Sunday, June 21, 2015
Ladies In Waiting : Ladies in Waiting Intro
Ladies In Waiting : Ladies in Waiting Intro: I wish I could sit here, with my coffee in hand, and tell you that I have enjoyed each season of my life. The truth is, that up until the b...
Ladies in Waiting Intro
I wish I could sit here, with my coffee in hand, and tell you that I have enjoyed each season of my life. The truth is, that up until the beginning of this year, I did not enjoy each season of my life. Truthfully I didn't "enjoy" any season of my life. Ladies in waiting was actually formed in my twenties because that is exactly what I felt like. A lady in waiting, never actually doing anything. Waiting for my turn, pacing, frustrated, depressed, emotional,and angry, note that none of these are fruits of the spirit. It was during my twenties that God developed internal values, set me free, and set me up with some divine relationships. While in the process of waiting, I went through feelings of being looked for leadership positions, being faithful when I didn't feel like it mattered, doing the best I could and still never feeling like I measured up, and I think I spent more time throwing my hands up in frustration wondering what God was doing. My twenties were tear filled years and although I would never want to do them again, I wouldn't take them back for anything. I would like to share with you why they were so valuable.
I wasn't like other girls, I had a big mouth and a strong personality at a very young age. That didn't jive with the christian community I was growing up in. The word submission was a curse word to me, I had seen it abused and used to control women, and I didn't play by the rules. I knew at 14 that God was calling me to speak and leadership, and I also knew at 14 that I was not going to do it. "I will sing for you God, but I don't want to speak." Speaking was in my mind "mans" work and I knew that as a girl if I stepped out and spoke I would go through the very same hardships I saw my mom go through. (My mom was a female minister when it wasn't ok and she fought for rights for women with in the church. ) I had too many fears and hurts concerning this and for a long time I was angry at God, convinced He wanted me to suffer through my life. I was so frustrated I wasn't born a boy: "This would be easier God if you just made me a boy." I would pray. But God never changed his mind, every time I prayed I could hear always "leadership" and "be my mouth piece."
In my mid 20's I finally completely surrendered to this call. I tried to manipulate my way around it, leading kids ministry, hiding behind a keyboard, and pretending to be something I wasn't. But God continued to call me, and again it never changed, "leadership" and "be my mouth piece." During my 20's my husband grew more and more supportive of this. He would whisper at night while I cried tears of frustration, hurt, pain, and bitterness, "You can do anything" "I believe in you." Every time I would be overlooked, talked about, attacked, he was the steady arm for me, and it was in my 20's he became my best friend. I was set free of my childhood of sexual abuse, emotional abuse and spiritual abuse. God healed my hurts, deep wounds, calmed my fears, and killed my pride, all in my twenties. He taught me to hear His voice and trust it above all of my circumstances. To have faith in Him, and not what I can see. Through this blog you will hear about my 20's because these for me were my foundation of being a Lady in Waiting. Like David who learned how to trust God in the field or Joseph who learned how to trust God in slavery. I learned how to trust God in my twenties, I placed the foundation of leadership in my twenties. I want any women reading this to know God has a plan and a purpose for your life, not a work description or a role, but a purpose. So lets settle in together every week and be Ladies in Waiting.
I wasn't like other girls, I had a big mouth and a strong personality at a very young age. That didn't jive with the christian community I was growing up in. The word submission was a curse word to me, I had seen it abused and used to control women, and I didn't play by the rules. I knew at 14 that God was calling me to speak and leadership, and I also knew at 14 that I was not going to do it. "I will sing for you God, but I don't want to speak." Speaking was in my mind "mans" work and I knew that as a girl if I stepped out and spoke I would go through the very same hardships I saw my mom go through. (My mom was a female minister when it wasn't ok and she fought for rights for women with in the church. ) I had too many fears and hurts concerning this and for a long time I was angry at God, convinced He wanted me to suffer through my life. I was so frustrated I wasn't born a boy: "This would be easier God if you just made me a boy." I would pray. But God never changed his mind, every time I prayed I could hear always "leadership" and "be my mouth piece."
In my mid 20's I finally completely surrendered to this call. I tried to manipulate my way around it, leading kids ministry, hiding behind a keyboard, and pretending to be something I wasn't. But God continued to call me, and again it never changed, "leadership" and "be my mouth piece." During my 20's my husband grew more and more supportive of this. He would whisper at night while I cried tears of frustration, hurt, pain, and bitterness, "You can do anything" "I believe in you." Every time I would be overlooked, talked about, attacked, he was the steady arm for me, and it was in my 20's he became my best friend. I was set free of my childhood of sexual abuse, emotional abuse and spiritual abuse. God healed my hurts, deep wounds, calmed my fears, and killed my pride, all in my twenties. He taught me to hear His voice and trust it above all of my circumstances. To have faith in Him, and not what I can see. Through this blog you will hear about my 20's because these for me were my foundation of being a Lady in Waiting. Like David who learned how to trust God in the field or Joseph who learned how to trust God in slavery. I learned how to trust God in my twenties, I placed the foundation of leadership in my twenties. I want any women reading this to know God has a plan and a purpose for your life, not a work description or a role, but a purpose. So lets settle in together every week and be Ladies in Waiting.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Ladies In Waiting : Dust or Diamonds?
Ladies In Waiting : Dust or Diamonds?: Together my daughter and I love to watch Girl Meets World, its kinda our thing. In the episode "Girl Meets New World." Topanga ...
Monday, June 8, 2015
Dust or Diamonds?
Together my daughter and I love to watch Girl Meets World, its kinda our thing. In the episode "Girl Meets New World." Topanga said something so profound. She looked at Riley and Lucas and said "The right kind of pressure will turn you into a diamond but the wrong type of pressure will turn you into dust." She was very emphatic and passionate about this and it resonated with me and probably every women out there.
Pressure: it makes us or breaks us. I have seen so many women crumble under that exact thing. Everything in our world blasts us on what we are supposed to wear, how we are to act, what we listen to, what we buy, and how to raise our daughter's. It is no wonder that our ladies in waiting are confused about where they are even supposed to start. We have women in the world that are sold into sex slavery,genitally mutilated, oppressed, sexualized, objectified, marginalized, and silenced over and over again. They have no voice and cry out at night "Send someone to save me."
In our country 25% of young girls are molested, by either men in their family or close to the family. Young girls are bombarded with images of sex, bi sexual tendencies and promiscuity and our society encourages this upon our daughters. Our daughters, sing songs about being worshiped as a goddess and controlling men or being controlled by men. Pornography is one of the largest income earners in the US. From books,movies, television, magazines,and commercial. It not only targets men but women. most of those women who star in those films don't want to be doing what they are doing. Our number one movie and number one book women will read or want to see is pornography. Plain and simple. The pressure of this world is turning our daughters into dust, they are crumbling and mothers and fathers are allowing them to do so in the name of "whats popular."
The United States has more freedom for women than other countries in the world. So what do we do with it? We write about clothes, jewelry, bows, make up, looking young,sex positions, parties, decor, and outward things that have no lasting legacy. It is a sad day when we are more concerned about how our kids look than what we are putting into them. It is a sad day when the next generation is hungry for change and wants to do something and we hand them distractions, put them to sleep with romance novels, magazines about the best sex positions, and how to make people look at you.
So the question is what do we do? If you are a young women reading this and you are starting on your journey I say this to you: be strong, love people, be courageous, be bold, learn, be teachable. Surround yourself with strong women who see value in you, if you can't find one, I will be one. Be willing to look in the mirror of your character and look for the flaws, the weaknesses and the strengths. Surrender to God daily and have faith that all things will work together for good. Know that no one is the same, their is no cheat sheet to life. A destiny or a purpose doesn't just "happen" but is unfolded over time. Work hard, forgive much and get in life giving relationships. These are the types of pressures that will turn you into diamonds.
God is not looking for women who want to look the part. He is looking for daughters who say "I am here, I am surrendered, Use me!" What would happen if our mothers stepped up and became warriors for their families, helpmates for their husbands, examples for their children and quit hiding behind the excuses they have. When we quit hiding behind the words of "balanced" and "submitting to my husband" Human trafficking, orphans, foster care, abuse, sickness, poverty,and widows. These are things that break Gods heart. Do they break yours? If not maybe its time that during this waiting season you start to discover who you are and what God made you for. You are leaving a legacy, what will it be? Dust or Diamonds?
Pressure: it makes us or breaks us. I have seen so many women crumble under that exact thing. Everything in our world blasts us on what we are supposed to wear, how we are to act, what we listen to, what we buy, and how to raise our daughter's. It is no wonder that our ladies in waiting are confused about where they are even supposed to start. We have women in the world that are sold into sex slavery,genitally mutilated, oppressed, sexualized, objectified, marginalized, and silenced over and over again. They have no voice and cry out at night "Send someone to save me."
In our country 25% of young girls are molested, by either men in their family or close to the family. Young girls are bombarded with images of sex, bi sexual tendencies and promiscuity and our society encourages this upon our daughters. Our daughters, sing songs about being worshiped as a goddess and controlling men or being controlled by men. Pornography is one of the largest income earners in the US. From books,movies, television, magazines,and commercial. It not only targets men but women. most of those women who star in those films don't want to be doing what they are doing. Our number one movie and number one book women will read or want to see is pornography. Plain and simple. The pressure of this world is turning our daughters into dust, they are crumbling and mothers and fathers are allowing them to do so in the name of "whats popular."
The United States has more freedom for women than other countries in the world. So what do we do with it? We write about clothes, jewelry, bows, make up, looking young,sex positions, parties, decor, and outward things that have no lasting legacy. It is a sad day when we are more concerned about how our kids look than what we are putting into them. It is a sad day when the next generation is hungry for change and wants to do something and we hand them distractions, put them to sleep with romance novels, magazines about the best sex positions, and how to make people look at you.
So the question is what do we do? If you are a young women reading this and you are starting on your journey I say this to you: be strong, love people, be courageous, be bold, learn, be teachable. Surround yourself with strong women who see value in you, if you can't find one, I will be one. Be willing to look in the mirror of your character and look for the flaws, the weaknesses and the strengths. Surrender to God daily and have faith that all things will work together for good. Know that no one is the same, their is no cheat sheet to life. A destiny or a purpose doesn't just "happen" but is unfolded over time. Work hard, forgive much and get in life giving relationships. These are the types of pressures that will turn you into diamonds.
God is not looking for women who want to look the part. He is looking for daughters who say "I am here, I am surrendered, Use me!" What would happen if our mothers stepped up and became warriors for their families, helpmates for their husbands, examples for their children and quit hiding behind the excuses they have. When we quit hiding behind the words of "balanced" and "submitting to my husband" Human trafficking, orphans, foster care, abuse, sickness, poverty,and widows. These are things that break Gods heart. Do they break yours? If not maybe its time that during this waiting season you start to discover who you are and what God made you for. You are leaving a legacy, what will it be? Dust or Diamonds?
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