The Intentional Woman: Intentional Faith - Chapter 17

Monarch Butterfly at Boyce Arboretum

1.  Write down any thoughts or insights that you gained from reading this chapter.  What was notable to you from the reading?
There was so much in this chapter as she talked about Blasphemy, Holiness, Faith, Trust, Submission, Putting our Hope in Jesus, Girding our Minds, Not to Conform to This World, Be Sober in Spirit.  I think the 2 things that really stuck out to me were Holiness and Girding our Minds.  I'm finding when I can take control of my thoughts and make them obey Christ, things go WAY better than if I just let them run a muck.

This past weekend, I really intentionally focused on this despite physically not feeling well and the Lord just blew me away with how my husband responded.  A soft answer DOES turn away potential wrath, thwarts arguments.  Also, having good body posture that is inviting and friendly is a part of how one responds, as well as quietly with a gentle spirit doing things.  It was a super busy weekend and there was so much to do.

In my spirit I was quiet and gentle (1 Peter 3:4).  I did not entertain any voices of complaining, whining, or pity party (2 Corinthians 10:5).  I focused on the tasks at hand with a cheerful attitude and though I was feeling physically in some pain and like I was starting to come down with something, a merry heart does a body good (Proverbs 17:22).

Having a Christlike attitude without telling my husband, but showing it quietly through the whole weekend really made him take notice.  He made several comments about this in a god way and that made him feel really respected and loved.  Thank you, God!



2.  Describe how your faith in God is demonstrated in your marriage relationship?  In your mothering?  Are there any areas where you have been convicted to be obedient?

As I spend daily time in God's Word, time in prayer, especially on my knees, God is doing some really awesome things.  He's transforming how I see others and seeing them more through His eyes.  Wanting change in others begins with changes in my own life.   My kids and husband are way more responsive when I'm being intentionally calm in how I communicate rather than yelling.

God has convicted since last week that my spirit was not gentle and quiet, so I've been allowing God to work on me in that and I'm seeing some pretty good, positive results.  It's given me power to endure through some long days filled with lots of stuff to do with a godly attitude.

Also, I've been doing a lot of SOAKING in prayer and this has been quite amazing and transforming.



3.  How is disobedience to God's commandments unloving, dishonoring and even blasphemous to the Lord?

It means that we are evilly doing things and that's not good.



4.  In what areas of your life are you like the father with the demon-possessed son, who said to Jesus, "I believe!  Help my unbelief!"

Since I can be a fairly high strung person, to have a quiet, gentle spirit seems so far-fetched.  I definitely cannot do it in my own human power and need the Dunamis, Resurrection power of the Holy Spirit.


5.  From 1 Peter 1:13-16 (13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”) write out your own application of these faith action steps.  How will you be obedient strengthening the faith of your calling as a wife, mother and woman of God?

• I will gird my mind for action by . . . only entertaining thoughts that please God.
• I will keep sober in my spirit by . . . by not entertaining entitlement mindsets & thoughts.
• I will fix my hope in God by . . . memorizing Scripture to remind me of God's promises.
• I will not conform to the world by . . . taking a lazy way to do things, rather I will take God's way.
• I will be holy in my behavior by . . . really listening to others, praying about my responses, and doing things in kindness & love.

MAKING IT PERSONAL JOURNAL

Write any thoughts or convictions that you have in regard to this chapter.  What personal lessons concerning Intentional Faith will you apply in your own life?  How will you be more intentional as a woman of God?

I'm going to continue when I sleep to do SOAKING stuff as I'm finding this really healing.  But, I am going to Intentionally LISTEN to others without having to interject my own opinions and thoughts.  And, I'm going to continue to destroy every conversation in my head that with the Power & Authority of Jesus Christ that is ungodly, that tells me I am entitled, and humbly lay down my rights so that I can see true transformation take place in my life and then others, too.

The Intentional Woman: Mary: Seeing God - Chapter 13

1.  Write down any thoughts or insights that you gained from reading this chapter.  What was notable to you from the reading?

Mary had favor with God because she had childlike faith to trust God.  Though the whole thing was so strange and bizarre, I bet she knew God's Word very well and hid it in her heart so that she could rely on it during her many times of probably worry and anxiety.  What she was going to go through and did never happened to another human being ever and never will.  I have a long way to go in my faith and relationship with God to have this kind of faith.  I am awestruck at the woman, wife, and mother she was to have gone through all this.  So many things to learn from her.

2.  In what ways did Mary demonstrate purity of motive, message and modesty in her life?  (You may want to review the definitions of purity from the previous chapter)

Mary could have questioned God and refused to have faith.  I mean, who was she to listen to a kid (Jesus), but she did.  I'm sure at time Mary was frustrated with Jesus as all mothers can be with their own children.  I have been.  The Bible doesn't talk about this too much other than she worried about Jesus and some of what He did.

It's a challenge for me to truly understand purity of motive.  But the modesty, I'm sure in that day as well as in all ages, women can talk and gossip.  For her not to complain and gossip, keeping a tight reign on her mouth must have meant she had a super close relationship with God and really a complete trust, even though she could not see what God was doing.  She kept the big picture in mind, which I believe helped her stay the course and make good decisions in her life, as well as that of her family.

3.  Though Mary's spiritual journey was one-of-a-kind, in what ways were her faith lessons like ours?

We can't see the full path ahead of us, or sometimes even the steps.  The end goal we see.  We will be with Jesus in Heaven.  But all the stuff between now and Heaven?  That can be quite challenging and we must rely on God the whole way.  When we take our eyes off our Creator, then that's when we have fear, make wrong decisions, and a host of other bad things.

There will be sorrow and pain, but it's all for a greater purpose.

4.  Growing in purity opens our eyes to see God working, but sometimes we encounter spiritual blindness in our lives.  What can you learn about spiritual blindness from these Scriptures?

Deuteronomy 16:19 - You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly. (NLT)

We all can have biases and we must guard against this.  Ask God to reveal to use what we are blind in and make things right.

2 Corinthians 4:4 - among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving to prevent them from seeing the illuminating light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (AMP)

It is Satan that causes the blindness, but God can remove it if we ask God to.  We should see clearly and do what is right in God's eyes, but if we can't see that we are in the wrong, then we can't admit that we are wrong.  God must open our eyes, but He won't do it unless we ask.

Ephesians 4:17-18 - ¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. (NIV)

Man's way of thinking is contrary to God's.  We must test and see if what we are doing is what God desires.  We must read, study the Bible and gain better understanding to see how our actions, thoughts, words all compare to God's Word.  Continually living in purposeful, sinful ways hardens our hearts and that does not draw us closer to God.

1 John 2:11 - But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (NASB)

God is love, so if we don't love others, then how can we say God is in us?  However, God in love also corrects and disciplines, so if there are other people committing sins against us and God, those aren't to be excused.  We are to confront others in love.  That is quite challenging for me, at least with some people.

Psalm 146:8 -  The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.  The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.  The Lord loves the godly. (NLT)

The Blind can see and be healed, if we would reach out and truly ask Jesus to heal us.  I know I can be so blind in so many things, but I know God is restoring my sight and that I am to walk in this sight, not spiritual blindness.

5.  In what areas of your life do you need to see God?  Is there some area of spiritual blindness that keeps you from seeing God in your life?

I think I have spiritual blindness in God's ability to use me to make money, and for evangelism.  I need God so much in these areas.

MAKING IT PERSONAL JOURNAL

Write any thoughts or convictions that you have in regard to this chapter.  What personal lessons from Mary's life will you apply in your own life?  What steps of action will you take to be more intentional in this area?

It's been incredibly challenging for me to see how God can still allow me to really make money after all the mistakes I've made.  Mary knew in the end that Jesus would die, and she had to completely trust God that this was not the end, no matter how painful it was.  I think I have allowed the pain of all the financial stuff I went through to hold me back and listening to people, though they have my best interest at heart, that always play it safe and just settle.

Some actions I am currently taking are going through professional EMDR counseling sessions to get rid of my fears to help me get back on track and not be fearful about making money, no matter how God deems me to do this.  This time I will be focused on God, not the money or anyone else.  But, it's taking so much time.

Wed, 23-Oct-2013 -- God is at Work, Are You Listening?

a photo by World Bank Photo Collection on Flickr.

It's been quite awhile since I've posted anything to this blog and it's not that God hasn't been working.  He's been working so much.  Some of it has been really fun and exciting, other parts have been rather painful.  But, the thing is, all of it, spiritually is really exciting because GOD is at WORK in my life.  God is always talking, always at work whether we realize it or not.

When we look around us, especially me, sometimes I see things in my life I just absolutely love and other things, pain me.  Why is that?  I don't know that I have all the answers or even any, but from my perspective, God is our ultimate teacher and He's a very patient, loving one that is in control, sees all, understands all.

It truly amazes me how some things turn out or work, some things had to have happened many years ago in order for something right now to be happening.  I've been doing my quiet times the past couple weeks on Trust because God wants to take me to a new level in my Trust.  I started off my studying of this topic from the Concordance of my Life Applications Bible, which I've had for more than 20 years.

It seems that each day that I go through stuff from there, it is exactly what I've been dealing with in my personal life and God has been speaking it through my husband.  Sometimes we see how God needs to work in other's lives (the controlling and judging parts of us), but often when we point at someone else for what could be done, really we should be looking into our own lives to see how we are probably even worse culprits of these things.  That is exactly what God is revealing to me.

There have been so many spiritual things God has been doing in my life over these past months, that it isn't even really funny and that I've needed to document.  Time has been sparse or I just haven't felt like doing it.  For that, I'm really sorry because I miss out on sharing my testimony as to what God is doing.

Look around to see how God may be working in your life.  Do you see a lot of complaining, whining people?  Do you yourself complain and whine a lot?  Our are you in a situation that requires you to attentively listen a lot?  I've been doing a lot of work for a company that requires me to really listen, to pay close attention and sometimes I find that I'm just not hearing that well and have to repeat things.  I never realized that listening, truly listening was that challenging.  After all, I thought I wasn't too bad, but found out I really stunk at listening.  So, God gives me work that requires me every day to intentionally listen and listen intently, to pay attention.

I've heard my husband or kids ask me, "Are you listening?  Are you paying attention?"  Sometimes I just get so wrapped up in my own thoughts, that I really am doing neither.  I took a prophecy class in Aug/Sep'13 and it involves greatly listening to what God is saying.  Last Sunday, one of the pastors of our church preached, and the topic was also on listening.  How we listen to others like our spouse, our children, those closest to us, is how we listen to God.

I find sometimes with familiarity or taking them for granted, I don't listen as well.  How awful is that?  That was really convicting to see that God is always speaking to me, but that most of the time, I fail to hear Him because of my own fleshly junk.  So, over the days, weeks, months ahead, I have begun to intentionally focus on improving drastically my listening skills with others, especially my husband and children, and I wonder how that will impact my relationship with God.

God is trying to teach you.  Are you listening intentionally and obeying?