on being woman

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on being woman

Since today…. is apparently International Woman’s Day, I just want to say that I am BLESSED to be a woman. 
#woman

I am blessed to have been created to HELP COMPLETE a man God chose for me, and be called WIFE, because only a WOMAN can be a wife. 💕
#wife

I am BLESSED to be called MOTHER, because only a WOMAN can be a mother. 💕
#mother

I am thankful that, though I could strive to do all that the men in my life can do, I don’t have to. THEY do what they need to and have learned to do, and I will do what I need to and have learned to do…
#completer

and together we can figure out the other stuff. 

We have lost a uniqueness from woman that balances the male of our society, the softness that counteracts the rigid, critical thinking that men are {mostly} good at.
#unique #soft

As a woman, I am thankful to not be exactly like my husband, dad or brother. I am glad for the emotions (when I stop and think rationally. LOL) that, when they show up, give cause for the men in my life to take pause. Some may say that women are “tossed about” by these emotions (and often we are), but God gave them to us… they have purpose. They influence US (women) to be the gentler touch, the softer word, the delicate point-of-view.
#emotional #influencer

I refuse to give up these God-given characteristics. Instead, I rather God use them to mold me into an even softer, more delicate, kinder and more compassionate WOMAN… whose very presence influences those around her (ever met a LADY like that?)
#lady #delicate #compassionate

{Biblically, I am not to “do everything a man can’t” exactly, but I was created to be a help-meet to the man I married. This means my particular personality compliments my husband’s, my completing him… and we become one.}
#complimentarynotinferior

I am content to “be woman” and to learn how to be better through God’s Word!
#letmebeawomanofGod

shared from my IG

Since today…. is apparently International Woman’s Day, I just want to say that I am BLESSED to be a woman. 
#woman

I am blessed to have been created to HELP COMPLETE a man God chose for me, and be called WIFE, because only a WOMAN can be a wife. 💕
#wife

I am BLESSED to be called MOTHER, because only a WOMAN can be a mother. 💕
#mother

I am thankful that, though I could strive to do all that the men in my life can do, I don’t have to. THEY do what they need to and have learned to do, and I will do what I need to and have learned to do…
#completer

and together we can figure out the other stuff. 

We have lost a uniqueness from woman that balances the male of our society, the softness that counteracts the rigid, critical thinking that men are {mostly} good at.
#unique #soft

As a woman, I am thankful to not be exactly like my husband, dad or brother. I am glad for the emotions (when I stop and think rationally. LOL) that, when they show up, give cause for the men in my life to take pause. Some may say that women are “tossed about” by these emotions (and often we are), but God gave them to us… they have purpose. They influence US (women) to be the gentler touch, the softer word, the delicate point-of-view.
#emotional #influencer

I refuse to give up these God-given characteristics. Instead, I rather God use them to mold me into an even softer, more delicate, kinder and more compassionate WOMAN… whose very presence influences those around her (ever met a LADY like that?)
#lady #delicate #compassionate

{Biblically, I am not to “do everything a man can’t” exactly, but I was created to be a help-meet to the man I married. This means my particular personality compliments my husband’s, my completing him… and we become one.}
#complimentarynotinferior

I am content to “be woman” and to learn how to be better through God’s Word!
#letmebeawomanofGod

shared from my IG

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

a journey just begun

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a journey just begun

This post may seem a little disjointed-it’s how I feel at the moment… but thank you for reading. I pray something in it blesses your day.

It’s been a year, a difficult year. The laughter has been sweeter and the tears have been harder to control, because yes- I am one of those people that bottles it up (but I’m getting better).

Of course, I have no idea how long this journey will go on, just that it will only last until I am in heaven with the Lord.

But isn’t this true of all facets of our journey? We feel a whole year is a long time, and we often live as though the rest of our life stretches out infinitely… which it does, but not our earthly life. This life is passing. It will be over before most of us are ready.

And then what? Do you know what will happen to you when your time of life on this earth is finished? Do you have a blessed hope in a journey just begun?

This journey, in which the past year as been rough emotionally, is just the beginning of the greater journey of life with Jesus. Some days I lose this focus, but God’s mercies are new each day and His hope is blessed and eternal.

What I am speaking of here is the fact that 1  year ago, my brother left this life on earth and is continuing his eternal life with Jesus in heaven. Often I am reminded of something my mom shared with me is that a reason for the different outcomes possible in the grieving process is choice: “Where do I want my journey of grief to take me?” I can choose this.

For myself, I can choose to allow the overwhelming sadness that comes in odd waves at the most unanticipated times to draw me to God and allow my heart to grow in His love and compassion for others; or I can push away His comfort and focus on the loss, making way for a root of bitterness to spring forth. I can actually see either of these outcomes before me when the tears burn my eyes suddenly.. and one day we will all be together again, praising Jesus for His unmerited favor torwards us. And this grief on earth will be but a distant memory in light of eternity with the Son of God as our light.

a song that has been a comfort to me at different times of my life:

a song that encourages me to remember God’s control

 

Psalm 42:5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.


1 Thessalonians 4:9-13
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

lesson from an open wound

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lesson from an open wound

Cuts, scrapes, gashes…. even just a bump…

All wounds I’ve ever had have 1 very simple attribute in common: they hurt.

Another trait they have is that they heal.

The characteristic that changes from wound to wound is the time and process needed to get from the hurt to the healing.

So far, any lesson I’ve learned about the physical world also relates to my spiritual life.

People do not need physical weapons to wound our spirit.

Words hurt. Actions injure.

Jesus told us it would happen:
These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. John 15

As a rather nasty scrape on my thumb caused constant pain for multiple days, my mind wrapped around a few truths:

~wounds happen, with varying degrees of trauma
~wounds need cleaning, often another painful experience, in order for full healing to occur
~many need covering, a time of protection from further irritation
~most need air, a time of drying and allowing new skin to grow and become as tough as the skin previously removed
~all wounds have different time-tables in which they begin showing signs of healing
~terrible wounds leave scars, an evidence of the trauma and a witness to the body’s capacity to heal

My thumb is much better now, with new skin evidently growing, but sometimes my spirit is wounded and no one can even see it! Perhaps you’ve had such a blow?

Let us ponder these thoughts:

~wounds happen, with varying degrees of trauma

>>therefore the world hateth you… Sometimes even those you think should not. Even Christians still have a sin-nature to deal with.

~wounds need cleaning in order for full healing to occur

>>Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51 … we must make sure our own life is right before God and we have not brought difficulty on our own heads through foolishness. Only when our spirit is right with our God, removing any root of bitterness, can healing begin.

>>Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4

>>Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled… Hebrews 12

~many need covering, a time of protection from further irritation

>> he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. Matthew 14 … so many examples of Jesus getting away, taking his disciples to a place apart, to refresh with prayer and fasting. Sometimes, our healing cannot come without a time of intense aloneness with God, even periods of fasting.

~most need air, a time of drying and allowing new skin to grow and become as tough as the skin previously removed

>>…but the people that do know their God shall be strong... Daniel 11 … we can regain a strength, only in the Lord. When He IS our strength, nothing can shake us

>>Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity. 1 Corinthians 16 … being brave in the face of pain is difficult, but our faith can sustain… and we can be brave with kindness.

>>Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6

~all wounds have different time-tables in which they begin showing signs of healing

>>I’ve written about people growing differently. We also heal differently. From the outside, a circumstance may not seem hurtful; but we cannot judge a person’s whole life from a single circumstance. A solitary word can wound a heart deeply, more deeply than we might imagine.

~terrible wounds leave scars, an evidence of the trauma and a witness to the body’s capacity to heal

The human body’s ability to heal is truly miraculous! Through experience I know that my spirit and emotions have the same ability.

But just as we need the aid of cleansing water, bandages, stitches, surgery or casts to aid with physical wounds, we need God’s Word, prayer, fasting, even times of solitude to aid in healing our spiritual wounds. 

Have you ever been wounded invisibly? Did you find these thoughts helpful? God is so good to give us principles in His Word that can apply to ALL areas of our life… from a scraped thumb to a pierced spirit.

May we each seek God in our journey towards spiritual and emotional healing.

Cuts, scrapes, gashes…. even just a bump…

All wounds I’ve ever had have 1 very simple attribute in common: they hurt.

Another trait they have is that they heal.

The characteristic that changes from wound to wound is the time and process needed to get from the hurt to the healing.

So far, any lesson I’ve learned about the physical world also relates to my spiritual life.

People do not need physical weapons to would our spirit.

Words hurt. Actions injure.

Jesus told us it would happen:
These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. John 15

As a rather nasty scrape on my thumb caused constant pain for multiple days, my mind wrapped around a few truths:

~wounds happen, with varying degrees of trauma
~wounds need cleaning, often another painful experience, in order for full healing to occur
~many need covering, a time of protection from further irritation
~most need air, a time of drying and allowing new skin to grow and become as tough as the skin previously removed
~all wounds have different time-tables in which they begin showing signs of healing
~terrible wounds leave scars, an evidence of the trauma and a witness to the body’s capacity to heal

My thumb is much better now, with new skin evidently growing, but sometimes my spirit is wounded and no one can even see it! Perhaps you’ve had such a blow?

Remember these thoughts:

~wounds happen, with varying degrees of trauma

>>therefore the world hateth you… Sometimes even those you think should not. Even Christians still have a sin-nature to deal with.

~wounds need cleaning in order for full healing to occur

>>Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalm 51 … we must make sure our own life is right before God and we have not brought difficulty on our own heads through foolishness. Only when our spirit is right with our God, removing any root of bitterness, can healing begin.

>>Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4

>>Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled… Hebrews 12

~many need covering, a time of protection from further irritation

>> he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. Matthew 14 … so many examples of Jesus getting away, taking his disciples to a place apart, to refresh with prayer and fasting. Sometimes, our healing cannot come without a time of intense aloneness with God, even periods of fasting.

~most need air, a time of drying and allowing new skin to grow and become as tough as the skin previously removed

>>…but the people that do know their God shall be strong… Daniel 11 … we can regain a strength, only in the Lord. When He IS our strength, nothing can shake us

>>Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity. 1 Corinthians 16 … being brave in the face of pain is difficult, but our faith can sustain… and we can be brave with kindness.

>>Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Ephesians 6

~all wounds have different time-tables in which they begin showing signs of healing

>>I’ve written about people growing differently. We also heal differently. From the outside, a circumstance may not seem hurtful; but we cannot judge a person’s whole life from a single circumstance. A solitary word can wound a heart deeply, more deeply than we might imagine.

~terrible wounds leave scars, an evidence of the trauma and a witness to the body’s capacity to heal

The human body’s ability to heal is truly miraculous! Through experience I know that my spirit and emotions have the same ability.

But just as we need the aid of cleansing water, bandages, stitches, surgery or casts to aid with physical wounds, we need God’s Word, prayer, fasting, even times of solitude to aid in healing our spiritual wounds. 

Have you ever been wounded invisibly? Did you find these thoughts helpful? God is so good to give us principles in His Word that can apply to ALL areas of our life… from a scraped thumb to a pierced spirit.

May we each seek God in our journey towards spiritual and emotional healing.

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

fruitful

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fruitful

…but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. John 15:16, 17

If you are a child of God, saved, a believer, then you have been chosen to bring forth fruit in your life! And Jesus wants that fruit to be eternal…. which means there is fruit that is not eternal. Cultivating this eternal fruit is for OUR benefit: it strengthens our prayer life and helps us love others!

WOW! What a thought!

BUT, what exactly is fruit?

There is a parable Jesus tells in the gospels of a man sowing seed: being the gospel, and fruit growing or choking: being those who accept or reject Christ, people getting saved. So in witnessing we are cultivating fruit and when people accept Jesus shed blood as payment for their sin, we see fruit. Sometimes this fruit will not be known until we all reach heaven! (see Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8, John 4 and others)

Many other places in Scripture are implications that fruit is also characteristics that grow IN  US.

Fruit unto Holiness (Romans 6:22)
various attributes called the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
peaceable fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11)
and many more

The Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…then holiness, being peaceable, having righteousness… When we cultivate these attributes; ask God for them; learn what they are and let the Holy Spirit do a work in our heart, we bring forth fruit! And then we gain the benefits mentioned in these verses: strengthening our prayer life and helping us love others..which in turn allows us to benefit even more!

What an amazing God we have.

What a loving Heavenly Father!

Is it not amazing that, while being fruitful may seem like a daunting task, God offers rewards that we can see in this life, as well as eternal ones?!

Let’s strive in this area of bringing forth fruit today!

 

…but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. John 15:16, 17

If you are a child of God, saved, a believer, then you have been chosen to bring forth fruit in your life! And Jesus wants that fruit to be eternal…. which means there is fruit that is not eternal. Cultivating this eternal fruit is for OUR benefit: it strengthens our prayer life and helps us love others!

WOW! What a thought!

BUT, what exactly is fruit?

There is a parable Jesus tells in the gospels of a man sowing seed: being the gospel, and fruit growing or choking: being those who accept or reject Christ, people getting saved. So in witnessing we are cultivating fruit and when people accept Jesus shed blood as payment for their sin, we see fruit. Sometimes this fruit will not be known until we all reach heaven! (see Matthew 13, Mark 4, Luke 8, John 4 and others)

Many other places in Scripture are implications that fruit is also characteristics that grow IN  US.

Fruit unto Holiness (Romans 6:22)
various attributes called the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
peaceable fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:11)
and many more

The Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…then holiness, being peaceable, having righteousness… When we cultivate these attributes; ask God for them; learn what they are and let the Holy Spirit do a work in our heart, we bring forth fruit! And then we gain the benefits mentioned in these verses: strengthening our prayer life and helping us love others..which in turn allows us to benefit even more!

What an amazing God we have.

What a loving Heavenly Father!

Is it not amazing that, while being fruitful may seem like a daunting task, God offers rewards that we can see in this life, as well as eternal ones?!

Let’s strive in this area of bringing forth fruit today!

 

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

a different perspective… then & now

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Wow, I was perusing my post drafts… thoughts on which I never hit the “publish” button… and found this gem. Maybe someday I’ll go into why it wasn’t published 6 years ago when I originally typed it… but as I was reading through it, I found some serious truths that I know I needed to revisit. Maybe they’ll help you, too? (This is in no way belittling the sacredness of a pastor’s position…being sacred is not the same as important.)

~~~~~~~~~~~

in 2012 I typed….

a different perspective: then & now

{I must preface this with saying: My Momma prayed from the time I was a small girl that I would marry a preacher and we would serve the Lord with our lives. I am so grateful for that! She came from a broken background and saw that as being the best for me… and it’s what the Lord allowed to happen! And I love this life the Lord set me in! This post was born from a discontentment at the constant use of the term: “full-time-Christian-service” and a mindset I have discovered (among some) that conveys being employed by a church as somehow superior to other occupations. It isn’t.}

Even when I was a teen, the push often was: you should want to be in “full-time-Christian-service” when you grow up. That meant that, as a girl, I should desire to be a preacher’s wife [pastor of a church or associate or youth pastor], a foreign missionary, or forever teach little children in a Christian school. Those are pretty much the only options.

I had envisioned myself as a foreign missionary when I was all-grown-up. I surrendered to it as a young child. When my husband and I married, we had the plans of serving state-side for a few years and then beginning deputation.

What we did not plan on was God closing the door of foreign work.

We did not plan on that at all. But that’s another story!

But, still, I am considered a “full-time-Christian-service” wife –meaning my husband is employed in a church… and I am his wife.

But really, that is not so high a calling as some people try to imply. It isn’t who I am.

I have a higher calling…. and so do you.

And I would still have this higher calling even if my husband left his job and began working pizza delivery again. I would even have this calling if I were never married.

Because this highest calling of all can -and MUST- be fulfilled by ALL who are saved.

This highest calling involves people becoming doctors and trash collectors.

It involves people becoming delivery truck drivers and law enforcement officials.

It involves some women staying home with their children while their husbands do those things.

It involves people joining the military and crossing our world several times over to protect their country and the liberties we enjoy.

Sometimes, real full-time-Christian-service involves someone becoming the secretary for a law office or taking temporary positions regularly through a temp-agency.

Because REAL full-time-Christian-service is just what it’s name implies.

It is a Christian….. serving the Lord….. full-time.

that means with their LIFE… not their OCCUPATION.

 

With that being said: are you LIVING in “full-time-Christian-service”?

Am I?

{I must preface this with saying: My Momma prayed from the time I was a small girl that I would marry a preacher and we would serve the Lord with our lives. I am so grateful for that! She came from a broken background and saw that as being the best for me… and it’s what the Lord allowed to happen! And I love this life the Lord set me in! This post was born from a discontentment at the constant use of the term: “full-time-Christian-service” and a mindset I have discovered (among some) that conveys being employed by a church as somehow superior to other occupations. It isn’t.}

Even when I was a teen, the push often was: you should want to be in “full-time-Christian-service” when you grow up. That meant that, as a girl, I should desire to be a preacher’s wife [pastor of a church or associate or youth pastor], a foreign missionary, or forever teach little children in a Christian school. Those are pretty much the only options.

I had envisioned myself as a foreign missionary when I was all-grown-up. I surrendered to it as a young child. When my husband and I married, we had the plans of serving state-side for a few years and then beginning deputation.

What we did not plan on was God closing the door of foreign work.

We did not plan on that at all. But that’s another story!

But, still, I am considered a “full-time-Christian-service” wife –meaning my husband is employed in a church… and I am his wife.

 

But really, that is not so high a calling as some people try to imply. It isn’t who I am.

I have a higher calling…. and so do you.

And I would still have this higher calling even if my husband left his job and began working pizza delivery again. I would even have this calling if I were never married.

Because this highest calling of all can -and MUST- be fulfilled by ALL who are saved.

This highest calling involves people becoming doctors and trash collectors.

It involves people becoming delivery truck drivers and law enforcement officials.

It involves some women staying home with their children while their husbands do those things.

It involves people joining the military and crossing our world several times over to protect their country and the liberties we enjoy.

Sometimes, real full-time-Christian-service involves someone becoming the secretary for a law office or taking temporary positions regularly through a temp-agency.

Because REAL full-time-Christian-service is just what it’s name implies.

It is a Christian….. serving the Lord….. full-time.

that means with their LIFE… not their OCCUPATION.

 

With that being said: are you LIVING in “full-time-Christian-service”?

Am I?

After I finished reading this… ironically knowing that 2 years later we would no longer be employed by a church, I realized even more the truth God was teaching me then. We, as a family, are still serving God with our lives, no matter that my husband’s paycheck comes from a different source-physically.

All paychecks are a blessing and gift from God, no matter whose signature is on the paper.

And all Christians should be serving God with their lives, no matter their vocation.

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gifted with … power, love & a sound mind

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gifted with … power, love & a sound mind

In the passage below, Paul is speaking to Timothy, his son in the faith… exhorting him to continue in the faith and in teaching and in serving the Lord.

6~Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in in thee by the putting on of my hands. 
7~For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8~Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God…
2 Timothy 1:6-8

You can read a little more about these attributes we are given in 1 Corinthians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Ephesians 3:19-21, Philippians 4:2-8. {This is not an exhaustive list! Please study these wonderful truths!} Also read through Jesus’ miracles in the gospels and many of the chapters in Psalms, just to know about God’s power!

Just take a moment and think about this. The spirit of fear is a result of sin, a gift (if you will) from Satan. When God enters our life at salvation, He replaces this deadly donation with God’s Power and His Love and a sound mind!

A simple truth found between the lines here is that when we want something evil taken from our lives we must replace it with something from God! AND God gives us MORE than we “give up”!

Paul tells Timothy to remember the gift of God… to realize that fear is NOT from God and God replaces this *1* detrimental emotion with *3* charitable and constructive strengths!

May we go about our day and also remember….

God has given us *3* strengths
with which to combat
just *1* of Satan’s weapons in our life.

In the passage below, Paul is speaking to Timothy, his son in the faith… exhorting him to continue in the faith and in teaching and in serving the Lord.

6~Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in in thee by the putting on of my hands. 
7~For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8~Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God…
2 Timothy 1:6-8

You can read a little more about these attributes we are given in 1 Corinthians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Ephesians 3:19-21, Philippians 4:2-8. {This is not an exhaustive list! Please study these wonderful truths!} Also read through Jesus’ miracles in the gospels and many of the chapters in Psalms, just to know about God’s power!

Just take a moment and think about this. The spirit of fear is a result of sin, a gift (if you will) from Satan.When God enters our life at salvation, He replaces this deadly donation with God’s Power and His Love and a sound mind!

A simple truth found between the lines here is that when we want something evil taken from our lives we must replace it with something from God! AND God gives us MORE than we “give up”!

Paul tells Timothy to remember the gift of God… to realize that fear is NOT from God and God replaces this *1* detrimental emotion with *3* charitable and constructive strengths!

May we go about our day and also remember….

God has given us *3* strengths
with which to combat
just *1* of Satan’s weapons in our life.

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d31fb     d31insta      d31twi

my digital design shop

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my digital shop

I haven’t posted here about my Bible Journaling lately, but I do post on instagram occasionally, and I also have an ETSY shop where I sell hand-drawn journaling helps for you to print at home. These are set up to be used in wide margins as traceables or tip-ins {taped to the side of your Bible page and then you can journal on the back} and some are set up to be bookmarks, perfect for children’s classes!

Here’s a sample of designs available:

 

I am trying to earn money for some specific activities for our family, but a minimum of 20% of all profit goes towards MISSIONS, both foreign and domestic. <3

 

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seam rippers hurt…

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seam rippers hurt… my soul

I curse the need for this little tool because it shows me, once again, my flaws as a seamstress… and yet, I rejoice that this tool exists that I may more easily undo a mistake to salvage a project.

Sometimes God lets a little seam ripping to go on in our lives when we realize a mistake and come to Him for help, desiring the correction only He can give…

It’s not pleasant and adds time to the endeavor; but in the end a worthwhile creation is finished!

taken from my IG

I curse the need for this little tool because it shows me, once again, my flaws as a seamstress… and yet, I rejoice that this tool exists that I may more easily undo a mistake to salvage a project.

Sometimes God lets a little seam ripping to go on in our lives when we realize a mistake and come to Him for help, desiring the correction only He can give…

It’s not pleasant and adds time to the endeavor; but in the end a worthwhile creation is finished!

taken from my IG

signature

d31fb     d31insta      d31twi