Welcome my dear sisters to “The Kitchen Table”

Hi my name is Ponnie Cousins and I’m the visionary for “The Daughters of the Most High” and “The Kitchen Table” daily blog.

I’ve been involved with inner city missions for close to 20 years, and have been in the ministry of helping women in crisis for a little over sixteen years. As a baby Christian (and I do stress “baby”) I ventured out to feed the homeless in downtown Philadelphia. It was exciting and scary at the same time. Back then, there were many more homeless people living underground in our downtown area than now. No, it doesn’t mean that Philadelphia has somehow found an answer to its homeless problem. It just means that our mayor at the time who is now our governor put a stop to the downtown area being overrun with people camping out in our underground subway and shopping areas. Call it progress for the city to build a new convention center and Marriott hotel. But there has always been (and probably always will be) a group of people who live in the back ally ways and literally sleep in the streets. Those were the people my ministry fed. Many were classified as schizophrenic, but the truth is, many were demon processed. The Lord used this time to make me bold and cast out any fear that would hold me back from the things He would have me do over the years. It was easy even though I was in my late 30’s because I was a young Christian and believed every Word of God I could get hold of. Oh, how I sometimes long for those first days, when God made things so much easier for me. ~Smile~.

After giving birth as a 40 year old single mom and living through mistreatment from church folks who swear by all that is holy they love the Lord, I soon found myself helping women who were being mistreated as I had been. I’m sad to say that it still exists today. Missionaries are equipped with many different gifts, but my more dominate gift is “encouragement.” However, I am not alone in this particular part of the Body of Christ, there are many of us. And our Lord has decided to bring some of us together in one particular venue so that we can pool together the gifts that the Holy Spirit has so generously given us, thus birthing “The Kitchen Table.”

I would like to take a moment to share with you how I met each of the women who sit at The Kitchen Table.

Pat Betters: As a new convert in a small church, but one that was growing quickly, I was really hungry for the Word of God and I went to just about everything they had. Pat was teaching the Women’s Bible study and that was how we met in April 1990. She has been my best friend in the Lord ever since that day. She is a great woman of God and an awesome teacher of His Word. She had also been my mentor and has helped me through the years more than words can ever express. I pray that all women will have a mentor such as her. Of course she rubs it in that she is chronologically younger than me. It is less than 2 months, but it’s a big deal to her. But in Jesus years, she’s 3 days younger than water. LOL!! She is a no-nonsense person when it comes to teaching women about the Lord, but I have to admit, she is good!

Sasha Brown: I met Sasha through a facebook game called, “Sorority Life!” I needed people to win fights so I ventured out to an online group where you could get other people to join your house. But the downside was they had to become a facebook friend first. I was a little hesitant at first, but jumped in anyhow. Ours was a match made in heaven because most of the time you have to block a lot of the people you pickup, but I wrote something in my status that she liked and she stuck around and here we are. Sasha is a strong and giving woman in the Lord. I can only deeply admire people who adopt children, but a single woman who adopts two children blows me away. You’re gonna love her style. We haven’t made plans yet on how we are going to meet face-to-face, but I think it will be after she celebrates her 40th birthday.

Michele R Cousins: We met on January 7, 1975, 11:05pm. It was at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, where I had just given birth to her. I took one look into those funny looking eyes of her’s (they are now light brown) and decided she was a keeper. LOL! She is my oldest of two girls and the mother of my three granddaughters Zoe (11), Christina (5) and Amaia-Joi (2). She works hard at caring for her 3 girls and others as she is a registered nurse. We’ve been together for 35 years now. As a young child she had a passion to help sick people and wanted to be a nurse since I can remember. She has a very gentle and quiet spirit, and is a very compassionate woman. Michele has written some good stuff for you gals, and I’m not just saying that because I’m her momma!

Tovah Cousins: Cousins is not Tovah’s legal last name, but since she is a minor I have chosen to use it just in case she is googled. Of course she had to make our meeting a little different by showing up 7 weeks before she was supposed to. I didn’t get to hold her when she was first born. A team from the ICN (Intensive Care Nursery) grabbed her the minute she arrived, which was 12:15pm, on April 7, 1993, stuck her in an incubator and whisked her off. That was 16 years ago. With my oldest daughter I decided from day one I would keep her, but not so with Tovah. Tovah is the one who was almost aborted, and thus has become a living representation of God’s great love and mercy. When I minister to women who want to have an abortion out of fear, I can not only tell them about Tovah but they get to see the living proof of God’s love and hope.

Sharon C. Daniels: When I first met Sharon her last name was Miller, and I don’t think she and Ernest were even looking at each other let alone thinking about marriage. The one thing that stands out most in my mind about her is her wonderful personality and gentle spirit. She worked a full time demanding job but also held the part-time position as church secretary. No matter how difficult her day might have been, she was at church in the evenings (always with a smile) meeting whatever obligation she had. Now years later she and her husband (the youth pastor) head the Youth Ministry at Christ Community Church of Philadelphia, and she has the same sweet disposition and commitment to the work she does unto the Lord. Sharon is committed to helping people with their finances, and she is on a mission to help each of us.

Maria Guzman: She and I met at the Philadelphia “Women of Faith Conference” in October 2008. I was gifted with a ticket and went by myself. The Friday morning session was general seating and Maria was sitting one seat over from me. I guess she could see that I wanted someone to talk to, because she leaned over and introduced herself. We started talking and have been ever since. I could tell by her conversation how much she was on fire for the Lord, and that she and her husband were very involved in their church. We exchanged numbers and email, because after that session we would have to sit in our assigned seats, and with over 13,000 women we were not sure if we would see each other. Good thing we did that, because I haven’t seen Maria since the first time I met her, but we have become good friends nonetheless. Prayerfully we will get to spend time together at the Philadelphia 2010, Women of Faith Conference. Maria is bilingual and will be doing her blog in English and in Spanish. Her January blog addresses something we all have had to deal with at some time or another. Make sure you check her out.

Lydia Hedinger: Lydia’s mother was going to be Tovah’s 8th grade Spanish teacher in her new school, and she had assigned schoolwork for the summer and I called her to clarify some of the work. Well, turned out her and her husband were missionaries and we started talking about how wonderful God is and sharing ministry stories and we hit it off right away. Tovah was very shy in making the transition from home school to being a full time student in private school. Lydia, being homeschooled and used to moving and making new friends, befriended Tovah. Here you had two girls who had parents who worked for the Lord and understood each other in many ways. Lydia is a very beautiful young woman inside and out. She is caring and very kind hearted. Her parents have trained her well in the things of the Lord. I can’t wait to see how being 18 years old in her world turns out.

Cheryl Mackey: I remember Cheryl as a young married woman with no children. I love to see her smile because her entire face smiles, especially her eyes. She is sweet and very soft spoken. My greatest memory was how happy she was when she found out she was going to have her first child, who is now 7 years old. Her husband is a really funny guy. When you see the two of them together, he is always making her laugh. In fact he is always making me laugh. He’s also one of our associate ministers. Besides loving the Lord, one of her best attributes is that she has such a humble spirit. Humility is something we have to work so hard at, yet she makes it seem so easy. I love her writing style and you are in for a treat. All you homeschooling moms, or those of you who think you might want to home school, you must read her blog. She is witty, but very open. You can almost feel her smile.

Rita Scarborough: Rita and I met at a home school enrichment program held at Crossroads Community Church (which later became my missions church) that our daughters attended. She and her husband were home for 1 year to visit the different churches that sponsored them as missionaries in the Arab world. We hit it off and have been crazy friends ever since. That was almost 10 years ago. If you are a person who is shy, you should not go out with the two of us. We have bad habits like talking and laughing in the movies. Rita has many gifts, but as with most missionaries the gift of ‘helps’ is very prominent. Girlfriend does not have time to talk about what needs to be done; she just jumps in and does it. Her family was called back to the states after 911, but she has not skipped one beat in all her work for the Lord. The perspective she has taken to talk to you married ladies, is really sort of cool. Not preaching, but great food for thought.

Rise’ Wampler: As much as we are warned about meeting people on line, I must confess that I have met some great sisters that way. Rise’ and I met through a virtual support group for Christians who are foster parents. I googled this group and have praised God ever since I found them. I had been part of the group about 2 weeks when Rise’ sent me an email introducing herself. She had been under the weather when I first joined, but I had already been introduced to her hubby, another comedian in the bunch. We hit it off and started an out of group friendship. What can I say about a woman who has adopted 11 special needs kids? One thing….she is my hero!! We have plans for her to come to Philly in 2010 if God is willing and I think between her, me and Rita, we are sort of pestering Him about it. ~Smile~ You have got to read her blog to find out how her and Rich ended up adopting 11 kids. It makes for some good reading, trust me.

I look forward to the journey we will all be taking this upcoming year, and I’m very excited about the great things the Lord has planned for us.

Saturday’s Blog: Pat Betters will be sharing a New Year’s resolution that can change your life forever!


Love & Hugs
Ponnie

2 More Wonderful Sisters from "The Kitchen Table"

Sharon C. Daniels....Women and Their Finances

Sharon C. Daniels works in the Health Benefits Industry specializing in Client Services. She received her degree in Business Administration from Temple University. Prior to transitioning to her current position, Sharon was an Underwriter for a major insurance company for almost twelve years. A strong background in numbers and a passion for the financial well-being of those around her has motivated her to find ways, avenues, and outlets whereby she can help as many people as possible to “Live like no one else, so that later, you get to live like no one else, and give like no one else!” Sharon and her husband Ernest are expecting their first child this year.

Interests - Sudoku, Reading, Watching TV Shows (like NUMB3RS LOL) and playing games in a group setting.

Favorite Movies - Ever After, Finding Forrester, Hitch, Lean On Me (but only with the TV Guardian On!), Legally Blonde, A Little Princess, Pay It Forward, Princess Diaries (1 & 2), Searching For Bobby Fischer, Something The Lord Made, Uptown Girls.

Favorite TV Shows - 24, Bones, Criminal Minds, Heroes, House, Lie To Me, Monk, NUMB3RS, Smallville.

Favorite Music - Alvin Slaughter, Commissioned, Delirious?, Fred Hammond, Hillsong (Australia, London, and United), Israel & New Breed, Lisa McClendon, Martha Munizzi, Marvin Sapp, Out of Eden, Scott Krippayne.

Favorite Books - Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer, Love Life For Every Married Couple by Ed Wheat, The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko, The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.


Michele R. Cousins...Working Single Moms

My name is Michele R. Cousins. My birthday is January 7, 1975. I was born and raised in Philadelphia. I am mother to 3 beautiful daughters; Zoe, 11, Christina 5, and Amaia-Joi 2. I have been a registered nurse for over 13 years. Nursing is both my passion and my calling. I am currently working on my Masters Degree. I look forward to sharing my thoughts, feelings, struggles, and ideas with all of you. I hope to learn from you and I pray that you will also learn from me.
Interest:
I don't have any hobbies but I do enjoy quiet time (which I get very little of), reading, rainy days, and a good movie. I do have fun playing Wii with my girls and Wii Fit when I can find the strength to try and exercise.

Movies/TV Shows
Saving Private Ryan, The Dark Night, Color Purple. My all time favorite TV shows are All in the Family and The Jefferson’s.

Books
God Are You There? It’s Me Margaret. “God's Master Plan for Your Life” by Gloria Copeland. Though I love to read, mostly I am reading textbooks for class.

Music
90’s R & B, & Martha Manuzzi

Our Young Women at "The Kitchen Table"

Lydia Hedinger....18!

My name is Lydia Hedinger. I am 18 years old and living in Portland, Oregon (where it always rains) with my Dad, Mom, three brothers and my adorable dog Sierra. ~Smile~ I just graduated from Alliance Charter Academy (I was homeschooled for most of my education) and am planning on attending Portland State University in the fall to study European history. For right now I’m working as a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant and praying for the Lord to show me what he would like me to do with the free months I have off of school. Oh, and best of all my parents are missionaries.

Interests
I love to write novels (though I have not been working very hard on them) and paint. I also of course love books and movies and history.

Favorite Moves/ TV Shows
Far and Away, Beauty and the Beast, anything with Cary Grant in it, Indiana Jones, Pride and Prejudice, Community, The Office, Bones

Favorite Music
Josh Groban, Michael Buble, lots of other random songs.

Favorite Books
The Scarlet Pimpernel, any travel books by Frances Mayes, The Historian, all of the Jane Austen books, Rebecca, Beowulf






Tovah Cousins.....High School Junior!



Well, let’s see, where to begin? I’m Tovah Wilson, I’m 16 years old and currently a junior in high school. I go to a Messianic Jewish school, and I’m starting the process of applying to colleges. I am also Student Council President. I love to hangout with my friends and I’m enjoying my last 2 years of high school while they last. I’m Ponnie Cousins’ youngest daughter, and I’ve been helping my mom with inner-city missionary work for as long as I can remember. I volunteer each summer at Alpha Pregnancy Center, a Christian organization that provides positive alternatives to abortion. I currently volunteer as a student teacher for Chalutzim Academy working with children ages 3 to 6 years old. This is good training as I will be pursuing a career in early childhood education.

Interests
I have a jewelry making business and make a lot of my own jewelry. I love to read, play guitar, watch movies, listen to music, and curl up with a good book on a rainy day.

Favorite Movies/TV Shows
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Princess Bride, The Mummy. Monk (sorry it ended) and Chuck. I have many more but my mom only wanted a couple.

Favorite Music
Flyleaf, Les Miserables, Michael Bublé, Eisley

Favorite Book
Singing River Series, Left Behind Series (Adult), just about all books by Melody Carlson

Cheryl & Rita, 2 More Sisters from The Kitchen Table

Cheryl Mackey....Home School Mom

Cheryl R. Mackey was educated in the Philadelphia school system. After graduating high school she attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania where she received a B.S. in Psychology. Following Lincoln Cheryl received a Masters of Arts degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (presently called Palmer Theological Seminary). While at Lincoln Cheryl was introduced to the saving knowledge of Jesus and there invited Him into her life. Also while enrolled at Lincoln she met the man who later would become her husband.
After her schooling, Cheryl held various positions working with children ranging in ages infant to 18 years old. Her titles include, Mental Health Counselor, Foster Parent Recruiter, Director of early child care facility, Preschool/Kindergarten Teacher and Certified Instructor. The most important title she has held (and continues to hold), however, is that of full time stay at home mom.

Currently Cheryl serves as an Associate Pastor, heading the children’s ministries at Christ Community Church of Philadelphia. She resides in Sharon Hill, PA with her husband, Brian and their two sons, Brandon, 7 and Christian 3, and first year Home School mom.

Interest – I enjoy reading, watching a good movie and sleeping (LOL). Within the last couple of years I have taken to exercising daily. I would not say it is so much of an interest rather that I am interesting in not gaining weight back and staying healthy. I also enjoy baking and hanging with my family and friends.

Favorite Movies – I absolutely LOVE musicals. Give me a movie with some singing and dancing and Oh Man! My favorites are West Side Story, Grease (not the 2nd one, blah) and Hairspray. Other movies that I can watch over and over are Remember the Titans, The Count of Monte Cristo, Zorro 1 and 2, the Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Batman Returns, X-Men 1,2 and 3, Spiderman 1,2 and 3, Fantastic 4 and Transformers. As you can see I also have a Superhero thing going on too!

Favorite Music – Primarily I listen to Gospel and Contemporary Christian. My taste varies but I prefer Fred Hammond and anything by Commissioned. I enjoy Tye Tribbet, Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, Israel Houghton, and CeCe Winans. On Occasion I like to listen to an old Stevie Wonder song.

Favorite Books – Anything by Francine Rivers or Joyce Meyers is a must read. More recently I have been reading novels by an author named Neta Jackson. She writes a series called The Yada Yada Prayer Group. There are 8 books in this fiction series and they are wonderful



Rita Scarborough.....Married Life

My name is Rita Scarborough and I have been married for 19 “Exciting and Extraordinary” years to my husband Alphonso. We have two children Rachel and Joshua. We have two dogs and a rabbit. Their names are Maadi, George and Frodo. We live in the Garden State, more commonly known as the state of New Jersey. I have been serving the Lord for about 22 years now and currently serve as the Special Events Coordinator for the youth ministry at our church. For 9 of those years my family and I did Christian service work in the Arab world.

Interests: Some of my interests are traveling, acting, and cooking. I have had the pleasure of traveling to 17 countries on three continents. Acting has always been one of my passions since high school. I am presently in a Christian drama group called Chosen Vessels. I have been performing in Christian plays for about 15 years and currently have a reoccurring role in two plays titled Secrets on South 60th Street and Aunt Lo’s Rent Party which we perform two or three times every year. Cooking is also an interest of mine that I really do enjoy. If you can believe it I cook everyday and most of my cooking is done from (dare I say it) STRATCH!!! I am game to try any recipe at least once.

Favorite Movies: The Temptations, The Five Heart Beats, West Side Story, All About You, and The Ten Commandments.

Favorite Music: Contemporary Christian, Gospel, and Broadway Musicals ie: West Side Story, Cats, My Fair Lady

Favorite Books: Hadassah, UnPretty, Cover Girls, Saved In The City, Seasons, and Plenty Good Room

Another Sister from "The Kitchen Table"

Rise' Wampler....Mother of the Wampler Zoo

Hello, my name is Rise” Wampler, my first name is pronounced Reesa. I am married 19 yrs to my beloved husband, Rich and we have 11 adopted, special needs children and we also care for, or rather I should say she cares for us, my dear Mother. The children’s ages range from 5 yrs to 13 yrs old. We are originally from Atlanta, Georgia, but have relocated to a small area just outside of Denver, Colorado. (I promise more on that in the upcoming articles.) We also have 9 ducks, one dog, two lama, one goat, and 12 cats (I feel as though I should say and a Partridge in a pear tree! (LOL)

I am currently in my junior year in college, majoring in Psychology with a specialization in Christian counseling. I have been homeschooling my children for the last 5 yrs. Life with 11 special needs children, one unique husband and my mother, keeps my life full of joy and happiness and on many days utter chaos.
God is so good and I cannot wait to share the ups and the downs of our life with each of you.

Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Interest:
In my spare time, that is if I have spare time I enjoy reading and crocheting, I do crafts with the children, we love to bake and to cook. My favorite food is Mexican, although, I do like me some good old fashion southern cooking.

Favorite Movies: Oh wow, now that is a hard one. My most favorite movies are Father Goose w/ Cary Grant, The Quiet Man with John Wayne, the Three God Fathers with John Wayne, An Affair to Remember, While you were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle, I love Psychological Thrillers, and some horror flicks, I not much of a romantic movie person unless it is old movies they knew how to do them.

Favorite Music: I do love my Jazz some rhythm and blues, Harry Connick Jr, Mandy Patinkin, Celtic Thunder, Love that Harmony, My kids look at me like I have lost my mind when it comes to the Jazz ! LOL There a few Christian singers I love to listen to, Casting Crowns, Mercy Me.

Favorite Books: Ok Here you will think I am nuts, but my favorite author is Dean Koontz, I love to read his books, I Love Patricia Cornwell, I love psychological thrillers in books also, I also enjoy Dee Henderson a really good Christian author. One of my favorite Christian authors is Nancy Kennedy, she is so inspiring and so comical, my favorite being Mom on the Run: A Mother's Hilarious Journey from Burn-Out to Glory -.

More Women from "The Kitchen Table"

Sasha Brown....Health & Beatuy

I am Sasha Brown a 39 year old single work at home mom to Zachary(13), Mali(11) and a 6 year old Pomeranian named Phoebe. I am looking forward to turning the big "40" in September 2010 and my goal for the year is to become Fit, Fabulous and Fantastic by Forty! I love the Lord and I believe that absolutely everything that His Word says is true! One of my favorite scriptures is "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me" Phillipians 4:13(NKJV)

Interests
I love to surf the internet, read a good, shop, play Wii games and hang out with my family and friends. I also enjoy watching TV crime shows (Law and Order, CSI, etc), corny movies on the SciFi channel, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, America's Next Top Model and my favorite, Judge Mathis :-)

Movies
Movies that I can watch over and over and over again are....Beaches, Steel Magnolias, Forest Gump, The Color Purple, Grease, The Lion King and The Incredibles.

Music
My ipod is pretty diverse....there's lots of Praise and Worship(Fred Hammond, Joann Rosario, CeCe Winans etc), Contemporary Gospel(Tye Tribbett, Kirk Franklin), NeoSoul ( India.Arie ,Jill Scott, Angie Stone) and last but not least there is music that makes you want to DANCE (Beyonce and Michael Jackson)

Books
The last 3 books that I purchased were Sula by Toni Morrison, The Secret To True Happiness by Joyce Meyer and Changing Faces by Kimberla Lawson Roby.

Women of "The Kitchen Table"

Maria Guzman "Life Unscripted"

I’m Maria Guzman. I live in Bridgeport, CT. I’m happily married to my husband, Flor Guzman. I have two handsome sons Isaiah and Angel. My mom Gladys lives with us. We have a pet rabbit named Junie. I also have a beautiful stepdaughter Veronica (who lives with her mom in Bronx, NY). I have been serving the Lord for four years now and I’m very active in my local church “Church of God Life Center” in Bridgeport, CT. This year my friend Erika Gonzalez and I created our own blog “Hijas del Rey/Daughters of a King”.

Interests
I’m always willing to try and learn something new. I love to spend time with my family and friends. I love to play Wii (My favorite games are Mario Kart and WiiFit). I love movie night with my husband and kids. I love to read books (My motto is “The more you read, the more you learn, the more you grow”). I love to sing.

Favorite Movies/TV Series
Wizard of Oz, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Phantom of the Opera (new version), One Night with the King, Ever After, Sweet Home Alabama, and I Love Lucy (TV Series).

Favorite Music
Christian Worship and Christian Pop (Zoegirl, Hillsong, Avalon).

Favorite Books
Bible, “Anne of Green Gables”, “Nights of Rodanthe” by Nicholas Sparks, “Right People, Right Place, Right Plan – Discerning the voice of God” by Jentezen Franklin, “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom, and “Maltese Falcon” by Dashiel Hammett.


María Guzmán

Soy María Guzmán. Yo vivo en Bridgeport, CT. Estoy felizmente casada con mi esposo, Flor Guzmán. Tengo dos hermosos hijos Isaías y Ángel. Mi mama Gladys vive con nosotros. Tenemos un conejo mascota llamada Junie. También tengo una hijastra hermosa Verónica (que vive con su madre en el Bronx, NY). He estado sirviendo al Señor desde hace cuatro años y estoy muy activa en mi iglesia local "Iglesia de Dios, Centro de Vida", en Bridgeport, CT. Este año mi amiga Erika González y yo comenzamos nuestro propio blog "Hijas del Rey / Daughters of a King".

Intereses
Siempre estoy dispuesta a probar y aprender algo nuevo. Me encanta pasar tiempo con mi familia y amigos. Me encanta jugar Wii (Mis juegos favoritos son el Mario Kart y WiiFit). Me encanta una noche de cine con mi esposo e hijos. Me gusta leer libros (Mi lema es: "Cuanto más lees, más aprendes, más que crecer"). Me encanta cantar.

Películas Favoritas/TV Series
Wizard of Oz, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Phantom of the Opera (nueva versión), One Night with the King, Ever After, Sweet Home Alabama, I Love Lucy (TV Series).

Música Favorita
Adoración Cristiana y Pop Cristiana (Zoegirl, Hillsong, Avalon)

Libros Favoritos
Biblia, “Nights of Rodanthe” by Nicholas Sparks, “Right People, Right Place, Right Plan – Discerning the voice of God” by Jentezen Franklin, “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom, and “Maltese Falcon” by Dashiel Hammett.

It Is All About The Attitude!

Attitude: n. a way of thinking, acting, or feeling; manner, or behavior of a person toward a situation or cause.

What the above definition of “attitude” shows is that our attitude can be positive or negative. It all depends on the person and their perspective. You can have a positive attitude about yourself that comes across as confident, or you can have an over inflated attitude about yourself that comes across as arrogant and prideful. Here you have two different outcomes fueled strictly by that person’s way of thinking. You could also say that our “attitude” is part of our soul, and therefore has a lot to do with our every day lives, and that is serious stuff.

How many of you have ever prayed for God to change a situation that was hard? Show of hands please. Okay, I see we have a full house here. It is common place for us to want God to change that which is hard or uncomfortable in our lives. Especially change the people who add to the hardship or drama we want to be released from. I’m sure wives have been asking the Lord to change their husbands since Eve. Do you think Adam might have been a little pissed with her? I am willing to take a wild guess that he was. I say that because he tried to put the blame on her and God, “It was that woman you gave me!” In a flash Eve found herself going from riches to rags with a husband who now had a sin nature and a bunch of issues that all we humans have to deal with in this flesh. I’m sure she had many a conversation with God about Adam; especially after she got past the fact he tried to pin his sin on her. ~Smile~

If we were all in a room together I wonder how many hands would fly up when asked, “How many of you have asked God for a new boss or job?” Probably most of us in the room would have a hand up. And that’s a real life situation, because we are not trying to be unhappy and miserable. That goes against our sin nature, which is “Me, Me, Me and more Me!” So even if that uncomfortable place we find ourselves in is necessary for growth or a benefit to someone else, we still want out!

How many of you have had to be the one to make a change? Not your husband, not your boss, not the neighbors from hell, not a new job, not a different position, nothing changed in your circumstances at all, other than your attitude? No need to raise your hand, because most of us have been there and done that! Was that what we were hoping for? Nope. Why not? Because like the little children we can be, we want God to fix it for us. That’s the simple truth, like it or not. How often have we as His children used the scripture “No weapon formed against me shall prosper” when it comes to us expecting our Father to deal swiftly with that which is interfering with our being comfortable? Probably more times than we want to admit to, but that is okay, because anyone who has walked with the Lord even for just a little while has probably stepped into that hole once or twice. So, don’t be embarrassed by it, in fact look for the humor in it. I’m sure God does. As any parent He must find humor in some of the stuff we try to pull. Does He let us get away with it? Well, He does blink at babies and newborns, but some of us are way too old (in the Lord) to still be trying to get away with some of the things we do.

Many times in life’s trials and tribulations it is our attitudes that must change in order for the situation to take a turn for the better. That boss, who on certain days has the potential to be as irritating as a hemorrhoid, is more than likely not going to change for the better, but an attitude shift on our part can turn things around for us. Simply by doing things God’s way. For one, start by praying for the person, not against them or about them, but for them. Stop complaining about them and talking about the wrongs they have inflicted on you. Sometimes we do need to talk about a situation or vent, but that is different than complaining. Complaining is talking about the situation to whoever will listen and rehearsing the same things over and over. Venting is talking about what happened, sorting it out and moving over in your mind (or changing of your attitude) to see things from God’s perspective, which is the Bible. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, be kind and generous to those who misuse you. Yeah, the kind of stuff that makes our flesh rebel. Our flesh doesn’t want to pray for people who are not nice or don’t appreciate us! Our flesh wants to be like David in Psalm 55:15a, Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell. Oh yeah, we want God to get them! But we need to resist the temptation to give into our flesh and choose instead to praise God for the job we were given and stop the complaints. We all have lessons to learn in this life, and we generally achieve that through interactions with others. If you find that wherever you go you are encountering the same kind of problems, there is a good chance it is all about you. Especially when it comes to jobs and bosses, we as people have a tendency to want to run. But the bottom line is, no matter how much we try to get away from what God has for us to learn, we cannot. We can only prolong the inevitable.

Wives, when it comes to that particular thing about your husband that irks you to no end, and in your heart of hearts you feel it should be irking God too, I encourage you to take a look and see if maybe your attitude about the whole thing is what’s really irking God. ~Smile~

Attitudes are everything. Take for instance the holiday season that is upon us. My personal attitude is, I’m not spending money I don’t have, and I’m not buying stuff just because of one day. Do I enjoy the decorations, music and festive time with family and friends? Yes, I love it! But I can shop and spend money any time of the year (especially when I have it), send you a card just because I was thinking about you and so forth and so on. The blessing for me is that my attitude keeps me focused on all that is good and I’m not sad or miserable because I don’t have money to buy this that or the other. But let’s take a look at the person who is actually depressed due to the down turned economy which is preventing them from producing all that their kids are expecting for Christmas. Or even the person who has young children (who don’t really have a clue) but they think that buying a bunch of stuff will make their kids happy, and since they don’t have that kind of money, they are experiencing feelings that they are not good parents. But all they have to do is change their attitude about the holidays and what they really mean, and the self inflicted pressure would be off and spirits lifted. A shift in our attitude (mindset, thinking) can take us from sad, miserable and depressed to joyous, light hearted and uplifted. So often it really is as simple as just changing our way of looking at things that makes a huge difference.

What’s your attitude been like lately? Has it been one that is pleasing to our Father? Has it been oozing the love and light of Jesus (Yeshua)? Has it been an encouragement to others to be positive with uplifted spirits? Or has it been such that when others see your name on the caller ID they say, “Oh let it go to voice mail?” Is your boss complaining about you? Again, “What has your attitude been like lately?”

A pleasing attitude to God is one that is grateful and finds the good in the life you have. Nothing on this earth is perfect and never will be, but there is good in the God that we serve and if nothing else we should spend time doing what Philippians 4:8 tells us to do, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” We cannot think about that which is pure, good and lovely and complain or be upset at the same time. It is either going to be one or the other. So for the last time, “How’s your attitude?”

I pray I have encouraged you to take a look at any situation in your life that might be changed

by an attitude adjustment. It can be something really simple or something that puts you to your knees, either way it is all good. Change is not always something we easily embrace, but it is so very necessary in the life of the Believer. So, make the decision to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit of God and make whatever shift in your attitude He shows you.

****** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT******

Starting January 1, 2010, the format and name of this blog will be changing to something new and exciting, “The Kitchen Table”. Blogs will be posted Monday thru Saturday of each week. Wow, I know what you are thinking, “There is no way I can read a blog everyday!” Welcome to my world, neither can I, but the beauty of this new format is that different women will be blogging about different life experiences. I’m sure there is going to be something for everyone. You just follow the blog topics that interest you. Are you a homeschooling mom or thinking about it? Then you will love Cheryl Mackey’s bimonthly blog as she journals her first year of homeschooling. Rise’ Whampler is a mother of 11 and she and her husband homeschool them all. She is going to have a lot to say about family, which will bring laughter and tears, as she gives you an up close and personal look at having such a large adopted family. For all you single working mothers out there, Michele Cousins’ blog is designed to encourage you through the ups and downs of single parenting. Other blog topics include Women and their finances, Health & Beauty, Married Women, Blended Families, Words of Wisdom, Life Unscripted and so much more. We even have a couple of teens blogging once a month. Yes, even our young women have much to say too.

Please take a peek at our website (still under construction) home page at, daughtersofthemosthigh.com, to see all the beautiful sisters who will be encouraging you each month and some of the other wonderful things we have on the horizon.

For those of you who are fans of this blog, “Straight from the Heart” will be coming back every Wednesday, on February 3, 2010, with a new blog address. My bimonthly blog on The Kitchen Table will focus on, “The glorious life of single women.” ~Smile~ I just need a little time off from Straight from the Heart to make sure all is running smoothly at The Kitchen Table.

For the next three weeks I will send out updates on our upcoming January 1, 2010 premiere.

Please keep your sisters from The Kitchen Table in prayer as we take on this new venture of encouraging each other via the media tools of cyber space. Only God Himself knows where He plans to lead us in all of this, but we are very excited to be going along for the ride.

My dear sisters as always it has been such a delight to talk with you, and I pray you are encouraged to make changes where necessary so that your life reflects the abundance that Jesus came to give us on this earth. And a happy and uplifted heart is part of the abundance package.

May your holidays be filled with laughter and love.

Blessings & Love
Ponnie

Missed Opportunities......

One day last week I was half listening to the television when the subject came up concerning the doctor who had implanted the 8 embryos into Nadya Suleman. If you are not familiar with her legal name she is also know as “Octo Mom.” The conversation stemmed around the fact that the doctor had been reprimanded for his actions, and I can’t tell you what action was taken against him because I really was only half listening. Yet I was able to grasp the fact that Nadya voiced an opinion that he should have been left alone because she felt he had done nothing wrong. Before I go any further with this, I must tell you that I am neither for, nor against, I have no opinion on what happened before the babies were born. But for some reason I could not shake thinking about Nadya and how she and her 14 children were doing? Her octuplets will be one in January.

When Nadya gave birth almost 1 year ago, there was so much media hoopla about it! Everyone had an opinion and with each passing day things seemed to get worse and worse for her. After the first day or two, I refused to watch anything else about it, and since I don’t listen to the radio that much I was spared from all but one radio talk show. A friend took me to run a few errands and had on a Christian radio talk show and Nadya was the topic. In that 20 minute ride, there was very little love and compassion for her. One woman called in and tried to say the kids were a blessing and the host beat her down about how God didn’t do this! Man did! Now I ask you, “How crazy was that?” Is God not still in charge of life? I was glad to get out of the car and move on. As I look back to that time I see that I really didn’t talk about it much to anyone, and the reason being I thought that with all that was going on with the high gas and food prices and everything else in my life, it was not worth the time and effort that the world was investing in this. But last week the Holy Spirit of God corrected me by showing me how not only did the “Body” miss an opportunity to show the love of God in this situation, my ignoring it, was another missed opportunity as well. Hum, I think you all know what it is like to be corrected by God. It is not pleasant, but it is profound and is an expression of His love for us.

This correction led me look at Nadya and her babies apart from how they were conceived, and to just focus on their birth. Wow!! I did miss it and so did the Church! I know all to well what it feels like to be judged by those in the Body of Christ. When I was pregnant with Tovah and hospitalized two times, no one from my church even bothered to come and see me. I was part of a woman’s Bible study and it was announced and still not one person came to see about me. I had nothing in preparation for the birth of Tovah and to top it off she was born 2 months early. My friends from the world (meaning those not professing to know the Lord) helped me more than the church did. In fact the church helped me very little. That was over 16 years ago and the Lord used what our enemy meant for evil, as good and thus was born my ministry of helping women and children in crisis. So, why is it that I didn’t look past all the hoopla to see that this woman was in trouble and could really use some help? Truthfully I can’t really say why I shut down on it, and I’m not going to beat myself up about, but it has made me ponder how many opportunities we might be missing on a daily basis?

Think back to the time her babies were born, and picture women of God and church assemblies stepping up to help her, what a testimony that would have been. I am saddened by the fact that God’s girls didn’t step up and step in. Oh, and I am included in this too. Even from Philadelphia, I could have had a baby shower for her little ones, and encouraged some of the many other women I know all over the United States to sponsor a shower or two. Some of us could have started a drive just for disposable diapers. There are companies where you can purchase them online by the case and ship them anywhere in the USA. And the Christians, who lived in her area, could have done so much more to help her. Yet we didn’t. I can’t say that there weren’t any Christians who didn’t help, but what we do know is that the Body of Christ did not seize the moment to shower this hurting and confused woman with His love. We too, sat back and judged the situation falling right in with all the media hype and opinions. It was the number one topic for awhile, at the barber shop, the hairdresser’s, the doctor’s office, the nail salon, the post office and even at checkout counters because people where reading the tabloids as they stood in line. But the truth of the matter is, 8 human beings were born, with a soul and a purpose to a woman who needed all the help and love she could get.

In retrospect it seems the world was willing to help her more than the Church. Of course it had to be something in it for them, but they still offered her something. She received an offer of $1,000,000, to do porn. Praise God she passed on that! But we know that everyone doesn’t pass or else pornography wouldn’t be a multi billion dollar business. Nydia did do several interviews in the beginning to make some money, but they seemed to just rake her over the coals and that soon stopped. And presently there is talk of a TV reality show, something like “Jon & Kate, plus 8” type of show. She says, she has agreed because she needs the money, and I really can believe that. We can’t say for sure if the involvement and love of God’s daughters would have stopped her from having the need to do a reality show or not, but we do know that many seeds could have been planted and watered this past year. We, (the Body of Christ) missed a great opportunity to show God’s Agape (unconditional) love in a huge way. So what does this all mean? I think we should pay closer attention to Luke 6:37, and be a little more careful about how we judge situations and people.

My dear sisters, I want to challenge all of you to look around this Holiday season and see if there is an opportunity to give love (God’s love) to someone you might be overlooking. You might have a neighbor or relative that has been judged for the number of children they have had and could use understanding and help. I have a friend who has 10 children and she and her husband were judged viscously by members of their church. Yet, they are not on welfare, have a nice home, she homeschools all the kids, and the two oldest are attending college. The children are well fed, never dirty, raggedy, or ill mannered. So why did their brothers and sisters in Christ have so much to say? They never asked the church for anything. They always believed that God will provide for all the children He blessed them with. Her husband has a good profession and the Lord has blessed the work of his hands as He promised. In witnessing the judgmental attitude of Christians on a family that grew and blossomed in the confines of marriage and God, and personally living through judgment and condemnation as a 40 year old unwed mother, I’ve come to see that we are so very much like the folks that judged Mary (mother of Jesus, Yeshua). And I don’t think this is pleasing to our Father.

As women we love to shop and guy gifts, especially for those we care about and are close to. And there is nothing wrong with that at all. But, is there an opportunity to love on someone else outside your circle? That is the question of the day. It is not about the gifts, but love (God’s love, that action taking love) that could prompt you to make a commitment to yourself to lend a helping hand to someone in 2010, in a way that will change their life. Small things go a long way in the Kingdom of God. You can visit an elderly person on your block once a month and have lunch with them. Sending a card (snail mail, not internet) every couple of weeks to someone you don’t get to see often can be the encouragement they need. Giving a single mom a night off or some time on Saturday once a month could really be a big help to her. When you have small children it is a blessing just to be able to take a bubble bath in peace, or even go grocery shopping by yourself. Get creative my sisters and let’s look for opportunities to change a life by showing the Love of God.

I hope I have inspired you to give a little more of you in this gift giving season. If it is a celebration of the birth of Christ (Messiah) then why not give Him something? And
Matthew 25:34-40 tells us just how to do that.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie