Righteous Woman

Fugitive of a Hardened Heart

2012-01-17T06:04:00.000-08:00

It has been my prayer throughout reading this book that we would all come to see jealousy as a symptom of a broken heart. Somewhere, we have come to believe the lie that our God is not trustworthy in His justice towards us. The fallout of the untruth is that we cannot believe that God loves us, because our idea of His goodness has been skewed by life's difficult and inexplicable circumstances.

This scripture gives us the reason for our blindness in seeing the glory of God in our own lives:
Hebrews 12:14-15 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

We can make the false assumption that the secret sin of jealousy is contained to our thoughts, hidden away from others. Scripture assures us that this is not the case. The moment we detect the bitterness of jealousy entering our thoughts, we must take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. If we do not, we are in danger of not seeing the Lord. We must intently examine our thought lives, to ensure there is no place for a bitter root to grow.

Heart Builders:

How has jealousy made you fugitive, either as its perpetrator or its victim?

Exerts from our book - Living with Unmet Desires

And....Happy New Year

2012-01-04T06:05:00.000-08:00

So, the year has infact began, thank God. If your life is as busy as mine tends to get, then you know that the pace isn't any slower yet, the challenges are still greater, the work load is much tougher, and the prayer list has gotten longer....but the real question is: has our faith become stronger? How about our trust in God?

I am learning daily that faith is not just reading about its great work, but its about living in its great principle. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of what's unseen. Some of us have heard this so many times that it's not as real as the first couple of times we actually heard it. But ladies, I don't know about you but God has a way of bringing me back to perspective and reminding me that He is God and noone else is.

I want to encourage you today and for the rest of this month to really position your heart to believe God for absolutely ANYTHING....because really and truly...HE CAN DO ALL THINGS. I can testify of this first-hand. If we can do this together as women for the month of January, we can set the faith/miracle tone for the rest of the year for our needs, our family's needs, our friends, etc...

Never give up!
Don't believe the lie that great things happen to others and not you! You too are a partaker of God's blessings, so take it, receive it, walk in it, breathe it and see God move on your behalf!

Be blessed Righteous Woman!

Faith Builders:

Do you believe God can do anything?
What areas are you believing God for?

2011 Countdown

2011-12-19T10:43:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is vastly upon us and it's getting tiring, exciting, busy, costly, crowded, fun etc. One of the things that I try to do each year, about this time - is pace myself, spend what I really need to and not get too excited when I slam into a sale! :) That's always so so hard, because you know how it is, you go to the store looking for a gift for someone else and VOILA - you run into something on sale that you want and the battle begins... lol.

For our family, we try to keep it fun and exciting each year. One year, we went to out of town for Christmas and didn't get gifts for anyone - instead we spent time with each other; another year, we did the gift exchange thing; and another year, we made a wish list of 3 things that we want and each person had to pick/purchase one. This year, we decided to buy $10 gifts for each person. This is HARD! But the deal is that we have to keep it creative and fun!

So, whatever it is that you, your family, your friends are doing....remember to pace yourself, keep it fun, don't spend next year's money this year if you can help it, stay within your budget, remember the reason for the season, have lots of family time, stay healthy, go to church :), be thankful for what you do have, and look forward to next years blessings.

Be good!

Relationships Take Time

2011-12-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

I read this and thought you might appreciate it.

Some days I think we all have inherited a double dose of impatience. That could explain why so many of us despise shopping, standing in line, waiting in line and mutter when the driver in front of us balks at turning right on red. More than once, you know, we say about each other or sometimes to each other: "Sometimes I just don't understand you at all!" Well, NEWS FLASH, we're not that easy to figure out, either.

There's so much more we need to learn about growing in relationships. And it takes time.

But why is that so exasperating? My guess is it's part of human nature. A congenital hurry-bone of contention inherited from Adam and Eve who started the whole business by eating an apple guaranteed to give them instant knowledge.

When we live by the false "faster is better" creed, we lose sight of the contrasting truth: Relationships take lots of time to develop and nurture. They demand long hours and years and even decades of work....and don't forget the money too!

But when you stop to consider the alternative, it's clear that relationships are worth the time. Why hurry to give up on trying when you can take your time and nurture a deep commitmment with someone else for the rest of your life?

Relationship Builders:

Have you ever felt that your relationships should be better faster?
Why is it so hard to be patient as relationships develop?

Apple Juice Arsenic

2011-11-30T11:39:00.000-08:00

http://abcnews.go.com/US/arsenic-juice-consumers-union-study-prompts-fda-action/story?id=15053583

Forwarded by Lynn W...
Nov. 30, 2011

An investigation into trace amounts of arsenic found in bottled juice has prompted advocacy group Consumers Union to urge the Food and Drug Administration to lower its standards for arsenic levels in juice drinks.
The results of the study released Wednesday indicate that 10 percent of juices tested had total arsenic levels greater than the FDA's standard for drinking water of 10 parts per billion (ppb), while 25 percent of juices also had lead levels higher than the FDA's bottled water limit of 5 ppb.

Consumer Reports tested 88 samples of popular brands of grape and apple juice sold in the United States, including Mott's, Minute Maid and Welch's. Most of the arsenic detected in Consumer Reports' tests was a type known as inorganic, which is a human carcinogen.

The testing and analysis has led Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, to urge the federal government to establish a standard of 3 ppb for total arsenic and 5 ppb for lead in juice.

"We're concerned about the potential risks of exposure to these toxins, especially for children who are particularly vulnerable because of their small body size and the amount of juice they regularly consume," said Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., director of safety & sustainability at Consumer Reports.

Although federal standards exist for arsenic and lead levels allowed in bottled and drinking water, there are no limits defined for fruit juices, a mainstay of many children's diets.

In a statement to ABC News regarding the new Consumer Reports data the FDA -- which stated in September 2011 amid public controversy that apple juice consumption poses little or no risk -- said it is now gathering further information.

"A small percentage of samples contain elevated levels of arsenic. In response, the FDA has expanded our surveillance activities and is collecting additional data," the agency said.

The FDA's statement on the safety of drinking apple juice.
Michael Landa, acting director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition told two advocacy groups last week that the agency will collect and analyze juice samples from U.S. retailers to determine "the prevalence of arsenic in juice and to better understand the species of arsenic found in juice," according to Food Safety News.

The Juice Products Association responded by saying that the study is incongruous.

"Juice is not water. To compare the trace levels of arsenic or lead in juice to the regulatory guidelines for drinking water is not appropriate," the JPA said in a statement.

Consumer Reports also analyzed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's data on arsenic in the urine of men and women who were willing to report their food and drink consumption for 24 hours prior. Analysis showed that people who reported drinking apple or grape juice had, on average, about 20 percent higher levels of total urinary arsenic than those subjects who did not.

Patty Lovera, assistant director of Food & Water Watch, said it's important that the FDA establish an appropriate amount of arsenic acceptable in juice.

"This is movement, and so that's encouraging, but we really want to see the agency get to a point where they figure out the right level," she said.

Just over a week ago, the FDA announced the results of its own testing of apple juice -- most of which is produced in the U.S. The agency found that eight samples out of 160 had arsenic levels that exceeded their own "level of concern" for total arsenic.

Echoing Lovera and Consumer Reports' advice, ABC News' Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser also says that the FDA needs to set a standard for apple juice for industry. The standard should probably be lower than what FDA is currently using, according to Besser.

The divisive subject reached a fever pitch in September when Besser confronted Dr. Mehmet Oz on "Good Morning America" for what he called "extremely irresponsible" statements Oz made on "The Dr. Oz Show" in an episode focusing on the dangers of trace levels of arsenic present in many popular brands of apple juice. Oz's statements at the time were said to be misleading and needlessly frightening to consumers.

Dr. Besser spoke on the subject on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, explaining the faultiness of the information provided by the FDA and stating that he feels the agency should hold the juice industry accountable.

"Back in September the FDA made a number of statements that reassured me. I'm much less reassured now. They published the test online, but withheld eight results that were very high," Besser said.

A Message to Women From a Man: You Are Not "Crazy"

2011-11-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

~ Forwarded by Lori Archie ~
You're so sensitive. You're so emotional. You're defensive. You're overreacting. Calm down. Relax. Stop freaking out! You're crazy! I was just joking, don't you have a sense of humor? You're so dramatic. Just get over it already!
Sound familiar?
If you're a woman, it probably does.

Do you ever hear any of these comments from your spouse, partner, boss, friends, colleagues, or relatives after you have expressed frustration, sadness, or anger about something they have done or said?
When someone says these things to you, it's not an example of inconsiderate behavior. When your spouse shows up half an hour late to dinner without calling -- that's inconsiderate behavior. A remark intended to shut you down like, "Calm down, you're overreacting," after you just addressed someone else's bad behavior, is emotional manipulation, pure and simple.

And this is the sort of emotional manipulation that feeds an epidemic in our country, an epidemic that defines women as crazy, irrational, overly sensitive, unhinged. This epidemic helps fuel the idea that women need only the slightest provocation to unleash their (crazy) emotions. It's patently false and unfair.

I think it's time to separate inconsiderate behavior from emotional manipulation, and we need to use a word not found in our normal vocabulary.

I want to introduce a helpful term to identify these reactions: gaslighting.

Gaslighting is a term often used by mental health professionals (I am not one) to describe manipulative behavior used to confuse people into thinking their reactions are so far off base that they're crazy.

The term comes from the 1944 MGM film, Gaslight, starring Ingrid Bergman. Bergman's husband in the film, played by Charles Boyer, wants to get his hands on her jewelry. He realizes he can accomplish this by having her certified as insane and hauled off to a mental institution. To pull of this task, he intentionally sets the gaslights in their home to flicker off and on, and every time Bergman's character reacts to it, he tells her she's just seeing things. In this setting, a gaslighter is someone who presents false information to alter the victim's perception of him or herself.

Today, when the term is referenced, it's usually because the perpetrator says things like, "You're so stupid," or "No one will ever want you," to the victim. This is an intentional, pre-meditated form of gaslighting, much like the actions of Charles Boyer's character in Gaslight, where he strategically plots to confuse Ingrid Bergman's character into believing herself unhinged.

The form of gaslighting I'm addressing is not always pre-mediated or intentional, which makes it worse, because it means all of us, especially women, have dealt with it at one time or another.

Those who engage in gaslighting create a reaction -- whether it's anger, frustration, sadness -- in the person they are dealing with. Then, when that person reacts, the gaslighter makes them feel uncomfortable and insecure by behaving as if their feelings aren't rational or normal.

My friend Anna (all names changed to protect privacy) is married to a man who feels it necessary to make random and unprompted comments about her weight. Whenever she gets upset or frustrated with his insensitive comments, he responds in the same, defeating way, "You're so sensitive. I'm just joking."

My friend Abbie works for a man who finds a way, almost daily, to unnecessarily shoot down her performance and her work product. Comments like, "Can't you do something right?" or "Why did I hire you?" are regular occurrences for her. Her boss has no problem firing people (he does it regularly), so you wouldn't know from these comments that Abbie has worked for him for six years. But every time she stands up for herself and says, "It doesn't help me when you say these things," she gets the same reaction: "Relax; you're overreacting."

Abbie thinks her boss is just being a jerk in these moments, but the truth is, he is making those comments to manipulate her into thinking her reactions are out of whack. And it's exactly that kind manipulation that has left her feeling guilty about being sensitive, and as a result, she has not left her job.

But gaslighting can be as simple as someone smiling and saying something like, "You're so sensitive," to somebody else. Such a comment may seem innocuous enough, but in that moment, the speaker is making a judgment about how someone else should feel.

While dealing with gaslighting isn't a universal truth for women, we all certainly know plenty of women who encounter it at work, home, or in personal relationships.

And the act of gaslighting does not simply affect women who are not quite sure of themselves. Even vocal, confident, assertive women are vulnerable to gaslighting.
Why?

Because women bare the brunt of our neurosis. It is much easier for us to place our emotional burdens on the shoulders of our wives, our female friends, our girlfriends, our female employees, our female colleagues, than for us to impose them on the shoulders of men.

It's a whole lot easier to emotionally manipulate someone who has been conditioned by our society to accept it. We continue to burden women because they don't refuse our burdens as easily. It's the ultimate cowardice.

Whether gaslighting is conscious or not, it produces the same result: It renders some women emotionally mute.

These women aren't able to clearly express to their spouses that what is said or done to them is hurtful. They can't tell their boss that his behavior is disrespectful and prevents them from doing their best work. They can't tell their parents that, when they are being critical, they are doing more harm than good.

When these women receive any sort of push back to their reactions, they often brush it off by saying, "Forget it, it's okay."

That "forget it" isn't just about dismissing a thought, it is about self-dismissal. It's heartbreaking.

No wonder some women are unconsciously passive aggressive when expressing anger, sadness, or frustration. For years, they have been subjected to so much gaslighting that they can no longer express themselves in a way that feels authentic to them.

They say, "I'm sorry," before giving their opinion. In an email or text message, they place a smiley face next to a serious question or concern, thereby reducing the impact of having to express their true feelings.

You know how it looks: "You're late :)"

These are the same women who stay in relationships they don't belong in, who don't follow their dreams, who withdraw from the kind of life they want to live.

Since I have embarked on this feminist self-exploration in my life and in the lives of the women I know, this concept of women as "crazy" has really emerged as a major issue in society at large and an equally major frustration for the women in my life, in general.

From the way women are portrayed on reality shows, to how we condition boys and girls to see women, we have come to accept the idea that women are unbalanced, irrational individuals, especially in times of anger and frustration.

Just the other day, on a flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a flight attendant who had come to recognize me from my many trips asked me what I did for a living. When I told her that I write mainly about women, she immediately laughed and asked, "Oh, about how crazy we are?"

Her gut reaction to my work made me really depressed. While she made her response in jest, her question nonetheless makes visible a pattern of sexist commentary that travels through all facets of society on how men view women, which also greatly impacts how women may view themselves.

As far as I am concerned, the epidemic of gaslighting is part of the struggle against the obstacles of inequality that women constantly face. Acts of gaslighting steal their most powerful tool: their voice. This is something we do to women every day, in many different ways.

I don't think this idea that women are "crazy," is based in some sort of massive conspiracy. Rather, I believe it's connected to the slow and steady drumbeat of women being undermined and dismissed, on a daily basis. And gaslighting is one of many reasons why we are dealing with this public construction of women as "crazy."

I recognize that I've been guilty of gaslighting my women friends in the past (but never my male friends--surprise, surprise). It's shameful, but I'm glad I realized that I did it on occasion and put a stop to it.

While I take total responsibility for my actions, I do believe that I, along with many men, am a byproduct of our conditioning. It's about the general insight our conditioning gives us into admitting fault and exposing any emotion.

When we are discouraged in our youth and early adulthood from expressing emotion, it causes many of us to remain steadfast in our refusal to express regret when we see someone in pain from our actions.

When I was writing this piece, I was reminded of one of my favorite Gloria Steinem quotes, "The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn."

So for many of us, it's first about unlearning how to flicker those gaslights and learning how to acknowledge and understand the feelings, opinions, and positions of the women in our lives.
But isn't the issue of gaslighting ultimately about whether we are conditioned to believe that women's opinions don't hold as much weight as ours? That what women have to say, what they feel, isn't quite as legitimate?

Yashar will be soon releasing his first short e-book, entitled, A Message To Women From A Man: You Are Not Crazy -- How We Teach Men That Women Are Crazy and How We Convince Women To Ignore Their Instincts.
Follow Yashar Ali on Twitter: www.twitter.com/yashar

Breaking Bread

2011-11-20T18:17:00.000-08:00

Hey ladies,

We are a few days away from Thanksgiving day and the holidays are quickly upon us. I want to encourage you during this time, that its not all about the food, but really about the people that are with us. Take the time to gauge your friends and family, spend time with them, eat with them, pray for them, uphold them, listen to them and their needs, get to meet new people and invite them to dinner...etc.

Thanksgiving is a very hard time for a lot of people that do not have family members with them, as this tends to remind them of their loss or absence of...however, as Righteous Women, we are to key into these needs and offer assistance as we can.

Remember to look out to others, and share what you have with them....and hopefully, your relationships will go beyond Thursday's dinner and will carry on for a period or a lifetime...

I pray for your families, and know that God will continue to shine upon you.
Happy Thanksgiving week...and be blessed!

When others reject you

2011-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to help someone who didn't really want to be helped out of their situation? Sometimes, we tend to think that if we could just explain things a little more clearly or be a little bit better of a witness, they could be helped. But honestly and truthfully, we've got to know when to break free from the burden of false responsibility.

In Matthew 10, Jesus was sending out His disciples, and He told them that if they went to a town and the people didn't accept them, they should shake the dust off their feet and go to the next town.

What does that mean for us today? Basically, if someone doesn't want to be helped, we are not obligated to try and change them.

The world is full of hungy, hurting, needy people who would love to get any little bit of love and encouragement you have to give them. So when one person rejects you, don't let that stop you. Simply do what Jesus did. Move on to the next person and the next person until somebody wants what you've got.

Extracted from Joyce Meyer's November article

A Pure Heart

2011-10-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

Jesus is the most controversial figure in the history of mankind. We all have a sinful nature that does not allow us to see the wisdom in His teachings. We need to be made new; we need to be given new eyes for answers to those familiar patterns in us that lead us down a path of destruction.

Jesus spent much of His ministry teaching radical new ideas. Ideas that seem downright unbelievable because they are so contrary to what our culture says is the way to live life. On a windy moutainside, Jesus proclaimed what would become known as the Beautitudes - eight pathways of death to our fleshly desires that would bring us the abundant life He promised to this who love Him.

Matthew 5:8 (New Living Translation) - God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

Ladies, a pure heart is a heart that is not haughty. Pride and arrogance will prevent us from seeing God and knowing His will.

Extracts from Page 126 - Living with Unmet Desires

To a Special Person

2011-10-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

IT'S CHRISTIAN PERSON WEEK AND YOU SHOULD SEND THIS TO ALL BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE.

When I say that 'I am a Christian', I am not saying that 'I am clean living. I'm saying 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say 'I am a Christian', I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need GOD to clean my mess.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but GOD believes I am worth it.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon HIS name.

When I say 'I am a Christian', I'm not holier than thou, I'm just a simple sinner who received GOD's good grace, somehow!

Today is Beautiful Christian Person's Day.

Boost another person's self esteem, and send this to them!

Be Blessed, and be a Blessing.

Family Dynamics

2011-10-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Ah, the complexity of family relationships! There is something we all have in common: we are all part of a family. We really had no choice in the matter to whom we were born to or whether we had any siblings. The greatest encouragement and the greatest discouragement can come from people with whom we have shared a great part of our lives living with.

Take an assessment of your family relationships right now. How would you rate your intimacy level in the following relationships on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being extremely distant and 5 being extremely satisfying)?

Your parents: ________________
Your siblings: ________________
Your husband / fiancee / boyfriend: ______________________
Your children (if any): ________________________________

Family Builders:

How can you change the distant relationships?
How can you model and/or maintain the satisfying relationships?

Happy Rest

2011-10-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt the sweet happy sense of rest upon going to bed at night? How delightful was the sensation of relaxing every muscle and letting your body go into perfect abandonment of ease and comfort. The strain of the day had ceased, for a few hours at least. You no longer had to hold up an aching head, a weary back, or a burdened heart. You trusted yourself to the bed in an absolute confidence and it held you up without effort or strain. You rested!

But suppose you had doubted the strength or the stability of your bed, and had dreaded each moment to find it giving way beneath you. Could you have rested then? Would not every muscle have been strained in a fruitless effort to hold yourself up, and would not the weariness have been greater than if you had not gone to bed at all?

Now, apply this analogy to what it means to rest in the Lord. Let you souls lie down upon the couch of His will. Relax every strain, and lay off every burden. Let yourself go in perfect abandonment of ease and comfort, knowing that, since He holds you up, you are perfectly safe. Your part is simply to rest. His part is to sustan you; and He cannot fail.

Rest Builders:

Is there an area or issue in your life in which you need to experience God's rest and peace?
When have you felt a God-given rest or peace after particularly difficult times?

The Appointed Time

2011-10-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

Pride has been one of the most heartbreaking sins in my life. You see, I was a "good" girl on the outside. I had mastered the role of what I thought everyone wanted me to be. Unfortunately, the abundant life Christ had promised me through His Word, and which I saw in others, remained as elusive to me as ever.

As I look back on my childhood and young adult years, I realize that the main reason I obeyed the rules was fear of disappointing others, not necessarily becuase I wanted to do the right thing. I never thought I was attactive or talented or particularly smart. I had a driving need to feel significant, but I felt I possessed nothing that was honored by my culture to make me feel I was worthy. I did, however, have my reputation. That was the area inwhich I was admired and fawned over by others. I was the responsible one, the mature one - I was even called the spiritual one, often. I strove with all my might to be what others said I was. This standard became my personal criteria to being accepted by others.

After making some destructive decisions in a dating relationship in my college years, I realized I had failed to meet my own standard of what it meant to be a "good" Christian girl. The result was crushing guilt that extinguised my joy. Worse than that, I believed the lie that I had dissapointed God beyond hope of His forgivenenss or redemption.

Until I was confronted with my own inabilitiy to be "good", I was extremely prideful of that false goodness. Pride is first on the list of detestable sins that God hates in Proverbs 6:16-19. I truly didn't see my pride as sinful. I was my own judge and jury when it came to my righteousness before God.

Self Builders:

What have you latched onto in your life as a direct result of your need for acceptance or attention?
Has this been something that has proven to be constructive or destructive to your relationship with God, yourself, and others?

Exerts from "Living with Unmet Desires" - Page 105

Spirit-Led Persistence

2011-09-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

by Joyce Meyer - posted September 19, 2011

What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me], but I will also pray [intelligently] with my mind and understanding.

—1 Corinthians 14:15

I really want to encourage you to pray persistent, persevering prayers by the leading of the Holy Spirit—not mere repetitious prayers that do not come from your heart, but prayers that refuse to give up. It is possible to use your mouth to speak words of prayer that have no meaning behind them at all, and those prayers are nothing but dead works. I could quote the entire Lord's Prayer while I am thinking about something else, and that would not bless God or do me any good, but if I am sincere and pray from my heart, God hears and works in my behalf.

Lip service doesn't do anything for God or accomplish anything in our lives, so even when we pray about the same thing over and over again, we need to be careful not to fall into meaningless repetition. Instead, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in a fresh way, even when we are addressing a subject about which we have prayed for a long time. Sometimes He will lead us to be diligent and persistent about a matter, but there is a difference between repetition and Spirit-led persistence.

Words spoken in prayer that are not connected to our hearts are words without power. When we pray we should focus and concentrate on what we are saying. We should never merely verbalize things we have memorized while our hearts are far from God. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available (see James 5:16).

God's word for you today: Your heartfelt prayers to God have power and He hears them.

________________________________________

From the book Hearing from God Each Morning: 365 Daily Devotions by Joyce Meyer.

Effortless

2011-09-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

Smooth like satin,
soft like a baby’s cheek,
clear as a river running in the Congo
is what I truly seek.

EFFORTLESS…EFFORTLESS

I love this word
EF-FORT-LESS.
I say it …I believe it…I receive it!

The vibe I get from it
makes me feel alive,
and I thank God
He has allowed me
to survive all the rain, all the pain,

EFFORTLESS being my gain,
all because He reigns!
My thinking is reborn,
as EFFORTLESS helps me get through the storm,
and it has spun a radiant light,
shining on all my different plights,
reminding me – “ This is not your fight…”

With EFFORTLESS…
I relax,
I sit back,
I am in a constant siesta,
and EFFORTLESS even brings the confetti to my fiesta!

When I have to scale tall walls or if I fall,
EFFORTLESS calls me, finds me,
bringing me goose down pillows laced with harmony.

When I see EFFORTLESS blowing in the wind,
I caress, catch it,
dang, even my little dog wants to fetch it,

EFFORTLESS always leaving me in a good breathless…
EFFORTLESS

Simply amazing, His love never changing.
I am at peace, no labor, no drama.
I attract EFFORTLESS,
EFFORTLESS finds me
desiring to give me a continuity of glee,
empowering me so I can remain free,
and able to be all I can be.

I feel healed
just by rolling this delicious word
from my heart to my tongue and through my mouth
as I happily shout… EFFORTLESS!

I speak it with intention,
anticipating EFFORTLESS coming to fruition,
while thanking God for his son’s Crucifixion
none of this story is fiction,
as you read between the lines, feel it in your spirit
and you see the theme of EFFORTLESS mentioned.
Anyone who cannot offer EFFORTLESS
and her sister named PEACE,
I must release.

It is then I supernaturally increase,
and I gain more momentum,
I hum, I become uniquely undone
with awesome abandonment,
I go higher and higher, focused on what’s truly important.
And as I go even higher, I look back realizing
just how much the enemy is a complete liar
and his plan to keep you, me and all of God’s family away from

EFFORTLESS…
Selah.

L. Archie ©9/14/2011
In the Shadow of His Wings
:~: Lori Archie :~:

The game we play

2011-09-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is the game we play

We enjoy the torture but can't take the pain

Life is what we make of it, but really what we plan of it

Some surprises but mostly intentional

Who is responsible for the mistakes we make?

What happens to the oh-oh's that come up?

It's amazing how quickly we forget what we receive is what we bargained for

This is the game that we play

Play wisely ladies!

Christian Meditation

2011-08-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Psalm 1: Blessed is the man who does now talk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

When I read this, one question comes to mind. "How do I follow this example?". I began to think about the word "meditate". Meditating is a great way to retain the Word. But how do I learn to mediate in a world so full of distractions? For me, meditating on the Word often necessitates turning off the radio and TV while I do housework or drive. Silence gives me freedom to mull over what I've studied and pray it into my life or the lives of others.

Meditating on the Word also means I will have spiritual "meat" to offer to others around me. What I have studied and meditated on - developed in my own mind - may be the exact insight that others need.

Meditation Builders:

How do you manage to reflect on what you've learned from Scripture when you're constantly battling distractions?
What is something you've recently learned from God's Word that you might share with your friends/family/loves ones this week?

A Woman of Substance

2011-08-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

Written by Cathy Whitney

"As a woman with many responsibilities, some self-imposed and others that I can't ran away from, I find myself going back to the same thing over and over again. I desire to be a pure, natural, approachable, available and all rounded woman after God's own heart. The woman that God intended for me to be.

Now approaching ten years of marriage, 2.5 kids later, I have at least picked up a few things that strengthen me, things that push me to the next day and hold me up in the midst of all things woman

Being approachable: I have found this to be liberating, uplifting and a joy filler. For me, a woman upholds the community. A woman holds together the home. A woman encourages, blesses and nurtures. In our daily routines of life, how open am I? Am I a person that another woman would approach if they had a question, a prayer request, or a need? When people look at me, do I look arrogant? Am I snobbish? Am I closed-minded and would people avoid to approach me? The energy that comes from a woman should be one that is pure, joyful and exciting not just for ourselves but for others around us

Being a builder: Many times as women, we are overwhelmed by the need to share information, give our opinions and views - but sometimes, it's no longer sharing, it's gossip. Instead of building, encouraging and lifting a person, we find ourselves participating more in 'sharing' about someone. Sometimes it's too late to stop...because the stories are juicy. So, we choose to continue and by the time we are done talking...we feel bad. Personally, in such moments, I can't wait to go home and repent. Now, I'm learning that it's ok to stop a conversation, pray for that person and leave it at that.

Being available: We may not always have time, but as women we have more to give than anyone else. We are made to nurture, hug and make sure that all are ok. Of course we are to be careful on who we are available to, and how we approach some situations. Sometimes we are too busy engrossed in our pettiness to notice sisters who need us. Being of an open mind, not being arrogant and not being a snob can allow others to come to us for prayer, company and just to chat. It's ok to smile. It portrays a happy and an approachable demeanor. It's okay to take sometime to chat, encourage somebody, hug somebody and let them know that it will be ok. We don't have to be friends with the person.

Being natural: Being vague, being vain and just plain enticed into all things vanity could destroy the calling in our lives. We can be sexy, do our nails weekly and hang on to Gucci and all....but let's not allow all of that to be what people see from us. Let others see a woman of substance. A woman who is beautiful inside and out, a woman who cares more about others than herself, a woman who is approachable, a woman who is pure, natural and all well rounded in all things"

To all my sisters, be approachable, be a builder, be available and be natural.

Love, Cathy Whitney

Job's Essential Lesson

2011-08-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Job's name has become a synonym for the suffering of life's derailments. Actually, "derailment" is too weak a word to describe what happened. He lost everything: children, health, riches, the support of his friends and wife, and apparently the love of the God he had trusted and loved for so long.

What did he do when life came to a halt? The Bible says he "got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised' " (Job 1:20-21).

Job's perspective wiped the "why me, woe is me?" question from his mind. He recognized that he had nothing when he arrived on this planet, and he would have nothing when he left it. His nakedness was a dress rehearsal for his death and a remembrance of his birth. In the end, it will have gone full circle and he would be back where he started; with nothing and no one but GOD.

Self Builders:

What are some of the struggles and losses you're experiencing right now?
How are you able to love and trust God, despite these painful experiences?

To all you special sisters!

2011-08-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter.. 'Don't forget your sisters,' she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them.'

'Remember that 'sisters' means ALL the women...your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women always do.'

What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!'

But she listened to her mother. She kept contact with her sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her mother really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, sisters are the mainstays of her life. After more than 50 years of living in this world, here is what I've learned:

THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes. Life happens. Distance separates. Children grow up. Jobs come and go. Love waxes and wanes. Men don't do what they're supposed to do. Hearts break. Parents die. Colleagues forget favors. Careers end. BUT.........Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you....Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family: all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I.. When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.

Happy days!

5 Ways to Let Go of a Grudge

2011-08-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

By Sora Song
Forwarded by Lynn

Getting angry is one thing. Holding a bitter grudge is another. Over the long term, chronic feelings of resentment can harm your physical health, according to the authors of a new book, Embitterment.

The influence of negative emotions is so powerful that the authors think there should be a new diagnosis called post-traumatic embitterment disorder, or PTED, for those who can't forgive the people who have wronged them, reports CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen in her new "Empowered Patient" column.

Like other negative emotions — stress and depression among them — bitterness has physical consequences: high blood pressure, elevated heart rate, increased risk of heart disease. The longer you hold a grudge, the more likely your negative emotions will take a toll on your heart and your health.

"The data that negative mental states cause heart problems is just stupendous," Dr. Charles Raison, associate professor of psychiatry at Emory University School of Medicine, told CNN. "The data is just as established as smoking, and the size of the effect is the same."

Life is nothing if not unjust, however, so we're all apt to feel bitter about something at some point in our lives. The trick is not to let it become a chronic problem.

Cohen offers five tips to keep your anger from festering. I've summed them up, below, but to get a fuller picture, you should read Cohen's column in its entirety on CNN:

Vent to a friend about what's bothering you
Remember that you're not the only person in the world who's ever been wronged
Consider confronting the person who injured you
Realize you're only hurting yourself by holding a grudge
Try to see things from the other person's point of view

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/18/5-ways-to-let-go-of-a-grudge/#ixzz1VUbJa1XN

Seeking Forgiveness in our Children

2011-08-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

I always felt that kids deserve the same respect we would give any adult, which is why I cannot affored treating my daughter less than the way my Father in heaven would treat me. Now, this doesn't mean that I do anything perfectly.....

There are times when I am sick, grouchy, short, quick tempered, out of grace, tired, hungry etc....and who do I usually take it out on first? Unfortunately, the people closest to me - the ones I love. This is probably right for you too...if you'll be honest.

But I believe this is something we can strive not to do.

Treating our kids any other way than God's best leaves us feeling horrible about ourselves, and leaves them feeling just as horrible about themselves. That's why asking the little ones for forgiveness is a powerful moving-forward tool. You have to allow yourself the freedom to be imperfect and vulnerable; thereby learning to seek forgiveness and still like who you are.

I think some parents are fearful to be vulnerable with their children because they feel they will lose their children's respect if they open up. How can we teach our children to seek forgiveness from others if they do not see that example in us?

Vulnerability Builders:

When have you felt that you need to be open with your children or loved ones?
How did you deal with that emotion?

Goals

2011-08-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

How are you doing with your goals? It is now the 8 month and you may find that you may have had to re-adjust some goals, or delete some goals, or re-set new goals, or move some timelines around..etc.

Whatever it is that you have done or thinking of doing, stay encouraged, stay focused. Goals are there so we can see where a little motivation and achievement can get us....however, if you see that your goals are not realistic, there is nothing wrong in pulling back and making some changes here and there. As long as you are doing something productive with your now, your present and your today....tomorrow will be promising.

Do what counts...

Finished Work

2011-07-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

At what point do we truly grab a hold of the salvation power and redemptive work of God for our lives? Why is it so difficult to receive and apply the finished work of the cross?

My real question is this: why are we so stagnant in our emotional state? Is it that we really do not know that we are victors and that we are adopted into spiritual equity OR is it that we are much more consumed in the attention we get when we stay hurt and broken? What is more important? Our freedom or our bondage?

Knowing is half the battle, right?
The problem is that we know that we know that we know that God is who He is, but we only believe this truth for everyone else. For some odd reason, we don't believe the same truth for ourselves. It gets so bad that when the victory does come, we spend a lot of words thanking the people who held us up in prayer (during our difficult times), so much more that we forget to thank God who has been our Savior, all along.

Ladies, we have to get our minds and hearts in a place that is completely and totally trusting in God; where our actions & emotions are in complete submission to the promises of God.

We've got to believe it without a shadow of a doubt.

Freedom Builders:

What area of your life, do you find really hard to let go off?
How are you dealing with that?

A Hike & the Beach

2011-07-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies!

It's Summer Time! And time to get out there....to Stinson! It's gorgeous!
Bring a blanket, some snacks, lunch, picnic stuff....we'll eat together @ the beach after we hike. Or you can sign up on the items to bring (after you RSVP here, or @http://new.evite.com/#view_invite:eid=00AFAAQZXGK5ZYMDWEPAVSPNOHJ4YU).
If you'll like to carpool, let me know and we can arrange something. Otherwise, we'll all meet there at 9am, so we can get done with the hike in good time... :)

Date: August 6th
Time: 9am

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Location: Stinson Beach is located on Highway One, just north of San Francisco, California. The scenic highway is just one of the great reasons to visit Stinson Beach. Panoramic Highway also provides access.
Directions to Stinson Beach are shown below, whether you are traveling from the North, South, or East!
From San Francisco after crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, take Hwy. 101 North approximately three miles to the "Hwy. One, Stinson Beach" exit. Follow the signs and enjoy your drive down one of the most scenic highways in the nation. Stinson Beach is approximately 20 miles from San Francisco.
From Sacramento take Interstate 80 West to 580 West to Highway 101 South. Take exit "Hwy. One, Stinson Beach", approximately three miles north of San Francisco. Follow the signs and enjoy your drive down one of the most scenic highways in the nation!

From Northern California follow Highway 101 South to exit "Hwy. One, Stinson Beach". Follow the signs and continue on Hwy. One which will bring you directly into Stinson Beach.

ALTERNATE TO HWY. ONE
While on Hwy. One traveling to Stinson Beach, you will come to a sign giving notice to Muir Woods and Mt. Tamalpais State Park. If you wish, you may turn right at this point and take Panoramic Hwy. through the park. It will take you back to Hwy. One and will end only blocks south of Stinson Beach.

However you choose to come, both highways are extremely scenic and extremely curvy. Vehicles over 35 feet are NOT recommended.