Chick Chat with God

New Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:23:00 +0000

Check out my new blog:

Discovering God's Truth for Women

Written by five feminine females with one fierce focus: to see women like us come to know all that God designed for our femininity and to unlock the timeless truth of His Word. Our aim is to:

Build up women that need to be informed, be a

Bridge to women that need to be persuaded, and

Bring in women yet to be reached with the real Jesus!

The Contributors:

All five girls are currently studying to get a Master's of Divinity in Women Studies at Southwestern Seminary. Sarah, a native of New York is passionate about teaching scripture to women. Katie F is the married one of the group and is dually focused on marriage and the local church. Katie M is devoted to cultural engagement and awareness to further the Kingdom of God. Diane is our pop-culture enthusiast dedicated to reminding women who they are in Christ. Gabrielle is passionately committed to the women of the world - serving as advocate for the hurting and oppressed in a way that brings glory to Yahweh.

We look forward to your visiting the blog and commenting on all that God is teaching us!

Modern Girl Goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:05:00 +0000

Welcome to Chick Chat With God!

Over the past year, God has led me in a different direction. I am currently devoting all my energy to Gender Development & Women's Advocacy in 3rd World Countries. You can follow my travels and experiences via Twitter @Gabigurl.

I will leave the blog up in hopes that people continue to be encouraged by it. ~ Gabrielle

Modern Girls and the Dark Knight

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:05:00 +0000

I have had a serious crush on Batman since he first appeared in my eight-year-old life during Saturday morning cartoons. He was so brave and good. He was unlike all the other superheroes who had the power to run faster than a speeding bullet, or leap buildings in a single bound, or spin webs. Batman was just a man helping people by fighting for good. He had no super-human powers, just some really cool toys.

My Batman crush continued to this latest series of Batman movies: although I must state that strongly prefer Dark Knight over Batman Begins. I realize that Dark Knight is dark, Joker is pure evil, and not everyone (especially us frou-frou girl-types) liked the movie. But what struck me was the final scene of the movie. The people desperately need a hero, but the White Knight was corrupted by the Joker. The only hero left is Batman. But the people demand a fall-guy, and rather than expose the corruption of the White Knight, he takes the responsibility on himself. He chooses to be hated by the people for the good of the people.

The final scene in the movie has Batman being hunted by the very people he tried to help, it closes with these words:
Batman: “Evil cannot win. Gotham needs a true hero. I am whatever Gotham needs me to be.”
Commissioner Gordon: “Batman is the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt him, not because he did anything wrong, but because he can take it. Because he's not a hero. He's a single guardian, a watchful protector. The Dark Knight."

Blame it on my daily readings in Matthew, or my over-active little-girl-crush, but I cannot shake the correlation between those closing statements and the Christian life. We modern girls hace a serious case of American-itus. We want to fit in, we want to be liked, we want approval. Bring liked isn’t bad, but compromising beliefs, values, and convictions to be liked is. That is what I love about Christian Bale’s Batman character – he isn’t afraid to be hated. He stands for what is right and doesn’t change that to be liked.

That is who we are to be as Christians. Strong, confident, and determined to do what is right no matter what people think or the persecution that ensues. If you hold firmly to the truths of scripture and proclaim the Gospel of Christ, you will be hated.

The Gospel of Christ is not about being liked.
Matthew 24:9 says, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.”

Matthew 10:34-39“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Do not be afraid to proclaim the Gospel of Christ:
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Matthew 10:27-33 “What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."

God will give you the words to say, your part is simply saying them.
Matthew 10:16-22
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

When faced with hatred for our beliefs in Christ, why do we change them to be liked? Why do we say nothing?

The world desperately needs someone-something worth hating.
Because they hate what is different, they hate what they don’t understand, they hate what makes them feel guilty.
They need Jesus Christ, and if we have to be hated so that they can hear the Gospel…so be it.
Because our purpose in this modern girl world is not to be liked, but to spread the message of Jesus Christ.

In the movie, Batman chose to be hated by the people for the good of the people. In this modern girl world, we must decide to be hated by the world, to take a stand as a follower of Christ, so that by our witness the world may know Christ.

Be the hero this world needs; be willing to be hated and share the truth to anyone who will listen.

Modern Girl Forgiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:36:00 +0000

I have been deeply, horrifically hurt before. I am talking about being eviscerated by the actions and inactions of someone I once called a friend. I was sad, hurt, and mad, but most of all, I was disappointed that a friend would choose to hurt me like that. It was a wound so deep I doubted recovery was possible. I alternated fits of rage and torrents of tears for twenty-four hours.

After the worst twenty-four hours of my life, I collapsed from exhaustion and prayed for God to make it go away. He didn’t. Instead, He began to speak. He showed me that I was at a crossroads: bitterness or forgiveness. I could choose to hate this friend and that hate would turn me into a bitter woman, would wedge itself between me and God, and would forever bind me to that person in hate. Or, I could choose to forgive. Forgiveness is the harder choice. It takes strength beyond human capacity. It takes the power of the Holy Spirit, every second of every day, to do something so foreign to the human nature. And the kicker is, that forgiveness is not a one-time decision, but a new mindset. A mind transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Somewhere around hour twenty-six, I decided to forgive. It was the only way I could ever be free of the one who had so deeply wounded me. But how to forgive? Saying the words isn’t enough. How do I practice a lifestyle of forgiveness?

Being the nerd that I am, I decided that researching forgiveness was the way to go. Forgiveness is a characteristic of God, so it stands to reason that He would be the one to ask about it. I pulled out my Bible, concordance, and several commentaries and went to work.

Here is what I found:

God’s Forgiveness of Us: Jer. 33:8 “I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: God forgives sin that is specifically committed against Him.
Our Forgiveness of Others: Mt. 6:12-15 “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…for if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: I forgive so that I may be forgiven by God.
What that means about the Person I must forgive: Forgiveness has nothing to do with the person who wronged you.

God’s Forgiveness of Us: Ps. 32:5 “I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: God forgives the sinful nature that led to the sin as well as the specific sin.
Our Forgiveness of Others: Mt. 18:35 “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: Forgiveness is a heart condition/attitude, not a one-time-thing
What that means about the Person I must forgive: Forgiveness is given whether they are sorry or not.

God’s Forgiveness of Us: Ps. 130:4 “But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: God is known for His forgiveness, part of his reputation
Our Forgiveness of Others: Mt. 18:21-22 “Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: Forgiveness is continual and as limitless as God’s grace.
What that means about the Person I must forgive: The number or repetition of wrongs has nothing to do with my forgiveness.

God’s Forgiveness of Us: Lk. 23:34 “And Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: God forgave those who never realized how their sin hurt Him.
Our Forgiveness of Others: Mk. 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: Forgive, for renewed unity between you and God
What that means about the Person I must forgive: Forgiveness is not about the forgivee, but is between the forgiver’s (you and God).

God’s Forgiveness of Us: Acts 10:43 “To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: Forgiveness comes through the name (power) of Jesus Christ.
Our Forgiveness of Others: Lk. 7:47 “Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven-for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: I forgive based on my love for God over my love for personal vengeance
What that means about the Person I must forgive: Forgiveness has NOTHING to do with the one who wronged me.

God’s Forgiveness of Us: Eph. 1:7-8 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: God lavishes forgiveness on the sinner.
Our Forgiveness of Others: Lk. 11:4 “And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: Live in a spirit of forgiveness.
What that means about the Person I must forgive: Forgiveness is based on what God did for me, not how sorry someone is.

God’s Forgiveness of Us: Col. 1:14 “In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: God’s forgiveness gives power to the sinner to change their ways.
Our Forgiveness of Others: Eph. 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: Part of being like my Savior, is being forgiving.
What that means about the Person I must forgive: Me practicing the character of Christ has nothing to do with the forgivee.

God’s Forgiveness of Us: Heb 9:22 “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: Forgiveness requires sacrifice on the part of the forgiver.
Our Forgiveness of Others: Col. 3:13 “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
What that reveals about forgiveness: Forgiveness is not an option, it is a command from God. To not forgive is to sin.
What that means about the Person I must forgive: Forgiveness is about obeying God, don’t let someone who wronged you cause you to sin too.

God’s Forgiveness of Us: 1 Jn. 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
What that means about the Person I must forgive: God is faithful to forgive, not b/c of the sinner, but b/c of His nature.

God’s Forgiveness of Us: 1 Jn. 2:12 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake."
What that means about the Person I must forgive: The purpose of forgiveness is the glorification of God, not letting the other person off the hook.

I know that is incredibly wordy, sorry – but if you are at all familiar with my blog you know wordiness comes with the territory! J Let me summarize: Forgiveness has nothing to do with the person who wronged you. Forgiveness is given whether they are sorry or not. The number or repetition of wrongs has nothing to do with forgiveness. Forgiveness is not about the forgivee, but is between the forgiver’s (you and God). Forgiveness has NOTHING to do with the one who wronged you. Forgiveness is based on what God did for you, not how sorry someone is. You living out the character of Christ has nothing to do with the forgivee. The purpose of forgiveness is the glorification of God, not letting the other person off the hook. Forgiveness is about obeying God, don’t let someone who wronged you cause you to sin too.

That’s a lot to handle, huh?
Yeah, I know. I got to put all of that into practice. So not easy!

I printed up all those verses on forgiveness in a spreadsheet; a pink and scented spreadsheet, of course. And I kept the verses in my purse and read them anytime I felt angry or bitter or even sad.

Months went by and my grandmother called. She asked how the forgiveness thing was going. I was feeling quite proud of myself, with the whole verse thing. Then she asked me if I was praying for my former friend who had caused the whole mess. I told her no, cause any prayers I would pray would be for hair to fall out or toes to grow together…. Not so nice prayers, for sure! My sweet little southern Grandmother told me flat out that if I couldn’t pray for the person, I had not forgiven them. So I tried to pray, I really did. But my heart wasn’t in it. So I went to my pastor and asked him to recommend several verses of blessing that I could pray verbatim. That was the only way something nice was going to come out of my mouth. I begin to pray those verses, everyday, for my former friend. Within a month of the combined praying and forgiveness-verse-reading, I was free. True forgiveness had set me free.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” ~Ghandhi

Have the strength to forgive.

The Modern Girl Stereotype

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:31:00 +0000

Stereotypes…

*Pretty girl*drama queen*prom queen*

*straight up queen*girl-next-door*tom-boy*

*athlete*narc*goth*“friendly”*diva*rich girl*

*fat girl*nerd*geek (and they are different)*

*artsy*introvert*invisible*homeschool*

*popular*unpopular*ugly girl*

Stereotypes.

Some girls live by them. Some girls wish they had a different one. But no one denies they exist. I have been stereotyped many times in my life: Christian freak, science nerd, smart girl, ditz, ice queen. None of those stereotypes are me, but they are who someone wants to think I am. The thing is, in order to fit into just one stereotype, I have to give up so much of who I am. Stereotypes are triangles and people are squares: you can only fit in them if you cut off parts of your personhood. And I am just not willing to give up any part of who God created me to be.

So how do you break loose of stereotypes?

Let me tell you a story.
In a fairytale land that never actually existed, was a town full of wooden people. Each little wooden person was different, unique. Some were pretty, some could jump high, some could run very fast. To reward each other for being so wonderful, they gave out stars. Then the little wooden people noticed that there were some people who couldn’t jump or run, and were not pretty at all. And just to make sure those little people knew how untalented they were, the townspeople gave out ugly gray dots.
Everyday the townspeople walked around giving out stars and dots. Jumpers and runners and pretty people got more and more stars, while the clumsy and ugly people got dots. Everyone was known by how many stars and dots they had. A wooden boy was fed up with it. He tried so hard to run fast enough or jump high enough to get stars, but instead he fell and got dots. But how do you break out of the cycle?
Then he met a beautiful wooden girl and she was unlike any girl he had ever seen, for she had no dots and no stars. Some people looked down on her for having no stars and tried to give her a dot, but it wouldn’t stick. Some people applauded her for having no dots and tried to give her a star, but it didn’t stick either. The boy ran up to her and asked how she did it. How did she keep the stars and dots from sticking? She took his hand and led him outside the town, up the hill to the workshop where all the little wooden people were made. Inside, she introduced him to the Carpenter. This is why the stickers don’t stick, she explained. I spend time with the Carpenter, and he reminds me of why he made me and how much he loves me. And the more I know how He made me and loves me just the way I am, the less the dots stick. Then she left the workshop.
The wooden boy was left alone with the Carpenter. They spent an hour talking, and when the boy left the shop, the first dot fell to the ground, unable to stick.
(summary of You are Special by Max Lucado)

Stereotypes only stick if you let them. Be who God made you to be.
The more you know who you are in Christ and how much He loves you, the less the stereotypes will stick. And you will become the girl that can’t be defined by a stereotype, you will be unique, special, and looked up to for that.

Let me introduce you to who you are in Christ.
You are chosen by God. Eph. 1:4
You are adopted by God. Eph. 1:5
You are a child of God in His family. 1 Jn. 3:1
You are forgiven by God for all my sins. 1 Jn. 1:9
You are reconciled to God, in harmony with Him. Rom. 5:10
You are seen by God as holy, blameless and above reproach. Col. 1:21-22.
You are sealed with God’s Holy Spirit. Eph. 1:13
You are called to accomplish God’s purpose. Rom. 8:28, 30.
You are a full citizen among God’s people. Eph. 2:19.
You are justified – declared right in God’s sight. Rom. 5:1.
You are sanctified – set apart by God’s Spirit. 1 Cor. 6:11.
You are redeemed – bought with Christ blood. Eph. 1:7.
You are cleansed by Christ’s blood for all my sins. 1 Jn. 1:7
You are heir of God and joint heir with Christ. Rom. 8:16-17.
You are complete in Christ. Col. 2:10.
You are an ambassador for Christ. 2 Cor. 5:20.
You are being conformed to the character of Christ. Rom. 8:29.
You are priceless – nothing on this earth can buy me, I was bought with a price. 1 Cor. 6:19-20.
You are loved unconditionally for exactly who You are right now. Jn. 15:14

Freaky Guys with Puppy-Dog Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:27:00 +0000

True love is what every girl, no matter how modern, dreams of. But what if a guy loves you, likes you, asks you out and you’re so not into him? Yeah, that love is NOT what dreams are made of. All modern girls, Christian or not, have been asked out at some point. Sometimes the guy of your dreams finally notices you, asks you out, and you live happily ever after with 2.5 kids. Most of the time that is not what happens. Usually he is a great guy just not right for you (okay, sometimes he turns out to be stalker-freaky, but that is the exception….hopefully).

THE TRUTH: He will be hurt when you say no.
Lets face it, if a guy asks you out….he likes you. Liking someone means putting yourself out there. His emotions are involved. He has thought over the possibility of some sort of future with you (not necessarily forever after, but future dates, or just a date). He mustered up the courage to declare himself and ask you out. He doesn’t want you to say no. Duh. But if you aren’t “feeling it” then do not say yes and let him think that you are. My point is – he will be a little crushed. He is not going to enjoy the rejection. He won't consider any action on your part to turn him down a "nice" thing; but you can do it in a classy way that gets it over as quickly as possible, salvages his ego as much as possible considering the situation, and allows for later friendship (once he has a new girl to date).

As a modern Christian girl, a daughter of God, a sister in Christ, and the girl who was asked out – this is your duty!

A Word from the Guys:
Guy 1: Be simple. I'm a guy; I don’t need a long explanation and eighty apologies. Simply say thanks and then tell me the truth: “I'm not into you.” Guys need direct information in a specific way (don’t be vague). Because is there is even the slightest positive feedback, we start reading into things and get our hopes up. Be honest, please.

Guy 2: It’s funny, I hate confrontation and the whole up-front thing, but that is what I need most from a girl I ask out. I don’t really catch on to subtlety. You need to come out and directly tell me you aren't interested. I am going to pursue until I get you or you take yourself out of the game. I may even come off as stalker-ish, but I really don’t mean to. I just want to make sure you know how much I like you. If I make you uncomfortable, tell me! Ask me to stop. I am not a glutton for punishment, I’ll stop – promise! Please don’t be cruel, I was crushed as a teenager by a girl’s very explicit, very derogatory rejection. Be gentle but firm; and, above all, be honest.

Guy 3: You gotta get it in your head that there is no nice way to turn a guy down. He isn’t doing to like it. I think the best way would be to tell him how you actually feel. Don't lie. Tell him that but that you don't feel a connection to him or whatever. Be upfront and honest (not brutally honest, just honest) and he'll get over it. He'll move on to the next girl soon enough.

Guy 4: If a guy asks you out and your gut reaction is “no,” just say no from the beginning. Too many girls don’t want to hurt a guy’s feelings and end up leading him on. Being lead on is the worst. Please don’t!
No "I'm too busy," or "I'm not looking for a relationship right now," or anything avoidancy.

A Word from a girl: aka...Gabrielle
Once upon a time when I was very young in the dating world, I was approached by a friend of several months with a love letter. It was beautiful, completely from the heart, and sweet. But I had no interest in him. So I panicked. Total freak-out drama-queen melt-down. What should I do? How can I look him in the eye? Do we have to sit down and talk about this? Ahhhhhh!!!! Thankfully, my accountability partner, Cheri, was nearby and noticed that I was about to pass out from sheer panic. She hauled me to a private place and gave me a talking to. Cheri said there are four things you need to cover in your response. First, thank you - this is an honor! Second, your respect for him as a friend. Third, your feelings about him pursuing you. Fourth, thank him again for the honor. I followed her instructions to the letter, ha, literally. And you know, it wasn’t fun at all. I got a little sick to my stomach. But I can look him in the eye today with no regrets. I responded as his sister in Christ, I took the classy road (in high heels).

Classy Behavior:
Respond to him in the same way he asked you out. If it was in person, tell him no in person. If it was over email, write him an email. Same goes with phone and facebook. (If you get a text; tell him to grow up.) Cheri’s four steps have not failed me yet, so I highly recommend following this model, but make it yours!
1) Being asked out, by anyone, is a huge complement to you. So recognize that complement by saying thank you. After all, he did have the guts to face rejection just to ask you out. Be flattered.
2) State your feelings toward him as a person. Separate that from your feelings about him as a potential date. Do you respect him as a brother in Christ, value him as a friend, love him like a brother. If you loath him, leave this sentence out. Don’t be ugly, that is trashy. He won’t like any of these compliments now, but looking back he will know he is still important to you. You can always respect him for the strength and courage it took to ask you out.
3) Be very clear about your feelings about dating him. This is not the time to be nice, or wander around the issue. I do not feel the same way about you, I do not return your feelings, I am not at that place…But be CLEAR. DON’T YOU DARE lead on a guy who was man enough to ask you out – I will come through this computer and snatch you bald headed!
4) Thank him again for the honor of him liking you. Of all the girls in the whole wide world, he asked YOU out. That is a compliment. It means that he sees something special in you. View the situation as a complement, not an “oh no, not again!” situation.

Classy Mindset:
View him as a brother in Christ (or a potential brother in Christ). You are his sister in the family of God and should treat him as such.
Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Luke 6:31 “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” 1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” Romans 12:9-10 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

Classy Results:
He will need a few weeks to digest and recover. Then he will be fine and ready to ask someone else out. At this point, the man is ready for friendship. Let him initiate the first contact, since he was the one hurt. But if you want to remain friends, don’t let months pass without any contact. Don’t be weird, resume your relationship. If you do this well, one day it will be a hilarious story for the two of you to laugh over.

Tacky Behavior:
Ignoring him: the easiest, and most juvenile thing to do is ignore his phone calls, delete his emails, and duck behind friends when he walks by. Tacky, tacky, tacky. He will get the hint eventually, but it will hurt way more because you let him hope for so long, you didn’t value him enough as a person to just tell the truth, and you did what was best (easiest) for you rather than for all involved. This behavior is seventh grade and only proves to him that you were not the woman he thought you were. Don’t be a child about dating, be a woman.

Leading him on: you aren’t cruel, you don’t want to hurt him, but the constant pursuit is driving you crazy. So you tell him you can’t right now. DON’T you DARE lead him on by tacking “right now” to the end of your explanation. If there isn’t potential, there isn’t potential. Don’t tell him “no for now” to soften the blow. If he doesn’t have a chance with you, don’t give him hope that he does. That is cruel. And ungodly. And so every awful High School Movie ever made!

Apologizing: This is for the “I’m sorry people.” They feel it is there fault for not liking the guy. The honest truth, you can’t force like. If you don’t feel the same way he does, let him know and move on. Apologizing for not being able to like him is a slap in the face. He was man enough to admit to his feelings, be woman enough to own up to yours. It is not your responsibility to like every guy that asks you out, it is however, your responsibility as a woman of God to be honest with them.

Tacky Get-Lost Lines:
“A slow dance with my dad sounds a little more exciting than a date with you.”

“I try to make a habit of dating people I have things in common with...sorry.”

“Sweetie, the idea of kissing you makes me vomit a little in the back of my mouth.”

"What did you say your name was again? Do I know you?

An immature girl: takes the easy way out, does what is easiest for her no matter how badly it hurts the guy, avoids him for the rest of her life, turns all her friends against him, pretends he doesn’t exist, and turns a little “no” into a huge drama.

A woman: puts the guys feelings first even though addressing the issue is uncomfortable, is honest about her feelings, doesn’t feel guilty for a lack of feelings, continues to love the guy through her actions as a brother in the Lord, and walks away with no regrets and no enemies.

God created you a woman, act like one.

Modern Girl Contentment

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:44:00 +0000

From the moment we were born American girls, we were taught to be discontent. Ooohed and ahhed over. Praised for every accomplishment. Given every toy our hearts desired. Told we could be anything we wanted to grown up to be. Little darlings who grew up in a world that bred them to discontentment. Fashion: your current wardrobe is only good for that runway season, then it is out of style.
Money: your current salary is not enough, you must work harder to make more, and more.
Power: never be satisfied being the follower, the employee – only the position of power is acceptable.
Cars: No matter how expensive and sporty your vehicle, there will be a faster, more expensive, more economical one out next year.
Computers: Your Mac Airbook will be huge, bulky, and outdated by fall.
Phones: Covet after the iPhone, but it will be replaced by a gold-plated model or one that gets signal on Mars…not that you will ever go to Mars, but that is hardly the point.

I grew up in this world. I was that girl. I had every Barbie on the shelf: blonde, brunette, redhead, skipper, Kelly and Ken’s for each. I had two American Girl dolls; honestly, who needs two of them? You can only dress like one at a time. But I had two.

Discontentment is as American as apple pie and baseball.
But contentment is as Christian as the cross and the Bible.

The followers of Christ are commanded to be content.

Luke 3:10-14 “And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

1 Timothy 6:6-10 “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Back in May, God made it very clear that I was to learn contentment this summer. True contentment. Not the oh-I’ll be-happy-now-because-I-have-big-hopes-for-tomorrow kind of pseudo-contentment. No. God was explicitly clear: make true contentment, His contentment, a lifestyle.

The problem was that in spite of all my years as a Christian, I really had no idea what contentment was. I know well discontentment, but contentment? Isn’t that just sitting still, waiting, not quite being lazy…but almost? I decided to look to the Bible and try to figure out what exactly God meant by contentment. In the New Testament, we are commanded to be content, so I turned to the Old Testament to figure out what it was.

And every passage I read held the answer.
Psalm 37 is a perfect example.

Psalm 37:3-5, 7-8. “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. . . . Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.”

Trust God for the future and today do the good you know to do. Find your delight in your relationship with God, let Him be your all, and He will take care of everything else. Give you life, your future, your dreams, your tomorrow to Him. Do not force your future, do the good He has given you to do and let Him make your future. Always choose God’s timing over your own. Do not be distracted by those who have the future that you want – trust God and His timing. Do not get angry, bitter, jealous, or resentful – that is sin. Wait for the Lord to act on your behalf, and today do the good He has given you to do.

That is contentment. It is both waiting and working.
Wait: trust, believe, hope, rest in the Lord for the future.
Work: obey, act, witness, live today filling every minute with the good God gave you to do.

With that definition, I begin to try the contentment thing. Trust God for the future. Easier said than done, because that means no assumptions for the future, no setting my hopes on anything but God. Okay, God gets the future, but what do I do now? What is the good He has given me to do today? I started with the obvious commands of Scripture: witness, fellowship with believers, serve the Body, minister to the needy, disciple believers, grow in faith and knowledge of God. That kept me pretty busy. Okay, that easily filled my day. But within a week I found myself begging God for more, for something specific. What was the good that He had given me, only me, to do? That question had me examining my calling. God has given me a heart for women and the ability to write. That means I am to write to women. That is the good that I am to do today.

So I made that my daily goal: write to women, help them know who they are in Christ. And you know what happened? God is giving me a career in freelance writing. As I live in contentment, God is giving me a future. The future I so desperately wanted – God gave me in just two weeks of being content without it. He did it in a way I never expected, before I thought it would happen – so that He received the glory for my success and I drew closer to Him.

Modern girls, contentment is as foreign to us as slavery or starvation, but if you want to know God and His future for you….you must learn modern girl contentment.

Contentment: trusting God for tomorrow and doing the good He has given you to do today.

Contentment: focusing on God with all the strength of today and letting Him focus on your tomorrows.

God’s Will for the Modern Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:55:00 +0000

God’s will is not as illusive as we modern-girl-diva-drama-queens would like to believe. God makes His will pretty obvious – He wrote a whole book revealing who He is and how He works. He is crystal clear on some things.
- Lying is a no.
- So are stealing, jealousy, and envy.
- Adultery, lust, sexual immorality: not His will for you.
- He has a lot of other “absolutely not’s” but I will let you read those for yourself.

His will is holiness, purity, godly character, following in His steps, a personal intimate relationship with Him. These are no brainers.

But what about all the things not specifically addressed in Scripture?
Which college to attend?
What job to take?
Should I marry him?
Should I move?
Am I supposed to lead that Bible study?
Should I go on that mission trip?
Should I finally go/do/see/be what I’ve dreamed of for years?
To do or not to do? Which to do?

Why, oh why, did God not cover the ever day life decisions in Scripture? Why didn’t Paul write a letter to the modern girl? Okay, I get the utter ridiculousness of that wish. But honestly, what does it take for a girl to get some help over here? When faced with choices, both good, what is a girl to do?

I am faced with two choices (hence the blog). There is no right and wrong involved, both choices are good. So which is “God’s will?”

If both options are good, is one better? Which one is right for me? Which one is “God’s will?”

Ahhhhhh! Can I please scream and pitch a diva-hissy-fit right now?

I am just a girl, totally human, and pretty un-discerning when it comes right down to it. How am I going to figure out what to do?

You would think that I would have gotten this “God’s will” thing down by now. I’ve had to deal with it many times before. When I had to decide on a college. When I had to find a career. When I graduated college and the job didn’t work out. When I had to pick between grad school, culinary school, or seminary. When I had to decide where to live. And so many other decisions in my life.

My greatest desire in life has always been to please God. To do His will. To be what He designed me to be. That is really all I want. But how to I know how to get there? It is frustrating. When my goal in life was to be a doctor, I took all the necessary steps to make it happen: top notch grades (especially in math and science), extracurricular activities, leadership positions, volunteering in the local hospital, MCAT prep, and great recommendation letters. Preparing to be a doctor wasn’t easy, but the path to get there was clear. When your ultimate goal is to do God’s will, nothing seems obvious or clear. It’s all up to God.

Two years ago I was forced to choose between two equally good options. I fasted and prayed, I got advice from everyone, and I read most of the Bible in a week of sleepless nights. I was desperate for an answer. The only advice that actually helped was from my boss, he said, “Seek God and just make a decision. Just trust that He will take care of it.”

Out of sheer desperation that is exactly what I did. I made the responsible decision. And guess what? It was the wrong decision! But God fixed it. He closed the door to the decision I made and suddenly there was only one option left: the one that was His will. So I made that decision and in the process learned that I can trust God to guide me if I just seek Him.

I had prayed ridiculously hard. I made a decision and God did what was best for me. I made the wrong decision and God corrected it! Ultimately, it didn’t matter which choice I picked, because God was in control. His will was going to be done in my life NO MATTER WHICH CHOICE I MADE. My part was to seek God with all my heart and He took care of the rest. I came to God with a decision and walked away with a far deeper trust in my God. It’s funny that I totally didn’t get this aspect of God’s will until it happened to me, because it is right there in Scripture. Paul was taking the gospel to the gentiles: obviously God’s will. But where to go first? He chose Bithynia; turns out that was the wrong choice. God fixed it. He just didn’t let Paul make the wrong choice. Acts 16: 6-10 “And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
Paul knows: Seek God and He will not let you out of His will.

My Poppaw gave me advice about God’s will. He said, "When a person seeks God's will for their life with all of their heart, mind, and soul, they cannot help but to find it. Seek God and His will is obvious." That is the absolute truth. Seek not God’s will, but God Himself and you will find more than just answers – you will find a relationship unlike anything you have ever experienced.

God’s will is not illusive or mysterious. It seems that way to us, but only because His priorities are so different (higher, greater, holy, etc) than our measly selfish human priorities. God’s will is for us to have a deep, abiding relationship with Him. God’s will is for the lost to be saved, the saved to be discipled, and the discipled to mature in the faith. God’s will is that He be glorified through us. So the choices that face us, the decisions that invade our lives – are far less about which job or college is right and far more about which one draws us closer to God, brings Him more glory, and expands His kingdom.

And if both choices do that? Seek God and just pick one.
If you are seeking God, He will not let you make the wrong decision.

Seek first the Kingdom of God….
Matthew 6:25-33 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Seek to know God. Period. Don’t settle for just knowing His will for one decision. Go for the gold: seek after all of God. He will make sure you end up where He wants you to be.

Inappropriate Christianity

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:34:00 +0000

Appropriate. I detest that word. It’s so boring, and stuffy, and unimaginative. It makes me think of snotty old ladies in a southern movie that yank children around by their ears because they aren’t acting “appropriately.” Ick. Appropriate: as a preachers daughter, I heard that word more than I ever care to admit. Act this way. Stand this way. Talk this way. Sit that way. Behave like this. Why? Because it is appropriate, fitting for a preacher’s daughter. Thankfully, it was not my parents saying this – but all the other people in the church who had an idea about how the pastor’s kids should behave.

I grew up thinking that in order to worship Jesus you had to wear pretty clothes, go to a church with a steeple, not draw or fidget during the sermon, and don’t you dare forget your Bible! That was church. That was what was appropriate. But as I have grown, I realized that Jesus broke the bonds of appropriate – He caused a scene in the temple, He was touched by a prostitute, He made friends with people living in sin, He provided salvation by dying naked on a cross. Actions that would hardly be considered appropriate even now.

This morning I met in an ordinary home and had the most extraordinary church experience: praise, worship, conviction, confession, repentance, fellowship, service, encouragement, and love. That was my experience this morning at a house church, a gathering of thirty-ish people in a home that didn’t have a steeple, which some still consider so very inappropriate. But it was real. Jesus was there.

As women, especially Christian women, we are taught that certain things are appropriate for us within the church, while others are just not done. Now, I am not talking about women teaching or having authority over men in the Church, the Bible is quite explicit about that. I am talking about the ideal church lady that we are supposed to grow up to be. Even as little girls we are influenced by church subtext; that there is an appropriate type of church lady that we are to grow up to be. She goes to church Sunday mornings, night, and Wednesday nights in her very best clothes (but not bright colors or big earrings). She is involved in Bible studies and women’s retreats. She works in VBS every summer and in the nursery every month. She is busy for Jesus – but never does anything unseemly, never speaks out of turn, never offends, and is liked by all. She is above all, appropriate.

Can I just say that God did not call every woman to be the appropriate church lady? I am in no way saying that any of those things are wrong, because those jobs desperately need to be filled. But every woman was not created to do the same things, to fit in the same mold, and no Christian is called to always be appropriate.

God created me unique, with a specific purpose of glorifying God in my own special way. He created each church-lady just as unique, with diverse personalities, talents, and callings. Just look at the plethora of the women in Scripture who were used by God in culturally “inappropriate” ways.

MIRIAM was a female prophetess and poet who led Israel’s women.
DEBORAH was a woman who led the nation of Israel in times of war.
RUTH proposed marriage to a man she hardly knew.
HANNAH had such a deep prayer life that people thought she was drunk when she prayed.
ESTHER married a heathen king.
ABIGAIL negotiated deals behind her husbands back to save his life.
LEAH was an unwanted bride who mothered the tribes of Israel.
PRISCILLA and her husband instructed Apollos.
THE WOMAN AT BETHANY anointed Jesus to the scorn of the dinner guests.
MARY, an unmarried virgin, had a child by the Holy Spirit.

None of these women were remembered for acting appropriately. But all of them were called by God, obeying God, and seeking God in what they did. These women were not sinning in how they acted, they were also not appropriate – they were obedient.

During college I was privileged to be a part of a God-seeking Student Ministry. We had an outreach to the homeless people who lived downtown. A group of our college students would go make friends with them, hand out food, and talk about Jesus. My friend, we will call her Jewel, never missed a chance to hang out with the homeless. And she didn’t look like the kind of girl that would have anything to do with dirty people. She wore trendy clothes, fantastically-jaw-dropping shoes, and always had a flawlessly made up face. Jewel had this regal and yet edgy look that earned her double-takes everywhere she went. And yet there she was, sitting on the street corner, talking to Wino Joe about Jesus. Then God told Jewel to bring Joe to church. And that just isn’t done. To First Baptist Church, the oldest and most beautiful building in the Capitol city, in a Deep South state? I don’t think so! Old ladies still wear hats and gloves to this church. Even the toddlers come in ruffles or tiny little suits. And everyone has bathed. Bring a homeless person to church there? It was so not appropriate. But Jewel was far more concerned with obeying God and showing love than with what was considered appropriate. I would love to say that the whole church welcomed Wino Joe with open arms – but that is a little unrealistic. Joe and Jewel sat in the balcony, so his stench wouldn’t distract too many people from the service. Jewel had about twenty of us lined up to come meet Joe, and I am honored to say that I was one of them. It was the most beautiful picture of Jesus Christ unconditional love and forgiveness: a stunningly beautiful college girl sitting in the pew next to an unwashed, hung-over, homeless man in his seventies. They worshiped to the same hymns and heard the same sermon – and it wasn’t at all appropriate.

If you are truly seeking after Christ, He will call you to do something out of the norm. When He calls you to some place, or thing, or behavior that is outside what is considered fitting, be ready to give up your “appropriate” reputation to God and just obey.

Don’t allow yourself to be held back from obeying God by something called “appropriate.”

“Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:20-31

Finish Line

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:36:00 +0000

The reasons runners run are as numerous and unique as the number of runners around the world. Some run because they have something to prove. Some run to impress others. Some run to beat others. Some run for a medal. Some run to prove to themselves that they can. Some run for the adrenaline, others run for the exercise. The reason I run depends on the day, the mood, and the pair of running shoes.

Runners are different. Each has his or her own gait, preferred course, running music, and favorite brand of running shoes.

But there is one constant for all runners.

The finish line.

In every race, whether a 5k, 10k, marathon, or ultra, there is always a finish line. Whether the course is certified or homemade – it ends at the finish line.

That last one hundred meters is the hardest, longest, most exhausting leg of the race. And yet it is also the most exhilarating, out of body, portion of the race. You are running on muscle memory and sheer determination, then you round the corner and there it is – the finish line. Exhaustion, doubts, thirst, pain – it all fades away. It is just you and the finish line. It pulls you with magnetic force. And then you are done.

My first experience crossing a finish line was at the end of half-marathon, on a broken foot. I hobbled across, barely moving at a pace that anyone would consider a run. But I finished. Ahead of me was a sixty-something-year-old man. His foot wasn’t broken, but he was not moving much faster than me. The last one hundred meters was uphill and seemed to last forever. I was in torment; the pain in my foot was radiating up my leg, making every muscle scream in agony. Out of nowhere the older man suddenly transformed: he took off running like an eighteen-year-old. He went from running a 10.5 minute mile to a 6.0 minute mile. It was phenomenal. He blazed across the finish line. I was dumbfounded. Still in serious pain, but I was blown away by his finish. I wanted his finish. I wanted to end like that.. I wanted my race photos to be blurry because I was sprinting toward the end with all my might. I wanted my last steps of the race to be my best

So I went home, rehabbed the foot, and started training for the end. Every week I alternate running a 5k, 10k, and half-marathon distance, with some hill-work thrown in. And every day, no matter how what the distance, I end in a sprint. I don’t just train to run the race; I train to end the race well.

Like runners, Christians are unique. They each have a favorite version of the Bible, a chosen denomination, a form of worship, a time of day to read the Bible. No Christian does Christianity in exactly the same way. But even as Christians are different, Christ is the same. He saves everyone the same way. He loves each with the same unconditional love. He offers the same divine power. And He is preparing a place for each with Him when they finish the race of life.

Paul compares the Christian life to a race.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

And it is. An endurance race toward heaven. The question is, how will you finish? When your race is done, will you limp across the finish line or will your last steps on earth be your best? Will you finish the Christian life with only your church members knowing of your salvation? Or will you finish having lived as holy a life as you can, knowing as much Scripture as possible, taking as many souls with you as possible? How will you finish?

Just like with racing, you can’t just pull an ending sprint out of thin air – you have to train for the finish you want.

If you want to finish well, practice that finish every day.

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I HAVE FOUGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:1-8

Daddy’s Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:13:00 +0000

All modern girl-ness aside, I am a girl of the deep south, which also means that I am a Daddy’s girl. Every night, as a little girl, I climbed up into my Daddy’s lap and he brushed my hair until all the tangles were gone and I was sleepy. He tucked me in bed and whispered “I love you, Sweetheart.” That was our special time together.

When I was about nine, my Daddy started waking me up at five o’clock on Saturday mornings to go target shooting (Bragging rights: I hit the bulls-eye four out of five times the very first time I picked up a .22 revolver). I watched at a safe distance while he shot his rifle, and he supported my scrawny little arms as I lifted the revolver. Then we were off to Waffle House to enjoy pecan waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.

As a Daddy’s girl, the thing I wanted most in the world was my Daddy’s approval. My heart’s desire was for him to be proud of me. My Dad was a trekkie, so I curled up in his lap and watch overly-made-up aliens shoot each other. My Dad loved long hair, so I had waist-length red hair for most of my childhood. He taught me how to ride at horse at the age of one, scale fish at three, camp at five, shoot at eight, change a tire before I could drive, and mow the lawn so I would never have to learn. He took me on my first date at the age of seven and told me everything I need to know about boys. He made sense of my chemistry, physics, and advanced math. From him I got red hair, freckles, height, a natural affinity for science, and the ability to write. I am my Daddy’s firstborn little girl, and all I have ever wanted in my Daddy’s girl heart was for him to be proud of me.

I am my Daddy’s daughter. With that comes a certain reputation. People expect specific standards from me simply because they know my Daddy. My Dad taught me right from wrong and expected me to live by it. Who I am now reflects who he is, as my Daddy.

My Daddy expects me to be:
- A lady.
- A God-seeker.
- A good shot with my rifle, a semiautomatic Mini-14.
- A smart girl.

I am not just a Daddy’s girl, I am also my Father’s girl.

My heavenly Father, God of the universe, Creator of the World, Savior of all mankind.
I long for Him to be proud of me just like my little-girl self wanted my earthly Dad’s approval. My heavenly Father has certain standards of holiness, obedience, and unabashed commitment. Sin, any sin, in my life means I am not reflecting my Father by being His daughter. If there is sin, whether small or large, it needs to go. To be a daughter that makes her heavenly Father proud, I must turn from that sin.

God calls his daughters to holiness, to turn from sin and embrace what makes us His. I don’t know about you, but often my very-modern excuse is that I do not feel convicted about this particular sin yet. When I am convicted, I will give it up, but not yet. I want to enjoy the sin for as long as I can. That is my loophole, “I am just not convicted yet.” That excuse is unacceptable – because I am, after all, my Daddy’s girl.

It is not about conviction. There is no need to wait until I feel guilty to turn from sin. It is about living up to who He expects me to be. It is about making my heavenly Father proud. It is about truly, honestly, being His girl to the core. It is about being the girl He taught me to be. Sin has got to go, because I am, and will always choose to be a Daddy’s girl over everything else.

My Heavenly Father expects me to be:
- Pure, honest.
- Obedient, surrendered.
- A mighty woman of God, with power and conviction.
- A reflection of Himself.

Choose to be your Father's girl.

Dedicated to my Daddy, Mike Pickle, on Father’s Day.

When a Modern Girl Breaks

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 19:21:00 +0000

Broken can have a lot of meanings for the modern girl, but all of them are bad. A broken nail – a minor tragedy. A broken necklace from Tiffany’s – a major sobfest. To a broken relationship – the end of the world. Broken is never a good word for us girls. It means that something is wrong. And wrong always means drama.

Drama seems to be a natural part of modern girl life. I think it is because we have so much more that can go wrong: nails, hair, clothes, weight, food, jobs, friendships, reputation, relationships, dreams, shoe sales, family, school, crushes, and oh so much more! And when anything goes wrong with any one of those things, we flip out – instant drama. Laid back people don’t care nearly as much and so have way less drama.

Personally, drama seems to follow me around like a fan club. No matter where I go or what I do, there is always drama! Sometimes, drama is just drama, but as I have come to realize this week drama can also mean that something is broken. And when I say broken, I mean specifically, a girl’s relationship with God.

My week has been full of drama. It started off on Monday with the breaking of, not one, but two of my beautifully French-manicured nails. By Wednesday, work stress, future plan stress, and home stuff had been added to the mix. By Friday, I was crying on the phone to my Daddy about the horrible state of my current existence (yes, there was a little drama queen in there). He listened patiently, then asked just one question, “What is God trying to say to you through all this?”

Hold up! You mean that God could be behind all this drama that is my life? God could be purposefully allowing things to go wrong and stress me out ….to get my attention?

Um, in a word, yes.

But I wasn’t in the midst of some torridly sinful behavior. I still read my Bible and go to church. Honestly, what does God need to get my attention about?

My college minister once told us that if you can look back to any time when you felt closer to God, desired Him more, hungered more fiercely to be in the word, were more excited about prayer, or loved better – then your relationship with God now is not what it should be. If your relationship with God is not the closest it has ever been, then something is broken. And let me pass a long a helpful insight: God doesn’t break and He certainly doesn’t move. So the problem in your relationship – it’s you. It’s me.

Broken. I, the pinkest of all modern girls, have a broken and contrite heart, because I just realized that I have moved away from God.

I remember a story, and I have no idea who wrote it or I would give them credit, but it goes like this.
A middle-aged couple were riding along the road in a pick-up truck (must have been from Mississippi). The husband was slouched comfortably behind the wheel and the wife was enjoying the scenery out the passenger window. Then another truck pulled out in front of them. It had two teenagers in the cab. The boy was seated proudly behind the wheel, and his girlfriend was snuggled up next to him in the middle of the seat. In the truck behind, the wife looked at her husband wistfully and asked, “Remember when we used to be like that? We were so in love that we couldn’t be apart. What happened?”
“Honey,” her husband replied, looked pointedly at the foot and a half of space between them. “I’m not the one who moved.”

It’s us, girls. We moved. I moved.

That is what God was trying to show me through my overly dramatic week.
The thought that I moved away breaks my heart. I really do love my Lord, but maybe I’ve started loving other things, people, and myself just a little too much. I don’t know when the move happened or why. Maybe it wasn’t a conscious effort to back away from God, maybe it was just a few centimeters at a time, maybe a few things pushed their way in between us two and I let them. Doesn’t matter the reason, because I am at fault. God doesn’t move.

Thankfully, there is a way for this broken modern girl to move back. Just do it. Fix it. Make God the center of your world again. He hasn’t moved. He hasn’t left you in disgust. He hasn’t abandoned you out of disappointment. He is still there, exactly where He has always been, waiting for you to move back.
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13

“Have mercy on me, O God,according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your wordsand blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
then will you delight in right sacrifices,in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.”
Psalm 51

Designer Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:55:00 +0000

That gold Fendi clutch. True Religion dark wash jeans. Christian Louboutin peep-toe heels. The entire 2008 Stella McCartney fall line. Nicole Miller sportswear. Chanel earrings. Dior sunglasses. Donna Karan vintage pencil skirts. Louis Vuitton luggage sets. That Coach bag that everyone has. BCBG gold gladiator heels. Vera Wang scents. The plaids of Dolce & Gabbana fall line. The bright sun-dresses of Marc Jacobs. Anything by Manolo Blahnik….anything.

What is it about a designer label, anyway?

Technically, its just a logo, a few gold threads, some foreign-sounding name on a silk tag.
Socially, it means money, social standing, and a status symbol.
Personally, it means you care how you look, what people think about you, how well your clothes fit, and what is in that season.
Honestly, people notice you because of that little label. You feel important, special, beautiful, confident, “in.” Designer.

But can I just bust out with the truth? You, Ms. Modern Girl, are already designer. And it has nothing to do with your shoes or the Italian name on your t-shirt tag.

You were designed by the God if the Universe.

You were created in His image – and in no one else’s image.
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

You are not only designed by God, but you are His best creation.
Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
Genesis 2:18-20 “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.”

You were designed exactly like you were supposed to be.
Psalm 139:13-16 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

As modern girls we have grown up in a world of mirrors. We are compared to our friends, our enemies, and our sisters. And even the most stunning of natural beauties falls far short of airbrushed runway models. The size fourteen would kill to have the body of the size eight. The size eight is working herself ragged to looking anything like the size four. The size four is secretly starving herself to complete with her size two and zero sisters. Modern girls are raised to be unhappy with her body, her personality, her brain, and anything else she might have going for her. It’s a vicious cycle, originated by the devil-I am absolutely positive, to make us girls hate how God designed us. And hating who we are and what we look like is not what God designed us to be!

Enough about comparisons, lets get back to the designer talk! How can you tell designer shoes from cheap knock-offs? It’s really not that hard – designer items are unique. The combination of color, pattern, cut, style – makes that dress or shoe completely different from everything else that has ever graced the runway. Each piece makes its own statement. There is no comparison. No self-respecting fashionista would ever try to compare Stella McCartney to Chanel, or Fendi to Prada, or a pair of BCBG heels to Chinese Laundry flats. Each are gorgeous in their own way and absolutely perfect with the right outfit. You are unique design. So, why compare yourself to another of God’s designs?

Live up to your own designer label and stop comparing yourself to the other girls that God designed. He made you exactly as you are because that brings Him the most glory. So be proud of God’s design of you. Thank Him for your uniqueness.

Designer clothing and shoes are set apart by the cut of the style, the quality of the fabric, the uniqueness of the style, and of course – the stamp of the designer all over the piece.
Let people notice you because of God’s unique stamp on your life. You are important, special, and beautiful. Designer.

Live like it. Be designer.
Let God be the one to label you.

Modern Girls, Deserted Island's, & the Body of Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:04:00 +0000

“If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have one thing with you, what would it be?”

Every one of us has been asked that question by a random question-asker, or thought about that question during an episode of Lost, or as you enjoyed your favorite meal that you wouldn’t have if stranded on an island. I have both been asked and been the asker of that question – the answers are fabulous, hilarious, and reveal a great deal about the answerer.

Some of the answers I have heard are:
“Matches” – from the boy scout
“Antibacterial hand gel” - from the germ-a-phobe
“A boat” – from the engineering student
“My spouse” – from a newlywed
“Chili’s, the restaurant” – from a typical male

Me, I have had many answers. What one thing would I bring with me if stranded on a deserted island? First, I think practically: deodorant, a weapon (to fight off the tigers), fishing equipment, a first aid kit. Second, I move on to more girlie things, the items that remind me of my humanity; a fabulous pair of red high heels (they would make me smile), tennis shoes (so I could keep up my runs if the terrain was rocky), a cell phone (so I could pretend to text and not feel so lonely), chocolate (because it is the most important food of all), sunscreen (so I don’t fry myself), and on the list goes. Last night was Wednesday, when my Church LifeGroup meets at the local Starbucks for discipleship, outreach, accountability, and fellowship. The group was small, but God’s Spirit was quite big. We were real and open and just loved on each other as Jesus would. I left challenged, encouraged, and convicted – just as I do every time I am with anyone from my church. And today it hit me; I know what I want on that deserted island…my church.

It sounds crazy, I know. But if I was to be stranded on an island for twenty years, I would want my church to be there with me (they probably wouldn’t appreciate that request, but whatever - it is my deserted-island-scenario anyway.). My church, BodyLife, is different from most: it is a church plant. We are a Body of Christ that is eight months old. We are a small group of believers who live life together and meet the needs of each other and those around us for the glory of God. Acts 2, could literally have been written about BodyLife. And if I was stranded on an island, I would want them with me. Practically, I am a social person and need human interaction. Plus, my pastor spent two years as a missionary in the jungle, and he will be a huge help with the whole camping thing and the killing-big-jungle-bugs issues. But more importantly, we could praise God together, love each other, take care of those who fell sick or injured or pregnant (lots of healthy couples in our church). You have to realize, I am the only single member of my church, and choosing them as my “one thing” automatically forces me into twenty years of singleness, but they are who I want with me.

To be honest, there is a very realistic reason that I chose my church to be my “one thing on a deserted island.” Because if my church was together on that island, we wouldn’t be there long. These people are just normal, everyday men and women who love and serve God with their whole heart. If there were natives on that deserted island, they would become believers – no doubt about it. (I realized the idea of natives contradicts the whole “deserted island” idea, but in the movies those islands always had crazy pagan natives…..so I am just following the Hollywood version of the scenario). But in all seriousness, what would happen if my church was stranded on that island? I can picture it: we would teach each other memory verses while lying out on the beach tanning, we would have pot-luck dinners every day with papaya and mango, we would have worship services around the bon-fire every night, we could sing praise songs as loud as we wanted, and we would pray. Pray because there is nothing better to do. Pray for every lost person we knew back home, pray for the situations around the world, praising God and worshipping Him. And you know what? God would be all over that island – because “where two or more are gathered in His name, He will be there.” Matthew 18:20. When these people pray, God shows up! And either God would rescue us in answer to our prayers, or Satan would send a ship to shut us up. Either way, with my church on that island to provide encouragement, support, and focus, we would be off that island in under two weeks.

As modern girls, we think of “church” as a big building with a steeple, or at best, as a group of dressed up individuals on their best behavior who we see once or twice a week. But the Bible has a very different picture of church.

What a church is to look like:
• Under the authority, guidance, and Headship of Christ (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:15-16).
• Led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).

• Faithfully meet together as the Church (Hebrews 10:25).

• Sharing our lives with one another (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

• Singing worship songs together (Colossians 3:16).

• Devoting ourselves to the teaching and obedience of God’s Word (Acts 2:42; Romans 1:5).
• Reproducing new Bodies as needed to meet the needs God sets before us. (Acts 13:1-5).

• Confessing our sins to one another (James 5:16).

• Seeking to be spiritually disciplined (1 Timothy 4:8).

• Praying for one another (James 5:16).

• Supporting our church leaders (Hebrews 13:17).

• Putting others ahead of ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4).

• Meeting the needs of the Body (Acts 4:32-34).

• Edifying, equipping, encouraging, and serving the church with our gifts (Ephesians 4:11-13).

• Seeking to maintain unity among the Body (Ephesians 4:1-3).

• Evangelizing the lost, serving the needy, and loving everyone (Acts 1:8; 8:4-5; 9:31; 14:21-22).

• Daily living out our role in God’s global mission. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15).

Acts 2:42-47 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Now that is Church!

What Does a Modern Woman of God Look Like?

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:48:00 +0000

I've thought a lot about what it means to be a woman of God or what kind of woman I should be seeking, specifically in the area of goals/ambition. A lot of people insist that being a wife and mother is the ultimate goal of a woman of God and everything else should be secondary. A lot of women who hold to this view are eager to give up careers and personal passions for the sake of family. I do want a family, but I have other goals and ambitions as well. I am looking for is someone who has dreams and goals that we can chase together or that I can support her in chasing while she does the same for me. I am attracted to ambition and big dreams in someone. Is that wrong of me? Is it wrong of her to want more? I find myself thinking, "You want to raise a family? Me too, very much so. What else do you want to do in your life? What else do you think God might use you for?" Gabrielle, what are your thoughts on this?
- Confused Man of God.

What a great question! It is encouraging to know that there are single men out there who take the dating thing seriously. On behalf of single women everywhere, thanks!

Your question is key not only for guys looking for a girl, but also for girls looking to find themselves and their future. I was thinking about praying about your question as I flew to Tennessee for the wedding of two great friends. I stood beside a bride who had been called to ministry by God separately from her groom, but was now merging her calling with his. The pastor made a statement that answered your question in one breath. He said, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in marriage. No longer will they be called separately to do anything. God has made them one, and from now on they will be called as one. The bride will not be told to do anything that God has not also told her husband to do. The husband will not be called to go anywhere the wife has not also been called to go. The two are now one.”
That’s it. The two are now one.

Marriage trumps everything. Marriage is the melding of two people, two callings, two futures, into one. Man and wife may have different roles in carrying out that one calling, but they have the same goal. If the couple’s goal in life is a family, the husband may work hard to provide financially for the little ones while the wife works hard to nurture the children in the home. Their goal is the same: raise a family. If the couple’s goal is to be missionaries: the husband may go to seminary while the wife supports him, then he cares for the babies as she studies languages. Their methods are different, but their goal is the same. See a pattern here?

Some women are called and gifted to be a wife and mother. Some women are called and gifted to be a missionary wife and mother. Some women are called and gifted to be a wife and business owner. Each woman is unique, handcrafted by God for a special role in this world that will bring Him glory. One woman’s call is not better or more holy than that of another woman. Just as a woman is not more (or less) holy if she is given one child than if she is given six. Sarah had one son, Leah had five: both were used by God to fulfill His plan for a Messiah.

I must say, that there is something special about motherhood. It is a special gift of God given to women. “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28.

If you have a husband or children, they come before any ministry.
My current priorities as a single woman are:
1. God.
2. Women’s Ministry
3. Family, friends.
4. Truly great shoes.

If I am married, my priorities change to:
1. God
2. Husband.
3. Children.
4. Women’s ministry.
5. Husband’s shoes.
6. Children’s shoes.
7. All other truly great shoes.

I’m kidding about the shoes (well, sort of), but you get the idea. Once you get a family, it becomes a high priority, but it does not have to be the only priority. For some women, it will be. Their ministry is to their family alone. Other women are called to family first, other ministries second.

Maybe a bit of personal testimony will help:
I am an ambitious, driven, dreamer. I want to do great things, make a difference in people’s lives, but I don’t want to do it alone. I genuinely desire a family….one day. Once I have that family, they become top priority – over any career or dream. But just because they are number two on my list of importance doesn’t mean I have no other priorities. I am still allowed to write and minister to women and make a difference, just not when the kids are tired or hungry or need to go to soccer practice. J Some women are naturally goal-oriented while others are far more laid back. I am a Type-A personality who can’t seem to sit still. I love the Proverbs 31 woman, she gets me. Personally, I think she had Biblical ADD. It’s awesome! Anyway, other women are way more relaxed, more peaceful, and happiest when focused solely on their family. I, however, am slightly crazy and only function if I have 4 or 5 tasks to focus on at the same time. I can be overwhelmingly intense if I get stuck on just one project. If I focused all of my thoughts, time, and energy on my family…poor things… they would suffocate. Just as much as I need to multitask, so those around me need me to multitask so that they can get a moment of peace. Otherwise I would challenge, exhort, fix, question, and mission-statement them to death.

I personally believe that the role of wife and mother is a high honor from God and should be undertaken seriously. I have even taken steps to ensure that it will be in my life. You see, I was pre-med in college. Actually, I had planned to be a doctor since I was twelve. My junior year of college I was forced to evaluate my future in balancing a career and a family. And while I adored the adrenaline rush found only in the ER, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my children for a medical career. As I shadowed doctor after ER doctor, I saw Dad’s miss soccer games and ballet recitals. Mom’s missed high school graduations because of a stroke patient. And I realized with startling clarity that a career as an ER Doctor, combined with my personality, would have been detrimental to a family. I agonized over it in prayer. After a time of intense fasting I dropped the future medical career. But I did not move home and wait for my husband to come find me hiding out in my parents house. I found a new dream, or rather an old passion that God revived for me: writing. He opened doors for women’s ministry and paved the way to a writing career. A career that will allow me to minister to women around the world through a book, or article, or blog, written as I rocked my baby to sleep. Because I am a goal-oriented, multitasking sort of woman, God gave me a career and ministry that allows me keep family as a top priority.

Examples in Scripture:
Eve: mother of all living, wife of Adam. Career: none.
Sarah: Wife of Abraham, eventually mother of Isaac. Career: none.
Hagar: Mother of Ishmael. Career: slave?
Rebekah: Wife of Isaac, mother of the twins.
Rachel: Wife of Jacob, mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
Leah: Wife of Jacob, mother of lots of tribes of Israel.
Tamar: Mother of Perez and the other twin.
Miriam: Single. Career: Poet, Leader of Women, Prophetess.
Rahab: Wife of Salmon, Mother of Boaz. Career: Prostitute.
Deborah: Wife of Lappodith. Career: Judge.
Ruth: wife of Boaz, mother of Obed.
Hannah: Wife of Peninnah, mother of Samuel
Abigail: Wife of Naboth and David.
Esther: Wife of Xerxes, career: Queen.
Proverbs 31 Woman: wife of a man sitting at the city gate, mother of children who bless her, career: several. Mary: wife of Joseph, mother of Jesus Christ.
Elizabeth: wife of Zechariah, mother of John the Baptist.
Lydia: Seller of purple
Dorcas: seamstress for the poor.
Priscilla: wife of Aquilla, career: tentmaker.

Just from these few examples we see the mixture of God’s call to women. Primarily there is the call to be wife and mother, but He does call women to other things for His glory. The family comes first, but first doesn’t necessarily mean only.

I think these differences in women and their callings are designed by God to help you (man or woman) find your mate. So respect those who are called specifically to raise a family. But if you are an ambitious guy with a need for goals, those women are not your future mate. Leave them to the guy whose dream is to raise an awesome family. It is not wrong to look for a mate whose future meshes with yours. Follow God’s call on your life and that will lead you to the one person He created to share that call. Find someone with whom you can be called as one.

A Look at Rahab

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:40:00 +0000

The woman with a past whose faith gave her a future: Joshua 2, 6.

Setting: The Israelites have just finished wandering for 40 years in the wilderness. Moses and Miriam, along with all other adults who grumbled and doubted God, are now dead. Joshua is their new leader. The people of Israel were camped at Shittim, in the Jordan Valley. Before the people crossed the Jordan river, Joshua sent two spies into Jericho to gather information about the strength of the opposing forces in the land. Rahab the Prostitute, was a resident of Jericho. The people of Jericho are deathly afraid of Israel because of how the God of Israel defeated two Sihon and Og, two Amorite King’s for His people.

She was a pagan prostitute.
Joshua 2:1, “And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of a prostitute whose name was Rahab and lodged there.”
Joshua 2:15, “Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall.”
The Bible doesn’t mince word: this woman sold her body to men for money. Every mention of her in the Bible refers to her as “Rahab the prostitute,” even when commending her great faith. In verse 15 we see that her house was strategically located on the wall of the city to allow easy access for travelers seeking lodging and other services. The city wall was a prime location for her trade. It should be noted that while it was not uncommon for people to live on the walls, it was not the location for respectable, upstanding citizens. Her profession made her an outsider, even among her own people.

She was watched.
Joshua 2:2-3, “And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.”
Even the King knew who she was and what she did. The King’s guards/advisors/spies kept an eye on her. Yes, they were scared because of their neighbors recent destruction. Yes, they were watching for the spies. But in doing so, they were watching Rahab. That sends chills up my spine. Her actions, the men who came and went from her home, her source of income – it was obvious to the entire city of Jericho. It was obvious to the spies too. They weren’t shocked to find out they were hidden by a prostitute, her trade was shown in her appearance, her home, her frequent visitors, and what people told them about her.

She was a weaver/seamstress.
Joshua 2:6, “But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof.”
Rahab was a prostitute, but that wasn’t her only …skill. She was a weaver of clothe, and most likely a seamstress. Verse 6 informs us that she hid the spies under stalks of flax that were drying on the roof. Flax fibers are among the oldest fiber crops in the world. Flax picked, soaked, dried, and the fibers woven into linen garments. Rahab made clothing. Perhaps she had to make her own harlot-fashions because they couldn’t be purchased elsewhere. Perhaps she had a second business. Either way, the girl had skills that reached outside the bedroom.

She was a convincing liar.
Joshua 2:4-7, “But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan as far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.”
She straight up lied to the Kings men. They were standing at her door, all big and masculine, in scary armor, with dangerous weapons, and she lied to their face. She was unafraid of what they might do to her. Or perhaps she was more afraid of continuing her current lifestyle than of dying. For some reason, the guards believed her. Maybe they doubted that a harlot would hide men of God. Maybe they thought she was more loyal to her country or more afraid of them. Whatever the reason, she made up a whopping story and they bought it. She probably fluttered her eyelashes.

She had great faith.
Joshua 2:8-14, “Before the men lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father's house, and give me a sure sign that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”
Rahab had heard of the God of Israel and acted in faith. She did not know God. She had not heard of His love and grace. She heard only of His power as He destroyed Amorite cities. But in that power, she recognized the One True God. She didn’t know if He would actually save her from destruction, but she had to try. By hiding the spies she faced the risk of being killed if caught by the authorities, but her desperation to know the One True God won out. She decided to risk everything and step out in faith to save herself and her family. The prostitute demonstrated her faith and threw herself on the mercy of a Holy and Powerful God.

She wanted to be rescued.
Joshua 2:17-21, “The men said to her, “We will be guiltless with respect to this oath of yours that you have made us swear. Behold, when we come into the land, you shall tie this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and you shall gather into your house your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father's household. Then if anyone goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be guiltless. But if a hand is laid on anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be guiltless with respect to your oath that you have made us swear.” And she said, “According to your words, so be it.” Then she sent them away, and they departed. And she tied the scarlet cord in the window.”
She wanted out. Out of Jericho, out of prostitution, out of a life without purpose or hope. And she was willing to do anything the Israelites asked to achieve that goal. She was desperate to get out. Desperate enough to lie to the King’s men, to hide the enemy, to place her life in the hands of an Unknown God. She was a pagan prostitute who gave everything she had to be rescued.

She was saved from destruction.
Joshua 6:16-17, And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent.
Joshua 6:22-25, “But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, “Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her.” So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho."
Even though she was a prostitute, Joshua honored the spies promise to save her. That fact alone amazes me. Joshua, this man of God, who has talked with angels, the leader of God’s chosen people – honors a promise made to a pagan, a gentile, a prostitute? Scripture states that everything in Jericho was given over to God for destruction except for Rahab and her household. Her faith was so great that even Joshua recognized it for what it was. Rahab was saved because of her faith in a God that she did not know.

She was an example.
Hebrews 11:30-31, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”
James 2:24-25 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?”
Rahab is spoken of in the New Testament as an example of active faith. In spite of her past before her turning to the true God, she was later counted among the righteous. She made it into the “Hall of Faith,” the list in Hebrews 11 of the Bible’s greatest heroes in the faith. Men and women who walked with God: Abraham, David, the Prophets, and a prostitute! How great is God’s redemptive power, huh? God is kind of amazing.

She was used by God.
Matthew 1:1-6, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.”
Not only did God bless the faith of a prostitute by delivering her from destruction, He also gave her a husband and family. And not just any family at that! Rahab later married an Israelite, Salmon, and by means of that marriage became one of the actual physical ancestors of Jesus Christ, through King David.
Did you get that? Rahab, the prostitute, was an ancestor of Jesus. Her faith brought her into an immense inheritance: from a prostitute to the linage of Jesus Christ. This is what faith can do.

This story makes it painfully clear: how God uses us has nothing to do with us! It is all about God. It is not worthiness, but faith, combined with God’s power that makes us useful for His Kingdom.

A Look at Miriam

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Wed, 14 May 2008 01:33:00 +0000

She was Moses’ big sister.
Exodus 2:1-4 “Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.”
Miriam was put in charge of her baby brother’s welfare and future when her mother told her to watch him in the river. The mother wanted to know where her son would end up, so Miriam was put in charge. Most scholars believe that she is around the age of 12 at this time. She was raised a slave, lived in fear of the Egyptians, and was old enough to understand the seriousness of Pharoah’s order to let all male babies die. But she loved her brother – she not only let him live, she protected him.

She was a slave.
Exodus 1:8-14 “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.”
Exodus 2:22-25 “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.”
She stands apart from all the other women we have looked at so far. Eve was the most beautiful woman ever created, Sarah was royal and rich, Rebekah married the heir of Abraham’s wealth, Rachel was loved at first sight, Leah was the mother of most of Israel. Even Hagar was a well-cared-for servant to a wealthy woman, but Miriam was a slave to an entire hostile nation. Miriam is unlike any other woman in Scripture.

She was bold.
Exodus 2:5-7 “Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews' children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”
This kid had some major guts. She was a slave who spoke to royalty. It just wasn’t done. Hebrew’s didn’t speak to Egyptians for fear of being beaten. But Miriam was more concerned with the future of her brother than her own safety. She really loved baby Moses.

She was smart.
Exodus 2:7-10 “his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
It was her idea to ask the Princess if she wanted a Hebrew nursemaid. The mom didn’t tell her to protect Moses, make sure he ended up with a good family, and offer the Mom’s services as nursemaid. No! All she said to Miriam was to see where he ended up. The whole nursemaid thing was totally her idea. She, the slave, walked right up to the princess and offered her mother as a way out of a sticky situation. Then she went and retrieved her own mother. Because of Miriam’s quick thinking, her mother not only was able to raise her son from infancy to childhood, but also received payment for it!

She was a prophetess, a leader of Israel’s women.
Exodus 15:20-21 “Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
She was a leader raised up by God in a time of Israel’s despair. She was with the people, a slave with them, the whole time Moses was in Midian. There were strong women at this time in Biblical history, ones who showed leadership qualities, but she is the first to be called prophetess. She served God by leading the Israelite women to praise Him. She used her gifts of music, poetry, and leadership for God’s glory.

She was jealous of her brother’s God-given authority.
Number 12:1-3 “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.”
She and Aaron ganged up against Moses, using his foreign wife as an excuse to attack him. But these two older siblings were jealous of the baby brother – a little brother who had not suffered as a slave and was now God’s chosen leader. They were two leaders jealous of a greater, more powerful leader. This occurs in a time of great discontent among the people of Israel, but instead of being the leaders God had called them to be, they followed the people’s example into sin. Instead of leading the people to trust God, they allowed the people to lead them to be discontent with God’s chosen servant, Moses.

She was disciplined by God.
Numbers 12:4-12 “And suddenly the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tent of meeting.” And the three of them came out. And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward. And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and he departed. When the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous. And Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, do not punish us because we have done foolishly and have sinned. Let her not be as one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes out of his mother's womb.”
God recognized her true sin; not just the jealousy of her brother’s authority but a lack of fear of Almighty God. She did not respect the man God established as leader of her people. And so God disciplined the proud, jealous prophetess by condemning her to endure the most humiliating of diseases.
One commentary pictures her as such, “and now see to what her wicked tongue has brought her. Look at her hand upon her throat, and with a linen cloth upon her lip, and with her hoarse, sepulchral noisome voice wandering far from the camp, compelled to cry “Unclean! Unclean!” when anyone came in sight.”

She was dearly loved by Moses.
Numbers 12:13-15 “And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.”
Miriam attacked Moses out of jealousy, resentment, and discontent, but still Moses interceded before God on her behalf. And it was a good, heartfelt prayer. He wasn’t just saying the words to look like a godly brother, he meant that prayer. How do we know that? Because God answered his prayer. Not only did Moses intercede for his sister; he also kept a nomadic people from moving again until her seven days of purification were complete so that she could return to camp. He made an entire nation wait on her.

She died before reaching the Promise Land.
Number 20:1 “And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there.”
Miriam died before entering the Promise Land. Scripture specifically says that Moses died before entering the Promised Land because he disobeyed God in the miracle of water coming from the rock. Perhaps Miriam too, died before seeing God’s promise fulfilled because of her lack of fear of God.

She was used as a warning against disobedience.
Deut. 24:8-9 “Take care, in a case of leprous disease, to be very careful to do according to all that the Levitical priests shall direct you. As I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt.”
Moses, the author of Deuteronomy, used Miriam as an example and warning to the people about disobeying God. Her story stands as a reminder to all people. This gifted woman left a caution for every female leader. God alone gives and removes both talent and importance. Miriam incurred God’s displeasure when she allowed herself to challenge the authority God had given Moses. She allowed jealousy to rob her of her fulfillment in her later years.

She was sent by God to serve Israel.
Micah 6:4 “For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.”
This woman was set apart by God to minister to his people by acting as a leader to the women. As far as we know from Scripture, Miriam was single. Her interests were to matrimonial, they were national. She is the first woman we have looked at that is single. But even without a husband and children, she was used by God.

A Look at Tamar

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:29:00 +0000

The woman who gave all she had to be used by God.
Genesis 38

She was a gentile.
Genesis 38:1-6 “It happened at that time that Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. There Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua. He took her and went in to her, 3 and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. Yet again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah. Judah was in Chezib when she bore him. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.”
She was a Canaanite, not raised to know or fear God. Her name means, “a palm tree,” that is the most valuable of Eastern trees and makes her name a combination of willowy beauty and great wealth. Obvious from his own choice of a wife, Judah was not concerned with her knowledge of the relationship with God. But God chose for Judah’s son a woman whose heart was soft toward Him. Her status as a gentile while Judah was a Jew could be looked on as a foreshadowing of the fact that both Jews and Gentiles would share in the blessing of the Gospel.

She was married to a wicked man (men).
Genesis 38:7 “But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death.”
2 Samuel 6:5-7. “And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.”
The interpretation of this kind of wickedness is ‘defiance of God and His law.’ She was actually married to two wicked men, both killed by God. What kind of complex would she have had? Judah seems to think that Tamar had something to do with their deaths, rather than the fact that he left his people (who feared God), married a pagan, and raised his boys in a heathen culture….

She was determined.
Genesis 38:13-14 And when Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” she took off her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, wrapping herself up, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she had not been given to him in marriage.”
Deuteronomy 25:5-10. “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.’ Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, ‘I do not wish to take her,’ then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, ‘So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.’ And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, ‘The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.’”
By law, she was to marry the third son of Judah and have children to carry on the line. By sending her home, Judah made her unmarriageable. She could not marry into another family as long as a brother remained, yet fearing for his son’s life, Judah denied her right to bear children. So she took matters into her own hands. Some commentaries say that even though she was pagan, by her actions she must have known of the promise and the importance of continuing the line.

She had an immoral Father-in-law.
Genesis 38:15-16 “When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?””
He left his God-fearing family (while Joseph was in Egypt) and moved to a pagan land. He married a pagan woman and raised children who did evil in God’s sight. He refused his daughter-in-law the right to bear a son. He sought out shrine prostitute. But God used Judah to bring forth His Son, because Judah may have run from God, but never forgot Him. When faced with his behavior, he changed. He acted honorably and later returned to his family.

She was not stupid.
Genesis 38:16-19 “He turned to her at the roadside and said, “Come, let me come in to you,” for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?” He answered, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood.”
She wasn’t so baby crazy that she hadn’t thought things through. Her planning was obvious in her request for payment. She knew he would pay, so she asked for something that he didn’t have with him. That way, he had to leave with her the items that identified him as Judah, the Shepherd, owner of flocks. She knew her pregnancy would be found out and she would be stoned – but she was prepared. And she also knew that while Judah was not living in a manner pleasing to God, he was a man of God, and would do the honorable thing by her children.

She was strong, courageous, and bold.
Genesis 38:24-25 “About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.”
Her motives in such a brazen act were at least partly noble, she wasn’t out to shame or destroy Judah by sleeping with him. She wanted to become the mother of Judah’s tribal representative. She took great risks in disguising herself as a prostitute: there are a million unanswered questions about her – how did she make sure no other man would force her to be with them? How long did she have to wait there? How did she know he would want a prostitute?
She also took a great risk with her life – she could have been stoned for her pregnancy in widowhood. But she couldn’t sit around and do nothing.

She was used by God.
Ruth 4:12 “and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
Matthew 1:1-6. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
The Israelites considered her a blessing, and blessed Ruth (another gentile) with her example. Tamar was a direct ancestor of David and Jesus. Her name is one of the few female names recorded in the genealogy of Jesus. Judah disobeyed God in marrying a pagan and choosing a pagan for his son to marry. God was not sanctioning their less-than-godly-behavior, but over-riding evil to fulfill His plan. In Tamar, the gentile prostitute-wannabe, we see God’s grace.

Tamar's story is both tragic and redemptive. She never had a husband that was worth anything, she was never loved as a wife. She lived out her days as a mother, provided for but not loved. But because she recognized the One True God and gave up so much to be a part of his plan - God used her.

A Look at Leah

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Wed, 07 May 2008 13:26:00 +0000

The Woman who was loved only by God.

Genesis 29:31-30

She was ugly.

Genesis 29:16-17. “Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance.”
The term “eyes were delicate” has been interpreted many ways, but none meant attractive. Could mean bad eyesight, so that she stumbled around. Could mean low self-esteem, or homely. Whatever it was, this was the first woman in the Bible known for her lack of beauty. She lived in her beautiful sister’s shadow. She was not sought after as a wife.

She was unloved by everyone but God.

Genesis 29:31-30, 31,30:1. “So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.” 30:1 “When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!””
Jacob, her husband, loved another woman. He was angry that she was now his wife. Her father didn’t respect her enough to find her a husband through normal means, he had to trick someone. Her sister envied and resented her. Everyone in her family who should have loved and supported this woman didn’t. She was alone and unloved. Except for God.

She was not forgotten by God.

Genesis 29:31-35, 30:19-21. “When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.”
“And Leah conceived again, and she bore Jacob a sixth son. Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she called his name Zebulun. Afterward she bore a daughter and called her name Dinah.”
God saw her suffering, heard her prayers. And he didn’t make Jacob love her or Rachel befriend her, but He gave her sons. He made her fruitful. He gave her children to love and who would love her. Through that, she learned to trust God in spite of her sufferings. In the naming of her sons, we see her faith in God grow. Her life was never easy, but she learned that she was not alone. She could not change Rachel or Jacob, but she could change herself and recognize God’s hand in her life.

She was used by God.

Genesis 29:35. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.”
Rev. 5:5 “And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.””
Rachel was loved, Rachel was beautiful, Rachel was the Mother of Joseph. But God chose Leah to be the mother of Judah and Levi. The ancestor of David and Jesus and the tribe of priests. Those two sons were the future for all of Israel. God doesn’t need looks or outward things to carry out his plan. He just needs a willing heart. 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

She was the wife buried with her husband and God’s chosen.

Genesis 49:29-33 “Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah—the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites. When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.”
Rachel was buried with honor along the trail, but Leah was buried in the family cave – with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and eventually with Jacob. She was God’s choice of a wife for Jacob, and it finally showed up in her death. The ones God used were buried in this cave. They were directly a part of his plan for a Messiah.

As women we must remember that no matter how bad life gets, we can still trust God.

A Look at Rachel

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:18:00 +0000

She was responsible and obedient. Genesis 29:4-12 “Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.” While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman, and that he was Rebekah's son, and she ran and told her father.”
When Jacob met her, she was doing her chores. Maybe that was part of the appeal, he was a shepherd and she was a shepherdess. God blessed her obedience with the gift of a husband who loved her. She wasn't herding sheep to find a husband, but God gave her one in the most unexpected way. App: God uses the most ordinary events in our lives, each little obedience, to carry out His plan.

She was a natural beauty.
Genesis 29:16-20 “Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.”
She must have been a stunner: one look won Jacob's heart. He worked for her hand in marriage for 14 years and adored her long after she passed away. He favored her son’s over the sons by his other wives. Not everything she did was right, but she did get to star in the most romantic love story of Genesis!

She was romanced.

Genesis 29:18-21 “Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.”
She was the first woman, recorded, to court her husband before marrying him. Eve woke up and was married, it says nothing about Sarah, Rebekah said yes to Isaac's proposal through a servant. But Rachel, she got to know Jacob for seven years before marrying him. He fell for her looks, but the love grew and passed the test of time. He was willing to wait and work for her. So it wasn't just a physical attraction.

She was loved.
Genesis 29:18-21, 30 “Jacob loved Rachel. And he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” . . . . So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.”
From the first moment Jacob saw Rachel he loved her, and she became his choice as a wife. No matter how many children his other wife gave him, he always loved Rachel more. Not for the children she bore him, not for what she gave him, but just for herself.

She was cruelly deceived.
Genesis 29:21-30, 31:14-16. “Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. (Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. (Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years.”
“Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father's house? Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money.”
Funny, the very sin that Jacob committed against his father and brother was the same sin that was committed against him. Deception caused problems in his marriage for the rest of his life. And Rachel suffered greatly for it. She was the one he loved, she was the one who had waited seven long years to become his wife, she was the one who had planned the wedding, it was supposed to be her. Then her father replaced her with her older sister and Rachel's romantic dreams were destroyed. Never again would it be just the couple in love, now there were at least three. Is it any wonder that she later deceived her father right back and resented her sister for life. The only one she never blamed was Jacob, her beloved.

She was barren.
Genesis 30:1-8, 22-24. “When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” Then she said, “Here is my servant Bilhah; go in to her, so that she may give birth on my behalf, that even I may have children through her.” So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, “God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son.” Therefore she called his name Dan. Rachel's servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.” So she called his name Naphtali.”
“Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb. She conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” And she called his name Joseph, saying, “May the Lord add to me another son!”
Barrenness seems to be a theme in Genesis, but we have seen over and over again that God gets glory through impossible situations and barrenness appears to be his favorite. Even in the midst of all her bitterness and resentment, she was not forgotten by God. He gave her children. And her two sons had great impact on the nation of Israel and its future. Leah may have been the mother in David and Jesus' lineage, but without Joseph – the whole family would have died out.

She wasn't raised in a God-fearing house.
Genesis 30:17-30 “So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household gods. And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?”
That must have hurt, Laban chased them down, not to say goodbye to his daughters but to get back his idols. Yet God still chose her and her sister to carry out his plan. God chooses to use us based on our faith alone, our parents beliefs and practices are not a factor. We cannot blame our parents for our lack of faith, but we are not to blame for theirs.

She was remembered for her sorrow.
Genesis 35:16-20 “Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel's tomb, which is there to this day. Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.”
Matthew 2:16-18, “Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Jeremiah 31:15, “Thus says the Lord: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
Rachel never let go of her resentment and anguish. Her last act before death was to name her son, "Benoni" son of my sorrow. Her cry for children was prophetic of the slaughter of children in Jesus time. Matthew 2:16-18, and as the mother weeping for the children of Israel being carried into exile Jeremiah 31:15. Her life was sad. Mostly because she never forgave any of the people who wronged her. If she had been obedient to forgive, God would have given her joy in spite of her hard life. Even in her sadness, she was used by God. But because of her bitterness and unforgiveness toward those who wronged her, she was unable to have joy in being used by God.

Rachel was blessed with true beauty, wealth, and a husband who adored her. She struggled with barrenness and being a multiple wife. She was used by God to bring forth one of the most amazing leaders in the Old Testament: Joseph. But rather than seeing God's hand in the difficult circumstances, she grew bitter and resentful. Those feelings kept her from the joy of a relationship with God and with her family.

Divine Hunger

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:13:00 +0000

All of this running has made me hungry! I could eat all the time. Truth be told, I eat about six meals a day. If I don’t have something to eat every three hours I get weak, shaky, sleepy, and extremely grumpy. No, I don’t have hypoglycemia- all this running and training has boosted my metabolism! One long run burns just as many calories as my formerly-sedentary body burned in an entire day.

For those of ya’ll not in-the-know about all things diet and fitness: Metabolism is the amount of energy (measured in calories) that our body burns to maintain itself. Think of metabolism as your body’s motor speed. Generally, the higher a person’s metabolism the lower their percentage of body fat.My runner’s magazine has article after article on boosting metabolism as the preferred method for weight loss over dieting. That made me think – there are simple tricks to boost the metabolic rate of the human body, could it be just as easy to boost my Spiritual metabolism?

Spiritual Metabolism is a measure of how much/fast we become like Jesus on a daily basis. The higher the spiritual metabolism, the more a person longs to spend time with the Lord, the more he craves spiritual food. The higher the Spiritual Metabolism the more a person will display character of Christ, fruits of the Spirit, and selfless works. A High Spiritual Metabolism results in Divine Hunger.

Causes for Slow Metabolism:

- Under eating

- Filling up on refined carbs and high sugar foods. (Think Little Debbie’s)

- Lack of physical activity.

- Physical problems (thyroid condition)

Causes for a Slow Spiritual Metabolism:

- Not getting enough spiritual nutrients.

- Filling up on “fluff” feel-good Christianity.

- Lack of using the strength and power provided by the Holy Spirit to be holy.

- Sin in your life.

How to Boost Physical and Spiritual Metabolism:

Never let your daily calorie allowance fall below the minimum: woman = 1,200, man = 1,500. Falling below these daily allowances can damage your metabolism and result in excessive loss of lean muscle tissue. Likewise, you should never skip meals or try to get through an entire day with only one verse or devotion as your only nutrient. I know it is totally cheesy, but it is also true – when you cut out spiritual nutrients, you loose muscle mass which gives you spiritual strength and power of the Holy Spirit. When you skip spiritual meals, you are weakening your spiritual life.

Eat small, frequent meals. Extending the time between meals makes your body go into "starvation mode", which means it'll hold onto as many calories as possible and store them as fat. Have four to six small meals per day, and healthy snacks as needed following exercise. The biggest complaint against spiritual growth is that it takes too much time and no one has an hour or two to devote to spirituality in the mornings. Instead, why not “eat” for ten or fifteen minutes several times a day? That is possible even for the busiest schedule!

Drink water. As with food, depriving your body of water can encourage it to hoard fat rather than burn calories. “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for You.” Psalm 42:1. Do you ever just thirst for Jesus? Thirst for His word? Write verses on notecards and stick them in your dashboard, write Scripture on your bathroom mirror, find ways to let Scripture wash over you. My favorite way to start the day is reading a Psalm while savoring my morning omelet: no journal, no devotional, no commentary. Just let the Word of God wash over you and transform your mind for that day.

Fill up on the right foods. Resting metabolic rate typically increases as much as two to three times more after eating proteins versus carbohydrates and fats. Complex, high-fiber carbohydrates (high-fiber vegetables/cereals) burn more calories than simple carbohydrates. It is so easy to fill up our days being “Christian” and miss out on spirituality altogether. Choose your spiritual meals wisely. Bible study books are great tools, but if you never open the Word and just read then your spirit is unhealthy. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Build muscle. Speed up your metabolism and increase calorie burn by strength training. When muscle is developed, more calories are needed just to sustain it. 1 lb of fat burns 2 calories per day, while 1 lb of muscle burns 50 calories! Practice your using the power of the Holy Spirit. Mark it a point to resist temptation, use your spiritual gift to serve the church, choose the unselfish option. Put those spiritual muscles to use! “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” James 1:22

Always eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast sends the message to your body that you're starving because you haven't had food in 18+ hours. As a protective mechanism, your metabolism slows down and your body hoards fat. In the same way, there is no better way to keep your priorities in order than to begin your day with Jesus. I realize that a lot of you don’t have time for an hour-intensive Bible study first thing in the morning. BUT you can lay off the eyeliner and use those ten minutes it would take you to put it on straight to read the Bible before work. “O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you.” Psalm 5:3

Your body requires certain number of calories a day to be healthy, but your spirit also requires a certain amount of spiritual food to be spiritually healthy. Are you getting your required intake of spiritual nutrients? Or are you forcing your Christianity into starvation mode? The greater your ministry activity level (the number of people you are pouring into) the more spiritual nutrients you require. Your spirit is dying to be fed.

Sources of Spiritual Nutrients:

Proteins:

Reading Scripture.

Scripture memory.

Preaching of the Word, Church.

Repentance/Confession of Sin.

High-fiber Carbohydrates:

Prayer, intercessory.

Prayer, praise/worship/thanksgiving.

Journaling (spiritual, not ‘Dear Diary’ nonsense).

Christian fellowship, church.

Bible studies (Sunday school included).

Devotional books.

Fats:

Accountability/Mentoring times

Non-fiction Christian books (the kind that get you thinking and push you into the Word).

Treats: (Yummy, taste great and feel good, but you cannot survive on these alone).

Christian retreats.

Christian radio.

Christian music.

Christian fiction.

High Spiritual Metabolism Diet:

Meal One: 1 Protein, 1 Carbohydrate.

Meal Two: 1 Fat, 1 Carbohydrate.

Meal Three: 1 Protein, 1 Carbohydrate.

Meal Four: 1 Treat

Meal Five: 1 Protein, 1 Carbohydrate.

Choose any “nutrient” in the category. You can “eat” the same protein for every meal or change it up. The choice is yours. And unlike a real diet, the closer you “eat” to going to bed, the better!

So, my Saturday might look like this:

Meal One: Read Scripture, time of worship and praise.

Meal Two: Meet accountability partner for mid-morning coffee, confess sins, encourage each other. Fellowship.

Meal Three: Review scripture memory over lunch, journal spiritual thoughts and questions.

Meal Four: Relax to David Crowder on the commute home, which sends me into another (extra) time of praise.

Meal Five: At the gym, listen to sermon on iPod, intercede for women in my Bible Study.

And, ta da! Divine hunger.

Since we all know that every girl is on some diet, sometimes four diets, why don’t you take this month to develop the habit of boosting your spiritual metabolism instead of worrying over a few extra calories?

Training for Holiness

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 03:59:00 +0000

"Everyone is an athlete. The only difference is that some of us are in training and some of us are not." – Runner's World Quote of the Day.

That quote appeared in my inbox this morning. My initial reaction as a runner in training was to be inspired to train harder. Then I read it again and I actually disagree with that quote a little. Not everyone is an athlete. Everyone may have athletic potential – even if it is just a tiny smidge. Take me for example: until 2008, I thought a decent workout was finishing a one mile jog without breathing too terribly hard or sweating away my cuteness. I was all cute shoes, manicured nails, fruity perfumes, and girl talk. Frou frou was my middle name. The term “athletic” couldn’t be used to describe anything about me, not even my tennis shoes. Athletic I was not. Still am not. Throw any ball-shaped object at me and my first instinct is to duck, not catch it. I still fall over when I try to do lunges. It’s ridiculously funny to watch but not athletically inspiring in the least. So, not athletic – but I am a runner. I logged 30 miles this week. It isn’t 50, and it definitely isn’t 200, but it is serious running. And, just so you know, according to the sporty-people-who-know, running is a sport. It is even an event in the Olympics. Therefore, I am an athlete – ha! My 62 pairs of high heels are laughing at that statement.

Back to the point, not everyone is an athlete. Just like not everyone is a Christian. Lost people and couch potatoes do exist. But for those who are athletes, there are two types: those in training and those who aren’t. The aren’ts are the has-been athletes. Training does not have an end. As long as you are an athlete, you train. When you stop training, you immediately become a has-been. Athlete is not a title achieved by logging so many hours on the field or in the gym. It is a description of what you do every day. The term athlete describes a life of disciple and purpose.

Christian is a title given upon the acceptance and belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ. But Christianity, the process of becoming like Christ, continues as long as we live. Just like the training to be an athlete, learning to be like Christ never ends. As long as there is breath in our bodies, there is sin to be shed and holiness to be learned. And as long as we can still stand, there are still seconds that can be shaved off of our mile. It is a never ending process called training. Training for holiness.

Running must be planned or it won’t happen. No runner wakes up at 6am and decides spur of the moment to run twelve miles in 19degree weather. That run was planned weeks in advance, as part of the master plan to get that runner to a goal. And that goal is bigger than early mornings and cold weather. So the runner gets up and runs.

Holiness must be planned or it will never be learned. No Christian wakes up an hour earlier than required on a Monday morning and reaches for the Bible just because they are tired of sleeping. That time in the Word, those moments spent with God were planned beforehand. That discipline didn’t just come; it was planned in times of strength to carry us through early morning moments of weakness. A plan was made and committed to in order to insure that follower of Christ will actually follow Christ. And that dedication to the cause of knowing Christ is bigger than sleep or personal time. So the Christian wakes up early and kneels to pray.

I have a training schedule. It incorporates mileage and strength training, crossing training and speed work, hill training and resting into my week. If it wasn’t for that training schedule I wouldn’t be consistent. That little chart is the map to being a better runner. It sets the pace for the next several months of running. I know what is expected of me physically so that I can prepare mentally. As Christians, we need the same thing to keep us on track in following Christ. We need a plan for holiness.

Even though I talk more than anyone you have probably ever met, I am actually a doer. I actually made out a training chart for holiness. It’s on a pink Excel spreadsheet - I will spare you the details. It looks a little like this:

Running Schedule:
Monday: 60 minute run, comfortable jog. 2 sets speed drills. Weights: arms/legs.
Tuesday: Run 6 miles, race pace. Core.
Wednesday: Cross train (for me that is bike or elliptical). Weights: arms/legs.
Thursday: Run 8 miles, race pace +1.
Friday: Rest. Core.
Saturday: Run 12 miles, race pace or whatever it takes to finish.
Sunday: 4 mile jog or hill train.
Each week increases mileage.

Holiness Schedule:
Monday: Read 1 John 1, journal reflection, prayer run*. Scripture memory.
Tuesday: Read 1 John 2, journal, prayer run. Personal Bible Study on Genesis.
Wednesday: Read Psalms, journal. Time of Praise. Scripture memory.
Thursday: Read 1 John 3, journal, prayer run. Personal Bible Study on Genesis.
Friday: (Tired) Read Psalms, just let them wash over me. Listen to God.
Saturday: Read 1 John 4, journal, prayer run. Accountability. Scripture memory.
Sunday: Time of thanksgiving and praise (with the help of my iPod and David Crowder), meditate on Scripture memorized, read over 1 John 1-4. Personal Bible Study on Genesis.
*I pray for others while I run.

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” 1 Peter 1:13-19

So who are you?
Are you the beer-bellied has-been athlete yelling at replays of the game in an effort to reclaim his glory days? Or are you the runner pouring sweat with straining muscles and who forces yourself across the finish line, breaking the tape with head held high because you did it.

Are you the Christian who reaches over his Bible in the morning in favor of the newspaper, whose memories of God are the only thing that convinces him that God actually exists? Or are you the Christian who is daily fighting the good fight, who expects to meet with God every day and hear from God ever time the Word is opened?

Choose to train. Make a plan. Commit to the discipline of holiness. Just do it. So that you can say, as Paul did, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Train for holiness.

Looking Like a Runner

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:49:00 +0000

I am a new runner. New meaning that two months ago my idea of exercise was sitting on my couch watching people on TV do sit-ups. Last week I topped nine miles. I didn’t just get up off the couch and run that ridiculous distance, it took a lot of training and conditioning. And now I am not only running, but I love it! And I love looking like a runner. Did you know there is a whole world of shopping devoted just to runners? Shoes, matching outfits in sweat evaporating material, blister-preventing socks, sweatshirts out of this really cool material that heats up when you sweat, and even computer chips that attach to the shoe and keep track of your mileage. Sigh. It is a shopping girl’s dream!

I have the cutest running outfits: did you know they make running skirts? Yeah, and they are not only more comfortable than shorts, they cover more jiggly too! My expensive correct-my-mild-overpronation-shoes match my running skirt which totally makes my too cute, yet still totally functional, running outfit.

I have all the right gear; I look like the model runner. And when I put it all on people assume I am a runner. After all, I look the part. But looking the part doesn’t make me a runner. I can put on my cute moisture-wicking outfit, I can shop at runners-only-stores (yes, they have those stores, and they are fabulous!), I can hang out at the trails, I can talk about mileage and times, but until I actually get out there and run I am not a runner. Nothing I wear or say or buy will make me a runner. Only running makes me a runner.

It is the same for Christianity.

If you haven’t noticed, there is a definite church vocabulary. There are certain clothes that are appropriate for church and Christians, while other clothes are a total no-no. There are Christian stores, Christian t-shirts, Christian music, Christian movies (smirk), and even Christian diets. And a lot of that stuff is fine and dandy. But none of that paraphernalia makes you a follower of Christ. Looking the part does not make you a Christian. Believing in His death and resurrection, accepting His saving grace, and living each day with Him as Lord of your life. That is what makes you a follower of Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less.

There are specific details that give away a good runner. Evidence of the mileage run. Blisters. Black toenails. Sweat stained headbands. BodyGlide. Even a runner’s expensive shoes bear scars – dirt marks, worn tread, and soles that mold to its runners feet.

Real Christ Followers also bear the evidence of their faith on their lives. A Bible earmarked and torn from use, because they spend time in it every day. Knees worn from hours spent in prayer for others. Scars from spiritual battles. Lines of weariness on their faces from consistently saying no to sin. Tired muscles from repeatedly choosing to take the high road. Joy in times of sorrow, love when faced with an enemy, peace is times of distress, faithfulness to the unfaithful, self-control when faced with over-indulgence, forgiveness to the unforgivable, purpose in a self-centered world – these are marks of Jesus on our lives.

True runners bear the scars of their discipline and commitment on their bodies. Ordinary people may only see feet in desperate need of a pedicure, but other runners see their character and lifestyle written on their body. Non-runners don’t recognize the signs of a runner, the scars are just scars to them. But to another runner it means companionship, someone who understands, someone who is equally committed. Those runner-scars reveal who that person is on the inside.

True, committed, followers of Christ bear the marks of their lifestyle on their body. Badges of honor that bear witness to the world. The world will not, cannot understand those marks. They don’t get why you would put yourself through that kind of strain and self-denial. Then again, they haven’t met Jesus. Other followers of Christ, they understand. They see the scars and are encouraged. They are not alone in this race. You keep on, in spite of pain or difficulty, and so can they. Your Christ-following scars are badges of honor, testimonies of battles survived, of a Savior who ran beside you every step of the way.

Take a sec and look at your life:

Do you find yourself getting to the track and only looking the part? Does it still not click why so many seem to enjoy running in the first place? Then ask someone. Try these questions: What made you start running for Christ, how to you prepare yourself daily for the hurt and pain of the Christian workout, and most importantly what is at the end of the race? Click here for more questions and answers.

Do you get short-winded when exercising your faith? Don’t know exactly which shoe to choose or what path to run? Then join the apostles and start running with a group. Even the early believers didn’t have it all together but realized through companionship and accountability they could spur each other on. Look around you and see who is sprinting towards Christ and ask to join their team.

Do you have bruises on your knees from stumbling in your faith? What about scars that remind you of trials faced? Remember to count it all joy when you see that Christ is working in you to make you stronger and better. Even Peter, The Rock, stumbled in his faith but used it as a reminder of Christ’s continuing power. Let Christ pick you up just like Peter and continue your run toward Him.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Phil. 3: 10-15 "that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Run Ugly

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:58:00 +0000

My running coach closed his weekly encouraging email with a challenge to “Run Ugly.” And being the girly girl that I am, I immediately took offense to that statement. I don’t want to run ugly! I don’t want to do anything ugly, if I can help it. I want to run pretty. I like pretty food, pretty shoes, pretty coffee (which is why I pay $6 a drink for it), pretty music, and things that smell pretty. I am a pretty kind of girl. So I must be honest, when I started running two months ago, I wanted that to be pretty too. I bought the adorably coordinating running outfit and was the cutest thing at the trails. But as soon as I actually began to run, I learned that running pretty isn’t really running. There is nothing pretty about a runner who has just finished a ten mile run. They are soaked in sweat, red-faced from exertion, with salt deposits on their face and arms, and they smell like BodyGlide. Running just isn’t pretty. It’s inspiring, challenging, and exhausting, but not pretty.

Neither is following Christ. Oh, some churches are trying to market Christianity as this warm and fuzzy, make you feel good all over, happily ever after transformation. But that is pure baloney. Following Christ is hard. It means saying no to old habits and resisting the temptation to sin. It means clinging on to Christ just to make it through the day. It means spending time on your knees getting to know your Savior. It means doing His will for your life, not your own. It means living to glorify Jesus Christ and not yourself. It means spiritual warfare and being misunderstood by anyone who doesn’t love Jesus just as much as you do. There is nothing pretty about following Jesus Christ. It is amazing, it has eternal rewards, it means never having to be alone ever again, it means your life has a great purpose, but it is not pretty.

Each one of us has a choice: pretty or ugly?
To be a runner, I have to leave pretty at the house before hitting the trails. But the flip side is that ugly or not, I get to run! I get to feel the wind in my hair, the sunshine on my face, feel my body rise to the challenge of the race. It’s glorious.

To be a follower of Christ, I have to give up warm fuzzies and die to myself. But the flip side is that as difficult as it is to follow Christ – I get to be a part of a purpose far greater than myself. I get to be forgiven. I get to share that amazing forgiveness with others. I get to spend eternity in a perfect heaven with my God. I get to walk with Jesus every day, following in his footsteps. I get to be a reflection of Jesus to the world, and that is way better than simply being pretty.

The Effects of Running Ugly:
(Pretty gets you compliments, so what does ugly get you?)

1. Icky-Sweat-Haters. People who don’t run just don’t get the sweat thing. They think it is icky and smelly and gross. As runners, we get past the sweat factor real quick, it is just evidence of our hard work. Non-runners don’t want to hang around someone who just finished a half-marathon because they don’t want the sweat to rub off. This happens all the time in the Christian life. Your continual push toward godliness makes them run away so you won’t get God all over them. “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15:19

2. The You-Crazy-Runner Crowd. The people who stand on the sidelines and shake their heads as you run by. They don’t understand how you can enjoy such intense exercise. They think you are crazy for you love of running. They just don’t get it. Neither do non-believers. They won’t get why you give up sleep to read your Bible before work, or why you are kind to people who gossip about you, or why you put others first. They just won’t get it, and they never will unless they too start racing after Jesus Christ. “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God”.1 Corinthians 2:12

3. The You-Make-Me-Feel-Fat-ers. People who don’t run, but wish they did. They know they need to get off the couch and hit the track to burn off last night’s Chinese take-out, but they just don’t want to. It’s too much work, it has been too long since they last exercised, they are too old and fat to change. We’ve all heard the excuses. Funny thing is, those are the same kind of excuses that I hear from people who don’t want to go to church. The discipline and athleticism of a runner makes couch-potatoes feel guilty. “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:19-21

4. Those who are inspired to run. Some people will see you running, see the joy it brings you, the benefit to your health and they will join you in the race. Most people will think you are insane, but a few will get it. And those are the ones that will run beside you as you race pass all the people who think you are crazy. Run to inspire. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:16-17

As modern girls, it is easy to get completely preoccupied with all things pretty. Don’t. Don’t worry about pretty, just run.

Run!

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

“Holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:16

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

How to be the Girl that Gets Got: Lessons from Isaac and Rebekah

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 03:42:00 +0000

1. She wasn’t looking for a husband at the well. Genesis 24:15-16 “Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.” Drawing water was work for women and young servants. Men of marriageable age were out in the fields or working with animals. Rebekah was not doing her chores to impress boys into marrying her. She was simply being responsible. She was being the woman who God created her to be, and that alone got her noticed.

2. She took care of herself and her reputation was reflected in how she dressed. Genesis 24:16 “The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.” This is slightly off subject, but for all the people out there who think girls need to be ugly to be Christ-like, let me point out this verse. Rebekah was not only beautiful, she took care of herself. She didn’t just throw her hair into a knot, unshowered, and wear yesterday’s sweats while doing her chores. She cared about how she looked and how she presented herself to the world as a woman. She wasbeautiful, but not impractically so, it didn’t rule her life. It doesn’t say that she took such good care of her hands that she needed servants to carry the water skin so as not to mess them up. But she did care about how she looked and Abraham’s servant noticed that about her. She also dressed in such a way as to tell the whole world that she was a virgin and a woman of God. The only way a stranger could tell her reputation from one look was how she dressed. She was most likely veiled. Whatever it was about her appearance, it conveyed her godly reputation and self-respect. Think on that – are you dressing to be the center of attention or the answer to some man’s prayer?

3. She had noticeable character. Genesis 24:15- “Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.” According to the cultural traditions of that time, women were not to speak with strange men or share resources (aka. Water) with them. The eastern culture is very hospitable and generous, but the men are the ones to extend it, never the women. So Rebekah showed great boldness and humility in offering to serve a needy stranger. She was beautiful, had a great reputation (again, the veiled virgin thing), was from a respected family, was not poor, and yet her character out-shown all of those qualities. She didn’t just bring out her character to wear as a cute accessory when the men of God came to town looking for a wife, no it was visible when she was doing chores. To a total stranger. When no one she cared about was watching. Her character made her stand outYou, Ms. Modern Christian Girl, want to be noticed by a great Christian guy? You have to have character that is visible when no one is looking. So instead of working on your tan, maybe put a little more time into practicing godly character. It will be noticed, I promise. In today’s materialistic, me-centered society, you will stand out.

4. She didn’t immediately say yes to his proposal. Genesis 24:22-28 “When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?” She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen.” Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.” When Abraham’s servant gave her the nose ring and bracelets, he was offering her tokens of her bride price. In ancient culture, the family of the groom paid the family of the bride for the right to marry their daughter. The jewelry given Rebekah was the first part of that, followed by more jewelry, clothes, and precious things to her family (see v.53). Stranger’s don’t give girls gifts. The eastern culture often gives a gift to the host at the beginning of a visit, but Rebekah was not the host. This gift was distinctive. She knew that some very wealthy man, who knew the God of her fathers, was interested in marrying her. So she did what any girl in her right mind would do – she ran home and told everyone! But she didn’t say yes. She was quite obviously excited about the possibility, I mean – what girl wouldn’t be? But she gave no answer or promise. It wasn’t until after she heard his testimony of how God orchestrated this whole meeting that she was ready to give herself in marriage.
Guys – can I just say one thing here in disagreement to this story? Don’t propose with a nose ring. Way tacky. Ew.

5. She wasn't afraid of the unknown. Genesis 24: 56-61. “But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!” Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way." She said yes and then acted on it. That shows serious trust in God. When she knew it was right, she just went. What courage! She must have been an adventurer at heart, when faced with an exciting, unknown future; she took it. She was gaining a husband, future, and wealth, but loosing a family and a past. If I had been her, the fear of it all would have probably choked me. I know I would have been asking “Is this really God’s plan for me?” I would have second guessed God, but when she saw God’s hand in the testimony of His servant she simply obeyed.

6. She was rewarded with the true love of a man of God. Genesis 24:62-67. “Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.” It says that Isaac loved Rebekah, collective sigh. This is the first mention of a man loving his wife in the Bible. We know that Adam loved Eve and Abraham loved Sarah because of specific actions and lifestyle choices, but this is the first time the husband/wife relationship is described with the word love. I, with my insatiable curiosity and romantic streak, simply HAD to know what kind of love this was. That is why it took so long to post the blog – Hebrew word studies take time. But what I found was worth the wait! The word for love is “aw-hab”, and is the greatest love a human can have for another person, thing, or God. This word is used when God tells Abraham to sacrifice the promised and long awaited son, “Isaac, whom you love.” Abraham loved Isaac not just because he was his son, but because he had waited so long for his arrival, and because he was the answer to so many prayers. That is the love Isaac had for Rebekah. That is what she got out of all this – an all-consuming, answer-to-my-prayers kind of love. Personally, I think it was well worth it, but you modern girls can decide that for yourselves.

Rebekah didn’t do anything extra special or amazing to be noticed. She was simply living life as God created her to be. And in being the woman she was designed to be, she became the answer to Isaac’s prayer and the love of his life.

Modern girls, want to stand out and be noticed by the right kind of boys? Be that girl.