Becoming The Woman God Created

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever.
Psalm 138:8

This is the last lesson for this book! I have learned so much!

Each of us is defined by the core value of our life. God planned our lives before we were born. Underneath all the layers of expectations is imposed by others and self, the core of your self-worth lies in your relationship with God.

The more you grow in your relationship with God, the easier it becomes to see yourself as he originally designed you: a work of art displayed for His glory.
God has given each of us tailor-made abilities.

All good things must come to an end!

Next week this same ladies group will begin a new Bible Study. I am so anxious to see what I will learn! I will continue to grow and have a better relationship with God and with my family.

Friendship

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:12-13

I loved this lesson! I have been blessed with so many wonderful friends over the years.

Some of my very best friends were made in grade school: Brooke, Amanda & Kristi. We all grew up in the same neighborhood. We all stayed close during high school even though Amanda moved to Iowa Park.

Of course we had our share of fusses. We all shared moments of jealousy when new friendships were developed. Some other very good friends from high school: Jennifer, Julie, Tammy, Patricia & Rhonda.

Things change & people change. Some friendships remain while some grew apart. Some of these friendships have recently been renewed thanks to Facebook.

Other dear friends have been made as an adult: Sharon, Lula Jane, Joyce & Debra(passed away)

I also have many dear friends in my family! I am so thankful to have such a strong, loving and supportive family.

Many people will pass through your life as acquaintances and nothing more. You will meet others whom you will get to know a little more but to whom you can't quite bare your soul.

Strong friendships take work. Only weeds grow if we do not tend the garden! A beautiful friendship must be planted, watered, fed, weeded and nurtured.

Thank you God! You are my very best friend! I am so glad I can bare my soul to you. You never turn your back on me and you love me unconditionally! Please help me to be the very best friend I can be and to tend my friendship garden!

Sexuality

Yes, the title of this is sexuality. Don't be shocked!

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his people; the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100: 1-3

This was a very interesting study.

Women often receive mixed messages concerning their sexuality from their families, the Church and the culture in which they live. Many Christian women have difficulty even talking about the subject of sexuality.

There is a difference between a healthy sexual attitude based on God's original design and a sexual attitude based on social and cultural values. A woman- made in the image of God- is both physical and spiritual. The physical is really a manifestation of what is in the heart and soul of a woman.

God designed physical intimacy to be more than a sexual act. The greatest act of love is to lay down one's life for another. True love involves desiring to come alongside a man to help him realize his full potential in every area of life. This is true intimacy.

Intimacy in marriage involves sacrifice, but when two people are committed to one another, the rewards far outweigh the complexities.

Part of the lesson was to make a list of things we admire & respect about our husbands.
Of course it is easy to pick out the things we don't like!

I enjoyed doing this: good intentions, supportive of our family, forgiveness of my flaws, example for our family, vital in our lives
I love my husband very much and am so thankful we have overcome so many trials!
I look forward to the years to come!

Femininity

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30

Femininity!! What is it!?!
This was lesson 5 of my Bible Study.
The definition of femininity is: the quality or nature of the female sex.

I learned the heart of femininity is the essence of a woman: her characteristics, qualities and God-given design.

One of the questions was to list words we associated with femininity:
soft, delicate, girlish, subtle, dainty & weak
I had a bad outlook on what femininity truly is!

Some of the very things we are criticized for are qualities that should be allowed to grow and be expressed. Our feminine characteristics allow us to be nurturing, caring, loving, emotional, relational, alluring and so on.
That sounds so much nicer! I am having a better outlook!

This of course goes all the way back to the beginning.
Before Eve was created "for Adam no suitable helper was found" (Genesis 2:20) Adam needed a helper - someone who had the qualities that he was missing, to complement him and help him get the job done. Eve was that missing piece. Together- as one- Adam and Eve represented the image of God.

We need to recognize that our femininity - our femaleness- is a gift from God to be used by and for Him.

My new outlook on femininity is:
Being a woman is a great blessing and an opportunity to impact the world in a positive, lasting way. God has a purpose for me, a place on this earth that only I can fill!

Life Stages

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.
Proverbs 3:1-2

Each woman's life naturally progresses through various stages of development.

Stage One: 0 to 5 Years
This is the foundational stage of development, in which a baby is nurtured and loved for who she is.The parent is the primary caregiver and creates a safe environment for this precious gift. Her primary caregivers are her role models at this time.

Stage Two: 6 to 9 Years
Her self-esteem is intact at this stage. She develops girlfriends, is close with her mother and likes to talk to her dad. It is an age of discovery. She begins to understand who God is and that sin separates her from him.

Stage Three: 10 to 20 Years
This stage marks the onset of puberty.Her world begins to change. She becomes more tempted by peer pressure, develops an interest in boys and tends to argue more with her mother. It is a very awkward time. As she reaches her late teens, she starts to develop a sense of identity apart from her mom and dad.

Stage Four: 21 to 40 Years
The lifestyle choices a woman makes during this stage will shape the rest of her life.It is probably the busiest time of a woman's life. Decisions about career, marriage and family are generally made during this stage as she begins to recognize her gifts and influence. When she looks in the mirror, she sees the face of her mother more and more and begins to realize the tremendous influence her mother had on her.

Stage Five: 41 to 60 Years
This is the time when the lifestyle choices she made earlier begin to play a big role. Stressful events such as children leaving home- leaving no one to care for- often takes place during this stage, adding to the emotional highs and lows. This stage is a time for accomplishing goals she set aside years before.

Stage Six: 61+ Years
There are many factors that influence this stage of a woman's life. As she redefines her identity, she realizes she enjoys the freedom and flexibility that these years bring. There are greater opportunities at this stage to be active in her community, to enjoy grandchildren and to have mentoring relationships. She is not affected by the view of some that she is past her prime but instead seeks to make every day count.

It was a bittersweet thing to see what stage I am in now, to reminisce of my childhood, to know that the girls are in two different stages. Wow!!

This also reminded me of a few songs!
It Won't Be Like This For Long - Darius Rucker

You're Gonna Miss This - Trace Adkins

Trace Adkins   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

Turn! Turn! Turn!(To Everything There Is A Season) - The Byrds
The words adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes


Hope you enjoyed this lesson as much as I did!
What stages have you experienced?

It's My Body

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart & with all your soul & with all your mind & with all your strength.

The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself."

Mark 12:30 & 31

This is the verse at the beginning of the 3rd session of the Bible study at church!

When I 1st read it I thought, this is a commandment!

What does this really have to do with my body?

Well it took me back to the 1st session Defining Worth.

I thought about the measure of a woman's values. They don't depend on how much she has accomplished in her life, or how much she weighs, or what she looks like or even what others perceive to be her level of spirituality.

The lesson It's My Body went on to say that: A woman's self-worth is based on her ability to look in the mirror & like the woman she sees there.

Are you kidding me!?!

A major aspect of self-worth is to understand the importance of caring for the whole person: Body, Soul, Mind & Spirit.

Determining self-worth is discovering the value of whom God created you to be. It is to acknowledge that your worth is based on God's love, grace, & perfect design.

Body - The Physical Me

Each of us is a physical being housed in a physical body. This shell may be temporal, but how we care for it will largely determine our quality & length of life.

Soul - The Emotional Me

Positive & negative emotions can have lasting effects on us mentally, spiritually & physically. Our emotions are most closely tied to our thoughts.

Mind - The Thinking Me

The words that come from our mouths are the result of our thought processes, but the tone of out thoughts also effects our spiritual, emotional, & physical well-being.

Spiritual - The Lord in Me

Our spiritual being is at the center of who we are. Spiritual self-care is essential to our growth in relationship with God.

God wants us to love him with our whole being because that is who he created us - as a whole person. Loving ourselves is one of the hardest things for many of us to do.

1st, a healthy self-love is not prideful, but is based on who God is & his love for us.

2nd, as we judge ourselves, so we judge others.

When negative thoughts, emotions or attitudes creep in, we need to turn our focus toward Jesus.

I am making some changes in my life!

As you consider these things, ask the Lord to help you nurture the most important areas of who you are emotionally, mentally, physically & spiritually.

Who Am I?

Your hands made me & formed me;

give me understanding to learn your commands.

Psalm 119:73

This weeks lesson was really difficult! It was about understanding personality. How to help us understand ourselves & to learn to appreciate others. I learned that when we begin to accept ourselves, we can begin to accept others & understand their strengths & weaknesses as well.

We also talked about who we are in Christ.

Who I Am In Christ

I am accepted in Christ

I am secure in Christ

I am significant in Christ

I was also touched by this prayer: "I Pray You Enough"

I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.

I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.

I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive & everlasting.

I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.

I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.

Personalities are broken into 4 types:

Sanguines love to have fun.

Cholerics are considered natural-born leaders.

Melancholics are thinkers.

Phlegmatics are natural peacemakers.

We all took a short test, & I was truly surprised by the outcome of my personality. You think you are one thing, but the outcome was different. I am Melancholy Phlegmatic! When I got home I gave the test to Casey. He is Choleric Melancholy.

The website to take the test is : http://www.oneishy.com/

Take a few minutes to visit the website, take the test & see what your strengths & weaknesses are. You may be surprised!?!

So who are you, anyway?

Defining Worth

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully & wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalms 139:13-14

There is a new women's Bible Study on Wednesday night at the church. It is titled Women Of Worth. The first lesson was Defining Worth & the above verses are the opening to the lesson. I read the verses over & over, trying to take them in & break it down. What do they really mean? I found a poem that is very fitting & helped to answer my question.

Art Appreciation by: Joy Morgan Davis

Lord,

Sometimes when I look

At my life

It seems like a homespun

Patch - work quilt...

Quaint, but not quite "together"!

There are bits & pieces of

Cloths & colors,

Scraps of material,

The days of my life...

When you began to put together

The days of my life

You must have known

Where each piece would go...

You've told me that I am

Fearfully & wonderfully

Made...

And I believe you, Lord,

I do!

I may not be a velvet tapestry,

But even crazy -quilts

Have purpose,

To give warmth &

Cozy comfort &

Color to a room!

Whatever I am, Lord,

You made me...

Lovingly,

Carefully,

Reverently,

And exactly right!

I was also reminded of a You Tube Video I had seen some months back by Louie Giglio talking about Laminin. It is awesome! So I hope you will take a few minutes to watch it, you can find the video on my blog located on the side bar.

This was just the first lesson of the Bible Study, I can't wait until the next!