My Robe That Was Made For Me

Who would of ever thought that I would be turning on the heater because I'm cold in late May.  Isn't it almost June? Shouldn't summer be almost here. Thunderstorms and downpour of rain with mixed hail has been our forecast in the last week. Two counties over a tornado touch and destroyed some farm buildings. On the news you hear about the devastation in the Southern United States caused by tornadoes where people have lost their homes and loved ones.  People are missing and can't be found since the storm.
I remember it as if it was yesterday, I was 23 years old, newly married and my husband and I were serving on junior high staff at our church.  We were studying the book of James in our junior high department.  I was so excited to be serving, learning and sharing with these young ladies.  We'd meet Tuesday nights to go over the lesson that was being taught and preached on Sunday. As leaders we'd use that week to dig deeper into God's Word to prepare to lead our small groups on Sunday. 
In that first Sunday's message I was struck with a truth that I still carry with me today.

James 1: 1-4

"James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes

who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete,

lacking in nothing."

It's one word "when".  Our junior high pastor said, "it doesn't say "if you encounter various trials", it says, "when you encounter various trials."  Which means there is no question about it, trials are coming!

But yet when they come we act so surprised and shocked.  James gives us the warning siren that the tornado is coming and be prepared but when the tornado comes we are shocked as if we never received the warning at all.  We don't understand why God would allow it.  We question God love, grace and mercy and want to know why.  Trials are all around us.  You can't say that you don't know anyone who isn't hurting in some way or another whether its financial loss, relationships on the brink of divorce, loved ones struggling or even dying of cancer.  It's all around us but we are still shocked and don't understand why.  I know in my own depths of my soul and my heart I've had the thought and said, "I didn't sign up for this. Why are you doing this to me Lord?"  We knew what Christ was offering.  He made it very clear.

Matthew 10:38-39

"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

He who has found his life will lost it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it."

Luke 9: 23

"And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me,

he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me."

We weren't ever promised a lap of luxury in the Christian life but in the recesses of our minds we must think that. The apostle James tells us why! Why are we destined to have trials?  It's the "testing of our faith." God wants to conform us to His image (Romans 8:29).  How can we be conformed to His image if we are so tied to the things of this world? How can we be conformed to Christ's image if we have earthly wants and desires that still entangle us? (2 Tim 2:3-4)

I love, love, love, Elyse Fitzpatrick's book, A Steadfast Heart.  I want to share with you some of the encouraging words Elyse shares from the outcome of  her trials.

"He's used our suffering as the means to reveal to us a new understanding about Himself,

His great goodness, and our considerable need for a Saviour."

'Our trials was fashioned for us by a wise god who knew exactly what kind of suffering

we needed.  The trials we endure are meant to get at the idolatry, self-love,

and independent unbelief that God desires to purge from our life.

They're also meant to cause us to love Jesus Christ more and more, and sometimes

they're not discipline at all but rather part of God's mysterious plan to glorify Himself."

"Peaceful fruit of righteousness" that is the result of God's perfect plan for us

is luscious, and there's only one way to genuinely savor this fruit: through suffering."

"We each have a road marked out for us by the Lord.  Suffering isn't one-size-fits-all.

No.  He's woven the exact robe that He wants you to wear, and it will fit you perfectly,

pinching where it should pinch and comforting where you need it most."

I have a robe that was designed just for me by my Saviour, the lover of my soul.  Who wants to refine me into His image and not my own.  Who loves me with a love that will not let me go.  I pray that as I currently hear the storm sirens warning me a storm is coming that I am assured and know there is nothing that comes my way that isn't from my Lord's sovereign hands.  I want to be confident in His love and grace for me, like Daniel, not to be afraid of what's ordained for me but know that God is in it with me. 

Spiritual Mothers - The Goal is Love

      I haven't been bloggin' as much lately.  Life has been rather crazy but in the midst of the craziness I had a great opportunity to share with the women at my church.  A mother - daughter team took on the adventure of putting on a Mother - Daughter Tea.  I was so bummed at first, being that I am a mother of three boys I didn't think that I would be able to go.  An opportunity presented itself and I was able to take two young ladies who I love spending time with to the tea since their mommies were out of town.  I was asked to share about what it means to be a "SPIRITUAL MOTHER."
       This was really hard for me to prepare.  I felt that I could say so much, but I really wanted to focus and get down to the roots of today's topic, "SPIRITUAL MOTHER."  I will share, what it is, who does it, what it is not, but most of all the main ingredient.  I was not raised in a Christian home so I don't share my faith with my mom, but even though we don't have our faith in common, I've learned a HUGE important thing from her.....LOVE!!!
    Love will be our theme today.  LOVE is why Christ was to be born! LOVE is what drove Him to the cross! LOVE is why He is alive and LOVE is why we live our lives for Him.  LOVE!  If love is what motivates Christ for everything He has done, than it should be our motivating force in all that we do as well.

I Timothy 1:5

"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, and a good conscience

and a sincere faith."

John MacArthur comments on this verse, "This is the love of choice and the will, characterized by self denial and self sacrifice for the benefit of others."

   God calls us to LOVE.  To love Him and to love others.  That is God's will for us, right?

Titus 2: 3-5

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious, gossips nor

enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women

to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home,

kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be dishonored."

There is that word again, LOVE! I am suppose to do that, LOVE! It's everywhere in God's Word, LOVE! I know that I was asked to speak to you and convince you, I am sure to persuade you and to encourage you to be SPIRITUAL MOTHERS, but in the same breath I have to ask you, do you love? What do you love? Who do you love? Why do you love? What is it that you love?

What's the answer? Is it Jesus? Are you in love with Jesus?

Women, if you want to attract other women to disciple, be in love with Jesus!

If you want to be attractive to your husbands, be in love with Jesus!

If you want to be admired and loved by your children, be in love with Jesus!

If you want to be a witness to the world, be in love with Jesus!

I am not going to give you a "to-do" list on how to be a SPIRITUAL MOTHER - DISCIPLER, I am going to ask you what's on your love list?

When the things we love or what we are holding so tightly to are loosened from our grips by trials, we are challenged to ask....what do you love? Who do you love? Why do you love? Is it Jesus?

Life and our loves become very crystal clear in the light of eternity, can you take what you love with you?

You are probably sitting there asking yourself "what does this have to do with being a "SPIRITUAL MOTHER?" EVERYTHING!!!  If the love of Christ isn't what motivates us in every aspect of our life, how are we any different than any other religion?

the goal of our instruction is LOVE - from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith

Our goal in our instruction is LOVE....we teach so the goal is LOVE, because LOVE produces a love for God which produces a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.  If anyone wants to spend time with me, is it because I love JESUS?  That should be the only reason!

I Cor 13:1 " If I speak with tongues of men and of angels but do not have love,

 I have become a noisygong or a clangy cymbal."

A noisy gong or a clanging cymbal? Is that what I sound like when I speak?

Young women, why do you want to spend time with older woman? Well, she has really obedient children and a really nice home.  There is no recipe, just one ingredient - IS SHE IN LOVE WITH JESUS?

Older woman, why do you want to spend time with that younger woman? Well, she really needs to learn how to be modest.  Someone needs to talk to her about her clothes.  Older woman, IS SHE IN LOVE WITH JESUS?  Go after her heart not her clothes. 

the goal of our instruction is LOVE from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith

If I am in love with Jesus, than I will be modest.  If I am in love with Jesus I will be a lover of my husband.  If I am in love with Jesus, I will love and instruct my children.  Younger women pursue older women who are in love with Jesus! Older women show and be examples to the younger what it is to be in love with Jesus!

I know that I've shared this story before with you.  There was a young woman who came back to our church and I just had this desire to get to know her.  (Ladies, if you get that urge, listen to it)  I asked her to coffee.  We went to coffee right away.  We spent a couple of hours together talking and getting to know one another.  I asked a lot of questions and she told me what she had been up to the last few years.   A month later or so, this same young woman was in my small group at our yearly women's prayer retreat.  After our first session, this young woman wanted to share her heart with the group.  She wanted to say how much she appreciated the fact that when I took her to coffee I actually got to know her and spend time with her.  In uncontrollable tears, she said, "that was the first time an older woman ever took her to coffee without having a list of all the things she was doing wrong." 

When I die and my faith becomes sight, Jesus is not going to say to me, "you can't come in. you have a feather in your hair!" Remember ladies, its not what we do, its what we love!  Are we in love with Jesus?

What does it look like?  It could be a weekly meeting and going through a book.  Sharing a meal.  Having coffee and talking.  Encouraging one another to love and good deeds.  Texting, writing, or emailing Scripture to one another.  Praying for one another.  Just hanging out in each other's homes. Living side by side.  Listening, loving, crying, hugging, grace, mercy, gentleness, patience.  It's getting a phone call from a younger woman in tears, so many she can barely speak.  You tell her to come over.  I am making dinner for my family, but we'll talk.  You get dinner on the table and than go for a walk with her and you listen.  You encourage with God's Word, you love on her, and you point her to Christ. 

Still today I have "older women" in my life that I have had formal times with, but my most favorite are our informal times....when I watch them from sometimes even from a distance.  These are just some of the things I've learned from the "Spiritual Mothers" in my life.  One thing they all share, they're in LOVE with JESUS.

- when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep - PRAY!

- when I don't have money to give, open my home and share a meal.

- my home is for ministry

- always wear something soft & silky to bed

- that I can be a strong woman, but still be a submissive woman

- I can have a sense of humor and even snort when I laugh

Let's end with John 21:15-17

"So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John,

do you love Me more than these?'  He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love you.'  He said to him, 'Tend My lambs.'  He said to him again a second time, 'Simon, son of John,

do you love me?'  He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; You know that I love you.'  He said to him,

'Shepherd My sheep.'  He said to him, the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'

Peter was grieved because He said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.'  Jesus said to him, 'Tend My sheep.'

John MacArthur's commentary states, "When Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, he used a word for love that signified total commitment.  Peter responded with a word for love that signified his love for Jesus, but not necessarily his total commitment.  This was not because he was reluctant to express that greater love, but because he had been disobedient and denied the Lord in the past.  He was, perhaps, now reluctant to make a claim of supreme devotion when, in the past, his life did not support such a claim.  Jesus pressed home to Peter the need for unswerving devotion by repeatedly asking Peter if he loved Him supremely.  The essential message here is that Jesus demands total commitment from His followers.  Their love for Him must place Him above their love for all else.  Jesus confronted Peter with love because He wanted Peter to lead the apostles, but in order for Peter to be an effective shepherd, his overwhelming drive must exemplify supreme love for his Lord."

I think the coolest thing ever, other than Christ returning, would be this:  I walk into Starbucks.  I order my drink and as I'm waiting for my coffee I over hear two women talking.....

Have you ever visited FCF?  Well let me tell you, all those women there at that church are in love with Jesus! The talk of our town would be that the women of FCF are in love with Jesus! Every single one of us, madly in love with JESUS!



Beauty From Within

I was asked a few weeks ago to share with the young ladies in my church about beauty.  It was a day where the  moms planned to pamper them with mini facials, manicures and pedicures because that's what girls like to do but not without sharing with them what God says about "true beauty."

Psalm 139:13-18

"For You formed my inward parts,

You wove me in my mother's womb;

I will give thanks to You, for I am

fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

the days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them,

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I could count them, they would outnumber the sand.

When I awake, I am still with you."

What does Psalm 139 say about God? God made me in my mother's womb.  Before I was even born He knew me and planned out my days.  He is sovereign and in control of every detail of who I am and how long I will be alive on this earth.  He designed the color of my hair with the texture and form of my hair (straight or curly). He designed the color of my eyes, my height, my shape, and whether my skin would be light or dark.  Psalm 139 tells us that nothing escaped His control of how he created us.

One of the moms shared with me a video of a woman speaking to other women about being content with how God made you.  This woman asked if we were to take two different colored dots, red & green dots, and place them on our bodies.  We'd take the red dots and place them on the places we don't like about our bodies and than take the green dots and place them on the places we do like about our bodies.  What if we would be given an opportunity to meet our God, our creator, and show Him the red dots.  Would we show Him all the things we don't like about ourselves?

Isaiah 45:9 " Woe to the one who quarrels with the Maker--An earthenware vessel among

the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, "What are you doing?'

Or the thin you are making say, He has no hands?"

Isaiah 64:8 "But now , O Lord You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter;

And all of us are the work of your hand."

Job 10:9 "Remember now, that you have made me as clay; Did you not pour me out like milk;

And curdle me like cheese; clothe me with skin and flesh,

And knit me together with bones and sinews?"

When you were taking your pottery class a few weeks, as you were crafting, molding, shaping, carving, and adding all the intricate details of your bowl, vase or pitcher....you had a purpose and or reason for why you made that vessel the way you did?  God doesn't make mistakes.  He made us for His purposes for my life. 

When I was 19 years old I knew the truth but because I had unresolved sin in my life I decided to pursue my own purpose for my life and that was to have a career in "show business" or "Hollywood."  I wanted to pursue a career of acting, dancing and singing.  After three years of pursuing the ways of the world I finally realized that the truths that the world was feeding me were lies at the core.  After three years of being constantly judged for my outward appearance this is the verse the Lord gave me when He brought me back into His fold:

I Samuel 16:7

"Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his

stature, because I have rejected him; For God sees not as

man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance,

but the Lord looks at the heart."

God was instructing Samuel the prophet on how to pick out the next king of Israel.  Samuel was looking at all the handsome and strong men of Israel and God was instructing him and telling him ....that's not what I am after in a king.  I am after his heart for Me!

Deut 6:5 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,

and with all your might"

Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and contrite heart, O God you will not despise"

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and do not lean on your own understanding."

Matthew 6:21 "for where your treasure is, there is your heart."

Psalm 40:8 " I delight to do your will , O my God,

Your Law is within my heart."

Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

I could share so many more verses regarding the heart but I think we can see from these verses and others is  that God is about our hearts?  One more verse to share....

I Peter 3: 3-4

"Do not let your beauty be that outward adorning of arranging the hair,

of wearing gold, or of putting on fine apparel;

but let it be the hidden person of the heart,

with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit,

which is very precious in the sight of God."

As I dug deep into God's Word I realized that this verse is specifically speaking to married women and women who are married to non believers, but even that being said I still think that we can apply it to all women.  The context of the book of I Peter is written to Christians.  Christians who are being persecuted for their faith in Christ. Peter is sharing with these Christians how to endure in their suffering.  He tells slaves to be submissive to their masters in the previous chapters and than tells these same Christians to be submissive to the government or authority placed above them.  Peter begins Chapter 3 of I Peter telling wives to be submissive to their husbands.  This can apply to single women with the fact that we all have authority placed above us.  Our parents, teachers, coaches, employers, pastors/elders....the list goes on and on.  How does God want us to respond as Christian women? 

"but let it be the hidden person of the heart,

with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit,

which is very precious in the sight of God."

Does this verse mean we don't wear make-up? Does this verse mean we don't wear jewelry? Does this mean we don't do our hair? NO!!!! It means that God wants us to be more concerned about our HEARTS!

God made us and when He made us women He knew that we'd enjoy styling our hair, wearing make up and wearing nice clothes but He also knew that these things would distract us from what is more important - HIM and OUR HEARTS toward HIM!

Elizabeth George says in her study on the book of Esther....

"Beauty - It's refreshing to be reminded of God's standards for true beauty.

Faith and character - not external appearances - are what's important to God.

He cares about your heart - not your hair, or your facial features, or your figure.

Is yours a heart that finds favor with Him?"

What condition does God want my heart to be?  "gentle & quiet"  Does that mean I whisper when I talk?

NO!!! The tone of my voice or volume is not necessarily an indicator or equal the condition of my heart.  So what does "gentle and quiet" mean?

(Excerpt from I Peter study from Elizabeth George) ....As eighteenth-century theologian and teacher J.A. Bengel puts it, ....

"Gentle (or meek) has to do with the condition of the mind and the heart,

means not creating disturbances, has to do with affections and feelings."

"Quiet has to do with a tranquility arising from within,

causing no disturbance to others, means bearing with tranquility the disturbances

caused by others.  Applies to words, countenance, and actions."

How do we respond when we are asked to do something by our parents that we really don't want to do? How do we respond when we are told no?  How do we respond to trials? Or suffering? Whether is physical or mental suffering?

Chuck Swindoll says, "even in the 'silent' category, we are never to pout, sulk, scheme, bargain, coerce, or humiliate."  Swindoll concludes with this thought, "women who use this strategy are not trusting God to change their husbands' lives.  They're trusting in themselves."

I Peter 3:4 says, its a "incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit"...some would translate "imperishable."  What does "incorruptible" or "imperishable" mean? It won't decay or rot.  Our outer bodies with decay as we get older, right? But what about our heart? Our hearts will last forever but our appearance will decay.  What is God telling us? He wants us to spend more time adorning our hearts  than our appearance.  With that in mind, how much time do you spend getting ready in the morning verses spending time in God's Word adorning your heart?

Elizabeth George writes in her book on I Peter: "As a parting thought on this

topic that is so vital to being a woman after God's own heart, consider these words

by Bible scholar Dr. John MacArthur: 'Here [here in gentle and quiet spirit]

is beauty that never decays, as the outward body does, Gentle is actually

'meek or humble' and 'quiet' describes the character of her action and reaction

to her husband and life in general.  Such is precious no only to her husband,

but also to God."

I am not saying, do not wear make-up, jewelry or do your hair.  What I am saying is be more concerned and spend more time about the condition of your heart before God and others God has placed in your life than your appearance.  Let's not use the world's or man's standards for beauty, which is corruptible, but use God's standard for beauty, which is the condition of my heart toward Him and others.

Proverbs 31:30

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the Lord,

she shall be praised."



We Are Different But the Same....

My husband's cousin said to me a few weeks ago that they loved how my three boys were so different and how we allowed them to be different.  They appreciated how my husband and I "celebrated" their differences.  The following week someone else not even previe to the previous conversation or related made the same observation, "how different my three boys were and how they admired that about our family.
I was actually taken back by the comments.  In reality, I've always known that they are different from one another but I always thought everyones' kids were, right?
I have a "mighty hunter."  I have a "farmer." And last but not least our "athlete."  I don't know if "celebrate" is the word to describe how we raised them, but I do remember when my oldest was little and he didn't understand why is brother wasn't like him.  I shared with him that God made us all different for a reason.  First of all, it would be so boring if we were all the same but also that God made us different so we all had different roles and jobs in this life.  God made farmers so non-farmers like myself can go to the store and purchase their products. I am grateful that I gave birth to a "farmer" so I can reap the benefits of the garden he's grown.  I can't grow anything green.
I had the awesome privledge of speaking to the women of our church at our yearly prayer retreat.  Before I began with what God had laid on my heart for our time together I shared with them that God had made me a "passionate" person and not to misunderstand my passion for judgement but that it was just how God made me.  One of the ladies later shared with me how she has a granddaughter who is very passionate and realized that day that God made her that way, different than they other family members.

Romans 12: 4 -13

"For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same

function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually member one of another.

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them

accordingly; if prohecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who

teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation;

 he who gives, with liberality;

he who leads, with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.  Let love be withouthypocrisy. 

Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love;

give perference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit,

serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality."

I was 18 when I made a profession of faith.  I knew I needed a Saviour to save me from my sin.  I strived to dress, act and do like a "young Christian woman" should dress, act and do.  I struggled with my sin and I struggled with the "whys" in my life.  I didn't understand why He did why He did.  I struggled to be conformed to the image of a "Christain woman".  I struggled with my will over His will for my life.

I left the church within the year of my profession of faith.

Three years later I rededicated my life to Christ.  I had no more "whys" because now I knew my need for my Saviour and my Lord. I no longer asked why because I saw His Soverign Hand in my life.   I knew that He needed to do the transforming work in me,  not me.  He put women in my life who showed me His grace.  He showed me through the example of these women ....that I can snort when I laugh because He gave me my sense of humor.....when I have nothing in my pockets to give I can open my home and serve Him by serving others .....I can be a strong woman but also a submissive wife.....that becoming a believer doesn't mean that I have no joy in my life but instead my face lights up with the "joy that surpasses all understanding" no matter what my day entails.

God made us all different to display His glory in us, not for our own glory.  It's what He's doing in my life to change me.   It's His work in me, not my work in me.  I don't have to conform to the image of a "Christian woman"....because when He saved me He made me a woman who wants and desires to be "Christ-like".  He is conforming me to the image of Christ. Thank you Jesus for your grace.

Winners of the "Comforts from the Cross" Giveaway

Sorry it took me awhile ....didn't realize what a crazy week the 11th would be (my husband's birthday) and followed by a trip out of town. I decided to give away two books because of the overwhelming response to the giveaway. If you layered the reposting it gave you extra layers to the "giveaway"...so drum roll please! BONNIE & GRIG are the two winners of the giveaway!
I really was overwhelmed by the positive comments and responses.  Thank you to everyone who participated. 
 More giveaways coming in the next few weeks and months to come!