Courageous Womanhood

Created for Procreation

2011-12-29T09:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, G took me to see the Bodies exhibit in Atlanta. It was really interesting (and a little nauseating, at least for the first ten minutes), and I walked away with a new sense of wonder about the human body and the One who created it. No one in their right mind could see the displays and deny that they were the result of intelligent design. Of all the displays we saw that day, the one that stood out to me the most was the exhibit on conception. It showed the different stages of child development, from the fertilized egg to the fully-grown baby. There were also lots of facts about conception and the female reproductive system hanging on the walls. Did you know that women are born with all of the eggs they will ever have, and that there are approximately 250,000 of them?

It's amazing to me how specially designed human beings are for procreation. Though that is not our only purpose in life, it's clear that we were created to "be fruitful and multiply." Max Heine sheds light on just how ideal the circumstances are for procreation in marriage:

"Jewish law prohibits sexual intercourse during the five days of menstruation and the seven days following it. After this abstinence of at least twelve days, the husband (and ideally the wife) is eager for the food time that has been on the back burner for two weeks or more. Something akin to a honeymoon excitement should be in the air. The husband’s sperm count will be high. And most importantly, the wife emerges from this period at her monthly point of fertility. This is God’s version of planned parenthood. Christians...would be naive to think it was pure accident that the juxtaposition of God’s law and His specially designed cycle for [women] so strongly favors fertility. The Creator obviously had something in mind." Max Heine, Children: Blessing or Burden?

The more I study the Word, the less of a case I can make for the idea that children are just another possession to "aquire" when we feel we are "ready" for it. It doesn't make sense for God to give women so many eggs if we were only supposed to try for two or three children, and then say "that's enough." God puts so much importance on procreation in His Word, and it's very clear that children are valuable to Him.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate." -Psalm 127:3-5

Commenting on this passage of Scripture, Nancy Campbell says the following:

"In the context of Bible days, arrows were for the purpose of war! We are in a war today and God needs arrows for His army. God wants children born to fulfill His strategies and plans. When a warrior went out to war, how many arrows would he want in his quiver? One or two? No, he’d want to squeeze in as many as he could. The more arrows he had in his quiver, the more weapons he had to slay the enemy and the more protection he provided for himself." -Nancy Campbell, Be Fruitful and Multiply: What the Bible Says About Having Children

It's clear that God loves children. And if I am to be an "imitator of God," then I must love them as well. I want every area of my life to be submitted to God, not just the ones that are convenient for me. He knows better than I do about everything, and if God calls children a blessing, then that is what they are. I can choose to reject them, or welcome His blessings with open arms and a heart of thankfulness. Who knows what my future children will grow up to be, or how the Lord will use them to change the world? I'm still wrestling with lots of questions about children and what God's will is, but I'm taking it one day at a time. Children are still in the distant future for me, but if I seek God's heart, I know He will direct my path.

What are your thoughts about procreation? Do you have any questions about children? If so, what are they?

Taking Back the Internet

2011-10-17T15:14:00.000-07:00

They aren't hard to find. Rude comments, whiny and immature status updates, and "tweets" that say unkind things about other people are everywhere. For every nice thing you read, ten more mean things pop up. What we read online can be very discouraging, but when each of us do our part, we can turn the internet into a place of encouragement.

Two ladies from my church are in my facebook friend list. While many of my friends would post negative things (going on about their awful day, grumbling about how much they dislike so-and-so, or making cryptic statements about the boy who never notices them), these women would post Scripture and encouraging quotes. Their statuses always made my day a little more special, and reading them inspired me to try an experiment. What if I didn't post anything online unless it was uplifting in some way? After all, Scripture frequently talks about the power of speech:

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of judgment." -Proverbs 10:19-21 (NIV, emphasis mine)

"Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." -Proverbs 16:24 (NKJV, emphasis mine)

"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." -Colossians 4:6 (NKJV, emphasis mine)

"[Show] yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you." -Titus 2:7-8 (NKJV, emphasis mine)

I decided to try it. Every day, if a particular verse stuck out to me during my quiet time in the Word, I would make a note of it, and then post it somewhere online. And if I came across an uplifting quote, I would post it as well. Immediately, people began telling me how encouraged they were by what I was posting, and how a particular verse of Scripture was exactly what they needed at the time! The Lord is so awesome.

Because those two ladies from church used their words - spoken or typed - to honor the Lord, I was encouraged, and that led me to encourage other people. Now I see many more pleasant things in my newsfeed than I do unpleasant things. Little by little, the Truth of God's Word is infiltrating the internet! So here's my challenge to you: Go an entire week (or longer) without posting anything unless it's encouraging in some way. Not that you can't disagree with what someone says, but if you do, make sure you are kind about it. If you've had a bad day, don't post your complaints for the whole world to see. Vent your frustration to a friend or family member (or even better, to God) instead. If you read something that makes your day a little brighter, share it with others! You never know how God will use what you post to speak to someone else who is in need.

Have you ever been encouraged by something that you read in the Word, a book, or online? How important is it to use discernment when posting on the internet? What are some other ways that we can use our words to be an encouragement to others?

Other Articles
Attention-Hungry Faith - Relevant Magazine

Taking Responsibility

2011-09-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

I thought about beginning this post by saying that I had "stumbled across" some of Andy Stanley's sermons, but then I realized that wouldn't be correct. So what I'm going to say instead, is that God allowed me to find a particular series today. Because that's the only explanation for why I chose to listen to this particular set of messages. When I clicked on the link that would take me to a series called Taking Responsibility for Your Life, I didn't think it was something I really needed to hear. After all, I consider myself a responsible person. It looked interesting though, and it had been a while since I had watched any of Andy's sermons online. Part one of four began, and in a matter of minutes, I was completely glued to the screen. Andy could have been talking directly to me with some of the things he said. It's amazing how God gives you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.

Just so you know, I'm very weird. I enjoy personal reflection, even if what I discover isn't pretty. Often, when I share something that I've been thinking about with my family, they are surprised by it - the reason being that I frequently think about something for months (or maybe even a year) before I mention it to anyone else. So to them, my statements or reflections seem spontaneous, but they are really things that I have thought about for a while. Well, God has really been convicting me lately (and by lately, I mean over the past year). He's revealed to me that I have been blaming other people for my insecurities and feelings of inadequacy (and maybe they were partially to blame). However, the Lord has been showing me that I need to focus on how I have contributed to the things I struggle with, instead of saying "it's someone else's fault." I need to take responsibility for my own actions - or inaction - and change the things that I am not happy about.

I'm not talking about the "middle school girl" insecurities. Walking around complaining about how "fat" I am or how some other person is "prettier" than me isn't something I do. There's nothing wrong with the way God created me. Rather, I'm talking about deeper issues: not feeling smart enough, successful enough, or wealthy enough. Not that I believe my value comes from those things, because I know it doesn't. Nor do I believe that I need to be the smartest, wealthiest, or most successful in order to be happy. Because I'm already happy. But God has been showing me how much I compare myself to everyone else, and how much I blame other people for the feelings of inadequacy that will naturally arise from such comparisons.

For example: I have a cousin who is ridiculously smart. He always had really good grades in school, took AP classes, and now he's studying to be an engineer at college. Like I said, he's ridiculously smart. It's very easy for me to compare myself to him. And when I do that, I always come up short. He's really good at math, and I am really not. In fact, I used to cry during every one of my Algebra lessons! So of course, when I think about how smart he is, it makes me feel very uneducated. That's where the blaming starts, and the "they should have" and "they could have" accusations start to swirl in my mind. When really, I should be remembering all that I could have done. I could have studied harder. I could have asked for a tutor. I could have worked hard instead of wanting to give up all the time because I had trouble understanding what I was being taught. It's silly, I know. Just because something doesn't come as easily to me as it does to someone else does not mean I'm unintelligent. It just means I have to work harder to understand what they understand. Knowing this doesn't stop me from comparing or playing the blame game, though.

So this brings me back to the sermons. Hearing what Andy Stanley talked about in this series really confirmed everything that God had already been revealing to me about my own life. I have to stop blaming other people for the things I struggle with. Maybe, if I keep working hard, math will make sense to me. Or maybe it won't. Either way, God has entrusted me with the time I have, the gifts I have, and the ability to grow those gifts and use them for His glory. Instead of passing blame, I can be responsible with what He's given me to do. With the Lord's help, I can continue to press on in life. Continue to learn. Continue to grow. Continue to change. I can acknowledge the things that I am not satisfied with, and work to better myself. Because this life is short, and I want to live it in a way that honors Him.

To watch all four parts of Andy Stanley's series, Taking Responsibility for Your Life, click here. Trust me when I say that it's worth every second you spend watching it. If you do decide to watch it, let me know what you think!

What stuck out to you the most about Andy Stanley's sermons? What changes do you want to make in your life?

Ghosts Upon the Earth

2011-09-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

I've heard lots of music over the years. Growing up, I listened to bands like Point of Grace, The Newsboys, and even some Petra (thanks to my awesome dad). Then when I hit the teen years, I started listening to some Christian rock groups like Kutless, Skillet, and BarlowGirl. Occasionally there would be some rap music by The Cross Movement and KJ-52, but I've recently taken an interest in some more artistic bands, like Explosions in the Sky. The other day, while browsing the iTunes store, I stumbled across a band I had never heard of before: Gungor. [I take that back; I think I heard a song from their first album once.] They had just released a new CD titled Ghosts Upon the Earth. From the snippets I listened to on iTunes, I could tell they had a completely different style from what I normally listened to.

So I listened to their album on YouTube, and paid close attention to the lyrics. I couldn't have been more impressed by what I heard. Not only were their songs completely unique musically (they are almost cinematic in their sound), they also contained very deep messages that were straight from Scripture. In just a few days, Gungor went from being an unknown band (unknown to me, anyway), to being my favorite band. They might even be my favorite band of all time, which is really saying something. Normally, I have to listen to an artist's music for a while before I decide whether or not I like it. My first when I heard the music on Ghosts Upon the Earth was, "Hmmmmm, that sounds very unusual." But now it's the first CD I go to when I want to listen to music. To me, the best thing about this album is that I am not focused on the band when I'm listening to it. I'm focused on the wondrous, awe-inspiring God that they sing about, and their music always leaves me with a sense of overwhelming reverence for the Creator. So if you are looking for a new band to listen to, and you're open to hearing something that might be a little different, do yourself a favor and give Gungor a try. If you do, make sure you listen carefully to the lyrics. In searching for a new band, you just might find the Father.

My personal favorites are When Death Dies, Wake Up Sleeper, Vous êtes mon cœur (You Are My Heart), and This Is Not The End. Listen to their album below:

Gungor - Ghosts Upon the Earth

1. Let There Be

2. Brother Moon

3. Crags and Clay

4. The Fall

5. When Death Dies

6. Church Bells

7. Wake Up Sleeper

8. Ezekiel

9. Vous êtes mon cœur (You Are My Heart)

10. This Is Not The End

11. You Are the Beauty

12. Every Breath

13. The Way Things Go

***I do not own these videos or the music. The music belongs to Gungor, and the videos were uploaded by NicholasFitchpatrick.***

The Not-So-Elusive Will of God

2011-09-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Photo by Sarah W.

What is God's will for my life?

This question is asked by every Christian who desires to honor the Lord at some point in their lives. Sometimes it takes the form of other questions, like "Should I marry this person?" or "Should I go to college, and if so, which one?" Whether or not you should marry a certain person or go to college are important decisions, and they require lots of prayer and counsel. Sometimes, though, I think we make certain decisions bigger in our minds than they actually are. When you search the Scriptures, God's will is not as elusive as you might think. In fact, the Bible is very clear about what God's will is!

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:1-2 (NIV, emphasis mine)

"So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do." -Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT, emphasis mine)

"Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free." -Ephesians 6:5-8 (NKJV, emphasis mine)

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." -1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 (NIV, emphasis mine)

"Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 (NIV, emphasis mine)

God's will for our lives is very extensive. Just by these verses alone, it is God's will that we

Offer our bodies as living sacrifices.
Not conform to pattern of this world.
Be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Don't live foolishly, but wisely.
Be obedient to our earthly "masters" (you could insert "boss," "husband," and "father" here as well).
Do all things "as to the Lord" rather than man.
Be sanctified.
Avoid sexual immorality.
Control our bodies in a holy and honorable way.
Don't defraud or take advantage of one another emotionally.
Live holy lives.
Respect our brothers and sisters in Christ, holding them in high regard.
Live in peace with one another.
Warn the idle.
Encourage those who are timid.
Help those who are weak.
Be patient with everyone.
Avoid revenge and be kind to one another.
Always be joyful.
Pray continually.
Thank the Lord in all circumstances (even the bad ones).

That's pretty specific! When we're facing difficult decisions, our first question doesn't always have to be "What is God's will?" because His Word tells us what His will is. Rather, we can ask, "Will marrying this person or going to college help me to carry out God's will as revealed in Scripture?"And when you're facing more than one good option, you can consider which one of those options will best help you to do God's will. Don't stop praying about the decisions you have to make, because it's never a good idea to rush into something. Just make sure you're asking the right questions when you pray, and much of the stress that comes with wondering what the will of God is will be avoided.

Have you ever wondered what the will of God is for your life? What helped you make the big decisions? What advice would you offer someone who wants to honor God with their choices, but doesn't know which choice to make?

Other Articles
God's Will for My Life - Part 1
God's Will for My Life - Part 2
God's Will for My Life - Part 3
God is Not a Magic 8 Ball

Time For a Change

2011-09-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, I haven't posted on here very often. Mostly it's because I've been busy, but also because I haven't been inspired to write anything very interesting. The end of the year is coming quickly, and I want to change things up. I think I'm going to give Courageous Womanhood a new look; maybe get more of a focus with my posts, and put more time and study into writing them. What I need is a clean slate! So it may be a little while before you see any new posts on here, and you might not be able to find some older posts. Stay tuned!