Women Need Women

Everybody’s first mentor was, of course, their mother. Your mother was likely the first woman to have significant influence in shaping your life. My mother was no different- she had a tremendous amount of wisdom while I was growing up:

-I don’t care how tall you get, I will climb up in that chair and get you! (She is much shorter than me because I shot up past her at age 12.)

-You need to finish school before you start your family. (It took her 13 years to finish college)

-And one of the most recent… I want to be the mother you need now. (And, she is!)

But then, there were things that my mother didn’t tell me. It’s not that she didn’t try. You have only so much time, you know,  to raise a girl into a lady. She got the big messages pounded in my head, but still, there were some things she failed to mention like..…

my pregnant belly- the day after I had my first daughter as I got dressed, I turned one way and my stretched, wrinkly, deflated stomach went the other way. What? No one had ever said to me (and I even read the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” book and not. one. word.) “Listen, when you have a baby, your stomach skin will deflate like a balloon. But, it’s ok, hon, your stomach will shrink back….mostly”

Or….. hair growing in weird places. I admit, I have heard about this one. But, I didn’t think it would actually happen to me.  Someone needed to say “Yes, you will grow hair in some places and lose hair in others. Yes, it Will happen to you”. Still. Shuddering.

And how can we leave out..….sagging skin. A few years ago as I climbed into the shower, I caught an accidental and very unintentional look at my backside in the mirror. I was shocked to find my rear end had fallen into my thigh which resulted in this hunk of skin bulging out. I mean…really! Where did that come from???

All I’m saying is that someone should have told me these things! At least I could have been more prepared.

 

Despite having to learn some of these lessons the hard way, there have been many women whose mentoring took me under their wings. Pastor wives, women’s ministry leaders, and older friends who would share of themselves in bible studies, prayer, sitting around the  kitchen table talking, and listening.

I’ve been especially touched in the past few years by women who were God-sent into my life who’ve literally taken care of me. I had my oldest, Abigail in 2005, then in 2007 I had triplets. So, in two years, we went from 0 children to 4 children!! We needed help! There’s been Judy and Paola who cleaned house and babysat. Rebecca, only 14 at the time, would organize books and onesies and play with Abigail. As the years have gone by, there’s been women who’ve come into my life and have supported me in countless ways. Like Kim who knew times were tight for us financially and would quietly bless me with a shirt or piece of jewelry. Or, Nancy who would let me float at the pool with no kids. They have taken care of me at a time in my life (and are still) when I’ve had to focus so much on taking care of others.

Through the years, I’ve had women challenge me to pray for the tough, selfless prayers and to grow in maturity and to learn ‘it’s not about me”. I even had a friend look me in the eye to say the tough words…”I’ve been there…. don’t do it….. stop it.”

See, Women need women.

Women need women to pass down all this secret knowledge about being a woman and to encourage, teach, shape and inspire each other. I wonder…if Eve had ever had a mentor,  a sister, or even a BFF, would that have changed anything at all?

“Girl, put that apple down this minute!”

Because….women need women.

Titus ch 2 reminds us that the older women need to teach the younger women. The older women should pass down their experience to the younger ones who need a little help along the way. Older women should realize that their ‘job’ isn’t done simply because their families are grown and out of the nest. There are SO many ministry opportunities out there for an older woman to ministry to a younger woman.

Younger women need to realize that they can’t do it all alone. You need support and an extra pair of hands sometimes. Younger women need to seek out and listen to the advice and wisdom that older can offer.

Is there some secret knowledge you wish had been passed on to you? Who has shaped you into the woman you are today?

As we finish up the month of May and the celebration of motherhood, what ways can you reach out to the women around you?

~Amy

How Wide, How Deep, How High….

So we’ve survived the first month of school, but not without some bumps along the way.

Sometimes, those bumps feel like mountains.

Join me over at Prayers for Girls for my next guest post about Climbing Mountains with my girls!

*So much thanks for reading, sharing, and liking!!!

~Amy

Women of the Way: His Birth to the Resurrection

One of the ideals of Women of the Way is to study the women in the Bible in order for us to learn and understand what made them special and apply those Godly traits to our own lives. So….I am beginning a series on women in the life of Christ from His birth to the Resurrection! This series was actually the theme of our first Women of the Way Bible study in 2012, and it was such a delight to be a part of that study.

Can you imagine being a woman living during the time of the Messiah? To hear His teaching with your own ears or actually see the love in His eyes? What do these women teach us about being followers of Christ? I mean, some of them literally followed Him in his earthly ministry.

How about this….can you imagine giving birth to the Son of God??

We all know the extraordinay tale of Christ’s birth, so what better place to begin this series than with the first woman to come in contact with The Word made flesh?….Mary

Now, every woman who’s given birth or adopted or found a baby under a cabbage leaf has a story to tell. We love to recount those precious memories forever branded in our hearts and minds. One of my glorious memories was in Sept 2004. I was in Asheville, SC attending an Autism training with my wonderful friend, Donna.  The afternoon finally came to hear the results of the pregnancy test, and with Donna and I set free from our training, we headed off to the Biltmore for some fun. By the time we got back to the hotel that night, my phone had several messages because I had ignored them all afternoon fearing the news of yet a still empty womb. I finally locked myself in the bathroom and listened to the messages. My poor husband had been calling all afternoon and finally left the results on voice mail saying that the test was positive and we had made a baby! Sitting in the bathroom of the Hampton Inn crying, I called him and we finally got to hear each other’s voices and rejoiced over such a miracle. It was a moment I will never forget!

As great as my story is, nothing can compare to the story of Mary and her Divine Announcement. In Luke 1, we read this familiar story that never gets old in hearing it again and again:

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

Gabriel making the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. Painting by El Greco, 1575 (Museo del Prado, Madrid). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.37 For nothing is impossible with God.”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Do you ever get the feeling Mary was saying…”Uh….’scuse me….. I didn’t sign up for this!”?

When we examine the statements of Gabriel vs the responses of Mary, we see her progression and get an idea of why she was so highly favored. Mary began being confused and disturbed, then she asked How can this be? And finally, we see her resolved- I am the Lord’s servant. She felt overwhelmed, she asked questions, she couldn’t even comprehend how this was physically going to happen. Yet, her final answer, her resolve, was Surrender.

God, I don’t know what you are doing, I didn’t ask for this, I don’t understand how you are going to work this out, but………….I surrender.

What is it that God has unexpectedly brought into your life? What are you facing that makes you feel confused and scared and asking how and saying  “Uh….’scuse me….. I didn’t sign up for this!”?

Forgive me for being frank, but if God can bring life to a virgin womb, then He can surely handle your situation too. Your surrender doesn’t mean that you give in or quit praying or stop asking for answers. It just means you are willing to let God be God.

Here’s an awesome thought: the same Holy Spirit that conceived the Son of God is living inside you!!! So the next time you are asking how can this be? Remember, The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you!…..for nothing is impossible with God!!!!

~Amy