Gateways to Joy

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is " Just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear." ~ 1 Peter 3:16 Lord:  human master, ruler.  One who has due power ownership, control, or authority over others.  A term of respect for ones father, rulers and government officials, teachers, et al. Yep.  That's what he needs ladies: reverence.  A man needs his ego fed.  That's just how the Lord designed him. I try and I fall and I try and I fall. And I will keep trying (and falling). So what does it say, ladies, to our man when we treat him as lord?  We say to them that we: trust him we think he's capable he has favor with us we respect him and yes, we love him To put it in today's terminology we're basically telling him that we think "He's all that!" Now...how do we follow in Sarah's footsteps? WE SUBMIT Ouch!  I know for some...

Hi ladies! This is what Angela has posted on the Good Morning Girls blog for this weeks reading: For those of you who are just now joining us, you can download the  Free e-study guide here  and either print it or use it as a guide as you write in your own journal. This week we will be reading verses 2:1-11 in the book of 1 John. If you would like to further study the verses we will be reading each day, here are 3 on-line commentaries that go along with this week’s reading. 1.  John MacArthur a.  1 John 2:1- Our Divine Defense Attorney b.  1 John 2:2- The Sacrifice that Satisfied c.  1 John 2:3- Certainty of Christian Assurance, Pt 1 d.  1 John 2:4-6- Certainty of Christian Assurance, Pt 2 e.  1 John 2:7-11- Live by a New Love 2.  John Piper a.  1 John 2:1-2- Jesus Christ Is an Advocate for Sinners b.  1 John 2:3-6- Obedience Confirms Our Standing in God 3.  Charles Spurgeon a. 1 John 2:1  The Sinner’s Advocate b. 1...

For a while on this blog, I will share my quiet times notes on the book of 1 John  and my thoughts on a book that I'm reading as part of a book club with Priscilla Shirer and the women on her blog. The name of Priscilla's book is: The Resolution for Women. In the book, Priscilla says, "So let me just be clear. This book is slanted. It's decidedly and purposefully designed not to take into consideration the actions {or inactions} of the other members of your family or the people who live and work and go to church with you.  I'm not going to be addressing your husband or how he should behave.  This is about what you will do, what you will become by God's grace from this day forward. This is the Resolution for WOMEN.  More specifically, one woman.  You." In both the book club and the online Bible study I find evidence that "God is calling me to make hard yet necessary decisions for this season of my life." And sometimes, honestly, I become so ov...

Jesus yields His Spirit... He dies.  Seems like death has won ... where is His Father?  The Father whose will He is carrying out?  Even He, the Father has turned His back on Him. Forsaken and alone???  Has Jesus lost the battle?  Has Satan won?  Will the grave be His lasting home? Listen to the Words of S.M. Lockridge ... "Christ's death was accompanied by at least four miraculous events:"  The tearing of the temple veil in the temple. an earthquake dead people rising from their tombs darkness

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. ~ Ephesians 5:25 Marriage a "holy union." A precious relationship that needs tender, self-sacrificing care.  SELF-SACRIFICING CARE , men that's what a lot of us, WOMEN, want to see more of.  PROVIDING & WORKING is only part of it ...it's a good part, but not the only part. We want you to show ... compassion understanding honesty integrity loyalty empathy kindness gentleness patience friendliness attentiveness Love:  compassion, devotion.  In the NT, usually the Gr word agape', which focuses on benevolent (marked or disposed to doing good) actions toward another person, rather than on feelings for the person.  Often described as an unconditional, sacrificial love which does what is in the best interest of another, without expecting anything in return....

Please take time today to listen to this podcast by Dr. Charles Stanley .  I really enjoyed this message today and I just know you will be blessed by it too, so PLEASE find a bit of time to listen to this audio and allow God to bless you, teach you some new truths and remind you of a few old ones. You will do have to scroll down to the bottom of the blog to mute the music. Dr. Charles Stanley Desires of the heart part 2 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.~ Psalm 37:4 How do we do this?  How do we delight ourselves in Him and commit our way to Him? When we delight in someone that means that we experience extreme pleasure and joy from being around them—remember when you were dating your spouse?  The pleasure and the delight that we seek to have with God can only come from us spending time with Him—becoming intimate.  This is how we get to know and experience God better. When we commit to ...

I'm so messed up.  I'm such a sinner. Seems like no matter how much I try I fall to sin's calling and temptations.  I fall down, cry...get back up, only to fall again. I've come to the realization that as much as it hurts to admit:  I don't like suffering.  Rather, I should say I want to choose what I will suffer for and deny myself of what I choose to deny myself of. Often times, I will do almost anything to avoid pain.  I pick and choose, though, I call it by another name.  God calls us to be willing and prepared to do His will. Whatever His will is, even if it means that I must hurt, suffer, or  become BROKEN . Once we are obedient to God and do what He has called us to, sin then looses its grip on us. Have you noticed how when we are in bodily pain, or our health or the health of our love one is in jeopardy our values become clear and, sinful pleasures, whatever they might be, become bleak and less important?...

S ometimes we, Christians, have a tendency to panic within, even though we know God and believe what His Word says. We panic even though we've experienced Him and His faithfulness.   We panic, at times, when we can't readily see or predict an outcome in certain situations . This week I was revving up to set into panic mode.  You see we had to drop our health insurance (again) because it was simply too expensive. Last week, my older son (17) and I had stomach viruses (we never get sick).  I needed medication that needed refilling, but I had to get a doctors authorization and didn't have the $300, just for the office visit (that didn't include test).  My oldest son fainted...but we have no health insurance.  Our family is among the people who are "uninsured." Have you ever tried going to the doctor or the ER, for that matter with no health coverage?!  It's ludicrous and a very unpleasant and humiliating experience. ...

N othing but the truth is acceptable to God. We sing to Him We speak of Him We serve Him BUT.  Hypocrisy closes the door on FATHER accepting acts of service from CHILD. ... lying ... pretense Father, forgive me, your fragile sinful child. He sees ... He sees through us. He refuses to listen ... MY BELOVED CHILD, he calls to me, " To be close to Me, you must be HONEST with Me. O LORD , do not Your eyes look for truth? You have smitten them, But they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than rock; They have refused to repent. ~ Jeremiah 5:3

This morning I received an email from Lysa Terkeurst assistant Holly explaining of their excitement to Lysa's book, 'What Happens When Women Say Yes To God , ' hitting the number 28 mark on Septembers CBA bestsellers list!  Now I have no idea of what that is, but I presume—rather I know it's a good thing, otherwise they wouldn't be excited, right?  I'm excited for her too, as I love and appreciate what she does immensely.  Not only that, but I hope to one day do what she's doing for the Lord . Anyways, Holly had a link to Lysa's video which I clicked on and was sucked into by the writing.  The writing beneath the video caught my attention before I could even click on the video.  What caught my attention? These words: " T otal obedience to Christ can transform an ordinary life into a remarkable journey!"  That's exactly what I'm sensing is going on with me.  I'm as ordinary as they get, but I sense God transforming me...and...