BETRAYAL / CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #11

During my journey of trying to be a good Christian woman to become the 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman I am today, I have learned a great deal, and I will continue to learn new things each day until the day I get called home. One of the worst things, if not the worst, I have learned that we can possibly do to another individual is the act of betrayal.

Our parents have taught us, and so has Scripture, that this action always gets caused whenever we reject the Lord’s will and fight for our own. And it is the Lord who can relate the subject of betrayal to us. And if any of us, being Christians, strives to become one of His disciples, we can never ever betray the Lord, our spouses, or anyone we love; we must consistently submit to His will.

Whenever we get betrayed ourselves, we must find the willingness through Scripture to forgive those betrayers just as our Lord had forgiven His.

And if we should ever happen to become one, we need to realize our quilt and act accordingly; as an example, we need to read MATTHEW 27:3-5 [NKJV]:

[3]“Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

[4] saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”

[5] Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

We need to realize that one of the prerequisites for a betrayal is an undealt with frustration that ultimately boils over; an undealt frustration is caused by pretending that no problems exist when there are. Frustrations are never a singular event, such as best friends splitting up over one argument. Betrayals should get noted as occurring whenever there are too many improperly handled frustrations.

We get reminded of this in recalling what we find located in EPHESIANS 4:26-27 [NKJV]

[26] Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,  

[27] nor give place to the devil.

We need to realize that The Bible contains a lot of information regarding betrayal’s relationship to sin as a response to sin stemming from denial, despair, or repentance.

If someone has not repented and yet is not completely crushed by their sin, it means they are in denial and refuse to believe how bad sin really is. When repentance has not happened, but someone can no longer deny how horrible their sinfulness is, despair occurs, and they cannot live long under this weight of condemnation [see above MATTHEW 27:3-5 [NKJV]

The only good solution is to repent and receive God’s grace.

Have a MOST BLESSED WEEK, my dear sisters-in-Christ, as you strive to be the best you can be in the eyes of the Lord !!! 😊 😊 😊

DEALING WITH A MARRIAGE WITH NO INTIMACY

Forgetting that I am a 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman, speaking to my girlfriends, regardless of their religious beliefs, I have learned from them that there are many reasons why intimacy in a marriage may fade.

The problem I have is there are far too many for me to list here. Yet, at the same time, I have learned from their experiences that just because intimacy has dwindled in their marriages doesn’t translate into a marriage being doomed. This is because one needs to remember that you cannot equate having no intimacy with having no sex with your partner.

The lack of either one could be somewhat disconcerting or quite problematic, and both need to be handled differently. While the lack of sex requires no further explanation, the lack of intimacy might simply involve caressing each other, holding hands, kissing, or even just talking to one another. Determining what component is missing from the marriage in question is essential in tackling the issue and resolving it quicker.

Without the closeness that once might have been present in a relationship due to a distant feeling that either one might possess or the disappearance of the once-present physical relationship of intimacy, the source of the lack of intimacy might be found.

The possibility of the nonexistence of sex might also be the source of the intimacy problem. Regardless of the source of the issue, different things can be done to attempt to rekindle intimacy in a marriage and different ways to cope with its lack in a marriage.

• Start by talking to your partner about the lost connection:

• Choose an agreeable time to talk

• Make time to listen.

• If the issue is sex, then ascertain its importance to your happiness.

Sex can be a deal-breaker? As it needs to be approached cautiously. Serious questions must be asked and answered in any discussion by each partner, questions like:

• How much sex is enough?
• How much is too much?
• Why do you want or don’t want sex?

If it is determined that the issue is a medical one, then you should seek the help of a doctor to address the issue.

OUR BEAUTY//CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #10

My dear sisters-in-Christ, let us be truthful; one of the main things that many of the things that we are concerned about deals with our vanity and how beautiful we look when we present ourselves to others. But, given the Christian women that we are, shouldn’t we realize that this is of no intrinsic value when it comes to the eyes of the Lord, but possessing a sense of humility is? We can find this written about when we read 1 PETER 3:3-4 [NKJV]:

[3] “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—”

[4] “rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

About humility, we need to recall that we are told of the following in PROVERBS 22:4 [NKJV]:

“By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life.”

And in our desire to become like a PROVERBS 31 woman, we must remember and keep in our minds the words of VERSE 30 [NKJV]:

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

Being a 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman, one of the best descriptions I know in scripture regarding how the Lord looks at us as the women we are can be found in reading 1 SAMUEL 16:7 [NKJV]:

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

My dear sisters-in-Christ, have a BLESSED WEDNESDAY in whatever you’re going to be doing, especially if it involves doing something in the Lord’s name, as you try to be the best you can be in His eyes !!! 😊😊😊  

Your comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

BROKENHEARTED // CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #9

Growing up as a child of the 1950s, I can remember loving listening to The Bee Gees singing “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” in 1971. However, being a 73-year-old faith-driven Christian woman, the song has taken on a somewhat different meaning, a meaning that is fraught with scripture.

Putting the topic of this discussion of possessing a broken heart in its simplest terms, for us as a Christian woman, it happens whenever a loved one has gone home to be with the Lord or after an occurrence has caused massive grief in an individual’s life. However, as Christians, we should have come to realize that the Bible is fraught with verses that are capable of reassuring and moving the brokenhearted.

Using PSALM 34:18 [NLT] as the starting point for this week’s discussion, we get told that:

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”

As a Christian woman, we must remember two things about the Lord in regards to a broken heart:

[1] “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.” PSALM 145:18 [NKJV],

and more importantly:

[2] “He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” PSALM 147:3 [NLT] 

As Christian women, we are reminded of the following by reading JEREMIAH 29:11 [NLT]:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

If this is the case, then the feeling of us possessing a broken heart might be part and parcel of the Lord’s divine plans He has for each one of us. Furthermore, we get reminded that for “everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven” ECCLESIASTES 3:1 [NKJV], which then goes into specifics in verses 2-8.

As I stated in the beginning, as a Christian woman, we should have come to realize that the Bible is fraught with verses that are capable of reassuring and moving the brokenhearted; we are further reminded of the following regarding the Lord in JOHN 14:27 [NLT]:

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Being a faith-driven Christian woman, my dear sisters-in-Christ, I would like to share a few additional verses connected to our Lord healing those of us who get inflicted with a broken heart.  We get reminded of the following when we read MATTHEW 11:28 [NLT]:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

We get reminded in attempting to mend our broken hearts that we should never do the following when we read PROVERBS 3:5 [NLT]:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”

In PSALM 55:22 [NKJV], we get promised the following:

“Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Let us say AMEN as we reflect on today’s discussion of scripture.

Have a BLESSED DAY, my dear sisters-in-Christ, as you try to be the best you can be in the eyes of the Lord !!! 😊 😊 😊

Your feedback and comments will be most welcomed.

Please feel free to share this with your sisters-in-Christ.  THANKS

CHRISTIAN WOMANHOOD// CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #8

Before I venture into this discussion of Christian womanhood as the 73-year-old faith-driven I have become, I need to recall my being a secular individual, so I went and found a few non-scriptural quotations that deal with who we are as a Christian woman. I want to share them with you, my sisters-in-Christ who are reading this.

“Just being a woman is God’s gift. The origin of a child is a mother, a woman. She shows a man what sharing, caring, and loving is all about. That is the essence of a woman.” Sushmita Sen

“Behind every successful man, there is a woman. But behind a real woman, there is God.” Mercy Pheona

“A beautiful woman uses her lips for Truth, her voice for Kindness, her ears for Compassion, her hands for Charity, and her heart for Love. For those who do not like her, she uses Prayer.” Unknown

If you’re a woman, then you’ll probably have to admit that you’re a perfectionist in practically all that you do and in all phases of your lives. Aren’t you too often self-conscious as to who you are in reality, repeatedly checking in a mirror as to how you present yourself to others and being a Christian woman, more importantly, to our Lord and Savior in His ever-seeing eyes?

While many women are satisfied merely attaining the goals they’ve set for themselves. As a Christian woman, aren’t you usually setting these goals at higher, almost unattainable levels to test yourselves regarding your genuine individuality and the special relationship you share with the Lord.

Christian women need to possess a continuous feeling of their Lord’s presence in their lives to keep their commitment to having their minds and hearts continue without any end in their faith.

Perhaps part of what Christian women desire to have can be found in EPHESIANS 3:16-17 [NKJV]

“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love.”

As a Christian woman, you know the vital role you play in the lives of others, especially those who are members of families who require comforting support when they need it the most. Everything that you do is part of the path the Lord has set before you, a journey that you need to follow without any deviating from the path.

Too many times in your journeys, you forsake your own needs, which creates hurdles that you need to overcome to live the life you’re entitled to have as a Christian woman.

You’re told the following in 1 PETER 3:3-4 [NKJV]:

[3] Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—

[4] rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

All of this is the key to us being a Christian woman. The lives of women are to be fraught with the gratification and fulfillment that they’re entitled to enjoy, lives that contain the uniting gift the Lord has given them of the unique womanhood, motherhood, and sisterhood that they share.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my post for this Friday, and I’d love for you to leave me your comments and feedback – THANKS

Have a BLESSED WEEKEND with your loving families doing whatever you’ve planned on doing !!! 

IT’S ALL ABOUT COMPASSION // CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #7

As Christian women, one of the best ways we can summarize the overall sense of compassion is to seek out appropriate scripture as we thank our Lord and Savior for what He has given us.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-4 | NKJV

All of the problems any individual can suffer from, like despairing over the loss of a loved one, not receiving the fulfillment of a dream, being heartbroken, or feeling lonely, can be remedied if they receive a little compassion from us according to their needs.

It goes without saying that each of us who is a believer in our faith has a friend in the Lord, a friend who will always be there for us, especially when we need Him the most. A friend we can always count on for comfort and support in the gloomiest and most distressing moments of our lives with His never heartfelt compassion, which need to be sharing as Christian women.

We need to remember, while it is the Lord that we all turn to when we require compassion, it is scripture that reminds us of the following:

“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.”

1 PETER 3:8 [NKJV]

And because of this, I believe all of us should follow what we are being told to do according to the following:

“Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted.”

ISAIAH 49:13 [NKJV]

So, as the sisters-in-Christ we are, let us all show our compassion for those who are in need, just as the Lord has shown His compassion for us.

Have a BLESSED WEEK, with everything you’re planning on doing, especially if it involves something for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I’d love for everyone to leave their comments, as I’d love to know if I could continue to post discussions like this.

REMAINING SINGLE // CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #6

To all my single Christian sisters-in-Christ,

Being married for 30 years to my dear OH [other half], I don’t particularly appreciate using labels like wife, husband, or spouse; I find this label more endearing. I never thought I’d ever get married, but I did two months before I was 43, and my dear OH just turning 39 three days before. So, I wondered what the Bible says about remaining single or using the term singleness.

We are all well aware that the Lord has in mind a definitive plan for each of us, and to fulfill His plans, it would be best if specific individuals remain single. 

We are quite aware that the Lord’s son, Jesus Christ, had remained single, as did many others who became His servants, like Paul and Jeremiah. If individuals continue to struggle to get married while the Lord desires for them to remain single, going against His plans for them, the unfortunate result would be that they will never discover real peace in their lives. Let us remember that our Lord loves all of His children the same, whether they’re married or single.

In fact, the Lord gave Jeremiah specific instructions to remain single JEREMIAH 16:2 [NKJV]:

“You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.”

We have to remember what Paul wrote in 1 CORINTHIANS 7:8 [NKJV]:

“But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;”

As I’ve mentioned above, being and remaining single is predicated on the Lord’s path for an individual to follow. Verification of this is found when we read 1 CORINTHIANS 7:17 [ESV]:

“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.”

All of 1 CORINTHIANS 7, written by Paul, deals with the topic of marriage and remaining single, which is why we need to read Verse 35 to find his simple conclusion:

“I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.”

And if we want to learn Paul’s ultimate conclusion, we then need to read 1 CORINTHIANS 7:27-28 [ESV]

[27] Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.”

[28] But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.”

In the above, I’ve attempted to show that being single is not an issue that any of us need to be concerned about, as it might just be part of the Lord’s plan for our individual existence. And if you are single, I feel it might serve your best interest to increase your relationship with Him as a servant spreading His words to others.

TRYING TO FIND THE PERFECT CHRISTIAN MATE// CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #5

When you were a young Christian girl, how many of you hadn’t read the book or seen Disney’s Cinderella cartoon? How many can remember the song “Someday My Prince Will Come” from the cartoon Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs? I read the story and saw the cartoon [even as an adult woman]. As far as the song is concerned and my suffering from a genetic condition, it is one of my favorites, as I got married two months before my 43^rd birthday, and my dear OH celebrated a 39^th birthday three days before our wedding day.

Some day, my prince will come.

Some day, we’ll meet again.

And away to his castle, we’ll go

To be happy forever, I know

Some day, when spring is here

We’ll find a love anew

And the birds will sing

And wedding bells will ring

Someday, when my dreams come true

These two items, more than anything else I can think of, have been what has been instilled in the minds of young Christian women as to the kind of guy they want to have as their husband. Sometimes, young Christian women, still in their late teens, get so fascinated with the guy they’re seeing that they rush unprepared into a marriage. The worst scenario is when their mother tells them not to get involved with that guy.

Fiction sometimes emulates real life, and it is one of the first books I reviewed in 2014. In the story, against her parent’s wishes, the young protagonist decides to run off with a guy her parents had forbidden her to see and gets married to him. Before long, she discovers the truth of what the adorable man she’d married is truly like, and the happy ever after this protagonist had once thought she’d found has now become merely a nightmare no woman wants to be in.

Sometimes, as Christian women get older, their desperation even leads them to get involved with a nonbeliever with whom they get married to. Perhaps they hope that they’ll be able to turn their new husband into a believer. The problem here is that they’ve forgotten the scripture that forbids this, 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14 [NKJV]:

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”

And even though a Christian woman might have found a marvelous, religious guy to be married to, there’s no guarantee that there won’t be any problems in their marriage. Doubters only need to check out some of the posts posted in Christian Facebook groups that deal with wives and marriage. Even worse than this, according to a True Crime book that I reviewed, there are men of faith who are also men of murder [of their wives]. The best path for Christian women to find their Prince Charming is to find someone who shares the same things they love, especially an adoration for the Lord. Enter into the bounds of Holy Matrimony in sight of the Lord. Then, they live their marriages in the manner the Lord wants them, and if necessary, seek guidance to ensure they remain on the correct path so their marriages will seem as if they’ve been made in heaven.

Have a BLESSED DAY, my dear sisters-in-Christ. And if you’re in search of the perfect guy to get married to, just be patient, for the Lord someone planned for you to find at the time and place he has chosen.

WHAT KIND OF INTIMACY CAN THERE BE IN A WHOLESOME CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE ??? // CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSION #4

Ladies, my dear sisters-in-Christ, it goes without saying that as a woman, you’re probably craving to have some intimacy in your marriage like your secular counterparts. But as Christian women, we know it must be according to our faith.

Allegiance, hard work, and devotion to one’s spouse is what healthy Christian marriage are all about. This is despite our perhaps not feeling like we love our spouses at all. We know how our Lord loves others – without any limitations or fears, and, therefore, how we need to love others. This is seen as we read in 1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8 [NKJV]

4] Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

5] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

6] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 

7] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8] Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

We’re duty-bound to adhere to what we are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 [NKJV]:

“Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”

We need to remember that no matter what, through thick and thin, our Lord will always be there for us. We know that He desires for us and our spouses to be the best versions possible of ourselves to each other. Our marriages must be based on our shared reassurances, inspiration, and empowerment.

No one expects for every marriage to be easy to navigate, and not for them to always to be perfect, and this includes the Lord. The Lord with His wisdom knows we might occasionally act out of character, fight, and forget to love each other or appreciate one another as He has intended. When this should happen, we need to re-read EPHESIANS 4:2-3 [NKJV]

[2] with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,

[3]  endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Please leave your comments so others can read them.

Have a BLESSED DAY each and every day with each other and with whatever you’re going to be doing, especially if it’s something for our Lord and Savior.

LOSING WEIGHT: AN ISSUE FOR MANY CHRISTIAN WOMEN [PART 2] // CHRISTIAN WOMAN DISCUSSIONS #3

My dear sisters-in-Christ, I got a confession to make. Like many of you, I’ve got a weight problem. According to a calculator I found on the internet, my recommended weight, based on the healthy BMI recommendation, should be between 121.7 lbs. and 164.4 lbs. I’ve checked my weight as I’m writing this is 220 lbs., which, according to the calculator, places me between being overweight and obese. I would love to get down to around 190 lbs by my 70th birthday in the middle of this coming January. How many of you also happen to have a weight problem?

Besides this being a health issue, it’s also a biblical issue for each of us being a Christian woman. According to scripture, the Lord wants us to take care of ourselves. The Lord wants us to take care of our bodies.

In the end, to achieve the weight loss we desire, we must make prayers to the Lord, for we know He won’t refuse to assist us. For scriptural support of what I’ve said here, let’s turn to the following scriptures [NKJV]:

1] PSALM 34:17:

“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.”

2] PSALM 10:17:

“LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear,”

3] PSALM 32:8:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.”

We need to offer our Lord and Savior a prayer so we’ll be able to achieve our weight loss goals:

Oh, Lord. Oh, Heavenly Father. We pray for your benevolent guidance and assistance in allowing us to make our bodies into the temple of your Holy Spirit that is within us and have it be the way you’ve meant it to be. We exalt you with all of our hearts each day that we’re allowed to see. Our existence is to be the children of your intended creation. We offer our obedience to follow your words to the end of our allotted here on earth until we’re allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven you’ve created for us to live in for all eternity. We praise your glorious name, and for this, we say AMEN.

Please leave your comments and feedback, so others will know that they’re not alone in their struggles to lose weight.

My dear sisters-in-Christ, have a BLESSED WEDNESDAY, as you try to be the best you can be in the eyes of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ !!! 😊😊😊