Taylor Abigail A leader in creativity and professional management, Geralin Thomas, has created a business out of something we all need a little more of: organization! When we really can’t do it all, Geralin’s business, Metropolitan Organizing, is able to save the day.
Geralin consults those suffering from hoarding and overwhelmed mothers alike on how best to manage their belongings. From vacation pictures to college dorm rooms, to bathrooms and wardrobes, Geralin has a secret she’s ready to share. Metropolitan Organizing has been in business since 2002 and has lent a helping hand to hundreds unique individuals. Featured are some of her best resources! Services to shop Testimonials What to do if you have a knack for organizing... Quick tips for your space We love the work Geralin does and believe she's one to follow. Here is just a bit of the magic she has to share: (from metropolitanorganizing.com)
Taylor Abigail Maybe you really have tried everything. The Biblical counseling, the books, the long phone calls with friends or mom for advice, but your marriage is still falling apart. And, maybe, somewhere inside you hear a voice telling you to quit and another voice beckoning you to pray; to remember that nothing is impossible for God. A voice that reminds you that marriage is holy and dear to the Lord. Jennifer O. White, founder of Prayerfully Speaking ministries and author of Prayers for New Brides, is living proof of the power of prayer. After one failed marriage and her second one beginning to fail, Jennifer discovered the faithfulness of God to answer a simple “Help Me Jesus” prayer. She’s given her days to sharing how God is able to do more in our hearts and marriages than we can ask or imagine. She says, “There is no way that I, a woman who once chose to divorce a minister, am now writing books encouraging wives to pray and rely on the marriage Savior …except by the grace of God.” Hearing Jennifer's unmatched belief that God can mend any ruin is a gift and a treasure. ________________________________ Jennifer lives in West Monroe, Louisiana and describes herself as one who loves to share what inspires her. Born and raised in a small farming community in her home state, she’s a natural helper and connector of people to the resources they need. While in college pursuing a degree in Social Work, Jennifer surprised herself one day when she confided in someone her desire to be a writer. The Lord had bigger plans for her abilities to share and connect than she could have dreamed. Throughout her life, Jennifer had always been drawn to God through church. In her teen years, she cried out to God for wisdom. She feels that God’s answer to that prayer is seen today in her love for His Word and praying its truths. The Lord would make beauty from ashes through this very skill. Jennifer found herself working for a Christian publishing company, blogging and discovering her gift of writing Scripture-based prayers. Jennifer’s step-son and niece were both engaged and she wanted to bless and nurture their unions. She decided to give them prayers she would write for their marriages. It was then the Lord whispered to her, “You could write a book of prayers for marriages.” Her book, Prayers for New Brides: Putting on God’s Armor after the Wedding Dress, made it to market February, 2015. Jennifer’s ministry and book remain a testimony of God’s renewal in Jennifer’s life and continually rejuvenate even the most difficult marriages. Jennifer’s hope is that married couples everywhere would harness of the power of prayer. She says, “As wives, we often fall into a trap thinking that our husbands are the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 opened Jennifer’s eyes to the reality that we as wives are not wrestling with our husbands but actually with the spiritual forces of darkness. A large chapter of Jennifer’s story centers around recognizing the spiritual battle and the importance of being an active participant under God’s authority. Prayers for New Brides is a perfect help in taking up the armor of God to fortify our marriages against the lies and destructive strategies of Satan. A Biblical counselor, one of the biggest influences in Jennifer’s life, opened Jennifer’s eyes to her identity in Christ for the first time. Her wisdom, prayers from the Power of a Praying Wife and Prayers that Avail Much, and several praying wives in Jennifer’s life helped her engage in this spiritual warfare. She says, “No situation is too big for God. I am living proof that life and marriage get a lot better when we resist the enemy and draw near to God. Prayer is an opening of a door for Him to pour out on us what we need. God already has it ready! We have to remind ourselves that God is for us and nothing is impossible for God.” Jennifer also emphasizes the importance of having others praying for you and your marriage. Women of all ages have used Prayers for New Brides in small groups as a way to keep one another praying and witnessing God’s redemptive power. She's also created Marriage Armor for the #PrayingBride, a daily email of prayers for your marriage. You can subscribe for free at jenniferowhite.com/marriage-armor. Jennifer encourages even singles to sign up and begin preparation for their future marriage. Even with protective prayer, warfare isn’t easy; inside and outside of marriage. Jennifer says Satan discourages her by defining her ministry as "white noise" amidst a broadcast of thousands of ministries. But, Jennifer continues in the path that the Lord has lain before her by repeating Ephesians 3:20 and singing praise and worship songs moment by moment. She has also begun collecting encouraging emails and conversations she’s received over the years from individual’s whose lives have been touched and transformed by Prayerfully Speaking as a reminder that the Lord is at work through her testimony. Jennifer invites you to her website, jenniferowhite.com, where she shares blogs filled with truth for your encouragement and renewal! Prayers for New Brides is available at Amazon, Lifeway, Books a Million, Christianbook.com, and Barnes & Noble. Jennifer’s story of ruins to redeemed reflects all of our journeys. Nothing, not even a broken marriage, is too lost for the Lord to make beautiful once more. Just ask Jennifer. Taylor Abigail It’s breathtaking to think about. To think that in the presence of mountains, of oceans, of wildlife, of sunlight, that women are the crown of creation. In Genesis, the Lord looks down from Heaven and only truly celebrates when woman’s feet walk the earth.
The sense of unrest in creation before its completion is stunning. “Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.” ~ Genesis 2: 19-20 What a scene. The Lord assembles His new creations before Adam and Adam has a task: name them all. God did not give Adam the task of finding a companion. But verse 20 seems to indicate that while Adam was naming the creatures, he was also seeking a friend. Adam was already experiencing how he was different from the rest of creation. He was wanting for a partner. Amazingly, the Lord provided for Adam with us; with a woman. Woman calmed the unrest, caused Adam to sing, and the Lord to laugh for joy at what He had made. In this scene I cannot help but wonder at the beauty of peace and the woman’s unique ability to usher it into the world. Of course, peace did not originate with woman. Peace resides in the Lord’s hand and heart. But God chose woman to be the channel for peace to enter into this new creation. And this purpose and calling has not changed today. Think of women in your own life who radiate peace. Isn’t their beauty enhanced? Made more full? I remember after a worship night how strong the presence of peace was in each person. It seemed that the women glowed for days after being infused with the Spirit’s peace. This is the kind of beauty we are made for: the beauty of peace. “A heart at peace gives life to the body…” ~ Proverbs 14:30a “Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can made them stumble.” ~ Psalm 119:165 “Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace.” ~ Psalm 37:37 A pursuit of beauty is not vain. But all too often we pursue beauty through broken channels. We think of Revlon before joy, White House Black Market before love, and our favorite frizz tamers before peace. What made creation so perfect and beautiful? Eve’s presence; her unique gifting and ability to bring a sense of completion and peace into the world. Living with heart and soul means we must give attention to these deep parts of ourselves. When we are filled to the brim with the peaceful, living water that Jesus promises, we are beautiful. When we remember that Eve was made to bring completion, rest, and peace, we find new purpose and a God-given path towards true beauty. Taylor Abigail If we were honest with ourselves, how equipped do we feel to hide God's Word away in our hearts? Do we think we have what it takes to teach our families their way around the Bible? One woman and author, Abby Boldt Messner, decided she needed something more to help her in these important tasks. From Terrace Park, Ohio, Abby has found the perfect way to root her beliefs more deeply into her own heart and her children's hearts. I had the absolute pleasure to interview this unique woman of bravery recently and she’s a story to follow. Abby has written two books: 10 Big Words—10 Word Bible Verses for Teens and 10 Big Words—10 Word Conversations with God. Abby’s inspiration stems from a curiosity about God’s word. She’s determined to reveal its simplicity and applicability to people of all ages. Writing has always been a staple for Abby. “It makes me not feel so small.” She enjoys the perspective it brings her. “It can create a hill that I can step over out of what I thought was an impossible mountain.” With all of her writing projects, she knows that ultimately, it’s successful if she’s found benefit, and beyond that, it’s blessed if others do as well. Her most established work, 10 Big Words—10 Word Verses for Teens is a compilation of ten word Bible verses for easy memorization. This book was originally not a book at all! Growing up, there was little talk of Jesus in Abby’s world. However, when her kids came along, she was inspired to seek out the Creator of her little miracles. Abby and her husband began attending Horizon Church where they began to understand the grace of Jesus. But Abby noticed something as she volunteered for the church: Other kids and families seemed to know the Bible cover to cover while she struggled to find her way around. Abby wanted a solution and to give her own kids access to the Word in a way that made sense to them. While contemplating how best to provide her and her family truth, she stumbled upon a Bible memorization tactic from Lysa Terkurst. Lysa had been encouraging her own daughter for years with Bible verses that were only ten words long. Short, powerful, and easy to memorize. It was the perfect thing for Abby Abby started her ten word Bible verse list and at first kept it within the home. After a time, it dawned on her that other families were probably struggling in similar ways to ingrain God’s word into their hearts and minds. At this time, Abby had enough verses and content for a book to be born. Enter 10 Big Words—10 Word Bible Verses for Teens in 2014. Soon, Abby’s heart grew for more knowledge about prayer and a simple way to pass along that knowledge. 10 Big Words—10 Word Conversations with God, made it’s way into print in 2016. Following the structure of 10 Big Words—10 Word Bible Verses for Teens, Conversations with God is packed with life-giving yet simple prayers for all people at any stage in their spiritual walk. Abby’s 10 Big Word books are bought by Horizon Church and distributed to every incoming 5th and 6th grader. They are also available to everyone online at tenbigwords.com. Consistent with Abby’s curiosity comes a whole new project. Lately, Abby has been thinking about why we have certain stigmas associated with people different than us; Specifically, stigma against individuals with tattoos. On a family trip to Kings Island, Abby’s husband challenged her to ask these people their stories. Abby got creative and came up with a way to do just that. Abby says, “It’s easy to just look away. I don’t want to be that person. I want to engage.” So, Abby created business cards inviting people to share their stories and the stories of their tattoos on tenbigwords.com. Her hope is that she will compile enough essay submissions to create a book. Ultimately, Abby hopes to gain a better understanding of people different from her. She says, “This will change me.” Abby invites every person to follow her discoveries (or even add to them!) through the tattoo project on her website: tenbigwords.com Abby’s closing words from our interview were for every woman to “just share” about whatever is happening in their life and to not hide within themselves. She’s passionate about connecting and creating understanding between believers and nonbelievers alike. Abby's 10 Big Words books are an amazing resource for family devotions and are precious gifts for the kids or any believer. Follow Abby Boldt Messner on Twitter to keep in touch with her newest endeavors to connect to the Lord and everyone she meets. Taylor Abigail As women, we need space to be beautiful and whole as well as fragile and broken. Throughout history, and literature especially, women have been portrayed as either completely angelic or decidedly evil temptresses. This lack of middle ground still resounds in society today and even seeps into the Christian community. We wonder, “What does it mean to be ‘pure’?” “How can I focus on inward beauty over outward beauty?” “Where is the grace for this sin habit I just can’t shake?” And at the root of it all, “How does who I am and how I live affect the way Jesus sees me?”
All of these questions come from an unstable framework of “How can I create my identity to be what a Christian woman should be?” We will never have a complete, gracious, or possible answer for this question. In truth, we must ask a different set of questions entirely which flow from a whole new framework of mind. We must first ask, “Who is the Lord?” Then ask, “Who has He called me?” From there, our previous armory of inquiries is whittled down into one question, “How can I completely trust in and believe in the Lord’s identity and mine?” We’ve all heard that our beliefs shape our character which shapes our destiny. It’s true. Enter the Purposefully Paradoxical woman and the Lord who chose to create her in His image. __________________ We’ve been encouraged to “stop and smell the roses,” to soak in the beauty of life, to be available to those we love, even to add that extra half hour of exercise into our routines all for the purpose of living life to the fullest, becoming our best selves, and finding satisfaction. But have we been encouraged to stop and consider the paradox of life? We see that the Lord is both merciful and just, forgiving and righteous, holy and intimate. He is the pairing of words which the human mind cannot comprehend together. This is the image we were created in. We are nothing and everything, sinners and loved, ugly and beautiful, helpless and held. To think, that the human is a paradox manifest. To think, that we share the nature of this mystery with our Creator. To think, that the woman may call her paradoxical self a wondrous reflection of her King. What happens when we add “Purposeful Paradox” to our already long list of God-given identities? Daughter Heiress to The Kingdom Ambassador of the Gospel Ransomed Rescued Redeemed Beloved Chosen Unique Protected Beautiful New Forgiven Purposeful Paradox We experience a new freedom when we accept our purposefully paradoxical selves. We are free to stumble and accept forgiveness because we are both Stumblers and Forgiven. We are free to pursue Jesus and repent when we fail because we are both Righteous in Him and in need of continual grace. We are free to both doubt truth and speak truth because we are Fallible and Renewed. And we are free to believe that Christ understands our messes and our triumphs. For He knows what it is to be a paradox: 100% man while 100% God. He has gone immeasurable lengths to reveal Himself as trustworthy and empathetic even amidst the paradoxes. We can rest from all the striving to become what the Lord has called us and can begin to step into the belief that we are already named with names that cannot be earned. And we can wonder at our identities so majestic and undeserved: A consistently beautiful paradox. Founder and leader of Going Beyond ministries, Priscilla Shirer, asked one of the most convicting, thrilling, and influential questions for Christian women today, “When is the last time you let God stun you speechless?” As women who “live with heart and soul” in all we do, may we begin to be stunned speechless by the Lord as we embrace and walk this paradoxical identity that brings so much freedom. May we choose freedom as we accept the Lord’s love for the paradoxes He chose to create. Annelise Denny The words scroll across the main screen of my mind almost every day. They have done so since before my child was born, when I was put on bed rest before reaching my third trimester. Mothers make many sacrifices during pregnancy—from minor ones like giving up drinking alcohol, to major ones like suffering from sickness for months. And everyone knows that raising a child is demanding and tiring. But what imprinted this phrase on my mind most deeply was neither childbearing nor child-rearing; rather, the most dramatic sacrifice seemed to be the act of giving birth itself.
Though my own labor was short and free of complications, yet I emerged from the experience astounded. Why, after going through such an agonizing—and yes, laborious—process once, would anyone choose to go through it again?! Suddenly I beheld the entire world with new eyes: every person who ever lived, in all of human history (apart from our first parents), entered into the world by this process, from a mother who endured this pain. In fact, until very recently in our country—and even now in the less developed nations of the world—childbirth carried with it not just the inevitability of pain and discomfort for the mother (which we have the option of numbing to some degree with modern medicine), but the tremendous possibility of death. There is a Filipino proverb that says, “A woman giving birth has her one foot in the grave.” Countless women have made the ultimate sacrifice of motherhood: giving up their very lives for their children. From the beginning God made woman to be a Lifegiver. And Adam called his wife’s name Eve [Life], because she was the mother of all living (Gen. 3:20). God gave her, and her daughters after her, the ability to give life with her body—to bear a child in her womb, and nurse it at her breasts. The giving of a mother’s life may, or may not, result in her physical death, but either way her sacrifices are real—she must daily die to herself for the sake of her child. The call to such selflessness, even with its manifold rewards, at times seems unbearable. Loss of sleep leaves one mother physically drained and emotionally unstable; her child’s medical problems cause fear and uncertainty to grip another; and without anything more dramatic, a mother may simply feel the constraints of her baby’s feeding and sleeping schedule on her marriage, work, and social life. In my own experience, seven weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with my premature infant threatened to destroy every vestige of strength and happiness in my soul. What I learned (yet again) in those dark days was that the life-giving mother must possess her own source of life to fill her as she pours herself out. She must be revived by drinking from the ever-flowing Fountain of Life, and beholding the sacrifice He made by spilling His blood on the cross to give us life. As Lifegivers we are called to imitate that Savior who, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2)—I knew the joy (the ecstasy even!) of holding my precious babe when the agony of labor I had endured was past. And I continue to hope in God’s goodness when the trials of motherhood loom large, knowing that the life Jesus gives is sufficient, and that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Finally, the apostle Paul taught that women will be “saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control” (I Tim. 2:15). Author and teacher Barbara Mouser offers an exposition of these verses that has convicted as well as encouraged me: Paul prescribes four spiritual virtues for the lifegiving woman…[which] answer the perennial challenges of the lifegiver in her years of pregnancy or child rearing. Faith quiets worry. Love refutes selfishness. Sanctity answers worldly distractions. Self-restraint tames the temper even as it rallies the listless spirit. If a woman perseveres in these virtues through the lifegiving years not only will she be saved from numerous incidental calamities, she will gain the sanctified character that is the goal of the godly woman. (Five Aspects of Woman, Vol 1, p. 196, emphasis mine) “Motherhood is sacrifice,” then, becomes much more than a mantra for a 3 a.m. feeding, or resignation at having to change my diet for my nursing infant. It encapsulates for me the essence of the Lifegiver—her identification with her Savior, her calling to imitate His selfless love, the goal of her sanctification, and her hope of eternal life. Cornel Warren In Deuteronomy, God instructs us to surround ourselves with His words. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 it says "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." What better way to bring God's word into your home than with beautifully designed pieces? Live with Heart & Soul wants to equip our readers to bring God's word into their homes with this beautifully designed watercolor printable poster of Psalm 15! Click below to download it now, completely free! ________________________ Download instructions: 1. For full size, print on Legal size paper 2. Click the image to download 3. Right click on the full-size image that opens 4. Select "Save As" 5. Choose where to store the file (i.e. My Documents or Desktop) We hope these words will be a blessing and an encouragement! Cornel Warren Main Point of the book
Why it matters
The Goal Teaching your children to exhibit traits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, and wisdom. This list is just a summary, but it hits the high points. Teach the positive, don’t just chastise the negative. When we chastise our children for wrong behavior without explaining to them what the right behavior is to do instead, it exasperates them because they are not creative or mature enough to know what perfect behavior looks like. They cannot escape because they genuinely don’t know what a better way to act would be. When we are faced with disobedience or any other form of misbehavior, we must instruct our kids to exhibit the positive trait, not just stop doing the negative. In training your children, you have to require them to identify the behavior that was incorrect, ask for forgiveness and then they have to practice doing the correct behavior. It takes a little extra time to recreate the scenario, but it is worth it to give your child the chance to succeed in proper behavior. What not to do
What should obedience look like?
When is it appropriate to discipline your child?
Cornel Warren TV. Radio. Movies. Magazines. They send constant messages to us and to our families. They aim to define for us how we should look, what we should wear, who we should worship, how we should live almost every aspect of our lives. Whether we like it or not, we are bombarded from all angles with messages that don't honor God or people. How can we censor ourselves? At risk of sounding like a Debbie-Downer, I will transition quickly to the silver lining, the glimmer of hope. Here are some excellent resources to help you guard your family. 1. Plugged In is a great place to start. Brought to you by the cultural experts at Focus on the Family, Plugged In offers reviews that evaluate books, movies, tv shows, music and even video games from a Biblical perspective. As conscientious moms, we evaluate the media we and our kids consume using the basic standards like MPAA ratings, opting for G, PG or PG 13 only, but even then the standards have become intolerably loose. Plugged In's reviews take a structures approach starting with positive elements, spiritual content and sexual content. After briefly summarizing a movie's stance/content that speak to those three areas, reviews move on to discuss violent content, language, drug/alcohol content and conclude with a summary of other negative elements. Plugged In also summarizes the level of caution with an easy-to-read guide broken down for Kids, Teens & Adults. Plugged In is a phenomenal resource to get an honest, in depth preview of movies, music and other media before committing to watching/listening to it. They also do a great job of keeping up with current releases, including movies that are still in theaters. Check Plugged In before your next visit to the theatre: www.pluggedin.com __________________________ 2. VidAngel is the answer for women who wish "they would just leave out the bad stuff!" Using VidAngel, you can literally choose exactly which questionable elements you want to watch and which elements you want to have removed from your movies. Many companies have tried (and failed) to wriggle movies out of the tight grip of the major productions companies so they could edit out the offensive content, but VidAngel has managed. These companies are so powerful that they have actually succeeded in making it illegal to edit movies before selling them, and even before displaying them. That's why VidAngel is so clever! They sell you the movie before it gets edited, and they technically allow you to do the editing yourself. After you finished watching it, you can sell it back for 90% of the purchase price, so it works out the same as if you rented it. Whether you want to edit out slightly scary elements before allowing your little ones to watch a rated G movie, or you want to avoid being bombarded with offensive language during PG-13 or R-rated movies, you can finally take control with VidAngel. www.VidAngel.com |
Find inspiration in uplifting, digital exclusive content.
Near to My Heart is a collection of articles and interviews that can only be found right here! Submit your email below to receive our Near to My Heart e-journal, delivered monthly to your inbox! Archives
January 2019
Categories
All
AUTHORSCornel Warren, Managing Editor of Live with Heart & Soul, shares her heart as she reaches Christian women with timeless, beautiful content to encourage and inspire their walks with God, themselves and those around them. |