The Church Lady

Wonder what popped into your mind when you read the title? When I hear the term “church lady” I think of Dana Carvey’s character on Saturday Night Live. That character cracks me up.

Really, when I think about a “church lady”, I picture an older woman, very serious looking – almost stern and of course she would be wearing a strand of pearls. Her collar would be buttoned up tight and her dress would be something matronly looking. Funny isn’t it what images we come up with certain words and phrases.

Going to services in our congregation I see all kinds of church ladies. Ladies with all different colors and lengths of hair, stylish clothing, all different ages and different sizes, and they all have one thing in common. Their willingness to meet together and worship God. Each one of them is different in their own way.

Let’s look at some of the women in the Bible.

• Eve – the mother of all living persons
• Woman at the well – sinful but searching
• Mary Magdalene – a follower of Jesus
• Esther – a queen
• Ruth – a beloved mother-in-law
• Jael – an ordinary woman who would kill
• Deborah – a warrior princess

Which one of these women would you be able to pick out of a crowd? Each of these listed above could be any one of us.

Some of those women I worship with I know them very well. Others I just know their names and faces, then others I’m just getting to know.

I’m always amazed when I get to know someone new and there story of where they have been in their lives and how they came to find Christ. When I first started going to worship, I felt like everyone was better than me and I was a heathen that had so much to learn. Amazing to find out that at some point and time we all have been “at the beginning” of becoming a “church lady”.

So as you go through your week, think about how far you have come in your walk with Christ and what kind of “church lady” you are. Stop and say a special prayer this week for all the women in the church who trying their best to be like Christ in their own special way with the gifts that God has given them.

May God Bless

Happy Thanksgiving

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Family, friends and material things are the usual items we hear. Thankful for our country and the freedoms that we have are not far behind on our list. These are all wonderful things to be thankful for, but let’s dig a little deeper.

Are you thankful for your “problems” and the “challenges” that are in your life? May I be bold enough to ask you to be appreciative of these items also? Having problems and challenges means you have options and choices. You have the ability to look at these issues with a variety of opinions and choices.

Here are some synonyms for “thankful”:

• Contented
• Grateful
• Indebted
• Overwhelmed
• Pleased
• Relieved
• Satisfied
• Beholden
• Gratified
• Much obliged 

I’ve never thought of being overwhelmed or indebted as thankful. Normally when I am overwhelmed it is because I have so many choices or because I have so much to do. When I put it that way I should be thankful. I love the words, beholden and much obliged. I guess if I am beholden to someone that means I am thankful to them for something they did for me.

Let’s go deeper and see what God has to say.

Romans 1:21
Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Have I become futile in my thoughts? Is my heart thinking foolish thoughts and being discontent? I hope not, but I am human and it happens sometimes.

Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.



This Thanksgiving I am going to make a special effort to be more thankful for everything, my family, friends and challenges.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Is Satan knocking on your door?

My husband and I went to see the movie “War Room” about a week ago on a Sunday afternoon. I highly recommend it to everyone. It is not just for couples, but for anyone who wants to take a good look at their life. It was really a Wow movie that made me think about my situations and if God was in control or was I trying to control God.

Yes, I have control issues.

On Monday, my faith was put to test. My husband came home and announced the company he was working for was going belly up and closing their doors. He would have his job for another 30 to 60 days and that’s it.

We didn’t see that one coming.

Instead of immediately going into full panic mode (which would have been the norm for me), I calmly sat and listened to my husband and tried to think of how he must be feeling. How devastating to come home with bad news and face your family. It wasn’t his fault; there is nothing he can do about the situation, so why add to the stress that he was feeling.

As my husband and I discussed the options that were facing us, him changing jobs, me going to work, us moving, I knew what was happening. Satan was knocking on my door. It was up to me to make the decision to let him in or not. I have chosen not to open that door.

That morning I had prayed, not just my normal prayer with my check list of requests to God, but with an earnest heart. I denounced Satan and told him he would not be welcome in our house. I firmly believe if I had not gone to God in prayer that morning with my heart open, I would not have been able to have the reaction I did that evening.

Many verses come to mind that will sustain me through this challenge:

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant’ because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct your paths.

Good is alive and in my home, leading us as we go through this situation. I will not fall prey to Satan’s negative thoughts.

We all face these kinds of problems. We are not unique.

How will you react the next time Satan is knocking on your door?

Avoid Temptation

What kind of friends do you keep? We all have “close friends”, “good friends” and “acquaintances”. Who do you really spend your time with?

We have TV, movies, radios, books and electronic devices that stream directly into our lives. Some days it feels like no matter what I look at, hear or read it contains information that I am pretty sure God would not approve of.

If you stay at home you may be tempted to have the TV on during the day. TV can be your best friend. Nothing wrong with that, but what are you watching? Are you filing your mind with good things, or worldly things? I enjoy TV, probably too much. If I get caught up in something good, I can spend hours in front of the TV. There is nothing really wrong with that, unless it is not wholesome and I’m not neglecting my duties in the home and family.

1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character”

Paul is writing a letter to the Corinthians and warning them about believing false prophets and what evil it can bring to them. My belief is that if God has lead Paul to write about it, then maybe I should listen and see how I can adapt the information to my life. What Paul is talking about pertains to everyone no matter how old you are.

If I spend my time watching TV, reading books or associating with people that are “of the world” then I need to be very careful. Worldly morals will slowly creep into my life before I become aware. It will be subtle at first, and then it will become an everyday occurrence. Before long I will no longer be putting Christ first in my life. My language will slip occasionally, or I will repeat something I heard or saw in a movie. I might think to myself, well it isn’t that bad, and listen further, or read further in the book instead of just walking away.

There is a saying, “there is nothing new under the sun”. I like this saying because it is true. Just like when our children come home from school singing a little song that we used to sing when we were their ages and we know we didn’t teach it to them. As they grow we realize they are facing the exact same challenges we did, they are just covered in different wrapping paper. Just as Paul spoke to the brethren back in Corinth, he speaks to us today.

Normally this subject is related to our young people, especially teens. They are so desperate for the approval of their peers that sometimes their thinking gets clouded. However, I find that everyone faces this during their life continually no matter what age they are, it seems to go in phases. Paul tells us how to deal with this problem.

1 Corinthians 15:58 
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain”

Instead of watching that show, movie or read the book that is questionable, do something for the Lord. Pray, write a card of encouragement, call someone and talk to them. I bet we will find others facing the same challenges as we do.

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeing whom he may devour.

Satan is real and he is out there looking for those that follow Christ. Always be on the lookout for his works.

Your Perfect Family

     Family. What a great word. This word family conjures up so many different pictures in my mind as I am sure it does for you. We all have family, and different kinds of families that we are part of. I tend to picture Norman Rockwell pictures in my mind when I hear the word family. No, my family is not a Norman Rockwell family.
      We have the family we are born into, the family that we have chosen to be our extended family, our work family and our church family. We may even have more than those listed depending on your activities and associations. Notice that only one of these families is a group of people that we did not make a choice to join, the family that you are born into. Some have a wonderful family and others not so good.   


      It is up to you who you associate with and who spend time with.
When we use the word “associate” as a verb the definition is:  "To connect someone or something in your mind with someone or something else" This definition shows us that we are making that choice to spend time with certain people and activities.
        No matter what kind of family you were born into, you are an adult now and make your own choices as to who you associate with. God even speaks about this subject to us through His word.

    We all have characters in our families. You know the ones, they show up late to everything, the ones that you can count on to bring the gathering to life and the ones that secretly in the back of your mind, you hope don’t show up. We are an interesting group of humans.






          Romans 12:16  - Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.
     Notice that we are commanded to associate with all people; however I don’t believe that God wants us to be harmful to ourselves and continually associate with people that are not good for us. We should always strive to be compassionate and loving to all; however, surrounding yourself with healthy loving people that are supportive is what creates a great family.
      Do you make good choices about who you associating with? How much time do you spend with the families that you have chosen to be in your life?

Holy - Holy - Holy

What a great word this is. I love the song too. Holy Holy Holy, Lord God almighty!

Can you ever be too holy? I know sometimes we say so and so has an attitude of being holier than thou. But do we really mean that, and exactly what does that mean to us?

If I was to say someone is holier than thou, I mean to say they are full of themselves or they think they are better than me.

According to Strong’s Concordance the word Holy means to be clean, purified or sanctified. Well this definition certainly is not the way I am using the word when I say someone is thinks they are holier than me. Once again the misuse of the English language.

Does going to church three times a week mean you are holy? Of course not. How you handle your life and all parts of it determine if you are holy or not. I am not sure we can ever be fully holy by the description above, but it is something we strive for on a daily basis.

My everyday life should show holiness in all my actions and deeds. Can I be acting holy all day long? Yes I can. As I do the dishes and let my mind wander I can be holy. My thoughts are holy and Christ like. I can dish up one of my flash prayers for one of my friends that I know is in need of an extra blessing. I can pray for the sick while I fold laundry. I can pray for my children while I mop the floor. I can thank God as I go through my daily chores around the house. Thank Him for the blessings He has bestowed upon me. Thank Him for the clothes to wash and fold and thank Him
for the house to clean.

Holy is a state of mind for us to work towards in our Christian walk in life.

I Thessalonians 4:3-8

3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

In the verses above we are told that we can strive towards holiness. God did not call us to be impure and to take advantage of others, God called us to be pure and control ourselves.

Today I will control myself and my thoughts toward Godly things as I go throughout my day. How about you? Care to join me today in my walk towards holiness?