Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Can a Woman Become More Organized?

I'm so pleased to tell you about a new book by my friend Lane Jordan. Her books always get right to the point, are practical, and are an easy read. In Lane’s new book, 12 Steps to Becoming a More Organized Woman, she shares practical tips for managing your home and your family with God at its core.

Can a woman be more organized? That's the million dollar question  - at least it is at my house!  In today’s fast paced world, trying to keep “it all together” is just plain difficult, and sometimes downright impossible .  Yet, I don’t believe that God wants us to live so furiously that we are not at peace in our daily lives.

So what is the answer?  Perhaps by coming back to God’s Word and seeing what He says about how we are to go about our day-to-day lives. Our God is a God of order. The creation story in Genesis makes it clear, and 1 Corinthians 14:33 reminds us, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.”

Each chapter of Lane's book takes you one step closer to becoming more organized, covering such issues as a woman’s walk with God, her relationships to everyday problems like time management, creating healthy meals, raising Godly children and restoring herself.  This book is not just for married women, but for singles as well - something our nation is experiencing in higher numbers than ever before. Living our lives the way God calls us to and not conforming to the world brings much joy, peace and a more organized life. 

Discussion questions are at the end of each chapter for group studies along with personal application questions for individual use.

Please leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Lane's book. 
If you have problems commenting on the blog just leave a comment on Face Book and I'll include you in the drawing.

You can find “12 Steps to Becoming a More Organized Woman at your local Barnes and Noble, Family Christian Store, and on the web at www.Amazon.com ; www.BarnesandNoble.com .  Or contact Lane at:  www.LaneJordanMinistries.com

Friday, November 22, 2013

A Marriage That Honors God

Our church is privileged to support New Tribes Missionaries Aaron and Lori Luse who serve a remote tribe in Papua New Guinea. I've only met them on a couple occasions, but I have been abundantly blessed each time. The following is reprinted with permission from their latest newsletter - an open letter from Aaron to Lori. This is truly a marriage that honors the Lord. I guarantee you will be blessed. Get out your tissue! Thank you, Aaron, for sharing your heart, your family, and your ministry with all of us.
Hi, It's her birthday today!  My wife is 35.  I won't be taking her out for a fancy birthday dinner though.  I won't be giving her a gift.  In fact, I won't even get to see her.  Thousands of miles stretch between us while I am at meetings this week in Thailand for church planting and she is back in Papua New Guinea with our girls.  Without a phone and the unfortunate incident of my computer hard drive failing, I was so excited just to be able to send her an email saying, "Happy Birthday."
Customarily gifts are given to the one having the birthday, but if I could talk to her today I would thank her for the gift she has given to me.  She has given her life for a far greater purpose.  She has spent what some people call "the prime of her life" in a village far away from the 'American dream'.  Her desires and dreams right now are not for a big home, a new car, or fancy clothes, but rather to develop an advanced literacy course for the Patpatar so the can become better readers in order to more fully understand God's Word.  Her mornings are not spent in front of the mirror trying to hold back time in her appearance, but is preparing breakfast from scratch, planning out schooling for 3 different grade levels for the day, figuring what other areas she can be involved in ministry, and taking care of a baby that won't sleep late.

There are no malls, no nights out on the town, no microwaves or dishwashers.  There are however, continual battles with humidity, mold, allergies and infections.  Yet her purpose is not the physical, the economical, or the social.  Her purpose is the eternal.  She is my partner who has sacrificed for a greater purpose to see the Patpatar church grow and become equipped.

I miss you Lori.  I wish I could be with you today and celebrate your birthday with you. I wish I could give you a gift to show my love and appreciation for you.  But I want to tell you thank you for the model you have been to me, to the Patpatar, and to people all over the world of what a woman who gives herself to God can accomplish for Him.  You are a gift!  Happy Birthday, I love you!

Aaron

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Worry Can’t Change Others


 Kathy Collard Miller

There’s something deep inside of us that believes worry can change others. If someone we love has a different perspective than we do, we worry. If someone we love has a different belief about God, we worry. If someone we love has a character flaw, we worry. We just know their wrong thinking will mess up their lives.

Some of these worries may truly seem “worthy” of worry. Your mother may not know Christ as her Savior, and she has cancer. Your son may be on the street taking drugs. Your friend may demonstrate a lack of integrity at work. Another friend drives while intoxicated. You may have tried to reason, cajole, quote Scripture, even manipulate each person into changing their ideas and their behavior, but nothing has worked—not even prayer. God hasn’t changed them either. You fear something bad, really bad, is going to happen.

Even if it’s not a matter of something really bad occurring, we can easily take responsibility for someone else’s happiness and then respond in an unhealthy way. I recognized that possibility as we walked through the grief process with my mother-in-law, Audrey.

My husband's parents, Don and Audrey, were married for sixty-two years and in that time, Audrey was only alone overnight for fewer than twenty nights—total. Even when Don was away during two different wars, Audrey’s mother lived with her. Four or five months before Don passed away, Audrey remarked to me, “If something happens to Don, I don’t know if I can live alone.” Then about a month later she commented, “I’ve been thinking about living alone and I think I can do it.” I was so proud of her.

The first night of Don’s hospitalization, Audrey stayed in our home. The next day she surprised us with her spunk, saying she wanted to return to her own home. I volunteered to spend the night at her home, but she said, “No, I have to get used to it.” And she did, even after Don died a week later.

But that doesn’t mean I didn't worried about her loneliness. During the first two weeks we made sure she had something to do with us every day. But realizing we couldn’t keep that up for long, I wondered how she would cope.

In my prayer time I prayed verses for Audrey dealing with the topic of loneliness. I began praying Psalm 146:9 for her: “The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow; But He thwarts the way of the wicked” (NASB). Unexpectedly, I thought, I shouldn’t try to fill the place the Lord wants in her life.

Wow—that hit me hard. In my worry about her loneliness, I had begun to feel responsible to make sure she wasn’t lonely. I wrote in my journal: “I can try to be there too much and she could depend upon me and/or Larry instead of looking to You, Lord. Help me, Father, to resist the compulsion to ‘be there’ for her too much.”

When I told Larry about what the Lord had revealed to me, I jokingly (but with some seriousness) quipped, “God doesn’t want me to be your mom’s grief savior.” If I had continued to worry about her, I could have easily become that. And I’d be good at it because I so easily take responsibility for the happiness of others.

When I talked to Audrey later that day, she enthusiastically said, “Guess what Chuck Swindoll talked about on his radio program today?”

What, Mom Audrey?”

Loneliness. It really ministered to me.”

I laughed. God had come through. I didn’t need to be in charge of making sure she wasn’t lonely. Of course, she’s going to be lonely—she’s alone for the first time in her life. We certainly are going to help her, but she should primarily look to God, not us. Otherwise, she’ll draw too close to us and not closer to God.


BOOK SUMMARY AND BIOGRAPHY:

It is possible to worry less through trusting God more. Regardless of the storms of trials, temptations, worry, uncertainty, confusion, or regrets that you're facing, you can trust God more. Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries offers a conversational style, personal testimonies, practical illustrations, and solid biblical teaching for breaking anxiety and the devastating effects of worry. Each chapter includes Discussion Questions for individuals or groups, along with a “Letter from God.” In addition, a profile of a woman in the Bible who struggled with or experienced victory over worry is featured in each chapter to inspire every reader to see God's hand in her life.

Kathy Collard Miller is a speaker and author. Her passion is to inspire women to trust God more. She has spoken in 30 states and 7 foreign countries. Kathy has 49 published books including Women of the Bible: Smart Guide to the Bible (Thomas Nelson) and she blogs at www.KathyCollardMiller.blogspot.com. Kathy lives in Southern California with her husband of 43 years, Larry, and is the proud grandma of Raphael. Kathy and Larry often speak together at marriage events and retreats.

(Note from Mary: Please leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Kathy's book. We will draw a name in one week!)


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

How did it get to be February 2013?

I've neglected my blog the past few months but promise to get up to speed.......starting today!!

I've been busy with a new grandson, my 98 year old mother, and life in general. Keep checking back because during the next few months I will be hosting guest bloggers who will be sharing about their ministries and new books.

Have a blessed day!!