Female in Motion

Photo courtesy of Civil Eats Hebrews 10:14 (KJV) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.  Dear Lord, hear my imperfect prayer! My perfectionism brings frustration and exhaustion and leaves me physically and soul tired. Everyone else makes life look so easy, why can't I get it right? I just end up with my unrealistic hopes dashed. When the day's events affect my attitude and my selfish standards are out of control, thank you, Lord, for not grading on performance. Even when my prayer time is messy, You gladly accept my offering. I don't have to make something pretty to be in Your presence, Father. I just need to be an obedient and willing student.  In Jesus' name, we believe and pray, Amen. *** Notable Quote: "Let’s stop offering God our excuses and lists of why He can’t work in us and through us. Let’s believe with our whole heart that nothing is too hard for Him. And let’s lay down our measuring sticks of perf...

Photo courtesy of Church of Saint Francis Xavier Divine Father, We are surrounded today by stress and anxiety, not knowing when or how this isolation will end. And we feel so alone. Compassion can atrophy without the presence of a community. Remind us, Lord, that we are all part of a larger whole and we each contribute.  Help me to operate with honesty and integrity, thinking of others before myself. I want to be gentle with my loved ones as well as strangers. When people see me, I want Your love to shine through my surgical mask. Caring for my neighbors and friends should be my first thought, not my last resort.  Open my heart wide, blessed Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen. *** Notable Quote: Psalm 43:5 (KJV) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. 

Photo courtesy of pexels.com It's all about perspective, Lord.  I could concentrate on all the freedoms I have lost due to this quarantine. Life is smaller, abbreviated, limited. There are no parties to plan, friends to visit, church services to attend, but there are still video chats with loved ones, special treats to bake and old movies to watch. To live a life of great joy, I choose to live above my circumstances. Good things and blessings are all around me if I take a look.  Father, give me eyes to see. In His glorious name, Amen. *** Notable Quote: Ephesians 5:19-20 (KJV) Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Photo courtesy of forbes.com Help me, Lord, to identify and cherish the small moments of joy during this period of uncertainty. The phone conversations with loved ones, favorite meals and drives in the country all help to make the time more enjoyable. Even while chaos swirls around us and fear is an ever-present companion, we must cling to the Cross. Drawing closer to Christ during a difficult period will provide us with comfort and bring blessings from obedience. Show me blessings. Show me joy. Show me You. In the Savior's name, Amen. *** Notable Quote: John 16:22 (KJV) And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

Photo courtesy of Crosswalk.com Abba Father, I don't know what's going on right now, but I'm trying to keep close to You. I don't want to doubt, but I want to learn whatever it is You have for me. It feels like my heart and my head are moving in opposite directions. My heart is full of fear, but my head remembers promises from Your Word. I believe You. I believe in You. I know You see me and love me. Help my unbelief. I want my actions to reflect Your truth, instead of the lies Satan whispers in my ear. When anxiety threatens to pull me under and I fear You'll stop sending blessings, that is when I need to cry out. Lifting my voice to my Savior and Friend is always the right thing to do. Grant me a double portion of your mercy and grace, Lord; enough to get me through this rough time.  Hear my prayer. In Jesus' name, Amen. *** Notable Quote: Isaiah 41:10 (KJV) Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will s...

My girl, Holley Gerth, gets down to the nitty gritty. Psalm 32:7 (KJV) Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.  Precious Lord, Fear is loud. It screams in my ears, blocking out the Word I know by heart. I am paralyzed; worse yet, I contemplate fear-based sin. We let fear get between us and the best God has to offer. But fear is powerless next to our Savior.  I'm going to stand on Your promises, Lord. Give me victory over fear. I pray in Jesus' name, Amen. *** Notable Quote: "This is a time for hope."--Andrea Bocelli, Italian opera star 

Photo courtesy of Pinterest Psalm 46:1-3 (KJV) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. Blessed Savior, This world is in turmoil, a medical crisis has overtaken our consciousness and life is upended. I don't know what to do and I don't know what's going to happen.  Lord, I just want control over all of this and that is simply not possible now. Actually, when I am honest with myself, I have control over very little in my life or the world. So I pray You to help me open my hands and release my will into Yours. You are with us, even in this current storm. And You can use this, to shape our will and strengthen our faith. May this current suffering develop in us deeper compassion for others and to easily dis...

Our winner's name! The Hubster was kind enough to draw a name. The winner of Female in Motion's February Birthday contest is...Nancy! Sorry, I don't know her last name. She made comments on two of my blog posts last month. If your name is Nancy and you commented on my posts in Blogger, please email me at femaleinmotion@gmail.com with your contact information so I can send you the $25 Target gift card. Thank you to Blair, Shi'Linn, Nancy Anderson, Deb and Shelia for commenting on Female in Motion blog posts during the month of February. I deeply appreciate your reading and taking the time to comment. Until next week, friends! *** Notable Quote: "Let's be the heroines in our own wild, imperfect, glorious stories. Never the understudies for someone else's."--Holley Gerth

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...

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. I'm struggling with a difficult season in my work. Usually, I am quite confident in my skills but this new challenge is really wreaking havoc with my peace of mind. Tearing up at odd times and fighting melancholy thoughts, I have been feeling sorry for myself. I feel powerless and out of control. Notice anything missing? Yeah, me too. I haven't been asking My Best Friend for advice. I've talked to my co-workers, vented to The Hubster and shared with friends. They've all been wonderfully supportive and helpful. It's scary to feel so very alone. Being in total control of myself and my work is something I take for granted. And I take a lot of pride in that. And that's when I knew I needed to run into the arms of Jesus and let Him take over. The reason I feel alone is that I have isolated myself. And I am over-stressed and anxious because I chose not to pray about it. So I'm going to do what I should have...

Photo courtesy of Logos Bible Software WONDER OF IT ALL George Beverly Shea Lyrics   There's the wonder of sunset at evening, The wonder as sunrise I see; But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul Is the wonder that God loves me.   Refrain O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all! Just to think that God loves me. O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all! Just to think that God loves me.   Verse 2 There's the wonder of springtime and harvest, The sky, the stars, the sun; But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul Is a wonder that has only begun. *** Notable Quote: "Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories."--Ray Bradbury

John 1:14 (KJV) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. I worked with a person once, a long time ago, who routinely hurt people with their words. This person said they were just "telling the truth." As if a verbal attack on someone's personality is edifying or even helpful. The truth has nothing to do with tearing down others. Christ spent His earthly life sharing the truth with love. He taught that the truth would set us free--and it does. But truth devoid of love is worthless. In the Bible, love is characterized as long-suffering, guileless, without ulterior motive and always fair. If you use these attributes to temper the truth, it will draw others, instead of repelling them. When you tell friends (or yourself!) the truth, consider Christ's teaching and avoid harsh or cutting words. What is your motive or reward for this truth-telling? Will it be...

Tonight we hosted a revival at our church, and I took care of three fun and frisky toddlers in the nursery. I had a good time and learned some new things. 1. Stacking blocks is fun, but it's more fun to knock them down. 2. What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine, too. 3. It's hilarious to wear your socks on your hands and rub them on Miss Carol's face. 4. Old MacDonald is the best song in the world. 5. A sleepy and sad kiddo will quiet down if you sing Jesus Loves Me and rock them a bit. *** Notable Quote: Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. Refrain: Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Have you prayed for your minister today? *** Notable Quote: "Are you manifesting God in your life today?"--Mike Truman, pastor, Missionary Baptist Church