I Can Fix It!

Before you even ask, yes there is a story that goes with the above picture. As you see, Kaiya substituted a pencil for the arm that she lost on her glasses. She carefully wrapped it up with tape, and then showed me her creation. I was horrified! No, not really, LOL! But of course I couldn’t let her walk around like that for a long period of time. Kaiya is a relative newcomer to wearing glasses. She got her first pair before she started the seventh grade. However, I have been wearing glasses and contacts almost all of my life. When she picked out her frames I thought “Perfect! The frames don’t say look at me!” The pair of glasses in the picture is her third pair of glasses in two years. ~Sigh~ Granted, Kaiya has never been the daintiest child but three pairs in two years? Of course as a parent this frustrates me because of money and her carelessness but also because I feel she’s old enough to take care of something she needs on a daily basis as a tool for vision.

I’m sure we frustrate God as well, with our “I can fix it” mentality. He showed me how the glasses represent humans need to fix things without His help. As women, wives, mothers, daughters, employers and employees we are often the “tape” that holds everything together. We are the “go to” people. When you are considered to be the “dependable one” it may be difficult to say, “No” when people ask favors of us. Some of you may be familiar with the song made famous by Chaka Khan, revived by Whitney Houston, and even used as a theme song for the Oprah Show, “I’m Every Woman…it’s all in me.” No! It’s not! We cannot do everything. I believe trying to do everything and be everything to everybody, also known as stretching yourself too thin is why we become discouraged and withdraw from God, people and things that we once enjoyed. Just like we want our children to come to us when they have a need, God wants us to rely on Him. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

I think pride is at the root of the “I can fix it” mentality; have you ever thought “No one can do the job as well as I can!” Or maybe you’ve said “What would they do without my help?” I don’t know about you but I don’t want to take 40 years to make an eleven day journey like the Israelites. (Deuteronomy 1:1-3) I can reflect on instances in my life where if I had trusted God more and left my hands out of the situation, it could have been resolved quicker and more smoothly.

When I first took the picture of Kaiya’s glasses, I thought people would think it was funny, yet creative. I never thought God would use the picture to write this blog. I was suffering from a mild case of writer’s block trying to finish incomplete blogs and write new ones as well. I’m glad I can ask God for help and He is better than any tape or glue in my possession; because when He fixes things there are no doubt that His special touch is present.



In Christian love,
Jennifer


I'll be back with more in 2 weeks, Wednesday, July 14th. Hope to see you then


Thursday's Blog: Ponne has a special blog for us

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down

Ladies….The Kitchen Table had its first virtual book club meeting on Saturday, June 19th!! Everyone agreed that the Yada Yada Prayer Group, book series are great books. We ended up talking about the different characters in the book and how we related to them. It was a really good time of sharing. We had a second call last night, June 28th and again it turned into a great time of sharing and relating to the women in the prayer group. But the best thing of all it seems for everyone is that though the books are Christian fiction, they have inspired everyone in their prayer life. Now that is really something to think about.

It is not too late to join in, we are now reading book 2 and will have the book club call on Saturday, July 17th.

This is how it works.
1. You pick a date and time and register by sending an email to: thekitchentable2010@yahoo.com.
2. Place in subject : “Summer Book Club”
3. Put in your day of choice, “Saturday or Tuesday” (sorry you cannot mix and match dates, if you choose Saturday, it will be the 3rd Saturday of each month)
4. Make sure you put your name, city and state.
5. You will receive an email stating that you have been registered. And the call-in information for the call in center we will be using.
Make sure to put thekitchentable2010@yahoo.com in your address book so that our emails do not go into your spam box
6. You will receive a weekly email concerning the book we are reading that month. Just a little something to keep you engaged and excited before we come together to discuss it.
7. You will receive a reminder email (with call-in info again) a couple of days before the book club meets.

Please register as quickly as possible, seating is limited.

July: The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down (Book 2)

August: The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real (Book 3)


Day: Every 3rd Saturday
Time: 1.5 hrs

Sasha, July 17th,
(3 - 4:30pm ET), (2 - 3:30pm CT), (1 – 2:30pm MT), (12 – 1:30pm PT)

Ponnie, August 21st,
(3 - 4:30pm ET), (2 - 3:30pm CT), (1 – 2:30pm MT), (12 – 1:30pm PT)

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Ponnie on Facebook, the above email address or my private email if you have it.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock . . .

I have a newfound appreciation for time and the various things that can be done with it. Having an infant will do that for you. There is this saying that says, “There is no such thing as free time. All time carries a cost, and what you do with your time determines the price.”

I have a wonderful daughter. Her name is Amanda Janae Daniels. And I wouldn’t change the experience of being her mother for anything in the world. I will tell you though, that sometimes I have to laugh when I think about the decisions of time management that I am faced within a daily basis. When my precious princess is asleep, I have a few choices of what to do with my time. And there is never enough time to get everything done. So, I am subject to prioritizing between reading, sleeping, eating, or showering. These have quickly become my four top priorities. A distant 5th, 6th, etc. is cleaning the house, working on the computer, or even down time like playing Sudoku or Logic Problems.

I am very close to having a system whereby I can make the most of my time every minute of every day. Would you like to know my system? Well here it is: take care of myself spiritually, physically, then emotionally - in that order. This may seem practical, but when you are tired beyond belief and having trouble thinking straight or remembering what day it is, a little direction goes a long way.
My next step is using the next two weeks to incorporate time to get job-related tasks completed. Adding this additional ball that needs to be juggled with all of the rest will definitely make my life one of adventure. I’m sure it’ll work since people do it all the time.

I would love to hear any stories of infant-induced sleep deprival and your subsequent prioritization of time. Hearing the experiences of others would give me one of those: “WHAT MEN HAVE DONE MEN CAN DO” moments. Or more appropriately, “WHAT WOMEN HAVE DONE WOMEN CAN DO!”

Time is a-ticking; tick tock, tick tock. I gotta go because I don’t have a lot of free time! LOL. Until next time . . .


Peace & Blessings
Sharon


I'll be back in 2 weeks! See you Monday, July 12th.


Tuesday's Blog: Our summer blog posting schedule & July's book club info.

DO NOT BECOME WEARY…….Part IV

Good Morning Sisters…just a reminder of the scripture verse from Part I…Paul tells us in Galatians, that we are not to become weary of well doing. Yet as Believers it seems this is a very hard instruction for us to grasp or follow. First I would like to share with you how that scripture reads in the Complete Jewish Bible. 9So let us not grow weary of doing what is good; for if we don’t give up, we will in due time reap the harvest. 10Therefore, as the opportunity arises, let us do what is good to everyone, and especially to the family of those who are trustingly faithful. Galatians 6:9-10

Okay, we are picking up from the “expectations” we put on others. To sum it all up in a nutshell, when people do not respond in the manner, to which we think, then we start to mummer and complain about them in our spirits and to God. And more times than none we then move over into the realm of judgment. We begin to pick the splinters from their eyes, forgetting the log that is growing forth from ours. For me, when I get to that point of being annoyed or judgmental about someone, it usually is a signal that there is something in my own life that needs attention. Everybody (meaning ALL of us) have stuff that is going on with us. But it is easier to pick at or point out those things in others that are not right, versus look at ourselves.

Not only do our “expectations” of others cause us problems, but also our “expectations” of ourselves. Yes, we have a tendency to set ourselves up to fall. One of the great things about God is that He never requires more of us then we can achieve, and to make sure He supplies everything we need for our success. But that is not the same premise we as His daughters use for ourselves. Our expectations of ourselves and others can be way off base. For one, we become weary (tired) with people, because they are taking to long too get it! Too long to make change! But the truth is, it is not for us to determine the due season for anyone. Not even for us. We forget that pouring to other people’s lives does not come with a warranty assuring us that we will see immediate change. In fact it doesn’t mean that we will see anything come from our time invested. As Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 3:6, some plant, some water and God gives the increase. Do you think that Paul lived to see the fruit of all his labor? No, he didn’t, because we are still being instructed by him through God’s Word today. When we pray for people do we always get to see the prayers answered? No, we don’t. I wonder how many mothers prayed and poured their hearts out to God that their children are saved, and when that day came, they had already gone to glory. Probably more than we could count.

We also become weary (tired) because we have put greater expectations on ourselves than the Lord has required of us and at times our motives are not always the purest. We have hidden agendas as to why we are helping. Our desire could be recognition and the “Atta Girl” award. Some of us still define ourselves by what we do, and it makes us feel good to get accolades for our service and work. But when it doesn’t pan out the way we thought, we can find ourselves becoming tired of all the extra work we have taken on. My point is sisters; our expectations most often can be the root of our being tired of doing good to everyone, and especially to the family of those who are trustingly faithful.

How do we get around becoming weary in doing good? I wish there was some easy way for us to achieve it, but you will have to fight the good fight of faith to get to the end of the race. Sorry, if at this point you were looking for 1, 2, 3….to get there, but it is a daily battle in the life of a Believer to not become weary. But I do have some things I have found to be very helpful in my daily walk.

For one, I have to keep reminding myself of God’s grace to me. Are we not to extend the same grace to others, especially those of the household of faith? Yes, we are! I then have to remember that my ‘life’ is not my own. That I was bought with the price of the Blood of Yeshua (Jesus) and it is my reasonable service to be a servant (slave) to God. Because sisters it is very easy for us to become slaves to whatever is going on in our own lives, and that too can aid in our not having the right attitude toward others. Because I am not one to complain out loud about my problems, people often have a tendency to think I don’t have any and everything is always fine. We all have something that we are dealing with because no one gets a free ride in this life, and so at times I become annoyed when I feel I need time for me but someone is insisting that they must have my attention now! But what I have learned over the years is that though I may have wanted at the time to maybe hang up on them or felt put out that they didn’t care if now was not a good time for me, my making time for them, was not unto death. Yes, I lived! LOL!! And it has helped me to see that to be selfless like the Messiah; we have to put ourselves and our problems aside for others. Suppose you were given the care of an infant and all of a sudden the worst migraine headache known to man came upon you, when that helpless baby started crying you would do everything in your power to attend to its needs, headache or not. We have to push to do the same in the Kingdom. God is longsuffering with us, and any attribute that God possess is also available to us. We must take the time frames and our expectations out of the picture and strive to live like God when it comes to others.

How we feel about and treat others is a reflection of how we feel about God. Sometimes we forget that people are an extension of God. And foremost we must concentrate on living to please God, and not people or ourselves. Our purpose in doing anything should not be for our own selfish motivation, but to bring glory and honor to our Father.

Will the day come that you stop having to fight to not become weary? Not on this earth. Will you still find yourself, judging others, being annoyed and some days just plain tired of people? Yes! After all these years I still find myself getting off track from time to time. Why? Because we are a work in progress and will continue to be as long as we are in these bodies and on this earth. But the good news is….it does get better as we continue to grow in the things of God.

Sisters, I pray that I have given you some tools to be able to pinpoint the source of your weariness. And you will use these tools to be able to make changes that will help you to continue to fight the good fight of faith. Life as a Believer at times can be very challenging and difficult, but God has given us all that we need to hang in there until the end. I will leave you with the famous words of Yeshua, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

(Part I posted May 15th, Part II, May 29th, Part III, June 11th)



Be Blessed,
Pat

I will back on Friday, July 9th. Hope to see you then!!


Monday's Blog: Sharon "Women & Finances"

Father's Day....

Hi,

As I write we are coming up on Father’s Day and although I am sure very little to no men who 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 over loaded 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 twelve years ago I was not going to let him walk me down the aisle. The Holy Spirit got a hold of me and yes he 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."



Hugs and Kisses,
Cheryl


Catch you in two weeks on, Thursday, July 8th!


Friday's Blog: Pat "Words of Wisdom"

DE-STRESS YOUR LIFE!

Have you ever had a day, week, month, year, etc. that it was crazy busy for you, the stress level was high, and all you really wanted to do was scream “AHHHHH, that’s it no more!”? Does anybody else agree with this statement?

Then you might be under some kind of stress in your life. For example: You wake up in the morning, you hear the alarm buzzing, turn it off (or put in on snooze), go back to bed, cover your head and stress out thinking of what you have to do that day. We cause our own stresses in our lives having this kind of mentality.

We have to have a positive mentality. We have to wake up in the morning, Thank God every morning for waking you up and providing you a NEW day of mercy and grace (Lamentations 3:22-23). Thank God that HE has control over all things that you have to do every day. (Ephesians 1:11)

Sometimes we try to please everyone around us and take on more than we can handle. This only heightens our stress levels and makes us feel like we are drowning. The Bible says may your yes be yes, may your no be no (Matthew 5:37).

Here are some internal and external factors regarding stress:
• Internal Factors:

o Includes your body’s ability to deal with the stress (everybody can handle stress differently), the external stress factors, stress also influences your overall health (fitness health, emotional health, and sleep)

• External Factors:

o Includes job, children, relationships with others, your home, all the situations, challenges, difficulties, and expectations you’re confronted on a daily basis, etc.

Ways to De-Stress:
• PRAY. Praying anytime will definitely ease the stress levels. Praying to God and asking for HIS help through the day will provide us peace in the midst of the storm(s) (stresses) in our lives. (Mark 4:37-39)

• FOCUS/PREPARE. Focus and preparation for the day, week, etc. will definitely ease the stress levels. For example: You work all week. Prepare what you are going to wear for the whole week instead of trying to figure out on the day to day basis what you are going to wear.

• PRIORITIZE/ORGANIZE. Prioritizing and organizing will definitely ease the stress levels. For example: I have a “Things to do” task list daily and update my calendar daily. If I do not get one of my tasks done on a specific day, I add it on to the next day’s “Things to do” task list to complete it. I’m not going to worry about tomorrow tasks today. (Matthew 6:34)

• BALANCE. We definitely need balance in our lives. The Bible says that there is time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3). We need time to spend with God, spouse (if applicable), child or children (If applicable), grandchild or grandchildren (if applicable), family, friends, etc. ALSO, you need to spend time for yourself. I call it my “me time”. Nobody bothers me during my “me time”. Thank God! I can do anything that I want to do. For example: Walk along the beach and “chilax” (chill/relax), Watch a good movie, read a good book, or go get my nails done.

• SET REALISTIC GOALS. We definitely need to set realistic goals. For example: A non-realistic goal: To be a “Wonder Woman”. A realistic goal: To be a “Wonderful Woman”.

• RECUPERATE/REST. We definitely need to recuperate and rest and unwind our bodies before going to sleep. For example: Taking a bubble bath.

Bible Scripture Reference
Lamentations 3:22-23, Ecclesiastes 3, Matthew 5:37, Matthew 6:34, Matthew 11:28-30, Mark 4:37-39, Ephesians 1:11, 1 Corinthians 10:13,

Dictionary Reference
The word “Stress” in the dictionary means any emotional, physical, social, economic, or other factor that requires a response or change.

Question to ask yourselves: Are you going to “DE-STRESS YOUR LIFE!”?


God Bless You Always,
Maria Guzman

Hope to see you on Tuesday, July 6th!


Wednesday's Blog: Ponnie, "Living Single & Loving It"





¡DEJAR EL ESTRES!



¿Alguna vez has tenido un día, semana, mes, año, etc. que era muy ocupado para ti, el nivel de estrés estaba elevada, y todo lo que realmente quería hacer era gritar "Ahhhhh, ya no más!"? ¿Alguien más está de acuerdo con esta afirmación?

Entonces se podría estar bajo algún tipo de estrés en su vida. Por ejemplo: Te despiertas en la mañana, se oye el zumbido de la alarma, lo apágate (o lo pusiste para sonar en algunos minutos), regresar a la cama, cubrirte la cabeza y el estrés de pensar en lo que tiene que hacer ese día. Nos causa nuestro propio estrés en nuestras vidas teniendo este tipo de mentalidad.

Tenemos que tener una mentalidad positiva. Tenemos que despertar en la mañana, dar gracias a Dios cada mañana para despertarte y que le proporciona una nueva día de misericordia y gracia (Lamentaciones 3:22-23). Gracias a Dios que Él tiene el control sobre todas las cosas que tienes que hacer cada día. (Efesios 1:11)

A veces nos tratan de complacer a todo el mundo que nos rodea y tomar más de lo que podemos manejar. Esto sólo aumenta nuestros niveles de estrés y nos hace sentir que estamos ahogando. La Biblia nos dice que tu sí sea sí, que tu no sea no (Mateo 5:37).

Éstos son algunos de los factores internos y externos en relación con el estrés:

• Factores Internos:

o Incluye la capacidad de su cuerpo para manejar con el estrés (todo el mundo puede manejar el estrés de manera diferente), los factores de tensión externa, el estrés también influye en su salud en general (salud física, salud emocional, y el sueño).

• Factores Externos:

o Incluye trabajo, los niños, las relaciones con los demás, su casa, todas las situaciones, desafíos, dificultades y expectativas que está enfrentado en una base diaria, etc.

Formas para Dejar el estrés:

• ORAR. Orar en cualquier momento sin duda facilitará los niveles de estrés. Orar a Dios y pidiendo su ayuda durante todo el día nos dará la paz en medio de la tormenta (s) (estrés) en nuestras vidas. (Marcos 4:37-39)

• ENFOCAR / PREPARAR. Enfocando y la preparación para el día, semana, etc. sin duda facilitará los niveles de estrés. Por ejemplo: Usted trabaja toda la semana. Prepara lo que vas a poner de ropa para toda la semana en lugar de tratar de averiguar en el día que ropa te vas a poner.

• PRIORIDAD / ORGANIZAR. Prioridad y la organización sin duda facilitará los niveles de estrés. Por ejemplo: Tengo un "Qué hacer" lista de tareas diarias y actualizar mi agenda diaria. Si no termino mis tareas en un día específico, lo añado a la del día siguiente "Cosas que hacer" lista de tareas completarlo. Yo no voy a preocuparme por las tareas de mañana hoy. (Mateo 6:34)

• BALANCE. Definitivamente necesitamos el balance en nuestras vidas. La Biblia dice que hay tiempo para todo (Eclesiastés 3). Necesitamos tiempo para estar con Dios, el cónyuge (si aplica), hijo o hijos (si aplica), nieto o nietos (si aplica), familia, amigos, etc. Además, necesita pasar tiempo para ti. Yo lo llamo mi "tiempo". Nadie me molesta durante mi “tiempo”. Gracias a Dios! Que puedo hacer cualquier cosa que quiero hacer. Por ejemplo: caminar por la playa y "chilax" (refrán que dice “tranquila/relajar”), ver una buena película, leer un buen libro, o ir y hacer mis uñas ".

• ESTABLEZCA METAS RELISTAS. Definitivamente tenemos que establecer metas realistas. Por ejemplo: un objetivo no realista: Para ser una mujer "Mujer Maravilla (Wonder Woman)". Una meta realista: Para ser un "Mujer de valor (Wonderful Woman)".

• RECUPERAR / DECANSAR. Definitivamente necesitamos que recuperar y descansar y relajar nuestros cuerpos antes de ir a dormir. Por ejemplo: Tomar un baño de burbujas.

Referencias Bíblicas
Lamentaciones 3:22-23, Eclesiastés 3, Mateo 5:37, Mateo 6:34, Mateo 11:28-30, Marcos 4:37-39, Efesios 1:11, 1 Corintios 10:13,

Referencia en el Diccionario
La palabra "estrés" en el diccionario, es cualquier emocional, físico, social, económica o de otro factor que requiere una respuesta o cambio.

Pregunta que debe hacerse: Te vas a “DEJAR EL ESTRES DE SU VIDA"?



Dios te Bendiga Siempre, Maria Guzman

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

Walking is a great form of exercise, and there are many health benefits to this simple exercise. It’s easy with very little wear-and-tear on the body. It increases your metabolism, gives you energy and provides mental clarity. Oh...and best of all, it’s FREE! LOL! And the only equipment it requires is your God given left and right feet!

However for me...there are also many spiritual benefits to taking a long walk in the morning. I have found that some of my best times with the Lord have been during my morning walks. I normally walk in the neighborhood next to mine because it’s an older one with huge oak trees that provide plenty of shade. While walking I find myself praying for those who live there. I don’t know any of the people who live in this neighborhood but still I find myself praying as the Spirit leads me.

This habit came about when I started working from home. In setting up my office I placed my desk right in front of a window looking out into my front yard. For years I’d worked in a building with NO windows at all and so I was excited that I could actually “see” the day that the Lord had given me. I have to admit that setting my office up this way has been a blessing and a curse…LOL! Why the curse? Well, because I get so EASILY distracted by the simplest activity outside of my window!!! Anyway, I digress....

Early into my new work routine from home, I began to notice a young woman walking down my street with her caregiver every morning. The woman was about my age and she had a son who was maybe a year younger than my daughter. She walked very slowly with a cane, and a serious limp, but she kept walking. (I later learned that she was a single mom who had suffered a major stroke a year earlier). One day as she was walking by, I made the decision that whenever I saw her, I would pray for her. Daily she walked—and daily I prayed for her progress and recovery, her son, and her caregiver.

Then one day the Holy Spirit convicted me...if she can walk, then you can too.

So, I started walking. I would get up, walk my daughter Mali to the bus stop and then once she was on the bus, I would take a walk in the neighborhood that is next to mine. And while I walked, I would pray. Sometimes, I would find myself praying for the kids waiting for their buses. Other times I would pray for protection of the homes while everyone was away at work or school. Sometimes if I saw someone in their yards, I would pray for them and their family specifically. However the Spirit led me, I would pray.

Regretfully, over the past year, I haven’t walked as much as I used too. I got out of the routine—mostly because I just got lazy and stopped. And when I started my fitness routine back up, it was to train for my 5K and well, honestly, there is no way I could pray while running…LOL!
It wasn’t until I began writing this blog that I remembered why I used to walk, and how I got started. And most of all, how much I enjoyed it.

I was just telling my sister this week that I wanted to get back into the habit of going to the gym in the mornings to walk on the treadmill, but now while the weather is warm, I think I will start back with my prayer walks instead. Thank you Holy Spirit for bringing this back to my remembrance!

I would also like to challenge you to do the same. Yes, to start going on a prayer walk for your neighborhood. Even if it’s only one day or evening a week. I promise you will be blessed by it and so will those who you are led to pray for.



Happy walking until next time!
Sasha

I will be back on Monday, July 5th, hope to see you then!


Tuesday's Blog: Maria will be bringing us, "Life Unscripted"

LEAPS OF FAITH

Hi Sisters!!

I’ve always had a favorite scene from Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade. It’s the scene where Indiana is almost through the maize of traps set to keep him from reaching the cup. He has survived all sorts of things, from traps to chop his head off, to trap floors he could fall through. At last he comes to the last step… and it’s a big one. He must step onto and cross a bridge that, from his perspective only looks like a long, long fall down an endless abyss. After a dramatic pause where he stares straight ahead and lifts his hand to his heart as if to stop the pounding, Indiana lifts his leg up high and… steps. Of coarse our original belief that he was stepping to his death is not true and I always sigh with relief when his foot touches an ancient but still very solid stone bridge, painted to blend in with its surroundings. It’s a cheesy example, but this is always how I imagined faith and really believing in God. You just have to step out, into the unknown and something miraculous will happen. It’s a heart-pounding and exhilarating adventure that you know will always turn out just right.

Undeniably, there are times that having faith is an exciting adventuresome thing. Even in my own life there have been faith situations that caused the heart rate to go up (lets face it, they make good stories later on). But what about the times when you can’t step out? Yeah, there’s still the great unknown out there but, who knows, maybe the invisible bridge is under construction, or you have to finish college before the real adventure can start. How do you trust when you aren’t Indiana Jones and you don’t have a bridge to step out onto? I’m not just talking about the times when everything just sits still. That’s frustrating too, but what about the times when there’s a situation and you really, truly can do absolutely nothing about it, you don’t have a step to take. I think that’s when the real faith comes in. We all like to play the Indiana Jones (we all have a little bit of the Indiana Jones in us). We all like our faith to be on our terms. We like to be the ones to take the step of faith instead of sitting patiently and letting God take care of it for us. The whole leap of faith thing is nice sounding but how often does that leap of faith actually rely on God? Or are our leaps of faith us believing in ourselves to take the risk, hoping that God will somehow save us?

Just a thought that entered my head as I struggle through how to trust God when I don’t have any control over the circumstances presented to me.



Blessings,
Lydia

Until Friday, July 16th, Keep the Faith!


Monday's Blog: Sasha's up, "Beauty & Healthy Lifestyes"

COBWEBS......

Good Day Sisters!

I admit it: I am a church voyeur. I love wandering into and around the big, old churches that are plastered over every city in Europe like stars in the sky. No matter which way you look at the sky, you will always see stars (on clear nights, obviously) – more often than not, it's the same with churches: glance up at the skyline of any town, large or small, and you will find countless spires pointing to the heavens; wander through the towns themselves, and around almost every corner you will come face to face with the old, imposing, impressive facades of any number of churches.

And so as I travel around I take time most every day to meander through the different towns, and find myself slipping into churches, gazing at altars, admiring stained glass windows. Yet what I'm really doing is looking for God in those often cavernous, stone buildings. They are indeed beautiful to look at, with an amazing sense of history to them – but so often feel more like museums or tourist traps than houses of worship.

Saying that, I found myself wandering through the old city of Munster, Germany, this afternoon. It is by no means the prettiest old city I've been in recently – it was one of the cities heaviest hit during World War II, and a lot of the original buildings were destroyed during the blitzes – but it was interesting nonetheless. There is, of course, the cathedral at the heart of the town – commanding, regal, and worth wandering around. I will never understand how people in the 12th / 13th / 14th centuries were able to build such huge, architecturally impressive buildings without the assistance of all of our modern technology! And yet, nothing we're building today is going to last anywhere near as long as the structures we have inherited from hundreds of years ago…

But I digress. The cathedral in Munster is indeed beautiful, and worth a visit, but it was in another church in that city – just a few hundred feet away from the cathedral – that I was struck with an epiphany – there really is no other word for it that I can find – both about my own beliefs, and about the state of Christianity – in all its forms – the world over.

The first thing that struck me when I walked through the doors of St. Lamperi was the organ. It is an incredible, sonorous thing, hung above the end of the nave, and was being masterfully played as I slipped inside. Everyone in the church was silent, listening to and appreciating the music; when finally the last notes died away, there was a moment of reverential silence, and then an outburst of applause, as everyone in the church got to their feet, clapping their appreciation for the organists and the music. At the altar end of the nave was an entire wall of blue-hued stained-glass windows. It was a beautiful church, and for once there was indeed a lightly reverential feel to it.

As I was about to leave the church, I noticed Him: a plain statue of our Lord and Savior, tucked away under the organ at the back of the church. It really was a very simple statue: Jesus was depicted in His robe, sandals on His feet, one hand outstretched, the other held across His breast. Both hands showed the nail marks, and the one across His chest was, sadly, missing the forefinger. He had no irises – simple blank eyeballs – and yet He still gave me the feeling that He was seeing me – I mean, really actually seeing me. It didn't seem to matter where I stood – up close, a little further away, off to one side – it felt like He was looking right at me. The feeling was so powerful, I nearly fell to my knees right there… Instead, I crept forward and reached up to touch His foot, lightly resting my hand for a minute on His toes, and remembering the story of the woman who washed His feet in expensive oils. Somehow, that story never really held any meaning for me until I saw that statue today.

And so to my epiphany… As I stood there, already feeling profoundly moved by this statue of Jesus, I noticed that His shoulder seemed to be quite thick with dust, and idly thought the church cleaners needed to come by with their feather dusters. Then suddenly I realized that He was covered in cobwebs – big, thick, black strings of cobwebs, like someone had sprayed a can of black silly string at the statue. It was instantly clear that no-one had thought to dust the statue in a very long time – it was a forgotten relic, hidden away in a corner, passed over more often than not by everyone who came through the church.

What a metaphor that was for me, both with regard to the church as a whole, and closer to home, with regard to my own attempts (or lack thereof) to follow Christ. So often, Jesus takes a back burner to everything else going on in our lives, going in our world. I know when I started this job that I had confident plans to attend church every Sunday, no matter where I was or what I was doing – yet in two months of being over here, I've managed to attend exactly two services – and both of those in the first three weeks I was here.

It's not just about attending services, though – although it is, of course, important to be surrounded and supported by other Christians. I brought one of my many Bibles with me to the UK, along with a couple of Bible studies, full of good intentions of traveling with them and doing studies even as I crisscrossed Europe. Also gone by the wayside: reasoned away by the "fact" that I carry so much paper weight with me anyway (over 800 pages of reports by the end of a 2-week trip) that I "couldn't afford" to carry any more "unnecessary" weight.

I stood at His feet today, feeling those unseeing eyes gazing down at me, that shroud of cobwebs bearing witness to how forgotten He has become, and burst into tears… So much sacrifice, a lifetime of scorn and suffering, a painful, excruciating death…. For what?

When I got to my next hotel this evening, I asked the Reception Desk to find a Protestant church service for me to attend tomorrow. There's one in English at 12.30pm; you can bet I'll be in the front pew, begging God to forgive my selfishness and thanking Him for His ultimate sacrifice. And when I get back to the UK next weekend, I'll be printing and laminating the photo I took of that statue, to carry with me – inside my Bible – on every future trip, a constant reminder that He deserves so much more from me than tears at the back of a church in front of a forgotten statue….



Blessings & Hugs
Esther-Marie

I will be back on Thursday, July 15th!


Friday's Blog: Lyida "Eighteen"

FORGIVE and LET GO!

Want a quick lesson in forgiveness? Look at how children handle it. Children are upset with each other one second and best friends the next. I worked with children in foster care and heard some of the most heartbreaking stories involving neglect and abuse. Oftentimes the child still expressed love for the parent who abused them and wanted to go back home to live with them.

Forgiveness takes on a personal meaning at this time. You see, the person who wasn’t around when I struggled with shaping Kaiya into the young woman she is today, wanted to come to her graduation. In fact, he came to her graduation and brought his wife who barely even knows Kaiya. This situation tormented me for several weeks. Some of you may have questions: Why was she upset, is she still in love with him? Is she one of those mothers that try to sabotage the relationship between a father and his child(ren)? Her child is now 13 years old, should she be over it by now? To answer those questions: No, I’m no longer in love with her dad. I have always maintained an open door policy (within reason) for her father and his family. Yes, I should be over it but I’m not because I have deep rooted resentment in my heart. I have treated forgiveness as a gift I really didn’t want to give and I would take it back when I felt like I was offended again. Pretty childish right? Of course I know the verse from Mark 11:25 that says “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” I’m also familiar with the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Verses 21-22) To tell you the truth and I believe he’s on his seventy times seven, right about now. LOL! Forgiving a repeat offender causes me to feel as if I’m the weaker person… am I weak if the person feels like he or she can continually mistreat me? Being the “better” person gets old really quick! Ironically enough, I’m dealing with a situation right now where a dear friend is expressing disappointment in me, he won’t tell me why he’s upset and he’s also giving me the silent treatment. Hmmm….Amazing how we want forgiveness immediately but are unwilling to grant it immediately to our offenders when they ask.

In one of my conversations with God, the word “soul tie” came up in my spirit. A quick Google search found this definition: A soul tie is like a linkage in the soul realm between two people. It links their souls together, which can bring forth either beneficial results or negative results. A soul tie can be physical, spiritual or emotional; soul ties can bring forth positive or negative results. In my case, I still had a physical soul tie with Kaiya’s father because of the past sexual relationship we shared. The bottom line is his decision to come to Kaiya’s graduation, even with his wife, has nothing to do with me at all. The day was Kaiya’s. There are other things he’s done over the years to irritate me but I have to put my feelings aside and “grin and bear it” for at least four more years. Imagine me grinning now ~smile~.

Does forgiving your trespassers equal better health? According to many sources the answer is yes! Some of the health benefits include: healthier relationships, greater spiritual and psychological well-being, less stress and hostility, lower blood pressure, fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic pain, lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse. If the spiritual reasons don’t motivate you, maybe living a long healthy life will be an incentive to forgive.

Dear Sisters in Christ, I have to tell you this may be the most difficult blog I will ever write because the issue of unforgiveness is what I believe to be my biggest flaw and sin. If any of you are wrestling with resentment and unforgiveness, my prayer is for you to see if there are any soul ties present and destroy them, give the gift of forgiveness. I understand that you have been hurt and may feel used. Heed the Word of God, Proverbs 20:22 says, “Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.”

Lisa Bevere has written the book “Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry: Why Women Lose When We Give In” this is a great book to read if you need healing and a better understanding of sexual soul ties. It also helps you to understand the importance of forgiving yourself as well as others.

I would like to leave you with two quotes on forgiveness. Oscar Wilde said “Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much.” This last quote is from Lewis B. Smedes, author of Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don’t Deserve. Lewis said: “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”



In Christian love,
Jennifer


I'll be back with more in 2 weeks, Wednesday, June 30th. Hope to see you then


Thursday's Blog: Esther-Marie "Single Women & Travel"

Read A Good Book.....Lately?

This morning as I was lying in bed talking to the Holy Spirit about what this blog should be about, I started thinking about reading. Why? I don’t know, but it was the only topic that seemed to come to mind. Okay, so now I’m at the computer and here we go. LOL!!

Saturday will be our first virtual book club call, and I’m very excited. I’m one who loves book clubs. I have been a member of a book club, and have also run them for neighborhood women. I think women join book clubs for different reasons. Yes, the most obvious is that you like to read, but I think the fellowship with other women is also a big draw. So it is safe to say that book clubs offer a time of fellowship and they inspire people to read. But there is something else I’ve noticed, and that is there are always the ones who never finish reading the book. The reasons why they didn’t finish are endless, life unscripted (any and everything happens), spirit of procrastination, the book is boring, had company, my period was on, my kids were acting out, my husband was getting on my nerves, I had so many commitments at church, I am tired, I don’t know why I joined, I really don’t like to read, I just couldn’t find the time…..

…..Hum, are these some of the same reasons we don’t read our Bible (The Good Book) on a consistent bases? I’m going to step out on a limb here and say, “Yes!”

I love to read, but then again most writers are readers. We are inspired by words. My love for books started with my first library card and first library book, “Curious George”. In fact I have it sitting in my bookcase and just renewed it online yesterday. My 5 year old granddaughter is in love with Curious George and the library, (chip off the old block). I grew up in a time when there was only one TV in the house (if that), it was never on 24/7 and you had to use your imagination every day of your life. When I came in from school you didn’t plop down in front of the TV (there were no computers), you did your homework, chores, maybe a little time outside to play, set the table, ate dinner, washed the dinner dishes, took your bath and then you got to watch a little TV before…off to bed. That was a perfect school evening, but if I was on punishment (which seemed like most of the time) there was no TV and I either went to bed early or stayed in my room and read. The summertime was also a time of much reading. During the heat of the day (again because the TV was not on all day), you played board games, jacks, had fun with your dolls and read books. Too this day, whenever it’s a rainy dreary day, I have to fight the urge to lie in bed and read all day. Those are some of my fondest memories as a child. But even as much as I love to read, it has become a struggle some days. And I don’t seem to be alone in this predicament either.

My mail carrier I’m sure some days is tired of delivering so many magazines to my house. Somehow I got hooked into a system where I get magazines subscriptions for next to nothing. And sisters, the lust of my eye has caused me a problem. Let’s see, I get Food & Wine, Prevention, Ladies Home Journal, Good House Keeping, Philadelphia Magazine, Bazaar, Glamour, and O magazine. And not to long ago I got rid of Martha Stewart, and Food Magazine. Would you believe that I got a 1 year subscription for O magazine for $5.00? That’s the problem; they were all so inexpensive that I just couldn’t say, “No.” Do I read all of them? “NO!” and that is the real problem. So, now as the subscriptions are running out, I’m going to cut it down to 3 magazines a month, or maybe even 2…LOL!! Because the truth is, if it only cost $1, but I don’t read them, then it is a waste of money. I do read my “Believers Voice of Victory” Christian magazine, and it is free. Now what does that tell you? LOL!!

Okay, let’s get back to the book club….Cheryl is the host for this month and if you joined for June, then you are part of a yahoo group and we are talking about the book a little bit before our call on Saturday. We have some who have finished, and others barely getting started, but that is how book clubs go. And that’s okay; because it is an extra curricular activity, but what I’ve noticed is that we can also get into a slump where we treat reading our Bibles as an extra curricular activity. And that’s not okay.

All the reasons we use to not finish a book for a book club are the same excuses we use to not read our Bibles on a consistent bases. But there is one big difference! A book club is for fun and enjoyment. Bible reading not only changes your life, but it can also save it too! It is not prudent to treat our Bibles like a pile of unread magazines that we hope to read one day. It shouldn’t be something we dust off once a week to lug to church. It should be something we make time for every day. And we should be so excited about what we read that we want to share it with someone else and through our excitement encourage them to read it too. We should start book clubs just about the Bible. Think about it, you meet on the phone once a week with a friend or two to discuss how you were inspired the past week through the Word of God. Wow!! How awesome is that?! It doesn’t have to be anything deep, just a conversation about what you’ve been reading. I have a dear friend and we talk about God’s Word, every week. She is a teacher of the Word so she studies it a lot, and talking to her often inspires me to go look up stuff and meditate on it. She provokes me unto good works!!! Sisters, we need to start provoking one another to read the Word of God consistently.

If you are guilty of not spending time with the Holy Spirit and your Bible, then it is time to put away the excuses, the spirit of procrastination and make time. None of our good works supersede us spending time in the Word. And I say that because we have a tendency to lead very busy lives, but it is still not a reason for us to forgo our time with the Lord. The Bible is our spiritual food. How many days are you willing to go without eating natural food? How long can you last without food, before we become weak or ill and our bodies go into starvation mode? Would starving to death be on your “Top 10” list of things to do? No! Yet, how many days does it take to become weak spiritually? How many days does it take to go into a spiritual starvation mode? Where we don’t make the choice to starve ourselves naturally, every day that we don’t read our Bibles, we make the choice to starve our spirit.

If you are one who thinks the Bible is boring, change your translation. If you are a person who really is not a reader, then ask someone to agree with you in prayer for that to change. Please sisters know that the King James Version is not the only translation to read, and if someone has told you that, they are mistaken. Jesus did not speak “King James Old English” the Torah and original epistles of the Bible were not written in King James Old English. If you have difficulty reading, you can follow alone on Biblegateway.com audio as you read the New International translation. No more excuses!! If you need to be held accountable, then get an accountability partner. And one last word of caution, please don’t take on reading the Bible in one year or putting unrealistic expectations on yourself. Start out with 15 minutes a day, and learn to be faithful and consistent in that. As your desire to read the Bible increases so will the amount of time you spend reading. Take one day at a time!

Sisters….I pray that you have been encouraged to pick up the best book ever written and put away all excuses. A love affair with God is better than anything this world has to offer. How can you have that? By spending time with Him through His Word!



Blessings and Love
Ponnie


Wednesday’s Blog: Jennifer has something very special for the “Working Single Moms” and you don’t want to miss it.

Baby, Baby, Baby!

If babies could talk, what would they say? Let’s follow the birth of a newborn in her own words (reportedly).


5/26/2010 @ 9:50 pm: Hello everyone! My name is Amanda, and I am ready to enter this world. I am currently sitting comfortably in my mommy, but there is just no more room, and all of my parts are done cooking – so here I come! My first job is to move this little plug thingy – it is in the way. My bag has to be unplugged in order to get this party started.

5/26/2010 @ 10:15 pm: Now for the help from my friend, I like to call her Ms. U – she has to help squeeze and squeeze so mommy can push me out later. And we are doing this thing in fast-forward mode. She’s squeezing like every five minutes. At this rate, I’ll be outta here in no time! It seems like mommy doesn’t like the squeezing very much. I wish I could tell her that it won’t be that long.

5/27/2010 @ 12:00 am: Well we’re on our way to the hospital. Ms. U is still squeezing away. And I’m trying to make my way down and out of this place. We are having a little bit of difficulty getting into the hospital at this late hour. Daddy’s talking to some man who is trying to buzz him in but it didn’t work the first two times. Third time is a charm. We are finally in . . . Labor and Delivery, here we come! Daddy has to fill out a form and then we’re in our room.

5/27/2010 @ 12:45 am: We’re pushing liquid out now – my mommy said that her water broke, whatever that means. I just know that I’m one step closer to the outside world. And mommy’s getting medicine so that she can handle Ms. U’s squeezing. The nurses are asking questions, questions, and more questions. Enough already, bring in the medicine guy, my mom needs some relief. And how do you spell relief? E-P-I-D-U-R-A-L. Now the medicine doctor has come in. And they are asking more questions. Adults sure talk a lot!

5/27/2010 @ 1:30 am: Mom has mellowed out. It’s the drugs I tell you! OK, so we are on our way. Ms. U is still squeezing, and will you know it, mommy has gone to sleep! I guess she was really tired. And she stays asleep most of the time, except when the nurses and doctors come in and do stuff. Leave mommy alone! Can’t you see that she’s tired?

5/27/2010 @ 6:32 am: The nurses say that it’s time for mommy to start pushing. Look out world, ‘cause here I come! Deep breath, push to the count of ten, then repeat. Come on mommy, you can do it! Push, push, push. It’s only a matter of time now.

5/27/2010 @ 7:53 am: I’m here! My name is Amanda Janae Daniels, I am 8 pounds and 21.5 inches. The nurses clean me up then give me to daddy while the doctors are still over there with mommy. We are such a happy family. I have the bestest mommy and daddy in the whole wide world!



Peace & Blessings
Amanda's Mom..."AKA" Sharon


I'll be back in 2 weeks! See you Monday, June 28th.


Tuesday's Blog: Ponnie has a special blog for you.

DO NOT BECOME WEARY…….Part III

Good Morning Sisters…just a reminder of the scripture verse from Part I…Paul tells us in Galatians, that we are not to become weary of well doing. Yet as Believers it seems this is a very hard instruction for us to grasp or follow. First I would like to share with you how that scripture reads in the Complete Jewish Bible. 9So let us not grow weary of doing what is good; for if we don’t give up, we will in due time reap the harvest. 10Therefore, as the opportunity arises, let us do what is good to everyone, and especially to the family of those who are trustingly faithful. Galatians 6:9-10

As promised we are going to look at how “People” just get on our nerves and why we are so tired of them. Often this comes about because of our own “expectations” and “attitudes.” In other words, “We bring it on ourselves.” I know, you thought we were going to sit down and just talk about how folks “get on our nerves” you know, like girlfriends do…LOL!! Ladies, you should know me by now, I am no nonsense and my goal is always to provoke you unto “good works” and “spiritual growth.” And how do we accomplish that? By judging ourselves and the way we do things.

One major problem we have as women, we try to please people. And when we don’t get the expected results or it backfires in our face, weariness begins to set in. Let’s take a look at what we do that is ministry related. Being in a church fellowship that was once very small and is now large, I have lived through the metamorphoses of one extreme to the other. When the church was small, often “the workers” (you know the ones who roll up their sleeves and jump in, versus those who sit, look and complain) wore more than one hat in order to keep things going. But as the fellowship began to grow, the same people were continually asked to “run this” or “do that!” And before you knew it, they were overwhelmed and burnt out. Our pastor eventually put into place the rule, that after you completed new member’s classes; you could only serve on one ministry. Given that our new member’s classes were for an entire year, it seems to reason that by the time of completion you usually had a clue as to where God was leading you as far as ministry. This was for the betterment of everyone, because your focus is in one particular place and people were where they were supposed to be. But this did not stop anyone from being involved with other groups or activities outside our fellowship. But there are still many fellowships that run on the premise of having people serving on 2, 3 maybe even 4 different ministries, and sisters this is where we really get ourselves into trouble.

In theory when we agree to do something, it looks good and seems possible, but once we have to implement all the components to make it happen we can find ourselves overwhelmed and in, over our heads. And because we said we would take this on or help out, we struggle to be honest and go back to say, “I have too much on my plate and I can’t keep up.” We are trying to please people, even though resentment starts to set in, and we are tired. It was a very freeing experience for me when I had the understating, that since God judges our hearts, even if we can fool man that we are happy to be doing something (but inside we are miserable and seem to be doing it under duress), God does not count it as good, because He see exactly what we are feeling. This was freeing because it helped me to be honest and not feel pressured to do something just to please man, because I knew that the true state of my heart did not bring honor to God.

We have to remember as women, God has an order for us, and if you are married, or have a family, then the things you do, should not supersede taking care of your home and family. But we often try to do it all, and we find ourselves in a real predicament when we can’t seem to stay on top of things. We become overwhelmed and very tired. In other words, we become weary (tired of well doing) in our homes, our jobs, and ministry. It all starts to run together and becomes too much. Why do we stay in this state? Because we are “Great Pretenders!”

We are very good at “pretending” that everything is okay, when in reality it is all falling apart. We don’t want to be viewed as “not being mature or not a person of our word.” When in essence being “mature” enables you to reassess things with the help of the Holy Spirit and be able to fess up that everything is “not okay.” Also it helps you to make change, even if that means that others are not happy with you decision. And that is okay, because sisters we must get to the point of pleasing God and not man. We must get in order of what God says are our first priorities. This will help us not to become resentful and weary in doing good and putting too much on our plates.

Another issue we have is “guilt”. As women we can feel very guilty about not wanting to be bothered with people because we know deep down this not pleasing to the Lord. So we fool ourselves into thinking we can fide it from Him. And I have one thing to say about that, “Let me know how that is working for you!” Take a moment to look at…Psalm 139:7-12 (Message) Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? To be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute— you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you. This lets us know that the last thing we can do is hide anything from God.

There are so many different variables as to why we get to the point of “We just don’t want to be bothered!” that we can’t go over them all, but there are a couple I feel are the root to most of them. For one the “expectations” we put on people. “You’ve been walking with the Lord for how many years?! How come you haven’t gotten this by now?!” Sound familiar? Yes, I’m sure it does. We can so easily slip into the position of judge. “Lord she should know better by now!” “How come she keeps making the same stupid mistakes?!” “She doesn’t take my advice, so why am I stuck with trying to guide her, pray for her and encourage her?!!” “She only calls when she needs something or she has gotten herself into, yet another mess!” These are the words of a sister who is becoming weary in well doing for one who is in the family of those who are trustingly faithful. Yes, she’s tried of her sister in Yeshua. (Jesus) But can any of you relate? Are we not guilty of having these same feelings? Maybe even uttering some of the same words? I know that I am, and not proud to say this but over the years, “More times then I want to count.”

Can you believe it? I thought I was going to finish this up today. LOL!! Well, I guess that is not going to happen. I have to make sure that we go over some of the main reasons we find ourselves in the position of weary (tired) with other people. And then I will be able to give you some instruction on how to protect yourself and win the fight to walk in love.

See you in a little less than two weeks; remember I will be posting on Friday’s from now on.

(Part I posted May 15th, and Part II on May 29th)



Be Blessed,
Pat

I will have Part IV for you on Friday, June 25th!


Monday's Blog: Ponnie is filling in for Sharon while she is on maternity leave.

Changes, Changes and more CHANGES!!!

The Kitchen Table is coming up on our 6 month anniversary. Kudos for us!!! It takes a lot of work to write and publish a blog 6 days a week, and I am very grateful to God for all the sisters (past and present) who write for the table. It is with great commitment and love on their part, that we are able to do what we do. And with the feedback we’ve been getting, we are amazed at God’s grace in how He is using the table to encourage and inspire His daughters! But as with all things, there often comes a time to re-evaluate and make change. And we are very excited about the changes that we are getting ready to implement.

First we are going from 6 days a week to 5 days a week. All Saturday blogs will now be published on Friday. Tomorrow’s blog, “Words of Wisdom” will be our last Saturday blog. The reason for this change is that our website will be published soon and it will be a place that gives even more encouragement and information. So please keep us in prayer as we work to get the website up.

Second, Maria Guzman “Life Unscripted” is going back to college in September and will only be writing once a month. She is shifting her focus to encouraging women to go back to school and will be blogging about what it feels like to be back in school in your 30’s. We don’t know what she’s going to name her blog, but I tell you girls, God is just too much in the way He loves on us!!!

Tovah is already having withdrawal from not writing for the table and after taking time to think about what her senior year is going to look like, she will be returning in September to blog once a month as “Life of a High School Senior!”

Lydia is starting her freshmen year at the University of Portland in September and we pray she will have the time to continue writing for us each month.

Rise’ has chosen to leave the table and we are really going to miss all the heartfelt stories about her family “The Whampler Zoo!” My favorites are about Miss Emma…LOL!! Rise’ you are in our prayers and we wish you and your family the very best. God bless you sister.

There will not be a replacement for “The Whampler Zoo” time slots; instead we taking this opportunity to be more diverse by having different guest writers. We know a lot of sisters that have some good things to share, but are unable to write every month, so we are going to let them share when they can. It is all very exciting.

And last but not least, Sharon Daniels “Women & Finances” continues to be on maternity leave while she and her new daughter (Amanda) get to know each other. ~Smile~

There seems to be a lot of changes, but in retrospect it is all good, and we are excited about them all. We will have our first virtual book club on Saturday, June 19th and Cheryl is hosting. Our website is coming soon and also the publication of my e-Book along with it. Oh, yeah sisters, God has so many good things in store for all of us.

Please keep us in prayer as we work hard to be faithful to God’s call to inspire and encourage each other.



Blessings and love from all the sisters at “The Kitchen Table!”


Tomorrow our finale Saturday blog: Pat “Words of Wisdom”

Dear Friend

Now that school is out for the summer I wondered what I should write about. I mean I know the title of my blog is Diary of a Home School Mom, but the pages in my diary for this school year are full. So what to write about? As I thought I began to reflect on women and how we tend to feel about ourselves. Often times we are never satisfied with how we look, what we do, what skills we have. We often spend a lot of time trying to measure up to those we think have it going on just to find out that they are just as insecure as we are. I remember me ten years ago. I was so insecure with me and most of the time felt like I did not belong. What changed? I got a hold of the Word and through that and the constant encouragement of people who genuinely loved me I began to feel accepted and worthwhile. Years later I am a different person yet I still have moments of insecurity. So today I wrote this “Letter” that I hope inspires you, because I love you and want you to know that you are so truly loved.

Dear Friend, do you know how beautiful you are? Whether you are six feet or four eleven, wide hips with big feet or narrow hips with feet that look like Barbie’s you’re a beauty! From the blondest straightest hair to jet black tightly curled coarse hair flowing down your back to close cropped what a sight you are! With your deep brown skin and your pale tan complexion, my, you are lovely! With eyes big and blue to brown with a slant to almond shaped hazel, oh how gorgeous you! Your beauty is more than skin deep. For you are kind and gentle, funny and smart. You are bold and even shy sometimes. God has made you exactly how He wanted you, no mistakes and no errors. Do you know how beautiful you are?

Dear Friend, do you know how gifted you are? You wow us with your singing, you impress us with your dance, go girl do your thing! You write with such emotion and create the most amazing art work, you cook with love and create pastries that look like a work of art, show us what you got! You are the best teacher, nurse, doctor, mommy, lawyer, scientist, athlete, seamstress, yes, God has given you gifts to do all things well. Do you know how gifted you are?

Dear Friend, do you know how special you are? You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Made in the very image and likeness of God. He has breathed His life into you and calls you His own. You are precious in the sight of God and you are acceptable to Him. Yeah you are imperfect and sometimes you even make mistakes yet you are seated in heavenly places with Him. Do you know how special you are?

Dear Friend, do you know that you are loved? From the moment you came into your parent’s life they loved you. Your friends, husband, kids, siblings, co-workers love you so much. Most important God loves you with a love that is forever. There is no end to it, live in that love girl.

Dear Friend, please remember that you are beautiful, you are gifted, you are special and you are loved because YOU ARE!



With Love,
A Friend Who Cares,
Cheryl


Catch you in two weeks on, Thursday, June 24th!



Friday's Blog: We have a special announcement!

I WORRY……About the Desires of My Heart

Dear Sisters......

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…by Sasha Brown
(For the entire poem, see “I AM” Monday, June 7, 2010)

When I read Sasha’s blog it touched my heart in such a way that I was inspired to change what I planned to write for today. Because I think that in some point and time in every woman’s life, “we all worry that we will never receive the desires of our hearts.”

I chose today’s picture because I felt it reflected the little girl inside of us who is worried and scared. As women we have a tendency to worry and or be anxious about things. I think that is why the Bible instructs us so much to…“Fear not! Don’t be afraid! Don’t worry! Be anxious for nothing!” God is so aware of our make up that He constantly reassures us, but when reading Sasha’s poem, the words hit something deep inside.

Lately I have been fighting the good fight of faith to just live in “Today.” Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 (NIV). But I have also secretly been worried if I will ever receive the desire of my heart that I have for the upcoming season in my life. I’ve been a single mother nonstop for 35 years, and when Tovah goes off to college (God willing) next year, I have a desire to be free! What does that exactly mean? I’m not really sure myself what it would all entail, but I do want to move into a place that is more suited for me. I rent a 3 bedroom house and pay utilities and water bill. Last winter was brutal and high gas bills for heat came along with it. I don’t see myself being in this house alone while Tovah is away at college. So I have a secret desire to move into a condo or 55 plus apartments. I also want to be free to come and go as I please and travel to visit some of the people I know in different parts of the United States and Europe. There is a fear this won’t happen for me. You ask, “Why?” Truth is, I’m afraid God, will say He needs me to do something for Him, and that would mean I have to continue to put others before what I want. In other words, I worry that He might say, “No that is not my plan for you.”

Sisters, there are too many of us who are “Worried we will never receive the desires of our heart,” and it’s stopping us from enjoying the life that we have “now”. For single women one of our main desires is to be married, and with each passing day that it looks like that is not going to happen, we begin to worry if it ever will. We worry we won’t have the home that we desire, the education, the job or position. As our childbearing years begin to shorten, we worry we may never have children. We worry if God will give our children husbands and wives or us grandchildren. We even worry about what retirement will look like.

Once I acknowledged there was an underline anxiousness in my spirit about the upcoming year or so, I had to explore and get to the root of “Why?” I know that God has a planned destiny for my life; I just don’t know all the details. And since I am a servant of His, I must do that which He calls me to do. Now I should be excited about that, right?! But there is a little piece of me that is not, because that could mean, “I won’t get to be free.” Don’t worry girls…I have come to my senses…LOL!!

Over the years I have learned that the Lord is the one who gives us the secret desires of our heart. Meaning the more we submit ourselves to Him, the more we live, walk, eat and breathe Him, the more our desires change. And He is the one making those changes. Any desires He puts into our hearts He obligates Himself to fulfill. Now it has taken me sometime to learn this, but I do know it to be true. I had just gotten a little off track. ~Smile~

There was a time in my life I wanted to be married, in fact I’ve been engaged 2.5 times…LOL! The .5 is a story for another time…LOL!! And as I started to get older there was a desperateness that was beginning to move into my heart, until I moved into the place of “Your will Lord. Your will be done in my life.” And He called me into missions for “women and children in crisis” and with that He called me to remain single. And to ensure there was never a struggle again about being married or not being married, He took that desire and replaced it with a joy in serving Him on His terms.

So again, “Why am I worried?” The truth is, I think it is time I had some freedoms and I think I have paid my dues, and I think now should be my time.” In other words, “This is something I feel I should have.” But the reality is, God may also feel the same way, because this is a desire that has been developing just the past couple of years, and though He does have a sense of humor, it is not His nature to play cruel practical jokes on us. So if God has placed (given me) this new desire in my heart then He has obligated Himself to see it through. But if for some reason this is something my soul has dreamed up, then all I have to do is talk to God about it. And since the Holy Spirit has brought it to my attention there is a bit of worry about all I this, I really have no choice but to talk to God about what is going on so that I can eliminate the worry or anxiety. That’s the part of Psalm 37:4 we don’t always talk about, the…“Delight yourself also in the Lord.” We just like the…“He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart.” (AMP) Because the delight ourselves in the Lord part, means He might replace our own desires with one of His. And as a human being it is often hard to let go, whether it’s hopes and dreams, people or things.

Today my dear sisters, I want you to stop worrying about if you are going to ever see the secret desires of your heart come to fruition or not. Go to God. Talk to Him about what it is you want and then ask Him if this is what He wants for you too. Don’t be afraid of Him saying “No,” because that is a possibility, but rest assured He has a better plan and a better desire for you. Be bold in saying, “Father if this desire is not of you, then please take it from my heart, so that it will no longer be a problem for me.” If we purpose to focus on delighting ourselves in the things of the Lord, then our love for Him and our desire to please Him begins to supersede our own selfish desires and our desires become His desires.

As for me, I’m going to confess my worry to God, ask Him to forgive me, and focus back on living in each day. The truth of the matter is I may not even be here when the time would arrive that I thought it should be “my time”. In fact none of us may be here, the world is changing so quickly and things are coming into place for the end time, who knows? Do we really know what is in store for next year? No! We don’t even know what is in store for today. It is just getting started.

My dear sisters, I pray that I have inspired you to cast your “worry’ upon the Lord and to begin to think about how God’s desires are always greater than that which we could ever dream or hope. Spend some time talking with Him about your desires and find out what His thoughts are. And in the process, remember to live each day He gifts you as if it were your last. Seek, out the joy and love that is to be found right in front of our noses.


Blessings & Love
Ponnie

I will see you on Wednesday, June 23rd, until then work on casting your cares.


Friday's Blog: Information on the revamping of our bloging days and schedule.