Gateways to Joy

I can remember many years ago while doing my quiet time, the Lord showed me how submission by a wife to her husband can be very instrumental to the vitality and well-being of a family. It can literally save a life. He showed me through a most unusual source: Mary.  Up until that reading I had become use to thinking of Mary as "only being the mother of Jesus."  I never thought of her in any other light.  Well, I take that back.  I thought of her as being "the virgin," too. I knew she had an obedient heart  toward God by her responds to the angel Gabriel when he told her in Luke what was about to take place in her life. It's kind of hard for me to explain, but I'm going to try so stick with me.  I knew that Mary was submissive to Joseph, Scripture is clearly shows that.  However, I never really focused on her submission because I always thought, "Who wouldn't be submissive in her shoes?"  I guess I kind of downplayed it in a sense. The ot...

Yes, ladies.  Today, I want to encourage you to fear the Lord. Why? "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."~ Proverbs 9:10 What happens when a woman fears or reverences God? First and foremost girls, when we reverence God we gain wisdom and knowledge of God's ways.   We understand Him better.  When we understand Him better by having His wisdom and knowledge, we move as we should, being less selfish and more selfless.  All these things are pleasing to Him.  If we are moving in ways that are pleasing to God, we will certainly please our husband's {particularly if he is a believer} and we will find ourselves caring for them, our children and our home in more of a selfless manner. I believe this is why we see the skills of the woman in Proverbs 31 highlighted. It shows us what God does for the woman who fears Him—respects Him.  We also see how God gives us our gifts to be a blessing to o...

`G o to the ant, o sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which having no chief, officer or ruler prepares her food in the summer and gathers her provisions in the harvest." ~ Proverbs 6:6 Well!  I must say, "I am a bit offend that the Lord chose to call me a sluggard?" "No Lord.  I am not a sluggard.  I am a tired woman," is my answer to Him.  I've changed my supplements.   I am anemic.  I am getting older...plus I have Sickle Cell traits which I am told by the doctor can keep one a bit more tired.  This tiredness of mine, though, comes and goes. And I am most assured that it is tied more into my diet of eating the wrong things more than anything else.  My body is a body that doesn't do well without wholefoods and lots and lots of raw veggies and fruits.  Plus I've slacked up on my juicing too....  Anyway... these are my excuses when God "shows me myself." Lazy?  Admittedly we are no ants over here, bu...