Femininity > Feminism

Femininity > Feminism (2 totally different things)

Ladies, I just want to encourage you today. 

Your home IS your ministry! What a powerful opportunity we have every single day to serve the Lord...even in what may feel like mundane tasks. Isn't that exciting? It's such an awesome contribution to the Kingdom that we should be proud of and work heartily in! There are a few passages in the Bible that are just for us women, like Titus 2:3-5 that says "the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed." We should study those & become passionate about them as we pursue our mission to become more like Christ.

Being a homemaker- to me, that means your best efforts should be inside your own 4 walls. If your ministry ever becomes so demanding of you that your own home- your family...husband/marriage, children, health, personal walk...begins to suffer, it's time to step back. We can't let our light shine for others if our lights are burned out, and they can even be burned out by doing "good" things like serving/working outside the home. Do I believe both can be done? Yes. But we have to be super cautious to GUARD our hearts, minds, & homes. You have to take care of your own light first, and the bigger the flame, the more it draws others & more you can share. We are not called to be busy, stretched too thin, or too exhausted for our own family.

I have no doubt Satan is using this as a tool of destruction & a sneaky method of getting into families...making us busy, making us feel inadequate & like we aren't doing enough in what should be our greatest calling, by keeping us from finding fulfillment in being homemakers, & in having us pursue things that mean some of our own families' needs go unmet. Let's pursue godliness together by becoming warriors for our own 4 walls! 

P.S. Currently teaching a Bible study on 10 Elements of Biblical Femininity in the Godly Wife FB group. Would love for you to join us! All videos have been recorded.

 
 "I want to be respected most by those who know me best."

Offense

Every day, we are presented with multiple opportunities to get offended. It can be as minor as someone cutting us off in traffic or stealing our parking spot. Other times we can feel deeply hurt by a friend's rude or harsh comment.

What many people don't know is that offense is one of Satan's greatest tools to steal our peace and rob us of God's blessings.
The word "offense" comes from the Greek word scandalon. It is an interesting word that literally describes a trap used to hold bait in order to lure animals. Similarly, offense is the bait the enemy uses to trap us. He will use people's words and actions to get our minds churning and stir up our emotions. He uses this bait to lure us into a lifetime of bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, strife, hatred and revenge.

I often say that Satan sets us up to get us upset. He knows our weaknesses and what buttons to push to send us over the edge.
The good news is we are smarter than our enemy because we have the mind of Christ! (See 1 Corinthians 2:16.) We can know the truth of God's Word and don't have to take his bait.

In other words, when somebody tries to give you offense, you decide whether you take it or not.

You may be thinking “it's so hard not to take offense sometimes!” I understand how you feel, but we can refuse to be offended because God gives us self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23). This means we can control ourselves with God's help and take responsibility for how we respond to life's situations.

It's easy to deflect our problems and place the responsibility on someone else, thinking, If you didn't upset me, then I wouldn't feel this way or If you would just do this, then I would be happy.

But the truth is we will never be free from any problem as long as we're blaming somebody else. I'm not saying other people don't do anything wrong; however, we can't control what everyone else does; we can only choose how we are going to react!

1 Corinthians 13:5 says love "is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs" (NIV). Love is a choice! I can choose to forgive and let it go, or I can hold on to the offense and let the hurt turn into something even worse.

For example, sometimes an offense starts out like a paper cut. It's seemingly small, but if you don't take care of it properly, it can begin to fester. In time, it can become infected and cause you a lot of pain.

I can tell you from experience that it's so much better to take care of a problem when it's little. It's good to address it as quickly as possible before it has an opportunity to take root and turn into something more serious.
I've learned that the quicker I can forgive somebody, the easier it's going to be. Sometimes this means being the first one to apologize and make peace — even if it's not my fault!

However, the more we do the right thing, the easier it gets. The quicker I forgive others and get rid of any offense, the more peace I have in my life. After a while, you realize that staying offended doesn't change other people or solve your problems — it only makes you bitter and angry.

I often say that staying mad at someone who has hurt you is like taking poison and hoping your enemy will die. You don't hurt them at all — you only hurt yourself!

Psalm 34:14 tells us to "seek peace and pursue it" (NIV). I've learned over the years (many times the hard way) just how valuable God's supernatural peace really is. Now, I absolutely refuse to live without it!
It is so much greater than living with the toxic results of holding unforgiveness in my heart.

Opportunities to be offended will never go away, but we can grow wise to the enemy's tactics and learn how to respond in a godly way.

So, the next time you are tempted to be offended, don't take the bait!

Always remember that you have a choice. You can choose to be angry and bitter ... or you can decide to forgive, believe the best of others, and enjoy God's supernatural peace.

Christians: What is Your Focus Right Now?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

I’d highly recommend taking a few days off of social media & ALL news platforms if you haven’t done that lately. 💜 It did my heart so much good, & it’s more important now than ever to make sure the Word of God is the loudest voice in our head. I hear lots of folks saying lots of things that sound “good” & “right,” but in reality they aren’t Biblical.

There are many important things going on around us right now, no doubt...but I fully believe the enemy is using distraction as his main tool to create chaos & division. If we are all so distracted with worldly issues, we lose our focus on things of eternal importance.

It is possible to keep the main thing the main thing & still stand up for what you believe in. But if you’re a follower of Christ & things of the world are getting more of your time, energy, & attention...it’s time to reshift those priorities and put Jesus back on the throne.

Here’s a great way to check your heart & just a little food for thought...
1. When is the last time you argued with someone on the internet over differing beliefs?
2. When is the last time you shared the Gospel with someone?

If that’s as convicting to you as it was to me, it may be time to re-evaluate some things. 💜 Lots of love to all of you! Stay vigilant & prayerful! Let’s worship our way through this.

Opportunities

Some thoughts about new opportunities...

💛Be ready for opportunities by staying close to God. Then, when he calls you to a task, you'll be ready!

💛Don't let the fear of what might happen cause you to miss an opportunity. Be alert for the opportunities God gives you, and take full advantage of them.

💛Look for the areas where God has gifted you and then seek opportunities to allow God to use your gifts.

💛When you are making decisions or assuming new responsibilities, remember these two important steps. Ask yourself what you need to know about the opportunity, and then obtain that knowledge. Common sense is a valuable aid in accomplishing God's purpose.

💛Increased opportunity bring increased responsibility. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded." Luke 12:48

💛Not every opportunity is sent from God. We may want something so much that we assume any opportunity to obtain it is if divine origin. An opportunity to do something against God's will can never be from God because God does not tempt us. When opportunities come your way, double check your motives. Make sure you are following God's desires, and not just your own.

💛Take advantage of the opportunities given us, doing what we can do and not worrying about what we cannot do.

💛Rather than complain about your present situation, look for ways to use every opportunity to serve God and share him with others. Your problems may be opportunities in disguise.

💛See your troubles as opportunities. 2 Corinthians 4:17

A Few Quick Health Tips

A couple of quick health tips!

1. Your body actually NEEDS salt. It just needs to be QUALITY salt. (Avoid table salt at all costs, pre packaged foods, fast foods etc. They have astronomical amounts of poor quality salt.) I personally alternate between pink Himalayan, Celtic sea salt, herbed sea salt, & this.

2. Corn, canola, & soybean oil are highly inflammatory & terrible for you. Stick to coconut, avocado, & a quality olive oil (which is only to be used on low heat, or preferable not heated at all). You need good fats like these for heart + brain health. This ad? LIES.

3. Prep your veggies all at once so they’re ready for snacks & dinners for the next few days. Try to consume some at every meal! More green light foods = better health, better skin, better energy, improved weight management.

4. Supplements are necessary with our current food industry, depletion of soil, etc. QUALITY supplementation is incredibly important. (Avoid synthetic forms of vitamins & a one sized fits all supplement regimen.) Co-factors are also important for proper absorption! You can take this free HIPPA compliant assessment to find out what you should be taking/avoiding & WHY based on your unique makeup.
👉🏻👉🏻Livecleanlivewell.idlife.com > take assessment (in the dropdown menu)

🍏Take care of your body...it’s the only place you have to live.