Welcome my dear sisters to “The Kitchen Table”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Love & Hugs
Ponnie

2 More Wonderful Sisters from "The Kitchen Table"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Michele R. Cousins...Working Single Moms

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

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

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

Music
90’s R & B, & Martha Manuzzi

Our Young Women at "The Kitchen Table"

Lydia Hedinger....18!

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

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

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

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

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






Tovah Cousins.....High School Junior!



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

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

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

Favorite Music
Flyleaf, Les Miserables, Michael Bublé, Eisley

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

Cheryl & Rita, 2 More Sisters from The Kitchen Table

Cheryl Mackey....Home School Mom

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

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

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

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

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

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



Rita Scarborough.....Married Life

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

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

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

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

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

Another Sister from "The Kitchen Table"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More Women from "The Kitchen Table"

Sasha Brown....Health & Beatuy

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

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

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

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

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

Women of "The Kitchen Table"

Maria Guzman "Life Unscripted"

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

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

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

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

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


María Guzmán

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

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

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

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

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

It Is All About The Attitude!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May your holidays be filled with laughter and love.

Blessings & Love
Ponnie

Missed Opportunities......

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

The Action of Love.....

This time next week most of us in the USA will be preparing to celebrate our national holiday “Thanksgiving.” And like any other manmade holiday it brings with it joy and sadness. Personally, I’m not real big on manmade holidays except that they are days off from a workweek that otherwise would be “business as usual.” I don’t think many of us complain about extra time off. My problem with most manmade holidays is that they create a haven for pain, heartache and loneliness. My ministry exposes me to the side of life that is most unpleasant and I have seen year after year how people are affected when they are on the outside looking in.

When growing up, Thanksgiving Day was my favorite of all holidays and my mother hosted it every year at her house. Today we live in a society that eats turkey every day, but that was not the case 50 years ago. A big roasted turkey with homemade stuffing was special and only happened two or three times a year. Sweet potatoes were plentiful which meant my Gigi (godmother/aunt) was going to make her infamous pies and my mother her wonderful stuffing and macaroni and cheese. And if any of my family came down from New York, we were blessed with my Aunt Mickey’s fabulous homemade yeast rolls. I am getting hungry just remembering those wonderful smells and times. But as I got older, it became a burden of sorts to me. My mother was a nurse and often worked on Thanksgiving and left so much of the work on me. That was the beginning of the best of times becoming the worst of times. Yet I do realize that Thanksgiving can bring great joy to friends and family too, but today I want to look at how we can make it through on the rougher side of things.

There are two great factors that help us get through the rough or tough times in life and they are “Faith” and “Love” and not necessarily in that order. It all depends on the life circumstance that dictates which one (or even both) has to step up and be the lead. You can say with your mouth you love, but if your actions don’t back it up, your words are as empty as a cloud without water. And just as useless too. Check out I Corinthians 13:3-8 (in the Message Bible), it describes the actions of love and how it presents itself to others. Don’t have that translation, check it out at Biblegateway.com.

Family gatherings can take on a flavor of their own that are not always palatable to say the least. I have a friend who is a mortician and has done hundreds of funerals over the years. She has witnessed on more than one occasion family members having knock down drag out fights inside a church during the funeral service. How many of us have witnessed or even been a part of family arguments at birthday parties, and reunions? I have! Well, Thanksgiving gatherings are not exempt from this type of confusion and bad behavior. And right now some of us are dreading having to have dinner with some of our family, but we haven’t figured out a way to get out of it short of lying. Well, I want you to know that there is hope and help on ways to get through it.

I think just about all families have that hard to get along with person that everyone sort of secretly wishes wouldn’t show up. Or you are faced with sibs who just rub each other the wrong way. A friend of mine has 3 sisters and the oldest and the one right after her have always fought like cats and dogs. And 40 some odd years later they still do. Every time the family gets together everyone is on edge hoping they make it through the evening without the two of them ruining it for everyone else. I also know a woman who started feeding her neighbors on Thanksgiving just so her kids wouldn’t come. She just couldn’t take the bickering and fighting amongst them. The bright side of that was it turned out to be a wonderful ministry. ~Smile~ Some of you might be a little anxious about the company you will be keeping on Thanksgiving Day, especially when it comes to those who have hurt or wounded you. I’m sure there is probably one or two of you who are not going to be with family because you refuse to be in the same room with certain people. And last but not least there are some of us, who have just thrown our hands up and have decided to be done with folks…..the end! This can all change with just one decision on your part, and that is “To walk in Love.”

One thing about family gatherings, they have a tendency to shine the light on unforgiveness, grudges, and judgment, past hurts, envy and jealousy. And if the thought of being around certain people next week has you a little down or your heart fluttering, then take a deep look as to why? Two of the biggest culprits are unforgiveness and a judgmental attitude. Not always, but most often.

There just isn’t enough time to talk about the many reasons why siblings become estranged from one another so we’ll just look at a few. A real big one is money! Borrowed money that has not been paid back will cause brother and sister never to speak again. Or the user! You know the one who only calls when they need something and never gives anything in return. How about, “I don’t like how they take advantage of our parents,” or “I’m the one who does everything and they never lift a finger to help.” And we must not forget how we are very good at judging the lifestyles of others, especially if they are not living as we think they should.

I don’t want anyone to misunderstand me; I am not trivializing emotional pain or heartache. I have lived a lifetime of it myself, but Love (God’s love) covers all of it. So even if your sister is married to the man you loved and met first and you somehow blame her for stealing him away, you can forgive and let it go. You can even forgive your brother who stole from you and your parents. The list of why family members don’t want to be with other family members can be lengthy. And there are cases where we may not need to be with certain people, but even in those situations we still need a heart check to make sure forgiveness has taken place for us. And that their past actions have not put us in prison.

In Romans 12:18, we are told that as long as it is within our power we are to live in peace with others. That also lets us know that we do have the power to forgive and let go. Even when it is hard, we still have been given the power through the Holy Spirit of God, to forgive and walk in love. Does walking in love mean that you become a doormat, trashcan or fire hydrant? No!! But it does mean that you will take back letting anyone else steal your joy in life. Walking in love will enable you to stop by your grandmother’s house (knowing your father will be there with the woman he walked out on your family for) to visit the family you love on your father’s side. Walking in love is walking in freedom.

Declare today that you are a lover of people, just as your Father is! Pray to be able to forgive past hurts and let go. Begin to envision how you are going to give that certain someone a big hug that is genuine. You might also find yourself being prompted by the Holy Spirit of God to ask to be forgiven. Oh yeah, that can happen. I’ve had to apologize when it was not my fault, and I had done no wrong. And be prepared if the person does not receive it. Just accept that you were obedient and that is what matters to God. Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 (New Am Standard Bible)

The truth is my dear sisters it’s not about “us”! But it is about “God” and His Kingdom.
If we are to impress others with who Jesus (Yeshua) is, then they have to see Him in our actions and not just in our words. Love, (God’s love) is an action word, and we must snap into action when it comes to making it right with others. You have no idea who is watching you. And though it might seem as if your actions of love are wasted, you don’t know that to be true, especially since I Corinthians 13, says that love never fails. And you never know when someone might come to you one day to tell you how they saw the true love of God in you, from your actions of love and forgiveness.

I pray that I have provoked you to do a heart check. And even if you think all is well, please do an attitude check. You may not be walking in unforgiveness, but there might be someone you need to stop preaching at and just love on. You could be the someone they’re dreading being around because of how you judge them.

If by any chance you have been feeling a little stressed about the holidays, maybe now you can change your perspective and begin to look forward to being free and having a good time. And even if you are in a country that is not celebrating a national holiday, I hope that you have found what was written today a useful tool for your next social gathering that usually has a little anxiety attached to it.

My dear sisters, life is short and tomorrow is not promised here on this earth, therefore enjoy and take care of every day that you are blessed to have. Make love (God’s love) a part of your everyday life.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Who Do You Think You Are?

The question “Who do you think you are?” or “Who does she think she is?” is more times than none posed in a negative way, with sarcasm and a frowned up face. It ends with a question mark and five exclamation marks to follow (?!!!!!). But that is not how I am posing the question to you my dear sisters. I really want to know, “Who do you think you are? I hear silence and crickets chirping. Why? This question is harder to answer than most people think, because it goes way beyond “what you do or your profession.” You’re a doctor. Okay, does that make you kindhearted and honest? Nope. Does it make you a person filled with compassion? Nope. I think we have all encountered a doctor or two who had no people skills whatsoever or treated you like you were just a piece of meat. You’re a teacher. Does that mean that you care about your students who struggle with learning? Nope. You could be one who is counting down the days to retirement. What we do, is not who we are. And I pray that today, I can encourage you to see that you are so much more than you probably realize.

Society has duped us as women into not seeing the true beauty that lives deep within us. We are great in so many ways, but we have been brainwashed to compare ourselves with what the world says is great and unique. When I went to clip art for this week’s picture, my search was “women.” and to my delight I was bombarded with picture after picture of confident women. Let’s take a moment and look at the one I picked. No matter what her title or position, her body language tells you, she is confident and a leader. No matter how many jobs or positions she may have in real life she would take that confidence and leadership ability with her, because that is part of who she is. Do you know my sisters, that every single woman who belongs to the Kingdom of God should be confident with great leadership ability? Well, if you weren’t sure of that, I’m here to assure you that it’s true.

This past weekend I attended a conference the Women of Faith group sponsors for teen girls. It is called The Revolve Tour and it is something I recommend for all teen age girls to experience. Whether they know the Lord or not! I am digressing, but I had to put a plug in for them, so back to my story. I met several really great women, but there was one in particular, that I knew from jump street was a leader. She didn’t have a take over spirit, she didn’t go, me, me, me or anything like that. It was her confidence that was the clue. She was tall in stature and she stood straight, didn’t slouch one bit, held her head high and even wore pumps. Her clothes weren’t fancy or designer because as volunteers we were to wear kaki pants and a black top. Sorry I didn’t read that part of the contract so I must confess I wasn’t dressed like the rest of the ushers. ~Smile~ When we did get a chance to talk and she shared parts of her life with me, (only after I asked) she just reinforced what I had come to realize some time ago, and that is, “confidence” wears well with anything. Confidence stands out in a crowd even if you’re just standing still and looking. Especially when your confidence is rooted in the Lord.

Just as this woman has traveled all over the world and held big positions where she runs things from the big office, that same confidence and leadership qualities that she possesses, should be in each of God’s girls!! Every mother should be leading her children with the confidence of the Lord! Every wife should be confident in her position as a “help mate” to her husband and a leader in her community. Does that mean you have to run for public office? No. You can be a great leader (by example) just in the way you carry yourself. Do you speak to everyone? Is there an elderly person you check in on? Are you willing to help when needed? Do you sweep your neighbors steps even when they don’t do yours? Are you at war with your neighbors or are you blessing them even though they don’t treat you well? As women of God, we should all be leaders in some fashion at our jobs, in our community, households, our kid’s schools, and any of the other hundreds of places we go. Our confidence should always be such that people know from the very first meeting that there is something special about us without us whipping out our Bible, quoting scripture, or shouting at the top of our lungs, “I am a Christian!”

God is explicit in letting us know that, “His ways are not our ways. And His thoughts are not like ours.” Therefore, He does not judge “big” the way the world and most of us do. Obedience of the smallest thing is big to God. Why? Because so many of His children are rebellious in spirit and disobedient to say the least. And He lets us know that obedience is huge to Him by promising us that, “Obedience brings blessings!” You might be the CFO of a huge company, but if the Lord says to you, “Step down and stay at home to raise your children.” And you say, “Not yet, I’m really going places.” Then your big position means nothing to Him versus that woman that answered and said, “Yes, Lord!” I know women who have given up big positions to be home, and if you could see the blessing and anointing on their husbands and children, you would not question God’s decision for them. Has it been easy? Of course not, but it has been worth every day of obedience they have walked in.

Let’s take a look at Jael, she was the wife of Heber and the one who drove the nail in the skull of Sisera. When I say nail, it would really be more like a stake. They used them to hold down the tents they lived in. Now she did something great for God, but what was her preparation like? I couldn’t find a lot about her, but I’m going to surmise that she had to be used to driving the nails (stakes into the ground) or else, she probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to drive it through his temples the way she did. It went all the way through. She literally nailed his head to the ground. It took strength and confidence to do that. I wonder if her life was one of menial labor compared to the glamorous life of the Proverbs 31 woman? To the world her life probably would not come close, but to God they are both great. In fact Jael, might be greater, how many women do you know who would be confident enough to play the scenario through the way she did? (See Judges 4:17-21) It is very possible that Jael might have felt a drudgery of sorts hammering those nails into the ground year after year. She might have felt that she was less than many other women in her tribe, but the one thing we know for sure, she had an upper body strength that women only achieve through physical training. Her position was the preparation for a special job that God had for her.

When I looked up the meaning of Confidence, I found: firm belief in oneself and ones abilities. That is true for the world, but for Believers, our Confidence, is a firm belief in God and His abilities. Also confidence of any sort gives you a feeling of security. So as you begin to believe you are who God says you are, your confidence in Him will grow, and so will you spiritually. God’s confidence grows from the inside out. In other words, you start to feel so good about who you are, that you discover your outward appearance doesn’t match the real you. We often have it backwards. When we are feeling down or our confidence and self esteem are low, we try to fix the outside to make us feel better, but when the inside changes, we want to change the outward to match the real us! That new hair do becomes a must, because what we see in the mirror is not really who we are. We are walking taller with our heads held high and our shoulder’s back. And in that confidence we realize we need a better fitting bra, cause the girls need to be lifted to match our new stance. Confidence that comes from believing you are beautiful because God says so, will help you to find an outfit that looks really good on your size 24 body. You’ll stop saying, “I hate shopping, I can’t find anything that looks good on me.” When our confidence and self esteem are lifted, so is everything else about us. We began to view all aspects of life differently. The reason is, because another light has gone on, taking us out of a dark corner where we stood captive. And freedom feels real good!!

It does not matter if you are someone like me, who never finished college, or you can be working on your second PhD and a scholar. You could be a stay at home mom, in between jobs, on disability, retired, single, a wife, or a single mom. You can clean houses for a living or manage a corporation that spans the entire West Coast. If you are in the family of Christ (Messiah) then you are counted as being great! And you should be living your life with confidence in this truth. My sisters, I challenge you to ask yourself, “Who do you think you are?” And if your thoughts are not God’s thoughts, it is time to standup and do something about that!

Our enemy constantly tries to tell me that it is too late for me. My time has passed. I missed the boat. But I constantly tell him that he is a liar and he is wrong, wrong, wrong!!!! And you know how I can do that? Because I believe what God says about me! At 56 (almost 57) I have a confidence that I have never possessed before, and it is going to take me to great places that I thought I had lost. But I realized (with the help of the Holy Spirit) that God’s Word has not changed and never will. It was my thinking that had veered off into the lane of unbelief.

My dear sisters, I pour my heart out to you on this, because I am living proof of how believing what the Bible says about you will turn your life around. If you’ve been doubting God or your purpose, I want you to stop it right now!! I want you to stop what I call, “Stinking Thinking,” and start thinking like God. Oh yeah, I Corinthian 2:16, tells us that we have the mind of Christ (Messiah), so that means the new creature in us, can think like our Master.

There is one thing though I do want to caution you about. There is a big difference between confidence and pride. Please do not get the two confused. Pride is boastful, vain, self seeking, self edifying and the list goes on. That is not confidence, in fact it is insecurity at its finest. With the confidence of the Lord you don’t have to shout it or talk about it to anyone. They will see on their own that there is something about you, just as I did this weekend in my new friend.

I pray that if you’ve been slouching a bit, that after you have read this, you will hoist the girls up, suck you belly in, throw your shoulders back and walk with a little more confidence than you did yesterday.

I love you my wonderful sisters, and I have been so very encouraged by writing to you today. I’ve wanted to stand up and shout, because I’m so happy with all God is doing in me. I’m learning to be free! And I pray that I am encouraging you along the way too!

We have a winner from last week’s drawing: SJ, from Columbus, OH. SJ, I’m going to contact you via email so that I can have Amazon.com ship your book. May it be a real blessing to you.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Love Yourself.....and Then You Can Love Your Neighbor

It is amazing how many times we are told to love our neighbor as we love ourselves! Moses gave it as law and Jesus (Yeshua) gives it to us as a commandment. Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV), 36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew, Mark and Luke all recounted Jesus (Yeshua) saying this to the Pharisees and Paul tells us the same thing in Romans and Galatians. And last but not least, James had his say about it too. Wow!! Loving your neighbor as you love yourself went from being one of the many laws in Leviticus 19, to being the second greatest commandment given to man. But what I think many of us have missed is the part that is in between loving God and loving our neighbor. The part that says, “We have to Love Ourselves.”

Before I go any further with this, I want to define neighbor so that we are on the same page. In Luke 10, Jesus (Yeshua) teaches us through the story of the Good Samaritan that all the world are neighbors. This frees us up so that we are not boxed into thinking that this command only applies to the people next door or down the street. It is the person at the checkout, the drive through, the doctor’s office, the nail salon and any of the many places we travel in our daily lives. It is that hard to get along with boss, and back stabbing coworker you dread having to see each day. It really is anyone who comes your way.

Love is the most talked about subject in the Bible. Why? Because God is love and when we sit down and explore God’s love you see that it resembles nothing the world portrays. For one, the world tells you that sex is love. In so many cases, people should just tell each other, “I really lust you!” Instead of, “I love you.” It would be a more truthful and accurate explanation of the emotions they are feeling. The world’s definition of Love is: It’s an emotion or feeling. This is why so many women and children are heartbroken, because men have walked away from their wives, girlfriends and children, because they equate their love on how they feel…Don’t love you anymore, moving on! But God’s LOVE is an action word. God’s LOVE is a commitment. God’s LOVE is never ending. So even if you breakup with the mother of your children you still make sure they are provided for, because you love them and care for them. If your husband walked away from you for another woman, you don’t hold your children hostage and not let them see him. Why? Because you love them and want the best for them. This is God’s LOVE. His LOVE shows you in the hardest of times it will still be there.

One of my favorite translations to read love in is the Amplified Bible. I love it, I love it….I LOVE it!! If you don’t have that translation please go to Biblegateway.com and read I Corinthians 13: 4-8a. It spells out how we are to love others as we walk in the love of our Lord!! But one thing I see in women is that we often have so much baggage from the past that has convinced us that we are not worthy of love, we end up walking through life with an underlying self-hatred. And that is what I want to take a look at today.

Not to long ago I was having a conversation with a woman in her 40’s and she made the statement that she didn’t like women, and she got along much better with men. How very sad. And the reason I’m saying that is because, she is a woman. So what is she really saying? The truth, she really didn’t like herself. How can you not like women, when you are a woman and still like yourself? You can’t. This is a mindset that will also hinder you from loving others (your neighbor).

If you are a person who has came from an abusive background, (especially a constant barrage of verbal abuse and insults), and suffer from low self-esteem…..You are fat! You’re stupid! You’re ugly and no one in the right mind will want you! You’re worthless! You’re useless! You are nothing and you will never be anything! And with each fiery dart that hit your mind and your heart eventually you began to believe all the mean and hurtful words. Is it possible to love others if you still believe the lies that you were told about yourself?

When you were rejected by the man who impregnated you, only to see him marry someone else and build a better life for her and her children (not his children, but her children). How can you love your neighbor when you feel so betrayed and unloved?

Though the bruises and broken bones have healed, and the scars that once ravished your body are no longer visible to the naked eye, and you look okay on the outside, but inside you’re still a broken and battered woman from the beatings and verbal insults you endured for years. How can you love your neighbor when you still hear the words that described you as trash, everyday?

You’ve struggled with your weight since you were a young child. Your teen years were hell as the fat girl! Especially if you grew up in a time where there were no attractive or stylish clothing for plus sized people. You still remember the nasty and cruel names the other kids called you, and how you really didn’t have friends. So your loneliness caused you to eat more, and food became your friend. As a woman you are still overweight and feel unattractive. You might be single, you may be married, but the feelings of low self-esteem still control your life. How are you able to love your neighbor when you don’t love who you are?

As followers of Jesus (Yeshua) and His disciples, how can we love others with the I Corinthians love when we find it so hard to love ourselves? The answer is, “We can’t and we don’t.”

Sisters, it is time to stand up and begin to deal with any issues in our lives that hinder us from loving ourselves and prevent us from seeing the beautiful woman that God does. Back in the 70’s there was a saying “Love Fest” let’s rise up and start having a “Love Fest” with ourselves. The first and most crucial step is that you make the decision right now, that you are lovable and worthy of love. Why? Because that is what God says about you!! And He rules! Not the mirror, not your husband, not your friends, not your family, not what size clothing you wear, not the fashion magazines, not the numbers on the scale, not how many wrinkles or rolls of fat you have. What God says about us, should be all that matters.

Once you make the decision that you are who God says you are, then the next step is to search out the scriptures that will help change your heart so that you begin to believe it!! You might only need one verse that speaks to your heart to start with. If you are a person that grew up hearing how stupid you were and you find yourself repeating those words to yourself every time you make a mistake, then it is time to remember that the Bible says, “You have the mind of Christ.” So it is impossible for you to be stupid. If the tapes that you are worthless continue to play in your mind, then you should look where it says, “We sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.” That is a place that does not belong to everyone and for those of us that have been given that position through His precious blood; we can hardly be counted as worthless.

Do you suffer with feelings of being unloved and unlovable and even question God’s love for you? If so meditate on Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you.” What exactly does that mean? Search it out in the Bible until you see just what God’s everlasting love is and how it pertains to you. The One who shed the Blood that you were bought with is a good place to start.

Are you one that has low self-esteem because of your weight? Then start to say each day to yourself as you are getting dressed, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made!” Because that is what Psalm 139:14 says about you. I wish that I could give each of you a boost of the scripture that would help you to see the exact image you are in Christ (Yeshua), but it will go far better if you allow the Holy Spirit of God to show you through His Word exactly what you need. But the truth is that once you began to apply God’s version of who you are to yourself, you will also begin to see that His love and mercy is for all. And that’s the key as to how you can begin to love your neighbor as you love yourself. ~Smile~

Today is as good as any to start the journey of loving yourself more. There might be some tears shed as you look at those things that have kept you from understanding what it really means to be a new creature in our Lord. In many cases you are going to have to dish out big doses of forgiveness, so that you will no longer live in the prison of past hurts. But I can tell you from my own messed up life, that the healing power of the Blood of Jesus (Yeshua) is absolutely wonderful! It really does not matter how horrid a life you have had, you can be healed, you can forgive and you can be made whole, if you desire to be so.

My dear wonderful sisters, I pray that I have moved you to grab onto the Truths of who you really are as the Daughter of the Most High God!!! The position that you have in His Kingdom is far greater than anything this world can fathom or even attempt to offer you!! You are Blessed and highly favored, by the King of kings. You are the apple of a Father’s eye, which never sleeps and while you are sleeping He is thinking about and caring for you! Everything I just wrote is in the Bible; it’s all true because God’s Word says so. You are loved with a love that never fails!!

I want to offer the book “Beauty for Ashes” by Joyce Meyer, in a drawing this week. It is her story of how her father sexually abused her. But the greatest thing about it all is how God’s saving grace and wonderful love took that horrible pile of ashes (her life) and turned it into a thing of great beauty. If she could come to the place to forgive her father and mother for years of abuse, I feel no matter what has happened to you, you will be inspired by her testimony to let go and live.

My prayer for you today is that you have been inspired to believe God and what He says. You might have personally needed to read today’s blog or you might know someone who can benefit from what I have been inspired to write. If that is the case please pass this on to them, and pray for them.

I love you all dearly and I am always inspired by the words I write. It takes me back to where I have been and reminds me of how very far the Lord has brought me because of His love. I know what it is to be a broken and trashed person, but for God’s great love, my status is now one of Royalty, healed and whole, and that means everything.

To enter this weeks drawing send an email to: hope2win_bloggdrawings99@verizon.net, with your name, city and state. You have until Tuesday, November 10th, 6pm ET, USA to enter.

Blessings and Love to you all.
Ponnie

My Prayer for You

The past few weeks I’ve talked a lot about us as women making time for ourselves. Hoping to change our mentality of “Being on the bottom of the list” to one of “Being a priority on the list.” And I am so happy to report that women have been encouraged to make change. Comments are not always written on the blog but so many of you have blessed me with emails, phone calls or notes on Facebook. Thank you so much my dear sisters for encouraging me.

I would like to tie this month up with a prayer for you as you sift through the past few weeks and find your own little gem to hold onto.

My prayer for you is that you will remember you are fearfully and wonderfully made, by the true and living God who is creator of heaven and earth. Therefore you are good and precious in His sight. You are loved with an everlasting love, a love that cannot and will not fade. His love is a love that surpasses all human understanding, and is timeless and ageless as the heavens.

Remember these things my dear sisters so that when you find yourself in the midst of a storm, our adversary will not be able to convince you that God has abandoned you to fend for yourself. When someone in your life tries to make you feel less than special, remember that you are the daughter of a king. In fact my dear sisters you are daughters of the King of kings!! And no weapon formed against you will prosper.

When it seems like your prayers have not been heard and you will never receive an answer or help, remember He has promised to be your help in times of trouble, and that He has a purpose and plan for your life and it is one to prosper you and not harm you. So do not let your flesh, well meaning friends, circumstances or our enemy, talk you out of standing on His promises which He has given you through the blood of His Son.

As disappointment comes to visit and it seems like it will never leave, remember weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Life is often full of disappointments but Jesus (Yeshua) has told us to be of a happy countenance because He has overcome the world for us.

If your mirror or someone else tries to tell you that you are unattractive and no one wants you, remember God says, “There is an unfading beauty in a gentle and quiet spirit”, and this is of great value to Him. We are who, and what, God says we are, not the world’s or anyone else estimation. We are defined by God’s love and Him alone.

My prayer is that you will no longer live beneath your privilege of royalty by staying in stagnant ruts or giving into a defeatist attitude. Jesus (Yeshua) tells us in John 10:10 that He came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly. [My paraphrase] Decide what that abundantly is for you, and step out to make change.

Dear sisters take the encouraging words the Holy Spirit has inspired me to write to you the past 4 weeks, and use them to make time and changes for yourselves so that you can live life to the fullest potential that God has deemed for each of you.

Know that I am very grateful to God to be able to write to you. It inspires my soul richly to be reminded of how great our God is. How much He loves us and the great value He has placed on each and every one of us.

I am sorry to say that no one entered the drawing last week for a yearly subscription to In Style magazine. Girls, it really is a nice magazine. Oh well, hopefully the next drawing will will have a better appeal.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.

Let's Spice Things Up A Bit!

Usually when you hear, “Let’s spice things up a bit” it carries a sexual overture. But today I would like to talk about spicing things up in the content of change. Change is a big part of life and for the most part change is good. But good or bad, we often don’t like change and rebel against it. Even when the changes God has for us are good, we don’t always go willingly. Today sisters, I’m going to challenge you to make a change and maybe even step out of a comfort zone.

When we use the word “rut” figuratively we are talking about a fixed or established way of acting, especially one that is boring or monotonous. A rut is not a place we want to be but we somehow find ourselves there. Ruts can also become comfort zones, even when it is not a good or healthy place. And with most people, moving out of a comfort zone usually is not on our top ten things we really want to do. Even when it means something better.

This blog has an audience of women in their 20’s to women in their 70’s. That challenges me to find common threads so that there is something for everyone. Spicing things up to a 20 year old is very different than that for a 50 year. Or is it? I found the common thread. ~Smile~

With today’s economy women young and older have found themselves having to cut back or tighten the budget. Then there’s the group of women who put themselves last never making it on the list and last but not least, we have those who have not felt the crunch of the economy, but still need a push to make change.

As I began to meditate on the blog for this week, I realized I needed to start with me. I can’t encourage others to try or do something that I haven’t tried myself. Yes girls after a long hard look….my ruts are the same old haircut, makeup, perfume, and clothes. Yup…Ponnie is in need of an overhaul!! But Ponnie’s pocketbook is expressing that at this time that is not possible. So, what can be done? The conclusion I came up with is that spicing it up doesn’t have to cost a lot, and you don’t have to do it all in one day.

I wanted a new scent for the winter so I went to Sephora’s. If you have never been you’ve got to check them out! Tovah is 16 and loves it, I took my girlfriend there who is 64 and she feel in love too. It is a place for every woman, no matter your age, skin type or complexion. Cosmetics, cosmetics, perfumes and more cosmetics! It is wonderful. I tried a couple of different scents, but I need to smell them for a couple of hours before I can commit, so I was given a sample of Vera Wang, (they put some in a spray container for you) and have worn it over 5 times and just adore it. Yes, this will be my new winter scent.

The next thing was to look at spicing up my wardrobe. I don’t work full time and even that has been affected and cutback, so I had to take a hard look at what to spend. If you have a black pair of pants, skirt or dress you can build a wardrobe just on that if need be. And that’s where I started. I’m going to purchase a really nice cabled cardigan sweater, a ruby sweater to wear underneath and a chunky necklace from Lane Bryant’s to wear with a black pair of trousers and ankle boots I already have. This all comes to a little over $150, but I have a $50 coupon. Adding this rust colored Nine West leather bag I purchased last month at Ross’ for $25, I will have a fresh modern look. This same sweater can be worn with a chocolate top and pants. Pair them with a colorful scarf and my(faux) red snakeskin purse, I have another totally different look. Scarves, necklaces, earrings and bracelets can breathe life into that same old outfit. A dark blazer can be worn with a dress, jeans, pants or skirt, and all you have to do is change the accessories and it won’t look like the same blazer or same bottom.

Makeup colors are different for the winter versus the summer. Fingernail polishes are deeper and so are eye shadows and lipsticks. I still have my summer bronzy look, so I’ve scheduled a trip to Sephora’s in a couple of weeks just to get a new lip color. I’ll be able to test as many colors as I want and get the assistance I need in making just the right choice. As far as my hair goes, I don’t like a lot of fuss and so I’m still in the exploring stages of something new. It could be a new hairdo or it might be a hat that really makes me look great!!!

Tovah and I like to look through fashion magazines, and when my 10 year old granddaughter Zoë is around she’s right in the mix too. In Style magazine is something we have fun searching through. Some of the styles are wild, but we like to talk about the crazy ones, pick out what we like and even try to find an expensive look on the cheap. Being in my 50’s and very close to 60, I’m not sure I would have ever purchased In Style had it not been for trying to teach Tovah the benefit of sophistication. But to my surprise and delight, it has also inspired me to try different scents, cosmetics and accessories. And I think it will inspire you too, so I am having a drawing for a one year subscription to In Style magazine. I know that some women say they don’t have time to read magazines, but I encourage you to start. The right magazine can be very inspiring, my favorite is Prevention magazine because it inspires me to make healthy changes in my life.

Don’t fret, I didn’t forget the woman who has already tweaked her winter wardrobe, has enough perfume, and is fighting the urge to buy anymore jewelry. For you I have two things. One, give some of your over abundance to someone else. And I don’t mean the old stuff, but give some of the good stuff. Women’s shelters are in great need of clothing, and there might be someone in your church, or family who could also benefit. Hording is an issue women have and pairing down is a good way to work on changing that. Second, change your surroundings. It can be fun and doesn’t have to cost a lot.

Painting walls a different color makes a room fresh and new. If you don’t feel like painting, then changing your bedcovers and throw pillows can turn a drab bed into one that is luscious and inviting. Rearranging the furniture and adding new lampshades or throw rugs and drapes can do wonders for any room. Whatever the change, start with something as simple as a new lip color, eye shadow or haircut. Maybe a can of paint from Home Depot. Bangles and a pretty scarf from one of your favorite shops. Take the first step by taking inventory and then add a little spice!

What inspired me was Ester 2:12 (Complete Jewish Bible) Each girl had her turn to appear before King Achashverosh after she had undergone the full twelve-month preparation period prescribed for the women, consisting of a six-month treatment with oil of myrrh and six months of perfumes and other cosmetics for women. I ask you my sisters, “Are we not daughters of the King? Should we not be perfumed and looking good?” The answer is, “Yes!”

I pray that I have encouraged or even inspired you make change in any area that has become boring or monotonous in your every day living.

For the drawing: Please send an email to: <hope2win_bloggdrawings99@verizon.net>; with your name, city and state in the body. You have until Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 6pm ET.
The winner will be announced in next week’s blog.

Have a blessed week women of God. And remember that sharing what you plan to do or have done to spice things up will only encourage others, so please write a comment.

Love & Hugs
Ponnie
A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.