Mother,

This post is a bit to the right of following last post, i will get back on track, but for now, i will share my heart.

Lying on the floor, pillows prop me up, old school Hillsong plays in the background, “Breath of God” the lyrics coat the moment with peace, and I truly feel Gods rest. His touch in this moment brings sweet surrender. An audible aaaahhh is released from the depths of who I am. As it passes through my lips in this moment I know fulfillment. You see, this morning at 7 oclock  I dropped my 3 precious children off at Family Life Church, they boarded a bus and headed for Portland, Oregon to attend Generation Unleashed Youth conference. They will be gone 3 full days. This is the first time in 22 years I have not had them. One went away to college, 2 remained. She came home, they are all home. Every day of my life is wrapped around them in some fashion. In mentioning their departure to a friend, with whom I shared my concern for the weather, the response was, “I guess you said your going no matter the weather.” Now the response was not meant to be unkind. Quite frankly it’s a fairly common view. I even got a “Heck yeah girl, watcha gonna do?” You see I am a stay at home mom, I run a fairly manageable 501c3, but I am a mom, and these statements have given me pause. Understanding my purpose and worth as a mother to these 3 gifts, has has always caused me a bit of angst. You see when people say to me, “What do you do?” And I respond with a sheepish tone, “I am a stay at home mom.” I usually get an, “Oh” followed by “Well thats good you guys can afford for you to stay home.” (Now listen this is nothing against mothers who work this is my story.) I think, “afford it, we can’t not afford it.” Truth be told our family has done without on more than one occasion.  Family has supported us more than we can thank them for! We have been questioned, “Why don’t you just go to work?” We have been told, “You can get a job when they are in school, ok at least high school!” I worked when they were younger off and on, even started and ran my own interior decorating biz  for awhile, very fun and successful, then they(kids) would say, “Where are you? When are you coming home?” They wanted me there as much as I wanted to be there. So we made a tough choice. One of us would always be with them! I am glad it’s me. So, as I am writing this today, missing them, I write it to say when you know your place, when you know your calling, you must fight for it! People won’t always support and applaud you, they will question and not get it, and that’s ok as long as you know you are exactly where God wants you. It has been a privilege to raise them thus far! These 3 children fill my heart with joy! They stretch my thinking! They pull me out of old ways! They keep me young! They truly are Gods gift! And now, as I lay on the floor propped by pillows, Darlene serenades, and I fully understand the power of my call! And I think I may have a more thorough understanding, in my still limited capacity, I sense the Fathering Heart of God. His heart toward each and every one of His children. To see them grow into magnificent beings, filled with joy and strength and faith! Knowing with full assurance their purpose and value, being highly regarded and favored by Heaven! That must be the warmth me heart feels!-

 

Woman

As we continue on this discovery of Gods call and purpose for women, so much has come to my attention on the subject.  Gods heart is in this.  Not because we are His creation,or even because we are His daughters,  It’s time. It’s time we awaken to who He designed us to be. What He designed us to do.

Culture has crept in to what we believe. Culture has been dictating to us what a woman is or should be! Culture has created a generation of Jezebels! Oh, yes i said it! The Jezebel spirit does not have to be demonic possession, influence will do! Culture has said women are just as worthy of things as men are! Does this sound familiar? Eve was deceived when she believed satan, that God was holding out on her. It’s the same lie women are convinced to believe today. That some how we are less powerful because we are not running the same race as the man next to us in the office, the church, or the bed. Women were not created to compete with men. Wanting to rule over, have authority over, or control others, be they men or women for that fact, is nothing short of witchcraft! Which takes us back to Jezebel!  Now in 1st Kings ch.21 we get a little insight to this devastating spirit. I suggest you read the whole thing. ( The real tragedy begins in ch. 16 v. 29, thats another day for us.)  The history begins with Naboth refusing to give his family inheritance of land to King Ahab. At Naboths refusal,  Ahab runs home and pouts in depression. His wife, Jezebel comes in, sees him and asks, “Why are you so upset your not eating?” Ahab repeats the story to his wife. In v. 7 she challenges his authority, calls him out on his manhood, then basically dismisses him and says, “Get outa my way I got this!” She then commits murder for hire, brings God into the whole thing, and uses the Kings power as her own. Verses 15&16 are simply astounding! Stop here, 1st Kings ch. 21 v. 15&16 and read them for your self! Whoa!  Can you imagine the tone, the disdain? He is not only her husband! He is the King! -side note- If  you have never read the book of Esther, now would be a good time! It speaks of the honor and authority, yes even the Queen must ascribe honor and reverence to the King! Even approaching the King without being invited was punishable by death! This relationship is so wrong. What we see taking place is played out in most homes, work places, and churches, everyday! A woman usurps a mans authority! Now, we are definitely going to dive into mans responsibility later so, sit back down, and keep reading, cause it will be good!  The Bible is very clear on our position as wives in relation to husbands and I will leave you with a few to chew on… But before I do I would like you to pray for your self that if your belief system has been clouded by culture, clouded by your family of origin, media or some other deceitful lie that the enemy of your soul has erected in order to rob you of your complete destiny in Christ Jesus that The Holy Spirit would come now to you and blow out the fog, the lies, and deception, and that you would be able to see clearly and replace the lie with what God says is true!  AMEN! I leave you scriptures to ponder until next time, lest the subject matter overwhelm!

Ephesians 5

Galatians 3:28

1Corinthians 11:3

A few to start with so you will want to come back! Remember we are dismantling culture, not creating Stepfford Wives!

Ladies

As mentioned before a few ladies and myself gather on Wednesday evening to search out truth from Gods word on who we are as wives, mothers,  and daughters of God. We continued last night with discussion on contention. Proverbs for women (scriptures listed on blog) detail contention. Contention is a very destructive tool the enemy uses in marriages and families. The definition of contention is -given to argument- now that  definition will either alarm you or disarm you! “I don’t argue,” or “My goodness i always argue!” I say “disarm you” because if you are in denial  about an area of sin  that is present in your life you  are disarmed!  The enemy freely wages war and you have no ground to stand against him! As my daughter frequently quotes, “You know what the worse kind of  lying  is, lying to yourself!” Therefore it becomes a blind spot in your life and ground for the enemy. Back to contention-  Proverbs 21:19 says,”It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman.” When i think of wilderness i think of a place of wandering , kind of homeless and like a tent dweller! The writer of this Proverb was a some what wealthy man and this is his illustration of preference to living with an arguing wife! Contention stirs up anger- also in Proverbs, which also leads to a whole slew of scriptures on anger giving satan a foothold and leading to sin. If you know you are a contentious person Praise the Lord! Identified sin can be conquered! If you think your not contentious ask your spouse, kids, or family they will tell you! (If they are not afraid!) haha but really it’s true! If you are well into your walk with the Lord, ask He is faithful to speak.   Then dive into the Word understand your enemy-contention- and go the opposite of all that contention is, which means repent and allow Holy Spirit to change your mind.

Proverbs for Women

226. Proverbs 9:13
     [ The Way of Folly ] A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing.
     Proverbs 9:12-14 (in Context) Proverbs 9 (Whole Chapter)
227. Proverbs 11:16
     A gracious woman retains honor, But ruthless men retain riches.
     Proverbs 11:15-17 (in Context) Proverbs 11 (Whole Chapter)
228. Proverbs 11:22
     As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.
     Proverbs 11:21-23 (in Context) Proverbs 11 (Whole Chapter)
229. Proverbs 14:1
     The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
     Proverbs 14:1-3 (in Context) Proverbs 14 (Whole Chapter)
230. Proverbs 21:9
     Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentiouswoman.
     Proverbs 21:8-10 (in Context) Proverbs 21 (Whole Chapter)
231. Proverbs 21:19
     Better to dwell in the wilderness, Than with a contentious and angry woman.
     Proverbs 21:18-20 (in Context) Proverbs 21 (Whole Chapter)
232. Proverbs 22:14
     The mouth of an immoral woman is a deep pit; He who is abhorred by the LORD will fall there.
     Proverbs 22:13-15 (in Context) Proverbs 22 (Whole Chapter)
233. Proverbs 25:24
     It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.
     Proverbs 25:23-25 (in Context) Proverbs 25 (Whole Chapter)
234. Proverbs 27:15
     A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike;
     Proverbs 27:14-16 (in Context) Proverbs 27 (Whole Chapter)
235. Proverbs 30:20
     This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.”
     Proverbs 30:19-21 (in Context) Proverbs 30 (Whole Chapter)
236. Proverbs 30:23
     A hateful woman when she is married, And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.
     Proverbs 30:22-24 (in Context) Proverbs 30 (Whole Chapter)
237. Proverbs 31:30
     Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
     Proverbs 31:29-31 (in Context) Proverbs 31 (Whole Chapter)

 

Some scrips for wives

251. Psalm 128:3
     Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table.
     Psalm 128:2-4 (in Context) Psalm 128 (Whole Chapter)
252. Proverbs 5:18
     Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.
     Proverbs 5:17-19 (in Context) Proverbs 5 (Whole Chapter)
253. Proverbs 6:29
     So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.
     Proverbs 6:28-30 (in Context) Proverbs 6 (Whole Chapter)
254. Proverbs 12:4
     An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.
     Proverbs 12:3-5 (in Context) Proverbs 12 (Whole Chapter)
255. Proverbs 18:22
     He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD.
     Proverbs 18:21-23 (in Context) Proverbs 18 (Whole Chapter)
256. Proverbs 19:13
     A foolish son is the ruin of his father, And the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.
     Proverbs 19:12-14 (in Context) Proverbs 19 (Whole Chapter)
257. Proverbs 19:14
     Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, But a prudent wife is from the LORD.
     Proverbs 19:13-15 (in Context) Proverbs 19 (Whole Chapter)
258. Proverbs 31:10
     [ The Virtuous Wife ] Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.
     Proverbs 31:9-11 (in Context) Proverbs 31 (Whole Chapter)

 

Women

Wednesday nights we have been gathering locally looking more intently into the Word, in order to gain Biblical understanding of being a wife, mother, and daughter of  God. I would like to share the conversations, insight and healing that we experience. No doubt if you are a woman you fit into one of these positions! I look forward to sharing!

A Wise Woman

A devotion I came across this week.  Very good considering our timely study!

 

PROVERBS 14:1

A WISE WOMAN BUILDS HER HOUSE, WHILE A FOOLISH WOMAN TEARS HERS DOWN BY HER OWN EFFORTS.

Jeanie Hendricks tells women that if they are wives, and have good husbands, every morning they should hold a Thanksgiving service for them.

How true! And how many, many times in this modern world, a woman corrodes her husband’s strength and tears him down.

My heart goes out to the many foolish women who are tearing down their houses, who are more concerned with “rights” than with responsibilities, who are more concerned with “What am I going to get out of it?” than with “What can I give to this relationship?” They are more concerned with equality than with liberty!  Maybe it is because I have seen people equally angry, equally bitter, equally hateful, that I am more concerned with liberty than with equality- the liberty to become the woman that God wants me to be, to become the wife that God wants me to be.

It is not easy to be a wife in today’s world, with its constant pressure not to be submissive to another person.  I learned along time ago that a  wife is to be submissive to her husbands needs, not his will.  Be submissive only to the will of God  Put God first, and somehow He will work things out and help you be submissive to your husbands needs.

Today, I hear young women say,  ”But I don’t love him anymore.  HE doesn’t make me happy.”  Oh, how sad!  They have gone into marriage for the wrong reason.  It is so true that if we expect someone else to make us happy, we will be disappointed.  Happiness comes from loving service. Happiness comes from following through, sometimes doing things you do not like  to do, sometimes from just doing duty rather than wishes.  But the real joy of a relationship never comes from being selfish and wanting our own ay all the time.

God, may we be less concerned with rights than we are with our husbands needs and our responsibility to them.

The Church

John 15:10 “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my Love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in His Love. (v.12) This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved You! (v.13) There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend (v.17)This is my command: Love each other. (v.9b) Remain in my love.” This is how we remain in Christ. Love! Loving one another!. Doesn’t seem so difficult, or does it?

The Church

Isaiah 5:3 Now, you people of Judah and Jerusalem, you judge between me and my vineyard. What more could I havedone for my vineyard that i have not already done?(NLT) All is done. It is our choice to accept what God has provided. God even says, “you be the judge!” Gods plan and sufficiency is So complete He calls upon man to evaluate for himself, to judge for himself between Gods Love and (Israel’s) the church’s rejection. So, what is our job as the vineyard? John 15:4 Jesus says “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For the branch can bear no fruit apart from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.” This is our part. Simply to remain. The rest is complete! Once we recieve salvation our purpose is to remain in Him! Remain in Jesus! What does this look like?

The Church

John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine,(Jesus) and my Father is the gardener (husbandman, owner). He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do produce fruit so they will produce even more (fruit).” Branches are representative of believers in this passage of scripture. We are grafted into the vine,(Kingdom of God) connected into the vine (Jesus) by our faith in the finished work of the cross. Salvation makes people branches. The cross must remain the object of our faith. That Jesus died on the cross, redeemed humanity by the shedding of His blood and giving of His life in exchange for ours, and rose again, now seated at the right hand of God, with the work finished! A song in the book of Isaiah gives us Gods intention and heart for His vineyard (body of believers as referenced in John 15). Isa. 5:1-7 “Now i will sing for the one I love a song about His vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a rich and fertile hill. He plowed the land, cleared it’s stones and planted it with the best [vines]. In the middle He placed a watchtower(Holy Spirit?) and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks. Then He waited for a harvest of sweet grapes,…but the grapes that grew were bitter.” God completely provided for the success of the vineyard (The church body). Jesus is the finished work of our salvation. All is complete in the cross- the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, as in this scripture, Gods work of the vineyard preparation is complete. The expectaion of God is a sweet harvest. John 15:2a “He cuts off every branch that does not produce fruit…” Isa. 5:2c”…but the grapes that grew were bitter.” Expository Bible says,”and it brought forth wild grapes.”…?