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.

How was your week? Tiresome? Lonely? Depressing?

We’ve all got our burdens.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. – 1 Peter 5:7-9

Share your needs here and pray for the person who comments before you.

If I see you speeding in and out of traffic, failing to use turn signals, and running red lights or stop signs, I have a good feeling that you don’t place a high value on life – not with the way you put some many including yourself at risk. In the very least, you’re selfish and think you’re more important than the people around you.

If I see you abiding the speed limit and following traffic law, I tend to think you have a respect for authority and care whether or not someone gets hurt.

Unfortunately, the latter of the two seems to be vastly outnumbered. There are few days when I am not muttering about the state of driving in this country. It seems as though driving brings out the worst in people. A false sense of protection comes from the bubble of our cars – where we can play the music loud and ignore the rest of the world and do what we want. And people do it. Every day. Every. Single. Day.

I suppose I tend to get a little emotional – and so you better believe that this topic gets me riled up. I get agitated, I get a bit bitter. If I’m with someone else, I inevitably question, “WHY DID THAT GUY DO THAT?” or “WHAT IS HE THINKING?” I admit to calling people idiots – though afterward I recall a sermon our pastor preached about doing exactly the opposite and retract my statement, offering up a prayer for that person instead.

Especially bothersome to me, are the little fish that go flying by on the back of that car that just cut me off. There is a declaration of faith in Jesus (or so we assume), and here he is putting life in danger. Once that fish is there on your car, it’s a witness, and you disgrace the name of Jesus if your actions are do not resemble Jesus. (You better believe there is a reason Jesus WALKED almost everywhere in the time of his ministry – maybe we should be walking more!)

I have one of those fish. It’s in a drawer upstairs. I bought it years ago when I first became a Christian, yet I remain hesitant to this day to put it on my car. WHY? Though I claim to be a generally good driver, obeying the rules, I am afraid to put the name of Jesus out there and damage someone’s opinion of Christians and therefore Christ. It sounds silly I suppose, but driving around I don’t get the opportunity to speak with someone and share what Jesus has done in my life. What if I get caught up in that little bubble of my car and speed up to prevent someone from cutting me off…what if I just make a mistake when driving? What if I give the wrong impression of my Lord because of my actions with no way of explaining myself. I make critical judgments of other people by their driving, so I assume others are doing the same to me.

I wonder if I should put that fish on my car, and let it serve as a reminder of who I serve, and how I represent him. I suppose it’s something to think about at least.
That’s how I’m supposed to live my life, isn’t it?
Boldly representing my Lord in everything I do…

Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1Ti 4:12

~Jolene

As we walked, my friend and I were discussing spiritual matters. She’s one of the few who seem to understand when I talk. We got to talking about this very topic. I suggested that maybe being out in nature is God’s natural soother, a balm for your soul. Think about it – all of God’s creation is singing His praise, and when you take it in or participate, you are treated! It’s that same feeling I get when I go to church, or a time of praise and worship. Whether I sign along or just take it all in, that experience is renewing.

Here are some pictures from this rejuvenating excursion. Let us with all the earth sing Praise and be renewed in Him!!

Let heaven and earth praise Him, The seas and everything that moves in them. Psalm 69:34

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psa 98:4

Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted Isa 49:13

~Jolene

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How was your week? Tiresome? Lonely? Depressing?

We’ve all got our burdens.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. – 1 Peter 5:7-9

Share your needs here and pray for the person who comments before you.

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

This book has already been a blessing to me and I’m not done with it yet. I hope that what I share with you here will be encouraging and challenging at the same time. I know that Voices has been just that for me.

* * *

The first chapter of the book is written by a man. Odd, I thought, at first glance. But it’s John Piper and who doesn’t love a word from him?

Okay, I’ll admit it. I haven’t always enjoyed John Piper. But to explain that you have to know a little bit about my background and it’s very touchy-feely, spiritualish, “if you’re not feeling ‘the Spirit,’ then you’re not right with God.” There’s a lot of really bad theology there, but now’s not the time to address it. The point is — feel feel feel. And the vibe I got from Piper was anything but. I was a growing Christian though. At the time, people who focused so much on theology were a real turn off from the faith for me. Why do they spend all their time sitting around talking about the nature of God instead of serving God? That was a regular thought of mine back in the day.

As I grew, I learned. And one of the things I learned is the assumption that Piper brings to the first chapter.

Wimpy theology makes wimpy women. – Piper, 17

Wow. Wimpy? Really?

Yes. What I have learned over the years, and what Piper so aptly points out, is that we must know our God to serve our God.

Wimpy theology simply does not give a woman a God that is big enough, strong enough, wise enough, and good enough to handle the realities of life in a way that magnifies the infinite worth of Jesus Christ. – Piper, 19

So true. We are here, our entire purpose is, to display the glory of Christ. How can we do that without really knowing Him?

In this chapter, Piper lays out the plan for married people and singles, showing how each of those roles are created to serve the Lord. He challenges the reader to dive deeper into a relationship with the Father and encourages us wherever we may be in life by letting us know that we have a purpose and explaining in plain language how we can act on it.

Though the singles section no longer applies to me in the same way, I found it to be the most beautiful and the most applicable. All of it is good and there’s no way I could pick just a few lines to represent all that he shares here (so go out and get this book!), but I’ll leave you with some of his closing words. (Emphasis mine)

[Wimpy theology]…is beneath you. God is too great. Christ is too glorious. True womanhood is too strategic…Your womanhood — your true womanhood — was made for the glory of Jesus Christ. – Piper, 25

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?

I found this prayer in my journal. I wrote it on August 23, 2005 – Five years to the day. Much of it is still my prayer today.

~Jolene

I’d like to encourage you all to take a look at the True Woman Manifesto and consider signing. It is a collection of statements that this ministry backs completely, and I hope it can be a blessing to you.

Watch for posts this week about what it means to be a woman of God and for more information on The True Woman Movement.

“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