You may be one of many who will view the classic film “White Christmas” during the holiday season. One of my favorite songs lilting through it begins, “When I am worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep. . .” The words then walk us down memory lane creating a collage of the blessings of life. If a secular song challenges its viewers to realign their thinking, how much more should believers be stimulated to “bless the Lord and forget none of His benefits. . .” (Psalm 103)? Yet statistics suggest that the holiday season is generous with stress and skimpy with blessings.
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DO YOU HAVE A BIBLICAL FEMININITY WORLD VIEW?
The wise woman of the 21st century will develop a Biblical Femininity World View by cultivating her mind and elevating her thoughts beyond the cultural trends. Grasping the principle of “salt and light” will aid in this development.
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WILL YOU LEAVE A LEGACY OR INHERITANCE?
As you ponder the title of this post let me encourage you to first read “Kelsey’s Korner.” Her definitions and tender account of her dear “Granny” helps to focus on how we respond to the question the title ask.
When considering whether we are building a legacy, a key concept to remember is that God cares about excellence! Throughout the Scriptures we are reminded that Christians will be judged on the quality of their work (1Cor. 3:13, 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:12). Practically speaking, whether we are baking a pie or preparing a financial portfolio, our deepest motivation ought to be pursuing excellence.
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DO YOU EMBRACE A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE?
August, for many, heralds the preparation for the beginning of the new school year. The academic calendar clearly affects all of society’s activities regardless of whether or not you are attending school. This “new beginning” provides an opportunity to pose the question, “what is the purpose of my life for the months ahead?” The word purpose suggests defining the reason for why something is done. As a Christian woman, I am concerned about a two-fold purpose to my life—what is my heavenly Father’s purpose for me as His daughter and for what purpose did He create me?
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FEELING SPIRITUALLY SLUGGISH?
Summer days often stimulate the thoughts that the “living should be easy!” The days are long, the weather is warm, and thoughts of vacation days permeate our minds. While all of these attributes of summer are true, the one thing that should be strengthened in the summer is our spiritual life. Summer is the time for us to build a “spiritual bank account” so that when the challenging days of the fall descend we have spiritual stamina. It is easy, however, to allow our summer spiritual life to slow down and even become inactive.
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ARE YOU TRAVEL SMART?
Summer is upon us, and with its advent, opportunities abound for us to expand our horizons through travel. Kelsey’s Korner provides you with practical tips on how to travel smart by following the role model of the wise woman described in Proverbs 31:21-22 and Proverbs 31:26. These verses clearly suggest that she was prepared for unforeseen circumstances (31:21-22) and prudent in her decisions (31:26). Possessing the character quality of prudence suggests that she is practically wise, cautious and careful of the consequences.
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPERIENCE A DELIGHTFUL SUMMER?
As the days lengthen and the temperature warms, thoughts of creating a collage of delightful memories emerge. As you envision the events that are to fashion them, may I suggest a foundation on which to plan them? Psalm 37:4 states, “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” If we are to experience a delightful summer our first priority will be to walk closely to Him and allow Him to place in our hearts the desires that will create incredible memories.
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PRUNED BY THE MASTER
According to gardening experts, the difference between an attractive plant and one that is floursing is dependent to a bit of early season pruning. Often called heading back or pinching, pruning a budding plant before it blooms can increase flower growth by making the plant produce more branches. Budding plants can be cut back multiple times during the growing season or pruned again after blooming to encourage a new flush of flowers.
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ARE YOU MARCHING FOR BIBLICAL FEMININITY?
Beginning in January 2017 and fast forwarding to March 8, 2017 the voices of twenty-first century society again shouted loudly to us as women to free or liberate ourselves from the bondage of our ancestors, “do our own thing,” demand equality, gain personal fulfillment in life regardless of the impact on others, and take control of our bodies. Writing on March 6, Madeline Farber of Fortune Magazine reported, “On Wednesday, women and men across the U.S. will participate in A Day Without A Woman—a movement that seeks to show the vital role women play in both the domestic and global economy. It also aims to bring attention to the lower wages, sexual harassment, discrimination, and job insecurity that women often face .”
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ARE YOU A SAVVY SHOPPER?
Proverbs 31:18 challenges women seeking to please God to refrain from wasting time, money, fuel, or any other resource. Application of this verse insures that she operates her home on a budget (a plan for spending), that monthly it balances (not too much month at the end of the money), and that she consistently makes wise consumer decisions (she “perceives that her merchandise is good”). As an educated seamstress and nutritionist, she recognizes quality. With practiced eye, she seeks out a bargain that reflects excellence. At the same time, her knowledge and skill allow her to make the best decision of whether to make the purchase, pay for the service, or personally perform the task.
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SPRING CLEANING THE HEART AND THE HOME
Many women looking for a theme verse for spring cleaning their homes would instinctively gravitate to Proverbs 31:27 and its description of the godly woman as “looking well to the ways of her household.” Others might select Titus 2:3-5, focusing on the character and responsibilities a woman should practice so that God’s Word is not discredited. First Corinthians 14:40 may also be a logical choice with Paul’s words that “all things should be done decently and in order.”
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GETTING BACK ON TRACK
A new year stretches before you with the opportunity filled with the potential to deepen your relationship with your heavenly Father and to increase your ability to fulfill the special plan He has just for you! You are more likely to fulfill that plan if you are spiritually and physically fit. How are you beginning the new year? Are you approaching it with a solid understanding of the nutritional requirements necessary for spiritual and physical vitality or are you randomly starting it without a deliberate dietary plan?
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GIVING THE GIFT OF UNMERITED LOVE
What would be your response if you carefully selected a gift and presented it to someone dear only to have him or her leave it wrapped? A myriad of emotions undoubtedly flood your mind as you consider such an ungrateful response on the part of the recipient. Putting the question in the context of God’s gift of unmerited love to us (John 3:16) is there a possibility that you might be neglecting to unwrap the one our Lord graciously custom selected for you by choosing to withhold love to others even when they are undeserving?
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DOES YOUR HOLIDAY PLANNING INCLUDE TABLE TALK TECHNIQUES?
When you think about holiday gatherings is including uplifting, positive conversation a part of your planning strategy? The Apostle Paul, in Colossians 4:5-6, provides us with a challenge to develop Table Talk Techniques so that so that our wisely chosen words will bless and purify those gathered at our table. Studying and meditating upon how our heavenly Father used food as a means of communicating His love and provision for His children provides some potential Table Talk topics. Consider the thoughts that follow to stimulate you to formulate your Table Talk Techniques.
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CHOOSING TO WRAP YOUR HOLIDAYS IN PRAYER
The holidays are rapidly approaching, and for many it ushers in a season of blessings garnished with stress. The holidays can be a hectic time, where shopping, gift wrapping, cooking, and party planning are added to already impacted schedules. The stress level increases when we choose to meditate upon where the time and resources will come from to fulfill everyone’s holiday expectations. This increase in stress that often detracts from the reason and joy of the holiday celebrations.
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IS YOUR FOCUS FOR FALL FEAR OR FAITH?
Fall is traditionally the season of greatest changes—students transition to new schools, those in the workforce begin new jobs, and parents experience the “empty nest syndrome,” to name just a few. What is your reflex reaction when change occurs—fear or faith in your heavenly Father who loves you unconditionally and promises to give you peace and contentment in the midst of potentially challenging situations (Jer. 31:3; John 14:27)?
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EXPLORING GOD'S SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO WOMEN
If we are going to be known as godly women we will make cultivating a lifestyle that pleases our heavenly Father our top priority; to cultivate such a lifestyle means that we must think like Him, and to think like Him we must have His mind. Proverbs 1:7 explains how to know our heavenly Father’s mind. . . we reverence Him.
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SINGLE AND SERVING
As a Christian woman, trained as a Home Economist, I never expected to be single past my mid-twenties. However, the Lord had a much different plan for me and has gently matured my attitude toward singleness, as well as the purpose of marriage. Rather than marriage simply providing a “permanent roommate” I know now that I should marry only if our united lives would be more effective for the Lord than either of us are in our single state.
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SUMMER 2016--CONTENT OR DISCONTENT?
Developing a heart of contentment can be challenging even in the midst of the summer season when the living is supposed to be "easy”. Contentment is defined as “having an ease of mind or satisfaction.”[ Contentment, from a biblical perspective, is much more than mere satisfaction with life. For the Christian woman the dictionary definition of contentment merely reflects the outward manifestations of an individual’s deep, inner convictions. Drawn from the Greek word arkeo, contentment primarily signifies sufficiency or satisfaction. Scripture teaches that godliness with contentment is great gain (Ps. 37:16; 1 Tim. 6:6), God’s promises should lead to contentment (Heb. 13:5), and those who seek contentment from money are never satisfied (Eccles. 5:10). Believers are instructed to exhibit contentment in their callings (1 Cor. 7:20), with their wages (Luke 3:14), with their possessions (Heb. 13:5), and with the food and raiment one has (1 Tim. 6:8). Would you like to reflect back on this summer as one that reflects that application of 1 Timothy 6:6 which teaches that “there is great gain in godliness with contentment”? Perhaps the following strategies will assist in fulfilling that desire.
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CALLED TO MOTHERHOOD
I love the month of May because it offers an opportunity to celebrate Motherhood! Whether you are single never married with no children, as I am, or a mother with a full or maybe even overflowing quiver, if you are a Christian woman you are called to motherhood. I am always saddened by those who choose to create a “pity party” on this special holiday. Though our gracious heavenly Father deemed for some of us to remain unmarried, barren, or childless, He did provide us with the opportunity redirect our maternal instincts toward spiritual motherhood. We all have the opportunity to have someone call us “Mom” and, Lord willing, affirm our impact on their lives (Prov. 31:28) at this season focused on honoring Motherhood.
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