tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630282733419870882024-02-07T22:16:30.123-05:00living for moreadventures of a kind-of grown-upRachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-12888050659808715852015-12-01T21:59:00.002-05:002015-12-01T22:00:43.025-05:00Thankfulness Log 2015, 4As Thanksgiving has passed into Advent, I am realizing how busy life can get. Yet in these moments is where God brings some of the gifts you don't expect or didn't plan. As I finish up these thankfulness blogs for 2015, I'm reminded and want to encourage you to keep being thankful. Be thankful for the unexpected. Be thankful in the waiting. Be thankful in the unknown. Be thankful in the still. Be thankful in the chaos. Be thankful in the Lord. Be thankful despite circumstances and because of circumstances. I pray thankfulness would rule in our hearts because of a God who gives us a reason to be thankful! Over and Out.<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B%20background-image%20%3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/ShabbyBlogs/Lola.jpg%20%22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20%20background-attachment%20%3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cscript%20type%3D%22text/javascript%22%3E%0Avar%20shabby_div%20%3D%20document.createElement%28%27div%27%29%3B%0Ashabby_div.setAttribute%28%27style%27%2C%22position%3A%20absolute%3B%20left%3A%200px%3B%20top%3A%2030px%3B%20z-index%3A%2050%3B%20width%3A%20150px%3B%20height%3A%2045px%3B%22%29%3B%0Ashabby_div.innerHTML%20%3D%20%27%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20href%3D%22%20http%3A//www.shabbyblogs.com%22%3E%3Cimg%20border%3D%220%22%20src%3D%22http%3A//i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/ShabbyBlogs/ShabbyBlogs.jpg%22%3E%3C/a%3E%27%3B%0Adocument.getElementsByTagName%28%27body%27%29.item%280%29.appendChild%28shabby_div%29%3B%0A%3C/script%3E"));</script><br />
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Nov 22: Today I'm thankful for time with my friend and her children. I'm thankful for a drive to think. I'm thankful for a peace that comes from being with God and hearing God. I'm thankful for a side conversation with a girl who will wrestle with trusting God and I believe will walk forward in faith.<br />
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Nov 23: I'm thankful for a very diverse ethnic day. For french crepes at a restaurant in a cuban restaurant run by a Greek owner. I'm thankful for time with a mission loving girl I enjoy so much who is discipling high school women. I'm thankful for my friend Lauren who is sharing discipleship plans with the world through her blog and that I could encourage this mission loving girl to use with girls she meets with.<br />
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Nov 24: I'm thankful for some space. I'm thankful for a quiet house. I'm thankful for a clean house. I'm thankful for time. I'm thankful for a home to go home to and a beautiful Mom who loves me.<br />
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Nov 26: I'm thankful for being cared for, despite an impinged nerve. I'm thankful for a lack of anxiety. I'm thankful for old people and young people. I'm thankful for being kept in check in how I love people. I'm thankful for my funny, spritely, smart little nugget of a niece.<br />
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Nov 27: I'm thankful to get to go to see the Peanuts Movie with my mom. I'm thankful for a bit of time with just my dad. I'm thankful I've learned to believe truth about who I am in Christ and how that isn't shaken as easily as it use to. I'm thankful to not feel like I need to shop on Black Friday.<br />
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Nov 28: I'm thankful that I have friends to watch the FSU game with.<br />
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This Blog brought to you by the FSU Seminoles, the state champs of 2015.<br />
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-72560596955647196802015-11-24T15:10:00.001-05:002015-11-24T15:10:03.511-05:00Thankfulness Log 2015, 3Thankfulness is something I'm realizing has a root in the Lord, the source of all good things. But out of that there are little stems. One of those stems is my attitude. One of those stems is perspective. As I've thought a lot of these two things, I'm struck by how attitude and perspective are what keep my eyes open to the things that warrant gratitude.<div>
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Nov 15: I'm thankful for Kyle and Nicki and how they know me and can pray for me. I'm thankful for Dave and Martha and their part in my life. I'm thankful to be able to go to Epcot with some super fun ladies and remember the God of this world who cares about all nations. I'm thankful for laughter and giggles with the single ladies at our post conference. I'm thankful for Shayna and her love for little baby things.</div>
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Nov 16: I'm thankful God wants us to be us. And that he doesn't want us to be "not us." I'm thankful for clarity. I'm thankful we are creative beings. I'm thankful for the people that let us ladies have the gift of a dinner at the Colombia. I'm thankful for cultures.</div>
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Nov 17: I'm thankful for a night off. </div>
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Nov 18: I'm thankful for Deb E, who helps me process my life and affirms the things that are of God and those that are not. I'm thankful for Jamie and how she is trusting God. I'm thankful for the Gospel choir coming to Navs.</div>
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Nov 20: I'm beyond thankful for the staff team. I know I mentioned them already, but I really am so thankful for having time with them and learning who they are and seeing us become more vulnerable and real with each other. I'm thankful that Jesus answers his people. That he speaks to direct situations.</div>
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Nov 21: I'm thankful for the 65 students that are here to explore how God is calling them to participate in his purpose for our lives. I'm thankful for how they are exercising faith.</div>
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This blog brought to you by the Fall weather that finally showed up this week and lets me have my windows open.</div>
Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-4474813893871715162015-11-24T14:58:00.000-05:002015-11-24T14:58:03.053-05:00Thankfulness Log, 2015 2In true November fashion, the last few weeks have been a flurry of crazy! But, as I stop today for the first time and sit at my home with fall candles burning, about 2 weeks of laundry piled high in my room, and a burnt out lightbulb in my bathroom that needs to be replaced that somehow is a bigger task than it needs to be, I realize amidst the chaos are little gifts here and there that the Lord has given me.<br />
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Nov 8: I'm thankful today to see so many of the young staff in our country desiring to see if going overseas for the Lord is part of what he is calling them too. I am thankful for a meeting ordained by God with a wise friend who helps me think well about how to follow Jesus with my life.<br />
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Nov 9: I'm thankful God has given me time with a new friend from Iran and that I get to help her with her English.<br />
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Nov 10: I'm thankful today to catch up with a the wife of the leader of our program this summer. I'm thankful for her heart for the Word and how she shares it. I'm thankful for a short drive to our national conference and time away to think on God's goodness.<br />
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Nov 11: I'm thankful that falling in the middle of a room of people (oops) is something I could laugh at a few hours later. I'm thankful to run into Florida staff that feel like family everywhere I go. I'm thankful for Laura who listened to my freakout moment and reminded me of truth.<br />
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Nov 12: I'm thankful for Jecka. That we can eat PBJ's on trays in a hotel room and catch up on real life.<br />
I'm thankful that this organization is on that cares about diversity and is willing to seek the Lord saying "we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you."<br />
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Nov 13: I'm thankful for Bob. Ive always been thankful for Bob but I'm thankful that he is a friend, a shepherd, and advocate and a father figure. I'm thankful to see him smile and be excited about this life God has given him. I'm thankful for reunions. I'm thankful to meet a girl who labors in Chicago that was impacted generationally through a girl I discipled in NE. I'm thankful for Don and Susan who are so generous, giving, thoughtful and kind.<br />
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Nov 14: I'm thankful for friends that are real friends and not just staff friends. I'm thankful for pool time. I'm thankful for a regional director that cares about me as a person. That is willing to advocate for me. I'm thankful for the ability to worship God with 1500 people knowing we have all been called by God to be part of his heart. I'm thankful to have had a fun dinner out with friends. I'm thankful what God calls us to is always an affair of the heart and not just a discipline for life.<br />
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This Blog brought to you by the Disney Arm Band, where the magic happens apparently.<br />
<br />Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-33803473193084168692015-11-09T12:17:00.003-05:002015-11-09T12:34:26.090-05:00Thankfulness Log 2015, 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGG7R6EW85tnlzHXSpPXj-lZIK40Xe9a2h22EwQdA4JlzkNcsSSzMpZsBiD33y7CKoDY4aIqUP5pO_6bdoqzYQIpvyYBP61_KHePWlZSqQO3ormUdeHugpzzbqsdKJSlTrP_Ch7nTv6g/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEGG7R6EW85tnlzHXSpPXj-lZIK40Xe9a2h22EwQdA4JlzkNcsSSzMpZsBiD33y7CKoDY4aIqUP5pO_6bdoqzYQIpvyYBP61_KHePWlZSqQO3ormUdeHugpzzbqsdKJSlTrP_Ch7nTv6g/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Though a common type of blog in November, sometimes I find I <u>need</u> to be thankful. Not need like I worship thankfulness, or I'm not remembering who gives all good gifts, but more that I need to stop and take time to remember who God is; what he is up to; who I am in light of his plan and his grace. I need to remember and to think on and to recognize my Savior. This is one place I can record those thoughts this November:<br />
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Nov 1: Today I am thankful for having courage to interact with acquaintances and the emotional energy to initiate with friends. Today I am thankful for a weekend where I got to share a moment with my family over how cute my little niece was as a lady bug for Halloween. Today I am thankful for my pastor talking about loving each other practically, personally and outside of the box. I am thankful Jesus loves us this way too, and that his love is what we invite people into who have yet to know Jesus. I am thankful for a walk at dusk with a neighbor and I am thankful for time to rest. I am thankful for leaders that care about my life and not just my role in ministry.<br />
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Nov 4: Today I am thankful that we are chosen and adopted by God, that we are mercied and ransomed by Jesus blood, and that we are messengers of hope and love and joy to a dying world. I'm thankful for Pastor Eric gave this message at our large group tonight and how much he interacted and loved the students. I'm thankful for the lovely senior girls I meet with and how they want to follow Jesus with their whole hearts. How they laugh and love and think deeply. Today I'm thankful for my amazing staff team that I have the privilege of working with everyday and who I'm so blessed by and who make me laugh. And who feel like an actual team and who I also can call friends. I'm also thankful for those far away friends that can talk for 10 minutes or ten hours and, in both cases, leave feeling encouraged.<br />
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Nov 7: Today I am thankful I didn't die rollerskating with the ministry women last night. I am thankful for women like Sue who feel more like a real friend than a staff friend. I am thankful for a national conference coming up and that today I woke up looking forward to it. I'm thankful to live in a cute house not too far from campus. I am thankful that God is working on the diversity factor among our freshman class. I am thankful I have a day to process and pack and think and watch FSU vs Clemson football.<br />
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This blog brought to you by the Author of all good things in my life and my 80's black tights with pink and purple hearts.</div>
Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-82159473364481247192015-08-27T16:48:00.000-04:002015-08-27T16:48:26.311-04:00GSP Hall of Faith: Reflection on a Global Summer<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This summer, I met some amazing people at an International student program where I had the privilege to serve as a staff person for a ministry I work with.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I think about these 48 people from 20 countries, I am struck by their faith. Here's a little tribute to these international friends that became family to me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GSP Hall of Faith:</span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Now faith is confidence in what we hope for<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30174A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30174A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and assurance about what we do not see.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30174B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30174B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> <span class="text Heb-11-2" id="en-NIV-30175" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">This is what the ancients were commended for.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30175C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30175C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-3" id="en-NIV-30176" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">By faith the Global Student program was formed, trusting God's command, so that the Gospel would be spread to the ends of the earth. </span><span class="text Heb-11-5" id="en-NIV-30178" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">By faith each student filled out an application, </span><span class="text Heb-11-6" id="en-NIV-30179" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">believing that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith the Sandquists believed God. By faith they sorted through applications, trusted God to bring the exact people from the exact places for this exact summer.</span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-5" id="en-NIV-30178" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Chiti despite her fears, came in courage believing God could use her life to impact Zambia.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-7" id="en-NIV-30180" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">By faith Prisca, when denied a visa the first time,</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30180J" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30180J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> reapplied, and trusted God to work on her behalf. By her faith she condemned the world's powers and trusted God as her ultimate authority. By faith she led her team and discipled well.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Natasha drove to a remote place and prayed for housing in America. By faith she came early to the US, learned English and allowed God to speak into her life in unhindered ways as she encountered more of her Heavenly Father.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-8" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">By faith, Hengi, when called to go to the USA, a place she didn't know ,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30181N" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30181N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>obeyed and went,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30181O" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30181O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> even though she did not know where she was going.</span> <span class="text Heb-11-9" id="en-NIV-30182" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>By faith she boarded 8 planes and left Tonga to come to Colorado to grow in discipleship.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30182R" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30182R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> <span class="text Heb-11-10" id="en-NIV-30183" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">She was looking forward to the Lord using her to invest in the people at her company, that they would know God and labor for him</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-11" id="en-NIV-30184" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">And by faith David K, accepted being a team leader, trusting that God could use his life to produce </span><span class="text Heb-11-12" id="en-NIV-30185" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. By faith he translates letters for Compassion to impact children in his country.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30185Z" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30185Z" title="See cross-reference Z">Z</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-13" id="en-NIV-30186" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All these people, and others arrived in Colorado Springs and trusted God to receive the things promised;<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30186AA" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30186AA" title="See cross-reference AA">AA</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> they arrived in a foreign land and admitted that they were foreigners and strangers on earth and it was worth it to trust God for the summer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-14" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">These students who walked in faith in these ways are looking for a country of their own.</span> <span class="text Heb-11-15" id="en-NIV-30188" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would not have sacrificed their summers, money, comfort, and time. </span><span class="text Heb-11-16" id="en-NIV-30189" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>Instead, these students long for a better country—a heavenly one.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30189AE" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30189AE" title="See cross-reference AE">AE</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> Therefore God is not ashamed<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30189AF" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30189AF" title="See cross-reference AF">AF</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> to be called their God,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30189AG" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30189AG" title="See cross-reference AG">AG</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> for he has prepared a city<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30189AH" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30189AH" title="See cross-reference AH">AH</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> for them.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-17" id="en-NIV-30190" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Trista, Ianna and Wendy came to America and trusted God to speak to them, despite their language barriers and class schedules. By faith they brought joy and love to those around them.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Josue dedicated his summer to growing in discipleship and evangelism, so he could impact a generation of students through mathematics in french speaking Africa.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Romans allowed Jesus to mature him in a community of believers. And by faith he grew a beard and composed songs about his beard. By faith he will marry a Christian girl from the Baltic States.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-21" id="en-NIV-30194" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Robert trusted God to use his life to impact Tanzania. Starting with each member of his family, God raised up believers out of his trust that God could do and will do impossible things. By faith he will be the first full time staff in Tanzania.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-22" id="en-NIV-30195" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Don and Susan, served behind the scenes and committed to love those from other nations, when they could have decided retirement and lounging around for a summer was more appealing. They served fruit, taught English, and loved students that needed the tender care they could offer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Rachel trusted God for cheese curds, goat meat, ground nut paste, hibiscus leaves, white corn meal and other crazy food items used for cultural nights, to give a glimpse into the nations. By faith she had the privilege to work among people that will change the world, believing in faith and hope again the vision for this life.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-24" id="en-NIV-30197" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">By faith Levina matured into a strong leader, trusting God to use her.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30197AQ" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30197AQ" title="See cross-reference AQ">AQ</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> <span class="text Heb-11-25" id="en-NIV-30198" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>She chose to not let her age or past determine her worth, but allowed God to use these things to strengthen her as a leader.</span> <span class="text Heb-11-26" id="en-NIV-30199" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">She regarded disgrace<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30199AS" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30199AS" title="See cross-reference AS">AS</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> for the sake of Christ<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30199AT" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30199AT" title="See cross-reference AT">AT</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> as of greater value than popularity because she was looking ahead to her reward in heaven.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-27" id="en-NIV-30200" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Jonathan left his car in the middle of Kansas after it broke down and persevered to arrive in Colorado springs. By faith he led worship and will return to Witchita with a strong vision to labor.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-28" id="en-NIV-30201" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith the Barbus uprooted their whole family to America to learn how to more effectively and strategically reach their campus in Germany. By Faith, Finn accepted Christ in his heart. By faith they fought off bees and birds, and smiled through all of it. By faith Tom ate a lot of American food without complaining.</span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-29" id="en-NIV-30202" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Wei Shan decided it was better to rely on God than rely on people to fill her deepest needs. By faith she will impact woman in East Asia as others have impacted her.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30202AY" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30202AY" title="See cross-reference AY">AY</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-29" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">By Faith David S killed rattlesnakes with the rest of the groundskeepers. </span>By faith the groundskeepers worked long, hot hours with attitudes of joy. By faith they sang songs and smiled as they planted, weeded, carried rocks, and beautified the Glen.</span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-29" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith VJ will reach India and Kenya. By faith he encouraged Galatians and Gentiles alike through the word and humor.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-30" id="en-NIV-30203" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Doug used his wisdom and leadership to call men to a higher calling. By faith he fought off parasites and trusted God to use his life even in his weakness. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Kari left her job and applied to GSP. By Faith she helped others discover the giftings and personalities that God gave them and how they could be used effectively in the kingdom.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Jecka decided to hope. By faith she let God use that Hope to influence her outlook on her future.</span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-31" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Ola, Kevin, and Daniel always had smiles on their faces, spreading the Joy of the Lord to all they encountered. By faith they served at many cultural dinners behind the scenes.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-31" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith, Anna H didn't let her anxiety keep her from following Jesus to GSP. By faith she blogged and shared with others the amazing things that God did in her life.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-31" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Sarah allowed the Lord to grow her heart for the world and her outlook on the nations as an American in an international student program.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-31" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Kasper led his team of men with joy, believing God could multiply his life. By faith, he was hungry to grow in how to effectively reach people from all nations within his own nation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-31" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">By faith Tereza stopped working as a caregiver in Norway to allow</span> Jesus to rock the foundations of her faith. By faith she now rests in Jesus arms instead of holding on to Jesus by her own effort.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Breanna trusted God in her running training schedule to not just train physically, but to run the race towards Jesus.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith, Mindy waited for a letter saying she could return to Canada for school. By faith she accepted Christ in a land far from her home and trusted God to come to GSP.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By faith Andrew came to GSP, depite his father's illness. By faith he grew in trusting God, even when his Father passed away during his summer. By faith, he made amazingly great food just using the T-House kitchen.</span><span class="text Heb-11-32" id="en-NIV-30205" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Heb-11-32" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Julia, Evan, Muraya, Natalie, Matze, Anna from Ghana, Shelby, Yvonne, and Kendrea </span><span class="text Heb-11-33" id="en-NIV-30206" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who through faith climbed mountains, led worship, flew across oceans</span><span class="text Heb-11-34" id="en-NIV-30207" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30207BJ" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30207BJ" title="See cross-reference BJ">BJ</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> greeted guests at Glen Eyrie;<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30207BK" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30207BK" title="See cross-reference BK">BK</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> made hard decisions to honor God, left boyfriends at home, pursued growth, rode bikes, hiked Pikes Peak, loved others, whose weaknesses were turned to strength;<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30207BL" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30207BL" title="See cross-reference BL">BL</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> who art journaled, grew in purity, and who became powerful in battle against the enemy.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30207BM" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30207BM" title="See cross-reference BM">BM</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="text Heb-11-35" id="en-NIV-30208" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Heb-11-35" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Women like Quingling and Juhyun who let the truth of God speak louder than lies in their lives. Who grew in confidence as they believed God for their identities. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-35" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">There were others who were watering flowers, driving golf carts , praying for countries, learning skills to disciples, writing songs, and sharing the Gospel around town.</span><span class="text Heb-11-35" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="text Heb-11-36" id="en-NIV-30209" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">Some faced guitar playing hippies,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30209BO" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30209BO" title="See cross-reference BO">BO</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> rodeo cowboys, Alaskan hikers, and undercooked rice.</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Heb-11-37" id="en-NIV-30210" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">They were worshipping the Lord, studying 1st Peter and its impact world wide, memorizing scripture and art journaling.</span><span style="line-height: 24px;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"> </span></span></span><span class="text Heb-11-38" id="en-NIV-30211" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;">They are world changers, but the world is not worthy of them. </span></span></div>
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<span class="text Heb-11-38" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">They wandered on trails, explored through the glen, ate at camp creek, served at Glen Eyrie, lived in Aspen, the Chalet, Echo Rock and T-House. They had times with God in the carriage house, the coachman's lounge, the Garden of the God's overlook, Agia Sophia Coffee shop and Lady Bug Outlook. They traveled to SMR, learned how to Salsa and Swing Dance, went on a boat on Grand Lake, fed Giraffes, went to Walmart, rode roller coasters ate S'mores and rode a cog railway up Pikes peak.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-39" id="en-NIV-30212" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">These are all commended<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30212BU" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30212BU" title="See cross-reference BU">BU</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> for their faith, and are believing God for their promises </span><span class="text Heb-11-40" id="en-NIV-30213" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"> </span>since God has planned something better for us as a community than we could have ever had alone. They are still trusting God for his promises to be fulfilled across the globe.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30213BX" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30213BX" title="See cross-reference BX">BX</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Heb-11-40" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">This blog inspired by dead rattlesnakes and </span>Hebrews 11. Often referred to as the Hall of Faith, this blog models that Biblical chapter and captures a glimpse of some of the amazing people I met this summer.</span></span></div>
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-71526227658408842082015-04-26T12:07:00.006-04:002015-04-29T11:53:13.268-04:00Summary: Run Like a Girl<div>
<span style="color: #3a3c3f;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In summary of the womanhood series, I wanted to recap what the last 6 blog posts have been saying about the difference between a woman of God, who lives with His strength, or a wimpy woman, who lives out of her own ability. Here's what we've covered:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3c3f;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A Wimpy Woman:</b></span></span></div>
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<li style="color: #3a3c3f; margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tries to be like a man.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only helps herself.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Has no long term impact.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is foolish with her words.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is fearful to commit and only does things that benefit herself.</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lets the world determine her value.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A Woman of Strength:</b></span><br />
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<li style="color: #3a3c3f; margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Appreciates men & womens’ roles & strives to live out of her God-given feminitity.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #3a3c3f;">I</span></span><span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0px;">s </span><span style="color: #3a3c3f; letter-spacing: 0px;">a Helper to those around her.</span></span></li>
<li style="color: #3a3c3f; margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leaves a legacy of influence on the next generation.</span></span></li>
<li style="color: #3a3c3f; margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is wise with her words.</span></span></li>
<li style="color: #3a3c3f; margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is commited to courageously act on behalf of God and others.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 4px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #3a3c3f;">L</span>ets God determine her value.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;">As you ponder this, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;"> I wanted to share this</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;"> video below, that gives me a good picture of a wimpy woman </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;">and a strong woman. It is the video that </span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;"> Always</i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;">ran during the Superbowl this past year. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;">Though </span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;">Always</i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;"> uses this video for a different purpose, I love the picture of a women </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-indent: -0.38in;">wrestling with what it means to do things like a girl. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3a3c3f; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hebrews 12:1-2 says </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3a3c3f; letter-spacing: 0px;">"</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the Author and perfector of our faith."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Ladies, don’t let the world determine what it looks like to run like a girl. Let God determine it. And when he defines it in your life. Run. Run with all your might like a girl. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Run like a woman with a Noble Calling. Run as one who serves as a Helper and a Life Giver. Run as one who reflects the Lord in wisdom, beauty, courage and commitment. Run as a woman who shows to the world that Christ is her all, her Hope, her Life and her Glory! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And for goodness sakes, Run like a girl! </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Racing towards Jesus in your God given design as a woman.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog inspired by a sign that hangs in my Mom's house that says: Here's to strong Women: May we know them, May we be them, May we raise them.</span></span></div>
<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B%20background-image%20%3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/ShabbyBlogs/Lola.jpg%20%22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20%20background-attachment%20%3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cscript%20type%3D%22text/javascript%22%3E%0Avar%20shabby_div%20%3D%20document.createElement%28%27div%27%29%3B%0Ashabby_div.setAttribute%28%27style%27%2C%22position%3A%20absolute%3B%20left%3A%200px%3B%20top%3A%2030px%3B%20z-index%3A%2050%3B%20width%3A%20150px%3B%20height%3A%2045px%3B%22%29%3B%0Ashabby_div.innerHTML%20%3D%20%27%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20href%3D%22%20http%3A//www.shabbyblogs.com%22%3E%3Cimg%20border%3D%220%22%20src%3D%22http%3A//i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/ShabbyBlogs/ShabbyBlogs.jpg%22%3E%3C/a%3E%27%3B%0Adocument.getElementsByTagName%28%27body%27%29.item%280%29.appendChild%28shabby_div%29%3B%0A%3C/script%3E"));</script>Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-6285834100234784942015-04-19T21:44:00.000-04:002015-04-20T14:23:36.791-04:00A Woman's Value: More than Skin Deep<div style="margin-bottom: 22.4px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wimpy woman lets the world determine her value. But a woman of strength lets God determine her value.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">I want to specifically address the area of Beauty here, as often I think this is one of the first things that can affect our idea of our worth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">1 Peter 3:3-5 says:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful."</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">That doesn’t mean that you can never wear cute scarves or earrings or braids in your hair. As you know, we love these things and I think that we reflect God’s character in having a love for beauty.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">What this verse is saying is that your definition of beauty should not COME from these things. Rather your beauty should come from this inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Many women, including myself, have struggled with the term gentle and quiet. Yet I think it means something different than you think:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Gentle, according to Theologian Wayne Grudem:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">“’Not insistent on one’s own rights’ or ‘not pushy,’ ‘not selfishly assertive, not demanding one’s own way.’”</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Likewise, the root of the word 'gentle' stems from trust in God's goodness and control over the situation.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><u>It’s the idea of strength in God under control in me</u>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Quiet here doesn’t mean volume wise, but it means <u>at peace, living with a sure confidence in who you are and who the Lord has made you to be.</u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><u> </u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">We rest in what Col 1:21-22 says that through the Blood of Christ</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> you are holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj518IhgWvuT5B2RvOlbdxZR855h0LbdqFXS5dh8dZIW4-i1ZpVh-38gJWKKzG4Zcv1mdFCbr5ZJHJM1dBqxXKOmod27Sf3i7478ERgYpJHj1SO8v6P1BtxS5zZf57KdK1dRWauEc_ZNo0/s1600/images-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj518IhgWvuT5B2RvOlbdxZR855h0LbdqFXS5dh8dZIW4-i1ZpVh-38gJWKKzG4Zcv1mdFCbr5ZJHJM1dBqxXKOmod27Sf3i7478ERgYpJHj1SO8v6P1BtxS5zZf57KdK1dRWauEc_ZNo0/s1600/images-3.jpeg" height="124" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Picture courtesy of http://becuo.com</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Proverbs 31: 30 says:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup> "</sup></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The only way we can live in this confidence is to have this spirit of selflessness and strength under control, appreciate others around us without feeling threatened, jealous or inadequate. It means to turn our eyes to Jesus, and live out of who he says we are. The beauty that comes from a secure heart does not spoil, fade, or leave. And it surpasses all earthly beauty making us more unique, lovely, and true. Its what people close to us talk most about in us and its what makes us look different from the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">I pray that we would embrace this confidence and faith and focus more on what the Lord is to us then what we look like coming to a fellowship time! That we would prepare our hearts to see God more than prepare what the world will see in our make-up, clothes and hairstyle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">That is the kind of beauty that shines beyond our outward appearance</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">This Blog inspired by all the fun, more than skin deep, beautiful ladies in the collegiate ministry I get to work with on a daily basis.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPmRfYiUFXODCBB-YM_JNKfsuQKvyEmHUPJHaCFOLaRNlAFUdEHpnycUK0O0qw4x919tjUXOWFABFednxutEyLiW0m83qD0HPDnycirFkSAS7L6expawvwdtJp-l5PybmCcv9UG5VFRs/s1600/little-girl-on-diving-board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPmRfYiUFXODCBB-YM_JNKfsuQKvyEmHUPJHaCFOLaRNlAFUdEHpnycUK0O0qw4x919tjUXOWFABFednxutEyLiW0m83qD0HPDnycirFkSAS7L6expawvwdtJp-l5PybmCcv9UG5VFRs/s1600/little-girl-on-diving-board.jpg" height="148" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">P<span style="font-size: xx-small;">hoto found on https://revlesblog.files.wordpress.com/</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day when I was 6, I slowly climbed a ladder. Rung by rung, I could hear my breathing with every step. As I looked at the pool water on either side of me, and looked back at the line of people, impatiently waiting for me to go faster, I remember thinking, this is it. This is the day that I step out and stand for all 6 year old girls that we too can be like the big kids and dive off the high dive! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my short life, the high dive had always given my little heart a faster beat and a pang of fear. Only 8 year olds and 10 years olds could jump off the high dive. But 6 year olds? No way! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But today, on this day at my friends birthday party, I made a commitment. I was going to jump. I wasn't going to back down like last time. I was going to go for it, despite my fear. As I stood on the ledge, I heard my dad coaching me from below and counting. 1…2…(deep breath and shaky knees)..3…JUMP!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as I hit the water, I swam up and let the smile fill my face! Courage and commitment had won! I made a name for all 6 year old girls! And it sure felt great (despite the fact that my dive was actually a belly flop).</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A wimpy woman is fearful to commit and only does things that benefit herself. A strong woman is commited to courageously act on behalf of God and others.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Prov 7 woman gives a terribly, clear disgusting picture of being a woman that is non-commital and does things to only benefit herself.</span></span></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She uses her looks to manipulate people. </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She is dressed immodestly and it says she has crafty intent</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She was a busybody never slowing down and never taking time to spend with the Lord. </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She pursued man rather than pursuing Jesus, and she brought death to her world.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She tempts men with her words. </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She uses her womanhood to deceive and bring others down.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And its says in vs. 27 that Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. </span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Yikes! I don’t ever want to be known as the woman who’s house leads others to the chamber of death!</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">She is not committing to anything but her own pleasure. She is flaky. She says she will do something and then doesn’t show or doesn’t commit.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God says in Matthew 5:37-“Let your yes be yes and your no be no. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I see this very much in our society currently. Women are not women of their word. They are not dependable. They say “I might come..I’ll let you know.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why are we so non-commital? I think it has the same roots as what Satan was using to tempt Eve...”What if I miss out?” “What if there is something more?” Even more, I think it really resonates in our fear. Its easier if I control the world around me cause then I won’t get hurt. And in the mean time, you shut out real, meaningful relationships and you only act out of fear.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">In the next chapter of Proverbs we see the woman of courage. In contrast to the Proverbs 7 woman, the Proverbs 8 woman is</span><br />
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<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Inviting towards people and men but not taking the role of crafty purser,</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She takes her stand for what is right, but is not overbearing.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> She has trustworthy things to say and is a speaker of truth </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">and it says in verse 15 that she is a helper to Kings. </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She detests wickedness. She walks in paths of righteousness.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Her instruction is helpful and priceless.</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just like the Provbers 31 woman, the Proverbs 8 woman is more precious than Rubies. </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And she brings life and hospitality and joy to those around her</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Ladies, I wish I could recount to you all the brave women of the Bible that acted on behalf of what was Noble, Right, True. Rahab, Jesus’ mother Mary, Deborah, Abigail. I also wish I could share countless examples of women I know that live in this way! Women who have stood up on behalf of God and his purposes, faced their fears with courage, and left a mark on history and lives by their commitments to follow through to honor God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">You will either serve God or you will serve fear. Please, choose today to Serve God! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">What are you afraid of tonight? What is keeping you from serving God and living for his purposes? Can I encourage you to cast off your fear, and courageously step out, take the leap, and impact others and the world? To have courage to serve God rather than your own desires? To let your yes be yes and your no be no? Commit today to serve God rather than yourself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0px;">This Blog brought to you to by all the 6 year olds in the world that took the leap off the High Dive, and bore the sting of a belly flop followed by the courageous smile of commitment winning out.</span><br />
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-36768339227634938362015-04-13T00:56:00.001-04:002015-04-21T21:54:23.397-04:00Word Crimes: Foolish Speech<div style="color: #3a3c3f; margin-bottom: 22.4px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A wimpy woman is foolish with her speech. But a strong woman is wise with her words.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kA8C7paGs6PhHEve1obIbR18w6blp5cvje5fXC86efpC-Uqm9wYC19E45Z6cSET36GKOjiEUAj2vlYWIo9m929ysnC09syjv2AplIAyJ0Itssi0nu1j_u5_DD1rGXfxHOUCuaxW_oMM/s1600/Screen-Shot-2014-07-15-at-12.03.22-PM1.png" height="122" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from www.salon.com</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kA8C7paGs6PhHEve1obIbR18w6blp5cvje5fXC86efpC-Uqm9wYC19E45Z6cSET36GKOjiEUAj2vlYWIo9m929ysnC09syjv2AplIAyJ0Itssi0nu1j_u5_DD1rGXfxHOUCuaxW_oMM/s1600/Screen-Shot-2014-07-15-at-12.03.22-PM1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3a3c3f;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This weekend my friend Brittney was telling me about how </span>Weird<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> Al (who knew that guy was still around!) made a </span></span><span style="color: #3a3c3f;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">song based off the </span>popular hit song "Blurred Lines." Weird Al's version is called "Word Crimes," discussing the faux pas of grammar misuse. With a simple google search, and a click of your mouse, you can hear it too! </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3c3f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">But it did make me think about </span>the<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> word crimes we can commit when we use our speech for evil not good. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we use words in a sinful way they come out as gossip and slander, harshly tearing down those around us. On the flip side, words used for God’s glory come out as amazing encouragement and truth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">James 3:9-13 says</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>9 </sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>10 </sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, (or my sisters) this should not be. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>11 </sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>12 </sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My brothers (or sisters) can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup>13 </sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likewise Proverbs 18:21 says--The tongue has the power of life and death</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listen ladies, Gossip is when we talk to another person about someone else’s issue when that person can not or is not helpful to the solution of the situation. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidShpq2JEOD2wrE05hsqhRhwhdmx4SiQmrcGtSCUTxV3E2n2op4YkymSMXH5VEnVEZiPdg3o_ZigmjAnPQgjrGGUXun-qttv3_y77tIZXJh8RLF3jbHhi-cfjY_sUY8-K5NNKf6Egf4sM/s1600/blahblah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidShpq2JEOD2wrE05hsqhRhwhdmx4SiQmrcGtSCUTxV3E2n2op4YkymSMXH5VEnVEZiPdg3o_ZigmjAnPQgjrGGUXun-qttv3_y77tIZXJh8RLF3jbHhi-cfjY_sUY8-K5NNKf6Egf4sM/s1600/blahblah.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Picture from https://www.mylilybell.com</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I see often that we mask our gossip by forming it into a prayer request. You </span>have<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> all heard them : "Hey would you pray for Susie, she’s really struggling with purity right now</span>…<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">because she got back with her Ex, who is so not attractive and..blahblahblah."</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not ok!</span></span></div>
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<a href="webkit-fake-url://04FE4B06-3205-4B7B-8B90-D5A8C749E87F/application.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Can I </span>challenge you women to b<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">e women of strength by bringing life with your words. Do not slander and tear down. Do not talk about others. Don’t be overly critical and cover it up by joking. Be different</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The world has enough gossipers and slanders. Be a conversation changer. Be a woman that speaks of life.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eleanor Roosevelt said this:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." </b></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lets be Great minds and discuss ideas, not people.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Build up people that are living worthy lives, even when they are not around. Speak well of your brothers and sisters and honor them when they are out of earshot. It will eventually get back to them and bless them!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Proverbs 31: 26 says a woman of Noble Character is one who speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let your words be beacons of light and truth, not death and destruction. Be wise in your speech.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, be a woman of the Word! All wisdom starts and ends with God and His words of truth. Why not look to his book for wisdom? </span></span></div>
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“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom..” Proverbs 9:10</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This blog brought to you by Brittney's ten year old daughter, Audrey, who also informed me that "Batman" can now be used as an adjective, </span>synonymous<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> with the word "awesome." </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>John 12:24--Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.</b></span></span></blockquote>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IKnwI7aJ8qU0WYJiKls_A1VdvC2OsYGGC1ai3FlOe1gS5b50jnybQ26WtphcjMKRqsFxSRAYqZ3dCZTAb3x5V8_4kSiDBtf_953rpwSyTOv-GTdFs0dpNF7Gl5w05IaQjftTowMHg-s/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IKnwI7aJ8qU0WYJiKls_A1VdvC2OsYGGC1ai3FlOe1gS5b50jnybQ26WtphcjMKRqsFxSRAYqZ3dCZTAb3x5V8_4kSiDBtf_953rpwSyTOv-GTdFs0dpNF7Gl5w05IaQjftTowMHg-s/s1600/images-2.jpeg" height="133" width="200" /></a><a href="webkit-fake-url://044A0960-0BE5-47AB-8D73-BFFA1A5D7E22/application.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br />
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Wimpy women live only for themselves. But strong woman are life givers, leaving a legacy that impacts the world! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Sophomore year, I went to a conference with a collegiate ministry, mainly </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">because it</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> was at the beach and my friends would be </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">there. I don't remember who the speaker was or what he spoke on. But i do remember after one of the sessions, making a bee line for the beach around 10pm. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> I remember God challenging me with the verse above and just being cut to the heart. If I didn't die to myself, I wouldn't have a lasting impact. But if I died to myself, God could use my life to impact generations of people. And I just cried and cried. I heard the Lord calling me to die to my little dreams, my little life plans, my American dream, and to let him take over. He was saying, like he said to the rich young ruler in Mark--Rachel, will you sell all you have and follow me? And I sat on the beach until about midnight just praying and processing what this meant.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSNq4PYIe_48eaXfFend-wnJCaHT6aucNxYGZ1mjoFGHkaiTtkV8uViKRzCXZF_8bKYwWXkCZYZWF0uVHbZ9LU7_6y6sg5qFsDA_6O-rRYTJgDCwDLkHVV_pRc7GLJqZZwHxBYogDPAQ/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpSNq4PYIe_48eaXfFend-wnJCaHT6aucNxYGZ1mjoFGHkaiTtkV8uViKRzCXZF_8bKYwWXkCZYZWF0uVHbZ9LU7_6y6sg5qFsDA_6O-rRYTJgDCwDLkHVV_pRc7GLJqZZwHxBYogDPAQ/s1600/images-1.jpeg" height="133" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">One story comes to mind as I wrestled with this decision. Its a story of a loving Dad who gives his 6 year old daughter as strand of fake pearls for her birthday. The </span>daughter<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> loved </span>those pearls (even though they were of little value) and she would wear them every day. She wore them to school, in the pool, while playing soccer, while trying on dress up clothes, even to bed. Then one day, her dad said to her, "Daughter, I have a surprise for you! Its something that you will love! Its something beyond what you can even imagine!" The little girl squealed with delight! "Daddy! Can you give it to me now?" And he said, "Honey, I can definitely give it to you know. But one thing. This gift will cost you your pearls." The little girl looked at him with horror and said "No! I don't want you to have my pearls" and she ran to her room. As she sat there, she thought "I love my pearls! My dad knows this! Why would he ask me to give them to him?" As she sat there, she thought, there are two things I know: My dad loves me and If he says it will be better and worth it, then it must be better and worth it." So she went back to her dad and said "Dad, I will give you my pearls! And with tears in her eyes and a slowly opening first, she dropped her fake pearls into his hand. Then her Dad looked at her and loved her and said "Thank you for trusting me." And he put in her now open hand the gift. A strand of real, authentic pearls that he bought especially for her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, the wrestling on the beach was to give up my fake pearls, for the rea</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l pearls. And that night, I let the fake pearls slip out of of my hand and received the peace that the Lord was going to give me something better! And how amazing! He really has! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wimpy women lives only for herself and her dreams. She is quick to brush asides sacrificing anything. She closes her ears to God’s voice. She holds her dreams with a closed clenched fist. But a strong woman says..I trust my father. I want the real life..the real pearls. And Jesus says..yes! Give up that small idea of life and I will give you real life..lasting life..life that produces many seeds.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One way this looks is for us to be Life Givers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Discipleship--Obviously, every woman is physically designed to be a life giver, in that we can birth babies. But I think we can also carry this out into other aspects of our lives.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right now you are not bringing children into the world physically. But part of being a life giver is raising up Godly generations and discipling women in their walks with God! There are millions of Christians in this world, but few women that take up the call to be Disciple Makers. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are plenty of pew sitters and women that can plan ladies desserts and craft nights, but we need women who will take on the raising up of the next generation. Will you be that woman? Rise up women! And raise up other women with you!! The task at hand is every Tribe tongue people and language for the glory of God. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><b><span class="text Matt-28-19" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span class="woj" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><br /></span></span></span><span class="text Matt-28-19" id="en-ESV-24211" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="woj" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">"</span><span style="line-height: 24px;">Go therefore and </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-24211B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24211B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">make disciples of </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-24211C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24211C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">all nations, </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-24211D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24211D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">baptizing them </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-24211E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24211E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">in</span><span class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-ESV-24211a" data-link="[<a href="#fen-ESV-24211a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-24211F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24211F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="line-height: 24px;">the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Matt-28-20" id="en-ESV-24212" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span class="woj" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">20 </span>teaching them <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-24212G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24212G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>to observe all that <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-24212H" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24212H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>I have commanded you. And behold, <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-24212I" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24212I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>I am with you always, to <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-24212J" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-24212J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>the end of the age." ~Matt 28:19-20</span></span></b></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Will you help someone in her walk with God? Will you get help from an older woman who can teach you how to help another women with their walk with God? This it not just a Navigator calling, nor is it just a calling for college. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=363028273341987088" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Embrace this and pray for Godly generations out of your life. Let go of your small life plans, die to yourself, and embrace the call of discipling and being discipled. And see the Nations come to know the Lord. Be part of a larger grander purpose!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wimpy woman has no long term impact. But a strong woman leaves a legacy of influence.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This blog brought to you by Laguna Beach Retreat Center, where I left my fake pearls for some real ones.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wimpy woman only helps herself, but a strong woman is a Helper to those around her.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In Genesis 2:20-21, God give Eve purpose and a role as a Helper:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">B</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">ut for Adam no suitable helper was found. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><sup> </sup></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, when I was in first grade, every week, Ms. Springer would designate her "Helper" for the week. The week my chance came, I could hardly contain my excitement. I was going to be the "Helper" changing the world (or maybe just my class) forever! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It didn't take me too long to catch on to the fact that a first grader helper, really was just the student that moved the calendar magnet from Mon to Tues, Tues to Wed, etc. By Wed, my eyes had been opened and my 1st grade intellect kicked in. I may have been short, but I wasn't dumb! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms. Springer didn't need me to move the magnet. She was a grown woman. Essentially, no one really cared about the magnet anyway. And I had been duped. Being a helper was unimportant and stupid. Virtually, I had no role of life changing proportions and there was no need for my position.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wzLc4_KiGbnNDysP7hOYdiNNIcjP_ZMDnkqDrUTmI9kCN32cq8zxCAlzZLrGuiTSDkYdFTu1tzPX79dfQ2qTGpMJkhyBgG6m1znZdZeNRud4jPb9pO8_nBLUN5mziH0Yhgfx67QQP9E/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wzLc4_KiGbnNDysP7hOYdiNNIcjP_ZMDnkqDrUTmI9kCN32cq8zxCAlzZLrGuiTSDkYdFTu1tzPX79dfQ2qTGpMJkhyBgG6m1znZdZeNRud4jPb9pO8_nBLUN5mziH0Yhgfx67QQP9E/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" /></span></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think we often as women think that being the Helper is just a funny little title given by God that essentially has not real value or purpose. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this word Helper is so so much more than calendar magnet mover. And it is a role that men can’t play and are not made to play</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helper in the Hebrew is <b>Ezer Kenegdo</b>. Ezer’s root words have meanings based in the words power and strength. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It means in essence an “indispensable companion, a help meet…some one who helps to meet the needs and fill up that which is lacking.” ~John Piper</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The word is more than sidekick. It is the same word the Bible uses of God as the Helper of Israel. This word is only used for Woman, God and the Holy Spirit. A woman as a Helper therefore , Helps meet needs and fill up what is lacking with strength and power to those around her.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think the world is in great need of women that take a look outside of themselves, outside of the pettiness of fashion, gossip, tv shows and men and looks at how she can make their world better. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How does this play out in your world? </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think through your relationships, friendships and the society you live in:</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Does someone need prayer or a shoulder to cry on?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Are you a giver in relationships or a taker? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Where can you seek to encourage and not discourage? </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Is there someone you can befriend that others won't?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Are your eyes open to see the needs around you?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Do you point people towards Jesus or to yourself?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you know women, that men will speak often of how when you live as women, specifically as strong helpers, you encourage them to live out of their God given role as leaders?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Daily I hear from multiple women, Where are the men? Where are the Leaders?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I think society has an epedimic currently of passive men. But I think we as woman have contributed to that by trying to take over their role as leader often. When we step into the role of leader and do not fulfill our role as helper, we catapult a vicious cycle, encouraging men to be passive, to step down, and to retreat. When we function independently and pretend like men are not important, we all cause men to shrink back and even cause them to believe that this is what women want. We are manipulative and aggressive and the farthest from the role of helper. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ladies, I challenge you that by us taking over, stepping into their role, we are only encouraging weak wimpy men! Being a helper means giving men room to move in leadership. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Encourage them to step up and lead by praying for a meal, or letting them walk you to your car. Defer to them sometimes in decisions and ask their thoughts on appropriate subjects, instead of always being the first to speak or decide. Give them feedback and have thoughts to help them make decisions for a group so they can lead well. Back them up when they make those decisions, and don’t be critical. Affirm specific things you see them doing that demonstrate Godly qualities. Be women that encourage men to be men! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elisabeth Elliot says that "Real women will always be relieved and grateful when men are willing to be men.”</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being a Helper does not mean that you sit idly by, never have a thought or opinion, but that you help and support wherever you can. It doesn’t mean you never lead, but it means you are mindful of how to encourage men to lead and are willing to lead by helping.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_BXNGb7tt44kM4e9e0S0NiR5cjxKMH29H4yLBoJ03pfcnFQfuXj1oCTsXE5SaeuBsp1r_oKpfjW7RFXXzzfYUnRy2bkBmVGu1YskXrp-hyAGaYXYPTVtmnDgPBqbIZ2cakEdXanPBJo/s1600/helping-hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Just as a building is only as strong as its foundations and supports, we need to pillars of strength behind Godly men in this world.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wimpy woman only helps herself. A strong woman is a Helper of many, meeting needs and filling up what is lacking.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.helpinghandsflorence.org</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog brought to you by The Society of Ex-Calendar Magnet Movers and by Mrs. Springer, who also made me eat all my ketchup and mustard dipping sauces on Corn Dog day, long after the corn dog was gone.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> A wimpy woman tries to be like a man. A strong woman appreciates men and womens’ roles and strives to live out of her God-given </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>femininity.</b></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Do you know the story of ESTHER?</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Esther was intelligent and beautiful woman who was personally chosen by the King to be his wife, the Queen. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Esther 2:17 says “</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>“The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him”. Esther was also Jewish and her people, the Israelites were refusing to pay Homage to an evil man named Haman, who also happend to be the king’s high official. Haman want to murder all the Jews because they won’t worship him. So Mordechi, Esther’s cousin, tells her about this and pleads with her to try to persuade the king to step in. In Esther 4:14, her cousin says “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”</i> (4:14). Chapters 5-10, Esther outwits Haman and takes her petition to the king and pleas for the protection of her Jewish people from Haman. The King, out of respect for Esther, has Haman hung and Esther’s faith and courage saves her people.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If Esther had tried to play it like a man, I guarantee the king would not have been won over. But instead of doing it a man’s way, she led and lived out of her God given design for the benefit of her people in a feminine strength.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ladies, I like to think of God calling us to be on his team. On this team he gives men one role and woman another and himself a different role. <u>Her role is not less than, it is just different.</u> A weak woman gets ready to be on this team but then decides, oh man, I don’t want to play that position, I want to play Tylers position or Shawn’s positon or that guy over there’s position. As a matter of fact, I actually want to play God’s position too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So instead of being a team player, the wimpy woman says, "I don’t need any players and I don’t need God. I’m going to be the whole team...Coach, pitcher, catcher, 2nd baseman, etc. And I’m going to play all by myself. But you know what happens? Nothing! She minus well sit in the dugout cause life doesn’t work without all the players. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Society needs women who will be women and believe that her contribution to the kingdom is equal to a man’s and her role is vital as an heir to the inheritance found in Christ.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Galatians 3:26-29 says:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>26 </b>So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, <b>27 </b>for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. <b>28 </b>There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. <b>29 </b>If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The team doesn’t benefit when we don’t play our role and neither do we. Going it alone is not how God created us! God has called you to a position no one else can play. To a role a man can not do. Will you, like Esther use your design as a woman for such a time as this? Will you use your courage, your beauty, your strength, your wisdom like Esther to better the world around you? Your role is vital in the kingdom! And you are the same heirs according to the promise as men. But we need to act out of our design, not theirs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A wimpy woman refuses to play her role. Where a woman of strength seeks to be feminine and live out of her Godly design in all she does.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This Blog inspired by Shania Twain and her 90's country hit Man, I feel like a Woman.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week I was wishing I could hear a 20/20 interview. A Barbara Walters exclusive where she interviewed Eve and got into her mind a bit. I imagine it would go something like this: Eve would walk in, wearing a very fashionable suit made of fig leaves, maybe with a fur wrap. Barbara would welcome her and then recount the story out of Genesis 2: 3-6 </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">You will not certainly die,</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">your eyes will be opened</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">, and </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">good for food </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">and </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">pleasing to the eye,</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> and also</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"> desirable for gaining wisdom</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.</span></span></div>
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Then Barbara would pause dramatically, turn to Eve and say “ Eve, can you tell me what was going through your mind in the encounter with Satan that day? What exactly was it that you were desiring?</span><br />
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And I can see Eve, shamefully, maybe wistfully summing it up with one statement.. “you know Barbara, I just wanted more. I thought God was holding out on me and I wanted more. So I took matters into my own hands</span><br />
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As Eve would continue into the saga of the fallen world, I imagine that Barbara would ask Eve, Why she ate the fruit? What was her motivation and what was so enticing to her about the conversation with Satan? And Eve might recount a list that looked something like this: </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pursuit of Life : “You will not surely Die” (vs 4)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Experience/Adventure: “Your eyes will be opened” (vs 5)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Power/Purpose/Godliness: “You will be like God” (vs 5)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Knowledge/Discernment: “Knowing Good and Evil” (vs 5)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fulfillment/Security: “Saw the fruit was good for food” (vs 6)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beauty/Pleasure: “Pleasing to the Eye” (vs 6)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wisdom: “Desireable for gaining wisdom” (vs 6)</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCak9WE4SsS8N1ARhiaf4E7ns-JT-S-MEu5gSHo2eyj4dj7TFdgJYZ0iYYthA7nmiyYNWeLX18vlbPaI0zTqmVFT0Zy3IDjNXxfpjjMpcNwZofg2bMK5C4iAviGEZCdSjALXXhrgbXBu0/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCak9WE4SsS8N1ARhiaf4E7ns-JT-S-MEu5gSHo2eyj4dj7TFdgJYZ0iYYthA7nmiyYNWeLX18vlbPaI0zTqmVFT0Zy3IDjNXxfpjjMpcNwZofg2bMK5C4iAviGEZCdSjALXXhrgbXBu0/s1600/images.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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Barbara might then ask a few more questions and then talk about how the 20/20 staff tried to contact satan to give his side, but that his office refused to comment.</span><br />
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<img border="0" src="" />I can hear her closing monologue: “There you have it folks, Eve speaking up about her fear, her desires away from God’s plan, how she regrets her decisions and how wanting more gave her a tragic life of less. And then the 60 minutes clock pops up, ticking away to a commercial break. </span><br />
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Kind of funny to think about, but doesn't this fake interview ring true for women? </span><br />
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As I look at this list, I think, these things are actually great desires! She wanted all she could get out of life...life to the full! I can see why she fell hard for this sales pitch.</span><br />
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The thing that made it such a tragedy is that just like when satan tempted Jesus in the Garden, the things satan actually offered to Eve, were not his to give. True to his nature, he is a liar that promised a life of more... but when it really came down to it, He was like a used car salesman that scammed her. She thought if she could just gain control or an edge on these things, her life would really matter! Yet, choosing something apart from God’s plan always has the illusion of more but in reality ....results in so much less.</span><br />
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Tragically, Satan convinces us to take control of our own lives, when really when we listen to him, we hand him control rather than God. And women, In their attempt to be strong, have actually been weakened to believe that life apart from God is really life. And the freedom they long for is actually being enslaved to Satan and his schemes.</span><br />
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And Satan is not creative. He has enticed women with this same list of things for centuries. </span><br />
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As I’ve read through lots of documents this week, one that particular struck me was the webpage for the National Women’s Liberation Organization. Under the section “What we want”, I almost can see a serpent enticing and convincing them of the same things. Bullet points of “We want to be loved and respected for who we are as people” and “We Want women’s lives, ideas, desires and dreams to be no less important than mens,” and "We want control over our own bodies and Lives" shows me that women have some of the same desires Eve had, but find it by using a strategy that looks inward and to themselves not upward to Jesus to accomplish these goals. </span><br />
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The Irony in all of this is that Eve failed to see that the exact things she longed for, God already offered her in abundance with the life he had designed for her. Look at that list again? Life, adventure, purpose, knowledge, fulfillment, beauty wisdom! Oh how we all long for these things. These are some of the exact “riches of Christ’s Grace” that we gain in our relationship with him! </span><br />
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I hate satan for wreaking havoc on women like this. I want us to see the beautiful amazing life and purpose and adventure and privilege it is to be a woman. A strong woman of God, living out of her God given design and not a weakened woman by the deception of satan in the world. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the next few weeks, I am going to post 7 different blogs talking about the attributes that distinguish a wimpy woman, lessened by satan’s schemes from a woman of strength, designed by the God of strength.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blog brought to you in part by strong USF Navigator Women and Cadbury eggs. Both that bring a bit of sweetness to life.</span><br />
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Not sure how these things fit together, but sometimes I laugh out loud at things I see and I think, now that's funny! Working on a college campus definitely adds to the chance of some hilarious human sightings. </div>
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My friend Renee and my other friend Carrie Cam also have these run ins. Over the years we have met Ben Franklin on a train in Boston, Mona Lisa at a pita place in Tallahassee, a hilarious grape expert that probably thought he was Italian at Publix and really, the list goes on.</div>
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I've decided, since life is too serious sometimes, I will now be posting some of these "Humans of Tampa Bay" sightings as a blog segment, for everyone's enjoyment and for a hearty outburst of laughter that makes your eyes glisten and your sides hurt. </div>
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Yellow Fan Man: </div>
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Meet Yellow Fan Man. As I sat in Starbucks, working at the community table, I thought, "this guy is a character." He looks 30ish, but is wearing a "Will work for Beer" shirt. As our "stuck between a college student and an adult" friend sipped his latte, he must have felt a little warm, because all of a sudden he whipped out a portable yellow fan to cool himself. My cousin Sandy said he must have been going through manopause. </div>
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This Blog brought to you by the upgraded Samsung Galaxy phone, that now has the silent shutter feature, allowing me to be a bit creeperish and capture this picture without being noticed. </div>
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-74311017315565763082014-12-15T18:18:00.000-05:002014-12-15T18:24:29.746-05:00"No Substitutes, please!" (The Holiday Edition)<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Today was "Operation Christmas Shopping List." You know the drill! You get going with excitement, maybe a Christmas song on the radio and a little merry tune in your heart. Maybe you wear a little festive red and green jewelry or write your list on a pad of paper lined with snowflakes at the top. And you say to yourself with a contented sigh, "I just LOVE Christmas!" So this was me this morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But, as the day went on from store to store, a little bit of my cheer was chipped away. It waned with every person that almost ran into me with their cart, every mean-hearted oaf that stole the parking spot I waited for (blinker on), every dollar that I thought about leaving my bank account as I calculated amounts I could spend on each person plus my bills that needed to be paid next week, and every jam packed check-</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">out line of Santa's elves making their purchases.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The last straw was at my second-to-last store where the sales lady asked if I wanted a gift receipt. When I said "yes, please" she felt like it was her duty to inform me that she said GIFT RECEIPT and not just receipt, as if I hadn't heard her. I said "Yes, gift receipt. May I have one for each item in my bag?" I said as sweetly as possible through my clenched two front teeth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, as if I stomped on her Christmas fruitcake, she huffily replied "Well, that is going to be kinda impossible because..blah blah blah blah and blah blah blah.." and all of a sudden the joy of Christmas escaped my heart and the Grinch-like ire made my face hot and compelled me to want to tell the lady that I hoped she received coal for Christmas and that all the needles on her Christmas tree fell off while she was at work. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tired, poorer, extremely hungry, and gift-receiptless, I drove home and continued to stew a little as I ate my salad, a healthy attempt to counter balance the 6 cookies I ate yesterday at the Christmas exchange. As I sat there, I thought "What really is the point of all if this?" Ugh! Scrooge and I could have been best complaining buddies today! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5c5b72vNRqfCa1ErjOBei1663iYSDHJU2-W3n-GSgYomfoE-D5ErI1OZbZMXspzS9W7pcEigsHaZzG0mE_RTMN99l1BRVwOpbFLKapPYd3R0cy7NNJs-Mqnr30g5z3KmkSnYmxk5_2Qg/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5c5b72vNRqfCa1ErjOBei1663iYSDHJU2-W3n-GSgYomfoE-D5ErI1OZbZMXspzS9W7pcEigsHaZzG0mE_RTMN99l1BRVwOpbFLKapPYd3R0cy7NNJs-Mqnr30g5z3KmkSnYmxk5_2Qg/s1600/images.jpeg" height="153" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Then, I decided, I needed to re-focus. So I read a few advent devotionals and verses to try to restore my Christmas merriness. John Piper and Sarah Young's advent devotionals basically both said the same thing and had the same affect of shattering my icy heart and making it "grow three sizes that day!" (for all you Grinch quoters out there!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Both were talking about how our longing for more is so good and that the things on earth are to remind us of Jesus, our rescuer, who will take us to live with him one day in heaven to have life more abundant. And Christmas is a reminder and a foretaste of Jesus being with us, near us, rescuing us, restoring life, and calling us home to him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>“All other homecomings are foretastes. And foretastes are good. </b></span><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Unless they become substitutes. O, don’t let all the sweet things of this season become substitutes of the final great, all-satisfying Sweetness. Let every loss and every delight send your hearts a-homing after heaven. </b><b style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Christmas. What is it but this: I came that they might have life.” John Piper</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When I read the line "..unless they become substitutes…," I realized that was what I had been expecting for my day. That the substitutes would fill me and fuel the Christmas joy that really can only be found in Jesus and the life he brings. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I thought further about Christmas, these are some substitutes that I am now using to remind me of the Sweetness that comes through our savior. Maybe they will encourage you too:</span></div>
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<li><b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Giving Christmas Presents</b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--This is a reminder of Jesus being the greatest gift of all to us! The gift that brought joy unending, wealth irreplaceable, brought relationship reconciled between us and God. </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Spending Money on Presents</b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">--Is a reminder that God paid a high price for my relationship with him and Jesus, my Christmas gift, strengthened and formed my bond with the Father. And because of that, I can give to others with joy.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hanging or Seeing Christmas Lights- </b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jesus is the light of the world. And the wisemen, angels, shepherds, and people from all tribes, tongues, languages, and people seek him to light the way, brighten their lives, deplete the darkness and bring light to life. Hanging them up is a reminder to me that we are to bring that light to others, and be a vessel for the beacon of hope offered by Jesus, the light of the world, to people around us.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Baking Christmas Cookies- </b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Baking cookies can remind me of the sweetness of Jesus' word, the Bible, sweeter than honey, and so nice to share with others. Its also a reminder that our sustanance comes from the Lord, who gives our daily bread, and even more by giving us sweet treats along the way of life.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Christmas Parties- </b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> How good and pleasant it is to be reconciled and have relationships with others. We need each other. Christmas parties are not to show off our newest holiday wreath or the height of our tree, but to remind our souls that I need community. I am not created to be a loner. It also reminds me that Jesus reconciled us to himself and welcomed us into his home. And in heaven, there will be great rejoicing! As the Jesus storybook Bible puts it, the angels will be festively caroling at this party, </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"singing a beautiful song: "Glory to God! To God be Fame and Honor and all of our Hoorays" </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">So with that being said, Who cares about the gift receipt anyways? After all, Once you receive Jesus, you never want to return him, nor can you return him! He is the best Christmas joy and gift we could receive and the whole reason we celebrate this season. Many hoorays in his honor today! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hope today this gives you a little snap back to our real Joy and Hope and a reminder that these things are substitutes for what is really ours because Jesus was born so many years ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This Blog brought to you by the real sugar that I put into my coffee this morning. No substitutes today for me! Give me the real stuff!</span><br />
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-48638000427369598612014-08-03T18:14:00.004-04:002014-08-03T18:26:41.843-04:00Take off the Grave Clothes and Go Out!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sitting on the balcony of the staff condo this summer, with the Smoky Mountains filling my view to the right, and King Kong taking down the Wax museum to my left, I read the story of Lazarus (John 11:1-43) in a new light. A unique picture of the Gospel that I'd never thought of before.<br />
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Mary and Martha, two sisters, plead for Jesus to come. They want him to intervene in a circumstance of hopelessness and save their brother from death. But Jesus doesn't come right away. And Lazarus dies, seemingly too far gone for anyone to revive him. At any hospital, the time of death would have been called out, and an eerie calm would come before the weeping would begin. </div>
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When Jesus arrives, Martha looks at Jesus and says "If only you had been here, my brother would not have died." And Jesus consoles her and says in his Jesus like crypticness "Your brother will rise again. I am the Resurrection and the Life." He then sets out to see where they have laid Lazarus body.</div>
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When Jesus sees Lazarus death tomb, He is overcome and begins to weep. A dear treasured friend, laying lifeless before him. A crying that only happens over one so deeply loved. A mourning that goes to the gut and pierces the heart of the one who's body shakes in sadness.</div>
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But then Jesus does a peculiar thing, He asks that the stone to the grave be removed. Just imagine the horror of having someone ask to exhume a buried body! Everyone around would have been either disgusted or embarrassed or horrified. I can just hear Martha say, "Jesus, please! Don't do this! It will already smell bad, he has been there for 4 days!" But, he insists. and he prays, that the people standing there would benefit from what they will see.</div>
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And then, the beautiful, crazy and amazing part. He calls Lazarus out! He calls him to live! He calls him to come out of the grave! To rise and come to life! Lazarus comes out of the grave, but still bound with his grave clothes. He probably couldn't see that well and probably had pain hit him as his eyes were exposed to the light, and his dead body started to receive life again. Maybe He felt the pins and needles as his body tingled with blood flowing into all his limbs again. </div>
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And Jesus says, "Take off the Grave clothes and Let Him go!"</div>
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The beauty of the Gospel is so parallel in this story:</div>
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<li><u>The Hope for Believers:</u> Mary and Martha, the power of God came to save their brother after they thought it wasn't possible and hopeless and too late. This is a reminder to those of us that feel like Mary and Martha, that it is too late to see salvation come to loved ones that we have long prayed over! Oh, that we would believe, that with Jesus, no matter if his timing feels late, He is never too late to being hope to the hopeless. What a reminder of why I share my own story in hopes of others salvation.</li>
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<li><u>The Deep Love of Jesus for People:</u> Jesus is the Ressurection and the Life. He knew what was going to happen. Yet he weeps over the dead and mourns at the tomb that encrypts his loved ones. Jesus mourns over the sinner that is encased in sin, bound by the grave, and lies dead. He weeps over our dead state and longs for our lifeless bodies and souls to receive flowing blood again--His saving Blood. </li>
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<li><u>The Freedom from the Grave:</u> When one hears the voice of God to Live, he can trust it and come out of the tomb. No matter how surreal it feels, even if the light is painful, there is freedom in the response to live and rise and come out! It wasn't pretty to see the grave clothes exposed, but it didn't matter. Life had come to the dead man and he no longer was bound by the grave. This is true for us when we hear his voice and respond.</li>
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<li><u>Beyond the Grave:</u> Jesus is helping the saved, the alive, to leave to grave clothes. To take off the strips of death that bind us, and go out in freedom, in our new selves, not bound any longer to death and decay and the tomb! That is redemption! Not just salvation, but salvation and a new self, free from the old, dead self.</li>
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This picture of the Gospel touched me deeply this summer, as I realized that the Gospel speaks hope to the hopeless, speaks life to the dead, demonstrates the Saviors deep love over those that are not living but are encased by the tomb, and frees us from all that entangles, that we may go out, and that our story would be a witness to others. That we would tell of the tomb we left, and the grave clothes that sit in a pile and no longer entangle us. That we would live out of our new selves and call others to listen to Jesus call to come out of the grave and be free.</div>
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This Blog brought to you by The Tomb Ride, an attraction that costs too much and is not worth it in Pigeon Forge that, upon exiting, makes you think, "Glad that's over."</div>
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-2906881345633338742014-05-06T01:09:00.002-04:002014-05-06T01:12:42.584-04:00The Top Ten Things I Remembered This Week that I Love about the Midwest<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B%20background-image%20%3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/ShabbyBlogs/Lola.jpg%20%22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20%20background-attachment%20%3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cscript%20type%3D%22text/javascript%22%3E%0Avar%20shabby_div%20%3D%20document.createElement%28%27div%27%29%3B%0Ashabby_div.setAttribute%28%27style%27%2C%22position%3A%20absolute%3B%20left%3A%200px%3B%20top%3A%2030px%3B%20z-index%3A%2050%3B%20width%3A%20150px%3B%20height%3A%2045px%3B%22%29%3B%0Ashabby_div.innerHTML%20%3D%20%27%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20href%3D%22%20http%3A//www.shabbyblogs.com%22%3E%3Cimg%20border%3D%220%22%20src%3D%22http%3A//i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/ShabbyBlogs/ShabbyBlogs.jpg%22%3E%3C/a%3E%27%3B%0Adocument.getElementsByTagName%28%27body%27%29.item%280%29.appendChild%28shabby_div%29%3B%0A%3C/script%3E"));</script><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOVuxG4wmn7vbqtKEWdeWSZzZzKayqDB-aMsqO_-oNFsDDoY6O2o3N_wfiLFYFDau7xUabGyQYCYZHy02ZuumjXBfPwyAR7Uvod-d1_rYcU6He2pS7DKLe1Iyr46I0z2Qkes07eXPDmU/s1600/10338932_10104482466473103_403733173_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOVuxG4wmn7vbqtKEWdeWSZzZzKayqDB-aMsqO_-oNFsDDoY6O2o3N_wfiLFYFDau7xUabGyQYCYZHy02ZuumjXBfPwyAR7Uvod-d1_rYcU6He2pS7DKLe1Iyr46I0z2Qkes07eXPDmU/s1600/10338932_10104482466473103_403733173_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>10. Very few places in the world offer the 95% probability of meeting someone that knows the one friend you have from that one small town off of I-80.</div>
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9. Yes, there really are places where people are as wholesome and as good as they seem.</div>
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8. Where the local girls softball team is the talk of a whole airport terminal.</div>
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7. The celebration of different anglo cultures is an important topic of conversation, especially as one discusses the difference between Dutch, Swedish and Czech festivals. And how about those Tractors in Parades!</div>
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6. You can't beat a midwest church potluck! Casseroles galore and homemade desserts for everyone!</div>
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5. Slower pace of life sometimes makes you appreciate the things that actually matter.*</div>
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4. Who knew Farmer's markets could span over multiple mile blocks, putting all other attempts at a Farmer's market to shame?**</div>
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3. Seasons exist! Tulips blooming in spring and the celebration of winter's end can only make you smile! ***</div>
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2. No southern pretenses, but a definite understanding that you are immediately family by proximity.</div>
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1. When your dear heart friends live or come from here, it makes life richer and more blessed.</div>
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This Blog inspired by The Moores in Des Moines and the Poferjes of Pella.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>*This excludes slow midwest drivers. I don't miss this. Not even a little bit. Nope, not at all.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br />**Except the metal working man that sold me a metal basket that I thought he made. Turns out he forgot to cut the tag off that said "Made in China." He must be from somewhere besides the Midwest.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br />***Unless you are the grumpy Dutch lady working in the Tulip Time office on Tulip Festival day. She must be a disgruntled Czech trapped in a Dutch town.</i></span><br />
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-53311021293841927262013-12-01T00:37:00.000-05:002013-12-01T00:37:51.944-05:00Joy Dare, Week 4 (and then some): Miracles, Nebraskans, Red Lights<b><i>Day 22: A Gift Grateful</i></b><br />
Time with Emily and her husband Tim, Joy<br />
Time with my teammates from Nebraska, Friends<br />
The Lord, and His Might<br />
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<b><i>Day 23: 3 Gifts Only in Christ</i></b><br />
Miracles, Jamie and Eric having beautiful, prayed over, miracle baby Brookie<br />
Grace, In seeing God cover over many sins in my life<br />
Multiplying Human efforts for Greater purposes, in seeing the growth out of hard things<br />
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<b><i>Day 24: 3 Gifts Humble</i></b><br />
Workshop on diversity, Oh how little I know!<br />
Concert of Prayer, wow..such a need for laborers!<br />
Time with Barb, a dear living legend who initiated time with me!<br />
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<b><i>Day 25: 3 Gifts Ugly-Beautiful</i></b><br />
The cold, not-so sunny weather<br />
My heart<br />
Sweaty hugs goodbye from dear friends after a dance.<br />
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<b><i>Day 26: 3 Gifts Preparing</i></b><br />
Processing time to prepare my heart for the week<br />
Preparing to have a voice with men through women's workshop<br />
Preparing for a fun dinner with dear single women friends at a fancy restaurant<br />
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<b><i>Day 27: A Gift Handemade, Held, Happy</i></b><br />
A pumpkin chai, made by mom when I got home for Thanksgiving<br />
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<b><i>Day 28: 3 Gifts in Community</i></b><br />
Interesting conversation<br />
Funny and wise older people<br />
Kind hearts in the unexpected<br />
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<b><i>Day 29: 3 Gifts Red</i></b><br />
Red Nail Polish<br />
Red Candle<br />
Red Christmas lights on tree downtown<br />
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<b><i>Day 30: 3 Gifts Astonishing</i></b><br />
Greek ministry growth<br />
Auburn beats Alabama<br />
Cookout fun with Dad<br />
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-25237477545509862222013-11-30T23:43:00.000-05:002013-11-30T23:53:36.284-05:00Joy Dare, Week 3: Aunt Status, Golden, SinglenessJoy Dare, Week 3<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B%20background-image%20%3A%20url%28%22http%3A//i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/ShabbyBlogs/Lola.jpg%20%22%29%3B%20background-position%3A%20center%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20%20background-attachment%20%3A%20fixed%3B%20%7D%0A%3C/style%3E%0A%3Cscript%20type%3D%22text/javascript%22%3E%0Avar%20shabby_div%20%3D%20document.createElement%28%27div%27%29%3B%0Ashabby_div.setAttribute%28%27style%27%2C%22position%3A%20absolute%3B%20left%3A%200px%3B%20top%3A%2030px%3B%20z-index%3A%2050%3B%20width%3A%20150px%3B%20height%3A%2045px%3B%22%29%3B%0Ashabby_div.innerHTML%20%3D%20%27%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20href%3D%22%20http%3A//www.shabbyblogs.com%22%3E%3Cimg%20border%3D%220%22%20src%3D%22http%3A//i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/ShabbyBlogs/ShabbyBlogs.jpg%22%3E%3C/a%3E%27%3B%0Adocument.getElementsByTagName%28%27body%27%29.item%280%29.appendChild%28shabby_div%29%3B%0A%3C/script%3E"));</script><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Day 15: 3 Gifts Golden: </i><br />
Starbucks Gold Card,<br />
Little Gold shoes on a baby,<br />
Gold staircase at the Oxford Exchange where we had Girl staff time.<br />
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<b><i>Day 16: 3 Gifts Hard Eucharisto: </i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: xx-small;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 22px;">Ann Voskamp describes it as</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">the hard discipline to lean into the ugly</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">…the hard times…</span><span style="line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">and still be able to give thanks, find joy, find grace.)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px;">For my years of singleness in my 20's as I think its helped me know myself more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px;">For the lack of Bible Study women leaders, as I think its an opportunity to trust Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px;">For raising support. Though hard at times, its one of the main things that has increased my trust in God the last 6 years.</span><br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Day 17: 3 Gifts of Laughter </i><br />
Laughing with Katie<br />
Laughing with Mom<br />
Hearing a little child laugh at the store<br />
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<b><i>Day 18: A Gift made, shared, passed on</i></b><br />
Two cupcakes from Dough Bakery, made by the baker, shared with my friend Laura who flew in from Kansas, and passed on to each other to try the other cupcake!<br />
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<b><i>Day 19: 3 Gifts Autumn</i></b><br />
Cotton on the side of the road as we drove on a rode trip<br />
Cooler weather as we drove north<br />
Apples<br />
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<b><i>Day 20: 3 Gifts of Traditions</i></b><br />
The Navigators and their dedication to Spiritual Generations<br />
Heart Conversations at conferences with the single ladies<br />
Seeing Deb pray for people at the conference<br />
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<b><i>Day 21: 3 Gifts Family</i></b><br />
My mom<br />
My sister<br />
My new niece or nephew coming in May:)<br />
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-91520864473680153832013-11-14T00:22:00.004-05:002013-11-14T23:32:17.279-05:00Joy Dare, Week 2: Freedom, Veterans, Pumpkins<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sweet, Salty, Sipped</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Galatians 5</td></tr>
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Day 8: A gift Sweet, Salty, Sipped: </i>Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha<br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">Day 9: 3 Gifts from Harvest: </b>Pumpkins, Butternut Squash, Honey Crisp Apples<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Day 10: 3 Gifts found in Bible Reading: </i><br />
Galatians 5:1--Christ set me free to be free.<br />
Galatians 5:6--Faith expressing itself through love is what counts, not how perfectly I do things.<br />
Galatians 5:22--Things that come with Spirit living that I didn't earn, that are mine without limit<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Day 11: 3 Gifts of Remembrance: </i><br />
My Grandfather LaFrance who served as a Marine. I never met him, but I see him as a hero.<br />
My Grandmother who served as a Navy Nurse during WWII.<br />
My Aunt Ann, who served in the Navy Reserves.<br />
Thank you Veterans.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Day 12: 3 Gifts at Noon: </i>Our first year Edgers: Katie, Austin and Maggie at staff meeting! Love them and so thankful for them!<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Day 13: 3 Gifts Behind a Door: </i>A blast of cool air outside the front door, Kim and Melanie at worship night, vegetable soup in the cabinet<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Day 14: 3 Gifts Silence: </i>First few moments waking up, Sitting by the fountain in Hyde Park, Right before bed minutes</div>
Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-75545902264722944302013-11-07T21:57:00.001-05:002013-11-07T21:58:01.679-05:00Joy Dare, Week 1: Curry, Kicks, and Freedom of ReligionGod is giving amazing things to us all the time. In daily circumstances, He often steps in and crosses the heavenly threshold to remind us of relationship with Him. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've decided to take Ann Voskamp's <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/joy-dares/">Joy Dare</a> challenge from her blog, based off her popular book 1000 gifts. Here is a record of this week's little joys, given from the Lord to me:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Student Prayers at USF</td></tr>
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<b><i>Day 1:</i> 3 Gifts Eaten:</b> Masaman Curry, Pumpkin Doughnut Hole, Baby Townhouse Crackers<br />
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<b><i>Day 2: </i>3 Gifts Worn:</b> Red Button Earrings, New Gray Kicks, FSU Shirt on a winning game day<br />
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<b><i>Day 3:</i> 3 Gifts that start with N:</b> Night Chat with Charlene on Porch, Nice Weather and a picnic with Mom on the porch, Nap after church<br />
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<b><i>Day 4</i>: A Gift Gathered, Given, Good:</b> Gathered: friends for Bible study, Given: workshop on rest and work, Good: reminder from Elaine from Jesus Calling<br />
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<i><b>Day 5:</b></i><b> 3 Gifts-Acorn Size:</b> Little white flowers on my walk.<br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">Day 6: 3 Gifts Government: </b>Freedom of Religion, The Postal Service, Education<br />
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<b style="font-style: italic;">Day 7: 3 Gifts from my Window: </b>Shawna, Firepit, Rays of Sunshine<br />
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-66577875491019522432013-11-04T01:18:00.000-05:002013-11-04T01:18:12.470-05:00A Crime to Report<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have a crime to report. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Someone stole my joy this week and I want it back. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also want to testify that there were other victims this week of the same culprit. As I sat and heard the heavy hearts of various friends, I realized that before I could look around, mine had also been snatched. One glance away, and gone!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The truth is, sometimes life is just plain hard. Heartbreaking stories of depression, sin and its consequences, broken relationships, dying loved ones, general ungratefulness, lies that have replaced truth, and unbearable stress that causes tears can wear you down. And the more you hear, the harder it is to remember that there is hope for this joy to be restored.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week, as I've mourned over the stolen goods and waited for the thief to be taken down, another one reared its head. Comparison, thief's nasty sidekick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Teddy Roosevelt says "Comparison is the Thief of Joy." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not only did I mourn with the heartaches, losses and sadness, but I started looking at the stories of blessing from the non-victims with a sinister, ugly scowl. If I'm suffering, and these friends are suffering, how dare you share your good stories with us? And comparison distracted me while the thief stealthily snuck by, joy in tow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I talked to one who guards the joy, He reminded me that He brings justice to the injustice and healing to the broken. The Lord heard my story, and came to assist. Not just assist, but to restore. Not just to restore, but to renew. Not just to renew, but to fight. And to conquer. And to free. And to secure. And to increase.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In Galatians 4, the Holy Spirit, reminded me that I have the rights of freedom. That I am adopted by the one who calls the shots. That what is most perplexing is believing that bondage and slavery to death is actual reality and that joy is steal-able. But joy is not take-able. In actuality, joy is a gift that comes from living out of the good news. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And the good news is this: that Jesus Christ has conquered all culprits of joy theft. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Truly, this world is hard. But there is a better destiny, a restored order. In Jesus Christ, all things hold together and every tear is wiped away. My joy and the joy of my friends is actually hidden in the incomparable riches of Christ, and our names are written in the book of life. These are things that can never rust, spoil, fade or be taken from us. And inheritance beyond here. And that is where joy is found! And that is where joy lives. Untouched by the world and its scheming thieves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So like the psalmist writes in Psalm 42:5, we can say</span><br />
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<b><span class="text Ps-42-5" id="en-NIV-14561" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; position: relative;">"Why, my soul, are you downcast? </span><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Ps-42-5" style="position: relative;">Why so disturbed<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14561O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup> within me?</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="text Ps-42-5" style="background-color: white; position: relative;">Put your hope in God,</span></span><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-42-5" style="position: relative;">for I will yet praise<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14561Q" title="See cross-reference Q">Q</a>)"></sup> him, </span></span><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Ps-42-5" style="position: relative;">my Savior<sup class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14561R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></sup> and my God.</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My prayer this week, for these friends and for myself, is this: That in constant renewal and time with the Father, healing and wholeness and joy will make a clean sweep through our hearts. That we would be reminded that what we suspected was actually gone for good, never made its way past the door of our hearts. That the thief and his nasty sidekick have actually been defeated for years, starting the day Jesus died and rose. That Jesus' fulfillment of the law made a binding covenant with us where joy permanently resides. Oh the greatness of the King of Kings! Thank you, dear Lord, for your victorious self!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In facing these things, I've decided to recall this joy to mind by taking the <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/joy-dares/"><span style="color: black;">Joy Dare</span></a>. Afterall, a grateful heart, is a joy-filled heart and leaves no room for evidence left by two locked up convicts. </span><br />
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I believe this calls for a celebration. I mean after all, we can all agree that this case is now closed and joy is in order.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This blog brought to you by: Nice weather and Grilled Cheese on the porch with Mom. (The first of my Joy Dare answers!)</span></div>
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-48350950441570740252013-05-26T12:41:00.000-04:002013-05-26T12:41:38.692-04:00The Land of MoreLast week I made the 10 hour trek from Florida to Tennessee to serve on the director's team for the Navigator's summer program! Today is an exciting day! Our student team leaders arrive with their hearts full and their cars packed for a summer of leaning into the Lord, impacting college students from all over the southeast with the Gospel, and growing in character, wisdom, faith and skill. They will be joined in a few days by the 120+ students who will be under their leadership and participating in SMS2013.<br />
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I have been challenged this week with my own inadequacy. I've been fighting a cold, some emotional ups and downs, and a bit of overwhelmedness, thinking, "Can I really handle the pace of the program and run with these students for the summer?"</div>
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This is when the Lord continues to remind me, "Rachel, not your strength, but mine. Not your ability, but my power through you. Where you are weak, dear girl, I am strong! The author of strength." </div>
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This has been encouraging to me.</div>
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On a different note, I have taken several walks and breathed in the commercial mountain air of Pigeon Forge! It is crazy how many shows, shops, and neon signs line this town. I'm excited to check some of them out, but I realize that Pigeon Forge, who's slogan is "The Land of More" never likes silence or solitude. Its actually a kind of exhausting reality of how our world longs to be filled, and fills themselves with entertainment, earthly purchases, and grossly overpriced expenditures. </div>
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Yet, beyond the parkway, are some amazing views of the Smoky Mountains! The Lord has used this to say "Look beyond the circumstances, the hustle and bustle, and see me! Keep your eyes fixed above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3). The real "Land of More" lies in Jesus Christ, who purchased us with his blood and filled us with all the full measure of Christ (Ephesians 3). This too has been good for my heart.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoky Mountains and the Parkway from my Room!</td></tr>
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I've also visited the local Walmart where, my roommate for the summer says, "Walmart is where everyone and their momma and their Bubba go to shop." I will say, in that one 30-minute trip I saw more beards and more mullets than maybe in all my life.</div>
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Please pray for the program as we all get excited for all the students to come this week:) </div>
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This blog brought to you by Dolly Parton, who started Dollywood here and who, regardless of who you are, will always love you.</div>
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-19462142519527644432013-05-17T15:38:00.000-04:002013-05-17T15:56:33.876-04:00A Flock of Birds and A Chance Meeting<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boarding my connecting flight in Dallas, I made my way past my boss' seat and two other people going to the same conference as myself on how to train new staff. Row 18..row 20...row 21. 21D. I take a deep breath. I put my red carry-on suitcase into the compartment overhead, sit down, buckle up and try not to focus on the last experience I had on a plane. I decide to take the inevitable risk of saying hi to the person next to me, hoping to get my mind off myself. For the first time I look over and I actually take note and evaluate the state of the blonde lady in the window seat, and realize she looks a little like I feel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Hi. I'm Rachel. Are you ok?" (I try saying this without being offensive, as I notice her puffy red eyes with smeared blue eyeliner and disheveled hair.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"No. No, I'm really not! Ive had the worst day," said my window seat companion with a panic in her eye.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What happened?" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point she starts waving her hands like she's having a hot flash and says, "my first plane caught on fire and we had an emergency landing. I was sitting next to the engine, I look out my window and I see a flock of birds fly into the engine." She gasps a little as the plane we are on revs up. "I can't do this! I can't do this," she says. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Wait what?!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"On the first plane, I saw the flames and I smelled that awful smell, and smoke came through the cabin...and the air masks..and I texted my husband "I love you..I love you" over and over...Oh, I shouldn't be on this plane. But I've been waiting for 5 hours to fly to see my best friend in Colorado." She quickly closes the shade as our plane moves faster.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"What! That is crazy," I exclaim. "How are you feeling? You are brave to get on a second flight today," I say. At this point, I ask a few more questions about what happened, but quickly realize that she may have a repeat of my own anxiety attack a month earlier if we continue to talk about the emergency landing. So, for a few minutes I try to calm her down. I ask about her kids, her husband and how they met. This seems to work. She shows me pictures on her phone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But after a few minutes, when the plane is still bouncing as it comes to altitude, I realize she is still not doing great. "I'm such a mess! I know its a hard story to believe! I'm sorry you have to sit next to me," she weakly smiles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Hey, Melissa...Can I tell you something? A month ago, I was on a plane, and had an anxiety attack, that I thought was a heart attack. So I kinda get it! And I've been nervous to fly on this plane too, because I've been wondering if I might have another anxiety episode."Would it be ok if I pray for us?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this Melissa grabs my hand dramatically and immediately bows her head with determination. Then she looks up, "I knew you were a Christan. Ok. Go!" She returns to prayer state. I say a quick prayer and then we continue talking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I find out she has two kids, that her and her husband were high school sweethearts, that she's mad at the airline for not doing anything when all that happened earlier. I learn that she lives in Houston and has a new ATV that is bumblebee yellow--"to match my hair as it bounces in the wind." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then she asks the inevitable question. "Are you married? Do you have kids?" I tell her no, and she says "Don't worry, don't worry. I just know this is going to happen for you! You have a good heart. This is going to happen. You will get married, don't worry. Don't settle, but don't worry. You have a good heart." She repeats this probably 5 time throughout the remainder of our flight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a little while, she pulls out a encyclopedia size book, and shows it to me. "Actually I have this children's Bible that I borrowed from my son. I started this morning and because its been such a terrible day, I read from Genesis to Zephaniah." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"You read all of this today?" I ask! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yes! Its been a pretty stressful day! Did you know Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible? I didn't know that, but that's amazing to me. I want to read the real Bible someday, but don't know where to start."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> At this point, I get to share a Bible reading plan with her and she's so excited! "Yes! A Bible reading plan. You and I were suppose to sit next to eachother," she exclaims. And then "You wait for the right one, honey. You have a good heart. I know you won't be single forever."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I laugh to myself at how random and awesome this lady is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the end of it, I had a new friend in Texas, a place to stay if I ever come, food to eat that she will cookout for me, and a free pass to ride the yellow ATV, which "also will look great with your hair color, honey." She gave me a hug, thanked me, exchanged emails and numbers, and walked away as my director stared incredulously with wonder on his face. He said "Let me guess.." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I interrupted and said "There is no way you will figure out what just happened. Its a CRAZY story."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I walked out of the airport, I thought about how thankful I was that these things happen in life. When you bump into someone's life with your own, and you have an encounter that makes you friends, even for a moment, that's a real look into humanity. That somehow, ordained by God's sovereignty, I sat next to a lady on a plane who was in a worse state than I was, and helped me with my anxiety as I helped calm hers. That I could pass on a tool that's helped me in reading the Bible, and help her. That I was welcomed and loved by a random lady in the midst of something I was really nervous about. Really, it was God helping both of us. Its like this quote:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Along the way you bump into people who make a dent on your life."~The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to my airplane friend, that dent was actually not a dent at all, but a blessing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This Blog brought to you by the ATV dealers of Texas and a God who knows the combined number of blonde hairs located in American Air flight, Row 21, where two random friends met one day in April.</span></div>
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Rachofelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11801037927545354088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363028273341987088.post-47940038701047130302013-03-14T18:33:00.001-04:002013-03-14T18:52:17.594-04:00Learning to be Irresponsible<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I used to refer to responsibility as the “R” word. When I was 17 or 18, I loathed it. Isn’t it funny how something you loathe can quickly become something not only that you decide is good, but that you take on to a fault? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is what happened to me. Somewhere along the line, the “R” word became the adjective that I would put at the beginning of my name to play that “Get to know you game” that RA’s use for their floor during freshman year of college. Responsible Rachel, that’s me. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now, if you would have asked me if that is what I LIKED to be called, I would have psh-ed at you and given you a smirky "are you serious?!" look with a roll of the eyes. But, somehow, over the years, Responsible Rachel became more of a definition rather than a description, and an identity more than an identifier.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the last three week, Responsible Rachel has been thrown into a tizzy seeing that despite her best effort, this fallacy she believes to be true, is actually quite the opposite of true. To her shock and somewhat annoyance, She can hardly believe that she is not responsible for every person, every dish that needs cleaned on the counter, every problem happening in people's lives, and every perception of herself. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The unraveling of Responsible Rachel came in the form of physical anxiety, a perceived false heart attack on a plane. While Responsible Rachel became “Checking my Respiratory breathing and Rate of Heart Rachel" in seat 19D, in the back of her mind she thought, I hope that old redneck sort of a guy across the isle doesn’t have to become responsible if I have a heart attack. What is that! In the midst of my physical angst, I was thinking about how the guy across the isle would feel if I had a heart attack, deciding I would be responsible for his angst!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Something is seriously wrong with that picture. And with my thinking.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I realized Responsible Rachel was not having a heart attack, just a break down, I quickly tried to pull it together, followed by a phone call to my Medical Mother, followed by a series of days where I actually couldn’t pull it together as I seeked help from a counselor, a doctor, friends and family.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now, three weeks later, I am still struggling some with anxiety and learning how much of what I think I’m worth is wrapped up in how responsible I am. Thankfully, the Gracious God that we have is slowly showing me that Responsible is not the descriptor he wants in the front of my name as my definition. In his severe mercy, my descriptor is becoming stale and boring.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When telling my director in ministry about these anxiety things, he sincerely told me, “Rachel, you need to learn to be Irresponsible.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He didn’t mean I should stop wearing deodorant, show up three hours late to meet friends for lunch, or ignore engine lights in my car. What he meant was, I need to let go and say, you know what? That’s not my responsibility to deal with or fix. To say “no” to things and be ok with it. To recognize I am not anyone’s Savior or Fixer. There is only One that can do that for all human kind. His name is Jesus, the One and Only (John 1:14). How’s that for an Identity descriptor. That I need to be ok with not being in charge and need to surrender to the one who is. That I need to let Jesus’ love define me, not how much I can do in a day or how well I do those things. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So this is where I am. I’m shedding Responsible as my identity for something else. For What? Ive decided I’m not coming up with one right now. I’m irresponsibly leaving that responsibility up to Jesus . I’m going to just relax and lean on Him for that answer and enjoy the freedom found in His responsible act on the cross. And that’s where I’m going to be defined. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This Blog brought to you by College Resident Assistants around the nation, that join floors of crazy freshman together into life long friendships through games that later people blog about.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2OvMGjtX7YVT81YRiyBUoU1axYKyMj6Acfu3uWag8hL4If02KL5hjgZDcFjjWW35MfCms01x4gu-PRZuWC_-dzWmtS_EMroz8QO3JD1DVLJ51vuC2oX7grvgd-HOkB2PejyY1xVaTrc/s1600/401356_3345910804314_1574871900_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2OvMGjtX7YVT81YRiyBUoU1axYKyMj6Acfu3uWag8hL4If02KL5hjgZDcFjjWW35MfCms01x4gu-PRZuWC_-dzWmtS_EMroz8QO3JD1DVLJ51vuC2oX7grvgd-HOkB2PejyY1xVaTrc/s400/401356_3345910804314_1574871900_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And now for your enjoyment, a throwback Thursday picture of my Freshman friends:</span></div>
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