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Four Powerful Words that Scream “I love you” Part 2

In Part 1 of this post, we discussed that many times when faced with struggling friends, we take the passive way out and say, “Let me know if you need anything.”  I believe that instead we should learn to say,

How can I help?

What can I do?

Do you need anything?

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These words say that I am here, ready to serve, willing to help, just waiting for you to tell me what to do.

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Four powerful words that scream “I love you” (Part 1)

I hung up the phone and hung my head between my shoulders.  I stumbled my way through the kitchen sobbing uncontrollably.  My daughter came up to me and embraced me in a hug.  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

My father had just called to tell me that my beloved grandmother had died.  This was a women that I spent many, many weekends with when I was growing up.  She lived on a farm and I have many happy memories of being with her there.

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I released my daughter from the hug and trudged along to tell my husband the bad news.  I walked past my daughter’s 18 year old boyfriend, who was sitting on the couch.  He looked up into my puffy, red eyes and spoke four powerful words that scream, “I love you.”

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Today’s weakness yields tomorrow’s strength

The praise and worship was wonderful, and I was enjoying every minute of it.  But the men who comprised the worship  band were an unlikely combination.  The twenty-something pianist and drummer had a hippie look going on….long hair and a scraggly beard.  The teenage guitarist had a youthful, boyish face.  Then there was the middle-aged and straight-laced backup singer.

He stuck out like a sore thumb.  The other band members were sporting their ratty T-shirts and blue jeans, and this gentleman had on a brightly-colored ironed golf shirt and neatly-pressed slacks.  His hair was closely cropped and at nine o’clock at night he did not even have a five o’clock shadow.

One of these things was not like the others.

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Five simple secrets to spend 15 minutes with God today

Many of us feel guilty for not spending time with God on a daily basis. We may not have a consistent “quiet time” or even a prayer life.  I don’t believe that God is in heaven taking attendance of who has been with Him today and who hasn’t.  Instead, He is just longing to spend time with you.  Read on to learn how to start spending 15 minutes with God each day

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Is God looking for effort or perfection?

When you were young, do you remember how your parents would encourage you to “Do your best” when you had a big test or performance or ball game?  You may have also heard the quote “Do your best, and let God take care of the rest.”  What if your best isn’t looking so hot?  What do you do then?  Is God looking for our best, or is He looking for us?  What about effort…does it count for anything?

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Romans 12:1 urges us to “…present our bodies a living a holy sacrifice, acceptable and well-pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

What do we do when what we have to present to God is not a beautifully-wrapped gift tied in a crisp gold bow?  What if we are broken and bleeding on the inside and what we have to present to God is wrapped in tattered cloths, stained with our tears?  What if that is our best?  Is it enough?

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I can’t fake it in front of Jesus

If you’ve spent some time in your Bible or in church, you’ve probably come across a woman that we affectionately call “the woman at the well.”  The story of this Samaritan woman is found in John Chapter 4.   Jesus met this woman at the well when he came for a drink.

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We are told that this woman had had five husbands, and she was currently living with a man who was not her husband.  Girls, this was a broken women.  Can you imagine all of the rejection she felt having been through 5 husbands and now with one who did not want to fully embrace her as wife?   She was also a Samaritan and the Samaritans were rejected by the Jews solely on the basis of their race.  She was living with all of this rejection and pain without knowing the love of a Heavenly Father.  She was crumbling on the inside, much like the well that she was drawing from.

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True confessions of a captive bondslave

As I sit at my Bible study desk (which is also where I write my blog posts), I wonder, what am I doing here?  The fact that I am sitting her poised to write baffles me.  I now have a blog.  Which means that I have to write blog posts.  Which means that I have to have something to say.in my weakness, or lack of something to say, that God will show Himself strong and speaking through me_Have you ever been in a position where you asked yourself, “What on earth am I doing here?”  Maybe your found yourself sitting in a corporate boardroom surrounded by people who were more educated or experienced than you.  Or you were in a neighbor’s house when she had an emotional breakdown and looked to you for comfort.  Perhaps you are slated to speak at a women’s ministry event and you are questioning if you have any thing to say.

I am questioning if I have anything to say.

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Don’t feel guilty when you don’t share someone’s passion

Abortion.  Marriage.  Revival.  Israel.  Jesus’ 2nd Coming.   Adoption.  Healing.  Homelessness.

Which one are you passionate about?  Or are you passionate about none?  We probably all know someone who is extremely passionate in one of these areas.   Is something wrong with us if we aren’t, or if we are passionate in another way?

My church and city are filled with many saints who are passionate in one or more of these areas.   I know a lady who stands on the sidewalk near our local abortion clinic and declares life over the unborn.  I have a dear friend who is extremely passionate about praying for Israel and educating others about God’s heart for Israel.  I am great friends with an amazing couple who have 7 children (3 biological, 4 adopted) and they are in the process of adopting 4 more!  These are passionate people who inspire me in many ways.

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The Excruciating Year of the Horrible Haircuts

Have you ever wondered how Jesus would have felt if he had a bad haircut? I have read my Bible from cover to cover and I can’t recall any mention of Jesus and haircuts.   I think He probably had His hair trimmed from time to time.  I imagine Jesus’ hair the way I have seen it depicted in pictures:  long, curly, and glossy.   He looks like an attractive man.

For me, this has been the excruciating year of horrible haircuts.  It started right before Christmas when I went in for a “new do.”  I had a hairstyle in mind that I thought it would look good on me.  I came out of the salon looking like the Sherman Williams Dutch Boy.  It was so bad that I woke up all night long despairing and mourning my lost hair!  The next day, I called a friend who was a hairdresser and asked if she could “fix” it for me.  She did, but it was very short.  I was so embarrassed and I wanted to put my head in the sand like an ostrich and never come up for air.

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What does “Celebrating Weakness” really mean?

What does “Celebrating Weakness” really mean?

I have never been to an “AA” (Alcoholics Anonymous) or a “NA” (Narcotics Anonymous) meeting, but I have seen enough TV shows and movies to envision what they might be like.  Imagine with me a room set up with a circle of chairs.  The chairs are filled with brave but broken people, and they take turns saying their name, and their weakness.

I’m Joan, and I’m an alcoholic.
I’m Nicole, and I’m addicted to prescription drugs.
I’m Megan, and I’m addicted to meth.

The room is a safe place for brave but broken women to publicly acknowledge their weakness.  CelebratingWeakness.com is a safe place for brave but broken women to publicly acknowledge their weakness.

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