Hello Warrior Princess Sisters,
Today's post is an article that my friend, Vanessa, wrote a year or so ago. It was so good, I saved it. I talked to her today and got her permission to post her article on this blog. She is an excellent writer, Bible scholar, and a funny lady. I hope you enjoy her article:)
BTW, V wrote a Bible study on prayer that she just finished teaching at her church. I am so excited that she has agreed to come teach it at our church on Wednesday nights starting on April 14. If you you are interested in attending the study on prayer you can sign up at church, or contact me.
Enjoy!
WPS
Coffee Meditations
by Vanessa Kay Frisinger
I had almost convinced myself I was not an addict, until a rushed Monday morning proved otherwise. After getting the kids out the door to catch the school bus, preparing myself for the day and preventing our Rottweiler from eating the mail carrier, there was no time to brew my morning cup of coffee. Once the initial grogginess wore off, I found I could function pretty well without my ritual caffeine jumpstart. By eleven o’clock, I was congratulating myself for thriving without coffee. That was when the slamming migraine showed up. My caffeine-deprived brain cells screamed for a latte with extra espresso shots and demanded I come to terms with it. Hi, my name is Vanessa and I’m a coffee addict.
There had been other clues, subtle signs of addiction I had ignored along the way. I thought everyone could discern which coffee shop was near just by the smell. And certainly even the most casual coffee drinker could recognize the regional origin of a coffee blend after two sips. I prized my ability to drink straight espresso after dinner and still fall asleep after the evening news. Apparently I was in denial.
I do not know if there are coffee-holics anonymous support groups, where bleary-eyed, trembling people sit in a circle and share stories of the pain our habit has inflicted upon those we love. I do know that I would not be willing to join one of those groups if they do exist. Obviously, I’ve not hit rock bottom yet.
My sister-in-law has tried to intervene. She reminds me that most coffee is picked by families working harder than I can imagine for mere pennies a day. In protest, she boycotts the big-name coffee chains and encourages me to do the same. I would stand absolutely in awe of her personal sacrifice, if she liked coffee. But she hates the stuff. Where’s the glory in boycotting something you don’t want anyway? It’s like asking your seven-year-old to forgo lima beans or homework.
The women I meet with for Bible studies keep quiet about my problem, but I am sure they pray for me when I’m not around. I love my Bible study buddies. They both have the sort of self-discipline and intensity that would frighten Franciscan monks. Their grade-school children are home-schooled at the level of Yale graduates, their Bible study notes include direct quotations from no less than three authoritative sources, and one of them is an aerobic instructor, the other a tri-athlete. Let’s just say they’re “type A” personalities and I’m more of a “type B” or maybe “C,” if it goes that far. They kindly refer to themselves as “Martha” personalities and me as a “Mary” personality. (As in the Martha who had to serve all the disciples dinner because Mary was sitting at Christ’s feet, listening.) That’s nice. It feels so much better to be labeled ultra-spiritual instead of just plain lazy.
I suspect they agreed to meet at a local café because of me and my addiction; coffee certainly holds no mastery over them. On our appointed meeting date, I arrive first. I don’t blame them for being a little late. They probably got caught up in cleaning the grout with a toothbrush, or helping the nine-year old translate Isaiah from the original Aramaic.
I order a nice sugary blended coffee drink to help me to finish up the last few pages of our study. Just as I’m scribbling some sort of answer to the final question, the tri-athlete bounces in, pink water bottle in hand. I have witnessed her splurge with a nonfat latte, but only because she ran something like thirty gazillion miles that morning. Most days she moans her lack of self-discipline for having sprinted a mere five miles. I try real hard not to roll my eyes, (biting the inside of your cheek until the blood comes can help with that). After all, if the woman is compassionate enough to call me “Mary” instead of “Lazy,” I must resist the urge to slap her repeatedly until she realizes that running five miles is not something the majority of the American populace can do. About then our third member arrives and asks for a hot tea and cup of ice water.
Now we’re all seated around a small green table, where it is easy to see that their drinks are so calorie-deficient that they might be actually losing weight while drinking them. The syrup in my drink, meanwhile, has congealed along the sides and in the bottom of the clear cup. It offers enough calories to keep me going for a week, or immediately add ten inches to my hips, whichever comes first. But there is comfort in the fact that my study buddies won’t say a word about it, whatever they may be thinking; just like they can rest assured that I won’t reach over and slap the tri-athlete. Grace is such a good thing.
Like any good addict, I have more than one group of people I enjoy drinking with. Over the years I have brought my children with me to coffee shops. They do homework while I read or write, or we play MadLibs, much to the chagrin of the “cooler” café patrons. My son likes the taste of coffee but hates hot drinks. My daughter loves hot drinks, but hates coffee. Unless the sugar mass is quadruple the coffee weight, she won’t even smell it. There’s a place here that serves iced mochas with so much chocolate syrup they taste like milkshakes. She likes those.
Just as I cannot force my kids to like coffee, I cannot force them to love God. I have a responsibility to model a love for God to them and teach them the Truth, but there is no little switch in their heart that I can flip to make them search for God. Sometimes I wish there was. I’m sure God feels the same about me. When I’m grumpy or faithless or foolish, I’m sure God would like to flip a little switch in my heart too. But the weirdly beautiful thing is that He did not make us with those switches. He wanted a relationship, not a robot. And, in reality, I want that with my kids too.
I must admit to having one other coffee buddy. It may be sacrilegious or sacramental, but coffee is part of my morning devotions. While my mind wakes up, I try to sit at God’s feet like Mary. I thank Him for grace. I pray for my kids, that no matter what their opinions, their hearts would cling to God. And I thank Him for creating a bean that can be roasted, ground and steamed into a fabulous drink.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
More Reflection on Becoming A Woman of Simplicity
Gracious Acceptance
Ephesians 2:8-10
God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.
My Thoughts on His Gracious Acceptance:
I am just like the lady at the beginning of this chapter who said that she finally realized that she doesn’t have to do anything to be valuable to God. He loves me for just who I am. I have finally come to this realization too in the last year or so. He loves me. What I do has nothing to do with whether or not He loves me. He loves me, period.
Everything Cynthia wrote about Claire doing things to be sure that she was getting God’s approval, and still feeling unworthy because she couldn’t figure out what was missing, that was me too. I had believed the lie of the enemy that “(my) identity was based on (my) performance – what (I) did defined who (I) was.” (p. 24) And, yes, it did rob me of the joy of acceptance and love that the Father had already given me. Thank You, Father that I have been set free of the lies and bondage of the enemy.
That took me quite a while to understand, but when I finally “got it” I was in awe of the truth and the simplicity of it. Actually, I am still in awe of it, but the wonderful thing is that I can sit in it. I can rest in this truth. I can rest in Him. But before I could rest I had to slow down and get rid of enough busyness in my life to sit still so that I could even ponder who He is and what the TRUTH is. Either I'm a slow learner or I had a LOT of garbage to clear out, it took me about ten years to really accept this truth and live from that place. Now I know…He loves me!
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
I still don’t really understand it all, but I guess that is faith and the work of the Holy Spirit. Before I was not okay with not understanding it and kept trying to figure it out. I still study the Word and seek His face in prayer, but I don’t have to get it all right now. The irony of that is that I seem to “get it” better now than when I was trying so hard to understand. That reminds me of a passage of scripture that He led me to last year (through Cynthia's book, A Woman's Journey to the Heart of God) and that I rest in, Psalm 131
Ephesians 2:8-10
God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.
My Thoughts on His Gracious Acceptance:
I am just like the lady at the beginning of this chapter who said that she finally realized that she doesn’t have to do anything to be valuable to God. He loves me for just who I am. I have finally come to this realization too in the last year or so. He loves me. What I do has nothing to do with whether or not He loves me. He loves me, period.
Everything Cynthia wrote about Claire doing things to be sure that she was getting God’s approval, and still feeling unworthy because she couldn’t figure out what was missing, that was me too. I had believed the lie of the enemy that “(my) identity was based on (my) performance – what (I) did defined who (I) was.” (p. 24) And, yes, it did rob me of the joy of acceptance and love that the Father had already given me. Thank You, Father that I have been set free of the lies and bondage of the enemy.
That took me quite a while to understand, but when I finally “got it” I was in awe of the truth and the simplicity of it. Actually, I am still in awe of it, but the wonderful thing is that I can sit in it. I can rest in this truth. I can rest in Him. But before I could rest I had to slow down and get rid of enough busyness in my life to sit still so that I could even ponder who He is and what the TRUTH is. Either I'm a slow learner or I had a LOT of garbage to clear out, it took me about ten years to really accept this truth and live from that place. Now I know…He loves me!
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1
I still don’t really understand it all, but I guess that is faith and the work of the Holy Spirit. Before I was not okay with not understanding it and kept trying to figure it out. I still study the Word and seek His face in prayer, but I don’t have to get it all right now. The irony of that is that I seem to “get it” better now than when I was trying so hard to understand. That reminds me of a passage of scripture that He led me to last year (through Cynthia's book, A Woman's Journey to the Heart of God) and that I rest in, Psalm 131
My heart is not proud, O Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great
matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within
me.
O (Daughter), put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Read About Kim Choosing the Best Over the Good
Hey Warrior Princesses,
WP Kim wrote a comment that needed to be the daily post rather than just a comment. I'm so excited! This is exactly what I want to happen with this blog. Thank you for sharing, Kim. I hope the rest of you are encouraged to evaluate what you are doing and asking yourself if you are choosing what is good or what is best as you read what Kim had to say.
Sole Deo Gloria,
WP Stacey
p.s. Originally I posted this as a "One Thing" article, but I've come back in and edited my introduction because after further reflection I think that Kim's article is more in line with the chapter from the Simplicity study "The Good Competes with the Best".
Kim Choosing the Best Over the Good
I've been doing my one thing for 18 years now and it'll be my one thing for at least another 18...it's to be a focused mom to my children--nurturing, feeding, training, teaching, and loving the 5 plus children He's put in my home (fosters come and go--that's the "plus" :)
I haven't always known it was my ONE thing and I've gotten distracted with other things that seemed a part of my one thing. Like when I started an Awana program so that my children could have that excellent source of knowledge, spiritual training, and Bible memory that Awana provides in such a fun and creative way. At first it was a great family ministry but 6 years into it I found myself nurturing 100 leaders and over 300 children...oops! Back to my one thing at home. (I still attend with my daughter on Sunday nights as she finishes the high school program, but that's a special time with her as we walk to church and listen to the teaching together--definitely fits the description of my one thing.)
I was very impacted by that chapter in the Simplicity study as well and this song kept ringing in my ears until I seized the day and wrote down the verse that God gave me about my 3 daughters who will all too soon be grown (I added it at the end of the song.)
Carolyn Arends \ Seize The Day
I know a girl who was schooled in Manhattan
She reads dusty books and learns phrases in Latin
She is an author, or maybe a poet
A genius but it's just this world doesn't know it
She works on her novel most every day
If you laugh she will say
chorus:
Seize the day, seize whatever you can
'Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand
Seize the day, pray for grace from God's hand
Then nothing will stand in your way
Seize the day
Well I know a doctor, a fine young physician
Left his six-figure job for a mission position
He's healing the sick in an African clinic
He works in the dirt and writes home to the cynics
He says "We work through the night so most every day
As we watch the sun rise we can say
chorus
Well I know a man who's been doing some thinking
He's as bitter and cold as the whiskey he's drinking
He's talking 'bout fear, about chances not taken
If you listen to him you can hear his heart breaking
He says "One day you're a boy and the next day you're dead
I wish way back when someone had said
chorus
Well one thing I've noticed, wherever I wander
Everyone's got a dream he can follow or squander
You can do what you will with the days you are given
I'm trying to spend mine on the business of living
So I'm singing my songs off of any old stage
You can laugh if you want, I'll still say
Chorus
My verse:
Well I know a girl who is wanting to be heard
Her emotions and thoughts, they pour out word upon word
She's patient while we work on chore after chore
Seems like we'll be done soon but there's always more
I pray for each child, almost every day
And now I can hear my Lord say...
Seize the day! Seize whatever you can
'Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand
Seize the day, pray for grace from God's hand
Then nothing will stand in your way
Seize the day
WP Kim wrote a comment that needed to be the daily post rather than just a comment. I'm so excited! This is exactly what I want to happen with this blog. Thank you for sharing, Kim. I hope the rest of you are encouraged to evaluate what you are doing and asking yourself if you are choosing what is good or what is best as you read what Kim had to say.
Sole Deo Gloria,
WP Stacey
p.s. Originally I posted this as a "One Thing" article, but I've come back in and edited my introduction because after further reflection I think that Kim's article is more in line with the chapter from the Simplicity study "The Good Competes with the Best".
Kim Choosing the Best Over the Good
I've been doing my one thing for 18 years now and it'll be my one thing for at least another 18...it's to be a focused mom to my children--nurturing, feeding, training, teaching, and loving the 5 plus children He's put in my home (fosters come and go--that's the "plus" :)
I haven't always known it was my ONE thing and I've gotten distracted with other things that seemed a part of my one thing. Like when I started an Awana program so that my children could have that excellent source of knowledge, spiritual training, and Bible memory that Awana provides in such a fun and creative way. At first it was a great family ministry but 6 years into it I found myself nurturing 100 leaders and over 300 children...oops! Back to my one thing at home. (I still attend with my daughter on Sunday nights as she finishes the high school program, but that's a special time with her as we walk to church and listen to the teaching together--definitely fits the description of my one thing.)
I was very impacted by that chapter in the Simplicity study as well and this song kept ringing in my ears until I seized the day and wrote down the verse that God gave me about my 3 daughters who will all too soon be grown (I added it at the end of the song.)
Carolyn Arends \ Seize The Day
I know a girl who was schooled in Manhattan
She reads dusty books and learns phrases in Latin
She is an author, or maybe a poet
A genius but it's just this world doesn't know it
She works on her novel most every day
If you laugh she will say
chorus:
Seize the day, seize whatever you can
'Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand
Seize the day, pray for grace from God's hand
Then nothing will stand in your way
Seize the day
Well I know a doctor, a fine young physician
Left his six-figure job for a mission position
He's healing the sick in an African clinic
He works in the dirt and writes home to the cynics
He says "We work through the night so most every day
As we watch the sun rise we can say
chorus
Well I know a man who's been doing some thinking
He's as bitter and cold as the whiskey he's drinking
He's talking 'bout fear, about chances not taken
If you listen to him you can hear his heart breaking
He says "One day you're a boy and the next day you're dead
I wish way back when someone had said
chorus
Well one thing I've noticed, wherever I wander
Everyone's got a dream he can follow or squander
You can do what you will with the days you are given
I'm trying to spend mine on the business of living
So I'm singing my songs off of any old stage
You can laugh if you want, I'll still say
Chorus
My verse:
Well I know a girl who is wanting to be heard
Her emotions and thoughts, they pour out word upon word
She's patient while we work on chore after chore
Seems like we'll be done soon but there's always more
I pray for each child, almost every day
And now I can hear my Lord say...
Seize the day! Seize whatever you can
'Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand
Seize the day, pray for grace from God's hand
Then nothing will stand in your way
Seize the day
Friday, March 26, 2010
Clarification About This Blog
I really started this blog as a forum for my Warrior Princess friends and me to be able to post our current circumstances and how God is speaking, moving, and growing us. I in no way intend this to be me “teaching” or “speaking” to other women as a teacher. I do teach, but this is not teaching. This is me being honest about where I am and how God is using “life” to draw me closer to Him. Some days you may find me in what seems to be an ungodly place, but what we Warrior Princesses have found is that until we are honest about what we are thinking and struggling with, we cannot move/grow past those things. I also hope that some of you will post comments or email your stories so that we can be encouraged by what God is doing in you.
I decided to ask other women (other than the original WP group) to come check out this blog because I am seeing that a lot of you are Warrior Princesses too. I hope that as you read what we post here, that you will be encouraged in your walk with Jesus. I invite you to share your comments and stories so that you also may be an encouragement to those who read here.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the one who falls and has no one to help him up!
My prayer is that you have friends who will walk with you through life’s ups and downs. I also hope that this blog can be a place where you will be encouraged and encourage others as we share our “God Stories” with each other.
Sole Deo Gloria!
WPS
I decided to ask other women (other than the original WP group) to come check out this blog because I am seeing that a lot of you are Warrior Princesses too. I hope that as you read what we post here, that you will be encouraged in your walk with Jesus. I invite you to share your comments and stories so that you also may be an encouragement to those who read here.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the one who falls and has no one to help him up!
My prayer is that you have friends who will walk with you through life’s ups and downs. I also hope that this blog can be a place where you will be encouraged and encourage others as we share our “God Stories” with each other.
Sole Deo Gloria!
WPS
Thursday, March 25, 2010
What is Your "One Thing" This Week?
"It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish." J.R.R. Tolkien
What keeps you from doing the things God created you to do? Some things are to fulfill a personal dream or a desire, like me starting a blog. I have lots of reasons why I never started the blog before:
Some things we put off doing are those things that we know we "should" do, like eat better, exercise, spend time with the Lord each day, read to our kids, etc. We know that our life would improve if we did those things, but we lack the motivation or direction to get started, or to keep doing it.
When I decided that I really was going to start this blog I was thinking it would be a good place for us (you and me, my Warrior Princess friends) to post what we are doing to bring about personal growth in our spiritual, physical, emotional, and even financial areas of our lives. I know I would be encouarged to hear how God is directing you and enabling you to start working toward those things you know that He is calling you to have more self-discipline in.
I'm so glad that I stopped making excuses this week and started this blog. Honestly, it was probably fear that kept me from doing it, fear and maybe even laziness. But after reading the chapter on The Sacred Present in Cynthia Heald's book Becoming a Woman of Simplicity, I asked myself, "What am I doing to make the most of each day?" I am not being hard on myself. There are things that I am being disciplined in and definitely like the results that I am seeing, but there are things that I could, maybe even should, be doing to make the most of my time.
I guess the other reason I've been thinking about this is that I realize that what I do today will help prepare me for tomorrow. This struck home recently when a sweet Christian man that I know suddenly found himself in a situation that he had longed for for the last 7 years. However, he had become complacent and hadn't disciplined himself to grow and prepare himself over the past 7 years. The sad result was that since he wasn't prepared he quite literally couldn't do what God set before him, the thing he had longed for. I don't want to finally arrive at the things I've been longing for only to find that I had wasted my time hoping, longing, whining, and not preparing for the good things that my Father has been waiting to give to me.
So, as I was reading the chapter on "The Sacred Present" I thought, "I can't create a perfect blog in one day (or even one week), but I can start one and learn one new thing about blogging each week. In a month I should have a blog and be able to put links in it, customize the layout, and post pictures. I can't do it all in one day, but I can do a little each week. In fact, I realized that my old besetting sins of perfection and pride had been part of what was keeping me from doing this. I confessed those and have put in their place just doing what I can do today to God's glory. This blog may have no eternal significance other than it has refined my thinking to be more concerned about what God thinks than what people think.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Proverbs 31:27
She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness.
So, what's the one thing you are going to work on this week? Is it something spiritual, physical, emotional, or financial? Actually, anything He is calling us to work on is spiritual work. So, will you post a comment or send me your story to post so that we might encourage one another as we start taking steps toward the things He is calling us to do now? I would love to hear from you!
Sole Deo Gloria,
WPS
What keeps you from doing the things God created you to do? Some things are to fulfill a personal dream or a desire, like me starting a blog. I have lots of reasons why I never started the blog before:
- "I like to write, but I'm not good at technical stuff so I wouldn't know how to do those things."
- "Even if I could get one going, I don't know if I could figure out how to make it look as good as some of the other blogs I read."
- "Who would even want to read it?"
- "What if some does read it and thinks I'm no good?"
Some things we put off doing are those things that we know we "should" do, like eat better, exercise, spend time with the Lord each day, read to our kids, etc. We know that our life would improve if we did those things, but we lack the motivation or direction to get started, or to keep doing it.
When I decided that I really was going to start this blog I was thinking it would be a good place for us (you and me, my Warrior Princess friends) to post what we are doing to bring about personal growth in our spiritual, physical, emotional, and even financial areas of our lives. I know I would be encouarged to hear how God is directing you and enabling you to start working toward those things you know that He is calling you to have more self-discipline in.
I'm so glad that I stopped making excuses this week and started this blog. Honestly, it was probably fear that kept me from doing it, fear and maybe even laziness. But after reading the chapter on The Sacred Present in Cynthia Heald's book Becoming a Woman of Simplicity, I asked myself, "What am I doing to make the most of each day?" I am not being hard on myself. There are things that I am being disciplined in and definitely like the results that I am seeing, but there are things that I could, maybe even should, be doing to make the most of my time.
I guess the other reason I've been thinking about this is that I realize that what I do today will help prepare me for tomorrow. This struck home recently when a sweet Christian man that I know suddenly found himself in a situation that he had longed for for the last 7 years. However, he had become complacent and hadn't disciplined himself to grow and prepare himself over the past 7 years. The sad result was that since he wasn't prepared he quite literally couldn't do what God set before him, the thing he had longed for. I don't want to finally arrive at the things I've been longing for only to find that I had wasted my time hoping, longing, whining, and not preparing for the good things that my Father has been waiting to give to me.
So, as I was reading the chapter on "The Sacred Present" I thought, "I can't create a perfect blog in one day (or even one week), but I can start one and learn one new thing about blogging each week. In a month I should have a blog and be able to put links in it, customize the layout, and post pictures. I can't do it all in one day, but I can do a little each week. In fact, I realized that my old besetting sins of perfection and pride had been part of what was keeping me from doing this. I confessed those and have put in their place just doing what I can do today to God's glory. This blog may have no eternal significance other than it has refined my thinking to be more concerned about what God thinks than what people think.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Proverbs 31:27
She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness.
So, what's the one thing you are going to work on this week? Is it something spiritual, physical, emotional, or financial? Actually, anything He is calling us to work on is spiritual work. So, will you post a comment or send me your story to post so that we might encourage one another as we start taking steps toward the things He is calling us to do now? I would love to hear from you!
Sole Deo Gloria,
WPS
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Is His Grace Really Enough?
II Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
This verse used to bother me. I mean, I don't want to just get by and that is how I saw the "My grace is sufficient..." part. You know, I will give you what you need to make it through this (get by). But then I decided to do a little search on what sufficient actually means, because I really don't want to just get by. Sufficient means:
See? It's not just getting by with the bare minimum, it is unfailing strength. And I have to think that when God gives us "enough" it's not just getting by, but a FILLING. I mean, to be satisfied is not just having a taste of something when you are hungry, it fills the hunger. The cool thing is that it is HIS unfailing strength, HIS sufficiency, HE is the defender, HE wards off, He satisfies, etc. Again, I was thinking in such limited, human terms instead of the truth of how big God is and how complete He is. Thank You, Father, that it all comes fromYou.
Sole Deo Gloria!
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
This verse used to bother me. I mean, I don't want to just get by and that is how I saw the "My grace is sufficient..." part. You know, I will give you what you need to make it through this (get by). But then I decided to do a little search on what sufficient actually means, because I really don't want to just get by. Sufficient means:
- to be possessed of unfailing strength
- to be strong, to suffice, to be enough
- to defend, ward off
- to be satisfied, to be contented
See? It's not just getting by with the bare minimum, it is unfailing strength. And I have to think that when God gives us "enough" it's not just getting by, but a FILLING. I mean, to be satisfied is not just having a taste of something when you are hungry, it fills the hunger. The cool thing is that it is HIS unfailing strength, HIS sufficiency, HE is the defender, HE wards off, He satisfies, etc. Again, I was thinking in such limited, human terms instead of the truth of how big God is and how complete He is. Thank You, Father, that it all comes fromYou.
Sole Deo Gloria!
Monday, March 22, 2010
How I Fell Apart (or actually started getting it together)
Letting Go
I Peter 4:12-13
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
I was 27 years old. My life was neat, planned, well-orchestrated. My husband and I had been married for four years. We had a nice home, a dog that didn’t shed (very important), and we both had good jobs. Yep, we were DINKS – Dual Income, NO Kids. I was teaching middle school Language Arts and working on my Master’s degree. Believe it or not, I had no further plans than to finish my degree. We were so busy that we hadn’t had time to sit down and plan the next five years of our lives, but it was on the agenda.
So, that was my life. I played it safe. I taught school. I took classes toward my master's degree, did homework, graded homework, taught aerobics after school each day, went to church every time the doors were open, helped my husband lead a couples Bible study, and worked in the Young Married’s Class at church. Daily, personal study? No, I didn’t have time for that with all those things I was doing. I justified it that I was at church four services a week, and I did read the books that we were studying for our Bible study so that I would be prepared for our group discussions. Plus, I listened to Christian radio, and not just to songs; I listened to some good teachers when I could, like J. Vernon McGee, Charles Swindoll, and John McArthur. I don’t know exactly what it was that changed my heart, but He did start changing me, even with as little as I was giving Him of me personally. I did pray, though I regret that they were often shallow prayers, and then at 27, I began to long for more. More of Him. Lord, You are awesome that You can take such dead, dry, bleached bones and start a spark of life to grow!
I began to remember how I used to pray when I was a little girl. I used to just talk to God all the time about everything that was doing or thinking, so I decided to do that again. I had to purpose in my heart to “pray without ceasing” and I specifically began to focus in on my driving time to and from work. The immediate benefit of that was that I stopped being an angry, uptight driver.
I remember driving home from work one day, considering me neat little life and realizing how much effort I put into making and keeping my life just so. “No wonder I’m tired and overwhelmed. This is exhausting work controlling everything in my life, but I fear letting go.”
It was as if He said to me, “Don’t you trust Me?”
“Well, I do trust You, Lord, but what if You want me to go somewhere I don’t want to go? Like, what if You want me to go be a missionary in some remote part of Africa? You know I don’t even like to go camping here. How could I do something like that?”
“If you believe I am Who I say I am, then you know that you can trust Me. If you don’t, then do you really, really believe at all?”
“I do believe, but I’m afraid to let go of all these things that make me who I am. What will happen? What will people think if I stop doing all these other things for You and let go?”
“You aren’t doing those things for Me. This is what I want for you. Come. Trust Me. I want to show you Who I really am. Let go. Trust Me.”
I did let go. It started with a simple prayer, “Lord, I’m tired of being in control. Lord, I trust You to lead me and do what You want to do with my life. Please, show me what You want me to do.” And He did.
What have we faced since then?
• Infertility
• 2 adoptions that fell through and 2 that resulted in our beautiful daughters
• Breast cancer
• Depression
• Betrayal
• Loss of job
• Loss of business
• Financial hardship
• And the list goes on
So, if I can trust Him, why did I begin writing this piece with a verse about suffering? Read the whole passage again and remember the words, “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” Dear Reader, in all of this He has also blessed us, not as man counts blessings. He has been refining us, stripping away the false gods and revealing life and truth as He draws us closer to Him. The joy of His glory revealed in you IS worth letting go of what we perceive as safe and joining in His suffering. This joy, His Glory, this is our purpose. This is true fulfillment!
To His Glory!
WPS
I Peter 4:12-13
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
I was 27 years old. My life was neat, planned, well-orchestrated. My husband and I had been married for four years. We had a nice home, a dog that didn’t shed (very important), and we both had good jobs. Yep, we were DINKS – Dual Income, NO Kids. I was teaching middle school Language Arts and working on my Master’s degree. Believe it or not, I had no further plans than to finish my degree. We were so busy that we hadn’t had time to sit down and plan the next five years of our lives, but it was on the agenda.
So, that was my life. I played it safe. I taught school. I took classes toward my master's degree, did homework, graded homework, taught aerobics after school each day, went to church every time the doors were open, helped my husband lead a couples Bible study, and worked in the Young Married’s Class at church. Daily, personal study? No, I didn’t have time for that with all those things I was doing. I justified it that I was at church four services a week, and I did read the books that we were studying for our Bible study so that I would be prepared for our group discussions. Plus, I listened to Christian radio, and not just to songs; I listened to some good teachers when I could, like J. Vernon McGee, Charles Swindoll, and John McArthur. I don’t know exactly what it was that changed my heart, but He did start changing me, even with as little as I was giving Him of me personally. I did pray, though I regret that they were often shallow prayers, and then at 27, I began to long for more. More of Him. Lord, You are awesome that You can take such dead, dry, bleached bones and start a spark of life to grow!
I began to remember how I used to pray when I was a little girl. I used to just talk to God all the time about everything that was doing or thinking, so I decided to do that again. I had to purpose in my heart to “pray without ceasing” and I specifically began to focus in on my driving time to and from work. The immediate benefit of that was that I stopped being an angry, uptight driver.
I remember driving home from work one day, considering me neat little life and realizing how much effort I put into making and keeping my life just so. “No wonder I’m tired and overwhelmed. This is exhausting work controlling everything in my life, but I fear letting go.”
It was as if He said to me, “Don’t you trust Me?”
“Well, I do trust You, Lord, but what if You want me to go somewhere I don’t want to go? Like, what if You want me to go be a missionary in some remote part of Africa? You know I don’t even like to go camping here. How could I do something like that?”
“If you believe I am Who I say I am, then you know that you can trust Me. If you don’t, then do you really, really believe at all?”
“I do believe, but I’m afraid to let go of all these things that make me who I am. What will happen? What will people think if I stop doing all these other things for You and let go?”
“You aren’t doing those things for Me. This is what I want for you. Come. Trust Me. I want to show you Who I really am. Let go. Trust Me.”
I did let go. It started with a simple prayer, “Lord, I’m tired of being in control. Lord, I trust You to lead me and do what You want to do with my life. Please, show me what You want me to do.” And He did.
What have we faced since then?
• Infertility
• 2 adoptions that fell through and 2 that resulted in our beautiful daughters
• Breast cancer
• Depression
• Betrayal
• Loss of job
• Loss of business
• Financial hardship
• And the list goes on
So, if I can trust Him, why did I begin writing this piece with a verse about suffering? Read the whole passage again and remember the words, “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” Dear Reader, in all of this He has also blessed us, not as man counts blessings. He has been refining us, stripping away the false gods and revealing life and truth as He draws us closer to Him. The joy of His glory revealed in you IS worth letting go of what we perceive as safe and joining in His suffering. This joy, His Glory, this is our purpose. This is true fulfillment!
To His Glory!
WPS
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Who are the warrior princess sisters?
We are Christian women who have been in a small group together for the past 4 years for the purpose of encouraging and praying for one another. We have been in Bible study and discipleship with each other as we each seek to walk closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
As the eldest, and often the unofficial leader, I have taken it on myself to start this blog to create a forum for the 4 of us to post our own struggles and victories to encourage each other and anyone else who may be seeking encouragement in her walk with the Lord.
As the eldest, and often the unofficial leader, I have taken it on myself to start this blog to create a forum for the 4 of us to post our own struggles and victories to encourage each other and anyone else who may be seeking encouragement in her walk with the Lord.
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