I Am Woman. I Am His.

I am woman.

I am sweet. I am sassy.

I laugh. I cry.

I hold it together. I lose it.

I have feelings. I have thoughts.

I love. I want to be loved.

I want to be held. I want to be left alone.

I am bold. I am scared out of my mind.

I am smart. I am capable.

I am God's.

My life is chaotic.

My life has purpose. 

My life is divinely orchestrated.

I believe I am what He says I am.

I believe I can do what He says I can do.

I believe I can be what He says I can be.

He says I am woman.

And I am His. >> TWEET THIS<<

"Blessed is she who has believed

that what the Lord has said to her

will be accomplished!"

~ Luke 1:45 ~

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Be encouraged!

Be inspired!

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a virtual coffee break for your heart!

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Sharing with.... Cornerstone confessions, Teaching What is Good, Rich Faith Rising, Diamonds in the Rough, God's Growing Garden, Chronically Content, Juana Mikels, Turn It Up Tuesday, Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Pig & Dac, Raising Homemakers, My daily Walk in His Grace, Woman to Woman, Messy Marriage, Holley Gerth, Wake Up Wednesdays, Rachel Wojnarowski, WholeHearted Home, What You Wish, Simply Said Mom, 152 insights to my Soul, 7 Days Time, Becoming A Godly Wife, Serving Joyfully, 3D Lessons for Life, Graced Simplicity, Think Tank, Simple Moments Stick, Essential Devotions, Missional Women,Christian Mommy BLogger, A Look at the Book, For the Display of His Splendor, Nancherrow, Family Fun Fridays , Heart Filled Fridays,Thank Goodness its monday, Darling Downs Diaries

A Fierce Wife Unafraid to Stand by Her Man

Update (Oct. 24, 2014): after being contacted with numerous accusations of advocating abuse, please know this was not my intention with this post. This and all my marriage encouragment writings come from once broken and desperate heart. God does miraculous things through our most pained times. Abuse is not everyone's story, but if it is yours, please click here for help or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

A fierce wife.

I'm not talking about an angry, contentious, intimidating wife.

I'm talking about a wife who has a strong passion for what is right. Have you ever heard of fierce loyalty?

That's what I mean.

So, now I wonder, have you ever been made feel wrong for standing by your man?

All because you chose to take God literally when He says to do as His word says and then acted on the full conviction you got from His Holy Spirit?

If so, then you, dear woman, are precious to His heart.

When It would have been ten times easier to end your marriage, or curl up in a little ball of defeat, or feed off the comforts and pity humans have to offer, you chose to get your fierce on and stand by your man

You've been scorned, mocked, beaten with words, and stabbed in the back by the very people you once had fellowship with.

You've felt a desperation few can withstand.

You've felt a desolation few can bear.

You have cried your pillow sopping wet far into the night, wondering if this pain in your heart would ever release it's choke hold on your throat. Or that hedge ball in your gut would someday travel up to your heart and there turn to stone.

You have wrung your hands, you have paced your floors, you have screamed at God, you have gotten angry at Him, maybe you have even packed your bags.

But when it came right down to it you knew deep in your soul that for you, leaving was wrong. For you, leaving was not an option. Deserting would only complicate matters, causing more pain, more desperation, more desolation.

Could you, dear woman, let that desperation drive you to the word of God? Could you let that desolation in your soul make you scramble in wild hope to the only place you dare look for it?

Your Jesus.

When you park your desperate self, right at His feet and you camp there till you are filled, encouraged, assured, and strengthened enough to take just one more step, you are well on your way to becoming a fierce woman.

At His feet you will be proven loved. Your wild hope proven right. Your cries heard. Your desperation eased. Your desolation salved.

If, there at His feet you are fully convinced that fighting for your man is the only option God wants you to pursue, be encouraged, dear wife! He will make you able. Maybe you cry out, “But its too hard. I don't even want to! Lord, give me some kind of want to!”

I wonder if He gently says, “I have given you a hope and a future. If you will chose the way I lead you, you will be supplied with blessings overflowing. I promise to fill you with strength and power. All you need to do is ask for it and I will supply.”

With that you drag yourself up. He has energized you and made you courageous. You are able to face that storm of scorn and look out at that sea of mocking faces.

You are human and you have a heart of flesh, so you will feel the pain when others turn their backs on you or treat you badly. But you hang on to your wild hope and fierce faith, braving the winds and gales of broken relationships. With your eyes set directly ahead on the promise of His prize you start nourishing the relationship He made in the likeness of Jesus and His Church. Your marriage.

Because you know, that you know, that you know, that your God is faithful and He will never bring you to destruction should you stay immovable and do as He has directed you.

So, dear desperate wife... you get your fierce on and you fight for your man.

You stand by him, fight alongside him, follow him wherever he leads your small band of a family. You praise and encourage his good works. You believe in his abilities to lead you, while covering him in fervent prayer. You forgive him when he is wrong and you forgive him first. You make his dreams your dreams. You make his home, your home. And you make his life, your life. >>TWEET THIS<<

Over time, you will emerge victorious. You will heal. Old pain will dim because the treasure you hold and keep building on far outshines it.

Over time, times change. Over time, people change. Over time, you've changed.

You've changed the story of generations to come, because you chose to wildly hope for a future. You chose to fiercely fight for your man. You chose to bravely hang on to what others deemed shameful. You chose to blindly, with eyes wide open in prayer, trust in your mans ability to lead, protect and provide for you.

All to disdain of people around you and to the horror of the enemy of your soul.

So, you get your fierce on, because no one can fight as hard for your man as a woman fully convicted that her God is able.

Her. (period, full stop) God. (period, full stop) is. (period, full stop) able. (whisper 'able')

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Be inspired!

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Anemic Women of the Christian Faith

Update: Many readers have found this post harsh. I can understand this. Please know, I consider this for myself first. We must take the Lord's word in it's entirety. While his love and grace cover all our sins, neither does He expect us to stay in our elementary knowledge of Him. We are to grow and mature. In order to do so we must take the saltiness of His word with the sweetness. If we do not, we are in danger of no longer being the salt of His earth.

You are dear to me. The reason I wrote these words is because they have me written all over them. I tend to be most firm on subjects that I see myself in. Please read the comments and add your thoughts. Blessings!

Today's Christianity rarely sees women worthy of being praised.

Oh, they get it all right. 

They get praised for getting their sweet, darling little selves to church on time with the whole family in coordinating outfits. They are praised for participating in Bible studies, teaching Sunday school, or any other thing that people see and deem good.

Nothing wrong with that. Part of every woman wants to know her efforts are appreciated.

But, most Christian women have been pumped so full on this sugary sweet, foo-foo-ey type praise, they've started believing that soaking up and gushing out praises coated with syrup in high pitched tones for no reason other than showing her face, is normal.

As a result, they get their heads stuck so far up in the clouds, feeding on marshmallows of “you're just so precious!” and bon-bons of “how sweet and darling can you be?!” type of stuff, that they've become anemic in their faith.

They've become weak. Not just weak, but weak-willed as well. They have no backbone when it comes to their faith. They've become wishy-washy, lackluster. They exude feeble character. They buckle and fall apart like a dandelion head at the first poof of wind.

They've become ineffectual, ill-equipped to cope with any situation that might mean standing firm in their faith. Not only are they ill-equipped, they've become flat out insipid, lacking an interest in growing the faith they do have. They just like knowing everything is sweet and lovely and kind and generous and....foo-foo-ey. They have no conviction, no desire, no hunger for the one true God.

They just sit there on their fine little fanny growing more and more anemic with each passing day.

If you're that kind of woman, I'll tell you what I told thousands of women here: It's time you grow up. It's time you open that word of God and start getting a feel for what is real. You start feeding and feasting on God's unending buffet, complete with free refills of His living water. Then you order up yourself a good dose of “test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind” (Psalm 26:2) and you pray for the courage to live in full reliance on His faithfulness.

For now, we are going to look at examples of women who are not anemic. Exceptional women who are worthy of being praised. Exceptional women just doing every day life in every day ways.

1. The mom who bravely submits to homeschooling her children when it would be so much easier to send them to school.
2. The wife who works long hard hours beside her husband establishing their family business.

3. The mother up all night holding her child through a sickness.

4. The mother who sits beside her child's hospital bed, day in and day out.

5. The grandmother raising her grandchildren.

6. The teenage girl who chooses to keep her child.

7. The wife who bravely forsakes her family, friends and all things familiar to follow her husband and his vision, which he is fully persuaded holds much more promise than that of staying where they are.

8. The widow or single mom raising up little ones to be mighty arrows.

9. The wife who forgives her husband's infidelity the first time...the second time...the third time...
10. The mother who buried her child before his or her time.
11. The missionary wife and mother. 
12. The chronically ill woman.
13. Think of that one woman you would name far from having an anemic faith. Put her name here_______.

What makes her exceptional?

Is it the circumstances placed upon her? Maybe she's still young, so could it be her vitality? Maybe she's experienced a lot in life? Or maybe she hasn't been knocked down quite as many times? Maybe its just her personality, you think?

Or maybe she's an exceptional woman because she nurtures a not so anemic faith.

She's not afraid of taking a stand for the right.

She's not afraid of getting her hands dirty, stained and calloused.

She's not afraid of being tired.

She's not afraid of being lonely.

She's not afraid of doing more than her share.

She's not afraid of what people say.

She just knows right here and right now, in her present situation, she has a God who sustains her. She has a God who promises a hope and a future to the faithful. And she has set her mind to being faithful till her very last breath.

She knows her God is far from anemic Himself, and because He made her in His likeness she can stand tall and strong, laughing at the days to come. Laughing at whatever breeze or gale may come storming her way. She doesn't run in fear or cower under the enemy's threats like women with an anemic faith do.

She bravely calls for her God. He answers her and He makes her bold. Then He finishes with a flourish, dousing her with an ample supply of stoutheartedness.

She digs in and does what needs to be done to the amazement of those around her. Some laugh at her. Some scorn. Some betray. Many wonder, certain she has fallen off her rocker or will be falling soon.

Yet, she stands tall and strong. She squares her shoulders, bravely marching on with her sword of truth and sheild of faith, head held high and her eyes glued to the prize He holds for His exceptional, stouthearted women of the faith.

Listen, she's not exceptional because she's not scared. She's probably scared out of her mind.

She's exceptional because she is not anemic. She's not complacent. She's not weak.

She's exceptional because she's far from being anemic in her faith.  >>tweet this<<

"So, because you are lukewarm-

neither hot nor cold-

I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

~ Revelation 3:16 ~

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Dear Christian Woman, It's Time to Grow Up

Yes, Ma'am. That's you.

When you were saved, I wonder if you sat at Jesus' feet for a while and reveled in the awesomeness of this new, indescribable, unending, all healing, all powerful love you found in your Saviour? I hope you did because that's exactly what you should have done. That's exactly where you belonged. That's exactly where He wanted you.

I trust you enjoyed the knowledge of being His princess while you were being fed the spiritual milk of His love that you so desperately craved. Today, I hope you thrive in that knowledge while still being lavished with His love.

In 1 Peter 2:2 you are told to “crave pure spiritual milk.” First Corinthians 3:1-2 says you are given “milk, not solid food for you were not ready for it.”

Then in Hebrews 6:1-2 you are told to “leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity.” Ephesians 4:14-15 says to “no longer be infants...Instead,...in all things grow up into Him”.

Plain and simple, we're being called to grow up. We can't forever stay in that first knowledge of Him. We know that.

So, as all Christians do, we pray to be made like Jesus. We want to be “transformed into His likeness” as 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, but somehow we do not realize that the transformation into His likeness is not a future event. Instead, it is a present activity. 

Its a way of life.

Maybe you have a less than ideal marriage. As Christian wives we are called to do good to our man even when he isn't good. Proverbs 31:11-12 “she does him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

Maybe you have a child who is forever pushing every single button you've got. As Christian mothers we are called to be patient and self-controlled, displaying an attitude of Jesus.

When that neighbor allows his dog to poop on your lawn, do we, in a gentle and peace-loving attitude go out there and 'scoop the poop'?

Pun intended, because a whole lot of a humble Christ honoring life involves 'scooping the poop' - doing what others won't. Honoring others above ourselves. Displaying a servants heart when we are both in a position of authority or in the mundane of everyday life.

As a Christian women, we say we believe what is written in Gods book and, oh yes! We want to do His will, but when it comes right down to the nitty-gritty, we're just too proud. We are appalled that our faith be called to action over something like cleaning up after our neighbor's dog.

We'd rather shout our God's name from the rooftops, become a household name or start that new ministry. But we can't minster to the hearts of those in your very home.

Listen Christian women, if we're married, our first ministry is to our husband. Our children are a close second. If we can't humbly serve and minister to them first, then we have no business venturing on to other things. No business whatsoever.

Christian women. We are being called to step up to the plate and put that living, breathing Word of God we hold in our hands, into action.

Walk that extra mile.... Do that extra thing.... Say that extra kind word.

Y'all, it's time to grow up.

It's time to get our derrieres off our cushy little thrones, take off the crowns that say, “I'm a princess & you're not so I can't serve you”, strap on some hip waders, buckle up that belt and go do that work of God we keep talking about.

I want to see some of that.

Real women, living real lives, showing off the real Jesus.

Grow up. In Him. >>TWEET THIS<<

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Be encouraged!

Be inspired!

Click below to join

a virtual coffee break for your heart!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Proverbs 14 "Build Your Home"

 "The wise woman builds her house,
 but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1

While a wise woman could build her house, because she is to work vigorously and be physically strong (Proverbs 31:17), that is not what this verse is talking about. The building, fixing, providing, leading, protecting, all the muscle stuff is the mans role. Turning a pile of wood and nails into a house is the job for your husband, if he's willing to physically build a house.

If not, and because its often faster, easier and safer to just buy a premade pile of wood and nails....just saying ;)...he's still provider of the house.

However, that pile of boards and nails is all it would remain without a woman's touch. The one whose role in building the house involves the very hearts of those who occupy that cold mound of sticks and tacks.

The wife, mom, woman of the house builds it strong, ready to weather any storm of life by nourishing those hearts with love, kindness, orderliness, discernment, beauty, warmth, harmony, unity, joy and acceptance.

She watches day and night that her loved ones are fed, comfortable, clothed, lavished with love, spoken kindly to, taught right from wrong and to resolve conflicts peacefully.

She's the one who teaches them to laugh, sing and play together. She goes from room to room constantly tending to the affairs of her household, making sure everything runs smoothly and harmoniously.

She's

helper,

healer,

gluer,

lifter,

pillar,

rock,

nourisher,

soother,

peacemaker,

organizer,

teacher,

maker,

encourager,

welcomer,....

EXHAUSTED?!!! Yes!

The woman's role deals with heart issues and relationships. Those get messy. Very messy. Praise the Lord she has a divine blueprint spelled out in Gods word to help her set the moral and spiritual climate of her home.

A wise woman builds her house spiritually by demonstrating her godly character day in and day out. By teaching her children the things of the Lord. By being an example of the things of the Lord to her husband.

A wise woman builds her house economically by her dedicated hard work, profiting the whole family with her efforts.

A wise woman builds her house with the Lord. She goes to God's word to find wisdom on how to respond to the hard things of life. She goes to God's word to find strength for the huge trial. She goes to God's word for comfort when life breaks her heart. For encouragement and discernment when she gets weary of doing life, marriage and family the way He designed.

She goes to His Divine blueprint when the boards and nails crumble and the foundations get shaken.

She builds her house for the Lord. According to to His Divine plan. Even when all others around her don't. Even when all others scorn her. Even when the world says she's weak because she does it God's way. Even when God's way is hardest. She builds it for the Lord.



Join me in prayer...

Father, thank you for Your beautiful plan for us as a women. Thank you that You have written a blueprint for us to follow. Drive us back to that blueprint often. Help us read Your plan clearly when life crowds in around us and all goes wrong. Give us strength for each moment. In the highs and the lows, Lord, You are there, encouraging, holding, stabilizing our houses as we strive to build them with You and for You. Thank you for Your great plan even when we don't understand the whys. Let us not grow weary of doing good. May Your will be done in our houses, our hearts, our lives. All for You, Lord. All for You. Amen.







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