Your Body is a Temple

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.

Matthew 10:28-30 

Happy Monday Girlfriends! I hope your day started off better than mine did.

A rainy day with no sun shining into my bedroom, I fell back asleep after shutting off the alarm. I woke exactly ten minutes before my doctor's appointment to evaluate the increasing pain I have had in my elbow for the last month. Fortunately the office is nearby. Whew! 

Welcome to Middle Age

In the office, I had an x-ray after which the physician performed a physical exam, poking and prodding, pulling and pressing. Jokingly, he told me he had no idea why I was wincing. Then, with a gleam in his eyes, the doctor looked up from his thumb, which he was pressing on my forearm, and said, "Welcome to middle age! You have tennis elbow. Depending upon your body, recovery is two weeks to two years. Until then, you need to wear this cute arm band and go to therapy. See you in a month!"

My mind began racing with protests: "Wait! I do not even play tennis! But what about yoga? Down-dog and chaturanga dandasana do not cause pain, only lifting the laundry detergent bottle hurts. Can't I just stop doing laundry and keep going to yoga? And what do you mean, "Welcome to middle age?" Just because I am wearing two pair of glasses, one on my head as needed for distance, and the one on my eyes to read this handout on tennis elbow, does NOT mean I am old. I rejected bifocals last week for that exact reason. Only old people wear bifocals! Can't you see I only feel twenty-nine?"

So then I went to my van and pouted. Middle age, schmiddle age. Pffff. We will just see about that next week, when I am frolicking like child in the waves of the Atlantic ocean, in my bikini. Ugh, bikini. Middle age. Oh fine, I resign to reality. But my heart will remain forever young!!!! 

Welcome to Reality

Just yesterday, I told my nineteen old daughter to stop being in such a hurry to grow up, to enjoy her youth while she is in the midst of it. Naturally, she rejected my words of wisdom and continued moaning about how all her co-workers and friends are already twenty-one. Are we not good at that, Girlfriends? Ignoring the voice of experience, only recalling the advice after the time to heed it has passed. Whether you are nineteen or ninety-nine, I am positive you can recall an "I told you so" that still haunts you today! Oh, if we would only listen.

The truth is humans do grow old. Growing old means our bodies are going to age and deteriorate; however, the reality is that physical pain can even attack us in our youth. Athletes experience injuries. Diseases strike as early as infancy. Accidents affect function and mobility. Strength and endurance come and go as seasons of life affect time for exercise and fitness. As much as we try to be healthy, life happens, and our bodies endure the brunt of it. 

Welcome to God's Plan

The Good News is that God understands, having lived among us in a human body that suffered physical pain. He has a plan and a purpose for you, for your soul, which transcends your earthly anatomy.

Girlfriends, our greatest concern in this life should not be wrapped up in our bodies--what we will eat, what we will wear: 

“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25 HCSB), 

or how we look to others: 

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.”(1 Samuel 16:7).  

We are told not to fear injury, disease, accidents, attackers, or even death: 

Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. (1 Peter 5:10 HCSB)

Yes, ladies, we are to care for and attend to our health, but the motive for doing so is what God considers. You are uniquely created by God for a purpose in His Kingdom, and while living on earth you obviously need a body to carry out that objective. But why? Well, your body houses God: when you humble yourself and submit to Jesus Christ as your eternal Savior, the Holy Spirit enters and resides within you, giving you access to the very power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; Acts 1:8

How marvelous! God within us. And for that very reason, and that reason alone, we care for our bodies in this life: 

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,  for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
  
Girlfriends, out of respect, reverence, and awe of what God has given you--His very Son's blood as an atoning sacrifice for your sins (Past, Present, and Future)--regard His Word. He alone holds the power to glorify--or to destroy--both your body and soul. He tells you that in the gospel of Matthew: Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Mtw 10:28 Yet in His very next words He also acknowledges His love and concern, for you are worth far more than even a sparrow whose life He also commands. God treasures you even down to the very number of hairs on your head!

 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. (Matthew 10:29-30)

  
My prayer for today is that you will look at yourself in a mirror; yes a full length reflection, maybe even one of those tri-folds like in a dressing room. Gaze upon the temple of the Holy Spirit! Admire your beauty through God's vision. Stare into your eyes and see grace, mercy, compassion, and holiness alive in you! Jesus lives, and Girlfriends, He lives in YOU! Talk about getting in touch with your inner self; reality is you are touching God. Hold His hand, draw upon His strength, and know the comforting promise of a new, glorified, healthy, pain-free, eternally glorious body that He will give you in Heaven. That is the promise of salvation that no doctor, no chiropractor, no therapist, no personal trainer can give you. Stand on the Rock and be Strong!

Love you all!

I Do Not Know

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.

 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Isaiah 55:8-9

Someone At The Door

Aloha, Girlfriends! No, I am not in Hawaii, just dreaming! 

Earlier this week, I did take a short trip and spent the night at my mom's house. As I was sitting in her office typing my blog to you, the doorbell rang. Mom was in the shower, so I answered the door. Two women carrying Bible bags stood smiling at me and began praising Mom's landscaping. From that praise, they prompted me with a question about the anger hanging in the air lately around our cities and whether I knew the cause. I answered them with God's word, stating that He does tell us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). After a slight pause, one lady asked if she could share with me an article addressing this issue, and she handed me the Watchtower magazine. 

Now, I had no interest in the Watchtower or the message of the Jehovah's Witnesses. I warmly accepted her hand-out but informed her that I am a Christian. They nodded, asked about my church, and then the other woman said something that later came back to play over and over in my mind. 

"What I love about the Jehovah's Witnesses is that my mother grew up under Hitler in Nazi Germany. When she came to the US with so many questions, their Bible answered every single question for her. Then she passed it on to me." 

Hmmmm, really? EVERYTHING? She read the Jehovah's Witnesses bible and suddenly knew everything and had no more questions? (By the way, their bible is called the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. The men who "translated" it had little or no knowledge of either Greek or Hebrew.) Sorry, not buying that line. But we will come back to that in a minute.

To make the story short, I seized the opportunity of having two women at my mom's door to witness to them. I asked the first woman if she had a pen, which she did, and a piece of paper, which she opened up in a notebook. I took the pen and notebook from her and wrote "www.girlfriendmoments.blogspot.com" and told her that, since she shared with me, I would like to also share with her. I let her know that I write a Christian blog for women. I also mentioned that I agreed with her that God should be the source of our knowledge, not Google, not your neighbor, not necessarily even your pastor. 

For we are told in Jeremiah 29:12-14, "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity." 

I highly doubt they will ever read my blog, but I am grateful God gave me the opportunity to cross paths with them that day. For one, perhaps God planted a seed of change that will bring them to the Truth. But more importantly, because the second woman's comments spoke to my heart about an issue that was already dwelling there. 

Seek and Find Me

The blog I was writing that day the doorbell rang was called The Story. (You can read it in the archives on the leftside of my page if you missed it.) The Story is God's Story, the Bible (correctly translated Hebrew/Greek to English), rearranged in chronological order. If you remember, I told you that Emily, Jordan, and I are reading this Bible out loud together. What I did not tell you is how arduously slow this reading is going! I am sure this is no surprise for those of you who know my son very well. "Deep thinker" does not even begin to describe Jordan! 

Remember that three year old phase when you were convinced that the only word your child knew was "Why"? Yeah, well, I don't think my son ever outgrew that stage. Therein lies the blessing and the curse! Inquisitive, reflective, and analytical, Jordan rarely accepts anything for its surface value. (Wonder where he got that gene?) Hence, reading aloud to him has always been a long process requiring a enormous block of time. Now, we all know that I am a mom with nothing else to do all day, so naturally I am delighted by my little investigator. (Yes, that is sarcasm.)

Seriously, though, reading the Bible challenges me to introspection. Reading the Bible with Jordan stretches me further, traversing topics that demand observation, reflection, explanation, and interpretation. When I presume to know the answer to his question, I explain to him, only to find myself on a walk later wondering if I actually gave the correct information. I find myself returning to the Bible, seeking and pursuing the truth in a way I can share with my children. Funny thing about seeking, I always find something. Many times, one question leads me to another and the pursuit of answer reveals an entirely new yet related certainty; hence, as God tells us you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.(Jer 29 above)

I Do Not Know 

But what about the times when I seek and I cannot find the answer? When I knock and the door is not opened? Is it acceptable for me to tell my children, "I do not know?" Does not having every answer crumble my faith and demote God to a lesser being, or negate His existence at all? Is that not the argument atheists and other non-believers, by the power of Satan, want to use against us? And what about supposed believers, like the Jehovah's Witnesses who visited me? She told me that her religion and her Bible have all the answers. I have a problem with both kinds of thinking.

As stated in today's key verse, God tells us (His) thoughts are not (our) thoughts, neither are (our) ways (His) ways. Actually, His ways higher than (our) ways and (His) thoughts than (our) thoughts. Seeking and finding Him does not mean we become like God, that we know all His answers. Instead, we find our way into His abiding love that reveals knowledge and wisdom according to His measure.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17

I am quite frankly comfortable with that thought. After all, was that not Eve and Adam's problem in the Garden, wanting to be like God, to have all that knowledge from the tree? Look what a disaster that turned out to be for all of humanity! I want God to be God, and humans to be humans. I do not desire to know all that He knows for many reasons, but really for one major point. 

I have found that when I think I know everything there is to know about a subject, or even a major portion of it, I stop pursuing. I am no longer consumed with the desire to learn more or to spend time on the topic. I move on to something else interesting. Let me ask, have you ever had that experience? Perhaps the subject was academic in nature, but what about people? Yes, people, created in God's image. How many spouses stop pursuing one another once they have been together a long time, once they have achieved great familiarity, once they "know everything" about each other? Can you imagine if that were the case with our Lord and Savior?

I do not know everything about God, and I cannot completely answer many of my own or my son's questions about His revealed Word. Yet, these deficiencies do not impede my faith, instead they embolden it. I love the Lord. I believe in Him and who He says He is. I am encouraged by the fruit generated by His Presence in my family. I have witnessed His faithfulness and constantly observe the results of His promises. Consequently, I hunger and thirst for Him like a craving that is never satisfied. I want to know Him more and more. I yearn to spend time with God, in conversation and relationship, listening as He reveals to me little by little the Truth that increases my freedom and my faith incrementally. The more He unveils, the greater my desire to turn to His Word daily, for courage, insight, and direction. 

So, I continue to read aloud with my kids from the Bible. They continue to ask questions. I pray and then I answer. Often we stand in the kitchen until midnight, going back and forth in deliberation. Sometimes my answer is a plain, "I do not know," but you can bet my faith says, "But God knows, and I trust Him." I hope my kids do too! 

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. Proverbs 3:5-7

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Proverbs 3:1-2

Waiting

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. ... I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 27:14, 40:1)

Girlfriends, waiting is sooooo hard! 

Upon what do you wait today?

Knowledge? Insight? Discernment?

Relief from pain? Healing for you or a loved one?

Financial rescue? A job? A move?

Assistance in a relationship? A marriage? Parenthood?

Revelation of your purpose? Of God's plan for your life?

In every season of life, you will find yourself in the waiting room at one point or another. 

How will you wait? Full of worry and anxiety, rocking  in the chair but going nowhere? Or will you abide in Jesus and rest in His peace? 

We are called to do our part to seek God's will. But when the answers do not come in a reasonable time-frame, we are also called to wait. During the waiting stage, Girlfriends, do not worry or be anxious. Find something else productive and God-honoring to do and apply yourself. Call upon a friend for support and a reminder to bring your thoughts captive to Christ.

 "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him (Psalm 62:5).

Waiting is hard, yet not impossible; however, waiting is a choice. You must choose to wait in peace, free from worry. Waiting is disciplined obedience to God's Word. Ladies, today let us sing praises and celebrate past victories as we faithfully wait upon our Lord.  We do not have all of the answers right now, but God does. That knowledge alone gives me pause and a purpose. I trust in Jesus. Do you?

 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9

Be strong as you wait! I believe in you!

 

When Love Sees You

Girlfriends, I want to share the link to a video presentation of my favorite song from The Story Tour.
I urge you to check the entire production yourself. Then come back here in the comments below and let me know your thoughts.
Which song/video meant the most to you? Why?
What exactly spoke to you?
Who is your favorite Christian artist? (I am sure you all know mine: Mac Powell/Third Day!)
Feel free to write whatever inspires you!
Enjoy!


Disc 1 1. I Am — Overture 2. Good (Adam & Eve) — Matthew West/Leign Nash 3. Who But You (Abraham and Sarah) — Casting Crowns (Mark Hall & Megan Garrett) 4. Bend (Joseph) — Brandon Heath 5. It Must Be You (Moses) — Bart Millard (Mercy Me) 6. Bring Us Home (Joshua) — Michael Tait & Blanca Callahan (Group1Crew) 7. I’m With You (Ruth & Naomi) — Nichole Nordeman & Amy Grant 8. Your Heart (David) — Chris Tomlin 9. No Compromise (Daniel) — Peter Furler 10. Born For This (Esther) — Mandisa 11. Broken Praise (Job) — Todd Smith (Selah) Disc 2 1. Be Born In Me (Jesus Birth/Mary) — Francesca Battistelli 2. When Love Sees You (Jesus Ministry) — Mac Powell (Third Day) 3. How Love Wins (Jesus Crucifixion/Thieves) — Steven Curtis Chapman 4. Alive (Jesus Resurrection/Mary Magdalene) — Natalie Grant 5. Empty (Pentecost/Disciples) — Dan Haseltine (Jars Of Clay) & Matt Hammitt (Sanctus Real) 6. Move In Me (Apostle Paul) — Jeremy Camp 7. The Great Day (Second Coming — Michael W. Smith & Darlene Zschech )

The Story

 "I see your story, I see My name,
Written on every beautiful page.
You see the struggle, you see the shame,
I see the reason I came.

I came for your story, 

I came for your wounds,

To show you what love sees when Love looks at you."

 When Love Sees You 

Mac Powell /Nordeman/Herms

Stories

I love stories. I love listening to stories, writing stories, and telling stories. I especially love reading stories to my children. Our home has always been filled with books--on shelves, in baskets, hanging off nightstands, even tucked into seatpockets of the car. Cuddling up under a blanket and traveling on pages through time and space into another world cannot be matched by any Disney Pixar movie or an xbox game.

Unfortunately, I have not read books aloud to my kids in years. Two of my children no longer live with me, and the rest of us at home are in love with technology. My oral reading now consists of shouting across the kitchen into the family room: "Hey, Em, listen to this post on Facebook..." or "Jordan, turn down that tv. I found this funny quote on Pinterest..."

Our current idea of quality time together is truly new age: We compete against one another in Words with Friends. I am sitting on my laptop at the secretary's desk, Emily at the breakfast bar with her Mac, John on the chair with his iphone, and Jordan sprawled across the couch with the iPad, each of us intermittently calling out, "Will you please hurry up and go?' or "What? FIZ for 45 points. That's ridiculous!"

Little did I know the five letter word STORY would soon dominate my life. Everywhere I turn, I notice this word popping up. I should not be surprised, as God has a consistent habit of repetition in order to get my distracted mind to focus upon His will for me! In September, 2011, I purchased tickets for a December concert, The Story Tour. In perfect foreshadowing, this event prompted a resurgence in reading aloud to my children. Journeying through a new format to an eternal and true Story, the Bible is once again transporting us to promised lands through tumultuous times, engaging the enemy and sharing our heroes' dreams, battles, set-backs and eventually total victory. This Story is ultimately our story, and I am thrilled to share it with my family. Girlfriends, please consider that you are also a part of this story! I encourage you to read with us.

The Story Tour

On December 18th, my husband and I took Emily and Jordan to what we thought was going to be a Christmas. Some of our favorite popular Christian music artists performed. To our delight, The Story Tour encompassed abundantly more than just the Christmas story. Singer/songwriter Nichole Nordeman, composer Bernie Herms, and many others joined talented forces to write the songs and create coordinating videos based upon principle persons and major events in our biblical history.  

The musical Story project tells "how God's story of love and redemption intersects with our story of brokenness and failures resulting in a new story of hope and rescue. 'I think for me one of the goals was to be able to listen to these songs and feel more connected to these people that walked before us and learned lessons that we're still learning,' explains Nordeman. 'There's such a tendency to turn them into superheroes and have these big, takeaway, moral-of-the-story moments. For me it was all about the humanity. These were broken people who were desperate and needed God. They were just like us. I really believe that, and I think sometimes forget.'" (NEWS SOURCE: The M Collective, July 19, 2011)

That concert was momentous and amazing! The various artists who delivered the message and the live music inspired awe. Entertaining yet deeply reverent, the audience worshiped in unison with the performers. Our family continues daily to relive the stories since we now own both the dvd and the music cd of The Story project. We each have our favorite song or story, which warms my heart when I think how God touched each one of us in a unique way that night! (In addition, during intermission the kids and I chose a new child to sponsor (Hamil from Peru) through WorldVision. We are honored to partner with this program.)

The Story Bible

The Story is of course God's story, the Bible. But pastors/creators Randy Frazee and Max Lucado took God's story and developed a method for communicating it to God's people in a format tailored to today's standards of presentation and comprehension. Their work is receiving praise everywhere.

According to the website www.thestory.com, "The Story is helping people in churches everywhere experience Scripture like never before. Carefully selected verses from the Bible are organized chronologically. From Genesis to Revelation, (you) will come to understand God’s story and how (your) story intersects with it." The Story Bible, by Zondervan, is written in the form of a novel and accurately abridged. I have purchased the teen edition for my younger son. A children's edition is also available.

Frazee and Lucado developed a series of sermons, small group discussion videos and questions, and the concert tour all based upon the chapters in this Story Bible. My girlfriend's church in Columbia, Illinois, (Hope Christian Church) is in the middle of this series. She loves it! My church (Calvary of Lemont) will begin this Sunday, March 11th. I cannot tell you how excited I am for this journey, especially based upon last week's experience of reading it together with the kids. (And what an experience it is! But that is the subject of tomorrow's blog!!)

Our Story

I am guessing you have had an "aha" moment by this point in reference to my choice of subtitling at the top of this blog: My Story, Your Story, God's Story. I truly believe part of God's story is that inspiration He gives me to write to all of you. Included in my discourse, my Girlfriends, are your stories too! Visualize with me the beautiful fabric He is weaving as the vibrant, silken threads of our lives intersect, connect, and flow into one another. I just want to wrap myself in the comfort, laughter, peace, and security of that cloth!

Girlfriends, I thank you for reading my blog. I also thank you for sharing your lives and your stories with me and my family. I thank God that He created each one of you, uniquely and purposefully, to fit into His eternal story. I pray today that you will be inspired to know Him more, to understand His Story as it relates to your story. And if the Story Bible can help you in that process, I pray you will find a way to get one. Whether it is the old-fashioned, hardcover edition available at the bookstore or the modern method of an ebook for the Kindle or ipad, matters not. What is important is that you know the Story He just for you and about you! Ladies, God is good!

Now, if I could only maneuver in Words With Friends for a triple word play with CALVARY, I would be rocking the house!!!

Love To You All!

Smile

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Psalm 118:24

What a beautiful day in store for us! Rejoice and be glad, Girlfriends. 

I will be accompanying my mom on a trip north for some medical tests as a follow-up to her surgery. Maybe we will get a chance to walk around the lake in Madison afterward. 

Wherever you are today, breathe it in and thank God!

I will post today's blog when we return to her house later in the day, so until then.....

Smile! I love you all!

Just Say Hello

A new command I give you: 

Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

John 13:34

Hello Girlfriends!

Have you ever thought about that word "hello"? I mean, do you specifically remember someone teaching you to say "hello" when you pick up the phone receiver? When someone looks you in the eye and smiles, is your natural response to say "hi"? If you are like me, you utter that word, or some variation of it, countless times in a day without even thinking about its impact. The word just flows naturally, hangs in the air for a second or two, and then quickly disappears as we retreat back into our shells, minds run amok with endless chatter and to-do lists. 

Hello

It is a simple word, "hello," but do you realize the power that one word holds? Whether we initiate the greeting or answer another's prompt, "hello" either invites that person into our world or carries us into theirs. A pathway of communication is opened. I like to believe that the potential for lifelong, maybe even eternal, friendship exists just beyond that one word. 

On the flip side, lies silence. When we ignore a person's presence or refuse to acknowledge their salutation, communication collapses. Unrealized potential slips away into the hurry of the day. No new connections are formed, and huge opportunities for blessing are lost. Perhaps, even, the one to be blessed would have been YOU. 

A Lot of Junk

I attended a Bible study today at the home of a friend who lives about 30 minutes away. As usual, I slipped into my chair just as the lesson began, so I missed the introduction of a first-time participant. As the group closed in prayer, my friend Nadine lifted up to the Lord the newcomer seated to her left, asking God to bless her search for employment. Afterward, while the ladies enjoyed delicious snacks prepared by our hostess, I said hello to this new woman, Marina.We chatted for a few minutes and then joined the rest of the group. Before long I connected enough dots to realize that Nadine had driven Marina to our study today. 

Curious as I am, or nosy as my husband calls it, I asked Nadine how she met Marina. The answer made me chuckle: "at the Goodwill Store." Of course, my next question was, "Well, exactly how do you meet someone in the Goodwill? Did you run your cart into hers, or were you hunting for the same things?" (Keep in mind, my dear Nadine is seventy-five plus years old! I am not sure exactly, but Marina is a generation or two her junior.)

Nadine, in her stylish Southern voice, answered, "I said to her, 'It looks like you are buying a lot of junk there.' Then I thought I would give her my 25% off coupon because she probably had about $100 worth in her cart and I only had a few dollars." Marina nodded her head in confirmation as the rest of us laughed out loud. Nadine filled in the details of that day's meeting and how their friendship developed to the point of inviting Marina to this Bible study. Demonstrating the power of extending a greeting and initiating conversation, Nadine proved that girlfriends are all around us, even in the middle of a Goodwill Store!

Just Say Hello

Nadine and Marina's story is especially intriguing to me for a few reasons. For one, Marina is from Mexico, and Nadine is a true Southerner. Marina speaks Spanish, and Nadine speaks "drawl." However, language did not prevent them from connecting. Secondly, Nadine is Protestant, and Marina is Catholic; nonetheless, denominational differences did not inhibit their spiritual connection. And the third reason is because just last night at my church I spent over an hour speaking with a wonderful missionary woman named Lynda Hausfeld. Lynda's "Say Hello" initiative "inspires Christian women everywhere toward relationships with Muslim women everywhere, knowing that such focus will radically impact believers and will draw Muslim women in all nations to Jesus." (www.sayhelloinfo.com)

Now, "it looks like you are buying a lot of junk there" is definitely a far cry from just saying "Hello." As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure Nadine is just about the only woman with enough charm to open with that line and end with the recipient riding to Bible study with her a short time later!! (God Bless, and more power to you, Nadine!) Furthermore, Marina is a Christian and not a Muslim woman. I wonder if she had been, would Nadine have still approached her with the same hospitality? I am going to guess that she would have, but before speaking to Lynda, I am not sure I would have. What is it about the hijab that intimidates and prevents us from extending even a basic greeting to Muslim women?

Girlfriends, Nadine and Lynda are both on to something very powerful that we need to hear today. That message is simple: Just "Say Hello." If we can slow down and take our eyes off our issues long enough to look around, we will see women of all types just like us, longing for friendship, relationship, and love. Do not be intimidated by the color of her skin, or the covering on her head, or the language that she speaks--women are just that, women. And a simple "hello" with a sincere smile can pave a path where that truth will be revealed. 

Maybe your greeting plants a seed that another will water and yet another will see blossom. Or maybe you are to be the water to a seedling already emerging. Who knows? You could even be the harvester of the hidden yet ripened fruit in a woman's life. The bottom line is you will never know if you don't step out in trust and say "hello." You have a unique gift to give: YOU. Share it! Do not let faith or denominational differences deter you from befriending a woman. Perhaps your example is the only testimony to Jesus that woman will ever see or know. What an amazing opportunity!

Ladies, we don't have to go hunting for connections. If Nadine can befriend a woman in the Goodwill Store, you know your chance is coming....maybe in the produce aisle, at the doctor's office, in your exercise class, or even walking the dog. Women are seeking---I know because I was once one of those women, and I was blessed by neighbors and wives of my husband's co-workers. These ladies who spoke the Truth into my life did not walk up one day and say, "Hey let me tell you about Jesus." NO. They looked me in the eye, smiled, and just said "Hello." 

Tell Me Your Stories

Just like Nadine, I have a few stories of divine appointments in unexpected places that transpired into deep and affectionate friendships with extraordinary women--many of you now reading thisunderstand because it is YOU of whom I speak. I pray God will connect each of you in a special way this week with at least one woman with "a lot of junk in her cart!" I would love to share your stories of God-inspired meetings. You can write a comment below or email me privately at jackie.living4him@gmail.com. Be blessed, Girlfriends, and be a blessing. 

Matters of the Heart

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.”

1 Samuel 16:7

When the Heart is Not in It


Girlfriends, I apologize...I did not write to you yesterday. :-( That's my sad face, in case you are not up with the techno lingo and wondering why I am typing random characters mid-sentence! And for those of you whose intelligence I just offended, I apologize again!

I wondered when I started this blog what I would do on days like yesterday, jammed pack with so much activity leaving me too exhausted to think. I figured I could always write a little something, no matter what my schedule contained. I made an attempt last night, placing today's key verse at the top of the page; however, when no further cohesive thoughts came, I sensed God leading me away from the computer and back to the couch, resting beside my son and reading instead of writing. My heart longed for recuperation rather than revelation.

EKGs

After attending yesterday's morning Bible study, I volunteered for Young Hearts 4 Life. Our local high school students came to the gym to have their hearts examined with a free EKG. My role included correctly placing the "stickies" on the student, attaching the lead wires, and reassuring them through the painless process. This simple procedure helps identify persons at risk for sudden cardiac death.

Young Hearts 4 Life website states that more than 7,000 youngsters under age 18 die from undetected heart conditions each year. Surprising to me, many of the day's volunteers have personal experiences that endear them to the project. One young girl working near me was a former student and volleyball player whose heart stopped in 2007. Personnel performed CPR and used a defibrillator to revive her. Looking at her now, I had no idea of the trauma she suffered or that she has an internal defibrillator implanted in her chest.

Another man at the table next to me lost his son a year ago when his enlarged heart caused sudden cardiac arrest. The boy, by all outward appearances healthy and fit, ran cross country and collapsed. This short and noninvasive test could have saved his life. I am grateful for the volunteers and sponsors who made yesterday possible and am happy that my daughter participated in the screening, as we take for granted the conditions of our own and our children's hearts.

Testing the Heart

In today's key verse, God also reminds us that we are not to be fooled by physical looks when it comes to examining the condition of the heart. While my examples above relate to physical health, the Lord is referring to the spiritual state of the heart. Samuel's task was to anoint a new king, and David's stature and appearance paled in comparison to his brothers. God instructed Samuel to keep inquiring, passing over seven of Jesse's sons, until he sent for young David, who tended to sheep. God saw David's heart condition, not his size, age, or vocation. Because of God's insight and instruction, we know David not only as a great leader, from whose lineage came Jesus, but also by the nickname "a man after God's own heart."

Yet, David himself recognized the value of heart check-ups. We know from David's writings in Psalms that he desired the Lord, his Great Physician, to inspect, discover, diagnose and direct his heart that he may be forgiven and counted righteous.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)

Although a chosen man of God, David existed in a fallen world, and as such, his heart was not perfect.

You, God, know my folly; my guilt is not hidden from you. Psalm 69:5 (NIV)

A leak here, a murmur there, and suddenly David's entire being was affected. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and was responsible for her husband's placement in battle which resulted in death. He took a census rather than trusting in God's provision. Because of blood by his hands, he was not permitted to build the temple. Still David sought his Lord and cried out to Him regularly. God was his internal pacemaker, his defibrillator, shocking David's heart back into rhythm. Despite imperfections, because he regularly submitted to God's heart examinations and prescriptions, David was saved from eternal death by the renewing of his heart. 

A Different EKG

Girlfriends, God wants to give you what David received--a new heart, a clean heart, a healed heart, a healthy, vibrant, God-loving and people-serving heart. Won't you make an appointment with Him today? No referrals or pre-authorizations necessary; no paperwork to file; no co-pays or bills in the mail. Jesus paid the cost, His blood, and free of charge, you get the benefit: an EKG--the Eternal Kingdom of God.

Won't you open your heart and let Him in...
 ...Today, if only you would hear his voice, Do not harden your hearts...Psalm 95:7-8