgiveness lived, that God will take over, He will fulfill the promises He made regarding those relationships before they were even formed.

Lisa’s forgiveness of her father and his actions was a gift—a gift to her father and a gift to herself. Like Lisa said in this section “God is faithful.”  We are to forgive, and He will handle the rest.

Forgiveness.jpg

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Forgiveness is at times made to seem to sound so easy; but, Lord, You know that it can be hard. Lord, it takes faith and strength and trust in You.  Stories like Lisa’s are beautiful and heartwarming. Please touch the hearts and lives of the women here who are dealing with the issue of forgiveness.  Please soften our hearts and give us the strength to lay the pain at Your feet, the strength to pick up our sword of forgiveness and walk forward with You by our side.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 12 Sword of Silence “David’s Sword of Silence” (Pgs.183-187)

June 12, 2013 by

The variety of swords at our disposal does not cease to amaze me. I think that it is easy to forget the power that our swords truly hold, but I am thankful for studies such as this that lay those swords out in front of us, resources that remind us that we have been blessed and chosen by God to carry these swords and to use them for His glory. The sword that is being discussed this week is one that has, at times, been difficult to wield; but at other times—with God on my side—it has been carried with ease. The sword of silence seems too heavy to bear when we have been “wearied by all the altercations” (pg. 183). All the altercations of life, of relationships, of responsibilities, and like David we may have felt the weight of wanting to be included. It feels unbearable when we feel like we have had enough and we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders.

When David felt like this, when he felt wearied, he reacted. He tossed aside his sword of silence and picked up a sword which he intended to use for harm.

“If you are not careful, listening to what other people say about you may cause you to forget who you actually are” (pg. 185). One thing that I have noticed is that this does not always apply to other people. There have been times when I have been my own distraction, where I have talked myself out of my sword of silence. Both those around us and our own inner thoughts can distract us enough to cause us to react. “The trick is choosing to allow those critiques to refine, not define, us.” (pg. 185)

There are some key takeaways for all of us here:

1.     God alone establishes houses.

2.      When we live under the directive of God’s Spirit, God protects us.

3.      God knows how to settle matters with our enemies.

4.      We should never use our position with God to protect ourselves.

5.      We are not to take judgment or salvation matters into our hands; both of these matters belong to our God.     (pg.186)

I have to remind myself often that the sword I am being instructed to pick up is my sword of silence. I am to step back in prayer and allow God to handle the situation; I’m supposed to bite my tongue.

silence.jpg

 

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, there are so many times when Your instruction is to pick up our sword of silence. Life (and the weight it places on us) can cause this sword to feel extremely heavy at times. Lord, I ask for strength for all of us when we are to carry this sword, when we are to silence our own thoughts and the words of those around us. Thank you for protecting us and for settling our matters for us, Lord.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray, Amen.

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 11 – “Sword of Song – Songs of Battle” (pgs 170-173)

June 5, 2013 by

 

When I read this section, I thought of this song. I thought of how this song touches my heart and empowers me each time I hear it. This song reminds me of how music works, it reminds me of those times when I was in the middle of a battle, in the middle of a test or trial and I would turn music on. Sometimes I would sing aloud, or sometimes I would sing silently to myself; either way the words of the song, and the sounds of the music would help to create a type of “joyful strength” (p. 171), as Lisa described it. Songs have the ability to “remind us of just how awesome the Most High is” (p. 171).  It is so easy to become caught up in life and to let His promises drift to the back of our mind. Music has a way of bringing us back.

Isaiah 54:1

“Sing, O barren,
You who have not borne!
Break forth into singing, and cry aloud,
You who have not labored with child!
For more are the children of the desolate
Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord. (NKJV)

I think of praise and worship on Sundays, and the atmosphere that the songs usher in. The sanctuary full of people singing praises to God in unison, everyone lifting their voices in praise and thanks to our Heavenly Father. His power in the room can be felt. It pours into our hearts and minds, it covers us in God’s love. I think of driving in the car with the radio playing and a feeling of life and peace enveloping me. I think of my rambunctious children and the effect that music has on them!  I love hearing them singing Christian songs in the backseat as we go about our daily tasks; in their own way, they are singing through their own battles.

There are ‘go-to’ songs that I have when I need to feel closer to God; songs I listen to when I clean; songs I play for my children when they go to sleep. God has given us many tools in life, and the gift of song is one of them. There are times in our lives when we need to pick up our sword of song, we need to wield it, shout and sing. The song of battle needs to be one of our tools as a warrior of Christ, and, as a girl with a sword.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gifts! Thank You for reminding us of Your love and Your strength through song. Thank You for the joy it creates, and the security it provides. Lord, please give us a holy boldness and remind us that we are living for none other than You.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, AMEN!

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 10 – “Sword of Light – More Than Meets The Eye” (pgs. 159-162)

May 29, 2013 by

Growing up in church I have always heard the word discernment used, but I can honestly say that I have never looked at the term from this point of view. Discernment, to me, meant that a person had the ability to see past the first few layers of a person or a situation to see the truth behind the facade (if there was one). It was the ability to see the darkness hiding behind the light. Discernment had a slightly negative connotation behind it.

For some reason, some churches teach discernment as seeing the bad through the good, instead of how it should be, which is seeing the good through the bad. “Discernment is about knowing what is really going on, so that heroic daughters can turn what others see as a disadvantage into an advantage. The discerning warrior will know how to turn evil around for good” (pg. 159).

Let’s look back at a much loved scripture…

Romans8_28.jpg

The good is there, it may be deep under the surface of the situation, but it is there. We are promised good in His Word, but that doesn’t mean that He will lay it in front of our eyes each time.  We will have to use wisdom, discernment, compassion and prayer to see it.

“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and help them to become what they are capable of being.” – John Wolfgang Von Goethe (pg. 160)

We are a society that almost automatically labels those around us; we label ourselves just as much. Often times these labels focus on our negative characteristics, they focus on what we or others may see wrong on the outside, or on our brokenness. We create labels that we can’t look past…labels that others can’t look past. But there is more beyond those labels.

We as warriors, girls with swords, Godly women, need to look past these labels; we need to see those around us and the situations around us through God’s eyes. I’m not sure why it is so easy for us (people in general) to see the bad in most situations; I do this also.  It’s easy to point out the bad instead of searching for the good. But God did not gift us with discernment to see just the bad things in people. He gifted us with discernment so that we could see the good and the bad in them.  So we could help encourage the good and help us see ourselves and those around us for what He created us to be.

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, with the world in the state that it is in, it can be difficult at times to see Your creation through Your eyes. We judge, and we label.  We do this to those around us and we do it to ourselves. Lord, I pray that You touch our hearts.  I pray that we see people and situations for what You created them to be. Remind us that our job is to lift-up and encourage. I pray that we walk with wisdom and discernment, that we walk in compassion, and in prayer.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 9 “Manage Harvests” (pgs 147-150)

May 22, 2013 by

I have been to three churches in my adult life and have been able to see the different cultures in these churches. One of the things that I have noticed is the fact that some individuals in the church are more concerned with their image and looking better than others than they are with spreading the Word. I think that being competitive is part of our nature; it can be fun. I know that I enjoy a friendly competition with family and friends; but, “Competition has its place in the Olympics but not in the house of God” (pg. 148).

I enjoyed how Lisa examined the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist.  I liked how the powers that be (religious leaders) were unable to create a rivalry between the two.  I like how John was “a forerunner who understood his season and purpose…Like him, we should herald the One to come” (pg. 149).

Life is full of competition and it is full of trying to be the best. But there are areas of life when competition is not warranted and, in this case, it can do harm. When we are going head-to-head with our fellow Christian, what message are we sending?

I’ve heard the term herald before, and I knew that it was an individual who acted as an olden day announcer; but I wanted to look the word up in order to better understand the responsibilities.

her·ald

1: an official crier or messenger

2: one that precedes or foreshadows

3: one that conveys news or proclaims

4: one who actively promotes or advocates

Messenger

Crier

Foreshadows

Proclaims

Conveys News

Promotes

Advocates

Are we clearing the paths, or, are we adding more barriers for those trying to reach Him?  “In times of harvest, paths must be cleared and maintained so the harvesters can get to the fields” (pg. 147).

TimesOfHarvest.jpg

We have been assigned many titles—woman, wife, mother, daughter, friend, employee, girls with swords, warriors, and now we are also heralds. We now need to walk our paths, sword in hand, clearing paths.

In times of harvest, paths must be cleared and maintained so the harvesters can get to the fields (pg. 147)

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the path You have placed us on. Lord, with so many responsibilities and titles we often try to outdo one another. Please forgive us for this and remind us that we are all assigned to be Your heralds.  We are assigned to proclaim Your glory, working together to clear paths and lead others to You. Thank You Lord for Your assignments in our lives.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

 

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 8 – “Sword of Words” (pgs 129-134)

May 15, 2013 by

What are we doing with our words?

In the world we live in today, the power of our words means more now than ever; the power of the Scripture means more than it ever has, and the impact of its words will reach further than ever. I can honestly say that I have always known that there is power in our words; there is strength behind what we say and strength behind how we say it. That strength can have either a positive or negative impact.

Proverbs 12:18 NIV

The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

I’ve seen well-intentioned words hurt, and I’ve heard well-intentioned words lead someone astray. We don’t do it on purpose, but when we aren’t intentional about what we say and how we say it, the interpretation of those words can become skewed, even in a conversation between only two people.

“Far too much is lost in interpretation when we pass the words through the filter of earth rather than fashion the earth with the words of heaven” — Lisa Bevere (page 129).

Are we allowing our words to become earth-based? Are we allowing them to become catchy or cliché?  Are we trying to make the sacred words common?  Are our words lacking wisdom and hurting instead of healing?

The Bible was not only given to us to help us grow closer to God, to help us understand God’s love for us, to teach us the history and to give us a guide in which to live our lives; but it was given to us  for us to share it with others.  We must retain the power it holds.  We musn’t allow the filter that the world has placed on it to lessen the power it holds.

Hebrews 11:3 NIV

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

When I read this quote by William Booth I said “wow!”  “In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without a hell” (William Booth, pg. 133).

I don’t believe that we are intentionally creating this reality, but I do believe that we are unintentionally making this statement true. When we say things, are we saying them because they sound good and will grab the attention of others? Or have we passed what we are going to say through God’s filter?  Have we asked His advice about what to say and how to say it?  Have we sought out His Scripture?

Ladies, we need to be aware of our words. I know that this needs to be a goal of mine, too.  I am not always intentional about what I say. I always tell my kids to think before they speak. Not only do we need to apply this to our lives, but more importantly we need to pray before we speak.  We need to run our words through the Heavenly filter.

Let’s Pray:  

Dear Heavenly Father, our words can do harm as easily as they can do good. Lord, touch our hearts before we speak as a reminder to pray about what we are going to say and how we are going to say it. Your words hold power that we want to retain. Please help us to use our words to heal and not hurt, to draw ourselves and others closer to You and not to lead them astray.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 7 – “Pressure” (pgs 112-114)

May 8, 2013 by

 Day 3 of our Anniversary Giveaway

is listed at the bottom of this blog.

 

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:2-8 (NKJV)

Pressure. We can all relate to this word, this feeling, this state in life. I truly enjoyed how Lisa broke this scripture down into separate parts. When pressure enters our life and minds the last thing we think to do is “count it all joy,” I know that I don’t. Joy is often times the last word I would use to describe myself. When I’m dealing with the topic of joy I look it up each time, because it is so much more than a simple three letter word. This statement is one of the many that I found about joy.

“Joy is something that is unaffected by circumstances. It is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. Joy is deep. It is a settled state of contentment, confidence and hope.”

I have to remind myself that joy isn’t about being happy, it doesn’t mean that it is going to be easy. What it means is that I am going to accept my situation for the time being, and walk in the joy of the Lord. Pressure and joy are not two words that are normally paired together in this world. I also have to remind myself that I only live in this world, I don’t think like it.

“You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors…” (James 1:3, MSG).  Basically I understood this to mean that when life is hard, when obstacles are placed in our path, or when we place obstacles in our path, the strength of our faith will be shown. This is a hard realization for me, especially when my faith is not as strong as it should be. But I learned something a long time ago—just because I wasn’t where I thought I should be at a certain time doesn’t mean that I cannot grow to be that person. Just because my faith-life wasn’t strong during a time of pressure doesn’t mean that it never will be.

We have to remember that a sword didn’t start out strong. It took work; in most cases, it took a lot of work. “God wants us to thrive whether we are under pressure or free floating” (page 113), and in order to thrive in all situations we must be prepared, we must be tempered.

TemperedDaughtersl.jpg

We have trials. We have pressures. We count it all joy. We exercise our faith. We ask for wisdom when we need it. We work towards becoming the women that God created us to be. And we do all of this with God by our side, with God directing our paths, with God holding us up.

When I was reading these scriptures in my study Bible, this note was given:

“The potential a Christian woman has for maturity relates to the realization of her God given destiny. She is striving to reach a goal that only God can enable her to achieve.”

In order for us to be the warriors we were destined to be, we must be willing to face our trials and be willing to accept the pressure and accept it with joy in our hearts.  Joy isn’t happiness, it’s the knowledge that we are where we need to be for a season in order for us to be formed into the woman He wants us to be. We are being tempered by God so that we can withstand any level of pressure, so we can continue to fight for the Kingdom despite the battle.

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, each day we face the pressures of life; each day we walk our journey.  Some days we walk with faith that could deal with anything and some days it feels like the smallest thing could crush us, but always despite the circumstances You are with us! You are right next to us with Your hand on our lives. Lord, we are told to count it all joy.  Thank You for this joy that surpasses all situations. Thank You for the gentle reminders of this gift, and thank You for the grace You offer when our faith and joy is not where it should be.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray.  Amen.

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Day 3 of our Anniversary Celebration Week!

Are you ready for another giveaway????

Today’s giveaway is something that I wish was around when I had little ones at home!  I’m telling you, I remember days where I honestly wondered why God chose me to be a mom!  I remember going to bed at night crying my eyes out, thinking what a horrible mom I had been that day!  And then the next day, I wake up to two little girls who jump in bed with me, and we all begin to giggle from all the tickles!!  And I start another awesome day of being a Mom!  Being a mom has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and I am so forever grateful for the wonderful children (and grandchildren) God has given me!  I am truly blessed!

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“Psst—over here! I’m hiding out in the laundry room eating dark chocolate. Got a sec? Good. I was wondering, is it just me, or do you sometimes find it really hard to be a mom?  Faith Bogdan never planned to have children, but within six years, she had four. Who Are All These Children and Why Are They Calling Me Mom? is the story of Faith’s journey to fully embrace unexpected motherhood as, little by little, God revealed the heart issues that prevented her from relishing the role He’d called her to fulfill.  Whether you’re a mom to tots or teens, Faith offers real hope for change and concrete guidance to help you navigate the joyful, messy, and sometimes overwhelming challenges of motherhood.”

We are giving a signed copy of Faith’s book to not just one, but TWO blessed winners in today’s giveaway!!  All you have to do to enter is read today’s blog, and post a comment below about how this blog spoke to you!  That’s it! Easy-peasy, huh?  If you don’t want to wait until the giveaway is announced, and you want to order your copy of Faith’s book today, just click on the picture to be taken to our Amazon link.
ALL ENTRIES MUST BE COMPLETED BY 8PM CST TONIGHT.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY PAGE, ON MAY 11th.
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Girls With Swords: Chapter 6 – “Becoming A Warrior” – “Saul’s Warrior Son” (Pgs 90-98)

May 1, 2013 by

I never used to look at the term soldier and warrior as two different people, two different meanings, but after the past few weeks I am noticing a significance difference. While a soldier isn’t less important, less needed or lower than a warrior, a warrior possesses traits I want to strive for. I want to be a soldier that matures into a warrior. I want to “sign on to be more than a soldier”. I want to be tempered until I am the warrior God designed me to be. I looked up the term tempering because to be honest I’ve only really heard it in reference to chocolate (which I feel is one of God’s food choices for us women warriors).

Tempering may refer to:

Like Lisa said “the processing of tempering may not be pleasant or quick”.  But imagine the outcome.  Imagine being the warrior woman who not only sees what our enemy is doing, but one who can follow God’s lead into battles with his promises in our hearts.

2 Kings 6:16-17

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Romans 8:31

 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Imagine walking into battles without the “blinding fear” that has stopped us in the past. Imagine walking into battles, big and small, private and public, wanting to give our all, wanting to be an example for others, wanting to be different than those around us.

The example of Elisha instructing the King not to slaughter his enemies, but instead to honor them and gift them with a feast was surprising to me, but it made sense. A warrior isn’t quick to teach a lesson, they aren’t quick to avenge a wrong done. But in the right situations they are compelled to offer grace, and compassion. They are compelled to show God’s love, they are led by God to do what is needed when it is needed, whether it is to offer grace, or to stand up and fight.

When we see a “lion with a lamb in his mouth”, when we see an area where we can make a difference, an area where we can bless others, an area where God’s love can shine through us, we as warriors need to seize the opportunity. We need to face each day, each task, and each battle with the perspective of more than just a soldier; we need to face these with the perspective of a warrior. We need to allow ourselves to be tempered.  We need to step back and allow God to mold us into the warriors He desires us to be, and to be the David’s and Jonathon’s of our time.

Let’s ask ourselves ladies: 

MoreThanASoldier.jpg

Let’s Pray:

Lord I pray that we walk with Your promises in Romans 8:31, I pray that we believe that no one, or nothing can be against us when You are for us. I pray that You open our eyes to see those standing behind us when we need it.  I pray that we become more than soldiers, and that we desire to be more and do more. Thank You Lord for this task, and thank You for Your guidance.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

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