A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Proverbs 31:10-11
How can a young [woman] keep [her] way pure?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you. . . .
I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.
I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.
Psalm 119:9-11, 15-16
Father God, let me meditate on your word and hide it in my heart so that I will not be led into temptation. In this country where the standards in dress, media, etc. are not your values and therefore should not be mine help me to follow your precepts and not the worlds. Help me to not follow the latest teachings that are contrary to your word but seek to learn and understand your precepts. Holy Spirit guide me to teachers who are grounded in God's word and not just what is the latest feel good message. Train me to do as Jesus did and use your word to turn away the snares of the deceiver. Lord Jesus you are my Teacher, so teach me to meditate as you did. I renew my commitment to delight in your word and not neglect it. Amen.
In order to become a virtuous woman of noble character and to stand firm against the deceiver's lies and temptations then I need to be have the word of God on my lips just as Jesus did when tempted in the wilderness. One way I can do this is memorize Scripture. I need to be more committed to doing this and one way to start is to memorize the weekly memorization Scripture that accompanyes this study. I also need to then take this routine and continue it beyond the 90-days. I can also meditate on the meaning of the Scriptures and what they mean to me. I can also do further study beyond just rote memorization. I can ask the Holy Spirit to teach me the meaning and application of each word, and let his instruction begin to transform who I am and how I live.
Study tools that I currently use to memorize Scripture:
Spiral-bound index cards that I carry with me.
Spiral-bound index cards which I keep at home and at work.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Day 2: Commit Yourself to Time Alone with God
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Provers 31:10-11
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to
a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when
they found him, the exclaimed:
"Everyone is looking for you!"
Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also.
That is why I have come." So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues
and driving out demons.
Mark 1:35-39
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Provers 31:10-11
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to
a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when
they found him, the exclaimed:
"Everyone is looking for you!"
Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also.
That is why I have come." So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues
and driving out demons.
Mark 1:35-39
Holy Spirit help me make a commitment to spend time alone with God each day. Remind me to treat this time with God as the most important meeting of my day. Forgive me God is I let the things of the world keep me from this precious time alone with you. Jesus help me to follow you example of spending time alone with the Father at the beginning of the day and refocusing my mission as you did when time alone with Father God set your agenda for the day. These things I ask in the mighty name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
Personal: In this segment today Donna suggests creating an area in you house designated as a place for prayer, a room, a closet, a corner. In that area also include sacred items, your Bible, Personal Notebook, and a pen. She quoted Henri Nouwen who stated "Discipline is the human effort to creat the space in which God can be generous and give us what we need." She also stated that the reason the Proverbs 31 woman's husband could have full confidence in her was because she had full confidence in God. She reminds us that confidence in a relationship comes from investing time in the relationship. I got a laugh out of the following paragraph:
"Any determined, hardworking woman can bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan.
That's no great accomplishment. A woman who is so wise she has figured out how to get the bacon to come to her and has trained her children to be servant-hearted enough to do the frying--now that's a valuable woman! That's a woman who will inspire confidence in her husband and everyone else who meets her."
I agree with Donna now that's a woman who will inspire confidence. She goes on to state her reasons for believing we need to start our day by meeting with God. I may not be a perfect Proverbs 31 woman but I do agree with Donna on this point. It just makes sense to start my day off right by meeting with God first thing. It starts my day off right. Even if that meeting is short. I have also recently quit making that meeting in the bathroom as I prepare for work but instead take time to sit at my desk which is sort of my God/Prayer corner. This is also my Bible study area and has my prayer journal, Bible, etc.
Personal Affirmation: I commit myself to time alone with God.
Practical: In this segment Donna asks you to create a specific place for time alone with God. I can't follow her other suggestion that it is a place where you do nothing else but I do have my Bible, Prayer Journal, Personal Journal, index cards, post-it notes all in a basket. When I am taking a Bible study that book and whatever my Sunday School Class is studying is also in the basket.
I have had this space and basket for a while now and find that it does help put me in the mood to focus on spending time alone with God with no distractions. There are special things that are sacred items to me, may not be to anyone else but then this is my God space/Prayer space. When I do spend that time with God before leaving the house in the morning I have a much better day. Prayer on the way to work is good and it does benefit me to talk to God about things that were triggered by my morning devotional, or things I see on the way to work or about a particular client or clients. However, that special time in nothing but prayer and quiet time for God to speak to me is just something that is important to getting my day off to the right start. I firmly believe it helps my day go better. I also have a similar place at work so that I can take time during the day for intercessory prayer or if something comes up and again it quiets my mind if things get chaotic to just sit and listen, maybe sometimes put on some quiet praise and worship music.
ADDENDUM: 4/30/09: I am feeling a little hypocritical today because after committing yesterday to spend dedicated time alone with God this morning I let the things of the world get me in a rush. I was on my way to work when I realize I had rushed through my morning devotional and prayer time and had not really given God more than a few minutes to listen to him. I felt bad for awhile but then realized that what I needed to do was not to give in to the enemy's lies and stop doing what I had committed to do but to ask God for forgiveness and recommit to giving him more time. When I got to my office I paused a few minutes and said some intercessory prayers and then just sat quietly. There were not great ahahs, no sound of harps or angels singing just blessed peace. But that peace has helped me remain calm in the eye of the storm. It also helped me keep my mouth shut during a staff meeting which included our big boss from Birmingham. Thank you Father God for giving me the answer I need even if that answer is no answer help me remain committed to spending more time with you and for forgiving me when I don't. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to bruise my conscience when I don't or when I forget my committments.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
My 90-day Journey Begins
Day One: Place Your Full Confidence in God
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value
Proverbs 31:10-11
"For your Maker is your husband--
the LORD Almighty is his name--
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.
The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit--
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected," says your God.
Isaiah 54:5-6
I have decided to use this format to once again attempt to do the full 90-days journey through Donna Partow's book "Becoming The Woman God Wants Me to Be". So here I go!
Day One.
1. List two of your unique personal qualities (e.g., creativity, enthusiams).
(1) creativity and (2) empathetic
2. List one or two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others (e.g., through supporting, inspiring).
(1) by coming up with new creative ways of bringing other women together and (2) listening to others particularly when they are going though hard times without being judgemental or needing to give advice.
3. Assume the world is perfect. Then describe it as you see it--what are people doing, how are they interacting, what does it feel like (e.g., everyone is freely expressing his or her talents in harmonious and loving ways)?
People are not judging one another. They are helping those in need and giving of themselves. People are behaving more Christ-like. There is no hate, prejudice, sterotyping, feelings of superiority.
4. Combine your three answers above in a single statement (e.g., "My personal vision statement is to use my creativity and enthusiasm to support and inspire others to freely express their talents in a harmonious and loving way.")
My personal vision statement is to use my creativity and empathy to bring other women together and listen to one another without being judgemental or needing to give advice; being more Christ-like, and to not hate, sterotype, feel superior, or to be prejudice myself.
As Donna wrote it is very difficult for me to comprehend just what it fully means to have God as my husband. However, he has given me an earthly husband for me to attempt to be the wife that the memory verse for this first week and other weeks is talking about. I know that I will fail at this at times but at those times I need to first ask God's forgiveness and my husband's if the Holy Spirit convicts me of the need to do so. Also that I need to turn to God to help me do better in the future that I might strive to grow into the woman he wants me to be.
"God wants us to stand out as women who know we have something valuable to offer the world. We are capable, intelligent, and virtuous women who inspire full confidence in those who rely on us most, whether our husband, children, employer, or co-worker. The people around us can have full confidence in us because we have full confidence in God and we live accordingly"
In spite of what the deceiver tells me I want to hold on to the truth that God believes I have something valuable to offer the world because he gave me the strengths, talents, and abilities so that I would have something valuable to offer. I may not always inspire full confidence in those who are around me but I do have full confidence in God. Since I have confidence in his promises I can become the woman he wants me to be and a woman who will become the most beautiful bride. Ultimately this will bring the confidence of the people who are most important to me.
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value
Proverbs 31:10-11
"For your Maker is your husband--
the LORD Almighty is his name--
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.
The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit--
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected," says your God.
Isaiah 54:5-6
I have decided to use this format to once again attempt to do the full 90-days journey through Donna Partow's book "Becoming The Woman God Wants Me to Be". So here I go!
Day One.
1. List two of your unique personal qualities (e.g., creativity, enthusiams).
(1) creativity and (2) empathetic
2. List one or two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others (e.g., through supporting, inspiring).
(1) by coming up with new creative ways of bringing other women together and (2) listening to others particularly when they are going though hard times without being judgemental or needing to give advice.
3. Assume the world is perfect. Then describe it as you see it--what are people doing, how are they interacting, what does it feel like (e.g., everyone is freely expressing his or her talents in harmonious and loving ways)?
People are not judging one another. They are helping those in need and giving of themselves. People are behaving more Christ-like. There is no hate, prejudice, sterotyping, feelings of superiority.
4. Combine your three answers above in a single statement (e.g., "My personal vision statement is to use my creativity and enthusiasm to support and inspire others to freely express their talents in a harmonious and loving way.")
My personal vision statement is to use my creativity and empathy to bring other women together and listen to one another without being judgemental or needing to give advice; being more Christ-like, and to not hate, sterotype, feel superior, or to be prejudice myself.
As Donna wrote it is very difficult for me to comprehend just what it fully means to have God as my husband. However, he has given me an earthly husband for me to attempt to be the wife that the memory verse for this first week and other weeks is talking about. I know that I will fail at this at times but at those times I need to first ask God's forgiveness and my husband's if the Holy Spirit convicts me of the need to do so. Also that I need to turn to God to help me do better in the future that I might strive to grow into the woman he wants me to be.
"God wants us to stand out as women who know we have something valuable to offer the world. We are capable, intelligent, and virtuous women who inspire full confidence in those who rely on us most, whether our husband, children, employer, or co-worker. The people around us can have full confidence in us because we have full confidence in God and we live accordingly"
In spite of what the deceiver tells me I want to hold on to the truth that God believes I have something valuable to offer the world because he gave me the strengths, talents, and abilities so that I would have something valuable to offer. I may not always inspire full confidence in those who are around me but I do have full confidence in God. Since I have confidence in his promises I can become the woman he wants me to be and a woman who will become the most beautiful bride. Ultimately this will bring the confidence of the people who are most important to me.
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