Because Moms Matter

By Gina Stinson –

Moms matter. For all those days you find yourself wondering if what you do really makes a difference, consider this your personal pat on the back and be assured. It does.

Whether you’re a good mom or a bad mom, what you do counts. The influence we have on the lives God trusts us with on earth is immeasurable. In fact, it’s a little frightening. The words I speak over my children on a daily basis help form their own thoughts about the world, God, their self-worth, their family and more. Let’s face it my parenting skills—good or bad—are going to be mirrored in my kids. Lord help us.

Seriously, Lord help us! In a world that is screaming out to kids about their weight, their athletic ability and their grade point average, I’m suppose to be screaming (in a good way) about the love of God, how much they are valued in God’s eyes, while at the same time instilling a Christian world-view. It’s a daunting task. Somebody’s gotta do it. Someone will.

Good parenting isn’t for the lazy. God’s Word tells me I am to be instilling God-things in my children from sunup to sundown. I have so much to do and so little time. Eighteen to twenty-two years hardly seems like enough time to get it all in. Thankfully God is on my side, helping, guiding, and giving opportunities to guide my children through this life. Christian parents don’t walk alone. With our guidebook, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit, we can make a difference in this generation. Lord help us.

PRAYER:  Father thank You for trusting me to take care of the children You gave me. They are Yours. Use them, guide them, help them, protect them. Help me to do my part to proclaim Your name and to etch Your character on our home.

“Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 11:19 NIV).

This devotion was written by Gina Stinson, a minister’s wife and mother of two. Gina writes from a mom’s perspective on life issues, the home, and the church. There’s never a dull moment on her blog, http://journalinggina.blogspot.com , where you can always be sure to catch a word of encouragement or a thought to ponder.

Anit-wise Motion

By Robin Steinweg –

Dead ant, dead ant, dead antdeadantdeadant (sung to the Pink Panther theme). This is what goes through my mind when I enter my bathroom these days. That and some questions: why? Why are these ants in the bathroom when there’s no food? They don’t even seem to be looking for food. They appeared a couple of months ago from under the molding; aimlessly wandering in odd-shaped loops, then out of sight again—a perpetual, purposeless motion. In the past, they came into the kitchen in orderly troops, heading for crumbs on the floor. Not this time. I tried natural extermination methods first, without success. We’ve battled ants every summer for years, but I never think to have poison in the house.

I finally bought some. They lined up for it like piggies at the trough, gorging themselves. Some drowned, some staggered a few steps and expired, others faithfully carried the stuff back to the nest (I assume). I felt satisfied after they’d been gone awhile. The poison worked as it had every other summer. But the other day I noticed one tugging on something. And another. I looked closely. They were hauling the corpses of their fallen comrades to the middle of the bathroom floor, where they dumped them and returned to the molding. This went on all day. Hauling dead ants almost to my feet and dumping them off, as if they knew what they were doing—like a scene from a horror flick.

By now you are wondering what the spiritual application is. So am I! And if you are wise enough to find one from these erratic ants, would you please post it in the comments below for the rest of us?

All I know is that the Bible says to observe ants in order to be wise. Without overseer or ruler, they prepare their food in summer and gather it at harvest time. They plan ahead. I’ve been caught in last-minute panics and in an unprepared condition times without number for lack of planning. Unexpected visitors, sickness, people calling and needing to talk—or ants in the house—have brought stress or embarrassment to me and my family because I wasn’t prepared. I hope to be wiser in this way starting now. I’ll observe the ants. Just maybe not the ones in my bathroom!

PRAYER: Lord, You are the great Planner of creation and eternity. You planned our salvation in advance. You planned good works for us to do. You have plans to prosper us and to give us a future and a hope. You are even now preparing a place for us in heaven. I ask You for wisdom to be a better planner, able to learn Your wisdom even from ants.

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage” (Proverbs 21:5 NASB).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

The Feminine Side of God

By Warren Mueller –

Is there a feminine aspect to God?  Most references to God in the Bible generally use masculine terms such as Father.   However, Genesis 1:27 says “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”  What does this mean?  First of all, we must attempt to remove the idea of human sexuality from the terms masculine and feminine as they might apply to God.  Jesus said that there are no sexual relations in heaven but that people will be like the angels (Matthew 22:29).  Although Jesus is masculine in His humanity, we must realize that God is described as a consuming fire and a spirit being (Hebrews 12:29; John 4:24).  Thus, God is more complex than our concepts of masculine and feminine.  Also, the Bible clearly teaches that God is Triune or three persons in one being.  There is no credible support to suggest that there is a female being that is God.

I believe that there are qualities and roles shown by God in the Bible that can be best described as feminine.  The Greek word for wisdom frequently used in the Bible is sophia.  This term is used to describe the wisdom that comes from God and has feminine connotations.  It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that sinners are born-again and become children of God (Titus 3:5; John 3:3-6).  Not only does the Holy Spirit do the birthing change of sinners to saints, but He also nutures them by living within believers (1 Corinthian 3:16).  Thus, the Holy Spirit is the most intimate and personal being of the Trinity in that He dwells within believers and is their Counselor (John 14:16).  Among humans, this nurturing behavior is something that is most strongly associated with mothers.  Believers can grieve the Holy Spirit by rejecting his counsel and being disobedient which seems similar to what mothers experience with wayward children (Ephesians 4:30).

In Christian households, husbands are thought of as the head but wives are the heart for they are typically at the center of relationships between husband and children. This is why in many families, the ultimate insults are those directed towards the wife. I believe this is the basis for the statement made by Jesus that insults against Him could be forgiven but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would never be forgiven (Matthew 12:31-32).  Finally, the creation story itself can teach us about how feminine traits are embedded within masculine.  Eve was taken out of Adam and it is God’s plan for woman to complement and complete man in marriage (Genesis 2:22-24).  Similarly, the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and Son saving sinners and builds up the family of God.

It is my prayer that this will help you to better understand that God is more than a Father figure or Jesus incarnate.  It is from the awesome complexity of God that He created humans, male and female, to reflect a small part of his infinite being.

Warren Mueller is a Christian author of books and articles based on what the Bible teaches as well as fictional books with Biblical themes.   Among his books are Truth Seeker: Straight Talk From The Bible and The Past And Future King which are both published by American Book Publishing.  The former is a concise guide to what the Bible says on over 30 theological and practical living subjects with questions useful for small groups or Sunday School.  The latter is a Lord Of  The Rings style tale and the first of a trilogy.  You can learn more about Warren and his writings by going to his web site at www.warrenmueller.com

Fitness and Risks

By Don Otis –

This past week has seen me in the ER twice for activities related to fitness.

I reached the summit of 14,005’ Mt. of the Holy Cross near Vail, Colorado recently, but ran into trouble on the way down. I fell on a steep ridge while descending and split my head open. God in His mercy had two EMTs there within minutes with a triage kit to stop the bleeding. What are the odds of such care well above 13,000 feet? Seven stitches later I was ready to board a flight to Spokane the next day. Within 48-hours of landing I was completing a 12-mile mountain bike ride in North Idaho. Then, unexpectedly, I was attacked by a pit bull. A second trip to the ER as the dog bit deep into my calf muscle.

If you run, walk, hike, or ride you know the risks posed by dogs that protect their territory. In general, they are territorial and will leave you alone after you pass their property. You learn to avoid certain breeds, not the least of which is Pit Bulls or Rottweilers. You would be foolish not to. But the majority of risks we face are not from falls or dogs.

There is an old saying about life, investments, and relationships. I have quoted the adage, “No risk, no reward,” many times. Still, there are risks every time we venture outdoors. We also risk injury each time we get in our car or take a flight. We accept the risks as part of life. We also accept certain risks if we want to remain healthy and fit. If we are wise, we do everything we can to mitigate risks. Sometimes, no matter what we do, something unexpected happens along the way.

Nancy is one of my clients. She is 69-years-old. Nancy and her husband were ranchers in Arizona before she was thrown from her horse and partially paralyzed. It happens. She is now doing what she can to remain healthy. She says, “I hope one day I can throw these crutches away!” I like her attitude. She doesn’t give up in spite of the trauma she faced that changed her life.

When I was first learning to drive, my dad used to tell me to drive like a coward. Driving defensively is something we learn. We don’t really expect to put ourselves at risk by walking or riding through our neighborhoods. If you venture out, wear protective clothing that makes you easier to see. Avoid dusk or after dark if possible. Be aware of your surroundings. Unless you are at a gym, don’t wear an iPod or other music device. You put yourself at greater risk by doing so.  If you are hiking or biking a longer distance, carry an emergency kit. Even if you are running, walking or hiking in a nearby park, avoid dogs that are off leash. Stop, move off the side of the trail or walkway and give them plenty of space.

As I think about the attack, I should have dismounted my bike and used it to shield me. In general, dogs like to chase. Avoid neighborhoods or parks where dogs are off leash or vicious. Call your local law enforcement or animal control to report loose dogs. You may be protecting a child or elderly person by doing so.

We can stay inside the safety and comfort of our homes, but it is so much more fun to get outside and enjoy nature. Finally, if you do you exercise outside; it is always best to have someone with you. Stay safe. Stay smart.

Don S. Otis is am ACE Certified personal trainer, the author of Keeping Fit after 40 and Whisker Rubs: Developing the Masculine Identity. He is the president of Veritas Communications, a Christian publicity agency based in Canon City, Colorado. You can contact him at don@veritasincorporated.com.

The Cry of a Woman’s Heart

By Donna McCrary –

Look closely men, because you may not be hearing the real cry of your woman’s heart. As women, we are much more independent than our mothers and grandmothers. We are more educated. We take care of the kids and their overwhelmingly busy schedules. We are more than confident in our choices. We have this whole wife, mother, career woman thing figured out and we don’t need anyone telling us otherwise.

Men, open your eyes and see past our facade. It is a mask we wear! It is the defense we hold on to. That is what society expects of us as independent women and we can’t let “them” down.

The real cry is the lyrics from Sanctus Real’s song Lead Me, “Lead me with strong hands, stand up when I can’t, show me you are willing to fight, that I am the love of your life, I don’t want to feel alone.” Deep down we want and need you to be our leader. We were created by God to be your helpmate not independent (alone).

We need you to lead us in the ways of God’s Word, remind us of His promises, teach us His great love and show us His grace and forgiveness.

We need you to stand up and fight. We need you to confront us on our values and our priorities. We need you to challenge us to put aside the ways of this world and to focus on the eternal. We need you to protect us and help us take off the mask that we hold on to so tightly.

You are the only one that can truly love us unconditionally here on this earth and we need that love… oh, how we long for that love.

Let us make this clear and give you a warning. We will not give up our independence easily. It is our comfort, our defense. This is our cry but we have to believe you are willing to go the distance in this fight. We will try to stop you because it makes us vulnerable but we need you to fight for us. We need you to be strong.

Men, hear our cry! Make Sanctus Real’s lyrics your battle song, “Father, give me the strength to be everything I’m called to be. Oh, Father, show me the way to lead them.”

PRAYER: “God, we ask for Your mighty hand to give us the strength to take a stand for our marriages today.”

“So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matthew 19:6 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Donna McCrary and Sherri Holbert. As Life Coaches, they equip women to discover their life purpose. Learn more about their study DIVAS of the Divine: How to live as a Designer Original in a Knock Off World at: www.walkofpurpose.com

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