Mar

5

Top 100 Christian Women’s Blogs

By Carrie | Leave a Comment


Christian Women Blogs
I just received the following email from Internet Cafe Devotions:

Congratulations!

Every year Internet Café Devotions hosts Blessed Aroma, a call out to blog readers to nominate their favorite blogs, in specific categories, written by Christian Women. Those with the most nominations are compiled into a list that gives us the TOP 100 Christian Women’s blogs each year.

Your blog was chosen this year in the category of: “Gathered Together”. We hope this blesses you as much as you have blessed others!

You can view the list here: Top 100 Christian Women’s Blogs

Thanks so much to the wonderful ladies who write here and congrats!

Mar

2

Love letters…

By Becki | 2 Comments


We’re all women here, right?  Who doesn’t love a sweet, from the heart love letter?  Thought so. 

My “love language” is words of affirmation {if you don’t know yours, you MUST find out…http://www.5lovelanguages.com/…read the book too}. 

What does ”words of affirmation” mean?  It means that what you say to me sticks like hot glue right to my heart.  I need and crave positive words affirming me as a woman, mom, friend, sister, daughter, co-worker, on and on.  Words fill my love tank.  And words can empty it too.

I’m 38 years old and recently remarried.  I’ve only been calling Jesus my BFF for about 5 years now.  Before that I was hell on wheels.  I made every mistake in the book.  I loved the wrong people, hurt myself and everyone around me, made horribly, dumb decisions….BUT I lived to tell about it.  God has been pursuing my heart for a very long time.  Looking back I can see it, see HIM there beside me.  I ignored Him…never even saw Him, really.  And then one day the tug to my heart was too much to bear.  I finally let go and let God take over. 

My life has never been the same since.

I’ve learned that people often view God as they view their earthly father.  If you have a good, loving dad, you tend to see God that way too.  If you had a distant, uncaring dad, unfortunately, you see God that way too.  I find it hard at times to see God close to me, caring for me and there if I need Him.  Of course, He is and always has been just that….THERE.

There are sooooo many blessings that have come from that decision to let God in.  My family tree has literally changed.  My girls have a realtionship with God like I never knew a kid could have.  That makes my heart overflow with gratitude to Him for not only changing me, but changing them.

The biggest blessing I’ve received, though?  My husband Mark.  Not only does he write me sweet love letters once in a while, but he models for my girls exactly what they should be looking for in a husband.  He is the answer to my biggest prayer.  Our marriage is not easy but it is where God meant for us both to be.  Nevermind that Mark makes me over the top happy, but he is laying a path in my girls’ hearts to NEVER settle for anything less than what God has prepared for them.  They will have healthy, productive, joy-filled {not always easy but blessed none the less} marriages because they see what a REAL God made man looks like.  WHAT A BLESSING.

I am taken aback on a regular basis by the love that God has for me and the fact that He has given me far more than I deserve.  He has never given up on me in a world where I’ve been written off more times than I can count.  He pursued me when I was running away as fast as I could….and He caught me.  He listens when I speak to Him, He crys with me when I cry, He laughs at me on a regular basis {I’m positive of that….I fall UP the stairs, people} and He holds my hand when I need it held….in fact, He has never let it go.  He has written a love letter on my heart that NO ONE can take away from me.

And what girl doesn’t love a sweet, from the heart love letter?

Watch this video for a love letter from God:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEfJpJ1lhQc

Mar

2

Patience, Please

By Julie B Cosgrove | Leave a Comment


Psalm 62:1  For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

My mother always told me patience is a virtue. I just was not born with much of it.  I’m a doer, a fixer. I can’t stand to sit around and wait. Instead, I must keep busy. That actually helps to calm the anxious butterflies crashing against the walls of my stomach and the myriad of thoughts bouncing like BB’s back and forth in my brain.

So naturally, this is the area of discipline my fabulous Father in Heaven keeps trying to instill in me, often waiting until the eleventh hour to come through and answer my prayer, handle the situation or smooth my life back over. He knows how often I leave it at the foot of the Cross, then turn back around, pick it back up, dust it off and carry it back with me. “I feel better dumping this on you. It is not so heavy now. Thanks- I can take it from here.”

That’s it not His way, or the best way.  I hear Him say, “Wait, bring that back. I have such wonderful plans of what to do with it. You’ll be amazed. ”

And then I remember that other adage of my mother’s – Good things come to those who wait.  Not only does God transform the problem, or hurt, or anxiousness into something that will glorify Him, He transforms me as well – at least until I am tempted to not be patient again. Which happens.

 But, I am learning! Praise Him He is the patient one – patient with me! That is one thing I can trust in above all else. And that fact alone drops me to my knees in penitence.

Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.  62:8

Feb

19

Blinders….

By Becki | 3 Comments


I’ve been so busy lately I’ve hardly been able to tell my head from my rear. Seems like there is never enough time in the day to get everything that needs done DONE.

Can I get a witness?!

I had a convo with God the other day about how to get it all done and how to prioritize, what to cut out, what to keep. I’m truly wearing myself out just thinking about it right now. The word that kept coming up through that convo was “blinders”.

At the time I was thinking it was just my mind wandering {It does that, ya know}. I went on about my business that day but the word keeps circling back around in my thoughts.

Blinders.

What does that even mean? I have no real idea. Other than the picture I get in my head is of a horse with her “blinders” on meant to keep her from getting distracted. Horse owners use them to keep the horse from seeing things and getting spooked or distracted. {I think….I don’t own a horse, only been near one a few times…so yeah. I’m a warehouse of knowledge on this subject and you should totally take me as an authority here}.

But if I’m right and that’s the case, then what is God telling me about blinders?

Maybe He wants me to wear them? I will admit that I am NOT fashion forward enough to literally strap them on my head and wear them. 

If I were to put on a pair, a set…wait…a pair {whatever} of blinders, what am I to be blocking out? The distractions of this world are immense. There are sooo many things that can get me off course, make me lose my focus. Kids, husband, job, house cleaning, working out, fundraising, THE STINKIN’ OLYMPICS {OMG-ish….don’t even get me started on watching them on tv! They can literally suck hours of my time into oblivion!}. That’s all life, though….life CAN get in the way of the to do list.

BUT….WAIT…..

What if God is telling me about the blinders I have keeping HIM out? Maybe He is telling me to take OFF my blinders and let HIM into my world more. Or better yet, keep them on but tune my newly focused vision on Him instead of everything else.

Yeah….I think that’s it. Focus on HIM, not my list.

The bible says in Proverbs 4:25: “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.” There it is…stop looking around, getting distracted and keep our eyes focused on GOOD things and RIGHT things and HIS promises. I know…easier said than done!

I find myself too busy to pray everyday. I find myself too busy to get in my bible as much as I should. I find myself gossiping or saying things that I know are not pleasing to Him. I bet {if I was the bettin’ type, which I’m not} that if I actually put my time with Him first, I’d have the energy to get things done. I bet I’d get the right things done first….the things that matter checked off the list daily. I also bet I’d not be writing this post right now.

So….now what? I think I’ll stop at the horse supply store on my way home {yes….I drive right by one} and pick up some serious blinders. Maybe literally wearing them will do the trick. You should be seeing me on the cover of Vogue in March….wearing blinders will be the next fashion accessory on the market {you heard it here first, people}. Either that….or I’ll be on the next episode of “What Not to Wear”! :0}

Feb

19

The One True Hand Holder

By Gwenn McKone | 2 Comments


I’ve talked in former posts about the vacation home we bought in Sandpoint, Idaho. We bought it last July to make it into a vacation rental. Sandpoint is a six-hour drive from our home, so it’s not exactly convenient. It’s a log home, and the culmination of a long-held dream of mine.

We bought it from a bachelor who had two basset hounds who piddled on the carpet, and who had free rein to go in and out all day long–and not through a doggie door. This man left the two French doors wide open all day long while at work, so not only were the dogs at liberty to go in and out of the house, but so were the bugs. And since the property is on 8 acres in very heavily wooded wild country, I was surprised that he didn’t fear other varmints coming in as well.

This beautiful yet neglected log home was screaming for a woman to get hold of it. I had a vision for how it could look. So in late July, I began to undertake the project alone. I had to furnish the 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath house from the ground up, replace the carpet, orchestrate the remodeling of one of the bathrooms, and become a handy woman extraordinaire. Little did I know that in the process, God was going to do a work in me.

You see, two years ago, when I turned 50, I might as well have hit a brick wall at 90 mph. I was NOT READY to hit 50, no way. It took me nearly a year to adjust to the concept. And I went to God and said, please, I want to be like a race horse breaking out of the starting gates at 50, not one just being put out to pasture. This may sound like so much drama to someone who’s 60 or 70, but we’ve all got our stuff, know what I mean?

The beauty of God is that He takes such prayers seriously. He knew I needed to feel vital and strong and capable. So He gave me this project and as time went on, He ensured that I did it all by myself. There were a few times when my best friend planned to drive from Utah to help me, but always, something huge happened that kept her from coming up. And she kept saying to me, “Apparently you’re supposed to do this by yourself.”

So I gathered furniture from Craig’s list and nearby antique stores, put it into a U-Haul trailer and drove it over, just my faithful dog and me. I made 4 trips with a trailer on the back of my Tahoe. And when I would arrive, either God would place someone there to help me unload the big stuff, or I would somehow manage to figure out how to do it myself. One time, I had hired two young men to come and deliver wood for the wood stove, and so they helped me to carry a large armoire into the house. Another time, my real estate agent’s son came and helped me.

When I began to paint, I had to buy a 10-foot ladder, because the ceiling in the main part of the house is 12 feet high. At one point, the only way that I could get up to do the trim on the ceiling above the kitchen counter and bar was to literally place the 6-foot ladder on the counter in a closed position, lean it against the wall, and climb carefully up, praying the entire time that God would keep me from falling.

My husband has never returned to the cabin since he saw it for the first time in July. Although that bothered me for several months, I was also happy to have the absolute freedom to do with the cabin whatever I wished. 

Last Tuesday night, I returned from a week at what I have named ”Little Moose Cabin,” after the two baby moose and their mother who sauntered across our property several months ago. It was my final push to get everything done and ready for vacation renters. It was a very intense week of doing things like putting up a hanging light on that lovely 12-foot ceiling, installing closet doors and curtains on the French doors, cleaning the interior logs of the 1/4 inch of dust on them, etc.

The two women who will be managing the property and rentals arrived at the cabin a few days after I’d gotten there. They already manage another small cabin we have two hours from our home (this cabin came completely furnished), and live in the Seattle area, like I do. They had agreed to try to manage the cabin long distance and had driven all the way over to Sandpoint to see ”Little Moose,” to take pictures, and to gather information about the area. I was excited to have them there, because I wanted to ask them some questions, to pick their brains, and to just compare notes and have fellowship. They were going to be there for 3 days, and I had expected at least an entire day of talking, sharing, etc.

They came, oohed and aahed over the cabin and its decor, took scads of pictures for the website, and left an hour and a half later. I assumed I’d see them the next day, but they were too busy getting to know the area and gathering information. I was deflated, resentful and felt very let down. I realized I’d wanted them to “hold my hand” for a while.

I called my best friend and told her that apparently no one was going to hold my hand through the process–not even my management ladies. She said, “Gwenn, God is holding your hand.” I thought back on it, and realized it was true.

He had orchestrated that my neighbor on the property next to us is a skilled contractor and he has done wonderful work in the cabin that I would not have been able to do. This same neighbor is well-known in that small town, and brought me a wonderful electrician who has also done great work–and is even going to give me a pair of moose antlers for the cabin!

God took great care of me on my trips back and forth to Sandpoint. On one trip, I was driving back to the cabin from Home Depot when this huge clanging noise occurred in my wheel. I was leaving the next day and was annoyed that such a thing would happen. I got it into a mechanic who said my emergency brake had completely fallen apart and was banging around inside the wheel well. It then occurred to me that God had made sure it happened while in Sandpoint, and NOT while driving through the miles and miles of desolate country on the way home.

God showed me through these last seven months that with Him behind me and beside me, I can accomplish much more than I ever thought, and that 50 is just a number. He has renewed my youth like the eagle, and given me new mountains to climb. He has given me a beautiful log cabin that I hope will bless others as they come to stay. He has never left me, and He has stretched me and challenged me and given me renewed confidence in myself. Praise Him. 

‘Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10

 

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