Women Helping Women

Discipleship. Mentoring. Counseling. Life Coach. Friendship.

Whatever you happen to name it, the Titus 2 mandate is essential. Older women helping younger women through their physical, emotional, and spiritual  journeys in life. This is one of my more passionate issues in life that I tend to get on my soapbox about.


So I was all too happy to Dana Yeakley's book, The Gentle Art of Discipling Women.

Mrs. Yeakley writes this book out of a passion and longing to see the women in the body of Christ put to work this "art". She has lived it out herself and delivers her message in such a way that is truly gentle.

She reminds the reader that one must truly know her God intimately if she is to help other women. We have to examine our own lives to see if we are motivated by acclamation or simply wanting to see Christ glorified as we invest in each other. Our own walks must match our talks. So she takes the first part of the book to speak to the one doing the discipling. Have we worked through areas in our own lives where we might be struggling with areas of sin: unforgiveness, idolatry, etc? Do we have an intimate relationship with the Lord? Are we in His Word regularly? Are we prayerful as we consider who the Lord might be leading us to invest in?

The second half of the book is one that helps the mentor to know how to go about helping other women. She does such a great job in making this job joy-filled and "natural". The body of Christ is to be about this, whether one is sitting do a study with someone, or just inviting a younger gal over to dinner to see how Godly mothers do their job in a casual setting. The goal is to help each other grow closer to Christ and be latern-bearers of bright lights.

Every women is capable of intentional relationships. This book helps us immensely in finding our niche, examining our own lives in view of helping others, and seeking God for help.

As a part of the Tyndale Blogging Network, I received a free copy of this book.

The Gift of Love

I love good stories, especially the ones that are true.

The Gift of Love, written by Amy Clipston, is the memoir of her journey of caretaker and organ donor. The devastating news of her husband's illness happened soon after there marriage. This is a story about waiting. Waiting on God. Waiting for Him to answer. Waiting for Him to move. This deep pit that the entire family went through was tremendous. Just when you think it's getting better, more downward spirals. But through it all God gives wisdom and guidance and the body of Christ.



But as Mrs. Clipston reminds us in the story, God is the sustainer of their faith. As I read this book, you could feel the emotion jump off the pages. The author is real and authentic. Emotions range from depression to anger and back to trust. These are the stories that make me once again thankful for trials.

James 1:2-4 reminds us that the trials in our lives are producing in us the endurance that will aim others to glorify God. This is the story of the Clipston's lives.



I received a free book as part of the booksneeze bloggers network.  

My Thoughts Exactly

I opened my inbox and this was here today.

Dear Mrs. Cowell, you have spoken my heart today. Thank you for your example of endurance. I, too, am weary. Your devotional and my dear friend's spoken word have helped to revive me.

Thank you Jesus for the body of Christ.

Bearing One Another's Burdens

I have a dear friend who is in the midst of a very severe trial. Her husband has been taken back to the One who loaned him to her. He has left his eight children as well.

I find myself asking, "Why?"

I find myself hearing this answer:

Psalm 145:14
"The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down."

John 17:24
"Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world."

A.W. Pink reminds us:"Contentment is possible only as we cultivate and maintain that attitude of accepting everything which enters our lives as coming from the Hand of Him who is too wise to err, and too loving to cause one of His children a needless tear."

I thank you, O Wise Creator, that you are more powerful and mighty than anyone or anything else. I thank you for loving my friend so much that you have chosen to shower your presence in her life and allowing your life to shine through her.

Basking in the Son!

As "Inger" finished her pattern block assignment my thoughts meandered to the likeness of a believer's life and the sunflower.

Did you know...

•A sunflower only requires 90 to 100 days to grow.
As a Sonflower are you growing or stagnant?

•A single sunflower can have up to 2000 seeds.
My friend, are you producing seed? Are you sowing seed? Do you see the task of being a seed sower as a burden or a passion to produce more Sonflowers?

•A distinguishing quality of the sunflower is that its flowering head tracks the sun’s movement.
Are you tracking The Son's movement? Does your life reflect one that relies on the Son for growth? Do you know that without the Son you would become dried up, lifeless, and useless?

•Growing sunflowers is a great way to attract birds to your yard.
Do we ,Sonflowers, attract others to the seed we have sprouted? Do people see you and want to be near you? Are you reflecting the Son?

•A sunflower head is made up of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers that are joined together to a base. The large petals that are found around the edge of a sunflower are individual ray flowers, these do not develop into seeds.
This is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ. Is there unity in the Sonflowers around you? Are you dependent on the strength of other Sonflowers to be encouraged in your growth? For without each other we would not be the Sonflowers that the Wise Creator made.

I Wish I had More Time

I love doing this blog thing...but I will probably be posting less than daily as I am trying to balance all of life.

I appreciate all of you out there that encourage me. Most of all thank you for your prayers for our family. So much has happened at The Puebla Ponderosa that is painful, and it is the body of Christ that is support through it all.

Please keep praying for "Hoss".

Dear.....

In an open letter that every believer should sign and read, the Irish Calvinist reminds us how to ensure that our time together is for God's glory and our good.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I need you. I need you to help me. I need you to live your life in such a way that it intends to draw my attention to the glory and the greatness of our God. I beg you not to sleep in tomorrow morning but instead to get up and read your Bible. Discover afresh the beauty of God in the secret text. Dwell upon His faithfulness to His own promises. Muse upon His glorious gift of grace in the salvation of sinners like you and me. Write the Word of God upon your own heart so that it produces reverence for God.

Also, I urge you to spend time on your knees in prayer. And whatever you do, don't fall asleep; don't let your mind wander; don't stop praying until you start praying. Drive yourself into humble submission before the great and infinite reservoir of grace that you might find help in your neediness.

As you leave and go about your day, please preach the glories of the Gospel to yourself. Tell yourself afresh of the glorious gift of grace, the Lord Jesus Christ, that incarnation of holiness and love; hear again the words of John the Baptist, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) Watch Him obey the law in your place, see his perfection in both speech and in deed. Hear him say afresh, "I always do what is pleasing to my Father" (John 8:29). Watch him march resolutely to the cross to purchase our redemption. See his pray for his executioners, evangelize his fellow cross-bearers, gasp for breath, commission his disciple, proclaim it is finished, and then give up his life. See him here and marvel. But don't stop here! Run with the disciples to the tomb and stoop with them and see, see 'the linen cloths by themselves' and you too will come away 'marveling at what had happened' (Luke 24:12). Rejoice at the reality of the living Savior who has given his life to vindicate the glory of God and rescue a people for himself.

Now as you leave, sing the doctrinal praise along with Paul. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:3ff) in tune with Peter with "joy inexpressible" (I Peter 1:8).

And now believer, come and talk to a Christian like me and tell me something.
Tell me something eternal(Ps. 92:8)!
Give me something for my soul(Mt.4:4)!
Tell me what impresses you about Christ(Mt.8:27)!
Tell me of the Gospel's power(Ro.1:16)!
Tell me of Christ's success as a high priest(Heb.7:27)!
Tell me of his impending return(Mt.24:30)!
Tell me of the divine purpose in trials(Ja.1:3-5)!
Tell me the perseverance of the saints(Jude 24)!
Tell me of the ultimate success of the church(Mt.16:18)!
Tell me of God's gracious work in your life(2 Cor.3:18)!
Tell me of the purity and power of the Word of God(Ps.19:7ff)!
Tell me of how you are praying for me(Col.1:9ff)!

Please, I need you to do this. My heart need to hear continually of why Christ is so great(2 Peter 1:12). So please Christian, don't forget to tell me. Please...be a good friend(Heb.3:13ff). And by the grace of God, I will return the favor to you.

As you meander this weekend, be ever aware of building up the body of Christ. Don't let your words be empty, trifle, and selfish. I will strive to do the same.