What do we do when we believe the truth, but don’t always feel it? How do we grow to live the verses we need?
Category
Ladies Ministry
As a mom, there have been many times over the years when I have felt overwhelmed, overworked, anxious, and downright discouraged. Actually, mothers everywhere share these feelings.
Parenting children is a demanding job. But moms often feel insufficient to the various tasks of rearing children, managing the home, and being the kind of wife they desire to be. It doesn’t make it any easier that moms often feel underappreciated, unacknowledged, and unseen while trying to fulfill these roles.
Category
Nothing meaningful in a woman’s life or ministry happens without courage. Yet, as Christian women, so often we go through the routines of the expectations placed upon us with a sense of mere duty or even drudgery. Sometimes we become fearful of the pressures and demands of life.
God, however, desires that we embrace the responsibilities He has placed in our lives and the opportunities He has placed before us with a sense of Spirit-filled confidence and godly courage.
Category
God Wants Our Undivided Attention
One of the most special times between a mother and child is when they spend time reading a book together. I always loved it when one of my kids would crawl up in my lap and ask me to read a story. Now, I especially love it when one of my grandkids asks me to read a story!
Category
7 Thoughts on Organizing a Ladies Ministry
There are certain things I love to do. I love to organize, to decorate, and to bake desserts. I love to entertain and spend quality time with my family. I love to dream big and see those dreams come to reality. I also love leading the ladies ministry of our church.
Category
Do you ever talk to yourself? I plead guilty. I really don’t like to admit it because when I was young I remember my mom talking to herself, and I said that I would never do that. And, here I am, all grown up, and I find myself talking to myself. Sometimes I say good things to myself and sometimes I have some negative talk going on.
Category
Communicating Christ's Love to Others
February is the month for expressing love. I am glad there is one day set aside on our calendar to let others know how much they mean to us; yet does expressing our love have to be a “one day” event? The quality of our relationships is certainly not defined by the events of a single day! Valentine’s Day should . . .
Category
Busyness Will Rob You of Joy
“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (where?), down in my heart (where?), down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (where?) down in my heart to stay.” We listen to the children sing this cute song and smile, and often we enjoy the motions and tune out without considering what the words really mean to us.
Category
Give Thanks for Your Blessings
You might call me stingy, but I prefer to think of myself as thrifty. Either way, I’m all about saving pennies where I can… which is exactly what I did some years ago when I salvaged several small pumpkins from being tossed.
Category
5 Suggestions for Hosting a Retreat
Do you enjoy hosting a ladies retreat or would you rather attend one?
Category
God Uses Trials to Work in Your Life
When we are in the midst of a trial, it is comforting to remember that God is doing far more in our lives than we can see. Let’s look at a few ways God works through trials.
Category
3 Parallels between DIY Projects and Ladies Ministry
Do the letters DIY mean something to you? Do It Yourself projects have become so popular. Why pay someone to do something that you can do yourself? In 1997, when my husband became pastor of our church, I decided to wallpaper his office.
Category
Using a Journal to Help Your Spiritual Growth
Last year my husband and I were given a wonderful opportunity. We were asked if we would like to go on a trip to the Holy Land; Israel, God’s land, and God’s people. We worked through a couple of scheduling conflicts and said, “Yes!”
Category
Observations of God’s Provision Seen in Deuteronomy 8
Sometimes I imagine a conversation between an Israelite woman and a foreign guest in the Promised Land. The Israelite woman (whom we’ll call Sarah) was among those who spent four decades in the wilderness, and her new companion (we’ll call her Fatima) has recently trekked the same territory. They are eager to swap stories and compare experiences:
Category
Everlasting Life Is Forever
Fresh strawberry pie would be a perfect dessert to bring to our church dinner so I checked my recipe and started gathering my ingredients. The sweet aroma from the deep-red strawberries filled my kitchen as I pulled out a pie shell, strawberry gelatin, sugar, and an old box of cornstarch.
Category
As women, we have the opportunity to make choices on a daily basis. Sometimes, the choices we make seem small and insignificant. Other times, they involve life-changing consequences.
Category
A Look at Five Aspects of Ladies Ministry Using the Word Enjoy
“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart (Where?) Down in my heart (Where?) Down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (Where?) Down in my heart to stay.” I have the joy of the Lord in my heart, but do I enjoy what I have?
Category
3 Prerequisites to Peace at Christmas
I love Christmas! Growing up, I loved to wake up on Christmas morning to the smell of the gas heater and peek in the living room to see if “Santa” had come during the night. Sure enough, he had come and delivered bunches of presents wrapped in red Santa paper.
Category
And 4 Ways to Reclaim Them
I recently did something I should do more often—turned notifications off on my phone, drove to an area with no cell reception, hiked to the bottom of a canyon, and sat for two and a half hours with a good book.
Category
Giving Thanks Should Be a Way of Life
Recently, our two-year-old granddaughter braved shots and the drawing of blood while making a visit to the doctor. Through tears, she continually cried, “Tank you,” to the doctor and nurses.
Category