In anticipation of mother's day

Dr, Joyce

For the next few weeks, in honor of Mother's Day, we are going to be talking about Godly women.  First, those Godly women in our lives who shaped us - could be our moms or other women whose love and influenced help make us who we are.  Next week, our focus will shift to the heroes of faith in the Bible who are female.  We'll look first at those from the Old Testament and then those from the New Testament.

While writing has been slow by your KBers, and we apologize, let me give you a brief update.  I finished my doctoral degree completely - no more hoops or obstacles, I'm Dr. Joyce now.  My graduation ceremony was last Saturday and on that day we had a HUGE banquet type party to celebrate that, and our 35th Wedding Anniversary that is actually in February.  I've been exhausted.  And no break from work, so, I apologize again for being slow with writing.  I got to see all my children and hold for the first time my two great granddaughters, the twins.  I also got to see again one of my other great granddaughters - the other two great grandbabies couldn't make it -- Most of the grandkids were there as well!

Super Nana Joyce

Linda is here with me in Tennessee.  I've exhausted her as well.  Hopefully she'll recover enough to resume writing this week.

Jenna is taking a break from KB.  She is going to be using her time for other writing efforts.  We will miss her strong positive outlook and fun approach to life.  We wish her all of God's best in everything she does.

Rather than write a new post, I invite you to read a former posting about Godly women - you can read about her here.

A Foreign Correspondent in Rome

This week, Kingdom Bloggers will share an occupation each of us would have worked back in biblical days.

It’s a bit different for a woman, to imagine herself in a chosen occupation in Biblical times.

What a woman did with her time was largely dependent on the socio-economic status of her family or husband. If a widow, whether Jew or gentile, poverty was her lot, unless her family took her in. Here is the reality: the Jewish community in general, out of deep respect for God and His law, treated women--those who were virtuous--better than the pagan crowd.

When Jesus arrived on the scene, however, his respect and treatment of women was radical. The women in his circle had never known such acceptance. To His disciples, when Jesus engaged the Samaritan woman at the well, it must given them a sudden rush of anxiety like the secret service suffers when the president jumps out of a limo against protocol to greet the people.

But I digress. If as a woman, I could be any occupation as a believing Christian in first century, I would want to be Luke’s associate editor and then foreign correspondent in Rome (interviewing Paul in prison; plus, I love Italian food :). Luke is a gifted writer and reporter--the Gospel of Luke, which tells of the life and teachings of Jesus, exudes with Jesus’ compassion, joy, miraculous works and powerful gift of storytelling; the Book of Acts records the beginnings of a movement that would grip the planet, and contains several examples of women being used by God to teach, pray, worship and provide hospitality and shelter to disciples.

How exciting--and dangerous--to be in the midst of watching and recording the lives of ordinary people being transformed and catapulted to the front lines of The Way. As a front-line believer, I could not be “objective” as reporters today claim they must be: I would be hopefully praying for and helping and learning about the faith as I spent time with Luke, other seasoned converts, and later Paul.

Just imagining that kind of life, makes me wonder if I am living with that kind of courage and gusto as I work in ministry now. May each of us live with full-force and faith in the occupation God has called us to now. For His glory.

Women Reporting the News by Linda Maynard

Did you ever feel that the Lord is just chuckling as He watches you?

I do.

I had, with reservation, started to go to a Women’s Bible Study. This was still all new to me. I wasn’t sure about it all and was suspicious. Were they were going to lead me down a heretical path? Surprisingly, the Bible Study was interesting. So far so good.

My friend, Linda knew that I was going to ask Jesus into my heart, on a certain morning. I went to a Christian Women’s Breakfast. However, He told her not to go, as she would “get in the way.” I remember, on the drive home, I wept deeply, realizing just how much I was loved.

It was another huge step in the progression of my faith journey.

Shortly later, she invited me to another Christian Women’s Breakfast. I agreed as I was feeling more comfortable.

The first event, I would liken to a Women’s Tea. Everything was lovely, from the table decorations to the conversations.

This new one was different.

It was a Charismatic group.

My fears were heightened.It was a little nerve wracking talking to strangers, but it started OK.

Then things started to get totally out of hand, as far as I was concerned.

It became time for Praise and Worship.

We all stood.

The songs they sang were unfamiliar. They were not singing Agnus Dei.

The tempo started out lively AND many women were clapping!

To make matters worse, when the music got slower, some even raised their hands!

“Oh boy, this is a cult. I am sure of it.” I thought

I thought “Get me out of here!”

I felt I stepped into a strange place or was it a place with strange people?

I was ready to run out of the room and drive home. The problem was, I was not driving.

When that was over, I was never so glad to be seated again. At least I wasn’t going to pass out from fright.

The speaker was a Preacher from England. His tone and his manner calmed me down.

His sermon was about the women who arrived first, at the tomb of Jesus, on Easter morning.

8 Then the women remembered his words, 9 returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven disciples and all the rest. 10 The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; they and the other women with them told these things to the apostles.11 But the apostles thought that what the women said was nonsense, and they did not believe them…Luke 24…Good News Translation.

Having known very little about Bible stories, I was intrigued to learn about this episode.

What became the “take away” for me was that he elevated the women in the story. It was as if he took special consideration that women were the first witnesses to this monumental event. And in that, they became, to him, noteworthy. They didn’t realize Jesus had risen from the dead.  They only knew that the grave was empty.

He also noted, when they ran to tell the disciples, it seemed like they might not have been believed. He explained, in those days, women had very little importance. He wondered if it had been a man reporting, would their news been more readily accepted?

The Preacher’s perspective interested me. Here was a man, who was clergy, and he was looking at other men with attitudes. He seemed chagrined that they might have diminished the women’s credibility, based only on the fact that they were women.

Up until that point, I didn’t realize that I also thought that women had very little role in religious life.

 I sincerely wanted to be a nun, because I longed to be closer to God. I saw that as the only path for that to happen.

So that day, in the midst of what I thought was “craziness”, I came away with a sense that, as a woman, I was important to God and that He didn’t ignore me.

As my faith matured, I would realize the truth of the scripture that says that in Christ, there is neither male nor female.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female…Galatians 3:28

I have not been one to want to usurp men’s position, but deep inside I always had a sense that it couldn’t be all one sided.

That day, the preacher from England, opened up the door of possibility, that women were not only important, but essential.
That sermon became a springboard on which I was able to put myself right in the center of the greatest Story of all.

What's God's up to?

When I read scriptures like Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Corinthians 12:4-27 and Ephesians 2:8-10, it's clear that God creates us as we are, and gifts us to be used in His work.

For as long as I can remember I've always wanted to help people. Be it a kid in my class at school that others picked on, an old person in a convalescent home that never received visitors, hungry children in a third world country, or even someone whose story I'd hear on the news. My heart has always ached when I hear of someone's pain, and I've had an intense desire to do something to make it better.

That's why I went into the kind of work that I do. Since 1980, I've always worked in some kind of human services job. I'm drawn to the disenfranchised.

Also I've always been especially interested in helping women. I don't know if it's as simple as the fact that since I'm a woman I'm more inclined to understand women. Or if it's because I was born in 1960 and grew up under the influence of the women's movement. Maybe it's because of the fact that if you look throughout history, all over the globe, you'll be hard pressed to find anyone more universally oppressed than women.

So when I thought about this week's topic of what would be our dream, or ideal, ministry I was a bit stumped. Initially I thought about how there are hurting people everywhere and God's repeatedly provided me with jobs, and ministry opportunities through local churches where I've lived, to reach out in ways that He created my heart to desire. Then I thought about the word "ideal" or "dream" opportunity some more and thought how cool it would be if I had the freedom to openly share the gospel as as well? What would it be like if I daily got to lead hurting people to Christ and then help them individually grow in Him? That would be over the top exciting! Those few times in my life when I've had the opportunity to help someone who was new in her faith to learn and grow have been among the most rewarding endeavors I've ever experienced.

I'm grateful that in my current church I have the opportunity to serve yet, to be candid, it's super rare that I ever get to work in this context with a new Believer, or to invest in a person, one on one, like I get to invest in my supervisors at work. So, if we're dreaming here, that's what would really do it for me.

Yet, I know God is in control of all things. So I choose to try to remain open to Him and sensitive to what He wants me to do each day. I also choose to trust Him that if I "miss it", that He is more than capable of showing me the error of my ways and getting me back on His path. I choose to stand firm in the knowledge (even when I'm as confused as I've been in my job situation and frustrations that I've shared about for the past couple of years) that He does have a plan for my life and it's His plan that I want more than anything else!

Stop for the One

I wish you could meet Anne Waterton. Anne is passion personified. She could say, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ,” but she would never say that lest she take any part of the glory that belongs to Christ. Instead, Anne would say, “Follow Jesus, never mind about me.” Anne is passionate about Jesus. I want to be passionate about Jesus like Anne is passionate about Jesus.

Anne has never, and will never be the ‘face’ of public ministry. She will never tour with the Women of Faith or make a name for herself by being a Bible teacher like Kay Arthur, Joyce Meier, or Beth Moore. You will never read a book written by Anne. She is not like Heidi Baker, who has performed miracles in the name of Jesus that can be seen on youtube. Anne probably doesn’t even know who Heidi Baker is but she lived by the same principle, “Stop for the one.” I want to stop for the one, and never miss an opportunity to share the love of Jesus by offering a meal, pray for healing, or just sit and listen.

Anne has three natural children, but I’m certain her descendants are as numerous as the stars in the sky, like Abraham. Whomever God puts in her path, Anne stops for them, usually feeds them and loves them, encourages them in the Word and then continues to pray for them. She is a spiritual mother to so many and her legacy continues to multiply until Jesus comes again. I want to build a future legacy for my natural descendants and my spiritual descendants so that the Lord will bless them as he promises. I want to be a spiritual mother and disciple others to obey everything Jesus commanded.

I met Anne 15 years ago. We would sit together at church; her husband was no longer around and mine didn’t attend church. Anne had a Tuesday night supper prayer group. I don’t know if I invited myself (because that would be like me) or if she invited me (because that would be like her) but I started attending the Tuesday night supper prayer group.

Anne cooked supper for a group of women, usually 6-8. We ate together and then read a passage of Scripture before praying together. Tuesday nights were just one of the myriad of ways that Anne put love into action, loving all the wounded Christians back to spiritual health that showed up at her door; and we were many. She never wondered, “Is this the Father’s will?” Anne spent a lot of time in intimacy with the Father that she knew his will and did it, just like Jesus. I want to spend time with the Father and know his will and do it too, like Anne, like Jesus.

I wish you could meet Anne, but you never will – at least not this side of heaven. The last time I saw Anne, the Holy Spirit said to me, “This is the last time you will see her.” I was grieved but then I saw a vision of heaven. The angels’ joy was uncontainable; they were preparing for the party when God would finally bring her home. All of heaven was excited because Anne had been so faithful, so passionate to do the will of the Father. I want to be famous in heaven because of my faith.

On Friday, June 17, at 5:30pm, Anne walked into heaven and the Father greeted her saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share in your Master’s happiness.” Anne was passion personified. I want to do the works that are prepared in advance for me to do and when it is over, I want the Father to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I want to be like Anne Waterton.

My name is Andrea York. I am humbled and honored to be invited to join this talented group of writers at Kingdom Bloggers. I will be writing on hump day, a.k.a. Wednesday. I’m Canadian, and I guess that makes me a foreign correspondent on this site. I’m also a wife and a mother. If you would like to know more about me, please visit my other blog site, andreayorkmuse.com.

You Must Be the Mrs.

I’ve seen a lot of people who you would consider famous. I’ve seen in person several presidents and even shook their hands. I was on Romper Room with Miss Jane as a child and later on Bozo the Clown. Owning a coffee shop near Nashville, I had some of the top singer/songwriters in the business come in and have me serve them. Probably I’ve had more brushes with the famous than the average person.

While working in a church office in Tennessee I took a phone call inviting the women's leader to a promotional luncheon with Lisa Whelchel, the former Blair Warner on the popular sitcom Facts of Life. We probably all remember the snootiness of Blair, Tootie on her roller blades, Natalie’s quips, Jo the girl with the street edge and the wisdom of Mrs. Garrett. It was a good show.

I went to the luncheon. Lisa was there to promote some Christian event for women. Most of the women were much younger than I was. Most were in that young mother category. My daughter has an interesting category for these type of women – she calls them Target people. The event was in Franklin, Tennessee so they may even have been a few shades above Target women, maybe Talbot women would be better. They were all sort of grown up Blair Warner's.

I was late so I sat at the only table in the back with a seat. Lisa got up with all the bubbly-ness of Blair. She asked if anyone could sing the Facts of Life intro song. I could but decided to not embarrass myself. While the book she was also promoting was probably very good, I really didn’t want it. It was the prize for successful singing of the Facts of Life intro song.  I was surprised, Lisa couldn’t sing it all either. I could have. I am not sure what that says about me.

Then she threw out an ice breaker for table talk. As if women ever need help in this department. I was already feeling a bit like the grandmother in the crowd so I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to break the ice. She asked us to think about which Biblical character we would want to be married to if we could be married to anyone in the Bible besides Jesus (ah, duh?). Then share it with our table.

There was the predictable conversation about Paul. He seemed rather hard on women, traveled a lot, ended up in prison and always seemed to be broke. Then David, ahh, the man after God’s own heart, right? Yes, but how many wives and concubines did he have? Then there is that messy story with Bathsheba.  If you wanted to have unlimited wealth, there is always Solomon. However, he too was not what you call a faithful husband.

The more the women shared, the less promising this exercise seemed; there were some pretty slim pickins to chose from the sacred scriptures.  As we went around the table each women settled in on an answer that was filled with adoring words about the character of their would-be Biblical husband. There were some laughs. There were some exclamations of “why didn’t I think of that!”

Finally, it was my turn. I had already thought of my answer. Never one for sameness or predictability, I had an answer that was very different from those making the rounds. I was sure I’d be the only person in the room who had my answer.

As the eyes of these young women turned to me, I said I wanted to be the wife of Lappidoth. I am sure you are having the same reaction as they did. Who? Who the heck is Lappidoth? What is a Lappidoth? Sounds like a breed of dogs. Oh no, that is a Labrador. They probably thought I still had my mouth filled with food and couldn’t speak clearly. Maybe I was already senile. Oh they smiled. They were polite. They were good little "Blair's." I just sat there soaking in the experience.

Then I said yes, I would want to be the wife of Lappidoth. He was married to Deborah, the woman from the book of Judges. I rather suspect than most of them had not heard of her nor had read anything other than the New Testament.

Deborah is one of two people in the scripture who were both a judge and a prophet. The other is the more well-known Samuel.  Deborah was also a warrior. Her buddy Barak (not the president) would not go into battle without her. She defeated the enemy sending their the enemy leader right into the hands of another strong woman, Jael.  If I had thought of his name, I would have said I wanted to be the wife of Heber the Kenite. Then I could have been the woman to slaughter the enemy in his sleep with a tent peg. You like action stories? This has it all. Read it in Judges 4-5.

I am not saying I have the attributes of Deborah. Definitely, I'm no Jael. I could never wield a tent peg like she did. The question was if you could be the wife of anyone in the scripture, who would you WANT to be? My answer was Deborah. Whose spouse would you want to be and why?