The Kitchen Table

Alone again?

2012-01-26T07:04:00.005-05:00

In 2011, I heard a command from God that unsettled me. “It’s time for you to let some people go.” I thought, “Really God? Are you sure? Why do I have to be alone again?” I’ve gone through a period of aloneness before in my 20’s with a young child and it wasn’t a fun experience. It bothered me so much that I chose to ignore it for the entire year until I was confronted with it again in December, when He said again, “It’s time for you to let some people go.”

When God tells you to remove people from your life, it can be for reasons known or unknown to you. Perhaps the relationship is toxic and you’re left wallowing in negative emotions. Maybe the relationship just isn’t fruitful, it’s not the other person’s fault but it’s time to move on. Don’t waste time trying to justify the relationship or hold on to people; you will only make the situation worse. If I dissolved the friendships when he first mentioned it to me, there was a possibility we could have reunited after some time passed. Because of my disobedience, I now feel like there’s a very slim chance for reconciliation.

After I settled my mind and spirit with the idea of letting go, I would have random conversations with people (unbeknownst to them) about moving on, articles about cutting people loose were everywhere and songs would drop in my heart about change and moving forward. As extra confirmation, the sermon I heard on New Year’s talked about cutting ties with stale relationships! To be honest, there are times where I feel a struggle with my decision, but I have those moments when I talk to God and peace returns.

So dear sisters, if you believe God is telling you to remove relationships whether it’s romantic, friendly or even family let it go! When God removes something or someone from your life He won’t leave that area with a void. He will fill it with something bigger than you would ever imagine if you ask Him to. Philippians 4:19 may seem to be an overused bible verse but I think it’s very relevant for this situation. “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (NIV translation)

I’m now a true believer in the gift of saying goodbye. Seasons change, growth occurs. Sometimes you have to let go in order to move forward. Let go and trust God with your future, you will not be disappointed. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Trust God and move forward confidently into the life that’s waiting for you.

Until next time.....Jennifer Spence!

Ponnie will be back on Monday

IF MOMMA AIN'T HAPPY.......

2012-01-23T07:12:00.005-05:00

I think we have all heard the old adage, “When momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” In fact some of us claim it when things aren’t going our way, or others laugh in agreement when they hear it. But I have a question for you, “Why?” Why would a woman of God think this type of attitude would be acceptable? I think we’ve been watching too much TV myself. LOL! But seriously, this should not be the mindset of God’s daughters.

Yesterday a friend posted on Facebook one of my favorite Bible verses. By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24:3 (NIV) It started me thinking about how we as godly women are to build and keep our homes.

If a woman wants to build her house through wisdom and understanding, that means she can’t make her houseshold upset because she is upset. If we are to esteem others higher than ourselves, we can’t possibly pout and use manipulation to get our way with our husbands. And since Proverbs 14:1 says, “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” It seems to me that the “When momma ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy” mindset is that of a foolish woman tearing down her own house. Is that who we want to be?

More and more Christian women are taking on the ways of the world. Instead of seeking to do what the Word of God commands, we go around looking for loopholes or others to cosign our foolishness. Women of God, stop seeking the opinions of others on things that are spelled out in the Bible. Stop listening to silly women tell you to do what you think is right, because when momma ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy. Palms 1:1, lets us know that godly counsel is where it’s at.

One thing for sure is, we can be in a state of happiness one minute, and sad and upset the next….so, does that mean everyone in your home has to go on an emotional rollercoaster because of your moods and attitude? I don’t think that’s the rare treasure Proverbs is speaking about…do you?

How are you filling the rooms of your home? Are they filled with rare treasures such as obedience to God, submission to your husband, compassion and care for your children and love and hospitality to others? Or are they filled with strife, manipulation, confusion and an ill tempered woman?

Sisters, we need to be careful about the characteristics and mindsets we take on. Especially when it is something the world has deemed as good or okay. If the world says, it is good, you can almost always rest assured it goes against the Word of God and what He says is good. We are now living in a time where right seems wrong and wrong seems right. And it is up to us as Believers to know the difference.

A beautiful home in God’s eyes is not contingent on the things it has in it, it is contingent on the spirit of those who live there. And guess who sets that tone? Yup…the woman of the house! Truth be told, momma can make everyone unhappy if she chooses, but she better think twice because it will not be pleasing unto God and that’s for sure.

Next time you’re tempted to take on the attitude, “If momma ain’t happy ain’t nobody gonna be happy” just picture yourself standing before God with your arms crossed telling Him that. I think it will help you see just how foolish it is.

Until next Monday, have a wonderful week striving to look more like Yeshua (Jesus) than the world!!!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Jennifer Spense will be back on Thursday, be sure to tune in!

Yesterdays......

2012-01-16T10:04:00.002-05:00

Hello my dear sisters!!!

Yes, it has been awhile since our last post. In fact it was June 16, 2011, which is exactly 7 months to date. Wow, such a long time and in those 7 months a lot has happened in my life. Mostly all for the good, but the adjustment of it all was not as easy as I had hoped. But the really good news is that I have a lot to share and many encouraging words from my 7 month hiatus! And it gets even better because some of the other sisters are back writing for the table too!

My goal is to post every Monday and have special blogs here and there from the sisters of The Kitchen Table. Please keep me in prayer to be faithful.
We are 16 days into a New Year and many of us are still going strong with our resolutions and goals we set for ourselves. Some might be petering out a bit, because human nature has a tendency to bit off more than it can chew, and so keeping up is becoming more than a notion. But today I want to encourage you to move forward taking with you all that is good and helpful from your yesterdays.

I have one goal for 2012, and that is…”It’s all about ME!” No, not the self-indulgent, selfish, all about me and no one else—that would not be good. But the “Me” where I no longer neglect myself. The “Me” who God sees as worthy to be in this world and in the Book of Life. I have too many yesterdays of not caring for that person. I have too many yesterdays of leaving her on the back burner to simmer until she is like a dry pan that has run out of liquid. What about you? Anyone else see such a pattern in their lives?

Taking care of oneself entails a conscience effort, especially if you have a husband, work, children or care for an elderly or sick family member. It is somewhat easier for single women who don’t have children or their children are grown. But even they can fall into a rut of not taking care of themselves as they should.

We have a physical body that needs daily care and a quick shower is not always enough. We need to watch what we eat and how much we eat. We need some type of daily exercise, if nothing more than walking up and down the stairs more and dancing to a couple of records. Our mental health is also a very important part of our being. We need others in our lives who encourage and lift us up during the hard times. But most of all, we cannot afford to neglect our spiritual life, because no matter how much we take care of the other things, if our spiritual life is tattered we will have troubles. We just can’t make it without Jesus and God’s precious Word!!

The yesterdays of our lives are usually bitter sweet, but packed with lessons for our today and each tomorrow we are granted. But often we have to make decisions about our yesterdays and how we are going to let them affect our lives. It is important to know where to put the “periods” and when to start a new chapter.

One thing that helps us to be complete and whole in God is letting go of the bad in our “Yesterdays” and the “Forgiveness” of those who caused pain. A couple of months ago I posted something on Facebook in my status about forgiveness, truth is I don’t remember what it said, but I do remember the comment my friend Carmen wrote, “We must also learn to forgive ourselves!” Bam!!! If ever there was a true statement, this is it! Some of us have not learned to forgive ourselves and let go of those yesterdays when we messed up.

Losing a few pounds, buying new cloths and getting our makeup done is fun and really does help boost morale, but it can’t heal the pain of unforgiveness or the sadness of living in the past of our yesterdays.

My dear sisters, my prayer for all of you, is that somewhere in your New Year’s resolutions and goals for 2012 there is the goal of forgiveness of others and oneself. If we say we walk in the Love of God than we must forgive as He has forgiven us. And yes, it is hard work to forgive and allow God to cut out the deep wounds that life has given but it is not impossible. And sometimes the forgiveness of ourselves can be the hardest work of all—but it is all good because we have the love and strength of our Lord to carry us through.

So, let your “Yesterdays” hold only the good things that make you smile and the lessons (hard or easy) that have helped shaped you to be more like Christ.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Father's Day......

2011-06-16T07:45:00.002-04:00

Cheryl wrote this last year in honor of Father's Day...it was such a great blog we wanted to rerun it again...please enjoy!

Hi,

As I write we are coming up on Father’s Day and although I am sure very little to no men join us at the kitchen table I really wanted to spend this blog highlighting dads. Every year in May you see all the advertisements for Mother’s Day. Florist and restaurants are overloaded with customers. Many churches are packed and some have messages tailored to celebrate mothers and women. There are churches that even handout roses or carnations to all the mothers. As a mom of course I love every moment of it but what about the dads? So today I want to get on my soap box and spend some time pumping up dads.

Like some of you I had some dad issues. My own father left my mom when I was 2 and truth is, he was not the most dedicated father. He would not show up when he was supposed to. He promised things and did not come through. I remember waiting all day for him to pick me and my three siblings up to go to an amusement park. I kept going back and forth to my front door looking for his car to turn the corner and it never did. Please do not feel bad for me because I am so over this. It is because I have no animosity towards my father that I can freely share this. But there is no denying that as a result of the events in my life I began to get bitter and mistrusting of men. The first one was my dad. I began to speak to him in a very disrespectful manner and was determined not to need him for anything. As we became adults he apologized and gave all credit to my mom for us growing up so well. I remember when he was apologizing thinking with my Christian, saved, sanctified self “Whatever man!” I had a lot of hurt and I needed healing

One of the first steps of my healing came from a man who came to speak at Lincoln University. I am not sure what his topic was, but this older African American male said something that began to change my thinking. Let me back up a minute. While on campus it was not strange for me to call guys a name of the canine nature... I spoke it freely and with conviction. I really believed that all men were dogs and those who were not completely dogs had doggish tendencies. Well this man said that women should stop speaking that over our men. He said that even though some of our young men and older ones too behave in ways that are not honorable that every time we call them this name we are perpetuating the behavior. It may not have impacted the other females there but my friend and I decided that from that day forward we would not refer to our male counterparts as dogs. And I never did again. Not using the term was more than an outward thing but I began to see some good in the guys around me and started to expect good until shown otherwise.

The second step to healing came from a teaching book by Charles Stanley. He taught in this book about forgiveness. I learned that when I do not forgive I relinquish power to the enemy, the devil. I received revelation on how much I have been forgiven. What audacity I had not to forgive. I also found out that unforgiveness causes bitterness which affects every part of your being. I made a decision to forgive my dad. I was not comfortable calling him and saying what needed to be said so I improvised. I got an empty chair and pretended he was sitting in front of me and them I began to share all my hurt with “him”. After purging I released and forgave him. It was not easy. I sat in my room and I cried like a baby. After that day I still had to fight the urge to hold a grudge. In fact when I was planning my wedding 13 years ago I was not going to let him walk me down the aisle. The Holy Spirit got a hold of me and "yes" my father did walk me down the aisle and I am glad he did. Of course there were other things that helped heal my broken heart but the ones mentioned had the biggest impact. God has done a great work on me.

I think about my own husband. He works hard everyday so I can stay home with our kids. After driving an hour to get home he does not just sit in a chair and zone out in front of the television, he takes the boys, plays with them, puts them to bed and cleans the kitchen. Brian prays with our sons, teaches them and disciplines when necessary. He is a great example of a godly man to our two children. There are many men out there that have busy work schedules yet they find time to be coaches, mentors and youth leaders. All men who are not with the mothers of their children are not dead beat dads; they are totally involved in every aspect of their children’s lives. They love their kids and are taking care of them financially, emotionally and spiritually the very best they can.

The greatest thing is that no one is left out because we have God, the Father. He is the best Daddy of them all. He loves us according to Jeremiah 31 with an everlasting love. In Isaiah 43 he calls us precious in his sight. He longs to take care of us. Jesus said in Matthew the 7th chapter. “If you then… know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask?”

I would like to challenge you sisters to begin to look for something to admire in the men in your life. It could be your mailman, just the fact that he is always respectful, goes the extra mile, and rings your doorbell when he leaves a rental movie in your door. When we purpose to look for good in people we will more than likely find it.

Let’s pray. "Father in Jesus name we thank You for being the best Father we could ever want. Thank You for looking after us and perfecting all those things that concern us. We bring all the fathers we know before You today. We ask that You would strengthen them with power and wisdom. We pray that they would walk in the light of Your Word and that they would walk worthy of You. We also ask that they would train their children up in the way they should go so that they will not depart from You and Your ways. Give them the tools necessary to raise their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and that these fathers will honor You and live a life that is pleasing to You so that their children and their children’s children will live. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Until next time,

Hugs and Kisses,
Cheryl

Ponnie will be back on Monday!

I Will Not Be Moved

2011-06-14T08:03:00.003-04:00

The other day I was sharing with my dear friend and mentor how I was finding it harder each day to fight the thoughts of doubt. I talked about how it seemed that everything I tried to do turned to dirt and I was beginning to wonder if I had heard God wrong when He told me I would write my way out of my situation. I also have begun to wonder if there is something deeply wrong in my heart. Why else would life have to be so hard for so many years? God judges the heart and often we are very deceived by the things of our heart where He is not. Is it that I am not trustworthy? Is it that if my circumstances where to change, so would I?

As always she listened intently as I shared my heart with her. It is good to have someone in your life you can share what is really on your mind without fear of judgment. Such a person is a gift from God, because so often we as God’s girls are very judgmental, when we should be full of compassion and understanding. Because we all experience those times when we doubt God on what He is doing or what He is allowing in our lives. It doesn’t mean that we don’t love God or don’t trust Him at all—it is the natural battle of the flesh against the Spirit.

When I finished she did her best to encourage me and pointed out how I had moved from trusting God each day, and was now looking at tomorrow. I knew this was true and was able to share that because my “today’s” had become so drab, I was looking forward in hope of seeing change. Not that that is a good thing, because it isn’t, but, at least I could pinpoint why I had taken my eyes out of living in my today versus trying to live into my tomorrow. Which by the way isn’t even promised.

She talked about many things but what stuck out most in my heart was when she shared that when things seem askew for her, she stands on what she believes about God and refuses to be moved. Her example…Lord I don’t understand right now why things went down the way they did but your Word tells me all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose, so I will not be moved by my circumstances because I trust and believe you. (Romans 8:8) It hit me like a ton of bricks—I have allowed myself to be moved from what I know to be true. God’s Word!

At that moment I realized in no uncertain terms I had to take her stance “I will not be moved!” Wow! It was that simple. In saying it’s that simple; I’m not saying it is easy to stand on what God has written when it seems all hell is breaking loose around you, but that the solution is simple. Sometimes things can get so muddled for us that we lose sight of the solution and often it is as simple as remembering who we belong to and what that means for us.

God and I are having a long talk as to why I have been struggling to have joy in my days, especially since the Bible says that the joy of the Lord is my strength. But more so I have to get back into living in the present day and trusting God in all that may happen before its end.

Prayerfully if nothing else today I have encouraged someone to know that you are not alone in your struggles to trust God and the fight to not become disheartened in the life He has set before you. But that our hope springs eternal through the Messiah. So, if you take the stance “you will not be moved” by your circumstances and live according to what God’s Word has put before you, then you will be well on your way to winning the war on your thoughts of doubt and unbelief.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

I'll be back on Thursday

I Can’t Say It ENOUGH!!

2011-06-01T10:25:00.004-04:00

Sisters, I can not say this enough to you, “Read your Bibles.” To some I might sound like a broken record, but I have to keep repeating myself because too many in the household of Faith—are just not getting it!

I’m seeing more and more women being overtaken by depression and despair. Why is this? Why are we at a point where we just want to lie down and quite? Because we are slackers in studying the Bible and building ourselves up for the fight. Oh yeah, there are going to be fights and battles. I don’t know anyone in the Kingdom who has never had to not fight “the stinkin thinking” thoughts of the mind. And when we are not able to bring our thoughts under the submission and authority of the Messiah then we are going to be in trouble. We are going to find ourselves waddling in self pity and maybe even moving away from the One who loves us. Yes! It can be that serious.

Encouragement is my gift, but there are times I feel myself becoming frustrated with women who are miserable, who don’t want to put the time and energy into changing their state of being. They want all the encouragers in the world to keep building them up, but you know what sisters, just like little babies…you gotta grow up sometime and fend for yourselves.

As women we will do any and everything before we spend consistent, quality time in the Word of God. We will work a 55 hour week for the man, clean our houses from top to bottom, rip and run doing errands, talk on the phone, watch TV, play games, surf the world wide web, cook, shop, and get our nails and hair done. We will hang out with our girlfriends; go to the movies, chauffer our kids around, work in the garden, clean out closets and cabinets, before we read the Bible. Oh, I forgot, and some of us think that reading Christian fiction can replace reading the actual Bible. Sorry…that doesn’t work.

Please don’t misinterpret what I’m saying—I am not trying to put anyone down or the many things you may have to do as a mom, wife, sister, friend, or woman. Yes, many of us have a lot of things to accomplish in the course of the day, but that still doesn’t mean we don’t have our priorities confused. It doesn’t mean that a lot of what we do can’t wait or be done after we have spent some time reading our Bibles.

Why are there so many women in the Body of Christ who are so sad? I think a lot of it has to do with us not standing on the Promises of the Promise Maker. And why is that? Could it be that too many of us really don’t know God all that well? Or is it that we spend too much time trying to live on what someone has told us, instead of finding out for ourselves who He really is?

Often we as women become depressed and feel that God does not love us because of our circumstances and a lack of understanding as to how God loves. We associate God’s love by how much we have or what He’s done for us lately.

We look at others and judge God on why He gives them so much more than He gives us, and assume—therefore He doesn’t love me as much. Why does she has so many children and I can’t have one? How come her husband does so much for her when mine will barely take out the trash? This is her second marriage; I have yet to have one husband. Why do her children get to go to a college of their choice and mine have to go to community college? I’m still wearing clothes that are 7 years old, how come every season she looks so nice and fresh in her new outfits? I work hard on my job, why has she gotten so many promotions and I haven’t had one? Why is it that God loves others more than me? Why am I so worthless? These are the thoughts of the mind that if left unchecked will overtake us and pull us into the valley of depression, self pity and despair.

Sisters, I can’t say it enough! Read Your Bibles! In order to be victorious in life we must become fully persuaded in the things of God. And I hate to tell you this…it doesn’t come about by letting others spoon feed you on their interpretation of the Bible and who they think God is. You have to enter into relationship with Him yourself if you really want to be confident in His love. You have to seek Him out and make time to be with Him. Then and only then will you really get to know who He is and be able to fight and destroy the “stinkin thinking” that rises up against us and our Lord.

I want to share a little secret with you girls….our enemy has not change his MO (motive of operation) since he duped Eve in the garden. The same lines of doubt still work on us today. “If God really loved you, your husband would not have left you.” Just like Eve many of us listen to him and begin to ponder and think on what he is saying and before you know it! We are in agreement with him. Wrong move! You know he tried the same thing on our Messiah, but the end result was much different then that of Eve’s encounter. Yeshua (Jesus) told him exactly what the Word of God said and devil had to flee.

God’s love for us is never measured by what we have or don’t have compared to someone else. And the only way you are going to be able to control your wrong thinking and battle the lies of our enemy is to KNOW what your Bible has to say about things. And you must also work on letting the Word of God convince you of His love and affection for you. It is a good thing to be fully persuaded about what you stand on.

One more time….sisters, read your Bibles! And don’t wait for the storm to come rushing in. That would be like Noah trying to build the ark once the earth was flooded. Ah, a little too late.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

I'll be back on Monday

HOLDING ON….Sometimes that’s Hard to Do!

2011-05-31T06:46:00.004-04:00

I think that once you’ve lived in God’s Kingdom for awhile you come to understand why Paul was so adamant in telling us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIV When the temptation to throw my hands up comes around, some days it is harder than others to not give in. You ever feel that way? I’m sure you have at least once or twice. ~Smile~

The regional branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia in my area asked me to do a workshop on “Homeschooling”. Of course I was very excited because I have such a passion to help parents (especially single parents) find alternatives to educating and keeping their children safe. Homeschooling is a viable option to make that happen. But many parents in the city of Philadelphia do not know how to start the process or what the differences are between “private home education” versus “public (Cyber School) home education” and how to choose which is best for them. So, to have a platform of interested folks to talk to was very exciting.

There was a lot of prep work on my end, because I wanted to make sure my website was updated and more pages added. I had to get my business cards printed, help advertise the event in my neighborhood and ask other homeschool moms to speak at the workshop. Well, all the speakers showed up, I brought refreshments and handouts….we were ready! Only one person came to hear what we had to say. I can’t say I was surprised or really disappointed because I felt the person I was working with at the library had waited to late to firm up everything, which didn’t give us enough time to get the word out. Plus I later found out that the library only posted flyers (which were on the ugly side at that) around the library. The person I worked with really didn’t do much to get the word out. Well, instead of being discouraged about it I looked at all I had accomplished and how prepared I was. My website is updated and looking really good. I also had paid ads coming in from Google AdSense, which I had hoped would begin to pay my monthly website fee and generate a few dollars more for some upgrades. So, all-in-all, things were good. Well, so I thought…..

…..Google discontinued their ads with me because they said; I violated my agreement and had people just clicking the ads trying to generate income for me. I’d only had the ads for 5 days and had done no such thing. They have an appeal process that I filed and sent back, but I was very discouraged. I asked God, “Why? I try so hard, yet it seems that nothing seems to work for me?” Yeah, those are words to the beginning of a pity party for sure. But you know what sisters, sometimes it is hard not to give up. Sometimes it is hard to not become weary in trying to do good and follow what seems to be the path the Holy Spirit is taking you. Sometimes it is hard to keep hope alive about a dream when it seems that everything you do to move toward your dream seems to turn to dust. Sometimes it is really hard to keep your head up and not become disillusioned and discouraged. But you know what….in those hard times we must stand on the promises of God and not give into the temptation to “Give up!”

Truth is—I didn’t want to write a blog this morning. “For what,” I asked? “Hardly anyone reads them! Why do I keep wasting my time?” And yes, I often feel writing these blogs is an exercise in futility but I also feel that God has given me this job to do and therefore out of obedience and love for Him I will continue (even on those days I just don’t feel like it) until He says, “Ponnie, it’s a wrap!”

Sisters, we all experience times in our lives when it seems like what we are doing is a waste of effort and time, or we become discouraged because it seems that things just don’t turnout right for us. But you know what? We cannot I repeat, “Cannot!” give into our feelings of despair. We must hold on to God’s hand and His Word.

This is why it is so important to read our Bibles and meditate on God’s Word. It is in the hard times we need to remember without a doubt God’s love for us. It is in the hard times we must know what we truly believe about God. But if we don’t read His Word, then it is impossible to stand on what we don’t know.

I have convinced myself that God knows better than I do, and He was not surprised that Google Ads would do what they did to me. But more so, He is my witness that I did no wrong. Google might reinstate me and then again they may not. Am I going to give up trying to make money on my website through ads? Nope! I will just have to find another way. Google Ads are not the only game in town. And besides, my Father owns it all anyway! ~Smile~

If you have been experiencing discourging times in your life, remember the Promise Marker and His promises.

P.S. You gotta read your Bibles to know what the promises are. ~Smile~

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Thursday: Ponnie will be back

LOOK AT ME

2011-05-26T13:56:00.002-04:00

“Mom, look at my nose. It’s kind of wide isn’t it? I wish my nose was a little smaller than this. See! And look at my eyebrows, they are so bushy. I wish they weren’t so bushy.....blah, blah, blah”

This was the conversation my daughter was “indirectly” having with me during a recent car ride. She was on the passenger side and was looking in the mirror making these observations.

Eventually, all of her self-criticism got on my nerves and after listening for entirely too long, my response was, “Wow Mali, God must not be as perfect as I believe Him to be.” Hmmm…that got her attention! I continued, “He must not be perfect because with all of your complaints, He obviously made a lot of mistakes when He created you.”

Her response,” No, God doesn’t make mistakes.”

“Exactly my point!”

It really bothered me that at 12 years old my daughter could find so much about herself that she didn’t like. However, I can understand because even at 40 years old, I have self-image issues and have had them for years. I felt bad because I have always encouraged her to love and embrace everything about herself. However, I am concerned that she has learned the art of finding fault with herself from me.

We, women, can always find something wrong with us. Too fat, too skinny, skin to light or skin to dark. Thin hair, curly hair, big nose, little nose, the list goes on and on.

However, God doesn’t make mistakes. He made us to be exactly as He intended us to be! In our eyes, we may not be perfect but in God’s eyes, we are. Why is it so hard for us to accept this?

“Mali, did you know that in the bible it says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made?” It even says that all of His works are marvelous. Do you know what that means?” I asked my daughter.

Her response was, “No.”

I further explained that nothing about her could be a mistake because SHE was one of God’s marvelous creations. If she didn’t believe that, then she must believe that God wasn’t perfect and that everything that she believes about Him must be a lie.

The light bulb must have gone on because a smile came across her face.

Her response again (with the biggest smile) was, “You are right, God doesn’t make mistakes.”

I think she got the message....and I hope that you do too.

Dove is doing a wonderful job to raise the self-esteem in our young girls and it is called, “Campaign for Real Beauty”. Please take a moment to check it out. http://www.dove.us/#/cfrb/

Until next time.....Be blessed Sisters!
Sasha

Tuesday, Ponnie will be back!

It’s A Small World After All

2011-05-24T08:08:00.003-04:00

Remembering back to when I took my now 36 year old daughter to Disney World in Florida, when she was 9 brings back a very fond memory. We were in a pavilion where we rode a boat from the beginning to the end. There were all types of dolls and displays representing people from all over the world and the entire time they played the song, “It’s a Small World After All!”
With today’s technology I think we understand much more then we did back in the 80’s, how being connected makes the world seem much smaller.

I have met and made a lot of friends on Facebook from all around the world and it has broadened my horizons to say the least. I feel very blessed that God has taken me out of my little world and I didn’t even have to leave the comfort of my home. Though, I really wouldn’t mind traveling to meet some of my new found friends on their turf. ~Smile~

Yesterday, a friend in the UK (United Kingdom, England) was posting about the heavy rains and wild winds she was experiencing. She was afraid she was going to lose her garden—that’s how bad it was. My heart went out to her because I know how hard she works on her garden and I have been blessed to see pictures of how lovely it is in the spring and summer from pictures she posted last year on Facebook. I felt very connected to her as we wrote back and forth about her dilemma.

The United States has been hard hit the past couple of months with devastating floods and tornadoes and it is one thing to turn on the news and see houses leveled and towns completely wiped out or under water but it’s something else to see pictures posted by my Facebook friends to show what happened to them or in their hometowns. It becomes more than mere news, it becomes real because I feel connected to them.

One day as I was watching a newscaster talk to a farmer in Texas about the drought and how it affected the corn crop (there was none) I felt connected because a Facebook friend in Texas had been requesting prayer for weeks about the drought. And I also realized how the lack of corn was going to eventually affect me on the east coast. This farmer also had cattle to feed—corn is used in their grain. Corn is in so many of the foods we buy. Not only does this translate into higher food prices, but also a possible shortage of certain foods. It is a small world after all.

Just as we can look at things happening across the ocean or across our own country and feel disconnected because it’s not happening to us, is the same way we as Believers can be in our church or communities.

Many churches here in the city of Philadelphia are no longer churches of the community—because, the congregation mostly lives somewhere else. They drive in for services and drive out to go home. They are not connected to the people in the community very much. We also like to have church with each other and not those around us. Our women’s groups have retreats; go to shows, luncheons and so on, for each other, but you might be hard pressed to see this same group of women having something for the women in the shelters or low income housing that is in the same neighborhood as their church. Why? Because we as human beings have a tendency to live in our own little worlds if we are not challenged to reach out and expand our horizons.

Maybe it’s time to become more connected to people around us. The song “It’s A Small World After All” is trying to show us that though physically our world is large, when we are connected it becomes much smaller. But when we live in our own little world, we are just occupying a little space in a large world. Does that make any sense? I sure hope so.

I guess the question of the week is…”How Big/Small is your world when it comes to being connected to others through the love of our Messiah?”

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Thursday: Sasha Brown

Our Response to His Ability

2011-05-18T13:00:00.010-04:00

Hi ladies!

It’s been so long since I’ve written to all of you, so here’s a short update of everything that’s been going on lately in my life.

18
For starters, I turned 18 last month so that was a pretty exciting transition. It still hasn’t fully hit me that I am now legally an “adult.” When this day rolled around I originally thought that I was going to be super excited and that my whole life was going to change because now I’m an adult! However, I find myself somewhat nostalgic for times when I was a “kid.” During the past few weeks I’ve been reminiscing about my days as a kid in school, and some of the memories that I’ve grown fond of while growing up.

Job
I recently got a job and have been a member of the American workforce for about 2 weeks. LOL! Things have been great so far, and I’m learning how to handle various responsibilities, communicate with my coworkers, and grow into my own confidence.

Graduation
I am graduating in 2 weeks! I cannot wait to graduate from high school, and move into the college aspect of life. I’m really excited about the process of going off to college and meeting a ton of new people. Oh yeah, did I mention that I’m going to Messiah College and majoring in early childhood education?! Graduation is so exciting to look forward to, but I am also a little sad about leaving my friends and school community behind, because I’m so comfortable there. I am sure that none of us likes to be pushed out of our comfort zones. LOL!

GOD
So by now you’re probably wondering why I have included all of these seemingly random things in my blog? Well, all these new transitions have taught me that God is at the center of it all. This past year has shown me I really need to work on trusting God more. Sure things might seem difficult as I move into “adulthood” but what I’m seeing is that God is there. Things can be challenging at work, but I’m now realizing that God put me there for a reason. And even though I’m both excited and scared out of my mind at the idea of graduating and going college, to know that God is still there every step of the way gives me great hope for the future.

Oh, how I want grow to say, "But I am like an olive tree, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust in God’s unfailing love. I will praise you forever, O God, for what you have done. I will trust in your good name in the presence of your faithful people.” Psalm 52: 8-9

I am beginning to learn that, in every aspect of life, I need to trust God, and it is our responsibility to respond to HIS ability. So I have just one question….are you trusting God's ability or yours?

Until next time, peace out!
Tovah

Ponnie will be back on Tuesday!

Seasons Change

2011-05-17T09:45:00.004-04:00

Many of us are approaching the summer season and end of the general school year. So, what does that look like for us?

Well, here in the city for one it means that the rush hour traffic is cut by one third. Mass public transportation is a much better ride without all the students and their foolishness. Yay!! But it also means that many parents have to shift to a different schedule. If you are a stay-at-home mom, you have to start thinking about keeping kids entertained and giving up some of that oh so precious, “me time” when they have been at school. If you are a parent who works outside of the home, then you have to figure out where the younger kids will be during the day. Though we look forward to summer vacation, it brings with it many challenges for children who have the entire summer off. But since it comes every year, most of us know we must prepare months in advance. We know to start looking at summer camps in February if you want to make sure you snag a spot for your kids. Same goes for renting a summer home at the shore. Most college students have the good summer babysitting and mother’s helper jobs secured by April. We all know that the summer months here in the USA take on a whole new face because most schools are out.

Since we know the summer “school is out” season rolls around every year, we make sure to prepare for the changes our families will encounter. So, why is it we don’t take the same time and care to prepare for every day life? How come we are not spiritually prepared for the ups and downs of this life or should I say, “Seasonal changes?”

Yeshua (Jesus) himself tells us that there will be trials and tribulations in our lives, yet we are often not as prepared as we could be. We have a tendency to put off reading our Bibles and spending time with God, especially when our plates are full. But if we put off looking for summer camps to the last minute we would have slim pickings and might not find one at all. Then what? What do you do when you have to go to work and you have a minor child or children who must be supervised? We really don’t want to think about that, so we make sure to have our ducks in a row when the summer season rolls around. Well, truth is, we should have the same tenacity in our thinking when it comes to the Word of God by making sure we keep it before us.

Life on this earth is unpredictable to say the least. We can have so many ups and downs before it is our time to move on, we can’t even count them—many good and some not so good. But in its totality that is what life is all about. It is far from perfect and we might have one thing after another come our way some seasons. But our Messiah has told us to be of a good cheer or to have joy in all of it because He has overcome or taken care of it! Problem is we don’t keep meditating on what the Messiah has told us. We’re not reading the Old Testament which really gives us the big picture on who God is and how He operates. We are not medicating on God’s Word day and night as we are instructed. So, when we enter a season that requires us to make a huge shift in the way we do things, we become all discombobulated and out of sorts. After awhile we begin to moan and complain. But worst of all we begin to doubt God. Why? Because our minds and hearts are not as convinced of God’s sovereignty as they should be.

Sisters just as you are making preparations for the upcoming summer months, be sure to spend time making preparations for that upcoming trial, test or tribulation Yeshua has promised is going to come our way.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Thursday: Tovah Wilson

Balancing Life plus College

2011-05-12T11:27:00.000-04:00

Hello, Ladies from the Kitchen Table,

I know it has been a long time since I was able to write to you all. I’ve had issues with a sinus infection causing me to have a lot of migraines, vomiting, etc. Even though I was having these
symptoms, I did not let them stop me, I continued to move forward.

During my Business Communications class, my professor always talks about connectedness. Connectedness is key! Even though it is a business class, I can still use the word “connectedness” for my daily life.

My professor says that because of the advancement in technology, we are losing the essence of the face to face connection. It’s not only in the face to face connection, but also in just using the phone to call someone, for example: I know some people will not answer their phone, but will respond to a text.

Women, we do not want to lose this connectedness with God, our spouse, our children, our families, our friends, our colleagues, our brothers and sisters in Christ, our neighbors, the list
goes on and on.

Ponnie, such a sweet heart, sends me cards (not an e-card) a physical card comes to my home. That’s connectedness! Even though we are miles away from each other, I can read her card (in her own handwriting) and know that we are still connected.

Questions for you, when was the last time you visited a friend or a family member? When was the last time you had a conversation on the phone and not a conversation by text message? Think about it. I’m sure that some of you are thinking...wow I got wrapped into it that I did not realize this was happening to me. Believe me it has to me and I admit it.

I’m so glad that I’m taking this class, not only do I benefit from it, but others along the way are benefiting from it to. Meditate on this message about “connectedness”. Until next time!

Take care and many blessings,

Maria Guzman

Equilibrio de la vida más Colegio

Hola estimados de la mesa de la cocina,

Sé que ha pasado mucho tiempo desde que pude escribir a todos. He tenido problemas con
una infección nasal causándome mucha migraña, vómito, etc. A pesar de que estaba teniendo estos síntomas, no los deje detenerme, continúe avanzando.

Durante mi clase Business Communications (comunicaciones de negocio), mi profesor siempre
habla de conectividad. Conectividad es clave! A pesar de que es una clase de negocios, todavía puedo usar la palabra "conectividad" para mi vida cotidiana.

Mi profesor dice que debido a los avances en tecnología, estamos perdiendo la esencia de la
conexión de cara a cara. No sólo en la conexión de cara a cara, sino también en sólo usando el teléfono para llamar a alguien, por ejemplo: sé que algunas personas no responderá a su teléfono, pero responderán a un texto.

Las mujeres, no queremos perder esta conectividad con Dios, nuestro cónyuge, nuestros hijos,
nuestras familias, nuestros amigos, nuestros colegas, nuestros hermanos y hermanas en Cristo, nuestros vecinos, la lista sigue.

Ponnie, tan dulce, me envía tarjetas (no tarjeas electrónicas) una tarjeta física a mi casa. Es la conexión! A pesar de que estamos lejos de sí, puedo leer su tarjeta (de su propio puño y letra) y saber que todavía estamos conectadas.

¿Pregunta para usted, cuando fue la última vez que visitó un amigo o un miembro de la familia? ¿Cuándo fue la última vez que tuvo una conversación por teléfono y no una conversación por mensaje de texto? Piensa en esto. Estoy segura de que algunas de ustedes están pensando... wow estoy tan envuelta que no me di cuenta de que esto me estaba sucediendo a mí. Créeme Me está sucediendo a mí y lo reconozco.

Me alegro mucho de que estoy tomando esta clase, no sólo me beneficio de ella, pero otros en el camino se benefician. Medita sobre este mensaje sobre la "conectividad". Hasta la próxima!

Tener cuidado y muchas bendiciones,
María

For Good or For Bad

2011-05-10T07:30:00.003-04:00

I don’t know about any of you but, I love technology and all it has to offer, especially Facebook!

The past few months I’ve been privy to watch a friend who is blind get her new guide dog. It has been such an inspiring journey. She has posted the entire process of filling out applications and being accepted down to her travel arrangements. We live on the East coast and she had to go to San Francisco, California to get her dog, Zeb. She trained with him for 3 weeks and now they are home. But I loved her daily updates about everything they did and all the different places she got to visit (from Fisherman’s Warf to museums and so much more) so they could see how he would handle the environment and her. I am so happy to say, “He passed every day with flying colors!” They had a graduation ceremony and she got to meet the family who raised him. Pictures were taken of him and her and posed on her Facebook. Wow!! It was a lot of fun for me to be part of her amazing journey and very encouraging as I watched her trust God with each step. This was most definitely a good use of technology and Facebook.

It would be wonderful if we used all things for the good possibilities they hold, but sad to say, that is not the world we live in.

Over the past 2 or 3 years I’ve been on Facebook (joined because my teenage daughter wanted to be on) I have witnessed too many life scenarios played out for the “not so good”. Friends and family airing dirty laundry, cussing and using such foul language toward one another. Jilted women exposing all for everyone to see and read. People being unfairly and unjustly ridiculed by others…it has been a real circus at times. Personally I have unfriended people because of things like these. Why? Because I feel that a public forum such as Facebook is not the place or way to resolve conflict and it can be very one sided and unfair to say the least.

As Believers we are faced daily with making decisions as to whether or not we are going to use something we have for good or for bad. Take the tongue for instance. It can give life to a discouraged spirit with words of encouragement, or it can injure a spirit with mean and hateful words. We can use our words to lift up or use them the tear down.

When a wrong is done to us, we are faced with the decision to respond in love or respond in our flesh. Love produces that which is good; our flesh produces that which is bad.

I wish I could tell you I always choose that which is good, but I would be lying if I did. But! I have learned over the years to make certain decisions in advance. Take Facebook for instance. I have made the decision that if I can’t write something that will encourage and inspire then I don’t need to respond on other’s posts. I also like to make people laugh or join in on the merriment of others. And I’m very careful about being pulled in controversial topics. This before hand decision has helped me immensely to stay out of others business and not always address things people write on my posts. In other words, I have decided to take the good that Facebook has to offer and stay as far away from the bad as possible.

Bottom line for me—with each passing year no let me rephrase that, with each passing day; I’m learning more and more to try and look for the good in everything and everyone. Have I found this to be easy? No...not always. But the days I mess up still doesn’t stop me from forging on.

Sisters, what choices do you make in life? Do you chose that which is good and full of life, or are you one who for whatever reasons seems to always seek out that which is bad and leads to death?

The Lord tells us in no uncertain terms what is good and what is bad—what gives life and what brings death. And He also makes our choice a “no brainer” by telling us to be wise and choose that which is good and gives life.

So, my dear sisters, what are the things you put your hands to going to be for?

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Thursday: Maria Guzman is back with great inspiration and encouragement! English & Español

Change Is Coming to the Kitchen Table

2011-05-09T10:29:00.002-04:00

My dear sisters, I have been trying my very best to keep the daily blog going (mostly by myself) for the past 6 months, and it is just been too much! But I wouldn’t give up because I wasn’t sure what God had to say about it, and until I had clarity on what His stance was, I have forged on.

With the publishing of my new website: SingleParentsCanHomeschoolToo.com, I have felt split in my time and writing, and the end result has been I’ve lacked excellence in the blog, my eBook and website. Not good!

I really need to focus my attention and efforts into updating my website and preparing for a homeschool workshop I have scheduled on May 25th with the Free Library of Philadelphia.

The Kitchen Table’s premise was to have a group of women from different walks of life writing daily blogs. But, as with all things, “life unscripted” happened to most of our writers and they found themselves no longer having the time to write. I’ve tried my best to fill in and keep it going until we could get another group this summer to start writing, but it’s not working out the way I had hoped. So, with prayer and seeking the Lord about this dilemma, I know that it is time to work on getting the message out that homeschooling is a viable option for many who don’t think it is. Therefore it is impossible for me to continue to do a daily blog at this time.

The blog will now be posted twice a week—Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am hoping to have guest writers for Thursdays, and I will write the Tuesday blogs. Keep us in prayer.

I don’t want to give up writing the blog, because believe it or not there have many days when I started out to encourage you, but ended up encouraging me! ~Smile~

So, mark your calendars—Tuesdays and Thursdays—read the Kitchen Table blog!!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Mother's Day

2011-05-06T08:15:00.000-04:00

Repost from May 2010....enjoy!!!

Mother's Day stirs up many different emotions in us. My own mother passed away from a heart attack at a relatively early age, but I think of her every day. I can still see her laughing until the tears rolled down her cheeks. She had a great joy for life and showered us kids and my Dad with her love. How I adored her!

Yet, I never had the desire to have children of my own and I knew from an early age that it was not part of my destiny. Little did I know how God would someday bless me with children all over the world. He called me into a ministry to equip children in Africa how to share their faith with family and friends. I've been blown away by God's amazing grace, seeing children coming to faith in Jesus and then leading others to faith in Him.

My journey started about ten years ago when I went to Kenya for a few months. The first time I knew that this is exactly where the Lord wanted me to be, was when I was sitting in the Church of the Good Shepherd on Ngong Road, just opposite the cemetery. It was a steaming hot day and I sat by a window towards the middle of the crowded church. A little boy climbed over a few pews and quietly came and sat right next to me. He softly leaned against my arm and just stayed there the whole time. I found it so reassuring. His parents waved from back of the church and they were as surprised by his unexpected welcome to a stranger.

Never will I forget in Lira, Northern Uganda, torn by civil war when Ruth, a 12-year-old girl came to faith in Jesus and brought her family to church. Through her witness her mother, father, brother and two sisters came to faith in Jesus. Then in November a few years ago in Southern Sudan our village came under an aerial bomb attach and I can still see the fear and confusion in the expressive brown eyes of Wajo. I held him in my arms and prayed for his protection always. Thankfully the bomb attacks have ceased in that area. I still sometimes lay awake in my bed at night thinking of the children there and praying for their safety.

I have seen the devastating effect of Aids in Africa and it breaks my heart to visit some orphanages where 80% of the children are HIV positive. The only consolation I have is knowing that Jesus went to prepare a place in Heaven for them, and by trusting in Him alone, they can all know for sure that they will be with Him in Heaven some day.

We were doing training in Mwanza, Tanzania, on the banks of Lake Victoria, and I had been away from home for a long time and I felt very lonely as I walked down a dirt road in a remote rural area. Then suddenly I felt a small hand reaching out to me. A little boy from the village down the road came and took my hand and said: "I walk with you, yes?" He seemed like a little angel to me. I took his hand and we went strolling down the road. Times like this I will never forget.... What a wonderful, loving Heavenly Father we have. He shows His love for us in such tender, loving ways.

When people ask me: "How many children do you have?" I hesitate to answer and think to myself, I really don't know exactly how many. But I do know that motherhood is a noble calling and I sure take my hat off to all mothers who sacrifice so much for their children. One of the greatest gifts a mother can give her children is to lovingly lead them to faith in Jesus.

Tovah and I (Ponnie) prayed with all our hearts that God would bless us with friends as we were preparing to go to Tennessee for a week to become an ordained missionary and be accepted to join the PEF (Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship) Missions. Tovah’s friend was named Lydia, and mine turned out to be Elise. She was and currently still is a member of the PEF family. She was as refreshing as a cool glass of water or a very hot day. Her warm and friendly manner was just what I needed, because I felt so out of place in a predominantly Caucasian Southern group of people and when she walked up to me and introduced herself I knew she was God’s answer. That was almost 7 years ago and though she lives in Florida and we don’t get to see each other much (which is going to change) she is a dear friend and a woman who loves the Lord and all He has to offer.

If you would like to know more about Elise Stimpson go to pefministry.org. You will also be able to send her support or tax deductable donations through the PEF Mission.

The picture below is of Elise and her husband Steven.

With many blessing and love,
Elise Stimpson

Ponnie will be back on Monday

Where's My Present?!

2011-05-05T09:27:00.001-04:00

Repost from May 2010

I'm sure that we have all seen numerous ads for the perfect Mother's Day gift for this upcoming Sunday. Every magazine has some section titled, "Show Mom How Much You Care!" or "The Perfect Gift to Show Her What She Means to You!" These messages can send most of our minds into a whirlwind when trying to answer this single question, "What’s the one material thing that can embody everything that my mom has done for me throughout my life?" Now you may be thinking, "Hey, that's a really weird way to say it," but isn't that essentially what we are looking for? Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure mom will greatly appreciate that necklace you bought just for her, or the restaurant that you are taking her to for lunch, but how can one action or item show our moms how thankful we are for what they've given us?

Personally, my mom doesn't make a very big deal out of Mother's Day. She feels that every day is Mother's Day *smile* and my sister and I have no obligation to do anything for her on this day. My mom is the type of person who is always happy to receive cash, so that is her usual present LOL!! But the present that she asks for every year is really quite simple, yet I don't always give it to her. Do you know what that is? RESPECT! That's right, Aretha Franklin wrote a song about it, and that is what my mom wants. R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Now, have you ever disrespected your mother? If you answered no then can you please send me your tips on how to be a perfect daughter? LOL!! But seriously, we all have those times where it seems like all our mom wants to do is nag us, or say things really loudly because apparently we are deaf? Perhaps as a mother you have experienced those times when it feels like your child is not listening to you, and you tend to get really frustrated? Well, the Bible tells us a little something that can help us through this kind of situation.

Okay, stick with me here. I'm gonna remind us all of a verse that we all may not want to hear right now, but it does pertain to the point. Exodus 20:12 says "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." Did you know that this is one of the 10 commandments? God was not kidding when He told us to honor our parents. He commands us to do so that we may live a long life. When Mother's Day is around the corner the media is bombarding us with ideas for the so-called perfect gift, but do the titles ever read, "Give Mom Respect, She Deserves It!" I challenge you find one media title that is posed this way and, if you can, please send it to me.

Don't' get me wrong, it's definitely great to get mom the bracelet she wants, or to take her out for a night on the town. Just remember to give her the love and respect that she deserves each and every day. I hope that you all will have a great Mother's Day, spent with the ones you love.

Until next time,
Tovah

Friday's Blog: Elise Stimpson is a very special guest who will be joining us on Friday. She is a missionary who teaches children how to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please be sure to stop by and visit with her.

Ponnie will be back on Monday!

Looking Back

2011-05-04T09:27:00.001-04:00

Repost from May 2010...enjoy!

Hello Folks,

What can I say about my mom? I love her very much! My mother is a character and some times she drives me batty. She will always be my mother but she has not yet realized that she is no longer “mommy”; some of you understand exactly what I mean. The thing is I do understand where she is coming from. You see she raised four children by herself, without any real support system. My dad left when I was 2, leaving her to be the sole caretaker of me, a 3 year old, a 6 year old and a 7 year old. Now please hear me I am not down on my dad, he is in my life now and has apologized for the past, forgiveness has taken place and he is now a great dad and Pop- Pop (but this is not Father’s Day, LOL). As I raise my kids with all sorts of support from Brian, my mom, mother in law, sisters and friends, I look back on the lack of support my mom had.

With both her parents being dead and one sister who was struggling to raise her 5 children, mom did not have a consistent team of people, if you will, to rally behind her and encourage her. I would hear the occasional comment from a neighbor complimenting her on how clean and neat she kept us. If you knew what we grew up around you would understand how much of a big deal that was. How did she do it? I mean, how did she manage to raise us with out losing her mind. Now there were days when I was younger that I thought,”mom has lost her mind!” There are days when I think that about myself! Yeah mom hollered at times and administered the rod of correction, she would even say those mom saying like, “Don’t make me call you twice.” Now why would I want to make her call me twice I did not want her to call me at all! But all in all she kept it together, she kept us together. I guess between the occasional comments and her faith in God she was able to stand and do what she had to do.

As I bring this to a close I want to share a memory that has made a lasting impact on my life. Because of sickness and being clumsy I had quite a few trips to the emergency room. I also saw lots of different doctors. One time in my life because of eczema my hair fell out. I was so embarrassed that I never wanted to take my hat off. When I did I was teased by the kids in my school. My mom did everything she could to help it grow back including taking me to a Trichologist to get treatments. I was the only person in my class who even knew what that was. Okay for those of you who are saying, “What?” It is a hair and scalp doctor. That’s not the part however that made the difference it was the trip to Gimbles, a department store that is no longer in existence (oh my I am dating myself). At Gimbles she bought me the prettiest hair pins and other hair decorations. I loved them and wore them proudly. I don’t remember if the teasing stopped but I do know that I went to school feeling beautiful and special.

As I reminisce on all that I’ve written I realize that pride and arrogance has no place in raising my children. I am only living off of the example that has been set for me. Thank You God for mom and all that she has done. Let’s pray. Father we thank you for being moms. What a wonderful gift you have given to us. We praise You for both the successes and the failures we have experienced. As we care for our children we commit to living a life of humility before You, for your word instructs us to humble ourselves under Your mighty hand. We resist every spirit of pride. Thank you God for everything You’ve done for us. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Until next time…

Hugs and Kisses,
Cheryl

Thursday's Blog: Tovah's up

A Mother's Love

2011-05-03T08:07:00.002-04:00

Repost from May 2010...enjoy!

In celebration of Mother’s Day, I am tasked to write this month about a mother’s love. I must be honest...this has been one of the hardest blogs for me to write so far. For days, I have been thinking about what I wanted to write about...even prayed that God would give me the right words to say...but nothing came to mind. As much as I love my children, Zachary and Mali, I simply could not determine what to talk about!

Do I talk about the day that they came into my life and changed me forever? Do I discuss the day that I met each of them and instantly fell in love with them? Or should I discuss the day that each of their adoptions became final and how emotional I felt when the judge officially made me their mother?

They are 13 and 15 now...maybe I will write and reflect about the infant and toddler years. How happy I was when they said their first words or how proud I was the first time that they rolled over, began to crawl and took their first steps. The kids love for me to tell them stories of when they were “little”. I thank God for all of those memories and for the chance to experience each one of them. So many milestones achieved during those early years...too many to put into a blog...

So what do I talk about?

Maybe I will talk about their school years. More major milestones achieved! I can remember how emotional I was the first time I dropped Zachary off at his Kindergarten class. I am sitting here and I am reminded of how, after many struggles in Kindergarten, Mali finally realized that she could read and how my heart swelled with joy. I have to smile when I think about the numerous violin and band concerts, PTA performances, dance recitals and how, no matter how many kids were there, I only saw mine. (I loved to see their faces light up when they saw me in the crowd.) Even now...I tear up ever time I see Mali dance...she is so graceful...more than I will ever be. And to this day, I think Zachary is by far the BEST alto sax player in his band...I’m just saying. *smile*

All of those things are great…but they don’t really talk about a mother’s love, do they?

Let’s see...maybe I will talk about the sacrifices of a mother to show a mother’s love.
The nights that I didn’t sleep because I chose to sit up all night holding Zachary up during his bouts with asthma and bronchitis just so he could stop coughing and get some sleep...or the nights that I walked back and forth to Mali’s room just to make sure she wasn’t having a seizure. The many nights staying in a hospital room on the pediatric ward...the many doctor’s appointments. The decision not to date in order to protect their hearts and to spend more time with them. Not buying that Coach purse because the kids needed new shoes. Taking trips to Disney World and buying LOTS of souvenirs when I would have much rather gone on an adult trip to the Caribbean....I’m STILL making sacrifices for one or the other, year after year!!! (But they will only be kids once, right?) *smile*

All examples of a mother’s love...but I wouldn’t dare write about those experiences because I don’t want to come across as complaining. You see, even though I made those sacrifices for them....I am thankful for the opportunity and I would do it all over again...so, I won’t write about them.

I know...I know...maybe, I will talk about a mother’s love and the power of a praying mother. Maybe I will talk about the countless hours of praying for them to be healed...and once they were healed, praying that God would keep them healthy. Perhaps I should talk about how I begin to pray the minute they walk out the door to go to school for their protection or that they will make good decisions while they are there, the many prayers that they will pass their test or that a friend (or foe) won’t hurt their feelings today. I’ve prayed many times to parent them effectively so that they will grow to be a strong, successful, Christian man and woman. And I’ve prayed about the many times that I may not have parented them so effectively. Seems like so much of my day is spent praying for my babies....but maybe I won’t write about that because isn’t that what a mother is supposed to do.

Maybe I will talk about the pain of a mother’s love. Last night on the news they reported that a mother’s son was found after missing since Jan. 31st. His truck and body were recovered from a lake behind the college that he attended as a freshman. I cry because I have babies too and I can only imagine her pain. It’s a mother’s love that makes you cry when you hear of another mother’s pain...

Hmmm...maybe I should talk about how even while writing this blog, the tears begin to flow...because I am so thankful for my babies.

Sigh...I’m so frustrated. I love my children more than anything...they are two of the greatest people that I have in my life. As I said before, I love the fact that God chose me to be their mother and I thank Him everyday for the opportunity to parent them and yet, I can’t figure out not one thing to write about to express that love.... HELP!

Until the next time,
Sasha

Wednesday's Blog: Cheryl...being raised by a single mom

They Always Seem to Have a Song

2011-05-02T08:29:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I was awaken Saturday and Sunday by a bird singing its heart out before 6am. I didn't mind so much Saturday, but by Sunday morning I felt myself becoming annoyed with all the noise it was making—Errrr, I wanted to sleep in a little bit! But then it hit me, this is God’s creature and it seems to be very happy that it is alive. Also, it was sitting on top of utility wires, in the back of the house were there are no trees. So, not only has this bird taken up residency in the not so plush back alley, it has a great song to sing. Wow! That made me think about us as God’s children and how we don’t sing and praise Him so much through the hard and lean times.

There are huge trees right outside my door, yet this bird loves singing in the back where there are no trees. I have owned a couple of parakeets over the years and found that birds are very social creatures, whether they are domestic or free. Years ago, I lived on the top floor of a five story brownstone which had a back balcony off my kitchen. One day while preparing breakfast, I head a bird singing and I wasn’t familiar with the sound it was making and when I peeked out the door, it was a bluebird. They are here in the city of Philadelphia, but you don’t see them that often. I stood there and he sang for me. I remember feeling so blessed by that. Well, he started coming every day as long as it didn’t rain and he would sit in the tree across from me and sing until I came to the door. He did this from the spring until the fall of that year.

Birds are not only social they mate for life. When they are flying south in the fall, if a bird is sick or becomes injured the mate and one other bird will leave the flock and stay with them until it’s able to fly again or dies. The two left will join another flock going by.

God put such creativity and beauty into creating his birds, and made such provision for them from the very beginning—just as He has for us. But the one difference between them is…they don’t complain. They don’t feel sorry for themselves and they have a song in their hearts to sing each day. Wow….we can learn so much from them.

You know what? I want to be like that bird who sings in the back of my house. I want to be able to sing God’s praises no matter what is going on in my life. I want to have a song at all times for God. I want to be content with plenty or with a little. And most of all I want to believe with all my heart what Yeshua (Jesus) tells us in Matthew 6:25-26, 25“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food and your body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?” (NLT)

Do you wake up in the morning with a song of praise in your heart, or are you plagued with worry, doubt and unbelief? Do you grumble because it's Monday? It’s one thing to sing because we’re happy, but it sure is something else to sing when times are hard.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

In honor of Mother's Day (USA) this upcoming Sunday, the next 4 blogs will be reposted blogs from our 2week Mother's Day special in 2010. Enjoy!

Tomorrow: Sasha Brown: A single mom of 2 adoptive children

The Love of a Teacher

2011-04-29T09:19:00.001-04:00

This blog first posted February 10, 2010

Teacher….one that teaches; especially : one whose occupation is to instruct

I’ve wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember, right after wanting to be a ballerina and a princess of course. I grew up admiring the numerous teachers that I knew and also admiring my mom since I was homeschooled. Teaching seemed like a dream job to me. At first my thinking was, “You get to be the boss and everyone has to listen to you!” But as I grew older I realized that teaching is huge responsibility because you are instructing and molding the minds of others.

One of the major things that I LOVE about my school is how caring the teachers are. Pretty much any teacher is willing to help you outside of class, they all offer free tutoring, and they give you their personal phone numbers and email addresses in case you need to reach them. I love that they are all willing to go the extra mile to ensure that you succeed. My teachers demonstrate on a daily basis how much they love and care for us and want us to be the best students that we can be.

Job 36:22 says “God is exalted in his power. Who is a teacher like him?” God is the greatest instructor that we could ever have. God shows us how to live in His image everyday, and He is constantly testing us on what we know. I don’t know about you, but I have probably failed most of those tests. That’s why He left us a lesson plan for our lives, The Bible. Yeshua (Jesus) is also referred to as “teacher” numerous times throughout the New Testament. God sent Yeshua down to earth to teach us that we could not reach the Father but through Him. God is our ultimate teacher and I hope that we are all improving our grades on a daily basis.

However, there’s a big difference between our schools and God’s school. While you may be a bright intellectual and excel in a certain area, but in God’s school of learning you can’t skip a grade. You may have to redo a lesson 10 times before you get it right. You may be spiritually in the 10th grade for six years if that’s what it takes for you to grow to where God wants you to be. There is no easy way out when it comes to what God wants us to learn, but I for one cannot wait until our eternal “graduation” when we can sit before the throne of God and know that we have pleased our Father.

As I am now looking at colleges, I have all intentions to major in early childhood education. I aspire to be as great a teacher as my teachers have been to me. God has instilled a love of children into my heart and I cannot wait to be a teacher. Even at the school where I internship now, I lovingly refer to the children as “my kids.” Have you thanked some of your past teachers for the influence that they have had on your life? Have you taken the time to thank your head instructor, God, for the lessons that He has instilled in you? Why not take a moment to let them know that they are appreciated.

I am happy to report that Tovah is graduating from high school June 2nd and leaving for college August 25th!

Until next time...Love ya,
Tovah

Monday's Blog: Ponnie

The picture is: Tovah and Blanca of the singing group, "Group 1 Crew" at the 2009 Philadelphia "Revolve Tour"

Sometimes It Takes Years

2011-04-28T07:03:00.004-04:00

There’s a part of my life that is very exciting right now. And it all has to do with a personal promise that God made to me almost 19 years ago.

When I found out that I was pregnant at the age of 39, not married and in the Church—fear said, “You must have an abortion!” But God and His love through others said, “Trust Me. I will not fail you.”

I was a baby Christian and I really had no point of reference what it meant to trust God? I didn’t know God and His ways. I knew of Him, but I didn’t have a clue as to who He really was. So, to agree to trust Him was a huge step for me. And in the beginning there were days along the way that I thought I had made the wrong decision. But I didn’t, because over the years I have learned that He is trustworthy and He is faithful!

It has been a long and rough road being a single mom at 40 and raising a child according to God’s blueprint for her life. I’ve had to make many sacrifices along the way. Please don’t misunderstand and think I’m trying to say, I have done so much more than anyone else. This is not the case. I know that all parents make sacrifices for their children. I’m just talking about the things that God asked of me. We did not live what is considered the normal route of life. We did full time missions, homeschooled, part-time missions, homeschooled and more. And all along the way, God has kept telling me to “Trust Him!”

When Tovah was around 5 years old, the Holy Spirit told me one day that she would be a teacher. Okay, we all love it when we receive something like that from God! And it is exciting when He lets you in on his plans—but as life moves on, we can begin to doubt. But I say, “Continue to believe!” As the years progressed and there was no college fund, let alone a savings of any kind, I knew that God was going to have to do something out of the ordinary for us. And He did!

Tovah’s move in date for college is August 25, 2011. She was awarded a full tuition honors and leadership scholarship at a Christian College. Through various grants her room and board and books have been covered. In an economy where jobs are hard to come by, (especially summer jobs for students) she started a part-time retail job this week and she still has a few more weeks before she graduates from high school.

I am so proud of God and Tovah—God because apart from Him, none of this would be happening and He has taught me how faithful He is, and Tovah because she is following God’s vision for her life. Her major is Early Childhood Education.

As I look back over the years and the many hard times we’ve experienced, I can now see how it all played a part in God’s master plan for Tovah’s life. How only He can get the credit for all that is unfolding.

Sisters, I want you to be encouraged and faint not when it comes to the promises of God. It may take years for things to come into play, but we must wait for God’s perfect timing. When you think about the promises He made to Abraham. Abraham never got to see all of them come to fruition—yet, he “believed God” and it was counted as righteousness to him. (Read Genesis)

Maybe you are one who is becoming tired and weary because it seems that nothing changes and life is just so hard all the time. I’m a living witness to tell you to not give up on God. He is faithful! And His plan for us does not always mean life will be easy. I can tell you for sure that the great promise He made to me when asking me not to have an abortion, never included the word “easy”.

God loves us, so very much that He sent His only begotten son (Yeshua/Jesus) so that we can have eternal life. And He didn’t stop there! He also sent His Holy Spirit to live within us so that we would experience the comfort and peace of the Lord until our Messiah’s return.

It has taken almost 19 years for me to see what God had promised me to bloom into the flower that it’s becoming. It was years of Him weeding, tilling the soil, and sending others to plant seed and water it for Him. It has been a along haul, but He has never failed me once in all those years.
Sisters, sometimes it take years for it to all come together and while we wait on the Lord, He ask that we not become weary and trust Him.

Love & Hugs

See you tomorrow!

Men and Women Do Make Great Friends!

2011-04-27T08:34:00.003-04:00

This first posted September 1, 2010.

Contrary to popular belief – men and women can be just friends. I’m not talking about that kind of stuff where someone has been a lover and now you want to remain friends and become friends of the new girlfriend or the new boyfriend. That is a worldly concept and a bunch of mess. I’m talking about two who belong to God. Let me say that again, “Two who belong to God!”

I have a friend who is like a brother to me. We’ve known each other about 13 years and have been friends for close to 11 of those 13 years. And, “No” we have never been romantically involved and “No” he is not gay! But what he is, is a man of God. He just doesn’t say he’s is, he lives it. And that is very important my dear sisters. I want to share a little about our relationship (yes, I have his blessing) because we have lived out a great godly love for one another. And if we can do this, so can others because we all serve the same God whose desire is for us to live a holy life unto Him.

We’ll call him Jim. When I first met Jim it was in a Christian environment. We kept running into each other around other people and I could see that there was something different about him. For one, he was single had a lot going on for himself and yet he seemed to be oblivious to the women that kept circling like vultures because they deemed him, “a good catch.” He was too cool to be gay, so what was it about this guy? What I saw was the anointing on his life. And without a spiritual eye, you would have just thought it was his natural persona. ~Smile~

As time went on our friendship just sort of happened. No dates, no fantasies, no crushes, it just happened. So sorry if you thought there might be some romance in my story, because we all know that I love to write stories. In fact I consider myself to be a great storyteller, but today my dear sisters; I want you to get this in the reality of which it lives.

The first time we hung out was at a computer show, and Tovah was with us. It was just friends hanging out. I knew several people who knew him and they vouched for him as a man of valor with a heart for God. I didn’t meet him and then have to try to guess who he was so. I was privy to the inside track. Why? Because God would not have any of us to be deceived. Remember we have an enemy who is a great deceiver, just read what Eve had to say about him. Plus Tovah was used to being around him already through a school and church environment.

As time passed we began to hangout more and more, especially after he found out that I was a woman of discretion and not desperate for a man. See, I wasn’t trying to hook him—at all! He didn’t have the luxury of people vouching for me and my character; he had to wait to see who I really was.

Let me fast forward and sum it all up for you. Over the years we have been to the movies umpteen times with and without Tovah, car trips, all different aspects of live theater, play cards at my house, eat out, eat in (at my place) and just a lot of hanging out. We do fireworks most 4th of Julys, and a host of other fun stuff. But it is just that, plain fun. Most of the time we are impromptu with things we do, sometimes tickets are purchased in advance and also forgotten…LOL!! And we have a great love and respect for one another. And best of all, Tovah has been able to witness the gift of our friendship. She knows without a doubt that men and women can be “just” friends. And I can’t leave out the best part of our relationship and that is he has the gift of helps and he has been very instrumental in helping me over the years in ministry. It is nothing for him to help me pickup women who need to be rescued or take them places they need to go. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do to help me and there are no strings attached to his love for me and Tovah. Yeah, it is the pure love that Timothy talks about…treat older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. (see Timothy 5: 1-3 NIV). And the flip side of that coin is that I treat him as a brother with absolute purity. The purity that Timothy speaks of is “Purity of heart” and that is what we have toward each other and our relationship.

On thing I have learned over the years, and that is most people do not believe that a heterosexual male and a female can just be friends, “No”, not even in the Church do they just let you be friends. You get questions like, “Well, what’s going on with you and Jim?” Or I loved it when I had a new girlfriend and one day when we were just hanging out and having fun, she asked out of the blue, “What’s wrong with Jim?” I’m like, “What?” “You know, what’s the story, how come you two haven’t hooked up?” It was too funny, but it was also sort of the straw that broke the camel's back for me. So, now I always refer to him as my brother with people who don’t already know him. That way folks hear me talk about “my brother” and when they met him (we don’t look like we are related) that’s when I share that he is my brother in the Lord. Well, by then they don’t have any preconceived ideas or notions about us because they only heard “my brother”.

Sisters, the key to having a male friend in the Lord is that you are not searching for him. You are not one who is desperate for a man or to be married. As Elisabeth Elliot says, “A woman’s heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man has to seek Him in order to find her.” Stop listening to a world racked with sin as to how your life should be. Don’t allow the well meaning sisters in the church who keep saying dumb things like, “We gotta get you married” or push you to feel desperate or unhappy about your position as a single (unmarried) woman. STOP listening to the voices! Learn to be content in your season of life. Now my situation is unique because we are both destined to be single, but I have friends who are married, that had the same type of friendship with their husbands before marriage. In fact one of my friend’s was having such a good time living the life God had given her as a single woman that when her husband asked her to marry him, she wasn’t sure she wanted to get married? God had to tell her, “He’s the one.”

I have been very blessed to have my friend “Jim” and that my daughter thinks of him as an uncle after all these years, but don’t take that I’m telling you to bring men into the lives of your children. In fact, I warn you very strongly to be very careful about that. It takes time to get to know people, and never rush into anything with anyone. A friend of mine shared that her pastor preaches that single women with children when being courted should spend a year of courtship before ever bringing their children into the relationship. And when I think about that, it makes an awful lot of sense to me. Sometimes as single moms, women are too quick to try to have some type of family and jump to incorporate men into their lives and the lives of their children. This is not good sisters. Why? Because you are to never intentionally let a wolf into the hen house. Why? Because he will destroy them. And Jesus warns us that there are wolves in sheep’s clothing “deceivers” and we are to be aware.

Today I wanted to share how you can be just friends with the opposite sex, but there is a criteria for it to work. First your heart must belong to God, and you are trustworthy. Meaning, you won’t drop God like a hot potato when a man comes a calling. And you will take things slow, allowing God to order your steps and be willing to walk where He leads. There are times when friendships turn into love and marriage, and then there are times when friendships just continue to grow in the realm of friends.

Sisters, God is in control and when we let go of the reigns, step back and allow Him to be God, life has the potential for the sky to be the limit!

Love & Hugs

See you tomorrow

Sometimes We Have To Encourage Ourselves

2011-04-26T09:39:00.000-04:00

When I was coming up, the two words you never said out loud were, “I’m bored!” Reason being, my people didn’t believe in kids being bored, so they always had some type of chore waiting in the wings to help you not be bored. I quickly learned to not utter those dreaded words, “I’m bored” even if I was. But the truth of the matter is that most of us experience some type of boredom in our lives from time to time. And so today let’s explore how we can turn that into something positive and good.

Being bored doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have anything to do. It’s also a state of being, concerning the things you do all the time. You could simply be bored with your every day routine. Your days are probably very full with a lot on your plate, yet you still find yourself experiencing boredom of sorts. We have a tendency to fall into ruts, especially during the winter months when we spend more times indoors and at home. We are less physically active and often eat more. And some of us might even suffer from some form of depression as the nights grow longer and the days are shorter. I’m here to challenge you to do something about it.

In the spring and summer of 2008 I faithfully walked 2 miles 6 days a week and lost almost 25 pounds! And then the cold weather set in and I walked once or twice a week, and began to eat what we like to call “Comfort Foods.” My dear sisters, I want you to repeat after me…”There is no such thing as Comfort Food!!” That will be a discussion for another day, but the idea of finding comfort in food has tricked many of us up for far too long. I just needed to put that nugget of truth out there. ~Smile~ And along with not walking or exercising as much, eating heavier foods and watching much more TV, I ended up finding 20 of those pounds I had lost. That was sort of discouraging to say the least but inspiring at the same time. I was inspired to not give up and give into this momentary failure. I was inspired to move forward. But there did lurk the big question of, “How?” I walked again this summer and lost 15 pounds. I didn’t walk as many days because one thing I realized was that realistically I was not going to walk 6 days a week for the rest of my life. Therefore I needed to search out things that would work for me as a lifestyle change and challenge me at the same time.

Looking inwardly and truthfully at ourselves most often is not an easy task. Therefore we don’t rush to do it and given the choice we’d probably rather clean the toilet. But self-examination is a very important component to good emotional health. We have to come to the place where we are willing to look at the good, the bad and the ugly parts of those things that make us who we are today. One thing I’ve discovered is anything that demands a big chunk of time from me and is repetitious is something I’m not going to stick with. I love walking and for city living I am blessed to have a beautiful residential area to walk in that is full of flowers, trees, great architectural design and a park. But I still get bored walking every day. I have to mix it up. I love to dance and so workout videos that have dancing work for me, but I will become bored if I have to do that every day. I love watching Top Model marathons on the weekends, but if I had to watch it every weekend, I would be bored with it. Another fact about me is that I’m a daydreamer and a storyteller, so my mind has a tendency to wonder a lot. Even when I’m reading the Bible, certain words can trigger my imagination and I’m off. But worst of all, when I am bored I can gravitate to food for something to do. Yeah, I learned that about myself this past winter. So with this new found knowledge about me, I’m in the process of inspiring myself to live differently this winter and feed my boredom with creativity.

As individuals we all have different personalities, gifts, talents and desires, so what inspires one person may not necessarily be inspiring to someone else. But there is a common thread that we all have and that is a need for good emotional health. Continuing in the theme of helping us to find quiet time and rest for our soul, spirit, mind and body, what are some ways you can inspire yourself? The picture I used this week inspired me because sometimes I do my best thinking while soaking in a nice hot bubble bath. In order to inspire ourselves we must have a place to think without distractions. It might be a bath, or it might be at Borders with a latté or cup of tea. Talking to a friend about how you’re feeling can also help put things in perspective.

I want to challenge you my dear sisters to take time to look at your physical and emotional health and see what you can do to improve or maintain it. How are you feeling emotionally? Is there some depression lurking about? If so, what can you do to make things different? What is the root of your depression? I have purposely left out looking at your husband, marriage, and children because I’m encouraging you to take care of you. When momma is happy and content, things go oh, so much better. We are more patient, it is easier for us to wink at mishaps, people want to be around us and that person who likes to raise her voice in frustration all but disappears. It is about us my dear sisters, as women we often put ourselves last or neglect the things that make us happy and whole.

Mark 12:30 (KJV) tells us: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. I ask you, “If we are tired and our spirits and souls are sad and worn out, how much love can we give God?”

My dear sisters, I pray that you will take the challenge to try something new and take another step toward taking care of you.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Sometimes it’s “Us”….

2011-04-25T07:24:00.001-04:00

We all experienced encounters with human beings we wish God would change. And often there is good reason. You know, that boss who is unjust in they way they treat you. Or the sibling you have bent over backwards to get along with and they never change, and even the parent who no matter what you do to try and please them—it’s never enough. But when we are running into the same type of problems but with different people, more than likely it’s “us” who needs to make change.

Making change is hard! Our flesh and souls rebel against it. Even in the midst of sin, we can become very comfortable and therefore do not want to be pulled out of our comfort zone—even when it means a better relationship with God and others. We are not quick to want to look at our stuff. Sadly though, all of us have “stuff”!

Our stuff can consist of poor self-image and lack of self-love. It often has a root of rejection and low self-esteem. Our stuff hides dark secrets such as rape, molestation, abuse, and sexual immoralities. All of these things left unchecked, are a hindrance to us living a full and free life in our Lord. Though we think we have it under control, that’s just another deception from the pit of hell. Apart from being healed and letting go, we will always be prisoners to our “stuff”!

Sisters, there are so many of you out there who need counseling, about your stuff! You are moving through life, very unhappy and your stuff is spilling over into your relationships with others. Some of you single moms are having problems with your children, but it’s not so much that they are not going through normal phases of life as it’s the way you respond and handle things. You are doing the same things to your kids that were done to you, even though you told yourself that you wouldn’t be like your parents. Why is this happening? Because you haven’t really dealt with your stuff. Wives, you seem to always be at odds with your husbands. Why? Because you haven’t dealt with your mistrust issues from being raised in a home where your father was mean to you and your mother, therefore the slightest infraction becomes the biggest offense ever—your unchecked stuff is hurting your marriage.

Dealing with our “stuff” is not easy nor is it a walk in the park, but, it is necessary in order to live the good life. To be free of the past and the hurt and pain that goes with it.

How do we deal with out stuff? For one, you have to own up to your stuff. Don’t pretend like you don’t know what it is? You have some sort of clue—we all do. True you may not know all of what is going on with you, but you know something is amiss. Once you’ve owned up to the fact that you have stuff that needs to be dealt with…run, and I mean “RUN” to God about it!

Some of you may need professional counseling for awhile, because you may not have someone in your life that you can trust with your secrets or things are so deep rooted that you need someone who is trained in a specific area. Some of you will benefit from a good women’s Bible study. And there are those of you who need to open up your Bible on a daily bases and read.

I have been very blessed in my Christian walk to have been given a mentor who is a Christian Women’s Counselor and Teacher of the Bible. We have a long history together and over the years she has helped and counseled me to become whole in the Lord. But I must tell you, it was not easy and it took time for me to be the free woman that I am today. Does this mean I have arrived and no longer have to keep dealing with my stuff? Nope! But I do know how very important it is for us as women to let God take us to the deep dark places of our innermost being. To look at all the things we have tucked away and are afraid of.

If you are not happy with the way things are in your life and relationships…maybe it is not everyone else, but “you” who needs to make change. Maybe it’s “you” who causes the conflict and bad outcomes of situations.

A fear that keeps us from being all that we can in God is not of Him. There is nothing so bad that we have done or has been done to us that the Blood of the Messiah cannot heal. Nothing!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

REFRESH THE OLD

2011-04-20T08:28:00.001-04:00

This blog originally posted April 9, 2010…but as I reread it today I found myself being inspired all over again. I hope you will too.

A couple of weekends ago we had a rainy and chilly Saturday. You know one of those days were you want to stay in your jammies and piddle most of the day. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do since my youngest daughter had spent the night over her sister’s house, which meant I had the entire house to myself. Well, almost, we do have two cats. Now that my granddaughters are with me during the week, I do miss the quiet time I’ve been accustomed too the past couple of years, so the question was, “What was I going to do with this time?”

Now I must be candid with you, washing clothes, rearranging closest, dresser drawers, and ironing was nowhere on the list of things I might do with this day! But that is what I ended up doing. Somehow I started pulling out summer clothing and discovered there were certain items I had not worn last year or the year before. Why? I don’t remember, but what I found was that I was going to have a fresher wardrobe than I had anticipated.

My finances have not yet lined up with what I believe God for them to be. Many don’t know this but a part-time job I had for almost 10 years ended in February. So right now I am not able to add the new pieces to my spring and summer wardrobe that I would like. And there was a part of me that wanted to be sad about this. Why? Because I feel that I work hard for the Lord doing ministry work and have sacrificed a lot to raise my youngest daughter and I should be able to buy new clothes. Now mind you, these were just my feelings, they have nothing to do with the reality of God in my life. I’m just sharing my emotional state with you because as women we can let our emotions get the best of us and easily lose sight of God’s reality. The purpose of “The Kitchen Table” is to let our sisters know that you are not alone in the things that you feel or experience. So, I just wanted everyone to know that when it comes to the makings for a “pity party” you are never alone. LOL!!

Now God’s reality in my life is…..He has kept every single promise that He has ever made to me!!! Thing is, He never promised I would be able to shop the way I desired. He never promised I would have a vacation and travel every year. But He did promise He would supply all that I have need of. Do I need new clothes? Honestly, “No.” Would I like a few new pieces? “YES!” Will I get new clothing this season? I don’t know? Reason being, my checkbook says, “No,” but since my checkbook does not have the final say, we will just have to wait and see.

As I began to look at what clothing I had, versus what I didn’t have, my entire attitude began to change. And the blues that were trying to get me realized they were no longer welcome. As they were leaving I had them send a text message to despair, sadness and woe-is-me, and tell them to turn back around because the party was off! ~Smile~

My excitement began to grow as I looked at familiar pieces with fresh eyes, and spent my day, gleaning a new wardrobe from what I already possessed. It turned into a time of refreshing the old or that which had become familiar. The next day I wore this beautiful blouse (it was one I hadn’t worn in a couple of years) with a new chunky necklace I had yet to wear, and headed off to church. Did I feel beautiful? You better believe it! Was it because of the clothes? NO! It was because of my attitude. While pulling out the different items, I began to realize what I had. Not just in clothing pieces, but what I had in Jesus. What it means to be the daughter of a King. I remembered that the clothes didn’t make me, but it was the love of God that made me. It was the death of Yeshua that made me and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God. So that is why I felt beautiful and strutted my stuff. I was wearing designer, but it was designed from the inside out.

During service a couple of older songs were sung, and I realized how much I loved them but it had been sometime since I heard them. When I got home, I started rummaging through my CD drawer and found not only those songs, but many more I had not listened to in awhile. Since then I’ve made a play list of some of my favorites and I’ve been listening to them with a refreshed ear. You know how it is when you get a new CD; you keep playing that new favorite, over and over. Well, I’ve been playing my new old favorites, over and over.

Sisters, often what we think we need, must have, or want, is already in our possession. We just need to refresh or adjust our attitude about things. I love wearing a new outfit for the first time and there is a special feeling that can come with that, but I realized the Sunday before last, that nothing tops the feeling of knowing who you really are. I cannot remember ever having a new outfit that made me feel the way I did, in the outfit I gleaned from the storage box from under the bed. Why? Because it had nothing to do with the clothing, it was all about me.

Spring is the season for new life and growth. It is a time when we open the windows, let in the fresh air and clean away all the old dust of winter. It is also a time to paint, garden, change out the draperies and bed covers, and just all around freshen things up. We often equate this with spending money, but I wonder how much we can refresh by refurbishing what we already have? Do you remember everything that is in those boxes you stashed away a couple of years ago? Take a look, you might find that you have a few gems you have forgotten about.

Just as we have boxes in the attic, basement, under the bed and the spare room that we have forgotten about, I think we also have things of God we have packed way and forgotten about? I know that I always feel really good about my home after a good spring cleaning, and especially when I change out accessories or paint a new wall. So, what about if we approach our spiritual lives the same as we do our spring cleaning and planting? What if we pull out the boxes that hold our experiences with God and house His faithfulness that we haven’t really thought about in awhile? What if we get rid of spiritual junk that is cluttering up our hearts and taking up precious space where faith could rule? What if we pulled up some of the weeds we have let creep into our hearts and replace them with the good seeds of the promises of God? What if we did a good spring cleaning on our inner self? What would that mean for us? Sisters I think it would mean something different for everybody, but the common thread would be, “It would bring us closer to our Father!” And it doesn’t get any better than that!!!

I pray you have been inspired to look at what you have with new eyes. I challenge you my dear sisters to start spring cleaning in your soul. I challenge you to refresh, and refurbish that which you already have and get rid of the old that is trash and taking up space. How? Just as you would in your house…one project at a time!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Do Not Be Quick to Condemn

2011-04-19T06:58:00.003-04:00

A couple of days ago someone posted this quote on Facebook…"Do not be too quick to condemn the man who no longer believes in God: for it is perhaps your own coldness and avarice and mediocrity and materialism and selfishness that have chilled his faith." - Thomas Merton. It has really provoked me think about what Thomas is saying and the truth his statement holds.

Truth is—if I were a non-Believer I think I might find it pretty hard to believe in God with the world the way it is today. I asked myself why I was feeling this way and I realized it’s because of what I see going on in the Christian world. There is such contradiction! And I wonder is this the reason people are waxing cold toward God?

Is it because Christians are all over the place and continuously give Yeshua (Jesus) a black eye and bad name? Like the group that is picketing funerals of fallen soldiers and sporting signs that say, “God hates them and gays” and that is why they are dead? What about the pastor who wanted to burn the Koran? Or is it that we are telling women to wait on the Lord and then the Christian dating service hits the airwaves and is now telling women, “Yes, you may be waiting on the Lord, but sometimes He is waiting on you to make the move?” Is it that we have one scandal after another—Pastors committing adultery, involved in homosexual activities and paying to spend time with prostitutes…male and female? Is it that pedophiles have been allowed for years to prey on children and the authorities in the Church have turned a blind eye to what was going on? Or is it the group that is waiting for a mere man to be resurrected? Or what about the group that believes they know when the Messiah is returning, even though the Bible states that Yeshua (Jesus) himself doesn’t know when He will be coming back, only God knows the hour in which that will happen!

Why would a sinner want to come to a God who hates them? Even in the world people hate hypocrites, so why would someone want to be around a bunch of them supposedly in the name of the Lord? So, then, why are we so surprised and quick to judge someone when we see they no longer believe in God?

Young women join church and are approached by married men, pastors and others who hold office in the church. They are shunned and can’t seem to fit into one of the many cliques, and to top it all off—they really don’t see much of a difference in the people other than they might get dressed up to come together. But deep down they look exactly like the hard curl world they thought they were turning away from.

Young men who want to turn their lives around come to church looking for a place of refuge, but find themselves being hounded by a bunch of desperate women, who say they are holy, but behind closed doors they are the same ungodly women they thought they were getting away from. They were hoping to meet godly men and be mentored as Paul mentored Timothy, but what they find is the same old mindsets as in the streets, but covered up in a façade of false humility and the guise of holiness.

People are being sold a bill of goods, that once a Believer, God will wave a magic wand and all your troubles will disappear. But when that doesn’t happen, they fall away—because they were tricked into believing something that wasn’t true.

So many have stopped believing in God because of what they see. And what they are not seeing is the love and truth of God. Individually as the visible representation of the invisible God, we are falling short too. We are a mess! We are not honest on our jobs; (stealing time from our employers) we are mean spirited to others, unforgiving, and argumentative. We are cold and selfish with our—me, me, me, attitudes. We see people in need but dare not extend a helping hand because we love our money or we just don’t want to make time. We are not kind to our spouses. We are compassionless to others we deem, “She made her bed, now she will just have to lie in it!”

Take a moment and think about it.

Now do you see how people can have a hard time believing in God? I can. Not only are Christians (as a group) and our poor behavior and conflicting ways on public display on a daily bases, so are our individual lives. We are falling short as the “Church” and one-by-one.

It is time for us sisters to make sure we look like the Messiah to the world. They must see something that is different about us. Not us trying to convince through our words that we are different, but by the way we live and treat others is how they are to know. And for those who have waxed cold toward God, we are to pray for them and love them, petitioning for their safe return to the Household of Faith.

I pray that you have been provoked to examine what your reflection might look like to others. And to have compassion on those who are lost.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

LET US BECOME FAITHFUL IN PRAYER

2011-04-18T08:22:00.000-04:00

Sisters, it has come to my attention, that as women in the Body of Christ, we are really going through some difficult times. And when I say the “Body” I am talking about our sisters in every different country and place there is. We all have our trials and tribulations to bear, but it seems that the things that many of us are experiencing “may be common to “man” but they are not common to us. This is what’s different about this time we are in.

I am asking that all the women who read this blog join together to start praying for our sisters. Romans 12:12 (NIV) Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. What are we to pray each other? Whatever current struggle is going on in our lives and hearts at this time. We should pray for all our sisters who are going through the same thing.

Years ago I lived in an apartment building where you could hear everything. And the woman who lived above me was the neighbor from hell. I must add she is a Believer now, but back then she was not God’s child and lived the grand life of a sinner. She was rude and very inconsiderate. The noise was almost unbearable and effected my daily life, until one day, my mentor had, had it with me complaining about the noise, and said, “Why don’t you stop complaining every time the loud music comes on or whatever, and GET UP and PRAY!!!” Wow!! Yes, she did get my attention. First, she made me see just how much I had been complaining about the situation, and second she gave me an out when the music came on at 2 o’clock in the morning. Instead of lying in my bed moaning and groaning to God, I started getting up praying for her. Oh yeah, I prayed for her and her son. This helped to soften my heart toward her, (because we really can’t pray for someone on a daily bases and continue to have ought against them). But then I also began to pray for all of my brothers and sisters who were subject to kind of daily disturbing noise. Living in a big city, other peoples noise is a real problem. I can’t say how long it took but after awhile I looked forward to getting up in the wee hours of the night to pray for her and others. Well, soon after my heart had grown to the place of loving to pray for her and others, most of the noise stopped! I think for two reasons. One, God’s purpose had been fulfilled and our enemy’s was no longer being fulfilled! LOL!!

If you are experiencing financial woes, then pray for our sisters in the “Body” who are experiencing the same. If your family is going through any type of crisis, pray for our sisters whose families are being destroyed. If you are battling the enemy for your health, if your marriage is hurting, your children are acting up and acting out, pray for our sisters who are crying for the same reasons. If you are dealing with depression, sadness, and or feeling hopeless, pray for our sisters who may not be able to get out of bed today because of depression. If you are in a state of being displaced or hungry, pray for our sisters experiencing the same thing. If you are having turmoil on your job, in your church, in your community……PRAY for our sisters!! Whatever your life struggle is at this time, pray for those who find themselves in the same place. Why? Because from your own struggle and experience, you will offer up a more “Fervent” prayer and James tells us that kind of heart felt prayer, can achieve much. But also as you begin to pray for others, the Holy Spirit is going to take you to another level, which is very exciting. We are not alone in our struggles and problems. Everyone has them.

I do want to look at something before ending, and that is being “faithful in prayer”. Technology is wonderful, but like everything in this world, the good always has a flip side. There was a time if you wanted others to pray for you, you had to pick up a phone. Even if it was just to activate the prayer chain at your church, women’s group or talk to a friend. And even in that, most of the people knew you in some way. But today’s technology has aided Christians in being lazy in praying for the things they should be praying for themselves and not involving others. Do not misunderstand what I am saying, I am not saying that we should not ask others to pray for us or with us, but what I am saying, is that we should not be so quick to ask others to pray for things we should be praying for ourselves. Technology has also become a way to gossip, under the pretense of prayer. It allows us to put other people’s personal business in a very public forum, which is something we should be very careful about doing.

Prayer is a special gift, and our way of communicating with our Father. We must stop taking it for granted. In order to be faithful in prayer, we as individuals must take our responsibility seriously and stand up and pray. Let’s grow up and start living Romans 12:12 and James 5:16b. And let’s start by lifting our sisters up who are experiencing the same trials and tribulations we are. This alone will make a “Huge” difference in the spirit realm of God’s Kingdom.

I pray that I have provoked you unto good works on this glorious day our Lord has gifted to us!

Blessings and Love
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

And I Finished....

2011-04-15T08:55:00.001-04:00

In any kind of race or game someone wins. They get medals, cheers and slaps on the back! They are at the top of the list. When I was in school I liked being at the top of the class. It was my main motivator – be on top – everywhere except gym class.

After the prizes are given out for second and third place finishers, there’s everyone else – a mass of active, fit (or getting fit) humanity. And then there’s the bottom of the list. The last person in.
You’re looking at her – the person behind the name at the bottom of the list of 5K participants.

I didn’t plan to be at the end – at least not while I was waiting to start. But as I got to walking I fell in step with a lovely lady who was walking simply to see if she could do it. Together we chatted about our journey through life – she’s older so the challenges are different. She had reached her goal weight and used walking to keep herself there! It was a good day for walking in Calgary today.

The river ice is breaking up and I saw a pair of Golden Eyes (ducks) diving in the chilly waters. I got my first glimpse of the “Peace” Bridge which has created a lot of controversy in our lovely city. There was time to see so much.

And at the end, the decision to stay back just a tad and finish last. Most of us know people who finish somewhere in the pack. Fewer know the persons who finish first (I don’t know anyone who’s finished first) Maybe even fewer know someone who finished last. Well, now you know me.

Who knows, maybe I’ll be last again next time out, but I’ve got a time to beat – Officially its 1.01.45.74 hours which is what I figured. The net time is a little less at 1.01.29.47. And the pace, whatever that was, was 12:18. Those are the numbers to strive to overcome!

I’m sure this won’t be the last event I’ll be participating in on my journey to health and fitness. It’s too much fun!

Have a wonderful Saturday, and a restful Sabbath!

And until next time.
Marcia

Marcia Stehouwer, lives in Calgary, Alberta Canada…and frequently shares her own blogs as a guest writer with us. Thank you Marcia for such an encouraging and enlightening look at how wonderful it can be to finish last.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you ladies on Monday!

Decisions, Decisions, DECISIONS!! Part II

2011-04-14T07:32:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we talked about how in the course of any given day we make so many decisions it is basically impossible to keep track of them all. But there is one decision we can make that is harmful—making God last! Saving Him for the end of the day, when we are tired and brain dead.

I have a friend who has a saying that describes how we as Believers often find ourselves in trouble. “We slow walk into places we never meant to go.” Over the years I’ve found this to be very true. When we don’t spend the time with the Lord our soul and spirit needs to stay strong, we begin to slow walk into places we have no business being. And since we are slowly (bit-by-bit) going there, we are often not aware it is happening—until it is too late.

One of the biggest problems we run into when we are not touching base and staying connected with God on a daily bases, is a lack of faith or a “Weak trust” in God. And that can propel us into slow walking into areas that are definitely not good for us. When our trust in God is weak, we lose confidence in Him. Shaky faith equals wavering thoughts and being double-minded in our decision making. In other words, we are back in forth from one moment to the next. Finding it hard to “believe” and stand strong—making poor decision out of fear and worry.

There are also other problems we open the door for when we are not fellowshipping with God as we should. We begin to take on doing things in our own strength. It only stands to reason, because if we’re not spending time with Him concerning our problems, then we have to take on working them out ourselves. And that leads to even more trouble.

Noah spent the beautiful sunny gorgeous days building the Arch and preparing for the storm. And when the rains and flood hit…he was prepared! We should follow his example. If we have a day where we look at our “To Do List” and feel very accomplished but didn’t spend quality time with God…then we are not following Noah’s example. Can you imagine Noah and his sons trying to build the Arch once the rains started? It would have been impossible. But that is what some of us like to do. When things are moving along pretty well, we don’t make the time for God we should, but when the storms of life hit (and they are going to come) then we are scrambling to be with God and build our arch of confidence in the pounding rain and flood.

Sisters, please spend time reading your Bibles on a daily bases. And I’m not just talking about a little 15 minute devotional you do every day. I’m talking about becoming disciplined in making quality time where you sit down and just read and talk to the Lord about what you are reading and how it affects your life. Have a conversation with God, which means sit and listen to what He has to say to you.

We cannot escape the daily decision making in our lives, and some days are more overwhelming than others, but one of the best decisions we can make in the course of our day—is time spent with the Lord!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Marcia will be joining us tomorrow!

Decisions, Decisions, DECISIONS!!

2011-04-13T10:10:00.002-04:00

Decisions are something we make continuously throughout our day. The alarm goes off—do we hit snooze for 9 more minutes or do we get up? From the beginning of our day to the end, we do nothing but make decisions—I’m a little tired I think I’ll turn in early tonight.

We make so many decisions in the course of one day it is probably impossible to count them. What’s for breakfast, what am I going to wear? What am I packing for lunches, do I have time for coffee or will I get some on the way to work. Once the kids are out the door and on their way to school, what do I do first? Do I make the beds, clean up the breakfast dishes, sneak on Facebook before I start my chores? And this is just the first hour and a half that we have been up. Get my point? Realistically trying to count the many decisions we make every day—Impossible! But with any decision making there is always room for human error and even in the little everyday things of life we are not always as prudent as we could be.

How many will raise their hands to admit there are times when you spend too much time on Facebook? Personally I have found myself washing breakfast and lunch dishes right before it is time to cook dinner. Well, I usually wash them together most days because I don’t have that many and it saves on water and dish detergent. This is supposed to happen right after lunch is finished….not four or five hours later. What happened? I jumped on Facebook for a quick minute to see what was going on and that quick minute turned into a quick couple of hours. Poor decision on my part. We all make them during the course of our day—it’s normal to stray from the script of things we are suppose to be doing. ~Smile~ But then there are those decisions that we make on a daily bases that aren’t as easy to rectify as washing the dishes before starting supper.

The decision to put off spending time with the Lord is one that has far more reaching consequences then rushing around at the end of the day to wash dirty dishes, freshen up the bathrooms and vacuum before the kids or your husband walks through the door. And though the consequences can be more devastating then your husband asking, “What did you do all day?” they are most often not as oblivious as dirty dishes in the sink, or an unmade bed.

We will try our best to rectify the things we have put off during the day, especially if someone else is going to see that we weren’t on top of things. So, by the end of the day our houses are neat and tidy and all the laundry is washed, folded and put away. But then we are too tired to rectify the fact that we really didn’t spend time with the Lord. But that is okay because He loves us and we will make it up to Him tomorrow. And when tomorrow comes we have to start making decisions the moment our eyes open, which translates into—off to the races with all the things we have to do just to get our day started. And once again we make the decision to spend time with the Lord later. But later doesn’t come.

Most of us would never think about going 10 days without washing dishes, our dirty clothes, changing our bed linens, mopping our floors, dusting our furniture, food shopping for our family…no way! But we can easily find ourselves letting 10 days go by and not really spend much time reading our Bibles or talking to the Lord. And when I say talking to the Lord, I’m not talking about our long laundry list of things we want Him to do for us or our families. I’m talking about spending quiet time so we can hear what He wants from us.

When we make the decision to put off God, we make one the worst decisions of our day. If you’ve been allowing the many other things in life to come before God, make the decision “today” that’s going to change.

Tomorrow we will take a look at the type of consequences we encounter from not spending the time with our Father that we should. Be sure to tune in!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

The Temptation to Overextend

2011-04-11T08:06:00.002-04:00

“Resist the temptation to take on more than you can effectively handle. Any over-extension could deplete your resources physically, emotionally, financially or spiritually. Exercise sound judgment when making choices and you would do well to be conservative. The enemy would love to stretch you beyond your abilities.” I read this on a friend’s Facebook status a week or so ago and it struck home so much, I wanted to write about it.

Mostly when we think about resisting temptation, it covers things like, fornication, lying, stealing, cussing folks out, gossiping, adultery, gambling, over eating, giving folks a piece of your mind…you know things like that. But do we often think about the temptation to take on more than we can effectively handle? Probably not so much. As women we can easily find ourselves in the predicament of having too much on our plates, and the culprit for the overload is usually us.

Any over-extension could deplete your resources physically, emotionally, financially or spiritually, and it can make for a poor testimony for God. One important thing a Believer should be is a person of their word. An overextended person can find themselves not keeping up with what they said they would do. They often find themselves not meeting deadlines and are late with things across the board. It is important to do what we say we are going to do and in the time frame we said we would.

Speaking before we think is problem for many of us. I just did it. On Friday I made a commitment to do something before I really thought about it and found myself overextended this weekend. And to tell you the truth I was really upset with myself. At this point I should know better! Well, the truth is, I do know better. But I had a laps in poor judgment. If I had just taken a moment to think I would have remembered before hand that the day I made the commitment was already very full. I felt stuck and a little overwhelmed that day. But I knew how important it was to keep my word, so I made sure to do what I had committed myself to. Wasn’t happy about it though.

Over-extension can be a commitment that affects everyday of your life, or just one day. But either way, it is not good.

I wonder how many women at the Women of Faith Conferences have committed to sponsoring a child after their plea for World Vision, who later found it a strain on their budget? I’m sure there have been some. Because it is easy to get caught up in the emotion of things. What about that last thing you were asked to help out with at church and you said “Yes,” before counting the cost and you now find yourself in a bind trying to keep up?

I think in many cases we find ourselves overextended simply because we want to help. We have a need to nurture and we want to be doing something for God. But the trick is to “Exercise sound judgment when making choices and do well to be conservative.” In other words, take a moment to think about the small things and pray about the big things.

Why does the enemy love to stretch us beyond our abilities? Because he loves to see us fail. It brings him great pleasure when we become known as a person who does not keep her word. He is very satisfied when we are frustrated and cranky because we can’t get it all done. And if you’ve ever experienced working with an already tight budget and do something to make it even leaner, then most of you know—that is a recipe for an unhappy camper.

Sisters, it is wonderful to want to help, and feel needed. But be careful in overextending yourselves. It is better to do one thing and do it well, then to try to do two things and come up short on both of them.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Taking Time Off

2011-04-04T13:40:00.001-04:00

Blessings Sisters!!

This has turned into a week where I am a bit overwhelmed. I published my new website yesterday SingleParentsCanHomeschoolToo.com…please check us out!

I have a great passion to get the homeschooling message out to single parents, especially those who find themselves at odds with the education their child or children are receiving.

Tovah is turning 18 on Thursday and we have appointments this week in finishing up the college process and the list sort of goes on. So, I must put my “Gone Fishing” sign up for this week.

Please keep me in your prayers as I work through everything this week.

God willing, I will be back Monday the 11th with something inspiring for us all.

Blessings & Love
Ponnie

I Bless You

2011-04-01T09:54:00.002-04:00

When you read the Old Testament you see how it was a really big deal to speak blessing over people. It was so important that Rebekah and her son Jacob tricked Isaac into giving him Esau’s blessing. (Genesis 27) But in today’s world we see many parents cursing their children versus blessing them. I’m not talking about using cuss words, but actually speaking death and curses over their children. “You will never amount to anything!” “You are worthless and good for nothing!” “You are stupid!” There is no blessing in these words, they are all curses. You also see spouses belittling and speaking curses to one another and children also imitating their parents by cursing their siblings.

We just don’t see an abundance of people speaking blessing to each other. Not the way they did in the Bible. The prophets blessed people for being generous to them and the list goes on. How come we don’t use our tongues to speak blessing to one another as much as we use them to gossip or tear down? I don’t know why, but today I want to change that and speak a few blessings to you.

May your faith in God withstand the test of time.

May you be blessed in your comings and goings.

May the love of the Messiah reign in your heart and home.

May your children rise up each day and call you blessed and beloved.

May your husband’s love for you keep its oath to God.

May your end days have more tears of joy than sadness.

May you be one who is quick to forgive and keeps no record of wrong.

May the work of your hands be blessed beyond measure.

May your disposition be quiet and one that pleases the Lord.

But most of all—May your name be written in the Book of Life!

Sisters, I challenge you to write a blessing to someone you know and send it to them through snails mail. It just might reach them on a day they need to be encouraged by the thoughts and love of someone.

Enjoy your weekend!

Blessings & Love
Ponnie

See you Monday!!

20 MINTUES A DAY…..Just For You!

2011-03-31T07:19:00.001-04:00

This originally post April 16, 2010...enjoy!

Sunday after church, my girlfriend took me out to eat. We had a nice leisurely meal and plenty of good conversation. We covered God’s faithfulness, eating healthy, clothes, a new hairdresser and our nails. There was a lot more in there somewhere, it had to be. We were seated at 1:30pm and left at 4:00pm. LOL!!! But apart from God’s faithfulness there was something else that stuck out to me, and that was the conversation we had about our nails.

We started talking about our nails and I shared with her this new system I had purchased about a month ago on a shopping trip with my youngest daughter at the mall. The brand name is Déjà Vu and it’s manufactured in Israel with minerals from the Dead Sea. The system consists of a nail file, bottle of cuticle oil, body lotion and a buffer. What I love about this system is that it has made my rough, ridged nails very smooth. And they shine like glass. The lotion is fantastic, and I’ve been using it on the heels of my feet more than my hands. I take about 5 minutes each evening to rub the oil on my cuticles and do the buffing once a week. She shared that she had a similar system but was too tired at night to use it. That’s what stuck out. I hear this way too often from women. Because what you are saying is that you are too busy for you. Now granted my friend’s schedule is very full with working full time and all the other things she has on her plate, but she is single and does not have children, and if she is too busy then what about the women who are caregivers, married and have kids? Women who are responsible for others often put themselves last. And there needs to be a change in that mindset.

I could write a few more paragraphs talking about all the things that women do and why we so often put ourselves last, but I think focusing on inspiring us to make change is a better use of time. You already know if you are not making time for you and why.

On Wednesday I posed the question on our Facebook fan page “Share something you can do for yourself in 20 minutes” I did not get the response I had hoped for. I really wanted to see women write something they do that is for them, that doesn’t involve anyone but them. I wasn’t surprised though because once I offered a free subscription to a fashion magazine and women wrote me and told me they didn’t have time to read magazines. I think that is pretty sad. Why? We are inspired by reading and even a magazine that might take us all month to read can inspire us to try something new or make a change. Take a mirror test…..If you are frumpy or look neglected and un-kept, ask yourself “Why would someone else want your God?” How faithful a God is He if you look like you are in need would be their question? Some of us have let ourselves go to that point. And that should not be, so my prayer is that you will take a look at how you got there and begin to make change.

There is a great buzz in the air because it is spring. Women are talking about their gardens, spring cleaning, freshening up their houses, working on their curb appeal and so on. Well, what about you? It really won’t take much to make a change if you have been neglecting yourself. Even if financially you are not able to budget in a “professional” anything for yourself. That still does not leave you out or make it okay for you to be last or neglectful of yourself.

Maybe clothes are not your issue as much as your hair, skin, nails or feet. I would love to get a professional pedicure, but my budget says, “No.” But that doesn’t stop me from soaking my feet and, pumicing the dead skin off and painting my toenails. Most plastic dish pans will accommodate both your feet. They cost what two or three dollars at the most? If you don’t have foot soak, a little bit of bubble bath or shower gel will do. Treat yourself to a new color of polish, and go for it. There is so much that we can accomplish for ourselves if we just spend 20 minutes a day on us. Six times 20 equals 120. One hundred and twenty minutes translates into 2 hours. Wow, that is impressive if you are one who doesn’t spend any extra time on you. One night you could give yourself a facial. You can spend twice a week doing exercises to tighten up your stomach muscles or lift hand weights to firm up the under arm ding-a-ling. Soak in a luscious bath for 20 minutes and pumice your feet at the end. Twenty minutes is enough time to file and buff your nails or even pluck your eyebrows. It really doesn’t have to be about if you have money or not, it should be about you no matter what. You can read a magazine article in 20 minute that will inspire you to try something new. If you spent just 20 minutes each evening sewing an outfit for yourself, by the end of the week it would be completed. How often have we purchased material and never found the time to do the project? I’m guilty!

Maybe you are a person who has kind of lost your sense of style, if so, may I suggest you go to the bookstore and peruse the fashion magazines until you find one that speaks to you, and then buy it. Also if you have The Learning Channel please checkout the show “What Not to Wear!” It is fantastic, mainly because they teach you to dress and love the body you have. Here’s the website: http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/whatnottowear.html.

Thrift shops in upscale shopping areas are another place to find good pieces. A new trend that seems to be really catching on is women are having clothing swap parties in their home. That will help you to get rid of those items that still have the price tags on them but you will never wear. You know the things that are 2 sizes to small but you bought for when you lose the weight you have gained. ~Smile~ There are consignment shops that buy clothing by the bag or trade off for items in the store. Spend 20 minutes in a thrift shop and put one outfit together for yourself. Then on another day spend 20 minutes picking out a new shade of lipstick or eye shadow. The sky is the limit, be creative. After all it’s for you.

As women, if we can’t take 20 minutes a day to love on ourselves then something is amiss, I do believe. No more excuses please. If you have eggs in the house then take one and use the egg white as a facial mask. Did you know you could do that? Well, you can. Here are a couple of links and a search for “Homemade Facials” http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980423b.cfm,
http://hmbeautyrecipes.homestead.com/SKINcleansers.html,
http://www.bing.com/search?q=recipies+for+natural+facials&src=IE-SearchBox&Form=IE8SRC. You probably have most of the ingredients right in your cupboard and fridge.

So again…..No More Excuses!

My dear sisters you are worth 20 minutes a day no matter what you do for others or how full your day is. I pray I have encouraged at least one person to start making room for themselves each day, even if only for 20 minutes.

Blessings & Love
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!!

SATISFACTION!

2011-03-30T07:03:00.002-04:00

Remember the infamous Rolling Stones song “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”? Well, God’s girls are a lot like that song…sometimes we just can’t get no satisfaction, no matter how hard we try.

Most of that stems from feeding into the world’s misguided sense of what life should be, and if you are not living according to that agenda then you are not living. I live on the East Coast of the USA, and we get the four natural seasons. I’m also bombarded at the beginning of each season with the new and improved or you just gotta have this in order to feel that life is good. Right now it ranges from, renting summer homes at the shore, new deck furniture, a new spring wardrobe, redoing your bedroom, planning your garden and getting your bathing suit body ready for the summer…ahhhh! But what if you can’t buy a new wardrobe this year, and your deck will still be filled with last years mix matched plastic furniture? You would love to plant flowers but you are barely stretching your dollars for your food bill, so that is out of the question too. What if there’s the likelihood you won’t be going on a family vacation because you have to scrimp just to spend a day at the shore? Will this mean that life is not good? Will you feel like you “Just can’t get no satisfaction” because your funds are low and it seems everyone else can do and go but you?

The house I’ve been renting for the past 4 years is really very nice. In fact it was gutted and revamped right before I moved in. Friends of mine own it, and have been a great blessing in allowing me and Tovah to live here. And when I saw how big my bedroom was, I was as happy as a little kid at Disney World! But there was a catch…the street was too noisy for me to sleep in there. Here I had this huge room where I could have my queen sized platform bed again, and a slew of other stuff. Three large windows that form a bow and new laminate floors—but I still couldn’t live in this room!

There are two other bedrooms in the house but one of them is really a closet with windows and I had turned it into a walk-in closest and ironing room. Tovah’s bedroom is large also but I couldn’t swap out bedrooms with her because hers had been painted purple just for her. Guess what I had to do? That’s right—make the small closet room my bedroom! It was the only way to get away from the noise. The only bed that would fit was a twin. So I have a night stand, twin bed and bookcase with my TV on top of that. That’s my room! But you know what? I love it!! There is something very nice and warm about it. I still have three windows that take up a full wall and it’s bright and cozy. When I had to give up my master bedroom to sleep on a twin bed, I was disappointed and a little disheartened about the whole thing. But my first night in my new room—proved to be very tranquil. I could sleep and not hear a bunch of noise all hours of the night.

At first there was great satisfaction visually with my huge master bedroom, but the real satisfaction and contentment came in a room I had deem as nothing more than a closet/storage room.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that we can often find great satisfaction in what we already have. It’s just that we are usually distracted by what is being dangled in our faces as better.

If you’ve been feeling a little dissatisfied with life, maybe all you need is an attitude adjustment and a grateful heart for what you have—more so than what you want and don’t have.

Sisters!! It’s time to be like Paul, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12 NIV

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

"You...complete me!"

2011-03-29T07:27:00.003-04:00

This originally posted September 29, 2010...enjoy!

Do you remember the movie Jerry Maguire, and the infamous scene where Tom Cruise looks Renée Zellweger deep in her eyes and says, “You complete me!” The sad thing about this is that way too many women bought into that foolishness back in the 90’s and it’s still messing us up today. It is one thing to be bored or not quite satisfied with life because of how things are going or not going when you are a resident in the Kingdom of God. But it is another thing to be sad and unhappy because you don’t have a man telling you, “You complete me.”

Sometimes I become weary of hearing single women “whine” because they are not hooked up, engaged or married. Pleassse enough already! Get over it!!

I know that sounds so harsh, but the truth is we need to stop bellyaching about such things and grow up. There are times we just need a big dose of reality and God’s truth, still clothed in love, but nonetheless a reality check. First off sisters, everyone woman is not going to be married. That is a “fact of life,” that even the world seems to understand. Their remedy for this situation is called “shack up.” They have even gone so far as to have a movement of writing “prenups” (prenuptial agreement) for people who plan to live together. That’s right! A book came out this year (written by a lawyer) on when and how to use a prenup before you move in together.

Okay, since we know that living as man and wife and you are not married is a sin and not an option for a “Daughter of the King,” so then how do we handle the fact that marriage may not be on the horizon? Well, for one we need to stop letting the world and others be our measuring stick. The Bible must be the ruler of how we measure our lives. “You complete me,” are words that only ring true to our relationship with the Messiah. There is not one human being on this earth who will ever be able to complete another human being.

I think that once we can come to that conclusion then we will be well be on our way to the good life. So, guess what I did to help you? I looked up the definition for the word “romance”. Girls, I was surprised and utterly amazed at what I found, and I used a good World Book (the encyclopedia people) dictionary. And guess what? Romance is made up! Did you hear me? Romance is referred to poems, stories and songs. The definitions were numerous but it all boiled down to the fact that “romance” was made up. Now that ought to tell us something. But I didn’t stop there, I did a word search on “Biblegateway.com” and guess what? I couldn’t find the word “romance’ or “romantic” in any of their English Bible translations. Hum, so what does this mean? STOP desiring and looking for romance! There is no such thing! It is all make believe! Wow!! I hope you girls are getting this.

The desire for romance in our lives causes real problems, especially since it is non-existent. It’s make believe, just like in all the soap operas, romance novels, movies and TV shows. Pure fiction! Our Lord is the only one we can look at and say with truth, “You complete me!” So if you’ve been unhappy because you want a little romance in your life, now is the time to get over it!! Sorry, no such thing!!

Where do we go from here? Try looking deeper into your relationship with the One who really does complete you. See what you can find there that makes life better for you.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

He Desperately Needs Our Prayers

2011-03-28T10:02:00.001-04:00

This past Friday, the New York Times featured an article on a woman who is 70 years old and has no money saved. She works one day a week at a retail store for $12.50 an hour, and makes dresses for little girls for about $200 a month and receives $900.00 a month from social security. The story in a nutshell summed up what happened for her to be in the position she is in and how in her case there is a solution of a reverse mortgage on her house and selling some land she and her brothers own. As I read the article there was a sadness because I know that many are in her position and they don’t have the land or property to help turn things around for them. But I guess the saddest part of all is that she probably doesn’t know the Lord, and up until she was given some financial advice, she was beginning to feel very hopeless.

I started to close the page once I finished the article, but looked at a comment that had been post just 3 minutes prior (7:00am this morning). Sisters, this man (whose name is not known) desperately needs our prayers.

….I am 52 years old, disabled from a spinal injury that makes me unable to stand or sit for very long as my low back goes out leaving me unable to walk. I am 6 foot 6 inches tall and that doesn't help. I get a Social Security Disability check for under $1200 a month and it is all I have. If the government goes bankrupt or the system attempts to purge me as it did when I initially was forced to file after losing nearly 60K in savings fighting in family court for the right to be my children’s father, I already have plans to kill myself. I will have no choice. In order to afford the insurance Medicare provides from another insurer, along with my monthly bills just surviving, I would need a job that paid $1000.00 a week take home. Where at age 52 will I get that, much less 58 or 62?! I cannot afford to be buried ($3000.00 minimum just to have your body processed unless you want to be stacked with 3 other corpses in cardboard boxes to decompose on top of each other). I eat a bowl of rice and an apple for my one meal a day and sometimes am able to have a piece of meat or fish twice a month. Michigan gave me $22 in food stamps, that won't feed my cat. The American way wants me to die. I already wrote my note and wrote instructions on what to do with me and my few remaining belongings when it all goes bad and I must kill myself. But that's all this country will allow me. I have Hep C, my liver is quite sick but I cannot afford the doctor. I have rheumatoid arthritis and cannot afford the medication so my joints ALL hurt all the time. I sleep in a chair because I can longer lay flat. THE AMERICAN DREAM COME TRUE after working myself to the bone from age 15 to 46......and I have nothing. My dad died today, my mom died 5 months ago, I am alone and have no hope for the future. I KNOW HOW SHE FEELS…..

Sisters, my heart was breaking as I read her post….this is the cry of a hopeless person. Let us pray that he comes to know our Lord and Savoir, and that God will open the door for him to receive the medicine he needs to help with his rheumatoid arthritis. But most of all he will no longer have plans to kill himself because his hope will be in the Lord.

Please encourage as many people as you can to read this blog or to pray for this man. Let’s not just pray for him today, but put him in our daily prayers beseeching our Father on his behalf.

It is things like this that help me put my life in perspective. My life compared to his is grand. For one I have good health and family and friends who would help me. But most of all, my hope is in the Lord! If you were having a bad day or maybe feeling a little sorry for yourself, I pray that reading this man’s desperate plight has helped you to see how blessed you truly are.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

I Love Me Some ME!!!

2011-03-25T09:08:00.003-04:00

Originally posted on April 19, 2010...enjoy!

On Face Book a friend’s profile information begins with…I love me some Me!!! And any given day she will post it as her profile status. It seems to be her theme for life and at times she makes it a daily reminder. So, thinking about us as single (and married) women in the Body of Christ—I think all of us should have that mindset. What about it sisters? Should we be proclaiming on a daily bases that “I Love Me Some ME?! I say, “YES!”

After making the decision to write about this catchphrase, I wasn’t sure what the next step should be. So, like any up-to-date, savvy internet person (LOL!!), I did a google search. Yes, I know, so very creative. ~Smile~ Well, a slew of junk came up but what caught my eye was the “I Love Me Some Me” group Tyra Banks started back in March of this year. Click—and I was in. What I found were about 178 messages and I started to peruse through them to see what the ladies were talking about. Sad to say, “I was very disappointed.” Most of the messages had to do with loving your body or not loving your body. Message after message talked about struggling with weight and low self-esteem, and then I realized that was the theme of the group. Ooops! It was “I Love Me Some Me…Body!” Kiss all the body parts that you can and tell yourself, “I love me some me.” But there was one woman who wrote about how she had experienced some very hard times in life and at times found herself broken. And yet, she is now learning to love herself and be strong through the things she learned in those hard times. Wow!! Now you’re talking.

Loving your body for what it is definitely is part of loving yourself, but it can’t be the main focus. There are just too many things about the human body that we have no control over—parse. The average woman cannot afford massive plastic surgery, nor should we want it, but that is what our world becomes when we focus on the outward body — when we make it an idol of sorts. The main focus on our bodies should be that we take care of them the best we can. We should love ourselves enough to work on getting excess weight off, exercising, eating for health, and looking our best. But, our self love must run much deeper than our outward shell if it is to transform how we live and enjoy this life that God has given us.

Exactly what does “I love me some me,” mean? I would think it holds something different for everyone, but there are some common threads. For starters we should accept who we are. This doesn’t mean there is not room for improvement or change, but that we stop looking at what is not right or what we feel is not working and take a long look at, what is good and working for us. That we begin to believe what the Bible says about us and rebuke what the world says. Make ourselves a top priority in our lives. This does not mean we are to be selfish and self-centered, but it does mean that we nurture and care for ourselves as we do our children and others. In other words, stop putting ourselves on the back burner of life.

As I looked at myself I realized there is a combination of outward love and inward love that needs to happen to make us whole and gives balance to our lives. But a total focus on just one or the other will leave a gap. I know women who make sure a good portion of their wages are spent on their hair, nails, makeup, perfume, clothes, shoes, entertainment and shopping. Yet, they still are empty inside though outwardly they are done to the nines. On the other side, I know women who dedicate their lives to serving the Lord and neglect their outward selves and it shows in their lack of confidence around other women, because they stand out as frumpy or not well kept. As with everything in life, even in our self love we need to strive for balance.

I’m in the process of reading a cookbook, (Yes, I read cookbooks…LOL!) The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great by Pam Anderson. She is a renowned chef who for years struggled with her weight and self-esteem, but lost close to fifty pounds in a year and at the time she wrote this book she had already kept the weight off for five years. It is a good book and if you desire to lose weight by changing your lifestyle (not dieting) then this might be a good match for you. I purchased it used, (used like new) from a 3rd party at amazon.com and it was the best few bucks I’ve spent in awhile. One of the things she talked about was starting with working on the outside you, because that is something we can do immediately. We can start with something as simple as putting on lipstick and decent clothes if you are one who is home more. That’s me! I have days when I know I’m not going out, I tend to not care so much what I have on, and lipstick never enters the picture. But she made a valid point of starting out with little things to encourage yourself. So starting next week, I’m going to make sure I dress every day unless we have a day of heavy rains. Then I like to stay in my jammies. ~Smile~

You might be one who is a high maintenance sister, and really doesn’t need to change much on the outside, but there is not one of us who does not need work on the inside. After all, we are a work in progress.

My prayer for you my dear sisters is that you will begin each day by proclaiming, “I Love Me Some ME!” and you begin to peruse just exactly what that entails for you as an individual. I have a feeling that with our focus directed on us in a more positive light, you may find more satisfaction in your life! And as time goes on that satisfaction will turn to joy, and we won’t have so many single women in the Body of Christ who are miserable and so very joyless. I Love Me Some ME takes time, effort, and work, but you are worth it!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you Monday!!

Have a great weekend loving on yourselves!!!

When Life Isn’t Perfect…..Then What?

2011-03-24T08:26:00.005-04:00

Orignally posted December 26, 2008..enjoy!

Recently Tovah and I tried to take that perfect picture of my three grands to use on the cover of a photo album the middle one bought her mother for Christmas. As you can see in the photo I posted, is far from perfect. Just as Tovah was about to snap the picture, one of our cats decided to run down the stairs and see what was going on which triggered the baby closing her eyes and the cat being in the photo. We did get a really nice one for the cover, but as I perused them to pick just the right one, I couldn’t help but be inspired by this photo. It reminds me of how we try to orchestrate perfect lives and how in an instant it can all fall apart. And when that happens….then what?

The “Then What?” really translates to, “How do we respond, how do we handle things, or how we really perceive them to be?” How many of us have experienced trying to get that perfect baby photo or family snapshot? Probably all of us at one point or another, so we know that it can be a nightmare (especially with a cranky or crying baby) or it can be fun with a happy ending. It's a lot like life can be….moments of joy that we wish we could hold onto forever, or seasons of disappointments and trials that seem to go on forever.

With the end of our current year quickly upon us, I’m sure that many of us are looking ahead for what we would like to see happen in 2009. I have been looking at the goals I set on January 4th, my 55th birthday. And at first I was a little disappointed as I viewed my list, until the Holy Spirit had a word with me. He was quick to point out just how many things I had accomplished and the many ways the Lord had blessed me on an every day bases.

I wanted to celebrate my birthday every month in the year 2008 by doing something special. I wanted to do things like go to the movies every month if there was something I wanted to see, have lunch with friends once a month, buy myself a mp3 player, have a makeup party, etc., etc. Hum, I still don’t have that mp3 player, didn’t have a party and there were a couple of movies I wanted to see this past year that came and went before I got to see them. He showed me that though I may not have gotten to see those movies when I desired, there wasn’t one day of this year that I did not have eyes to see. I may not have the mp3 I wanted so I could listen to music as I walked in the mornings, but He reminded me of all the mornings I had a song in my heart and used my walking time to talk to God. And as far as the party goes, if I hadn’t wanted it to be a set way I probably could have had one. As I began to look at my list of goals through the eyes of our Comforter, I could see that my year had been one of great measure.

Of course with 56 on the way, I am setting new goals and transferring some from this year that I want to continue to work on. But one big difference from this time last year is that I’m not trying to setup things so that I have that perfect picture. Just as the picture of my grands is not the perfect picture pose, in the upheaval it turned out to be a great moment of laughter, with a good memory to boot. One thing we often do as women when we conceptually plan or design things, we strive for perfection. The truth is….. there is “No Perfect” in this world other than the love of God for us….

….So my dear sisters, when at first glance the picture does not seem to be perfect, take a second look and see what you missed. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Update: Today is March 24, 2011, and guess what sisters…I’m still working on some of the same goals and I not too long ago celebrated my 58th birthday. No perfect pictures, but many good times. This past birthday I set the same goal of getting out more each month, and I still haven’t gotten that MP3 player yet…LOL!! But the past couple of years, I must say I have gained more wisdom with each passing day. Rereading this blog, inspired me and helped me to see that even though I never got the makeup party or the MP3 player, life has been really grand, as I try to be more like our Messiah. .

Blessings & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

God is Good!

2011-03-23T08:13:00.003-04:00

The saying, “God is good!” has in many cases become a cliché in the Christian world. But it really is a great Truth and Attribute about our God, the creator of heaven and earth! You often hear Believers saying, “God is good.” and then someone will add, “All the time.” But we are mostly using it in the text of Him doing something in our favor.

Been out of work for awhile, and you get that job you have been praying for—first part of your praise report…”God is good!” There is a fire in your apartment building and many lose their homes but you didn’t…”God is good!” Bad report from the doctor and God turns it around…”God is good!” Getting ready to lose your home, but a miracle comes your way…”God is good!” Need a car and God makes a way…”God is good!” Living in a shelter and He provides you with your own place…”God is good!” You need money, and He opens a door from out of nowhere…”God is good!” Yes, God is Good—All the time, and that is a truth that never changes even when things do not go our way.

You got the job you so desperately needed to stay afloat. But what about the brother or sister who He didn't open the door for a job and they lose their home? Is He not still a good God?
Your apartment was spared in the fire, but others in the household of faith lost everything they owned except the clothes on their back? Isn’t God still a good God? Your doctor’s report was turned around, but what about your sister who’s healing came on the other side? Isn’t He still a good God? You needed money or your gas and lights were going to be cut off, and out of nowhere God made a way for them to be paid. But when you went to church that evening you saw your sister crying because her electrify had been cut off. Is God, still not a good God?

Sisters, God is a “Good God” no matter what! This is the point I’m trying to make. He is Good—Period! And I think this is something that seems to elude us as Believers at times. We seem to only praise Him as “Good” when things happen in our favor. But the truth of the matter is He’s good even in the midst of the hardest times ever set before us and no matter the outcome. The earthquake and Tsunami in Japan were devastating and people are still reeling from its effects. Many lives were lost and who knows what the long term effects will be? But nonetheless God is still a good God.

I’m not sure why the Holy Spirit led me to write this blog today, but one thing I’m sure of and that is we need to come to the revelation that God is a “Good God” no matter what the circumstances in our lives may be. And just maybe we should start to praise Him for His goodness everyday. His goodness wakes us up every morning and starts us on our way. His goodness has allowed you to read this blog. Yes, my dear sisters—God is good all the time—Period!

When I’m in a situation where I feel “God is good” is being used as an old cliché, I sometimes interject…”God is Faithful in His love for us!” That often causes the party or parties involved to stop and think for a moment! ~Smile~

Let’s praise God for His goodness, but let it not be that tired old cliché of “God is good—all the time!” Let us be sincere about the things we say about our Father, letting our praises and accolades come deep from within our hearts.

Blessings & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Enjoying the Everyday Beauty in Life

2011-03-22T07:38:00.002-04:00

This blog first posted on April 28, 2010...enjoy!

Though this blog slot is for Single Women, what I’m writing about today is something all women struggle with from time to time. And that is being able to “Enjoy the everyday beauty in life”.

When I say, “The everyday beauty,” I’m referring to the fact that with each day we are gifted there is something beautiful about it or in it, if we only look. Problem is we can go days without seeing any beauty.

By nature it is difficult to live in the moment and not worry about tomorrow. And I say this because in the Old Testament, God tried to teach the Israelites to trust Him each day by giving them manna on a daily bases. The instruction was to take only what you needed for that day (and an extra portion for the Sabbath) of course there were those who needed to make sure tomorrow was taken care of, so they took extra when they were instructed not to. As always there are consequences to be had for our disobedience and so not only did they still have to collect their portion the next day, they had a real mess to clean up on what they had called themselves stashing away. In the New Testament, Jesus tells us in the “Model Prayer” to ask the Father to give us this day (today) our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11) He also tells us in the “Sermon on the Mount” that God knows what we have need of, therefore stop worrying about tomorrow. So this is why I say that it is hard for our human nature to live in the moment because it has been a problem since the beginning of time. The truth is it started in the Garden. Eve just couldn’t be satisfied with the everyday beauty of her life and thus came the “Fall”.

I would have to say that in this day and time, it is harder then ever to focus on being in today. That part of us that wants to work it all out and have things in a neat little package is bombarded and inflated on a daily bases to strive for more. So when we are busy trying to get more, and be more, we usually end up not having the time as the old saying goes, “To stop and smell the roses!”

As single women we are often drawn to looking at the lives of others (the grass is greener thing) and finding discontentment because it provokes feelings that our lives are lacking or we are missing out. Take marriage for instance. If you have been a bridesmaid yet never a bride and each year more and more of the people you know are getting married, and it seems like God has forgotten you….after awhile you stop “Enjoying the everyday beauty in life”. Why? Because your focus is on what you want, what you think you should have, why God doesn’t love you as much, why is life so hard, why me and the list goes on. Everything you have or do would be sooo much better if you had a husband to share it with. There is no truth in this thinking, but again it is the MO (motive of operation) that our enemy has used for years to dupe us. He told Eve that God was holding out on her. He continues to tell us the same thing and like Eve, we continue to fall for that same old line.

The everyday beauty in life is usually not the big things. Most often they are the things we take for granted. The neighborhood I live in (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) has a great beauty about it; in fact there are tour buses that come to show off the gardens in the spring and early summer. The area I take my 2 mile walk in is absolutely gorgeous, and I’m very excited that soon I will get to smell the honeysuckle and much more. Every morning I get to walk I try to savor what each individual block has to offer me, but it wasn’t always like that. I have been walking in this neighborhood for 16 years, and I can remember a time in my life when I walked without noticing anything. Why? Because I was too preoccupied with tomorrow or distracted within that day. I would walk right pass all the beautiful front gardens and well kept homes oblivious to their charm and splendor. I didn’t necessarily enjoy how good the sun felt after a long winter. I hardly noticed how quiet the city was early in the morning or in the early afternoon. I ignored the fact that the Holy Spirit was with me, and there was an opportunity to talk to God versus grumbling in my spirit because “I didn’t have what I wanted.”

The truth is…..there is not a man on this earth girls who can make you appreciate God. And it is God who has given us life and the everyday beauty in it, is something we must choose to see. But I also want to note that “married” women suffer from the same issue of “not enjoying the everyday beauty of life” too. This is something that is common amongst women in general. Again, Eve fell for it and so do we as women across the board.

How do we stop letting our days go by without enjoying the beauty in them? By making a decision to look for the good no matter what! Hebrews 11:6, tells us that we must believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. When we seek to see Him in each day that we are given, there is a great reward in that. For one, it gives us a heart of thanksgiving. It helps us to focus more on Him rather then the things that are not so perfect around us. We complain less in our spirits, and hope has the lead versus doubt. Joy triumphs over sadness, and most of all……others (non-believers) begin to see there is something different about us. Something that sparks their curiosity? “What is it about her, why is it when we approach her with a complaint about another people she has a positive flip to the situation?” “I know that she has had a rough time of things, yet she always seems to be humming every time I walk past her desk.” We all have family and friends who are not saved and for them to know that things may not be ideal in your life, yet, you seem to always enjoy living, speaks volumes to them as far as God, and how great He is.

No one has a perfect life, but we usually find what we look for. So if we look for “trouble” then that is what we find. But if we look for “what is good” well…….

The beauty in your day may be as simple has sipping a good cup of coffee as you watch the sun rise. Or it could be that though you are in pain, you are still able to function on your own, and the freedom of not having to wait for someone to do for you is beautiful. On the other hand you might be dependent on someone else, but the beauty is, that someone loves you and takes very good care of you. It could be the birds singing outside your window this morning that woke you to a sunshine filled day. We all have different lives and it is up to us to see the beauty in each day.

Contrary to what the world projects and others say, there is a special beauty in the life of single people. Why? Because we are given the opportunity to serve God in a way that others cannot. If I were married, I would not have been able to have the ministry that I do. I could not have taken women into my home the way I have. It would not have been prudent for my husband. Even now, the schedule I keep and the things I do would not work for most married women. The point I am trying to make, is that we must strive to live in the now. See what is good about now. See what beauty is there in my today. Why? Because tomorrow really is not promised to any of us, and to put your life on hold because you are waiting for something else, is not a wise thing to do at all.

My dear sisters, I pray that I have encouraged you to strive to enjoy every day that you open your eyes. That you begin to see the glass half full with more to come. That you will be so busy seeking the beauty in your life that you won’t have time to envy others or be discontent with what you have or don’t have.

Learning how to ENJOY THE EVERYDAY BEAUTY OF YOUR LIFE, takes commitment and work. So get to it!! LOL!!!

Blessings & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Prayers for Healing

2011-03-21T09:21:00.002-04:00

While attending a spring concert at a nearby college this past Saturday, a young woman was asked to pray over the offering they collected, she not only prayed for the offering but for all in attendance. She also prayed for physical as well as emotional healing. “Wow!! We just don’t hear that too often,” I thought to myself. It seems to be common place for us as Believers to request prayer for our physical healing or pray for others to be healed. But we don’t often talk about or include emotional healing in our public prayers. This made me ask, “Why?”

I’m not sure I have the answer, but I think it might stem from the fact that emotional issues are often our dirty little secrets. They are the things kept in the closets and tucked away in the deepest recesses of our souls. Because the truth is, you don’t just get over a childhood of abuse or neglect. The residue of rape doesn’t somehow just disappear. You may not have any telltale scars that others can see, but the emotional scars of physical and mental abuse run deep in our souls. The death of a child, whether by accident, illness or murder, cuts to the core of our innermost being and the hurt and emotional devastation of our loss will not leave on its own. To be abandoned by a spouse who promised before God and man, “Till death do you part”, rocks your world in a way that can make you feel hopeless and emotionally unstable. The loss of one’s job and the trickle down effects of losing your home, car and other worldly possessions can send you emotionally on the brink of no return. To lose a spouse of many years can be emotional devastating. But these are everyday occurrences in our lives, yet we seem to forget that those who are experiencing these test and trials need prayer for their emotional healing and wellbeing.

If you are one who has been emotionally healed from one of life’s many hardships, I ask that you pray for all women who are in that place you once were. You don’t have to know them by name, because you know them all to well by circumstance. If you’ve ever lived in a shelter, pray for those who find themselves there today. If you have ever struggled with the root of rejection and loss of a marriage…pray for your sisters who are struggling to move on and forgive. Women are raped and abused everyday, and if you have experienced this heinous crime, pray for others as you know what it has taken to heal and be whole again. If you have lived through the guilt of an abortion, pray for those who find themselves walking in those old pair of shoes of yours.

On the other hand you may be one who is hiding your emotional turmoil and pain. You may not want others to know what you’re going through; because like so many of us you’ve been duped into thinking you are a weak Christian. “Why are you so hurt?” “You’re not the first woman to be left by her man and you will probably not be the last!” you may think others might say this about you. The truth is pain-is-pain and hurt-is-hurt and no matter how you get to that point, it can make you emotionally sick and deceased in your soul.

We are quick to request healing for our physical bodies. We will even hop a plan to go to a healing service to have hands laid on us for healing. But we are slow and secretive about asking for emotional healing for our souls. But it is time for that to stop. If you are one who is suffering in silence, please suffer no more. If your church is setup with those who can help and counsel you please seek them out. But if not there are many groups out here that offer support for you.

The next time you are asked to pray, as you stand at the Throne of Grace, please ask our Father for emotional healing of those in His presence. There are far too many broken women in the Body of Christ.

Shalom (nothing broken, nothing missing) my dear sisters.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

YOU'RE FIRED!

2011-03-18T09:20:00.001-04:00

This first posted April 2, 2010. Hope you enjoy it!

“You’re fired!” Two dreaded words that no one wants to hear. One of my favorite shows is The Apprentice because at the end of the show you know that Donald Trump is going to turn to someone, point his finger, and say “You’re fired!” When you think of the phrase, “You’re fired!” your job is probably the first thing that comes to mind. “How am I going to support my kids without a job?” “How will the bills get paid?” However, being fired may not only refer to your job.

Another one of my favorite TV shows is “CHUCK”. In one episode, while Chuck was talking to his best friend Morgan, Morgan got upset because he discovered that Chuck had been lying to him a lot. Morgan also happens to be Chuck’s boss and Morgan was so upset that he turned to Chuck and said (bet you can guess it), “You’re fired!” Chuck replied, “What, from my job?!” Morgan’s response surprised me because he answered back, “No, from being my best friend.” Whoa! Now while you may have been fired from your job before, have you ever been fired as a friend? I can only imagine what it would feel like to be told that, “You’re not doing a good job as a friend anymore so I’m going to have to replace you.”

I’m sure that we’ve all had times when we feel like our friends are failing us or we’ve failed as a friend, I know that I certainly have. But I don’t know anyone who’s been physically fired as a friend. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if God ever fired you as a friend? He wouldn’t, because He is a kind, loving, and a merciful God, but what if God treated us like we treat each other? “I’m sorry but you never talk to me anymore so I’m going to have to let you go as my friend.” Have you been spending time with God in the way that he desires of you? I recently came to the realization that I haven’t been talking to God like I should, or spending adequate time with Him.

God has given us a willful nature and He doesn’t force us to do anything, He always gives us a choice. I realized that I was choosing television and Facebook, over Him, on a daily basis. He really wants to spend time with us, and I wasn’t making the time for it. God convicted me of this and I am now working to further strengthen my relationship with Him, and make sure that I am always talking things over with my Best Friend.

Spring is upon us and with that comes the beautiful weather and new life in the form of flowers and budding trees. Everything seems so new and fresh. It has inspired me to want to refresh my relationship with my heavenly Father, and my friends. This is one of the major goals that I would like to accomplish this spring, and I hope that you will do the same. The last words you want to hear are… “You’re fired!”

Till next time,
Tovah

Ponnie will be back on Monday!

I Am.....

2011-03-17T07:42:00.002-04:00

This blog orginally posted on June 7, 2010...enjoy!

During the last few weeks of school, my kids have both been working on their end of year personal portfolios to submit for their final exam grade. Their portfolios are to be a compilation of some of their work over the school year that they are proud of and want to showcase for others to see. It should also include reflections of what they have learned and their successes in all of their subjects.

My kids see this as busy work. I am sure many of the kids feel the same way…LOL! My daughter made a statement though that I think captures their principal’s vision for the students. While my daughter was going through old Language Arts writings, she said to me “ Mom, look at how much I have improved since the first day of school!”

I was looking over some of her assignments and she really has developed into quite a terrific little creative writer. (Don’t worry...this isn’t a blog to brag about the wonderfulness of my daughter…LOL!) I can remember when she was given certain homework assignments and how she whined and complained because this particular teacher gave them so much homework. At the time she couldn’t see the value in having to do all that work, however now, she loves to write and has some great poems/writings that she has created to prove how much she has grown as a writer.

This morning I work up and had to really, really, REALLY talk to myself to get out of bed and to go for a walk. I was up late and I just wanted to sleep in. (I’m still trying to beat this laziness bug…LOL!) I started whining and complaining...to no one in particular...of how I was so tired of having to do the work to get healthy and fit. Why is it taking so long? But then I remembered my daughter’s statement and felt convicted...”But look at how much I have improved since I have started.”

I’m tired of the work...my stats are not as great as I would like them to be but I can honestly say, “I have improved so much over the past few months!” I pulled out my journal that I started using since the beginning of the year during my times of devotion and started reading some of my entries. I began to see and realize that I have improved/grown so much as a person...as a woman. This morning, I realized that my journey is not only a journey to become Fit by Forty....but it has also become a journey towards Wholeness.

Thank you Holy Spirit for helping me to see how much I have grown today. And Thank You for helping me along this journey in finally becoming the woman that God the Father has created me to be.

One of the pieces that my daughter wrote this year was called "I AM". I am not a creative writer by ANY means...but I loved the poem. I am following the template that she used and I’m writing my own version to kind of reflect my journey so far...I hope you enjoy!

I AM
I AM fearfully and wonderfully made.
I WONDER if I will ever see a size 6 again.
I HEAR God’s voice whisper to me that He loves ME.
I SEE God’s glory all around me.
I WANT to be made whole. I AM a fearfully and wonderfully made

I PRETEND that I am happy and that I have it under control.
I FEEL scared and alone and that I will never reach my goals.
I TOUCH the hem of His garment with my prayers.
I WORRY that I will never receive the desires of my heart.
I CRY when I look in the mirror. I AM fearfully and wonderfully made.

I UNDERSTAND that I can do all things through Christ.
I SAY that I won’t give up and I won’t get discouraged.
I DREAM to be Fit by Forty.
I TRY to walk by faith and not by sight.
I HOPE to be the woman that God has created me to be.
I AM fearfully and wonderfully made.

Until next time.

In sisterly love,
Sasha

Tovah is up tomorrow!

OH…..Just Another FROG!

2011-03-16T08:19:00.003-04:00

This is a rerun from April 3, 2010...I thought it appropriate with all the spring and summer weddings coming up. It is a time of joy for many and envy for others...single sisters this is just a reminder to not step ahead of God!

Last Friday on “The Kitchen Table” fan page on Facebook, I posed the question “Did you ever really want something and God said, “No?” This was based on Tovah’s blog “You Can’t Always Get What You Wanted”. My response was….”Yes, a man. But God knew that he was a frog. Thank you Jesus!!” But I wasn’t alone in my response. There were others who were also thankful to God for saying, “No! Not Him.” The truth be told there are many of God’s daughters who are very grateful to His, “No” of protection and there are also many of His daughters who wished they had listened to Him. So today I want to talk about the Frogs versus Prince Charming.

The world always has everything backwards or upside down compared to God’s Kingdom. It has given us “Beauty and the Beast” “The Princess and the Frog” all stories where true love brings out the handsome prince. But since Jesus Himself warns us to…”Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves,” Matthew 7:15 (NLT) to me this is saying that you better watch out for the so called “Prince” because he could really be a “Frog”.

I am going to be focusing on men who are in the church buildings. I put it like that because everyone who is hanging out in the church building is not necessarily part of “The Body of Christ” and I don’t want anyone to be confused about that.

Once upon a time there was a 42 year old single mother of a 2 year old child who thought life would be perfect if only she could find validation by being married. Her heart was broken because the father of her child was off with another and had made it clear she would be on her own. It didn’t matter at the time that the Lord had made her a promise that if she had this child versus having an abortion He would forever supply all their needs and be with them always. Yes, that sounded good for a minute, but didn’t He see that she needed a husband?

Yes, it seems He did, because He sent her a “Prince Charming”. A man that looked good, smelled good, had a good job and excellent credit rating, generous with his money, talked the talk, looked like he was walking the walk, and to top it all off he wanted her and her baby. Wow!!! God is good! But wait! He was a deceiver and not really a man of God. Oh no….it turns out he was just another frog.

How did she find out? Well, the blessing in all of this was that this fair maiden had made the decision that she would never have sex again outside of marriage, before she met him. She had come to the conclusion that was a sin she was not having anything ever again to do with. And that one decision to obey God saved her. Even though she had run ahead of God, her desire to do things the right way, gave Him the opportunity to show her the truth (before she completely jumped off the edge) about what she had picked for herself. Because there was no soul attachment (the type you have when sexually involved with someone) she was able to call off the engagement, give back the big beautiful diamond and walk away. Was there pain involved? Yes. There was a time of mourning, for the death of her dreams and hopes with this man, but there was a celebration after her period of mourning because she had eyes to see what the Lord had done for her. And I have been grateful to Him ever since! ~Smile~

There is a seed that I have planted in Tovah and continue to water every chance I get, and that is….if a guy who says he loves the Lord is continually trying to get you to have sex with him on the guise of “If you love me, you will have sex with me.” Know that he is a frog and not for you! When a man loves God he is not trying to sin against Him. And if he loves you, he will not be about the business of trying to involve you in sinning against God.

Also there are a few other things to look for my dear sisters. How does he handle money? Is he always using credit cards or does he have cash? Has he asked to borrow money from you? Are you being foolish enough to offer him money or the use of your credit cards? What is his relationship with his mother? What is going on with his family? Does he have children? How many and with how many women? Are his actions really lining up with the Word of God? Is he busy wooing you so much that he is eating into your time with the Lord? If he is after you all the time, when is he spending time with the Lord? I hate to break this to you but….just because a man is interested in you, does not mean that the Lord sent him. And even if he is a true man of God who really is walking the walk, it still does not mean that the Lord has deemed you and him to be together. I know that is a hard pill to swallow for some, but nonetheless one that all single women in the Body of Christ should take. It will save you from unnecessary heartache.

2 Corinthians 6:14 tells us, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness?” (KJV) But do you realize that you can be unequally yoked with someone who is in the kingdom of light? Well, yes you can. Will God have you unequally yoked? No! But we can put ourselves into a relationship that is unequally yoked. If you have been walking with the Lord for 15 years, why would you want to be yoked to a man who is just coming in from living a sin filled life in the world and can’t rub 2 scriptures together? How can he lead you? But in our desperation to be “Mrs.” we get ahead of God and try to make things happen in our own way.

The best thing you can do for yourself as a single woman in God’s Kingdom, is….5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge HIM, and HE will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV) Got that girls?! If not read it again, and again until you do. This is key to living the good life in Christ.

Now as for men you meet who are not even pretending to know the Lord, I can sum that up in four words. “RUN THE OTHER WAY!!”

My dear sisters, I pray that today’s blog has encouraged you to continue thinking about your life as God sees it. And the more we can do that, the happier and more fulfilled we become with who we are and where we are in this season of our lives.

So…the next man you meet (or it could be someone you know now) don’t forget to ask yourself, “Hum, is this just another frog?” LOL!!!

Blessings & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Planning Your Garden

2011-03-15T07:33:00.007-04:00

I live in the city of Philadelphia in a traditional row home. My backyard is what many call “a postage stamp,” meaning it is small. Philadelphia has the largest city park in the USA. Unless you have been here to see it for yourself, it is really hard to describe, but it runs all through the city and it is something to behold. But it has its downside too—for one, a bunch of squirrels. I mean squirrels like you’ve never seen before and there is a city ordinance that you cannot kill them. They are a big problem. If they get into your attic you end up paying an exterminator big bucks to set traps and take them to the park and set them free. They love to bite into your tomatoes even though they don’t like them, they will still bite into every one on the vine…errrrr. Another downside to the park is many neighborhoods are being pledged with raccoons and opossums. The city has nothing setup to help get rid of these critters and the past 5 years, we’re seeing more and more of them. They too eat in your gardens. So, a person like me finds it hard to have a vegetable garden because I’m in a neighborhood that has lots of trees and critters out of their natural elements looking for food. And at times I find myself a little envious of others as they talk about starting to prepare and plan for their gardens.

But you know there is one garden we should all work on no matter where we live. It is the garden of our lives as Believers. The Bible tells us that whatever spiritual seeds we plant (sow) in this world is the spiritual harvest we will reap or receive. Works the same as in the natural. If you plant tomatoes, then tomatoes are what you get. You don’t plant lettuce seeds and get grapefruits….impossible. So, just as we plan our natural gardens each year, we should be as diligent in making sure we have planted good things in our spiritual ones.

Natural gardens don’t take care of themselves anymore than our spiritual ones. A natural garden has to be planted, watered, weeded, fed, pruned, protected and harvested at the right time. Our spiritual gardens of love, kindness, generosity, hospitality, helps, friendship, and selflessness must also be planted (sowed), watered, weeded, fed, pruned and protected too. The spiritual harvest is continual and a result of the seeds we have been sowing.

To care for a natural garden there are several key tools one needs to ensure a good harvest of the things planted. Same thing applies for the spiritual realm in the gardens of our hearts and actions. Our essential tools are Faith, our Bibles and Prayer.

Faith (trust) helps us to continue to love and be kind to others even when they a not kind to us. It keeps us in obedience with the things of God even when it seems like it is a waste of time or it’s just not working. With our faith we continue to be able to sow good seeds no matter what.

Our Bibles feed and water us. The spoken Word of God keeps us full of Him and refreshes our weary souls. When we are feeling used up and parched it will revive, refresh and water the dryness our spirits might feel. It helps us not to give in to the temptation to repay evil-for-evil and therefore sow bad seeds that will affect our harvests. It also helps us to protect our heats and weeds out that which is not good.

Prayer gives opportunity to talk to the One who has all control. Prayer is where we can lay the hurts and pains of life at the Cross. It is the place to ask for forgiveness (when we mess up) and receive help to forgive those who have hurt and used us. Prayer helps keep our love walk in check. And it’s also a time to hear from our Father to see what He has to say about our garden and how it looks to Him.

When planting a garden decisions have to be made, “What are we going to plant this year?” Some people plant many different items, others only one or two. But since the Word of God tells us that “Love covers a multitude of sins” I would have to say spiritually, maybe we should focus on sowing as many seeds of love as we can and let the other things follow. ~Smile~

Sisters, spring is around the corner and many of you are thinking about planting gardens, I want to challenge you to also think about your spiritual gardens. What type of seeds have you been sowing lately? Is it time to rearrange things in your lives so you look more like what God wants you to be? If you are not sure—reach for your Bible, you will find the answer there for sure.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Were We At The Same Place?

2011-03-14T07:10:00.004-04:00

This past weekend Tovah and I attended the Philadelphia Flower Show. It’s a big deal each year and people come from all over to see it. It’s an event that generates extra revenue for the city. Hotel bookings are up, there’s an increase in the sightseeing tours, downtown shopping and restaurant business. The city of Philadelphia gets very excited about the annual flower show. There’s even a Black Tie event the night before it opens.

Each year the flower show is vigorously advertised to the point you are enticed to think about going. The tickets are pricey and might not fit into the budget of a large family, but that doesn’t stop you from wanting to be a part of it, especially if you live in the city. With Tovah leaving for college in August, she thought it would be nice for us to go this year since she has never been. God willing this time next year she will be away at school and unable to attend. So, we went!

As you can see from today’s picture, it was beautiful! But, I found it to be super crowded and in general the people were rude. There was a lot of pushing and shoving to get in front to take pictures. When I would say “Excuse me” to get by, often the person didn’t move or half moved. One woman backed into Tovah almost knocking her over and didn’t even apologize. I found myself praying because I really wanted to let her have it, for being so ignorant. But then we started running into people who were friendly…and others who were at least more civil. We even had someone offer to take a picture of us and we retuned the favor. All-in-all it was a nice time, but the day itself was great because Tovah and I went to lunch afterward and really had a good time.

My Facebook post later that day was “My feet are tired!! Flower show was nice except for ALL the rude people!! Will post pics tomorrow....need a nap! :).” Well, this prompted comments from friends who had also attended. They loved it! In fact one person had also been there Saturday. She had such a good time and found the people to be so friendly, that she questioned (in jest) if we were at the same place.

This made me think about how living in the Kingdom of God can sometimes be like that. All of us have the same things available to us through the Blood of the Messiah, yet we see things so differently. Our Bibles say the same things, yet we don’t read things the same or believe them the same. How can that be?

Well, just like the flower show, my focus became “how rude" the crowd was because that was what I was hit with first thing. It took prayer and eventually running into people who were more gracious for my focus to be directed more on the beauty of the flowers and exhibits than the people. I think it is the same in the Kingdom of God. It all depends on our attitudes and focus.

There are so many of us today who will live an ordinary day. We will not experience any emergencies, bad news, illnesses or tragedies. We will just have a day like any other day without incidence. But if a survey were taken on how our day was—it would be hard to believe that we all serve the same God, read the same Bibles and have the same instructions for living life. Some of us would be grateful and talk about the goodness of the Lord for such a fine day. Others would complain that it rained and they hate the rain. We would have to listen to story after story of the “pain in the butt” boss, or how my husband couldn’t even make up the bed, so that started my day off on the wrong foot. What about the fact that it’s “Monday” and so many of us just hate Monday and wish we could skip over it?

I could have let the rudeness of others spoil my day on Saturday and wasted my money, but I thank God for prayer and His understanding. The same goes for today; we can miss the many blessing interwoven throughout our day if we focus on those things that can be a hindrance or we can purpose to see all the beauty that lies before us.

Sisters…enjoy your day with a heart of appreciation and gratitude! Don’t sweat the small stuff or the indifference or rudeness of others.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

He Takes The Lead

2011-03-11T08:31:00.001-05:00

So I had a thought this week. Actually a friend of mine had a brilliant thought this week and I’m stealing it because it really made sense to me. I love ballroom dancing. I’ve been taking a class with some friends and it’s one of the most amazing, fun things I think I’ve ever done. I can’t help but dance to just about every song I hear (yes, very obsessed).

My favorite part of ballroom dancing is that, as a follower, I don’t have to worry about a thing! I just learn my steps and my partner just leads me where he wants me to go! It’s great (mostly because I have a special talent for running into people so it’s good that I don’t have to pay attention to that). I do have to pay attention to something though. Unless I want my lead to literally drag me around the floor, I need to pay attention to the small cues he gives me, telling me which way he’s going to go or what step he’s going to have me take. Is he going to turn his shoulder slightly to cue me to do a promenade? Or is he going to step back instead of forward? I can’t see ahead into what he’s going to do a few steps ahead. All I can tell is where he’s telling me to go right at that moment.

Hmmmm. Make you think of anyone? Maybe the leader who clears our paths for us and makes sure we don’t bump into anything too hard and get hurt? Or the incredibly cool guy who leads us across life’s dance floor (sorry, talking about ballroom dancing so I have to sound poetic). I suddenly had this idea of God as this leader in a waltz (or tango or whatever your favorite dance is, mine’s waltz ~Smile~). Oh yeah! I can’t tell exactly where he’s going to move me in the future! I can’t even control him but guess what? I don’t have to worry about that because he’s the one who sees the whole ballroom floor. He’s the one that sees all the obstacles I don’t see and (the fun part of dancing); he’s also the one who will move me into the really challenging steps to make sure I’m not hurt by the obstacles. I really don’t have to worry about a thing! I just listen the cues and do what he tells me!

Blessings,
Lydia

Until next time, remember to allow the Lord to fill your days!

Ponnie will be back on Monday!

Yes, Your Highness!

2011-03-10T08:02:00.003-05:00

I thought with all the hoopla of the impending royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton this would be a great blog to rerun for my single sisters…enjoy!

Good Morning Majestic Women of God!!

Majestic: adj. of or having majesty, grand, noble, dignified. Some days we just need to be reminded of who we are, and as daughters of the King of kings, we are royalty and we should never forget it. Yet, in our desperation (not caring what happens because hope is gone…leading to poor decisions) to be married, women often forget the position that the Blood of Jesus (Yeshua) has placed us in. Today I’m hoping to get you excited and thinking about just what that is!!

Being a citizen of the United States of America, whose government is a democracy, I had a hard time grasping the concept of a nation ruled by kings and queens. I would have to say the most famous example for me would have to be England. Growing up England’s reign of kings and queens was a large part of our history because before the Revolutionary War, England had rule over us. Still the intricate part of the royal kingdom wasn’t the forefront of my history lessons and it wasn’t until Prince Charles’ marriage to Diana, was there any great interest for me as to the private and special life of the royal family. I remember being glued to the television watching the wedding and sucking up all the news for months after the announcement of their engagement. But like most, their happily ever after, fairly tail lives had a tragic ending, starting with divorce.

Even after becoming a Believer and finding out that God was the King of all kings and that He has a Kingdom that rules in the supernatural, I still was very clueless as to what this all really meant? What true effect did that have in my life on this earth?

Though growing up with Disney’s “Cinderella” and those types of movies and fairy tales, I learned at a very early age that my life was only going to reflect the part of Cinderella’s life that had the mistreatment and servitude. This consisted of the ugliest room in the house, fewer basic needs than mother and sister, and lots of physical and verbal abuse. And no matter how hard I tried, nothing I did was ever good enough. So when I started hearing that I was seated in heavenly places with Jesus (Yeshua) and that His Blood paid the price for me to be part of the Royal Kingdom. It meant absolutely nothing! I’m like, “What???” But as God began the journey of my becoming a new creature in Him, and replaced the old tapes of “You are nothing and you will never be nothing” with “I have loved you with an everlasting love and you are fearfully and wonderfully made, because of My love.” I had the courage to look at what does it mean in my life that my Father is King of all kings.

I shared with you a few weeks ago, that marriage is between God and the man, and that we as women do not have the burden of finding a husband. Well, such is the same in a natural royal kingdom. Not just anyone has access to a princess. She is protected from those who are not on the same social standing and background as herself. She doesn’t go out and find a husband. Her courtships are overseen by her family, namely her father (the king) and mother (the queen). In fact there was a time when the marriage was prearranged (still happens in certain countries) by her parents, she could have been betrothed (promised) to someone as early as birth. But as times have changed you don’t see that so much and the prince and princesses have strayed far from what used to be. There was never a divorce in a royal family. Not so anymore. It’s as if the rules of conduct no longer apply. Sort of what some of us think when it comes to the Word of God! It applies to some, but not to me.

The point here is that a royal princess (and there are many royal kingdoms around the world) is born into a special place and standing. So are we when we are reborn through faith in Jesus (Yeshua). We are not to be connected to just anyone or anybody. We are special. And 2 Corinthians 6:14 is quick to point that out. Not only should we not be connected to a non-believer, but also a Believer who is not suited as a right match. This is why we have to wait on the Lord and His wisdom, because we in our humanist will mess it up every time. If for some reason you disagree, look at the divorce rate in the Church. Why is that? How many people get married who are Believers without God’s blessings? Sorry to say, “Way too many.”

Over the years I have come to see that (just as I used to be) many of God’s daughters do not know who they are in Him. And that causes an awful lot of problems for women. If you don’t think you are of much value, then you sort of settle for “whatever”. And the truth is, “whatever” is never good enough for royalty. If you go to Kay Jewelers or a department store they have quite a bit of jewelry on display that you can touch. Most of it is costume or of a lesser value, then that which is in the locked display cases. Go into Cartier’s of France and everything is in locked cases and their very, very, very best is in a vault and they have a special room to take the perspective buyer to, in order for them to view these special gems. As daughters of the King, we are those special jewels that are locked in the vault (our Father’s protection). We are not for just anyone to have. Only those whom the jeweler knows has the funds or standing can even view the finer jewels. I’m sure that if the Queen of England desires to purchase a piece of jewelry, she doesn’t have to leave her palace or country home. It is all brought to her to view and or custom designed to her specifications. That is the way royalty is treated. ~Smile~

I challenge you to begin to see yourself as someone who is really special. Not desperate! Not desperate for a husband, not desperate to fit in, and not desperate for attention. But that you are so very special that you wouldn’t put yourself in a position to marry just any man. He would have to be much more than just a male who professes to know the Lord. In fact, you are so special that you can’t even imagine a man in your life unless God chooses him giving you the freedom and confidence to know that he is the one for sure! Does this mean to start looking down on people and walking with your nose in the air…..NO!!!! That is not what I’m talking about. What I am saying, is that a royal princess is trained from birth that she is special and has a special standing in life. Are we to be gracious and kind in this special place? Oh yeah!! That is how we show the love of God to others. I just want you my sisters to begin to understand exactly what the Blood of Jesus (Yeshua) has done for you. And when you began to get an understanding of “Who” you are, the spirit of desperation (that so many single women in the Body of Christ are experiencing), will began to give way to a new found confidence and love in Him.

The solution is the same and won’t change. You will have to get into the Bible and see what it has to say about who you are in the Lord. The Bible is key for us and we really can’t get around not reading it if we want to have victory in our lives as Daughters of the King.

If you didn’t have a chance to read Cheryl Mackey’s special blog written especially for you, on Thursday, February 11, 2010, please take a moment to go over it. She was very open and honest about her desire to be married and what she had to learn before God could trust her to be a wife. It’s a very inspiring and enlightening read.

Seeing yourself in a new light is always exciting. So be diligent in placing yourself in high esteem as our Father does. It will begin to change how you see your every day life. Knowing that you are special in who you are this day, right now, should put a little pep in your step and hope in your heart.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Lydia is up tomorrow!

Decisions, Decisions…..DECISIONS!

2011-03-09T08:07:00.003-05:00

Stress: tension, a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense

Stress! It’s something that we all go through whether you’re a single mother working two jobs, or a married woman managing a business. In my particular case, I’m a teenager being bombarded by numerous college offers and the looming cloud of upcoming SAT’s. Junior year of high school can be really stressful because it’s the year that colleges really look at. With honors classes, student teaching, and student council duties, things can become pretty stressful. It can also be unnerving to walk through the door and find a large stack of college letters waiting for you. YIKES! (Even as I am writing this blog my 5 year old niece brought me a stack of thirteen college letters…LOL!!)

Ever since I was a little kid I have wanted to be a teacher. Most kids probably haven’t chosen their career path at 7 years old, but I knew what I wanted to do. As I am now deciding which colleges to apply to, millions of questions are running through my mind. “Which college is right for me?” “Do they have a good education program?” “Can I even get into this one?” Researching colleges can be a very stressful task that a lot of teenagers are going through, especially if you are not sure about which field you want to go into.

One thing that I had to learn the hard way is that you can’t let others define who you are or what you do. When I would share that I was looking at a particular college I was given words like “I wouldn’t apply there, you probably won’t get in.” or “I know someone with 2100 SAT scores and a 4.0 GPA average, if they couldn’t get in there’s no way that you can get in.” WHAT?! It was devastating. I really wanted to scream, “Well who asked your opinion?!” But seeing as my mother raised me to do the right thing, that wouldn’t be very Christian-like would it? ~smile~

Fortunately, I learned to turn my mindset to, “Even if I don’t make it, I at least have to try.” Philippians 3:14 says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” We can do all things through Christ, whether it’s applying for college, working toward that job promotion, or overcoming a huge obstacle in your life. What we all forget sometimes is that God is always there to support and guide us. Sometimes you may feel like you are at the end of your rope and things can’t get any better but we have to remember that God is always there for us. Our strength is in Him and he will help us through all things. I am trying to remember this everyday as I am preparing for the next big step in my life.

While this is a long and wearisome process at times, I am super excited about college. I am also excited to grow in God and to achieve that which he wants for me. Knowing that God is always with you is such an empowering thought when you stop and take the time to think about it. I Can Do All Things Through Christ! So don’t let someone discourage you from trying something new or reaching for something that seems impossible, because nothing is impossible with God. I hope that this has been an encouragement to all of you and I look forward to sharing more of my college searching experience with you in the future.

Special Note: This blog originally ran March of 2010, and since then Tovah was accepted at the 3 colleges she applied and has now made her choice. She is scheduled to move into her dorm August 25th and will be majoring in Early Childhood Education. Her college of choice was one she was told, might be to hard for her to get into. As she has said, “We can’t let others define who we are or what we do.”

Until next time.

Love You All
Tovah

Ponnie will be back tomorrow

Following God’s Direction…It’s a Process

2011-03-08T08:36:00.003-05:00

Hello Ladies,

As you know from the last blog, I'm facing my fears, getting out of my comfort zone, and pressing on toward the purpose God has for my life.

Let me tell you, following God’s direction has not been easy….it’s a process. The process can be a painful one at times, when God has to refine the areas of your life that were so comfortable, which were holding you back from moving forward toward your purpose. The process can be a joyful one at times, when you are seeing the hand of God working in your life and blessing you in every aspect of your life. You can probably relate when I say been there, done that, and still going through it!

How do I follow God's direction? By trusting in the Lord with all my heart, not depending on my own understanding, seeking HIS will in all I do and know HE will show me which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6).

I found this picture of a woman praying (see picture above) because prayer is very important to me in following God’s direction. I want to do so many things, but through prayer and fasting with purpose, God provides me the direction that I should go in my life.

How to have effective prayer life? By asking, seeking, and knocking. The bible says “…keep on asking, and you will receive what you are asking for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9-10). I have to say asking, seeking, and knocking does not happen overnight, it is a process. Honestly, it is still a process for me.

Besides prayer and fasting, I thank God for leaving us the Holy Spirit and the Bible (the word of God) for us to follow and receive direction for our lives.
• The Bible says regarding the Holy Spirit “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall everything I have told you.” (John 14:26).
• The Bible says regarding the Bible “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16).

My prayer to all of you is no matter where you are in the process; always remember that you are not alone. We are women of purpose! We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! (Philippians 4:13).

God Bless until next time!

Yours Always,
Maria Guzman

Tovah is up tomorrow!

Siguiendo la dirección de Dios…es un proceso.

Hola Mujeres,

Como ustedes lo saben desde mi último blog, enfrentando a mis temores, saliendo de mi zona de comodidad, y presionando hacia el propósito que Dios tiene para mi vida.

Déjeme decirle, siguiendo la dirección de Dios no ha sido fácil ... es un proceso. El proceso puede ser a veces doloroso, cuando Dios ha precisando los ámbitos de su vida que estaban tan cómodo, que te detiene de avanzar hacia su propósito. El proceso puede ser a veces una alegría, cuando estás viendo la mano de Dios obrando en su vida y la bendición en cada aspecto de su vida. ¡Usted probablemente puede referirse cuando digo e estado allí, hecho eso, y todavía estoy pasando!

¿Cómo puedo seguir la dirección de Dios? Al confiar en el Señor con todo mi corazón, no en función de mi propio conocimiento, buscando su voluntad en todo lo que hago y sé que me mostrará el camino a seguir (Proverbios 3:5-6).

He encontrado esta foto de una mujer orando (ver foto arriba), porque la oración es muy importante para mí en siguiendo la dirección de Dios. Quiero hacer tantas cosas, pero a través de la oración y el ayunando con un propósito, Dios me da la dirección que debería ir en mi vida.

¿Cómo tener una vida de oración eficaz? Al preguntar, buscar y llamar. La Biblia dice: "... seguir preguntando, y usted recibirá lo que usted está pidiendo. Seguir buscando, y encontrarás. Sigue tocando, y la puerta se abrirá para usted. "(Lucas 11:9-10). Tengo que decir que pedir, buscar y llamar, no ocurrirá de un día, es un proceso. Honestamente, es todavía un proceso para mí.

Además de la oración y el ayuno, doy gracias a Dios por habernos dejado el Espíritu Santo y la Biblia (la palabra de Dios) para que lo sigamos y recibir dirección para nuestras vidas.
• La Biblia dice sobre el Espíritu Santo "Mas el Consolador, el Espíritu Santo, a quien el Padre enviará en mi nombre, él os enseñará todas las cosas. Y Él te hará recordar todo lo que he dicho. "(Juan 14:26)
• La Biblia dice en relación con la Biblia "Toda la Escritura es inspirada por Dios y es útil para enseñarnos lo que es verdad y para darnos cuenta de lo que está mal en nuestras vidas. Corrige nosotros cuando estamos mal y nos enseña a hacer lo correcto. "(2 Timoteo 3:16).

Mi oración a todos ustedes no importa dónde usted está en el proceso, siempre recuerde que usted no está sola. ¡Somos mujeres de propósito! ¡Podemos hacer todas las cosas en Cristo que nos fortalece! (Filipenses 4:13).

Dios te bendiga siempre,
María Guzmán

Be Quick and Slow

2011-03-07T07:52:00.004-05:00

James tells us to be “quick to listen and slow to speak” and for good reason—but what if we were to try being “Quick” to trust God and “Slow” to embrace sin? How would that change our lives?

I’m sure most of us would like to think that being quick to embrace sin does not apply to us? But in most cases it does. The reason I say that is because unlike God we seem to categorize sin. We’ve been brainwashed to think there is such a thing is a little sin versus big sin. We can look at others and say, “Well at least I don’t so that!” and think we’re okay. But sisters I must tell you, as far as God is concerned—sin is sin! And when we embrace it, the path it puts us on is death. Sin always leads to the death of something, and many times the death of someone.

Some of us are gossips in the worst way. A gossip is one who kills people’s reputation by using her tongue in a sinful way. A gossip is one who is not trustworthy and destroys friendships. A gossip is one who embraces sin. See, sin is sin and it does cause death. And when we are talking about our Pastor or their family, we don’t see that as sin. When we are sharing a confidence after we said we wouldn’t we don’t think that is a big deal. Reason being, the categorization of sin as “little sin” or “big sin”. But our gossiping tongue, which can cause confusion among the saints, is something God hates. Hate is a strong word, but that’s what it says in Proverbs. So, now when you look at it from His perspective then you begin to see there is no such thing as a “little sin” after all. All sin, according to God’s word leads to death.

Often in the course of a day we are faced with making the split decision whether or not to trust God or embrace sin? At our workplace we can choose taking the low road (trusting God) or letting people know we are tired of their stuff (embracing sin). At home we can hold our peace with our husband (trusting God) or try to manipulate (embrace sin) the situation and him. We give up on family members (not trusting God) thinking they will never change. When caught in a sticky situation we can lie (not trusting God and embrace sin) versus tell the truth. It is just a part of everyday life being faced with satiations where we really don’t have time to think about our response.

Yet, if we pray to be one who is quick to trust God, when faced with the decision to “trust God” or embrace sin” we will more than likely, quickly choose to “Trust God!”

Father make us quick to trust You and slow to embrace sin. Help us to display your character and be a light unto this world for our Messiah. In Yeshua’s (Jesus) name—Amen!

Sisters I have a deadline before me that I am working hard to meet. So the rest of this week the blogs will be reruns from last year and sisters from the beginning of the Kitchen Table. I pray you will be blessed by what you read. God willing I will be back next Monday!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Maria Guzman will be up tomorrow!!! English and Español

Lord, Help My Unbelief

2011-03-04T08:32:00.003-05:00

There was a man whose son was processed by an unclean spirit, which made him do all sorts of things. He brought him before Yeshua (Jesus) to be healed and after the father answered the Lord’s question of how long the child had suffered with this, their conversation went something like this…Yeshua said to him. “If you can believe all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief!” Read Mark 9:14:29

Personally I think we would all fair well to incorporate into our daily prayers, “Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief!” We all struggle with some level or form of unbelief in our lives.

The truth is none of us really knows how deep our faith is until tested. It is easy to say, “I know that God loves and cares for me” until your husband leaves you for another woman or man. It’s not hard to say, “I trust you Lord” while you are getting a paycheck each week—but, when you lose your job and end up living in a shelter or your car, it is a different story. It is easy to feel that God is a caring and loving God, until the unexpected loss of a child. There are so many things in this life that can sake our faith, if only for a minute. But most of us struggle on a daily bases to “believe” something!

How often do we lose sleep after the monthly bills come in? How much time to we spend worrying about past due notices or our children? Have you ever faced the possibility of eviction? Trust me, it is not pretty. The thought of living in a shelter is not something most would want to do, but to come to the place of acceptance that if that is where you have to go—and it must be okay with God is huge. I’ve lived many years and the one thing it has taken me almost a lifetime to know without a doubt…is that God’s ways are not my ways. His plans are not my plans. And truthfully most of the time, I don’t have a clue and all I can do is my best to believe God’s Word. So when things are looking askew I often find myself asking God to help me in my unbelief!

When I agreed to not have an abortion (at age 40 and unmarried) and have my baby (Tovah), I had no idea how things would play out. And trust me; it has all been a great surprise to me. I was a manger for a large retail chain, making good money. I had worked hard all my life and was just starting to see some of the fruits of my labor. But then with one poor decision with man and one right decision for God it all seemed to go south. I had to give up that good paying job, couldn’t pay my rent, etc. There is much more to the story but we don’t have time, so I’m going to do a “reader’s digest” version. Life was never the same once Tovah was born, we lived in subsidized housing for several years, I worked part-time for a few years and then we started homeschooling. I was also involved in inner city missions. Financially I never recovered. It seemed that I was always one step away from being poor. And some days it seemed as though I was poor.

Today, I know that He used these years to build up my trust and faith in Him. He used many scenarios (some I would have like to have skipped) to build my character and use me to help Tovah be the young woman that she has become. I’m not sure I would have been able to assist her and instill the laws of God the same way if I were working long hours and she was in the “before and after” school programs on top of a long school day, or home alone as a teen? Only God knows and He chose to do things differently then I would have thought.

Tovah will be going off to college in a few months and I have no monies saved for retirement. There are times “self” wants to fret and worry about that, but I must remind “self” that God has always been faithful to me and I must continue to “believe”! But on those days I find it hard to remember, I cry out, “Lord, I believe, but help me in my unbelief!”

Sisters, if you are finding yourselves in a place of “unbelief” don’t continue to stay there. Get into your Bibles and read! Pray! Remember the things that God has already done for you! Talk to someone who has a greater faith than yours, so they can encourage you. I’ve found that those with great faith in God, have experienced some hard times walking with Him and they have a great testimony for us.

Lord, we believe, but help us with our unbelief!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you Monday!!!

Procrastinators Unite…….Tomorrow

2011-03-03T08:23:00.001-05:00

pro•cras•ti•nate: To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness. To postpone or delay needlessly

Let’s face it, we all procrastinate. Whether it’s that big English paper due at the end of the week, or that presentation your boss wants by Monday. We’ve all gone through the process of putting a task off until later, especially if that task is unappealing to us. Being a teenager I deal with procrastination on a daily basis. I’ve often found myself in trouble for waiting until the last minute to do a chore, or not finishing a paper until the night before it’s due. Procrastination is something that everyone struggles with, not just teenagers, and it can be difficult to overcome.

I like to think of procrastination as a form of the “empty self.” The “empty self” is when we only focus on things that make us happy, and not on the world around us. It’s like thinking “I’m not gonna do that thing right now because it makes me happier to do it later,” or “Why should I do that now when I can do it in 2 hours? Is it that much of a difference?” (I’m guilty of thinking this way sometimes) This thought process becomes a never ending cycle of things getting done late or not getting done at all.

I actually find myself procrastinating right now as I am writing this blog. Rather than typing I was playing solitaire and checking on Facebook. Procrastination is like a thief, in that it always steals something away from us. My mom has a saying, “Procrastination will always rob you blind.” When we put something off until tomorrow, we are taking a huge risk because tomorrow brings its own set of problems and other things that need to be done. The next day is not guaranteed to any of us, and procrastination in itself is a big gamble.

A synonym for procrastination is laziness. What prevents us from doing things at a certain time? It is often because we are too lazy or comfortable to extend ourselves out of our comfort zone and get up off our butts and do it! Proverbs 10:4 says “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Procrastination and laziness will rob us of the wealth that God wants to supply us with, and will also deem us as irresponsible in His eyes. I don’t think that any of us wants God to think that we are irresponsible and cannot be trusted with the blessings that He has planned for us.

The thing is we can’t conquer procrastination by ourselves. But we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Isaiah 41: 10 says “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God knows the flaws that we all have to overcome, and He is there to help us every step of the way. I hope that this has encouraged you to begin to fight to overcome the spirit of procrastination, and any other bad habits that you may need to take care of to make 2010 a better and productive year for you. I’m working on it!

Until next time,

Peace Out!
Tovah

Ponnie's up tomorrow!

The World We Live In

2011-03-02T09:12:00.002-05:00

If you live in the USA or have internet access then I’m pretty sure you have not been able to escape our latest media frenzy centered on actor Charlie Sheen. In times like these I have to stop watching my local news for a few days, because they too jump on the ban wagon. You have to all but keep the TV, radio, and internet off if you want to escape what has now become a daily outpouring of his latest rants or problems. This type of goings on only magnifies the world we live in—a world that shows little or no compassion (or mercy) for a human being who without a doubt is emotionally and maybe even physically in trouble. It is a world that feeds off the spiral downfall of another human being. It is all about ratings and money. It is the epitome of a world of people who are lovers of themselves and not of God.

Charlie Sheen has a mother and father who love him dearly and they have to watch this in living color so to speak. How heartbreaking this must be for them. As a parent, I can’t even imagine seeing my child going through hell (whether they know it or not) in such a public forum. The sad truth about this all is, he’s not the first and probably will not be the last to experience this. But I wonder what we the Saints of God are doing about it?

Living in a world where people are haters of God and lovers of themselves has maybe desensitized us to some extent. I would love to have access to the “water cooler” conversations about Charlie Sheen, just to see how many of my brothers and sisters in the Lord are gossiping about him. I’m sure it’s the talk of the day at most barber shops and beauty salons. What about phone conversations amongst ourselves?

How many of us are praying for Charlie and his family? (He has 5 children.) Or are we just caught up in the media hype and judgment? His father Martin Sheen has been fighting for his son’s life for years, because of his drug addiction. He even went after the people who were enabling him a few years back. So, this has been on going for years but with the love and support of his family Charlie had gotten himself together for awhile, but as the old saying goes, “He seems to have fallen off the wagon!” And pretty hard I must say.

Do you ever wonder how is it that the evil folks of this world seem to have no trouble getting to people like Charlie Sheen, Anna Nicole Smith, Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Amy Winehouse and Christina Aguilera? Why is it we as Believers are not as determined in reaching them before their demise? Why did we watch Anna Nicole Smith’s spiral downfall, which eventually lead to her untimely death at the age of 39, as if it were just a TV show? I must confess, I talked about her and never prayed for her.

There are many things we can do as Believers to invoke change in this world and one of the biggest is “prayer”. We live in a world of sin that is calming the lives of so many and this should not be. Why? Because our Messiah died on the Cross so that all could have the opportunity to be saved. His precious Blood has covered the sins of Charlie Sheen and all who are like him.

Let’s pull ourselves away from the mainstream or as the Bible tells us, “Not be part of this world,” and pray for those in the spotlight who we see are in trouble. Let us be the light of this crazy world we live in. So, the next time someone wants to talk to you about the latest escapades of Charlie Sheen, let your response be, “We really need to be interceding on his behalf. For it is obvious, he needs the Lord!”

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Tovah's up tomorrow!

Driving Through the Storms

2011-03-01T07:16:00.006-05:00

Yesterday turned out to be a very stormy day for a lot of folks on the East Coast. I was awakened to loud thunder and lightening in the wee hours of the morning. All I could do was groan when I looked at the clock and read, 2:45am! I had to get up at 5:00am and 15 minutes later I found myself lying awake listening to the rain beat against my windows with more thunder and lightening to follow. “Please dear Lord, let the rain stop—we have a long drive ahead of us.”

By the time we were on our way to Grantham, PA, a 2 hour drive from Philadelphia, it was only drizzling. “Thank you Father!” But about half an hour into our ride it started to rain. As it rained I upped my prayers for our safety and our driving time. Once we hit the Pennsylvania Turnpike, we started driving into storms. At one point the fog was so thick you could only see about 2 cars ahead. My prayers became more fervent to say the least. We made it through the thick fog only to run into lightening. I continued praying even the more. And before we reached our destination, we encountered torrential rains and a lot of water splashing from the big tractor trailers. What a mess!

When we pulled into the visitor parking lot of Messiah College, the soaking rains had eased up considerably. We made it!! We were safe and sound! Yay!!!

As we sat with coffee and muffins, talking to other parents and potential students; I glanced out the floor to ceiling windows and noticed the college students rushing to class in the rain, and just how dreary the day was. But it was also a very exciting day for many of us because of the great hope it held. We were there for Tovah’s interview as a finalist for a full scholarship. That’s the great hope we were looking at.

There were a lot of families who had driven through the same storm, on the same highway as we had. Messiah is a Christian college and most families there professed to be Christians, so my assumption was that they prayed through the storm as I had, and they seemed to have the same excitement and hope as we did. In the end it was a long day, but a good day.

The drive home took less time because the rain had stopped and the roads were dry. We never got to see the sun yesterday, but there was a greater sense of sunshine in our spirits as we talked about the day the Lord had blessed us with and how well we feel things went for Tovah.

Once home, I was able to digest the day’s events. I realized how it reflected the storms of life for us as Believers. No matter how bad the storm progressed, we continued on. Though the morning was dreary, wet and a bit chilly it didn’t dampen our spirits and great expectations of the day and what was to come. The fog didn’t hold us back from getting to our destination on time; it only slowed us down a bit. The continual bad weather only upped my expectation in the Lord to get us there and get us there safely. At the end we sat with a group of our brothers and sisters, talking about the storm that we had just driven through. But the one difference I see in our spiritual storms of life is we have a tendency to waver. We let the heavy rains wash us out and carry us away. We become weak of heart and spirit. We doubt God and His ability to protect us and carry us through. We fall away from God versus run closer to Him. We forget there’s a purpose, plan and destination in it all. And we take our eyes off the One in which our help comes from.

Meditating on the Word of God is what helps us to make it through the storms of life. Knowing how God works (in totality of who He is) helps us to continue to trust Him and remember that He is in control. His Word written on the tablet of our hearts helps us to keep a spirit of praise and thanksgiving for Him when the fog in our lives is so heavy we see no way out.

Sisters, we are going to have storms in our lives, Yeshua (Jesus) all but promised us we would. But how we weather the storms is up to us. He’s told us to be of a good cheer during the storms for He has overcome them for us. Now, it is up to us to grab hold of this truth and apply it to our lives.

We are not alone in the storms of life. All our sisters and brothers in the Messiah encounter them, but at the end, it is our duty to be able to encourage each other in the faithfulness of our Lord during these storms.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

I Wish You Love

2011-02-25T06:49:00.005-05:00

Back in the 60’s my mother used to play a Nancy Wilson album over and over and years later I still remember this one particular song, “I Wish You Love.” It was a beautiful yet sad song of sorts. But now that I think about it, it did reflect love. The song is about two people whose love for each other was never meant to be, but in breaking up, one wished only good things and love for the other person.

I wish you bluebirds in the spring
To give your heart a song to sing
I wish you health
And more than wealth
I wish you love……

Wow!! I wish you love. That is huge.

Love means many different things to people at this day and age. I think the world has replaced true love with Lust. I love you only as long as you make me feel good. When that stops, it is time to move on. But in God’s Kingdom to desire for someone to know love is huge.

Sisters…..

I wish you……Love that endures long and is patient and kind; love that is never envious nor boils over with jealousy, a love that is not boastful or vainglorious, and does not display itself haughtily.

I wish you….Love that is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); Love that is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly.

I wish you….God's love in us—a Love that does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

I wish you….Love that bears up under anything and everything that comes, and is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

I wish you….God’s Love that never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. I Corinthians 13 4-8a Amplified [my paraphrase]

I pray that each and every one of you will know the great power of God’s love for you and the power of His love in you.

My dear sisters, I wish you love!!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you Monday!

Where Has Our Day of Rest Gone?

2011-02-24T09:37:00.002-05:00

As a culture we are so busy anymore, especially women. We wear many different hats on a daily bases, and even more so women who have jobs. I didn’t use the term, “work outside the home” because some of us do paid work inside our homes. But it still means that we have certain hours of the day that are designated to work for someone else. So working from home or outside the home it all boils down to work on top of all the other things that women do.

Single women who do not have children or their children are grown often don’t realize how good they have it. I say that because so many of us complain we are not married or don’t have children. But as Paul tells us….single women can concentrate on the things of God, where married women have to concentrate on their husbands and family. But even with more freedom I’m finding that single women are not resting as they should either.

It is a fact that married women or women with children seem to have fuller days and weekends. Those who go to church on Sunday often have ministry meetings after service or some churches try to have church all day long. So I ask, “When do we get to rest?”

Years ago, I ran my life as I had been taught. I worked all week and saved my cleaning and errands for the weekend. (I was not attending church services at that time) But when I think back my evenings were very laid back once my oldest daughter was old enough that I didn’t have to do the homework thing, pack lunch, give baths and entertain until bedtime. But once I started attending church and week day evening services, I found I was constantly on the go and missed some of that leisure time I had.

Problem solved! One day when talking to my spiritual mom about my dilemma, she asked me, “Why are you leaving so many things for the weekend?” Once I thought about it, my only answer was, “Because that’s the way I’ve always done it.” She laughed a bit, because we are of the same era and she too had been trained the same way. But one day she figured out that she didn’t have to continue to do things the same way. It was possible to change and make things more doable for a different lifestyle. That’s when I started doing my food shopping on Thursdays after work. I split up certain chores to be done during the evenings I was home instead of saving them for the weekend. But one of the biggest and most profound changes for me was to put a load of clothes in the washer in the morning before leaving for work, and my daughter dried them when she came home from school. No laundry on the weekends! I even gave her the choice of doing her chores between Thursday and Friday evening so that most of her Saturday mornings were hers.

Attending a Seventh Day Adventist boarding school for 3 years, did give me an understanding as to how to prepare for the Sabbath. It was something you worked toward during the week. They observe the “Shabbat” of Judaism—from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday. The family I babysat for in the afternoons had everything ready by Thursday evening. I did help out some on Friday with a few chores while they were at work. Once the sunset we went to Friday evening services, came back to the dorm to rest and meditate on the things of God. Now truthfully, as a teenager that was not what we were doing...LOL!! But there was no TV or music allowed—just quiet. When I spent the night with the family I babysat for, they sat around and talked as a family. I remember we laughed a lot.

Saturday breakfast consisted of cereal, donuts, fresh fruit, milk or juice. We had a morning service and lunch was warmed up food that had been prepared Friday afternoon. Oh, I forgot, Friday night supper was a brown bag we received after lunch. Yuck! After lunch on Saturday we sat around, napped, read and basically bored out of our minds until Saturday evening service and sunset! Then we ran to the TV room fighting for control of who watched what…ROF!! The dorm seemed to come back to life.

As a teen, Shabbat in the dorm was BORING, but as an Adult it is what we really need. It would mean sitting, being quiet and resting after service. Meals (prepared or bought in advance) would be eaten on disposable dishes, no internet, phone, TV and for me only music that inspired my heart in the things of God. No cleaning, washing clothes or running errands. Families would sit around and reconnect from their busy week and Mom along with dad would get to put her feet up for a few and even grab a nap. Or just sit and read for an hour or two.

How do we obtain this day of rest? Well, I guess we have to work it out for ourselves, because everyone’s lifestyle is so different. I’ve been working on it since the New Year, and I’m really enjoying my time of peace, quiet and rest. I’ve carved out a time of not watching TV, no internet, or phone. Even if I must go out, when I get back I do nothing of any consequence. I am not totally satisfied where I am, so I’m going to keep striving to do even better. My day of rest is mainly on Saturday because it works best for me after a long week. But, I wouldn’t have a problem if it were Monday or any other day of the week. I guess I’m trying to get you to think outside of what the norm is for you and if you are one who does not have a day of rest to look at your life and figure out—why not?

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

How Long Is Too Long?

2011-02-23T07:09:00.002-05:00

Originally Posted: February 27, 2010…enjoy!

I do not like the word “patience”. At least not when it’s me who is supposed to be patient. The whole sound of the word gives the idea that I’m supposed to wait for something that I want RIGHT NOW! Patience is a virtue that I never feel like I posses and this has always bothered me. I do not want to wait for everything to work itself out. I want to lose those ten pounds right now and I want the college degree and a to die for job tomorrow and (the biggest one for girls my age) I want that guy to ask me out right now!!!

So I started to wonder, after school options began to get postponed and jobs became non-existent (in my state at least) and another year passed with me being single and pretty much I realized that I would have to wait for what I want: what does it mean to be patient? Does it mean that you should feel perfectly content with the way God is working out your life right now? It’s easy to say I’m content but let’s face it; waiting for God to act can get just a little uncomfortable, especially when what you want so badly isn’t what He wants for you at the moment. Does patience mean sitting back and just letting God take care of everything? I really don’t get it.

The dictionary (my old friend) says Patience is: an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay or quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence. This suggests, not a feeling but an action or an attitude. Maybe it’s about learning to look patient when you feel like you’re going to explode? But as I was reading my Bible and different verses and stories on patience I realized something: Trust is an essential part of patience. If I do not always trust the one leading me, how patient will I be when things do not go my way? If I could really, truly trust that God only has good and amazing things ultimately in store for me, wouldn’t it be a whole lot easier to wait for those things (especially if I realized that God’s blessings do not run out like an Early Bird sale at Kohl’s). Anyways I think if we even start to learn how to place our trust in God and not in ourselves, God begins to grant us the patience that we need to make it through whatever situation he has us in right now.

Until next time.....

Blessings,
Lydia

Ponnie will be back tomorrow

What Can You Add?

2011-02-22T08:23:00.004-05:00

Living in a world that constantly tells us that we need this, or we should have this, I think has blinded us to what it is we really should be concerned about adding to our lives. It shouldn’t be the biggest house, an expensive car, or the latest electronic gizmo. It should be…..

……2 Peter 1:5-7 "Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others, and love." (CEV)

Some of us have worked really hard to add bigger and better things to our lives, but we fall short on adding those things that Peter talks about.

It seems that Christians are under the delusion that we don’t have to work or strive to improve who we are in our Christian walk. Some of us pray to God to give us self-control, patience and a concern and love for others. Snap….just like that we are changed. Wrong! It is up to us to desire to please God and obey His commands, and then we must work or strive to achieve these things.

Reading our Bibles is the #1 way to get us on the fast track.

In our daily lives many of us do what we have to do to get on the fast track at work. The fast track means promotion, more opportunities and more money. It is a lifetime goal for many. But we don’t necessarily view our Christian walk in the same manner. We won’t spend the time necessary to get on the fast track with God, even though it will mean more opportunities and promotion in His Kingdom. No, we’d rather be envious of those around us who He is promoting and whine and cry, “How come her Lord?”

Spring will be showing up soon, and in anticipation many of us are thinking about sprucing up our wardrobes, makeup and hairdos. And there is nothing wrong with that, but—are we spending as much time thinking on how to spruce up our spiritual walk? Are we as concerned with how we look spiritually to others as we are with our physical appearance? Since the beginning of the year a vast majority of us have cut back on how much we eat and have increased our daily exercise routines. Our goal is to look good for the summer and be able to buy a smaller size than last year—and a healthier us. But have we been as diligent in increasing our time with the Lord and exercising (using) our spiritual wisdom and knowledge? What about a healthier “us” in that category?

Just as we have to work and strive to achieve anything in this natural world, it is the same for our spiritual world.

At the end of the day when you look at your food journal to see if you have stayed on track, are you looking at your prayer journal to make sure you’ve prayed for those you’ve promised? As you sat and pursued the latest issue of Home and Garden and spring fashions, have you been pursuing your Bible? Some of us have started preparing the soil for our spring planting. Are you making sure to work on the soil of your heart by meditating on God’s Word?

When spring rolls around so will many added activities for us. Personally I love the spring almost as much as fall and both seasons bring with them different activities. For me, spring is a time to refurbish and freshen up things, warmer temps, getting outdoors more and strawberry season. Birds chirping first thing in the morning, flowers popping up all over the place and cherry blooms on the trees. But it also means that it is daylight at 6am and prayer time is no longer in the dark or artificial light is needed to read. This makes me feel more energized.

Sisters, as you spend time preparing for the spring season and thinking about what you will be adding—please make “improving your faith” a top priority.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Fear of the Unknown

2011-02-21T08:10:00.003-05:00

I am your problem solver, says the Lord. Bring your problems and questions to Me, and I will show you the way of resolution and direct your steps. Your part is to trust Me and refuse to be afraid or doubt My willingness or ability to bring you through every dilemma. Nurture your faith. This is a paraphrase of Proverbs 3:1-26

Fear of the unknown is something I think everyone experiences at some point in their lives. If can range from being just a little anxious about starting that new job, to a paralyzing fear that causes you—not to obey God. Hindering fear is tricky and very dangerous. I use the term “hindering fear” because all fear is not bad. “Fear of the Lord” is a good thing. Fear of roaming the streets all hours of the night by yourself because something bad could happen to you is a good and wise fear. So, I just want to clarify that all sense of fear is not bad or crippling.

The one thing that I’ve recently come to realize is that fear can pop up from what seems to be nowhere. Recently there have been a lot of fires in my neighborhood. (Mostly apartment buildings but also some houses.) And that’s not the worst of it, there's a large fire somewhere every week to start off the morning news. And now all of a sudden I found myself worrying about fire and the loss of everything. I really had to sit down and have a talk with “self” and find out what is going on?

There’s been a fear of loss ever since I was forced out of my apartment about 6 years ago, due to no fault of my own. It proved to be one of the most challenging times in my spiritual life. Last year when Women’s Bible Study started on “Trusting God” it came up that I really didn’t trust God the way I thought I did. And after looking at why I felt this way, I found I had a fear that He might allow me to lose my possessions and privacy as He had before. It was sort of a surprise that after all theses years, I really hadn’t gotten over what had happened to me. After much prayer and tears I thought I had dealt with it, but I guess not, because now I find myself being concerned about having a fire and losing everything. Not our lives, just our home and possessions. So when I saw the above paraphrase of Proverbs 3, it immediately hit home.

I now know I have more work to do concerning this fear that lies within me. In the reality of God’s scheme of things…so what? I mean so, what if I lose my possessions again? So, what if I have to move when I hadn’t planned for it? Because in the midst of all that went on during that time of trial and testing of who I thought God to be, He never failed me. He never left me. But!! It still seems that deep in one of the crevices of my heart a seed of “fear of the unknown” has taken root. A much deeper root than I first thought.

The good thing about all of this is God has given me the ability to fight this fear and doubt that is trying to control me and the quality of my life. I have His Word to stand on, and Him to lean on. Fear is a defeatable foe, as long as we are willing to acknowledge we are fearful and work to get to the root of why? In order to give it to God and stand it down we must know the root cause of our fear. Because if we don’t get it at the root then like any weed, it will continue to pop up and try to takeover.

Some of you right now are dealing with the “fear of the unknown” because so many things are so uncertain in this world today. And I hope that I have encouraged you in the fact that you are not alone, but mainly that you have the victory over fear. Think of fear as a weed, and the Word of God as the extra strength weed killer. You spray it and walk away, when you go back it is dead. Our faith, (when nourished and feed) can work the same way.

This is why it is so very important that we read our Bibles to really know who God is and how He works. Not what others tell us, but what His Word tells us.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

You Can’t Always Get What You Wanted

2011-02-18T07:41:00.003-05:00

This is a rerun from March 22, 2010, hope you enjoy!

Want: a) to desire greatly; wish for, b) to seek with intent to capture

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were always thinking about it? It just consumed your mind and if you could get it then you would be completely happy. I struggle with this feeling pretty much every day of high school. “If I can just do better than this person on a test, I’ll feel satisfied.” “If I can just get this one guy to notice me then life will be perfect!” Sometimes it seems like you just won’t be happy until you get what you want, and this is something that we all deal with from time-to-time.

Why don’t I use an example to clarify? Last week my friends and I were in the cafeteria of our Physical Ed center and everyone was figuring out what they wanted to order. Now, the cafeteria has these large chocolate chip cookies that are absolutely delicious, but they only make about 3 of them a day, and this particular day there was just one left. So, there it was. That scrumptious cookie that had MY name written all over it…or so I thought. Just as I was walking over to claim my cookie, another girl from school snatched it up. Truth be told I wanted to pull a “Oh no you didn’t!” but I held it in. How dare she steal my cookie? That was SOOO my cookie! I wound up getting some other form of dessert but the situation bothered me for the rest of the day. Why did she have to take my cookie? And the sad thing is that the poor girl had no idea that I was so upset over this stupid cookie.

Okay, now you may be thinking, “Tovah, get a grip, it was just a cookie.” But seriously, we all have that little “cookie” somewhere in our lives. “He totally took my promotion.” “No she did not just pick up the last dress in my size!” “I was about to say something, but she just had to interrupt and steal my moment!” Why do we WANT things so much? And right after, “I want” there comes, “I need.” I didn’t just want that cookie, I NEEDED that cookie. In retrospect, I didn’t need the cookie, in fact I’m better off without it, but that didn’t matter at the time. One thing that I’ve learned throughout the past two years is that, when we’re too busy focusing on the things that we want, we tend to miss out on that which we really need.

Psalm 37:5 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Now don’t start jumping up down saying, “Sweet! If I show God that I’m happy all the time he’ll give me exactly what I want, YES!” Before you begin the happy dance, let’s look at the verse in context shall we? Psalm 37: 4-6 says, “3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this.” Now notice this verse does not say, God is going to give you everything that you want. It’s saying that God knows what is good for us and will give the things that we truly need. And I am not talking about that five hundred dollar Prada purse; chances are you probably don’t need that. ~smile~ What I’m saying is that God has so much more planned for us than we could ever want or imagine. Now this may be a hard concept to come to terms with, at times you may feel like, “God, why couldn’t I get this ONE thing that I really wanted, just this once, please!” While we may have wanted that one specific thing, we have to realize that God has something that is so much better in store for us.

I hope this blog helped you to realize that you don’t have to let that cookie ruin your day, because God has an even better “cookie” for you somewhere down the road. So in conclusion, “You can’t always get what you wanted, but you do get what you need.”

Until next time Peace Out!

Love ya,
Tovah

Ponnie will be back on Monday

Oops!!!!

2011-02-17T09:07:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning not feeling my best. I wasn’t sick or anything like that, but had a sluggish feeling about myself. Immediately, I knew what the problem was. Back in December I made the decision to stop eating past 7:30 or 8:00 pm in the evenings. Reason being, I had a problem eating junk food right up until I went to bed. What a difference this one little decision made in the way I felt in the morning! But last night I had a heaping spoonful of dark chocolate icing around 9:30pm.

The temptation to kick myself was crouching by my bedroom door and pounced on my way to the bathroom, but I quickly came to my senses as I was brushing my teeth. Oops—I messed up! Okay, so what?! Yeah, so what?!! Well, I guess the so what was to not give into the temptation to go down the “Woe is me” or “You can’t get anything right!” road, which can open the doors for a pity party. But you know what sisters, we have to get pass feeling bad and depressed when we mess up. We all have our “Oops” moments. Yes, they are an everyday part of life, but the key is to not let it get you down and keep moving forward.

The truth is—I blew it one night out of many others where I did achieve my goal of not eating past a certain time? It has been almost 3 months and that does count for something. Also, I have pretty much stopped eating desserts most evenings. If I’m hungry after dinner and I feel I really must eat something, then I have a yogurt or piece of fruit. As I look back at last night, I just wanted chocolate, (there was other junk in the house to eat). Yet, I could have told my flesh (as I have many times the past few months) “NO! You’re not getting anything else tonight. It’s too late!” But I didn’t and all I can say is, “My bad!” ~Smile~

We all have the potential to fall back into old habits or mindsets when we are striving to make change. It happens! But the key is to not let it throw you for a loop and cause a huge setback or you giving up.

Before Jesus became Lord in my life I was a huge gossip. My best friend (at the time) and I loved to gossip and talk about people. It was our favorite pass time of all. But that was one of the first things God dealt with me about when I joined His Kingdom. My best friend was no longer by best friend because I had to actually tell her that gossiping was a sin and I could no longer do that with her. Also, I stopped smoking, drinking and cussing, which were the other things we had in common and held our friendship together tightly. In fact I lost just about all my friends at that time. The blessing was, in time the Lord gave me a new best friend who was (and still is) a great woman of God. She replaced my phone gossiping with long conversations about the Bible. In fact (after all these years) we still get on the phone and talk a couple of hours about the things of the Lord. But it just didn’t happen overnight for me. I was still tempted to gossip about people. There were occasions when I would say something about my neighbors to my mentor and she would correct me with the quickness. “Well, why are you minding her business like that?” “What does that have to do with the real problem here?” And I would always feel bad about it, and at times even felt like I would never get it. And those feelings would usually lead to, “Well, why bother trying?!”

To make a long story short—God didn’t let me give up! After many “Oops” moments I became a woman who can keep your deepest and darkest secrets. I became one who can sit and cry with you as you share your heartbreaking life and sorted past. See, if I had fought God and given up, I would not have been fit for my ministry of helping woman and children in crisis. I had to be trustworthy for the job. A gossip is anything but trustworthy. But it took time for me to get to that place, and I had to keep moving forward after my many “Oops!”

Sisters, I hope I have encouraged you to keep moving forward in your endeavor for change.

Usually around this time of year, many of us have given up on our New Year’s goals or resolutions because we’ve had an “Oops” moment here and there. But I want you to remember, that change takes time and yes, we do mess up, but it’s all covered by the Blood which gives us what we need to “faint not”!

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Things Are About to Change!

2011-02-16T07:51:00.006-05:00

Last night I was watching the local and world news and finally I heard a great truth. That everything we buy is going to go up especially food. Dah!! I say that because after the New Year it seemed the resolution for the supermarkets was to charge as much as they could for food. That was just how high prices jumped in the course of one week. Unbelievable!

In America they keep trying to sell us a bill of goods that the economy is getting better, but if you are praying and watching as the Bible instructs us, then you know that’s not necessarily the case.

For close to a year, the weather has been horrific all over the world, and if you know anything about how everything is connected then it was only a matter of time until everyone was going to be effected in some way. On average Americans spend about 9% of their income on food, (not sure where they got this statistic from—I spend more than that myself) where other countries spend as much as 80% of their income on food. So this means that a 5% increase will be devastating to them. But not just the cost of our food is going up; you will see higher prices on any and everything we buy.

Gloria Copeland used to tell the story of when she and Kenneth Copeland were first married and broke, how she would go to the supermarket and walk up and down the isles praying in tongues because the little bit of money she had was not enough to feed the family. I think many of us might be taking her lead. ~Smile~

I am very grateful that for the past year Women’s Bible study has been about “trusting God”! It has been a preparation for what’s to come. We’ve really been challenged to read our Bibles and judge our lives as to how great our trust is. The truth is many of us say we trust God, but we don’t live like we do. This past year has opened my eyes as to how I would fret over certain things, but in the reality of God’s Kingdom, if I truly trusted Him, then why was I responding the way I was? I realized it is easy to give lip service and say “I trust you Lord,” versus really believing what I said. But this past year has helped move me into a better place (God’s peace). So, the news report did not put any type of fear in my heart (for one I knew it was coming) because no matter how rough it is going to get, I know that God can handle it and is true to His Word. I will never be out of His sight or forgotten. As I listened to the report, I heard King David say, “I was young and now I am old, but I have yet to see the righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread!”

Sisters, it is time to really know what you believe. If you believe a little then you have little faith. It is easy to say we believe, but it is not always the truth. And the time has come that we need to be sure of exactly what it is we do believe. If you are one who worries a lot, then your faith is little. If you are stressed out, then your faith is little. If you are nervous and upset about life then your faith is little. If you feel desperate and not sure how you are going to make it….your faith is little. Now that’s the bad news, but the good news is…..you can turn that around starting TODAY! How? Read your Bible! Meditate on the Word of God! Pray! This is what will build you up. This will give you security of heart and help you through the trials, tribulations and storms of life. Jesus put it so eloquently in jut two words, “Trust God!”

The world as we have come to know it is about to change. Are you ready?

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

What Really Is A Devotional?

2011-02-15T08:13:00.007-05:00

The other day I was pondering the question, “Where did the idea of a daily devotion or devotional books come from?” I did some research, but came up empty handed as to where they originated or who wrote the first one….hum. My reason for asking is because the term “I did my devotions” or “I read my daily devotion” has begun to strike me as odd. How do you read devotion? You can’t. So where did all this come from? Why are there so many books written as devotionals? Are we not to live our lives as ones of pure devotion to God? So how have we come to having a few minutes of daily devotion with Him?

There’s a great possibility that daily devotional books have misled many us into a false sense of security. They have led us to believe that if we spend a few minutes each day doing the “The Upper Room” or “Daily Bread’ that we have done our duty for the day. And now with our vast technology we can open an email and one is waiting for us from a number of different ministries, or we can surf the web and find them in a flash. Our choice.

I guess my problem with all of this is the wording, “Devotional” really what does that mean?

For several years I worked in the OB/GYN clinic of a large city hospital. And many of my coworkers who professed to be Christians would sit at their desk and read their daily devotions before the clinic opened. But they spent the rest of the day stealing time from our employer and God by, talking on personal phone calls when they should be working, gossiping and trying to do as little work as possible. Yet they faithfully did their devotionals each morning for all to see. Somehow, we have gotten into the habit of doing a “devotional” and then not reading anything else in the Bible. That’s a huge problem for us as Believers. It is impossible that any particular devotional on any given day is going to inspire and speak to everyone who reads it. Why? Because it is done by a human and therefore has that person’s perspective on whatever the subject or scripture is for that day. (Just like this blog, it is my perspective.) But the Bible, now that’s a different story. The Bible is here to inspire, and provoke you every time you read it. Why? Because it is God’s perspective, instructed by His Holy Spirit—not man.

Daily devotions have the potential to feed into our laziness to not read the Bible. Take for instance the Facebook link, “God wants you to know today,” don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying not to read them or they aren’t any good, but I am saying that they are not enough! They cannot replace spending time reading our Bibles. Over the years I’ve read many “devotionals” and books to help me grow in the things of the Lord, but my greatest turning points in life have always come from what I’ve read in my Bible. I think for many of us we forget or don’t know that “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Personally I would like to see all devotional books called books of “Meditation” or “Inspiration” and used in that way. Not used as something we do for a few minutes each day and we’re done, feeling we have spent some kind of magic devotion time with God. True devotion to God is a way of life and cannot be squeezed into a 15 minute time frame. As parents we are devoted to our kids, and as wives we are devoted to our husbands. We all know that is a 24/7 devotion as it should also be with us for God.

If you are one who reads a daily devotional, I want to challenge you to read your Bible instead for one week, asking the Holy Spirit to show you what to read. Do that each morning or whatever time you have set aside during your day. See what you might discover on your own being lead only by the Spirit of the Lord.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Romance, Romance…….ROMANCE!!

2011-02-14T07:53:00.002-05:00

This blog was originally posted February 3, 2010

Today is Valentine’s Day (the day for romance) and I’m hopeful there will be at least one single woman out there who after reading this blog will no longer be miserable on Valentine’s Day.

First let’s see where Valentine’s Day originated and why? I thought it would be fun to look at what “Wikipedia” had to say about it.Wikipedia…..Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards, and Valentine's Day has become the second-largest greeting card-sending holiday in the United States, behind only Christmas.

After reading this I was very curious as to what countries celebrate Valentine's Day? And to my surprise, there are not that many. Only the United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the United Kingdom celebrate Valentine's Day.

Being a resident of the United States of America, I cannot ever remember Valentine’s Day "not" being a big deal. As a child in elementary school, it was customary to exchange cards with your classmates. You could go to the Five & Dime store and purchase a box of cards geared toward children and there were usually enough cards for your entire class. My favorite thing about Valentine’s Day was the heart shaped cherry flavored lollipops. This was way before I became a fan of dark chocolate. When I was young, exchanging cards in school on Valentine’s Day was just something to do. It was not an era where it was promoted to be girlfriend and boyfriend in grade school like it is today. So if you got a card that said, “Would you be my Valentine?” it didn’t mean a thing.

It wasn’t until high school and boys became more interesting did it begin to take on a new meaning. There was no longer that child-like innocence of dumb cards and candy. It now meant that you were either “in” or “out”! If you were going steady with a guy, then he had better given you more than just a card. Friendship rings were a big deal in my day or some type of cheap jewelry that expressed his “love/lust” for you. And thus began the bad feelings for all the girls whose parents did not allow them to date, the ones who were not cool, or those thought “not attractive” enough to have a guy. If you didn’t have someone to profess their love for you on Valentine’s Day, then something very important was lacking in your life. You just weren’t up to par.

It is hard for me to say this but in many cases it is still the same today. We as woman have been duped from a very early age that Valentine’s Day is something to covet. If when it rolls around you have someone in your life that gives you flowers or takes you out for a romantic dinner and movie, then you are “in”. But if you are not being courted or hooked up with someone, then you are “out”. What is wrong with this picture? Everything!

Over the years in my life as a single woman, I have been “in” and I’ve been “out”! But now I’m FREE! Free from letting a day that man has put some type of value on, dictate to me who I am and how I’m going to feel about myself. Sasha Brown said it all for us on Wednesday (see her blog Feb. 9th) “We are Marvelous” because the Lord said so, and made us to be. I’ve been given beautiful bouquets of flowers, expensive cards and have eaten at some pretty impressive restaurants on Valentine’s Day. But most of the guys who did these things for me were either “Jerks” or great “Deceivers”. So what was the benefit in that? Nothing!

I often talk to single women who are looking for romance. I looked up the word romance, and almost wet my pants laughing, because the dictionary broke it down to being imaginary. I instantly saw the truth in that. Romance novels! Big business for book publishers. There are even so called “Christian” romance novels. All imaginary, all made up, nothing real. Wow!! But as women we keep longing for the made up thing called “romance”. After reading this, I went online to see how the word romance translated in other languages. You would be surprised at all the different languages in the world that do not even contain the word romance let alone a meaning for it. Hum, you have to be shaking your head by now. Oh man, have we been duped!

My dear single sisters, if you have any kind of feelings about Valentine’s Day, other than it is a day that the Lord has made and you will rejoice in it (Psalm 118:24) then it is time you let it go! There will be a day that sums up and defines who we are, but that day is reserved for the Messiah and we know it as “Judgment Day.!” Other than that, there is no one day that makes or breaks us. And since no day is promised to us, we should be glad and happy in everyone that the Lord blesses us with. Sisters we cannot let February 14th make us feel that we are less than what God says we are. So if you are one who is sad on February 14th, then I challenge you to be glad in the year 2011. It is time to change how you view yourself and your-self worth. One day does not make you. You are “Marvelous” every day! Why? Because you are part of God’s great works and His works are “Marvelous.”

There are a couple of things we have to do in order to have a renewing of our minds and the way we view romance. First, please stop wasting your time watching “Soap Operas!” Yeah, I said it. This is a big culprit that cancels out what the Word of God says. There is no way you can take in a daily diet of “trash” and trash not come out. Also, be mindful of the movies you go and see and the books you are reading. Romantic movies and books have the tendency to feed your soul wrong attitudes that negate the good life that you should be living in your position of “single.” It makes you want that which is “imaginary” and breeds discontentment. Keep meditating on scriptures that talk about who you really are. Not who you think you are, not who the world says you are, not who someone else says you are, but who God says you are!

Sisters if you like flowers, please buy yourself some. (In fact they will be trying to give away all the left over roses starting tomorrow.) Don’t wait for any special day, just treat yourself to flowers. Have a craving for chocolate. Buy it. Want a nice piece of jewelry then buy it. I was at a gathering of women one day and I noticed one of my friends had on a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring that hadn’t been on her finger the month before. I made a comment about how beautiful it was and her response was, “My main man Jesus bought this for me!” We all had a good laugh about the way she said it, but it was true. She is single, no children and works every day. She saved up for it, paid cash and got exactly what she wanted. But she knew that the Lord had blessed her to be able to have it. But most of all, she knows that Jesus (Yeshua) is her be all to end all.

Let every day that you open your eyes, be one that you live to the fullest. Bringing glory and honor to our Father. Life is short on this earth and we cannot afford to waste a day being depressed because no one bought us flowers or candy. No one whispered sweet nothings in our ear (even if he didn’t mean it). No one took us out to dinner, (even if he wanted something in return). With every day the good Lord gives us, let us do something beneficial and profitable with it.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Showing Love Everyday

2011-02-11T08:00:00.004-05:00

A Child’s Love Can Teach Us Much!

2011-02-10T07:05:00.002-05:00

Simply Marvelous!

2011-02-09T07:51:00.001-05:00

Complete in Him

2011-02-08T08:00:00.008-05:00

Valentine’s Day will be here soon, and we’re being bombarded with commercials for flowers, candy and jewelry. It’s nice to celebrate Valentine’s Day if you choose too (a girl can always use a nice piece of jewelry…LOL!), but like many manmade holidays it can often be a time of disappointment and loneliness for some. This time last year; the sisters at “The Table” encouraged us about true love, and since they did such a wonderful job—we are rerunning some of their blogs for our special week of “LOVE”!

Please be sure to tune in each day to see whose blog is posted!

Hello friends,

I was asked to speak to the unmarried women but I believe what I am going to share will speak to women unmarried and married alike.

As I sat at the laptop trying to figure out how much to share I realized that what I want most is to encourage all you that no matter what stage of life you are in you are complete in Him. That is what Colossians 2:10 says. You are complete in Jesus. Complete according to Webster’s dictionary means full, whole, entire, lacking no component part. Get it, God through Jesus has made us whole, complete, full, entire and lacking no component part. I am not trying to give you a sermon, instead I want to share that this is what God revealed to me in every stage of my life.

I had so many opportunities to gain understanding how God made me complete, before dating and feeling like I needed a special someone to make me feel valuable. While I was dating and feeling like being married was the ultimate goal to making me feel worthy. Let me take a minute to elaborate on this time of my life.

Dating is great especially when you are in God. I had a great time hanging with Brian (of course it was Brian who did you think I was talking about huh?) We enjoyed each other’s company and respected each other’s independence. I was satisfied but between society, my own issues and even the church I still felt like marriage was what I needed to make me complete. Brian and I both went to graduate school, he went off to Illinois and I stayed in Philly. People asked me what I was going to do and if I was going with him. It was as if life as I knew it would be over because he was going away. Don’t get me wrong I cried like a baby at the train station and I missed him while he was gone but at 23 God had some work to do in me and I was not about to let anyone interfere.

I remember being about 24, 25 and almost at the end of grad school and being asked by a well meaning sister in the church what I wanted to do once finished school. I, with excitement shared with her what I was studying and what I planned to do when I was done. She responded by asking me when I was getting married. Are you SERIOUS? That’s what I wanted to say but instead I said "I did not know." That stayed with me because it made me feel like no matter what my accomplishments were all that mattered was whether I was married. Here I am 24 the youngest of four raised by a single mother in what was considered one of the worst sections of Philadelphia, the first in my family to get a college degree and all she really cared about was "when I was getting married"...really! Are you kidding me? I am sure she did not know how this made me feel but that conversation stirred stuff in me I had to fight to get rid of. It boosted that continuing feeling that I needed to be married to be of any worth.

I finished school, Brian came home and we continued to date. All around me however people were getting married. My college roommate, my sister and my best friend all got married within a one year time period. The kicker, I was in two of these weddings as maid of honor. Oh how I was frustrated. I did rejoice with them but I also whined to God about when my turn would come. Brian and I had already determined that it was God’s will for us to marry but when was another story. What made this worse was the difference in our personalities. Brian is the slow and steady type. He takes his time when making decisions and is generally laid back. I on the other hand can be very quick to decide. I have been known to be aggressive and ambitious. So on one hand I was like "Come on let’s do this!" and he was like "Let’s take our time." Since those days however we have formed a great balance, PRAISE GOD!

Eventually after whining to God and bugging Brian and getting nowhere I believe divine intervention took over. I decided to have the best time being unmarried. I began to spend more quality time in God’s presence. I served at my church every chance I got. I hung out with my friends and simply had a ball. During this time God showed me that I was complete in Him. He made it clear to me that it was Him, not Brian that made me valuable and accepted. He also showed me that this mindset that the world gives of two half people coming together and becoming whole was not real. Marriage is for two whole people coming together to become one. So the writers of Jerry McGuire got it wrong, Brian does not complete me (and I do not complete him either).

Life was going along great. I was having a blast in the stage I was in, but guess what happened? During the Christmas season of ’97 Brian asked me to marry him. I was very happy, but at the same time I felt like “DAG! I was just getting the hang of this single life." This was my first lesson in being truly satisfied where you are before you can move to the next level. I had learned what I needed so now God could trust me to get married. We got married 10 months later but you need to know that this lesson came up again when I wanted to have my first child. Once again I whined to God about having a baby because somehow it was not enough to be married, life was not complete until I became a mommy. Well of course the Holy Spirit reminded me of the lesson previously learned and well the rest is history.

Why did I share all this with you because sometimes as women we need to be reminded of what God says about us. He says that we are “accepted in the beloved”(Ephesians 1:6) and we are “precious in His sight”(Isaiah 43:4 Instead of holding on to what God says we look for outside forces to make us feel whole. We gripe and complain about not having a boyfriend, a husband, a child, another child, longer hair, slimmer waistline and the list goes on. God says I am the only One who can give you value and make you whole. So my dear sisters in whatever stage of life you are in...look to God and know that you are COMPLETE IN HIM!

Let’s pray. Father we come to You in the name of Jesus thanking You for how truly wonderful You are. We praise You and honor You. We declare that You are the only true and living God and we adore You. Father we thank You for this stage in our lives. Help us to experience Your love and live life to the fullest in Jesus’ name Amen.

Until we meet again be blessed!

Hugs and Kisses,
Cheryl

Be sure to tune in tomorrow!

THE UNFAILING LOVE OF A FATHER!

2011-02-07T09:23:00.002-05:00

Valentine’s Day is one week from today, and we’ve been bombarded with commercials for flowers, candy and jewelry. It’s nice to celebrate Valentine’s Day if you choose too (a girl can always use a nice piece of jewelry…LOL!), but like many manmade holidays it can often be a time of disappointment and loneliness for some. This time last year; the sisters at “The Table” encouraged us about true love, and since they did such a wonderful job—we are rerunning some of their blogs for our special week of “LOVE”!

Please be sure to tune in each day to see whose blog is posted!
Love & Hugs….Ponnie!

Hello Ladies,

I want to share my experience with the Love of God using the topic “The Unfailing Love of a Father”.

Have you ever heard the song “Beautiful One”? The first time I heard it was at a Women of Faith Conference. This song is about how wonderful God’s unfailing love is for us (His love is bigger than you and me!). When you have the chance, I suggest you listen to this song and let me know what you think about it…

When this topic came to mind, the word “unfailing” reminded me of an experience that I had at church. I was at a Women’s Retreat at church. My sister had us sit together in a circle near the pulpit and provided us a piece of paper with a verse on it. We were asked to express what the verse meant to us. I received the one below:
Psalm 36:7 “How precious is your unfailing love, O God!...

While it wasn’t my turn to talk about mine, I looked up the verse and read it so I can prepare myself of what I can say about the scripture. Although, while reading this scripture aloud, I broke down and cried. Reading this verse reminds me of how grateful I am of His unfailing love that never stops, never fails, always available (24/7), and everlasting.

Could you believe that a love that you can depend on, a love that is available to you at anytime and it is everlasting?? I couldn’t believe it at first. It was not easy for me to receive it because love was not easily expressed while growing up. For example: My father said he couldn’t express love because it was not easy for him because he did not receive it from his father. The only way I knew he expressed his love was a little pinch (of love) on my arm. I would tell him that I love him, and he would respond back, but never the other way around.

Inspired poem to share from me to you…

~ The Unfailing Love of a Father ~
My Father saved me from the direction of destruction and chaos I was headed;
My Father adopted me as His own with wide open arms;
My Father has a big heart and provides me with His unfailing love;
My Father protects me by keeping me under His wings;
My Father is Faithful, always there for me when I need Him the most;
My Father is so proud of me and loves me just the way I am;
My Father encourages me to follow and fulfill my dreams and soar like the eagles;
I’m so grateful for My Father being in my life!

Prayer
I pray for the Ladies reading this blog and are hungry to experience your unfailing love. I pray with the help of the Holy Spirit they can experience this love of God (My Father). I pray this love can flow in their hearts and they can share and be a blessing to others. In the name of Jesus, Amen

God Bless You Always,
Maria Guzman

Tune in tomorrow!

¡EL AMOR INAGOTABLE DE UN PADRE!

Hola Mujeres,

Quiero compartir mi experiencia con el amor de Dios con el tema “El Amor Inagotable de un Padre”.

¿Ha oído alguna vez la canción “Beautiful One”? La primera vez que lo oí fue en una conferencia de Mujeres de Fe. Esta canción habla sobre que tan maravilloso es el amor inagotable de Dios para con nosotros (¡Su amor es mas grande que tu y yo!). Cuando tengas un tiempo, te sugiero que escuches esta canción y me dejas saber que to piensas sobre ella…

Cuando este tópico vino a mi mente, la palabra “inagotable” me hizo recordar de una experiencia que tuve en la iglesia. Yo estaba en un Retiro de Mujeres de la iglesia. Mi hermana nos pidió que nos sentáramos cerca del pulpito y nos proveo un pedazo de papel con un verso escrito en el. Nos pregunto que significaba el verso para nosotras. Yo recibe el siguiente:

Salmos 36:7 “¡Cuan preciosa, oh Dios, es tu misericordia!...”
Mientas yo esperaba por mi turno de hablar sobre mi verso, yo busque la escritura y lo leí para si poder prepárame do le que yo iba decir. Aunque leía esta escritura a voz alta, me quebrante y llore. Leyendo este verso me recordó de cuan agradecida estoy por El Amor Inagotable que nunca paras, nunca fallas, y siempre esta disponible (24/7) y es eterno.

¿Puedes créelo un amor que tu puedes depender, un amor que esta disponible para ti en cualquier momento y que es eterno?? Yo no puede créelo al principio. No era fácil el recibirlo porque amor no fue fácilmente expresado hacia mí durante mi crecimiento. Por ejemplo: Mi papa dijo que el no podía expresar el amor porque no era fácil para el porque el no recibió de parte de su padre. La única manera que yo sabia que el expresaba su amor era con un pequeño pellizco (de amor) en mi brazo. Yo decía que yo lo amo, y el me respondía, pero nunca me decía que me ama primero hasta un día…Mi para esta muriendo de cáncer de la garganta y el me dijo “Solo tengo unos días para vivir…pero quiero decirte ¡que te amo siempre! No pudo evitarlo y me quebrante y ahora mismo cuando comparto con ustedes estoy quebrantado.

Esto fue un rompimiento para mí de actualmente aceptar el amor inagotable de Dios. Su amor inagotable esta escrito en la Biblia como una promesa para nuestras vidas. Si no has experimentado el amor inagotable de Dios, créeme tu vas a querer experimentarlo siempre.

Estaba inspirada por el Espíritu Santo a escribir este poema para ti. Pido que toque y impacte tu vida como lo hizo con la mía…

~ El Amor Inagotable de un Padre ~
Mi Padre me salvo de la dirección de destrucción y caos que estaba encabezado;
Mi Padre me adopto con los brazos abiertos para recibirme como su propia hija;
Mi Padre tiene un corazón grande y me provee con SU amor inagotable;
Mi Padre me protege guardándome bajo sus alas;
Mi Padre es Fiel, siempre allí para mí cuando lo necesito más que nunca;
Mi Padre esta tan orgulloso de mi y me ama tal como soy;
Mi Padre me anima a seguir y cumplir mis sueños y volar como las águilas;
¡Estoy muy agradecida por mi Padre que esta en mi vida!

OraciónEstoy orando por las Mujeres que están leyendo este blog y tienen hambre para tener una experiencia del amor inagotable de Dios. Pido que este amor pueda fluir en sus corazones y pueden compartir y ser de bendición a otros. En el nombre de Jesús, Amen.

Dios te Bendiga Siempre,
Maria Guzmán