Women Teaching Women

Ever since I was a little girl watching "Fiddler on the Roof", I have loved Hodel, the middle daughter, and her devoted spirit. Her key song, "Far from the Home I Love", has always given me tears, but now that I am married, it means much more to me than an emotional movie plot element. The lyrics paint a genuine picture of what God wrote in Genesis 2:24: Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. So, what wisdom does Hodel share about "leaving and cleaving"?  1. It's unforeseen "Who could see that a man would come who would change the course of my dreams?" We don't know the future, but we know a God who does. Whether I feel that I've missed the boat or jumped on the wrong one, accept that His timing is right. 2. It's life-changing "A man... who would change the course of my dreams.... Other dreams grow dim." Whatever I was...

The day is here! You celebrate, you eat, you have a wonderful time. You feel so thankful for what you have and whomever is around you. But now the guests are going home, and the dishes a piled a mile high. Now what? Make it last! Whether you enjoy the fall décor a little longer or break out the Christmas boxes and go shopping, remember the point of Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for. Don’t forget to say thank you to our good God for His blessings (you realize that they didn’t end with the Thanksgiving meal, don’t you?). Let the lessons of thankfulness remain in your heart perpetually. Thanksgiving is more than one day. It’s more than one week. It’s more than one season. It’s more than a year. Thankfulness is a lifestyle. It’s when you live in a way that says, “God, I don’t deserve any of this, but You give it anyway. Thank You. Help me to enjoy it fully and give You the praise for it. I love You.” Let the peace of Christ rule in your ...

Why are we so stressed? There are a lot of causes for stress; some are harder to handle than others. But one thing I know is that we bring a lot of stress onto ourselves. Holidays can be like that. What can we do to change that? Make it stress-free! Take a deep breath. Take a moment to quietly think. Turn off the radio, TV, and, yes, even your favorite playlist for a few moments and only let a conversation with the King of the Universe occupy your mind. He’s in charge. Do you trust Him? If you trust Him for your eternal destiny, won’t you trust Him for a day of festivities? Okay, that was Tip #1 . Slow down and trust the King of the Universe. Tip #2 : When you feel that you can’t handle all the necessary preparations for the day, do one of these three things: Get help. Ask a family member or friend to come help you with décor, baking, writing invitations, etc. Use this opportunity to teach your kids how to cook. Whatever you do, do it toge...

Okay, let’s be honest: sometimes, it’s just hard to be thankful. Whether there’s a storm of emotions inside of you, or you’re being lulled by the poison of apathy, your feelings are not in line. You know you should be thankful, especially for this time of year, but you don’t want to be. Sound familiar? What are some ways we can combat this power of unthankfulness? Let’s talk about some ways to…. Make it real   Don’t wait for your feelings to lead you. Reality must be the engine on your train, and you must trudge through some hard times of putting feelings where they belong: at the caboose. Think about what you deserve. When ads on TV tell you that you deserve something, you can be sure that they are selling something; what they’re selling is Satan’s lie. Physically, we work to earn our wages (what we deserve), but if we were to receive our spiritual desserts, we wouldn’t even be here physically. The wages of our sin (what we deserve) is death. That’s eter...

I think it’s fair to say that we all struggle with being thankful. The fact is, we are by nature selfish people, and to be thankful we need to acknowledge that we deserve nothing good, yet receive good anyway. On Thanksgiving, the day associated with abundance of blessings as well as stuffing ourselves, we can forget that we didn’t earn any blessing we’ve received. How can we take those blessings and, rather than selfishly hoard them, give them to someone else who needs help? Make it a ministry! Don’t bother inviting your great aunt’s cousins who live three states away…. Unless it’s a good way to reach out to lonely people without Christ. Try these ideas for turning your blessings into someone else’s blessing: Invite a struggling family to sit at your table with you. If you’re in a college town, invite over students who have no place to go, especially foreign students. Gather together with the widows in your church, or have a dinner for all the singles. Be their f...

Guests are coming in, and the last thing you want is for them to awkwardly wait while you finish up the food. The second-to-last thing you want is for them to offer to help crowd the kitchen. You want them to relax and have a seat….  Make it fun! Why not have a pre-meal game ready? It will give them something to do now and something to talk about later! Games or other fun activities are also a good transition after the meal into an informal talking in the living room time. So, here are some ideas for adding that touch of fun to your Thanksgiving celebration: (Tip: the more filling your meal, the less physical your post-meal activity should be. Also, take into account the ages of your guests and how well everyone knows each other.) Active games:   Baseball (variations); Dodge ball; Hide-and-Seek; Scavenger hunt; Tennis Mildly active games:  Charades; Croquet; Signs, Horseshoes; Corn hole; Foosball; Darts Low-activity games:   Ap...

This Saturday, perhaps you are getting out the decor and contacting your guests with details about the big day! One big thing you should not leave out of your planning for Thanksgiving is this.... Make it thankful!  Remember that Thanksgiving is not about eating food and hanging with family; it’s about giving thanks to God for the food and family. Here are ideas for you to help your whole family (including you) express thankfulness, other than going around the table and saying one thing you’re thankful for: Have each family member choose a Bible verse about thankfulness to memorize, and on Thanksgiving Day, have each person quote a verse at intervals throughout the meal. Tell your invited friends to memorize a verse, as well! Place a bowl of papers at the dining room door, each paper having something different on it (Examples: Family, health, house, food; or put each guest’s name on a paper). Have everyone take one paper and thank God and pray for what or whom...

First of all, welcome! We are excited that Thanksgiving is coming, and we want to celebrate by helping you celebrate. Each day until Thanksgiving, we will have a thought on how to make Thanksgiving a better, more appreciated holiday. So, without further ado, Friday's tip is.... Make it original!   Thanksgiving is perhaps the holiday most steeped in immovable traditions, from what time in the afternoon dinner occurs, to going around the table saying what you’re thankful for, to the very dishes that grace every Thanksgiving table. Try something new this year! Here are some ideas for freshening up a predictable holiday: Opt for an altered menu…. Mix up the original flavors of turkey, potatoes, corn, cranberry, and pumpkin in unexpected ways:  Make pumpkin bread instead of pie, or cornbread instead of yeast rolls.  Turn the potato into the star by baking it and using the turkey, stuffing, and other fixings as potato bar options.  Trans...

364 days before Christmas: We are planning what we want to do next year. 11 months before Christmas: We still have Christmas décor up, just a little longer. 10 months before Christmas: There’s still snow, so we don’t feel bad about still listening to Christmas music. 7 months before Christmas: It's Mother’s Day, when we decide what we want to get Mom for Christmas. 5 months before Christmas: Christmas in July, because we couldn’t wait a whole year. 2 months before Christmas: Fall weather strikes, and we think about Christmas because it’s cold and stores are selling trees. 1 month before Christmas: Thanksgiving, when we decide what we want to do for Christmas dinner. 1 month before Christmas: Black Friday, when we decorate for Christmas and every area of life becomes Christmasy. Christmas Day! The day of the highest joy, because I get a lot of gifts! Wait a minute….  Does joy come from getting? Temporary happiness can, but honestly, I a...