Female in Motion

Revelation 21:1-4 (KJV) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. The New Jerusalem Paradise Heaven In the Bible, Revelation 21 and 22 reveal the beauty of our final garden, Paradise. Scripture describes the return of the Tree of Life. From the Garden of Eden in Genesis, where Adam and Eve were banished after eating the tree's fruit, to the New Jerusalem, where it spans bot...

Photo courtesy of Land-of-the-Bible.com John 19:38-42 (KJV) And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight . Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day ; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.   Near Golgotha, where Our Savior was crucified, lies the Garden tomb. This sepulcher was chosen because it was close, convenient and available. The Sabbath was coming and they nee...

Courtesy of Current Publishing Matthew 26:36-40 (KJV) Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt . And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? The Garden of Gethsemane is the place where our Savior prayed all night before His crucifixion. Jesus visited this garden often. It was His happy place. He went there with His disciples, but even more, He spent time there alone in prayer with the Father. Some Bible scholars ...

Photo courtesy of Philbrook.org Genesis 2:8-15 (KJV)   And  the  LORD  God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.     And out of the ground made the  LORD  God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.  The name of the first  is  Pison: that is  it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where  there is  gold;  And the gold of that land   is  good: there  is  bdellium and the onyx stone.  And the name of the second river  is  Gihon: the same  is  it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.  And the name of the third river  is Hiddekel: that  is  it w...

On a Christmas long ago, I received a very special gift—a stuffed monkey with soft fur. It was something I dearly wanted. When I made my Christmas wish list that year, I asked for just a few things: the new Partridge Family album, a diary (I was always filling up those things!), and a stuffed brown monkey with soft fur on his face; not a sock monkey. I was very specific on that point. What I didn’t know, until years later, was that my mom had a heck of a time finding that little monkey. She trudged to store after store, all over Wichita, trying to find one with fur on his face. My mom and dad, who were great parents, always gave me good gifts. They were very generous and loving. If parents give their children nice presents, how much more would our Heavenly Father give us if we ask Him? What gift would you ask for this Christmas? *** Notable Quote: James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of l...

A flower arrangement I made for Tam.  Last week I wrote about the departure of a co-worker and dear friend, Tam. You may have been left with the impression that she was this tiny, shy girl who needed a lot of guidance and shepherding. Oh, no. Not at all. She is one of the most powerful, influential and strong women I have ever met. And I'm so grateful for the lessons she taught me. Tam is a thoughtful, humble and giving person. She taught me to be more generous with my words and deeds. A lifelong learner, my friend taught me to be curious and always strive for more knowledge. I learned to think of others first and to be grateful for what God has given. Tam taught me to be a better listener and not be so quick to speak first. I learned that even though I am from a culture so very different from hers, Tam was gracious and loved me with open arms and heart. Tam taught me vital life lessons and I will forever be in her debt. Thank you, God, for this gift. *** Notabl...

Last Friday was my work bestie's last day. She has found a new position with a different company. And while I am incredibly happy for her, I will miss Tam deeply. At the farewell party we threw for her, she said it felt like a graduation. And she's not wrong--Tam learned everything she needed to know where she was and now she's moving on. Tam came to our company three years ago. She was very shy and quiet; a friendly soul, but timid when it came to casual conversation. Tam confided in me that she was unsure of her language skills. A first-generation American, Tam came to the United States by herself when she was 15. Through many hardships, she finished high school and got a bachelor's degree in accounting. At her farewell luncheon, Tam greeted guest after guest with big hugs and smiles, lots of fun conversation and witty remarks. She is much more self-confident today. Tam says that I am one of the reasons she is more confident now, but I say that she did all t...