Archive for For women
Please don’t gossip!
Posted by: | CommentsI think gossip is one of those things that just kind of gets laughed about and brushed under the rug as no big deal. I’m here to tell you it IS a big deal.
There is a situation that I am involved in right now that is making me very uncomfortable and it’s mostly because of gossip. I don’t like gossip. I’m not going to go so far as to say I’ve never done it because I think it’s one of those things like lying – we don’t want to do it, we know it’s wrong, but sometimes we catch ourselves doing it. It’s frustrating!
But anyway, gossip can turn someone’s opinion of another person into a completely different direction if you’re not careful. And the old adage is true – there ARE two sides to every story. I know a lot of us, including me, like to think our side is the “right” side and that we are always right but unfortunately that’s not true. We ARE wrong sometimes, we DO get mistaken ideas about people, we DO misread situations. It’s not fair to tell other people something negative about someone because you aren’t happy with them at the time or you think something happened a different way.
I had a situation yesterday where three or four different people were talked about in a totally negative way – things were said that totally turned people’s opinion of these people in a different direction. They now may think they are “bad” people or people that they shouldn’t be around. It’s ridiculous! I know these people and they AREN’T bad people! I also (kind of) know both sides of a couple of the stories and I know that the facts are not what are being shared. I really think things have been blown out of proportion and only one side of the story has been told but conclusions have immediately been drawn and now I’m afraid these people have a “bad” reputation.
It just makes me so sad. And the hard part is, I really don’t see a solution to the problem. I don’t see a way to fix it. It’s something I’ve been praying about for quite a while and will continue to do so but it’s so hard. I just pray that God moves in these people’s hearts and shows them that what they are doing is wrong. Will you pray with me? I know you don’t know the people or the situation but I would sure appreciate a quick little prayer even as you read this!!
The moral of the story…think before you speak. Just like mommas always say, if you don’t have something nice to say don’t say anything.
Marriage…it isn’t a piece of cake
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been thinking about marriage lately. I wrote some posts awhile back about adultery and those are continually my most read posts (you can read them here if you wish – part 1, part 2, and part 3). I’m not sure if I should be sad about that or glad. On one hand, I’m sad because that means that a lot of people are dealing with adultery, which I know should not be a shocker to me but still…I hate that for them. On the other hand, I’m glad that people are searching for answers and I can only pray that maybe something that they find and read, whether it be here or elsewhere, will help them make the decision NOT to commit adultery.
I say all of that to say that marriage is not a piece of cake. It’s not just something that you decide to do one day and life is pure bliss for the rest of your days. Marriage is hard work, marriage requires compromise, marriage requires sacrifice, and most of all marriage requires a choice - a choice to love. Many people think that when you “fall in love” that those emotions that you have at that time will last forever. Then when those feelings start to change, because I can guarantee you they will, they decide that they aren’t “in love” anymore and they walk away from what used to be a good marriage. Emotions change over time – they go up and down and never stay constant. Love is not an emotion – it is a choice.
Marriage is something you have to actively participate in every day, you have to actively make the decision to love your spouse, you have to be fully committed to upholding the vows that you made on your wedding day. I’m not trying to make it sound like it’s always a hard thing to do – most days it’s a very easy thing to do! But there are those days where we are struggling and we are mad and we are wondering what we got ourselves into! 
On those days, it’s vitally important that you make the choice to love.
My husband and I have been married for nineteen years. We have had a lot of hard times, a lot of struggles in our marriage, but we have actively made the choice to choose love. We have agreed that we will stick together no matter what. We made a commitment to each other nineteen years ago and we have both agreed to stand behind that decision and not waiver from it. Has it been hard? At times. Has it been worth it? ABSOLUTELY! We have an amazing marriage, we have an awesome relationship with one another, and we have the greatest family one could ask for. You see, because of the commitment we have made to each other we have provided a safe and loving family for our children. They don’t have to worry about one of us ever leaving, they don’t have to worry about whether or not we love each other – they can see it by the way we have chosen to live our lives – by choosing love.
So, what will you choose? Will it be love and marriage?
Beauty…what is it really?
Posted by: | CommentsI found a blog today called Sarah Markley that I think I’m really going to like. The first post I read was a guest post written by Lacey Keigley and it was about beauty’s standard. I then discovered that it was a series Sarah was doing and she has several women writing guest posts this week on beauty.
The first one really spoke to me though because I have had similar struggles. I struggle with not feeling beautiful and not feeling like I look “good” to the world around me. When I was growing up I was very thin and never had to worry about weight, now that I’m older and have had children I have a weight problem. It’s not like my weight is out of control or anything but I’m not happy with it. I also have a thyroid problem and that’s where part of my struggle is – I don’t know if I am even capable of being a thin person anymore. I haven’t tried to deal with the problem as much as I should have for the last few years but for a long time I did – I ate right, exercised daily, and did things like I was supposed to… and I never lost the weight. I just kind of gave up and figured why bother! I don’t really know how much of it is mental and how much of it is physical. I WANT to work at it, I WANT to eat right, I WANT to exercise, I WANT to lose weight but life has just gotten in the way. Any maybe with my thyroid condition this is as good as it gets?? I’m not eve sure.
Another issue I have with my “beauty” is my skin. I have always had skin that breaks out – some days are better than others and it can actually look pretty decent sometimes but sometimes I break out like a teenager. I’m 38 years old for crying out loud! I think it’s time to have nice smooth skin for a change! I’m going to have acne and wrinkles at the same time the way things are going and that’s just ridiculous! So… that bothers me too. Can you tell? 
My hair is another issue. I can’t stand it. It’s straight as a board, no body, no life. I have to wash it every day because it gets so oily. That’s the part that bothers me the most. If I go more than 24 hours it looks like I haven’t washed my hair in a week! I can’t figure out how to fix that – or if I even can! I see all of these women with gorgeous hair that has body and life, that has style, and that isn’t hanging flat against their head by the end of the day and I WANT IT!!
Beauty shouldn’t be what SOCIETY says it should be though. True beauty is what GOD says is beautiful. Treating others well is beautiful, taking care of our family is beautiful, showing others the love of Jesus is beautiful, and living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God is beautiful. Those are the things that matter more. But we, as women, really struggle with that I think. Our society places so much emphasis on what a woman looks like and has such a strict definition of what beauty is that we fall into that trap of believing that that’s all that matters, of believing that the models and actresses reflect reality for the average woman. It’s simply not true!
We will be much better off if we can shed that image we have created for ourselves – the one that, for me, says we have to be pencil thin with gorgeous skin and gorgeous hair. I need to trust in God and know that if I am pleasing to Him then I am doing well.
Just as Lacey shared in her post: “Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Psalm 31:30)
If you want to read more about what others think of beauty and how they deal with it please click the links above or the button below.
I hope you have a beautiful day!
Beth Moore
Posted by: | CommentsI know Beth Moore has been around for awhile and I know a lot of women have read her books, done her Bible studies, and attended her events but I have not been one of them. Until this month. And she is FABULOUS! I wish I had been introduced to her stuff sooner!!! I am now anxious to check out some more of her stuff!! Have any of you ever done any of her Bible studies? If so, which one did you like best?
Last day to enter giveaway!
Posted by: | CommentsToday is the last day for the giveaway for the book Reading Your Male. Go here to get all the details!
Book review and giveaway – Reading Your Male
Posted by: | Comments
Author: Mary Farrar
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6871-1
Genre: Religion, Christian Life, Women
Pages: 303 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook
Rating: 4 stars (you can look here to read about my rating system)
Mary Farrar has written a fabulous book with a peek into the male mind. After much research, she does a fabulous job in this book of explaining how our men think, what they expect out of life and marriage, what issues they struggle with, and how we, as their wives, can best be their helpmate. Men and women are so different in their thinking and their emotions and I would recommend that every wife or soon-to-be wife read this book. It can be a tremendous help to your marriage to understand what your husbands needs are and how to best fulfill your role as his wife. The most important aspect of this book, in my opinion, is that everything she says is from a Biblical standpoint – she explains how to fight the enemy with God’s truths.
I received this book from Phenix & Phenix and they were kind enough to send a couple of copies so that I could have a giveaway! So, I’m excited to announce my very first giveaway on this site!
- For 1 entry eligibility, just leave me a comment – you can just say, “I want to learn more about my man” if you want
- For 2 entries, leave a comment and also subscribe to my blog through email by entering your email address in the subscription box at the sidebar then come back and leave another comment letting me know you did so
- For 3 entries, do both of the above and twitter or blog about this blog post leaving a third comment letting me know you did this as well.
I will have a drawing next Wednesday, September 30th, for both books. I will e-mail you at the e-mail address you use to comment to let you know you have won and to get your mailing address.
Please cover up!
Posted by: | CommentsMy kids and I went to the local water park today. I have to say that, even though it shouldn’t, it constantly amazes me what girls will leave the house wearing. I am amazed at the swimming suits that girls wear. What’s even more amazing to me is the fact that their parents buy these suits for them and give them permission to wear them! My under clothes cover more than these girls’ swimming suits do and I wouldn’t dream of going out in public in those! (I don’t usually use the word “under clothes” but I really don’t want to spell things out and have all kinds of creepy people finding this post because of word combinations that could be put together if I use other words. KWIM?)
Do these girls not understand what they are saying by dressing that way? Do they not understand what they are doing to every young man in their vicinity? It’s so sad to me that our society has encouraged young women to dress this way and that they feel it’s not only appropriate but stylish as well. Can we just have some respect for ourselves as well as for all those around us and cover up??
I’m sorry, but I personally do not want to see every girls’ cheeks (you know which ones I mean!) hanging out and I do not want to see almost every square inch of their cleavage. It disgusts me to have to walk around looking at this and it makes me mad that, in order to take my kids swimming, this is what we have to put up with!
I think parents who allow their daughters to dress this way should be ashamed of themselves. Seriously.
And one more thing – I’m sorry if this is tackybut I’m amazed at the swimming suits that large women wear. I’m not saying you have to be skinny to wear a swimming suit – I’m not skinny and I wear one! – but seriously, a bikini when you have fat rolls and cellulite all over your body??? Nobody wants to see that. There are cute swimming suits that cover those problem areas. I’m just sayin’.
Some great blogs to check out!
Posted by: | CommentsSo I’ve been checking out some new blogs lately and have found some good ones! Since I kind of went through a time when I wasn’t on here much my blog reading list had dwindled down to just a few. It’s fun to read what others are saying so I’ve been looking for some new ones. Here are a few that I’ve found that I’ve already added to my reader. You might want to check them out as well!
Liberty 92 – I think I’m really going to like this blog! I’ve already really enjoyed what I’ve read on there!
Always a Work in Progress – I think I used to read this awhile back but just lost touch – I’m glad to find her again!
Queen of the Castle Recipes – I always love hearing good recipes and her site looks like it has that and more! Lots of fun!
Something to think about…
Posted by: | CommentsI saw this in an e-mail loop that I’m on and thought it was worth sharing:
A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said:
‘Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not
even 1 yr. Old and I’m pregnant again. I don’t want kids so close together.’
So the doctor said: ‘Ok, and what do you want me to do?’
She said: ‘I want you to end my pregnancy, and I’m counting on your help with
this.’
The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: ‘I
think I have a better solution for your problem. It’s less dangerous for you
too.’
She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.
Then he continued: ‘You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2
babies at the same time, let’s kill the one in your arms. This way, you could
rest some before the other one is born. If we’re going to kill one of them, it
doesn’t matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you
chose the one in your arms.
The lady was horrified and said: ‘No doctor! How terrible! It’s a crime to kill
a child!
‘I agree’, the doctor replied. ‘But you seemed to be ok with it, so I thought
maybe that was the best solution.” The doctor smiled, realizing that he had
made his point.
He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that’s
already been born and one that’s still in the womb. The crime is the same.
Check out this post!
Posted by: | CommentsI don’t think I’ve done this in quite awhile but I have to send you to Neil’s blog to read this post. It is an AMAZING post about abortion. Neil does a fabulous job of picking apart a pro-abortionist’s argument piece by piece. Head over there now and check it out! And if you don’t have him in your reader you should add him! Great stuff – always!
