Have you ever had a friend pull you off to the side and say, “Watch out for Emmaline. She’ll be telling you what to do if you aren’t careful.”?
No one likes a woman who has to run every event herself, and our kids really hate it once they are grown. At that point, they are ready to choose for themselves.
A couple years ago, my husband and I started ballroom dancing. We love it. However, I have learned things about myself. The man leads while dancing. His job is to move forward and make his way around the room, avoiding other dancers. When I am facing him, I can’t see where we are going. I am so accustomed to getting things done that relaxing so he can lead is a real challenge. It takes real effort, but these dance lessons taught me how much I needed to be in control.
What a great spiritual lesson for all of us. Look at what the Psalmist says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. When you trust God, you must rest in him, knowing he can do what you cannot.
Today Shannon Popkin is my guest. She has just written the book, Control Girl.
Shannon’s bio;
I’m Shannon Popkin. I’m a wife and mom, a writer and speaker, a small group leader and Bible teacher. I’m so excited about my new book, Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible., which released in January 2017).With God’s help, I’m on a path that leads from Control Girl to Jesus Girl.
As a speaker, I love combining my love for humor and storytelling and with my passion for Jesus. I speak for ladies’ events, retreats, and moms groups. On my blog, I share stories from my life, which I hope will make you smile, and will encourage you to follow Jesus more closely. I also share posts from the other sites that I contribute to, including True Women.
It’s really easy to worry about the future, but Christians know the end of the story. Several years ago on a Saturday morning, my husband slid into the floor and had a grand mal seizure. Wow! What a catastrophic event. In an adult, a seizure is a medical emergency. We suddenly went from normal living to crisis mode. A sense of unreality came over me as I discovered my husband’s illness was very serious. For the first few days, I stood by his bed and watched as doctors tried to treat his complex problem. Ultimately his full recovery took four years, and those years unsettled us all. In the same way, we live in a rapidly changing world. Events come at us so fast. These unbelievable events seemed impossible a few years ago. If anyone disagrees or questions, that person receives a nasty label. Intolerant. Bigot. Hater. I keep reminding myself that I live in America where we are supposed to have freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Many in the church are rattled and frightened. This election season had passed in a similar fashion. Americans are angry because no one listens to them in Washington.
I cannot imagine facing any of this without God. During that time when my husband was ill, the Lord sent me to the book of Daniel while I taught a class. There the Lord revealed that Daniel’s greatest dream was for his people to return to the land with a restored relationship with the father. However, God knew that wouldn’t happen in Daniel’s lifetime, so God allowed Daniel a peek into the future. Daniels greatest longing would come true, but not while he lived.
As Christians, we don’t wield control, but we can be assured that God does. The book of Revelation reveals God’s plan for the future, and we can be confident, regardless of what we see going on. God will accomplish his purpose.
My guest is Dr. Ken J. Burge, Sr. He has written Revelation on Fire a Bible study on the last book of the Bible.
2:15 Not everyone in the church believes like you do about the future. Can you give reasons why hold your position on future things?
5:00 Describe your Bible study method
9:15 Revelation said these things will ‘shortly take place.” That was written over 2000 years ago. What does that phrase mean?
11:00 What does the text mean when it says people will be blessed seven times?
12:00 Can you give reasons why you believe in the rapture of the church?
14:00 Who were the people in chapter 3 who are praising the lamb for redemption?
Learn more about Dr. Burge here. Find his book here.
[tweetthis]Believers shouldn’t fear the future [/tweetthis]
Mother’s Day sounds like a day to celebrate, but many women don’t. Those who struggle with infertility or someone who just lost her mother or a child may long to ignore the festivities. I’ve even discovered some ladies plan activities, so they keep busy and forget. Maybe your child has strayed. Mother’s day hurts. If that describes you, my heart goes out to you.
As Mother’s Day approaches, I can’t help thinking about the importance of the job. The Apostle Paul spoke to Timothy, his son in the faith: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” As caregivers and nurturers, we have a tremendous impact on our children. Our careful mothering can ensure a child’s emotional and spiritual health while poor mothering can damage both. Scripture exhorts us to teach our children with a balance of love and discipline. Our efforts will lay the foundation for the child’s security and confidence. As it says in Deuteronomy, “teach them (God’s precepts) diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
On the other hand, I’m overwhelmed by the enormity of the job. Each child in your home possesses a complex personality with unique needs. That child expects you to understand him and know his motives. That’s impossible, especially if you have more than one child. Add to that the day to day work of living, meals, overseeing physical growth, and monitoring emotional maturity. As a child grows, you have lessons, ball games, recitals, finals. Life goes by faster and there’s more to do.
I came to motherhood armed to do it right. I’d studied psychology in school and determined to avoid the pitfalls. Whew! I poured myself into the task and gave it my all. Unfortunately, I made plenty of mistakes, and I learned how much I needed God. I’m too small, but my heavenly father gives wisdom when I cry out to him.
Jane Rubietta shares her heart with us. She has just completed Heartbeat of a Mother. Listen in for Mother’s Day encouragement.
Read the terrifying Holocaust Story Kristy Cambron shares with readers: Sparrow of Terezin
Hide! That’s what we want to do when we sin, and that’s the first thing Adam and Eve did when they disobeyed God. It’s so easy for us to justify our sin, and yet, it separates us from God and others. When the apostle John wrote, he used the analogy of light to symbolize truth, and darkness to symbolize evil. Look at 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he {Jesus} is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” In other words, if we live openly, according to truth, we can enjoy fellowship with the Savior. This is unlike what happened with the new holocaust story Kristy Cambron wrote, Sparrow of Terezin.
In World War II, Hitler decided to deceive the world by pretending to care for Jewish children at Terezin. He fixed up a pretty ‘concentration camp’ complete with schools, flowers, and art classes, and he showed the world how generous he was. Yet after ‘show and tell’ most of those children died at the hands of the Nazis. What a terrible evil!
My guest, Kristy Cambron, just released the book, Sparrow of Terezin, that tells that story and explores the dangers of deceit.
To learn more about Kristy and her work, click here.
Can we trust the Bible? Many skeptics today say we can’t because the words have been translated too many times.
The cry of the Reformation was solo scriptura, which means scripture alone. Dr. Martin Luther refuted the writings of the popes and councils, relying only on the text of the Bible as the authority in life, morals, and salvation.
For those who base their eternal destiny on the words in the Bible, this is a huge issue. I Corinthians fifteen says that if Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is in vain.
But what if the very words of the Bible came from shysters who wanted to fool innocent people? How horrible to learn we’d been duped for years. If the Bible wasn’t accurately translated, we have no hope.
Apologist Josh McDowell offers answers. Josh has conducted life-long extensive research and now has released a book, God Breathed, on the power and accuracy of the Word of God. Listen and enjoy hearing Josh share his testimony and work.
* At 1:30 Learn what trauma Josh endured that made him want to disprove Christianity
* At 2:40 listen to how scrolls were preserved in history.
* At 3:20 learn how Josh’s life changed
* 5:40 Josh tells about what he found
* At 6:35 Josh says what we have now
Evidences that the manuscripts are accurate 7:30
Learn what changed Josh’s life 9:30
Josh talks about what brought pain 10:00
Tweetables:
[tweetthis display_mode=”box”]Historical evidence shows the Bible can be trusted[/tweetthis]
[tweetthis]Scripture brings healing to our souls[/tweetthis]
Learn more about Josh here. Find God Breathedhere.
Scripture says husbands should show “…honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, … they are heirs with you of the grace of life…” Dr Richard Mabry discusses domestic abuse and gives advice on strategies for women caught in it.
