Women’s Ministry Blog (Page 4)

Women’s Ministry Blog (Page 4)

This blog is written by wives of Stonebrook Pastors, as well as other women in Stonebrook. We hope that you will enjoy getting to know them better as you hear their hearts!

Comparison

Do you tend to compare yourself with other women? I know I do… sometimes unconsciously. Over sixty years ago, social psychologists developed a theory called Social Comparison theory, which states that humans have the drive to compare themselves to others to determine their worth. This is especially true for women, who are likely to compare themselves with other women in certain areas such as abilities, appearance, success etc. With an easy access to a wide range of social media, women…

Galatians 6

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2 “I don’t want to be a burden.” “I feel like I am just too much.” “If I ask for help, I will just burden others.” Have you ever thought any of these thoughts? I think we all have! Deep down behind that “being a burden thought” is the scary conclusion: “People don’t like burdens! They will leave if I am a burden!…

Is God Good?

You might know that I am going to China in about 40 days. And I’m going to be there for 90 days! Yes, 90! I will be going with nine other Americans for three months of intensive treatment with traditional Chinese medicine. Five or six days a week of acupuncture, electric acupuncture, massage, Chinese herbs, and physical therapy. Each day is highly regimented.  The hope and prayer is I will return with more function to my body that was lost…

1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2:9-10 – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” I was at Faithwalkers this year, and was really struck by a teaching given by Dan…

Faithwalkers Booster Shot

The new year is off and running and I am trying to get things in order. I love how the new year feels like a new start on just about everything. I can implement new eating habits, get back into exercising, and start my One Year Bible reading again. “Refocus” would be a theme for me. The best lead-up to this is Faithwalkers. As good as all those habits are, they are nothing without faith. (Hebrews 11:6 – “And without…

Psalm 138:3

“On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.” – Psalm 138:3 Earlier this week I woke up one morning feeling uncertainty in my heart about a number of things, and it left me feeling anxious. Of course, the obvious remedy would be to seek the Lord through the Word and prayer, but there I was… scrolling through Facebook. The words of a Christian author and pastor that I follow showed up in my feed: “If…

Abundant Grace!

2 Corinthians 9:8 – “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” This verse is certainly perfect for this time of year. I notice every November as Christmas draws closer, that the “get-er-done” part of me can feel like it’s at the “starting gate” ready to run hard to tackle the to-do lists! And yes, this part,…

Psalm 46

“All our fears are wicked, and we fear because we will not nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear!” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, November 14th) Reading this devotional exposed some of my hidden fears. One fear came in season. Almost every November for the past several years, including this year, my health has taken a turn for the worse with returning and new symptoms. When…

Never Alone

The other night I was lying awake, tempted to be afraid about some upcoming and potentially overwhelming events, but the Holy Spirit reminded me, “Do not fear, for I am with you.” In the morning when Brad and I talked about this, neither of us could recall the verse reference. Then we realized it was Isaiah 41:10, an old favorite for both of us; one we hadn’t thought about in a while. “So do not fear, for I am with…

Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah 40:31 – “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” A common thing I hear from women these days is, “I feel tired.” Understandably so! Our lives are so busy! I never used to answer this way. I have, for the majority of my life, been blessed with a high level of energy. Before this…

Life…In Layers

Sometimes I marvel at the way life plays out. I can be so happy and so sad in such a short span of time. The end of last week was one of those moments when the strangeness of it all hit me. A friend and former coworker’s mother passed away Monday (Oct 30th). That was the same day that Moriah returned to El Salvador and of the New York City terrorist attack with the truck. I was still in post-recovery…

Ephesians 6

“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one…” – Ephesians 6:16 Lately I have been meditating on Ephesians 6 and the armor of God. I’m reminded how there is an element to our world that I don’t like to think about frequently: rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers over darkness…spiritual forces of evil who want to destroy us (Ephesians 6:12). When I jump down to verse 16…

My Cave on the Beach

Our church has a prayer ministry called “Renew” that I have found helpful when I am hurting. In a recent Renew session, as I was praying with a friend, an image of a cave on a beach came to mind. This cave was dark and stuffed full of events that had brought me pain and disappointment. I could not keep all the pain in the cave, and so it was overflowing on to the beach and into my daily life.…

Psalm 84:1-2

Psalm 84:1-2 – “How lovely, O Lord, is your dwelling place. My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Last week I got the urge. I looked around our home and thought, “We need some fall decorations around here.” Rather than hopping in the car and dashing to Hobby Lobby, I thought I would rummage in my storage closet and attic and see what treasures I…

Psalm 84:4

Psalm 84:4 – “Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praises.” Recently, I have had the lyrics of “10,000 Reasons” stuck in my mind. I found myself humming the verses during the day and contemplating them at sleepless nights. “Bless the Lord Bless the Lord Oh my soul, oh my soul Worship His holy name Sing like never before Oh my soul I’ll worship Your holy name” As I was singing this song, my soul was often…

Learning to Grieve

A week ago, Brad and I were visiting with someone about a recent death in their family. He spoke about the importance of grieving, because only when we grieve can we find the comfort of God. Though he wasn’t talking to me, I realized I was grieving. Again. Brad and I regularly talk about our challenges with my health, and we try to have open conversations and process our grief. But for some reason I’ve been grieving more intensely in…

2 Corinthians 13:5

2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” I am doing a Beth Moore Bible study with a dear sweet college gal. It is called, “Believing God.” Though it is not the first time I have done this study, it is challenging me in new ways. The goal of the study is to merge our theology with our reality. The core teaching can be summed up in five sentences: 1. God is who…

Fear of the Lord

This was the subject/focus of the prayer meeting last week at church. The timing couldn’t have been any better as it was the answer to many questions that had been mulling around in my mind that very day. I had just finished a book about a classmate whose life has been damaged by all the alcoholics she was surrounded with in her family. “Tragic and heart-breaking” is all I could think, and I felt compassion for her suffering. She talked…

1 Samuel 7:12

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” – 1 Samuel 7:12 This probably seems like an odd verse to focus on, but recently I was remembering how impactful it was during our trial of infertility. I was able to look back on the months and years of waiting for children and say with confidence that so far, the Lord has…

Psalm 136

“…for his steadfast love endures forever.” – Psalm 136:1 Recently, I was realizing how much I long to feel steady love in relationships. As in all human relationships, there are ups and downs, joys and sin, and sometimes misunderstandings and unmet expectations. God brought to mind this psalm, and reminded me of how God’s love for me (because of Christ’s righteousness now being counted on my behalf!) doesn’t change. This psalm is unique because it repeats “for his steadfast love…

2 Corinthians 5:4

“For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.” – 2 Corinthians 5:4 As I glanced at the photo featuring me and a few Noah’s Ark kids it became very obvious to me… I’m getting old!!! The creases and wrinkles in my face were undeniable. (Somehow those aren’t so obvious…

Micah 6:8

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” – Micah 6:8 Over the summer, a doctor helped me find out the reason why I had been walking unevenly over the past several years. Through the treatment process, God revealed to me that I was “crippled” and how much I needed Him as my walking companion. This…

Psalms

Can God strengthen and encourage us in the disappointments we face? Recently this theme has been on my mind. I’ve been dwelling—probably too much—on disappointments I’m facing. For example, my daughter Kelli is getting married, and I’ve been unable to help her very much with wedding plans, both due to long distance (1100 miles away) and my health restrictions. Another disappointment is day-to-day serving, such as cooking, that I can’t do for Brad and others. Also, I’m not able to…