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Kebel Galleries & The Honey Bee

First we want to introduce you to two women and business owners from different parts of the country, but both with the same goal! Each provides an opportunity and a place for talented women (moms) to sell their crafts in order to provide for their families while remaining at home. We hope you’ll check these out!

1.) Laura @ Kebel Galleries : http://kebelgalleries.com/

2.) Tanya @ The Honey Bee:http://www.thehoneybeeokolona.com/

 Too Tempting Recipe Winners! {Actually they were all winners!! It was really tough to choose!!}

Too Tempting Recipes!!

1.) Carmelitas Bars by Sarah came all the way from Ireland!! http://lifeinryans.com/2013/05/07/carmelitas-chocolate-caramel-oatey-goodness/

2.) Homemade Pizza by Captain America & His English Rose. You’ll want to check out more of their amazing looking recipes@ http://www.cataldolife.com/pizza-calzone/
3.) White Chocolate Pudding Buttercream Frosting by Karen. This recipe sounds amazing, but appears easy enough for all of us to make just like her other recipes at Where Flours Bloom! http://wherefloursbloom.com/2013/04/17/white-chocolate-pudding-buttercream-frosting/
4.) Strawberry- Rhubarb Crumble by Caramel Potatoes. (They are a mother-daughter team) We were especially attracted to how they’ve packaged this dessert! http://www.caramelpotatoes.com/2013/05/10/strawberry-rhubarb-crumble/
5.) There are actually 16 Sweet Treat Favorites here by The Kitchen Is My Playground. One stop will give you 16 great recipes! http://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2013/05/moms-16-sweet-treat-favorites-cause-she.html
6.) Great-Grandmother Tenery’s Oatmeal Cookies by Joy from Yesterfood. We thought it was intriguing to try recipes from long ag0! http://yesterfood.blogspot.com/2013/04/great-grandmother-tenerys-oatmeal.html

Our Crafts and DIY Favorites!! {All of these sites are worth following!}

Craft & DIY Faves!!

1.) DIY Mother’s Day Pandora Bracelet by 4 You With Love.  http://4you-withlove.blogspot.com/2013/05/diy-mothers-day-pandora-bracelet-with.html
2.) How To Gather Fabric and Make Ruffles by Seasoned Homemaker
http://www.seasonedhomemaker.com/2013/05/how-to-gather-fabric-and-make-ruffles.html
3.) Hand-Painted Wallpaper by Old Things New.
http://patricia-krank.blogspot.com/2013/05/hand-painted-wallpaper.html
4.) Beautiful Pillows from Kitchen Towels byThe Vintage Cupboard
http://letsgo2thevintagecupboard.blogspot.com/
5.) Grandkids Photo Board Wall Hanging by I Dig Pinterest And Did It Too!
http://idigpinterest.blogspot.com/2013/05/grandkids-photo-board-wall-hanging.html
6.) No-Sew T-Shirt Apron! by Lorraine’s This 2 That
http://lorrainesthis2that.blogspot.com/2012/02/pattern-2-design-no-sew-t-shirt-apron.html

 Great Wisdom Found on These Sites!

Great Advice!

1.) Krystle writes about Worshipping While I’m Waiting. She’s new to blogging and we hope you’ll visit with her and encourage her to keep going! http://www.worshipingwhilewaiting.blogspot.com/2013/04/come-to-well.html
2.) All Our Days writes about Teaching Kids the Value of Work! http://allourdays.com/2013/05/teaching-kids-the-value-of-work.html

 3.)Yasmin from Proverbs 31 Woman writes a very sweet post about Raised Hands in Worship
http://growingp31woman.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/raised-hands-in-worship/
4.) Mother’s Niche is Rocking at Motherhood!
http://mothersniche.com/im-rockin-at-motherhood/
5.) Bloggers need to check out The Blog Hangout for Blogging Tips!
http://www.thebloghangout.com/organizational-tips-for-your-blog/
6.) 3 Lessons Learned From My First Six Months of Blogging comes from Encouraging Women to Abide in God and His Word! http://www.womenabiding.com/3-lessons-learned-from-my-first-six-months-of-blogging/

One Sharendipity Place is a place for all kindred spirits to come and share their talents with the rest of us.  It’s a place we hope will celebrate our creativity while building a community through blogging! We want to invite you all to gather and connect to teach, encourage and support one another!!

Here’s how to share your inspirations:

1.) You’re welcome to link up your favorite blog post.

• Arts & Crafts projects
• Recipes
• DIY, Home Decor and Organizational Ideas
• Original Writing & Photography
• All things that will edify & inspire us to be the women God created us to be!

2.) Visit other participants and encourage them by letting them know what’s inspired you!

3.) Be sure to link directly to One Sharendipity Place using the permalink to the individual posts -not your blog’s home page URL – so that participants can easily find and comment on your creations!

4.) Be sure to include the One Sharendipity Place button and a link back to this post on all of your entries so that your readers can join the fun. You can grab our button from the sidebar.

5.) Please follow our blog and let us know you’ve done so in the comments and we’ll follow you back!

{{ * By linking up, you are agreeing that we have permission to use any photos linked, and that we may use them to feature your project on a blog post or any social media, with a link back to your blog.}}

One Sharendipity Place will remain open Saturday through Wednesday, so have fun sharing. Your comments are always appreciated and we would love if you would spread the word and invite others!

We look forward to visiting and reading each post that is linked here and will highlight those that inspired us the most next week! We’ll also “Pin” the best to our Pinterest Board for others to enjoy!!

(You can click here if you’ve not read it before)

Mr. Wallace knew how valuable the role of a mother was. He knew mothers were the makers of the next generation. For better or worse, they are busy molding and shaping the next generation. Unfortunately, it seems that the world has devalued the role of mothers since. We’re often encouraged that only women who can juggle motherhood plus other things, such as a career, are the only moms worthy to be honored. We’re also being inundated with such advice as: “You need ‘Me Time’”, and so on; but not all advice is godly advice! It may sound right for the moment but later, it may lead to regrets!This is why we need to turn to the Creator who made us and to His Word to make sure the wisdom we’re following is godly wisdom that won’t ever leave us with regrets one day!

Hannah, from the book of 1 Samuel, is a great place to begin to learn about the roles of mom. Though we only gain a glimpse of her life, there is sufficient evidence that testifies to at least three characteristics that makes one mom better than all the rest:

The BEST Mom is one who is devoted to God!

“Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.” 1Samuel 2:1-2

Hannah’s story opens by revealing her struggles with the pain of infertility and adversity. Hannah was not only barren; she had to share her husband with another woman who was able to bare children. And to make matters worse, she also had to endure the pain of Peninnah’s cruelty (1:6-7). Though Hannah was tempted to despair (1:8), she turned to the Lord, and poured out her heart to Him (1:9-16)

The BEST Mom is one who is devoted to her man!

“A wife of noble character…
is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.”  Proverbs 31:10-12

It may surprise most to learn that “the most important characteristic of a godly mother is her relationship, not with her children, but with her husband. What you communicate to your children through your marital relationship will stay with them for the rest of their lives. By watching you and your husband, they are learning the most fundamental lessons of life–love, self-sacrifice, integrity, virtue, sin, sympathy, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness.” John MacArthur

We can see that Elkanah and Hannah were dedicated to worshiping God (1:3) and to loving one another (1:4-8). Their situation of being unable to have children only helped to bring out Elkanah’s tender expressions of love for his wife. Notice how Elkanah appeals to their enjoyment of their relationship together in 1 Samuel 1:8; “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” It may appear at first that Elkanah doesn’t quite get it until we see that Hannah starts to eat and drink again and then goes off to the temple in verse 9. Children can flourish when their parents’ love for one another is evident.

The BEST Mom is one who is devoted to her children!

“She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
“Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.” Proverbs 31:27-29

 Hannah recognized immediately Who had given her Samuel:“And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.” (1 Samuel1:19-20) She named her son in remembrance of God’s goodness.

Hannah also remained committed to her home and to caring for and raising Samuel to the point that she would not make the trip back to the temple until it was time to give Samuel back to the Lord. She ultimately understood that all children belong to the Lord and are only given to us for a certain amount of time. For some mothers, their children are already with the Lord waiting to be reunited with their parents once more. Other mothers will be able to love and care for them their entire lives, but there comes a time in each mother’s life when she must recognize, like Hannah, that her children ultimately belong to God. They are a gift from the Lord, but only for a time known only by Him. We’ve got to remember Hannah’s example and do our utmost for our family and be the best we can be for as long as we’re able.

‘Til next time,

sue

“And Peninnah had children but Hannah had no children … And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.” (1 Samuel 1:2b, 6-7)

Can you feel Hannah’s pain? Anyone of us who has ever had a deep desire to have children surely can. And how much more so the woman who has struggled to conceive. And if that wasn’t enough, to have a rival provoke you year after year is unimaginable. If only Elkanah had followed God’s plan for marriage – one man, one woman. (Genesis 2:22-24) How could Peninnah do this to Hannah? How could anyone add insult to injury? While there is no excuse for her behavior, could her behavior have stemmed from her own hurt, from her own unmet desires? While Peninnah received a portion, Hannah received a double portion from Elkanah because he loved her despite the Lord closing her womb. He loved her unconditionally. Peninnah did not have the love of Elkanah that she most likely desired. And when she didn’t get her desire, she provoked her rival. What do we do when we don’t get our desires? Hannah did not retaliate against Peninnah. She became depressed because she didn’t have the desire of her heart. “Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.” I can relate. How about you?

 ”And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?

It’s tough for a husband to see his wife depressed. It must have broke Elkanah’s heart to see Hannah weeping. As my husband and I were discussing their story, he shared that had the Lord decided not to bless us with children, he would have been content because he had married me to share life with me. But he would have been heavy hearted for me because my desires would have been unfulfilled. When I think about Elkanah’s response, I wonder if he felt that way as well. Was his desire for a relationship with his wife first and foremost and that was enough for him? I always thought that Elkanah’s response was that of a man who didn’t understand his wife. And maybe it was that in part. But, as I’ve been reading this passage afresh, I read these words between the lines – “Am I not enough for you? Are you not content with me?” Now I’ve had some unfulfilled desires as you all have and often when I share with my husband, he will show me my lack of contentment with what I have. He doesn’t do that to diminish my desires but to help me to deal with them. Maybe that was Elkanah’s desire – to help his wife deal with her depression as best he knew how.

How did Hannah deal with her depression? I believe her words to Eli describe what she did after her husband brought forth his questions that may have been a help to move her forward. “I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.” “I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”  There is no better place to go when we find ourselves dealing with our unmet desires. In that place, Hannah made a vow. I read this week that this was not a bargain with God. This was a surrender of her desire. What she most desired, she gave back to Him.  I also read that the Eli’s blessing – “Go in peace and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him” – was considered prophetic so Hannah’s spirits were lifted. Would they have been if she had not received that word? That matters not. There is a peace that is available to us whether we receive or don’t receive. Paul speaks of this peace  and so does Isaiah.

 ”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.

No matter our unfulfilled desires or our circumstances, we can have a peace that passes all understanding. A peace that comes from our Sovereign God.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

         ( Horatio Spafford  – It is Well with My Soul)

Cozy Little Reading Spot

What was Hannah’s response to her barrenness in 1 Samuel Chapter 1?  She turned to the Lord.  It is appropriate to seek the support of friends and family members, but most importantly, we need to seek God and draw near to Him.  Pour your heart out to God just as Hannah did.  “Let your requests be made known unto God, with thanksgiving, as the Scripture commands us to do in Philippians 4.  When we do so, “the peace which passeth understanding” will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

After Eli blessed Hannah by saying, “May the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him”, the Bible says that her face was no longer sad.  What an example Hannah was to us!  She was able to leave her request at God’s feet.  This is quite a difficult thing to do, I will admit.  However, it is possible to have joy even when enduring infertility if we cling to God’s promises given in His Word.  Don’t look at statistics or other women’s situations.  Don’t look at someone who has tried unsuccessfully to get pregnant for years, get discouraged, and think, “that is going to happen to me, too.”  Instead, fix your eyes on Jesus and claim the promises of his Word.  The message of Philippians 4:6 is “don’t worry about anything, but instead pray about everything with thanksgiving”.  Whenever we are tempted to worry about anything, instead of thinking those negative thoughts and turning them over and over in our head, we should “reroute” those thoughts that are circling in our head and send them up toward God as a prayer.  When you start thinking, “I’ll never get pregnant”, force yourself to “take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5).  Then turn the thought into a prayer such as, “Lord, please, if it is within your will, let me get pregnant very soon.  Thank you for the privilege of praying to you about this.”

Here are some verses I would always read when I was infertile.  I am not advocating “name it, claim it theology”; you must study the context of these verses.  Consider when they were written and to whom they were written.  Print out these verses several times and place them in prominent places like the inside of your Bible, the refrigerator door, and the bathroom mirror.   That way, you can read and pray them often.  I have a huge list of these “prayer promises” (about 35 verses or passages), but I am only posting a few of them here to save space.  If you would like to have the entire list, please contact me through this website, and I will be glad to send it to you.

I was relentless in my fervent prayers for what I wanted. I have often reminded God of His promises to us.  As I continued to go over and pray these verses, my faith grew.  (See Mark 11:24 below!)  As my faith grew, my joy did, too!

Ps. 84:11 “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Jn. 15:7  Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. . . .”   1 John 3:24 says, “The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him. . . .”  Notice how these two verses relate to each other, and notice that both were written by the Apostle John.

Also take note of the fact that fearing God and obeying Him is a requirement in the last two verses.  (There are several more verses I could quote here that say the same thing.)  We must be walking in obedience to the commands of the Bible in order to claim these promises.

Mk. 11:24  “. . . all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.”  The condition given in this verse is faith.  When I read this verse it often prompts me to say, as the disciples did, “Lord, increase my faith!”

Ps. 37:4-5 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it.”  We must be delighting ourselves in Him to claim this promise.  To me, that means, spending time with Him often, enjoying being in His presence, praising Him, thanking Him, etc.

Luke 11:5-9  ” . . . even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs . . . ask, and it will be given to you . . . “  I love this story!  It shows us that we must persist in prayer if we want to receive that for which we ask.

–Matthew 18:19 “If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.”  Find a prayer partner, either your husband or a sister in Christ.  Pray together on a regular basis for a baby.

I encourage you to go to other women’s baby showers to celebrate their babies with a hopeful heart.  You’ll want those ladies to celebrate with you when God answers your prayers.  I prayed that God would make me stop wanting a baby if it was not in His will.  I believe that since God’s Word is true, if you keep delighting yourself in the Lord, and He doesn’t change your heart about wanting to be pregnant, then you will get pregnant.  If you keep delighting in Him, He might change your desires.  Ask Him to make you desire what He wants for you.

Some of the best advice I can offer is this:  Go ahead and proceed toward adoption, but continue also to pray for a pregnancy.  If your husband is not in agreement with this, you could pray for God to change his heart.  There are literally hundreds of thousands of orphans in the world who need a momma like you.  God’s Word encourages us to minister to orphans.

After Hannah gave birth, she praised and thanked the Lord eloquently.  Look forward to the day when you can thank Him and praise Him as Hannah did!  = )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LINKING WITH: WE ARE THAT FAMILY , RAISING HOMEMAKERS

DEEP ROOTS AT HOME ,

WHOLEHEARTED HOME , ADORNED FROM ABOVE,  

Shoe Lace Linkup

Heavenly Father, We are so thankful for You!  You are Jehovah-jirah, the One who desires to provide us with our greatest heart’s desires because of Your unfathomable love for us! We are so grateful for the opportunity to study Your Word  and we marvel at how You have brought us all together. We ask that You would open our eyes and show us marvelous things in Your Word again this week.  Help us to be not just hearers of Your Word but doers. Guide us, transform us, bring us together in unity and to You we will give all the glory and praise! In the precious name of Jesus we pray!

Hannah is one of my favorite characters in the Bible, for I think we all can easily relate to her and her situation. After all, who among us hasn’t found ourselves waiting or even longing for something that is beyond our control to obtain? It doesn’t have to be a child of our own; perhaps it’s a boyfriend or husband, a new job or promotion. Who of us haven’t also had to deal with adversaries that are always trying to antagonize and discourage us, or others who, despite loving us, just don’t understand what we’re going through?

Can you think of a time in your life when God made you wait? Or, perhaps you’re still waiting for deliverance. Whichever, Hannah demonstrates for us how best to handle the situation while we’re waiting.

We’ll be reading Hannah’s story in 1 Samuel 1- 2:10.

Memory Verse: 1 Samuel 2:1-2

“My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”

→ Click here to print out the study guide for our study of Hannah.

→  Would you like to create your own Women in the Word binder? You’ll find what you need to make one on our Women in the Word Binder Resources Page.

→ And please join us at https://www.facebook.com/T2Women by liking our page and become a part of our closed facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/558266364200270/

We’re looking forward to sharing with you on Wednesday and Friday and we can’t wait to hear from you at our group page!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Linking with:  THE BETTER MOM, THE ALABASTER JAR, A MAMA’S STORY, YES THEY ARE ALL OURS, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, FAR ABOVE RUBIES, GROWING HOME, HEAVENLY HOMEMAKERS, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, THE TIME-WARP WIFE, CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS 

→ You can also join us at ScriptureTyper – for those who would like to memorize Scripture using this method!

,, TNThe T2 Women

Join our Group online

scripturetyper.com

Come visit One Sharendipity Place and share your photos with us!

Linking with Spiritual Sundays, Still Saturday, Scripture and a Snapshot, Sunday Stillness, the Sunday Community

One Sharendipity Place is a place for all kindred spirits to come and share their talents with the rest of us.  It’s a place we hope will celebrate our creativity while building a community through blogging!

Each week, we invite you all to gather and connect to teach, encourage and support one another!!

Here’s how to share your inspirations:

1.) You’re welcome to link up your favorite blog post.

• Arts & Crafts projects
• Recipes
• DIY, Home Decor and Organizational Ideas
• Original Writing & Photography
• All things that will edify & inspire us to be the women God created us to be!

2.) Visit other participants and encourage them by letting them know what’s inspired you!

3.) Be sure to link directly to One Sharendipity Place using the permalink to the individual posts -not your blog’s home page URL – so that participants can easily find and comment on your creations!

4.) Be sure to include the One Sharendipity Place button and a link back to this post on all of your entries so that your readers can join the fun. You can grab our button from the sidebar.

One Sharendipity Place will remain open Saturday through Wednesday, so have fun sharing. Your comments are always appreciated– and we would love if you would spread the word and invite others!

We look forward to visiting and reading each post that is linked here and will highlight those that inspired us the most next week! We’ll also “Pin” the best to our Pinterest Board for others to enjoy!

So how is this exhortation displayed in their lives? Let’s start with Naomi. Can you imagine the scene as Naomi tries to persuade Orpah and Ruth to return to their families? How long had they been walking along the road when Naomi thought it was best for them to turn around? What could she offer them? She didn’t have sons that could marry them in fulfillment of the law of the Levirate and she never would. Naomi was truly looking out for their best interests. They needed to find rest in the house of a husband and that husband would be found in Moab, right?! Now, I believe that Naomi was, in the deepest place in her heart, looking to the interests of Ruth and Orpah. She wanted the best for them and it was what she thought best. I’m sure that she desired to have them a part of her life. She loved them dearly. She was willing to sacrifice her own desires for what seemed best for them. Yet had she known what was ahead, she may not have tried to persuade them. I believe that she was acting in part from how she viewed her circumstances at that moment and that she believed that turning back was the best for her “daughters.” (Ruth 1:12) While Orpah listened to the voice of her mother-in-law, Ruth did not. God can take our best intentions and overrule them for His purposes! Naomi did have opportunity to find rest for Ruth after all and her desire to do what was best for Ruth was answered in God’s way!

Who could ever forget the words Ruth spoke in her determination to follow Naomi. “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God…..” She gladly left the familiar behind for Naomi and to follow Naomi’s God.  In her loyalty to Naomi, she looked not only to her own interests but to Naomi’s. When Boaz arrived on the scene, we witnessed a man who quickly put the interests of Ruth and Naomi above his own. He offered Ruth protection in the fields and met her needs as well as Naomi’s for sustenance. He even went above and beyond what the law called for in taking care of the poor by leaving behind bundles for her to gather. And we know that he was not doing this for what he could receive as these were his words to Ruth at the threshing floor: “You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.” Then Boaz willingly (unlike the kinsman nearer) redeemed the lands of Naomi’s husband and sons and married Ruth not for his own benefit but to “perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.”

Naomi, Ruth and Boaz offer us wonderful examples of lives lived looking to the interests of others. I loved seeing Philippians 2:4  threaded through the story of these godly people.  But if I stop there, I’m missing something.  What about my life?  Can it be said of me that I looked not to my own interests but to the interests of others? 

 The greatest example to us of a life lived looking to the interest of others was that of our Lord Jesus Christ – our Kinsman Redeemer (Philippians 2:5-8). A bit further in the text, Paul writes these words.  “For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.”(2:21).  Can it be said of me that I looked not to my own interests but to those of Jesus Christ?  What about you?

~~~~~~~  Join us on Monday to study the life of Hannah.

Linking with Fellowship Friday, Faith Filled Friday, Womanhood with Purpose, the Weekend Brew,  Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday

In the past, when I read the book of Ruth, I focused on Ruth, the main character, but this time I was drawn to Naomi and read it through her perspective. Just imagine having to face all that this woman faced in such a short amount of time:

Imagine losing your life-mate and husband after spending most of your lives together and then losing the children you worked so hard to bring into this world and raise to manhood. I honestly can’t begin to fathom what that must have been like for Naomi, especially knowing she was now left destitute far away from home, family and friends in a strange country with strange customs. Is it any wonder that when she finally returns home, she chooses to change her name?

Ruth 1:19b-20

“…the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

“Don’t call me Naomi (pleasant),” she told them. “Call me Mara (bitter), because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.

But is it the circumstances that she finds herself in that are bitter, or has she become bitter because of her circumstances? There’s a big difference.

God’s Word clearly tells us:

It’s okay to get angry:

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” Ephesians 4:26 and Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-18; Luke 19:45-46; and John 2:13-17.

It’s okay to mourn:

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

It’s okay to weep before the Lord:

^“When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ^…  Jesus wept.” John 11:32-35

It’s okay to question God:

^“ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5-6

“How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”, but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” Habakkuk 1:2-3

It’s okay to experience all the emotions our difficult circumstances warrant. What’s not okay is to allow those emotions to control us!

How do we keep from being overcome by our emotions? I believe David gives us the answer in the Psalms. Look at Psalm 23:1- 4:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

The key is found in our relationship with our Lord and in a close walk with Him. The closer we draw to Him, the easier it will be!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

When difficult times come into our lives and make it hard for us to clearly see that the Lord is still with us, we still have:

Our Faith:

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.” ~Hebrews 11:1

 His Word:

“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.” ~Psalm 71:20

And Others:

“Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.” Romans 12:15-16a

Naomi not only possessed the faith to keep going, but she found a way out of her troubles. She saw the Master’s providential hand in their circumstances upon returning from Moab and moved forward with Ruth.

What we don’t see is the enemy’s attempts to thwart her; but we all know him well enough to suspect he was there doing all he could to try and discourage Naomi.  She would have none of it and neither should we. Naomi found a way to carry on in spite of the tragedies, pursued it and was blessed!

I pray you’ll remember Naomi when those trials come and your tempted to give up and in and the words of David in Psalm 43:5:

“Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my [sad] countenance, and my God.”

‘Til next time,

sue

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Linking with:  CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS, TIME-WARP WIFE, WE ARE THAT FAMILY, DEEP ROOTS AT HOME, WALKING REDEEMED, RAISING HOMEMAKERS, GROWING HOME, FAR ABOVE RUBIES, WHOLE-HEARTED HOME, SIMPLY BETTER, A WISE WOMAN BUILDS HER HOME, OUR SIMPLY FARM ,

UPWARD NOT INWARD  Stillness

Father, we praise You for Your steadfast love, grace and mercy and thank You for bringing us all together to study Your Word.  Open our eyes and show us marvelous things in Your Word. Help us to not be just hearers of Your Word but doers. Guide us, transform us, bring us together in unity and to You we will give all the glory. In the precious name of Jesus we pray!

Our journey through the Women in the Word continues in the “days when the judges ruled.” (Ruth 1:1) The time of the judges is that period of Israel’s history between the death of Joshua and the ministry of Samuel. What was this time like? We just need to turn to the last verse in the book of Judges to find out. “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.’ (Judges 21:25) And so a man named Elimelech, whose name meant “God is my King”, moved his family from Bethlehem, the “House of Bread”, to Moab because there was a famine in the land. Famines in Old Testament times were often a judgment from God. (Deuteronomy 11:13-17) While in Moab, Elimelech died leaving behind his wife, Naomi and their two sons. Tragedy struck again when both Naomi’s sons, who had married Moabite women, died. What was ahead for Naomi and her daughters-in-law? What do we learn from their relationship with each other and with God? What do we learn about God? Join us this week as we look into this story of loyalty, romance and redemption during one of Israel’s darkest times.

→ We’ll be reading the book of Ruth this week.

→ Our memory verse will be Psalm 91:4 - “He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a buckler.”  This is a promise to the one “who dwells in the shelter of the Most High.” We thought this verse would a great one in light of Boaz’s words to Ruth. “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” Ruth 2:14 (Check out our Bible Memory group at the end of this post). And if you are up for some extra memorizing, we encourage you to add Psalm  91:1 and 2. These words are just too wonderful to pass over while we’re in Psalm 91! “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

→ Click here to print out the study guide for our study of Ruth and Naomi and here for our session review sheet.

→  Would you like to create your own Women in the Word binder? You’ll find what you need to make one on our Women in the Word Binder Resources Page.

→ And please join us at https://www.facebook.com/T2Women by liking our page and become a part of our closed facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/558266364200270/

We’re looking forward to sharing with you on Wednesday and Friday and we can’t wait to hear from you at our group page!

→ Join us at ScriptureTyper – for those who would like to memorize Scripture using this method!

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Linking with:  WHAT JOY IS MINE, THE BETTER MOM, THE ALABASTER JAR, A MAMA STORY, YES THEY’RE ALL OURS, CREATE WITH JOY, BOOGIEBOARD COTTAGE, DIY HOME SWEET HOME, A PINCH OF JOY, THIS GAL COOKS, RECIPES AND RAMBLINGS, MAKE AHEAD MEALS, SUSIEQT PIES, COUPONING AND COOKING, SERENDIPITY SPICE, ALDERBERRY HILL

,, TNThe T2 Women

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