Archive for Life Stories
September 6, 2010 at 4:00 am · Filed under Faith, Life Stories
It never ceases to amaze me how so many things in life reflect God and His great love for us. He uses just about anything He can to get our attention. Just yesterday, I encountered another example. Crazy as it may be, it is a perfect illustration of how God deals with us and how we often fight it…
Trimming my dog’s nails is neither fun nor easy. In fact, it’s a pain AND painful when you consider how he scratches me. But, I know I have to take care of it or else he’s going to be very uncomfortable. I usually have to chase Landon down and grab hold of him (I promise I’m not hurting him!). Then, as he kicks and squirms and sometimes screams, I try to keep him still while positioning the clippers. I speak softly to him trying to make him relax, but usually he hears none of it. As I start the work, Landon usually attempts to nip the clipper itself if he can manage to get close enough. When finished, Landon is released and he jaunts around the room a bit before coming back to eat his nail clippings (I haven’t figured out how this really works into the bigger illustration – it’s kind of disgusting and I don’t really encourage it). And despite all his fussing, my little dog is relieved, walks easier, and generally returns to me for some good-old-fashioned dog petting.
Maybe you see the metaphor; I as his owner reflect God and how he has charge over us. He desires to protect us and keep us spiritually healthy. And I suppose that makes me the dog, a dependent creature full of self-will who doesn’t always recognize the good God tries to work in our lives. After He’s pursued us and grabbed hold of us, we fight him tooth and nail. The Lord works at clipping away unfruitful elements in our lives, yet it is only afterward that we can fully (and sometimes not even that) recognize how He’s helped us. When we do recognize the freedom and peace He has granted us through His workings, we rejoice, coming back to the Lord as he lavishes us with strokes of grace and mercy.
This illustration isn’t perfect, but my point is that God is teaching us so much about Himself and His love in the simple everyday experiences we have. It would serve us well to pay attention and reflect on everyday the everyday moments of life.
August 28, 2010 at 4:00 am · Filed under Faith, Life Stories
A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; Ecc 3:7
Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 1Tim 2:11
There is definitely a time for silence in the life of a believer. I think it especially important to get quiet before the Lord and listen to what He has for us. There is so much to learn as we submit ourselves to the Lord with a quietness about us. I had a unpleasant experience just the other day. I was sitting on the back porch with the intent of reading the Word and spending time in prayer. But try as I could, the sounds of daily life around my neighborhood really thwarted my plans. I was greatly disappointed at myself for not being able to focus, but I felt it unproductive to be so hard on myself. There really was a lot of auditory distraction, and how can I be expected to really tune in to the whisper of God in the midst of all that?
Silence seems hard to come by lately. My neighborhood isn’t generally boisterous, but it’s still summer and boys will play basketball. The music will blare a little louder from the block party, and the locusts insist on screaming above it all. Did I mention that I live under the approach path for airplanes preparing to land at the airport? I’m two blocks from a main boulevard, and another few blocks from a busy expressway, and a busy hospital. I hear sirens every day.
Even at night, when the bustle of the day subsides, sounds infringe on my precious silence. The air conditioner. The fans. The dehumidifier. The fridge. Plumbing. Even my dog’s nails clicking on the hardwoods.
Silence has evaded me this summer. I long for it, and I wonder what I might have heard from the Lord in the stillness. I imagine great things, assuming I can quiet my mind when the world around me is silent. Sometimes I wish I lived far from the city…
So tell me, how are you accessing silence? Where do you go? And what does it really feel like?
~Jolene
August 24, 2010 at 4:00 am · Filed under Faith, Friends, Life Stories, Testimonies, Womanhood
by Jolene
In the spirit of the True Woman Movement, I thought it appropriate to recognize the true women in my life who have drawn me closer to Jesus. Through their Christlike attitudes and actions, I have come to the knowledge of Jesus as my savior and grown more deeply in love with Him! I created a list in my journal a while back of all the people who have impacted my walk, and it is truly fitting, as all the people on this list turned out to be women! Where would I be without the impact of these faithful women?
I will start with Mrs. Poppen and Mrs. King. These two lovely ladies were my pre-school teachers. I went to a Lutheran pre-school, and these women sowed the seed of faith in me at an early age. I didn’t go to church growing up, but they taught me that He’s got the whole world in his hands! Thank you!
Bonnie. Dear sweet, Jesus Freak, Bonnie! We became friends in elementary school. I remember going to her house for a sleepover in middle school. The smell of leather sofas always triggers a memory of that party. It was at this party where I first heard of d.c. Talk – and I was introduced to “Jesus Freak.” I still didn’t get it then either, but the pouring out of faith was a testimony! It was at Bonnie’s church where I first accepted Christ. She took me up to the pastor one Wednesday night, and there I was accepting the Lord! Thank you!
In high school, in addition to Bonnie, were Rachel and Annette. We were the fearsome threesome! Rachel took Annette and I to her Baptist church where I attended youth group and learned what it’s like to really know Jesus! It was a youth leader, Mrs. Radel, that kept me going as her life was a powerful witness of what it meant to be a TRUE Bible-believing Christian! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!
College can be a rough time, as young adults face challenges to their faith. I was no different. I swayed back and forth before returning home and attending Roberts Wesleyan. It was here I met Shelly. Shelly! Oh, how I have been blessed by the continuous and deep faith in Jesus she has! While I don’t see her often, Shelly is one of my few Christian friends who really gets me. I have been inspired to grow in my own faith because of her. Thank you!
Last, and certainly not least, is my dear friend Elizabeth. Yes, our dear administrator here at Godly Gals! I believe God destined us to be friends and partners in this ministry! I’ve known her only 6 years, yet I have known her a lifetime! We have so much in common, especially our faith and perspective on the world around us. It is important to have allies, and she is one of my strongest. She has sharpened me and I am stronger in my faith today for it. Thank you!
These are my True Women. Who are yours?
August 10, 2010 at 7:22 am · Filed under Church, Friends, Life Stories
I was talking to an acquaintance recently and the topic of attending church came up. I didn’t really know where she was going when she started, but it soon became clear.
“It’s not that I don’t believe in God,” she said. “Or the Bible or in loving your neighbor or any of that stuff. But why would I want to go to a place where children get molested? Why would I want to spend my time somewhere that was allowed to happen.”
I nodded my head. You can’t deny what she says. It happens in churches. Even though pastors and the leadership try their very best with background checks, getting to know the character of the people who are working in their buildings, there are some people who slip through the cracks.
She continued, “I mean, my daughter goes to church and that’s fine. I just don’t want to be associated with a place that allows those kinds of things to go on.”
Wait wait wait. Hold up. Her concern is pedophiles being a threat to children…but she allows her 5-year-old child to go? Something doesn’t sound right.
I wanted to continue the conversation, but other things came up and we were away from the topic pretty quickly. It’s been on my mind ever since. Pedophilia isn’t something to be blamed on the church entirely. It’s not the only place it happens. Changes in society often color what goes on inside churches. If pedophilia is a symptom of the deterioration of society in general, you’d better believe it’s going to find its way into the church as well.
But that really wasn’t the issue here. She had talked herself into a corner. If her true concern was the threat and reality of child molesters in the church, a concern so huge that she wouldn’t step inside the doors of a church building herself, then why would she allow her child inside without the protection of her mother.
She wouldn’t.
While there is some truth in what she’s saying, her claims don’t match up with her actions. It’s easy to use something that is a well-known cancer in the church today as a reason to stay out of it. But it’s clear by her actions that it’s what she’s using as an excuse for no change.
What’s your excuse?
I started thinking about the number of things each of us could and sometimes do use to keep out of the body of Christ.
I don’t need to go to church to praise God.
All the church wants is my money.
No one wants me there.
I don’t have the right clothes.
I don’t want to make that kind of commitment.
What’s yours? Is there something keeping you out of fellowship? What is it based in? If it’s that you feel one church is out of line with scripture or some other valid reason for leaving, are you actively seeking out and praying for a new church family to join?
- Elizabeth
May 5, 2010 at 4:59 pm · Filed under Faith, Family, Life Stories
I attended a funeral last night. I wasn’t close to this person, but nevertheless, I cried. It’s my typical reaction. Death is all around us, everyday, yet for me it takes going to a funeral to bring certain emotions to the forefront of my mind. I sat in the pew with my father and sister, there to support our family friends I’ve known my entire 28 years. Before the service began, my sister was talking about her patient’s brush with death – a code blue as she was walking out the door. My dad was discussing some medical tests with my sister. He has a slightly serious condition that could worsen and is potentially life threatening….
And so throughout the service, my mind wasn’t on Dolores. It was on my dad; my wonderful, inspiring, generous father. And the pain at the thought of losing him to death brought more tears to my eyes than Dolores… because I trust that she knew Jesus and is with Him.
My dad. He’s not saved, and it scares me. It makes my heart ache. I never thought a person could feel quite this way – an actual ache deep inside for ones that you love. Growing older, I have started to come to face the reality of death – both physical and spiritual. Funerals bring this to my mind and remind me that I have work here to do. I have a message to share, because our time here is short and there are people dying out there who don’t know Jesus.
I hope that you don’t have to go to a funeral any time soon, but maybe your heart can be pricked by the pain I have felt these past two days… please let it inspire you to treasure the ones you love, to love them all the more deeply, and share the Gospel of Christ so that one day we won’t have to experience this pain ever again.
January 12, 2010 at 7:45 pm · Filed under Life Stories
by Jolene
January in Western New York is, by its nature, SNOWY. I know this. I have lived here all my 27.8 years. I know what the roads are like. I know to give myself extra time on my daily commute. It usually results in long, tiring days, but I manage.
There are some people, who are unfamiliar with lake snows because they are from out of town. And then there are those who, though they have lived here all their lives, refuse to accept that it is winter.
Do you mind listening to my story?
This morning was snowy, as is obvious by my title. I was on my way to work, and stuck three cars behind a large, slow-moving, salt truck/snow plow. I was on a single-lane-each-direction road and following me was the most impatient person I have yet to encounter this season. He or she would not leave the two-car lengths distance my dad taught me about. I couldn’t go any faster, and yet this individual insisted on sitting in my back seat. I focused my attention on the Bible teaching on the radio and prayed for safety. It seemed the logical thing to do, because I wasn’t going to go any faster.
I made my customary turn south, much to the chagrin of my follower. He/she was turning the same way. I was promptly passed on this unplowed portion of road. Wouldn’t you know it, but a few miles down the road, I caught up with this individual tailing another snow plow – this one only going 20mph. I watched as they attempted to pass – no luck – a car was coming. I prayed again. This one more of a demand of God to make that person stop…
He attempted again to pass the plow. On a blind curve. BRILLIANT! What a wonderful idea!
Alright, I’ll cut my sarcasm, because here was the scary part.
Another car was coming in the opposite direction – she was in her lane going slow enough for the road conditions. I watched it all happen as Mr. Speedy swerved back behind the plow and the other car swerved out of the way and promptly into a ditch. The other car, and the car behind him did not stop. All I could hear myself say was “OH LORD!”
I made a split decision. I am not usually one to stop in these instances, but this car was off to the side of the road, and everyone else had gone by. I couldn’t in good conscience just drive off, leaving the woman there in the middle of nowhere, without having checked.
Since I had already slowed down, I parked in the road (brilliant on my part as well), and ran over to make sure the person was ok. She was. I mean, she was shaken up. I told her I understood – I watched it all happen. She had a cell phone, and I stood there with her for a bit as she made a call. I had to get to work, and so I eventually left. But at least I stopped and made sure she wasn’t injured.
My point in sharing this on the GodlyGals blog?
Well, I think there are some lessons to be learned.
1. Please don’t rush. Being so hurried by things today – we sometimes forget to take our time, be careful, and consider how our actions may hurt others.
2. Follow the rules of the road and don’t try to pass a plow on a blind curve. There are rules for a reason – it’s just stupid to take a risk like that.
3. If someone may be injured, being late to work is not important in comparison to the lives of others. Stop and help.
It all comes down to THINKING - about others, and yourself; about VALUING LIFE, and acting with precaution when the situation warrants it. God created each of us, and we should not be so reckless with His creation.
