tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282457212024-03-07T00:22:42.749-07:00~el mundo de mamacita ~This is my world. Where I strive to do the best
I can to live for Jesus in every way.
You'll see where I fail, fall short and fall flat on my face. Then you'll see Jesus pick me up and keep going. Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.comBlogger677125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-3822383290806138362019-06-12T10:13:00.002-06:002019-06-12T10:14:23.159-06:00Worse, Poorer, Sickness - Still, I Love Thee<a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/02/beating-odds.html" target="_blank">Beating the Odds</a> - I wrote this post in 2017 and it is a great starting place to start to learn about our marriage and how we are beating the odds.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure we could ever imagine what worse, poorer, and sickness really are when saying our wedding vows. At least I'm not sure I could.<br />
<br />
I thought if we were already broke then there was no where to go but up. I was wrong.<br />
<br />
I thought nothing could be worse from what we had both already endured on our own. I was wrong.<br />
<br />
I thought sickness meant only physical ailments. I was wrong.<br />
<br />
Seventeen years later, I know that the worse, sickness, and possibly poorer days are still ahead. Still, I love thee.<br />
<br />
What could be worse than losing our family home, business, and relationships, and a grandbaby we never got to hold? Losing our parents, a child, a grandchild we have held in our arms. Yes, that is worse.<br />
<br />
What sickness could be worse than mental battles and chronic pain? SOOOO many things. How naive I was to think those hurdles count as beating some odds, yet, I know they all add up.<br />
<br />
We've learned that poor is a spiritual state and we prefer the word broke in relation to finances. So being poor is worse than being broke.<br />
<br />
We knew it wouldn't be easy. I'm not sure we knew it would be this hard. Still, I love thee.<br />
<br />
Today, I cherish what odds we have overcome and know that together we can beat the ones that are ahead because we are not fighting these odds on our own. As long as we continue to mutually submit to God, we can and WILL continue to beat the odds. Because of Him, the odds are are ever in our favor. đ<br />
<br />
I won't cry out for the challenges to come our way because, honestly, with our magnetic personalities, they are drawn to us; or so it seems. I am grateful that I have you to journey this crazy world together at my side and I'll not think of the only thing that will release us from our vows.<br />
<br />
Still, I Love Thee!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSV8B7OB91VFzCOBbxLz3zUDDYZXxGx126CoYv-UIDXjZ4foFA1UuMc24ak04QzKsRKqLfJn3VM6NwcxVHgCUgRzopneGM04uI7KfvEfufNOc2iU_EmP_NTH_OM9zPQgqPJptZ/s1600/AAB07+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSV8B7OB91VFzCOBbxLz3zUDDYZXxGx126CoYv-UIDXjZ4foFA1UuMc24ak04QzKsRKqLfJn3VM6NwcxVHgCUgRzopneGM04uI7KfvEfufNOc2iU_EmP_NTH_OM9zPQgqPJptZ/s320/AAB07+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
#June12 #beatingtheodds #IStillDo<br />
<br />Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-30912596207538278932018-03-08T12:14:00.002-07:002018-03-08T12:14:28.981-07:00QUAKER WOMEN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVWgWkYH_flJculMwIeODVX41ISXjobqN4Tvdmj4DPQUWBRtQ-8m5YGU8M-kt1Ja7NfZ864qyc1sSV9lXsA4IkGZLznK6lTaQLPLHX-nc9MTcljLEg1-itO0lJaa_LAn2eAxS/s1600/Quaker+Women+Series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="1400" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVWgWkYH_flJculMwIeODVX41ISXjobqN4Tvdmj4DPQUWBRtQ-8m5YGU8M-kt1Ja7NfZ864qyc1sSV9lXsA4IkGZLznK6lTaQLPLHX-nc9MTcljLEg1-itO0lJaa_LAn2eAxS/s640/Quaker+Women+Series.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
I highlighted several Quaker women last year and for #InternationalWomensDay I decided to put them all in one spot to make it easier for you to find!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/03/quaker-women-series-elizabeth-hooton.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth Hooton</a>, George Fox's first convert and Friends preacher! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/03/quaker-women-series-mary-morris-knowles.html" target="_blank">Mary Morris Knowles</a> was an affluent and influential Quaker woman! She advocated for women's right to choose their spouse, too!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/03/quaker-women-series-elizabeth-ashbridge.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth Ashbridge</a> had a jaded view of Christians... and then she heard a woman preach!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/03/quaker-women-series-joan-mary-fry.html" target="_blank">Joan Mary Fry</a> social activist, pioneer vegetarian, and biblical scholar, to name of a few of things Joan Mary was known for! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/03/quaker-women-series-margaret-fell-fox.html" target="_blank">Margaret Fell Fox</a> - "Mother of Quakerism" <br />
<br />
<a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/03/quaker-women-series-mary-fell-lower.html" target="_blank">Mary Fell Lower</a>, the youngest Quaker preacher!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/04/quaker-women-series-amanda-way.html" target="_blank">Amanda Way</a> prohibitionist, abolitionist, suffragist<br />
<br />
A post about a<a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/03/international-womens-day-2017.html" target="_blank"> few of my favorite Quaker Women</a>!<br />
<br />
#QuakerWomen #WomenPreachers<br />
<br />Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-30053464284043154862018-02-23T12:34:00.000-07:002018-02-23T12:34:25.102-07:00Kids Camp! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Roy and I had SO much fun directing Kids Camp this summer. He was a good sport and went along with wearing matching shirts each day!</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMId4fefcGk31yUUchCbCs_zdobA9d80EIiqRsFvMvuOA5HddfpvcWQYBNEotnjgUwofHty1tlU0mqevqJ9c9LCrHo1OXGZKshsCps6q78Hs8PAngRuogJjqGbURpU23aQCUK/s1600/Kids+Camp+Day+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvMId4fefcGk31yUUchCbCs_zdobA9d80EIiqRsFvMvuOA5HddfpvcWQYBNEotnjgUwofHty1tlU0mqevqJ9c9LCrHo1OXGZKshsCps6q78Hs8PAngRuogJjqGbURpU23aQCUK/s320/Kids+Camp+Day+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Superman! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FFM0XCWGd8C277zQPxhxQiCqUK8USC_UUSmYxZpWeaqa-5YXf3XXgD4ZQ6SC_5o2nCHGHh4emJ-j-XT75hT052XsNNExFoTmrot7fg9JorEgJwhyphenhyphenDpadkrHZpLLJ5N1CWI0u/s1600/WW+Superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="916" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_FFM0XCWGd8C277zQPxhxQiCqUK8USC_UUSmYxZpWeaqa-5YXf3XXgD4ZQ6SC_5o2nCHGHh4emJ-j-XT75hT052XsNNExFoTmrot7fg9JorEgJwhyphenhyphenDpadkrHZpLLJ5N1CWI0u/s320/WW+Superman.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Theme" shirts! My Superman and His Wonder Woman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrBmts8QPfUP8KMA7ByzZfstQ4nrsKRL-zPCof2Re1NUd6GJs-jG486-dbcRd-rcPjUqahXSkQFpoFnRUfrPECWqgU9sH00b8VWnUu-7KBmvPHYNSm5T-zIcCk7hCT-hBtoOY/s1600/Kids+Camp+Day+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrBmts8QPfUP8KMA7ByzZfstQ4nrsKRL-zPCof2Re1NUd6GJs-jG486-dbcRd-rcPjUqahXSkQFpoFnRUfrPECWqgU9sH00b8VWnUu-7KBmvPHYNSm5T-zIcCk7hCT-hBtoOY/s320/Kids+Camp+Day+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our shirts from 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlfev353oWkNi3IAZGzMwAKJUtz9WXSzBNOu-dt36-isUaCoB7R7mltiDP_ZFb7NXB1choOqN7OKU-CklbE9ISGVe5r8aVJSc16JWiUuqBLG9HTIiC5mBAVdTn4N0IvBomfYz/s1600/Kids+Camp+Day+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlfev353oWkNi3IAZGzMwAKJUtz9WXSzBNOu-dt36-isUaCoB7R7mltiDP_ZFb7NXB1choOqN7OKU-CklbE9ISGVe5r8aVJSc16JWiUuqBLG9HTIiC5mBAVdTn4N0IvBomfYz/s320/Kids+Camp+Day+3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our shirts from 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMR1J6Ppw9Iutiii-PKIhayED2CcNkKmuG9rxgzXtIUYGB39PgGnU8dR3x-UOM9NWswfdgNKOtvc5fZzP-HMHS2RFoEUK35DPnEMSofuT-v2y_-nTPoEeSV9FRp0M3mjB1R4MC/s1600/Kids+Camp+Day+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMR1J6Ppw9Iutiii-PKIhayED2CcNkKmuG9rxgzXtIUYGB39PgGnU8dR3x-UOM9NWswfdgNKOtvc5fZzP-HMHS2RFoEUK35DPnEMSofuT-v2y_-nTPoEeSV9FRp0M3mjB1R4MC/s320/Kids+Camp+Day+4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 4... wearing 2016 Jr High Camp shirts</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFk9VeSCe6D6LU63Y5OXE3SPaqP5DWfJJMEnXu74NtVz-laXR3-27mIMVBNmlYrcT9ZJ_NimkRQzLbSOqWpPtpMCUth8W2aI-Fpr04OZ2ocBf8j0uZ0fQ67GzidEJgmpBQwYHc/s1600/Kids+Camp+Day+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFk9VeSCe6D6LU63Y5OXE3SPaqP5DWfJJMEnXu74NtVz-laXR3-27mIMVBNmlYrcT9ZJ_NimkRQzLbSOqWpPtpMCUth8W2aI-Fpr04OZ2ocBf8j0uZ0fQ67GzidEJgmpBQwYHc/s320/Kids+Camp+Day+5.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2017 camp shirts! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We learned a lot. We had a blast. We are thrilled to have our first year under our belts and excited for future camps! 2018 camp planning is seriously underway and we are gearing up for fun, conversations about hearing God's voice, more fun, lots of singing, and building relationships! Check out <a href="http://quakerhillcamp.com/index.php/camps-and-retreats/camp-dates" target="_blank">Quaker Hill Camp</a> for more information about attending one of our summer camps!<br />
<br />
#QHKIDSCAMP<br />
#QuakerHillJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-24054585608127931302018-02-20T12:26:00.000-07:002018-02-20T12:26:19.545-07:00In Over My Head<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qv3-TDdD1pM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qv3-TDdD1pM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
One way God speaks to me is through music and this song is SHOUTING! I've always associated being in over my head as a negative thing. A place that meant I was overwhelmed, stressed, and sinking. There have been several times since I accepted the call to pastor a church where I not only felt I was in over my head but I knew it (and others did, too, I'm sure)! <br />
<br />
So, associating going under with beautifully in over my head really took my breath away. That sinking or swimming was not the point but trusting God that I was exactly where He wanted me to be was and if that place is over my head then I'm not relying on my strength or power or knowledge but HIS! <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">BEAUTIFUL!</span><br />
<br />
I've just come off a sabbatical week and this song played non-stop through my heart and mind. Is this a new or different way of thinking for you? Am I the only one who felt that sinking or swimming was the point and if I sunk it meant I failed and if I stayed afloat then I was better off? Am I the only one who focused on the action of sinking or swimming and not the letting go of control and trusting God with whatever the outcome?<br />
<br />
Who's ready to say, "Come and do whatever You want to" to God with me? To say with assurance, "Whatever it looks like, whatever may come I am Yours."<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"In Over My Head"</b></div>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<!--[endif]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have come to this place in my life</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm full but I've not satisfied</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This longing to have more of You</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And I can feel it my heart is convinced</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm thirsty my soul can't be quenched</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You already know this but still</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Come and do whatever You want to</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm standing knee deep but I'm out where I've never been</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And I feel You coming and I hear Your voice on the wind</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Would You come and tear down the boxes that I have tried to put You in</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let love come teach me who You are again</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Would You take me back to the place where my heart was only about You</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And all I wanted was just to be with You</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Come and do whatever You want to</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And further and further my heart moves away from the shore</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whatever it looks like, whatever may come I am Yours</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And further and further my heart moves away from the shore</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whatever it looks like, whatever may come I am Yours</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then You crash over me and I've lost control but I'm free</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm going under, I'm in over my head</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then you crash over me, and that's where You want me to be</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm going under, I'm in over my head</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whether I sink, whether I swim</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It makes no difference when I'm beautifully in over my head</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Whether I sink, whether I swim</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It makes no difference when I'm beautifully in over my head</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm beautifully in over my head</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm beautifully in over my head</div>
<br />
<br />Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-8099396366088546412017-08-03T12:27:00.002-06:002017-08-03T12:27:49.384-06:00Preacher Lady<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHont6kpqYkXHrVA3V78cWHcMREwD5vPckyIwLk_7i4bK82Levpd-0buWyz6izcF-4Z-wxQxPGyFc_JOMP7zeI7BQ8TzGYDtQh7BkhPwzR6fbdfYvFaPsdmysDgOeOGUP3JYW6/s1600/Joy+MA+robe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHont6kpqYkXHrVA3V78cWHcMREwD5vPckyIwLk_7i4bK82Levpd-0buWyz6izcF-4Z-wxQxPGyFc_JOMP7zeI7BQ8TzGYDtQh7BkhPwzR6fbdfYvFaPsdmysDgOeOGUP3JYW6/s320/Joy+MA+robe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emotional moment being "hooded"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CzkB_giOqBeKDwe0GzvpKoCXsrUTm2vICpB_DvFtVUZez2zMEybJrg53k1M_vhVQcpt_fm41pQBQOR1BUC1paRQQHIWJ_x7IWpSMhI6UJEknWjAa2pJdQXgi9R449T96-ZCn/s1600/Joy+MA+graduation+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CzkB_giOqBeKDwe0GzvpKoCXsrUTm2vICpB_DvFtVUZez2zMEybJrg53k1M_vhVQcpt_fm41pQBQOR1BUC1paRQQHIWJ_x7IWpSMhI6UJEknWjAa2pJdQXgi9R449T96-ZCn/s320/Joy+MA+graduation+pic.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Signed diploma in hand!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since graduating this past May with my <a href="https://www.barclaycollege.edu/graduate/quaker-studies/" target="_blank">MA in Quaker Studies from Barclay College</a>, I have been trying to figure out what my new life is without school! Figuring out the hours in my day, interactions with my family, church involvement, and home has its challenges but I am enjoying the time spent with my friends and family. <br />
<br />
I have also been preaching at Whitney Friends Church, in Boise, directing Kids Camp at Quaker Hill with Roy, and accepting the position of Recording Clerk for Northwest Yearly Meeting! <br />
<br />
Whitney Friends has summaries of my sermons on their website:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40A259Uh-NbhrBrQrFjqZb_rukpIXw6DN1h_-H1kTlVNg0Pa3x0XycfDTi_-fKKJ-Y5KjB764NHes0IM_NkA1y2DD5CoBpbATMPUxSq45v6I2Shg6h7EQSns1dqB8eym9fQuY/s1600/%25E2%2580%259CCan+a+mother+forget+the+baby+at+her+breast+and+have+no+compassion+on+the+child+she+has+borne-Though+she+may+forget%25252c+I+will+not+forget+you%2521.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40A259Uh-NbhrBrQrFjqZb_rukpIXw6DN1h_-H1kTlVNg0Pa3x0XycfDTi_-fKKJ-Y5KjB764NHes0IM_NkA1y2DD5CoBpbATMPUxSq45v6I2Shg6h7EQSns1dqB8eym9fQuY/s320/%25E2%2580%259CCan+a+mother+forget+the+baby+at+her+breast+and+have+no+compassion+on+the+child+she+has+borne-Though+she+may+forget%25252c+I+will+not+forget+you%2521.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May 14, 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://whitneyfriendschurch.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/gods-maternal-nature/" target="_blank">"God's Maternal Nature"</a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYqkiVFsfncaNEFqDiilkcYjK5RjiBgH6mE0v_qE6pJplPF7u8wRG3EU2dHqutOKW4waUpi69z8Hm54j4TUg1dqCCk_GbSAHQXSGJeug2zYTxs27H7-shM9QQegpbUUCKlvlh/s1600/role+model+Jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="900" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYqkiVFsfncaNEFqDiilkcYjK5RjiBgH6mE0v_qE6pJplPF7u8wRG3EU2dHqutOKW4waUpi69z8Hm54j4TUg1dqCCk_GbSAHQXSGJeug2zYTxs27H7-shM9QQegpbUUCKlvlh/s320/role+model+Jesus.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May 21, 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://whitneyfriendschurch.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/our-ultimate-role-model-jesus/" target="_blank">"Our Ultimate Role Model:Jesus"</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Cx0kBdFOQPkE840QYVJ12WXiVjyB_5drnamS2bYt6Iy164ljnCJWhah7ZNJj756rXtm9fXlmI8cI6-AShRIkr4HLdGqEwmA2UKPI8EMyFOT7Nevs0Tupl7rFqh443uS18AmR/s1600/shaken-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="492" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Cx0kBdFOQPkE840QYVJ12WXiVjyB_5drnamS2bYt6Iy164ljnCJWhah7ZNJj756rXtm9fXlmI8cI6-AShRIkr4HLdGqEwmA2UKPI8EMyFOT7Nevs0Tupl7rFqh443uS18AmR/s320/shaken-pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July 2, 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://whitneyfriendschurch.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/shaken-mixing-faith-and-fear/" target="_blank">"Mixing FAITH and fear"</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qsj1cFC6d8aLimvsN05AGN4FRc9ECL5_XkDe5394xSB9lgsGbw3NerCWKe5kfJ33TN41iOZsOf6Zkj6bK2uJR9rh_XEZV30hJZDDMJhTgnX8p02G6Ob_txapQ7B3PyPTNpDG/s1600/shaken-pic-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="492" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qsj1cFC6d8aLimvsN05AGN4FRc9ECL5_XkDe5394xSB9lgsGbw3NerCWKe5kfJ33TN41iOZsOf6Zkj6bK2uJR9rh_XEZV30hJZDDMJhTgnX8p02G6Ob_txapQ7B3PyPTNpDG/s320/shaken-pic-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July 9, 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://whitneyfriendschurch.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/shaken-formed-by-choices/" target="_blank">"Formed by choices"</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpchRAD13Kao95pjP3Y6ggUTozhjZSyNhd4tSFkTVbc67PNT9UpixYz1lDocoDT4aY9ZptsOPFO4Rh3NAS5ddNZwHkMB2OiXXBuQqfrPCNaXu7_1H0JoZAEZE0HfFnWApKTGKG/s1600/shaken-pic-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="478" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpchRAD13Kao95pjP3Y6ggUTozhjZSyNhd4tSFkTVbc67PNT9UpixYz1lDocoDT4aY9ZptsOPFO4Rh3NAS5ddNZwHkMB2OiXXBuQqfrPCNaXu7_1H0JoZAEZE0HfFnWApKTGKG/s320/shaken-pic-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July 16, 2017</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://whitneyfriendschurch.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/shaken-from-worry-to-worship/" target="_blank">"from WORRY to Worship"</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I also had a blast at Kids Camp! Here is a preview of an upcoming post:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YTXJWpIlj6pZPlRrqIRcQAcZMLggvvmj91WalxFUyETX1IQIDm8XYo83ABvA7WQzPU7NKf9JbiOvby02kgv4e1zWQNgaU8gbUg2SmiKgcWb4fqjboedrgr5XGC5kvZauWbSF/s1600/slip-n-slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="828" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YTXJWpIlj6pZPlRrqIRcQAcZMLggvvmj91WalxFUyETX1IQIDm8XYo83ABvA7WQzPU7NKf9JbiOvby02kgv4e1zWQNgaU8gbUg2SmiKgcWb4fqjboedrgr5XGC5kvZauWbSF/s640/slip-n-slide.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slip-n-Slide fun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
#WomenPreachers #QuakerWomen #BarclayCollege </div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-3397744373043500652017-04-03T17:45:00.000-06:002017-04-03T17:48:58.141-06:00Quaker Women Series: Amanda Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-6VpZBvynRsIuACvpmuSHK9Sn8uHCplS4EtXxOcH1OF911kCXkWtiL09Nwx62D_nKh1ERrVIv2a7kcJdvJ0e6B8dFOW502ihsTlDWFbnOWKniAfBzM9twymWMRndHQkeCwBZ/s1600/Quaker+Women+Series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq-6VpZBvynRsIuACvpmuSHK9Sn8uHCplS4EtXxOcH1OF911kCXkWtiL09Nwx62D_nKh1ERrVIv2a7kcJdvJ0e6B8dFOW502ihsTlDWFbnOWKniAfBzM9twymWMRndHQkeCwBZ/s400/Quaker+Women+Series.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXB4LKjWcXNGgnNA7rMIDVL-Q8kaGLCvbgzLxCvnYEGhvNXK22TuyuvunlVPjdjugIQffPL8RzdTLdT-cVC2s6Lk75UfZy2Vybtj7kuU84naxvshDMa0njsz0oy_0TmiAalLk/s1600/amanda-way_original_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXB4LKjWcXNGgnNA7rMIDVL-Q8kaGLCvbgzLxCvnYEGhvNXK22TuyuvunlVPjdjugIQffPL8RzdTLdT-cVC2s6Lk75UfZy2Vybtj7kuU84naxvshDMa0njsz0oy_0TmiAalLk/s1600/amanda-way_original_crop.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Amanda
Way, prohibitionist, abolitionist, and suffragist and was born in 1828, to a
Quaker family. For as many organizations
as she helped found, and for as many lectures she gave across the nation, it is
surprising and confusing why we do not know about Amanda Way. Early in life she became the sole breadwinner
for her family when her fiancé died three weeks before their marriage, her
father died that same year, and her older brother married. In order to support her family, she became a
teacher.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Amanda wore
many different hats when it came to her professions and ministries. She was a teacher, an activist for womenâs
rights and temperance, a nurse in the Civil Way, milliner (she made hats!),
seamstress, and a preacher. In fact, she
was active in all of the great reform movements that happened in her lifetime: womenâs rights, temperance, and abolition of
slavery! She was also a conductor on the
Underground Railroad. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span>Amanda Way was a founding member of Indiana Womanâs Rights Association,
1851. She revived said association in
1869 (it was inactive from 1859-1869).
Indianaâs First Womanâs Rights Convention in 1851 âfocused on what women
thought of as the largest injustices they faced: discriminatory property laws, wage inequality,
and lack of educational opportunities.â
In her keynote address she declared that âunless women demand their
rights politically, socially, and financially, they will continue in the future
as [they have] in the past.â The
following resolutions she presented were accepted: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<b>âThat
all customs, laws and institutions that deprive women with an equal right with
men to intellectual, social and moral improvement; to the attainment of wealth
and personal comfort and independence, or to an equal share in creating, and
administering the social, civil, and religious institutions under which they
are to live, and to which they are to be held responsible, are unjust, cruel
and oppressive and ruinous to the peace, order and progress of individuals and
to the whole human family; and of all men and women who respect themselves and
their fellow beings, will plead and labor for their change, or their
overthrow.â<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
â<b>Whereas,
we believe the present style of female dress is highly inconvenient, unnatural
and destructive of health and a mark of the degradation of women, therefore:
Resolved, That the women of this convention pledge themselves, before our
families, to throw off the bondage imposed upon us by Parisian Milliners and
adopt a style of dress more in accordance with reason.â </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwcZCD3TZQd9RRoma7Vf0PuZyiNkZ88t8XNder2h-5EYfvEthHAr8_kLyGvIPAAI4HcmC8IdRdTHHtwB5-Os7UzIVQzi8g_IUm_ldyD01Br9gU62AtuGIDImqVF2MKeKod7cb/s320/amanda+way+side+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4b4a47; font-family: "robotoboldcondensed" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">Installed 2013 Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana Womenâs History Association, Inc., Winchester Friends Church, Randolph County Historical Society, and Friends of Amanda Way</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeYuJ5yP6d6BOON51y7FU0YQGEfH-WUjxjWCPp5OsnndrJ7K_QyrAULtUION7vBynJ6EWaMUeBuoybxjpAprEDGIKDKn3z33dD3Ydl1e7l9aEnCS4sVJzuwQ1P0o2lGyaXG4O/s1600/amanda+way+side+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeYuJ5yP6d6BOON51y7FU0YQGEfH-WUjxjWCPp5OsnndrJ7K_QyrAULtUION7vBynJ6EWaMUeBuoybxjpAprEDGIKDKn3z33dD3Ydl1e7l9aEnCS4sVJzuwQ1P0o2lGyaXG4O/s320/amanda+way+side+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Amanda
participated in the âWhiskey Riotâ in 1854.
This is a fascinating story of approximately 50 women going business to
business destroying all of their alcohol! You can read about it<b><u> <a href="http://www.wiscnews.com/baraboonewsrepublic/announcements/community/article_2ce85508-4861-59ef-9e57-f79487ff94e4.html" target="_blank">here</a></u></b>,
including quotes from an original news article!
A different take on the event is found <a href="http://www.baraboopubliclibrary.org/files/local/wardvol2/13%20Whiskey%20Rebellion%20of%201854%20-%20About%20Section%20X.pdf" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>, including the lawsuit that
resulted from their temperance actions and their verdict. Some say Amanda did more than participate and
named her as the leader of the pack. The
âPage Liquor Caseâ is what came of the âWhiskey Riot.â Mr. Page owned a store and sold large
quantities of liquor to the men in the town, causing numerous problems in the
community and home, including abuse. The
women wanted the shop owners to sign a pledge that they would stop selling
liquor. Jill Hinty Keener records that, Page refused, and locked the door to prevent
them from entering. Undeterred, they used hatchets and hammers to chop
down his door and break out a window. They then rolled seven or eight
barrels into the street, chopping off the âfaucets,â and breaking out the
heads. They also did considerable damage to the inside of his shop.
The list of stock destroyed tells exactly how much damage they did: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
a barrel of brandy, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
a barrel of bourbon, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
a barrel of rye, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
nine gallons of rum,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
ten gallons of gin,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
ten gallons of rye whiskey, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
ten gallons of sweet wine,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
six gallons of wine, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
sixteen gallons of gin,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
twenty barrels and kegs, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: .5in;">
twenty spigots and faucets,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
one
hundred dollars worth of damage to doors and windows, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: 1.0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
as
well as coffee and candy spilled on the floor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Surprisingly,
many of the townâs attorneys, all men, came together and defended the women in
the criminal trial which ended with a <a href="http://www.wchsclassof1967.com/November_7_2009.htm" target="_blank"><b>not guilty verdict</b></a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Amanda
was also a leader in <a href="http://www.iogt.us/iogt.php?p=35" target="_blank"><b>Independent Order of Good Templars</b></a>, a fraternal organization promoting total abstinence from alcohol that âalways
admitted women on the same basis as men,â according to their literature. Offices she held included: Grand Worthy Chief, Grand Deputy, Right Worthy
Grand Vice-Templar, Right Worthy Grand Templar, and Past Grand Worthy Chief
Templar. She also served as Grand Worthy
Chief Templar, their highest office.
Articles from the Centralia News-Examiner in 1905 document her
attendance at their annual session in Washington, stating that <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-align: center;">
<b>âamong the more prominent people present
are Miss Amanda Way, Right Grand Templar and Past Grand templar of Kansas and
Idaho.â<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Amanda
was a member of <a href="https://www.wctu.org/home.html" target="_blank"><b>Womenâs Christian Temperance Union</b></a>, where their purpose remains the same today as
it was then: âprotection of the home, the abolition of the liquor traffic, and
the triumph of Christâs Golden Rule in custom and in law.â<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
In 1869,
she helped found American Womanâs Suffrage Association, working alongside Susan
B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, but you wonât find her name listed with
theirs. For as involved as she was,
hardly anybody knows who she was! She is
included in both Anthony and Cadyâs biographies, though. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
At
approximately 43 years of age, she became a Methodist Episcopal minister in
1872 but returned to her Quaker roots and became a recorded minister with them
in 1884. Five years later we learn she
was in Boise Idaho! In 1899, <a href="https://secure.in.gov/history/markers/4117.htm" target="_blank"><b>Charles R.Scott</b></a> writes about resigning his pastorate at Salem, Oregon, and going to Boise,
Idaho, stating âI found a few Friends organized into a monthly meeting under
the efficient labors of Amanda M. Way, forming a nucleus for what promises to
be in the near future, under Godâs blessing, a work of no small magnitude;â Amanda was doing more than
preaching while in Boise. She was
nominated by the Idaho Prohibition Party to run for US Congress in 1900 (but
did not win) â she was 72 years old. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
When
asked why she never married, her response was, âI never had time.â After learning of everything she was involved
with and in, I believe her! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
#QuakerWomen #WomenHistoryMonth #WomenPreachers </div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-64233268072858700512017-03-24T09:41:00.000-06:002017-08-11T16:55:21.273-06:00Quaker Women Series: Mary Fell Lower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBkvxSwTM6AT1FwWHEWAP_ZP22rrask0IZabGaXkN-1afVeHk55bT20iHAqHh2j_QPT3NegSvCIWtfiDMBtcW1TQ8F9-xhK1BwbC-vkoTEfbUY1Q_J7VLzn1gag249fSO2-aF/s1600/Quaker+Women+Series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBkvxSwTM6AT1FwWHEWAP_ZP22rrask0IZabGaXkN-1afVeHk55bT20iHAqHh2j_QPT3NegSvCIWtfiDMBtcW1TQ8F9-xhK1BwbC-vkoTEfbUY1Q_J7VLzn1gag249fSO2-aF/s400/Quaker+Women+Series.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; text-align: center;">
Mary
Fell Lower (1647-1720)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
We
already learned about <a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/03/quaker-women-series-elizabeth-hooton.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth Hooton</a>, the oldest (and first) person to preach
in public (she was around 70 years old).
Now, letâs learn about the youngest!
Mary Fell, daughter of <a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/2017/03/quaker-women-series-margaret-fell-fox.html" target="_blank">Margaret Fell</a>, was the youngest to preach in
public in the 1650s. She was 8 years
old. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Young
Mary was privy to George Foxâs preaching and she is included in the list of
names of the Fell household who were âconvinced.â She was approximately 5 years old at that
time. She traveled with her mother,
along with her sister, Sarah, when Margaret met with the king regarding the law
requiring Quakers to take an oath to the king.
When Margaret herself refused to take the oath and was imprisoned, <b>her
daughters</b> tried to get the king to intercede on their motherâs behalf but
his hands were tied when it came to matters of parliament. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
While
she may not have had a choice of what her mother did or where her mother went
and she needed to accompany her because she was a child, nobody forced her to
tell an Anglican priest, âLampitt, the plagues of God shall fall upon thee and
the seven viols shall be poured upon thee and the millstone shall fall upon
thee and crush thee as dust under the Lordâs feet how can thou escape the
damnation of hell.â<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
After
nearly five years of imprisonment, Margaret was released just prior to Maryâs
marriage to Thomas Lower, a Quaker who was also convinced by Fox. The year was 1668. She was 21 years old. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
I have
not been able to find much information on Maryâs personal ministry. She had ten children but only five children lived
beyond infancy. In 1676 she and Thomas
moved their family to Marsh Grange, the birthplace of her mother.<br />
<br />
#QuakerWomenSeries #QuakerWomen #WomenPreachers #Quakers #Friends</div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-6154064398789771672017-03-13T09:35:00.000-06:002017-08-11T16:54:00.865-06:00Quaker Women Series: Margaret Fell Fox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEMhskgv2aFQzORsUewCteibf1x6xe9nZODYa_DBPNr8MYRfcdsG9Qwml85hYeNZaYVcku_-KN9F4c_PqzAdDmSNsx_BHZR2a6RCLwLEXlUx818X62Iu4Shp8eeT_EKqzELlX/s1600/Quaker+Women+Series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="1400" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEMhskgv2aFQzORsUewCteibf1x6xe9nZODYa_DBPNr8MYRfcdsG9Qwml85hYeNZaYVcku_-KN9F4c_PqzAdDmSNsx_BHZR2a6RCLwLEXlUx818X62Iu4Shp8eeT_EKqzELlX/s400/Quaker+Women+Series.png" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>"Those that speak against the power of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord speaking in a woman, simply by reason of her sex, or because she is a woman, not regarding the Seed and Spirit and Power that speaks in her, such speak against Christ and his Church." <br />Margaret Fell, 1666</b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRI69i2Mk3vLHxfJaAYTD-qq-U3YQ5ipMIrQWDXx4BUzr2y4X2v4HAqaS-rCxHsLF4sMPXt-gEnzxJgNSI2L6_60_R4jucCZe6lEuFhHx0bm72Iciw7PdXg02BHQg9F_5uD6_R/s1600/Margaret+Fell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRI69i2Mk3vLHxfJaAYTD-qq-U3YQ5ipMIrQWDXx4BUzr2y4X2v4HAqaS-rCxHsLF4sMPXt-gEnzxJgNSI2L6_60_R4jucCZe6lEuFhHx0bm72Iciw7PdXg02BHQg9F_5uD6_R/s1600/Margaret+Fell.jpg" /></a>Margaret Fell is said by many to be the center of the whole Religious Society of Friends enterprise! While included in the Valiant Sixty, she did not travel until later. She was, however, âwithâ the early missionaries in spirit and wrote them often. She wrote this to Francis Howgill, âYou are all dear unto me and you are all present with me and are all met together in my heart.â</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Much has been written about Margaret Fell Fox and there are
full texts on her life and ministry. These writings are excellent and are
worthy of your attention and I have no desire to duplicate their
writings. However, I cannot imagine doing a blog series on âQuaker Womenâ
and not have one post that features one of the most significant people in the
history of Friends. </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When George Fox preached to the Fell household, he became
friends with a family who would impact his life forever. The Fells were
affluent and carried great influence with the government since Mr. Fell was a
judge and was referred to as Judge Fell in numerous writings. While he
himself never became a Quaker, he was supportive of their ministry and backed
that support with financial support and his influence with the officials who
made life difficult (to say the least) for Friends. <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Margaret had a mind for business and saw the need for
ongoing financial support of the traveling Friends. She started the
Kendal Fund, on which the first Yearly Meeting Fund was based. She not
only helped provide for traveling Friends on the road but her home, Swathmoor
Hall, became the headquarters for Friends. She was a spiritual guide,
administrator, political activist, theologian and apologist. She wrote the
first widely publicized biblical defense of womenâs right to preach and lead in
1666, âWomen Speaking Justified, Proved, and Allowed of by the Scriptures, All
Such as Speak by the Spirit and Power of the Lord JESUS. And how Women
were the first that preached the Tidings of the Resurrection of JESUS, and were
sent by CHRISTâS Own Command, before He ascended to the Father, John 20:17;â
commonly referred to as "Women's Speaking Justified.â Sally Bruyneel Padgett
(2013), a Quaker Studies scholar, with an emphasis on Margaret Fell says Fellâs
work as a theologian âremains a hallmark in the defense of womenâs right to
teach and preach.â <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are several things I admire and respect about Margaret:<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<ul>
<li>She was obedient to Godâs call on her life no matter where
it landed her (<st1:place style="text-indent: -0.1in;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Lancaster</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Castle</st1:placetype></st1:place> â
a deplorable prison).</li>
<li>She balanced motherhood and ministry (often by including her
children in her travels).</li>
<li>Her beliefs were based on Biblical truths and she defended
her beliefs (and the teachings of Friends) using Scripture as the foundation.</li>
<li>She wore color and mentions receiving scarlet cloth as a
gift from her late husband George Fox (1700). Now, this may seem out of
place, so I will explain. Many of you associate Quakers and the color
grey. This association came in 1698, after Foxâs death. Quakers
were creating rules and not wearing coloring was one of these rules.
Margaret wrote different epistles (letters) to Friends warning them of
this. In 1698 she wrote them and her last letter was written to address
this same issue in 1700. She said, âthese silly outside imaginary
practices are coming up, and practiced with great zeal, which has often grieved
my heart.â There was a change in Friends thinking from simplicity
and wearing items made by free people (versus slave labor) to drab, generations
old, clothing being godly dress and Margaret called them out on it. Her
words were unfortunately not heeded and âQuaker dressâ continued for
decades. </li>
<li>She was an influential minister and is remembered for the
work God did through her and not because of her social standing or association
because of whom she married.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p>Margaret
is considered the Mother of Quakerism, not because she married George Fox,
the founder of Friends, but because of who she was. So yes, the Father of
Quakerism, George Fox, and the Mother of Quakerism, Margaret Fell married, but
they were both established in their roles as leaders years before they married. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the history of Friends, there are many women who obeyed
Godâs calling and preached His word, regardless of society and cultural
acceptance. In this Quaker Women Series, my goal is to introduce many
lesser known women to you; however, the well known women are well known for a
reason and some of them will be featured here, as well. I would love to
hear how Margaret Fellâs ministry is/has influenced your own ministry in the
comments!<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Friends, deal plainly with yourselves, and let the eternal light search you, and try you, for the good of your souls; for this will deal plainly with you; it will rip you up, lay you open, and make all manifest that lodgeth in you; the secret subtilty of the enemy of your souls, this searcher and tryer will make manifest. . .consider one another, and provoke one another to love and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of yourselves, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. And dwell in love and unity, in the pure eteral light; there is your fellowship, there is your cleansing and washing. . .And the everlasting God, of light, life and power, keep you all faithful to your own measure; that so the resurrection and the life ye may witness, and the living bread ye may feed on, which, whosoever eateth of, shall never die. Margaret Fell, epistle to Friends 1656</blockquote>
#QuakerWomenSeries #QuakerWomen #WomenPreachers #Quakers
#Friends #MargaretFell</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">References<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">You can read many of Margaretâs own writings here: .<a href="http://hallvworthington.com/Margaret_Fox_Selections/MargaretMemoir.html." target="_blank">http://hallvworthington.com/Margaret_Fox_Selections/MargaretMemoir.html.</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fell, M. (1666). <a href="http://hallvworthington.com/Margaret_Fox_Selections/Margaret.html" target="_blank"><i>Womenâs speaking justified</i></a>. Retrieved
from <a href="http://hallvworthington.com/Margaret_Fox_Selections/Margaret.html">http://hallvworthington.com/Margaret_Fox_Selections/Margaret.html</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fell, M. (1700). <a href="http://hallvworthington.com/Margaret_Fox_Selections/MargaretMiscLetters.html#dress" target="_blank"><i>To: FRIENDS, BRETHREN ANDSISTERS, APRIL
1700</i></a>. Retrieved from <a href="http://hallvworthington.com/Margaret_Fox_Selections/MargaretMiscLetters.html#dress" target="_blank">http://hallvworthington.com/Margaret_Fox_Selections/MargaretMiscLetters.html#dress</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Padgett, S. B. & Martinson, B. (2013). <a href="http://thewell.intervarsity.org/in-focus/mother-quakerism-margaret-fell-1614-1702" target="_blank"><i>Mother of Quakerism: Margaret
Fell(1614-1702)</i></a>. Retrieved from <a href="http://thewell.intervarsity.org/in-focus/mother-quakerism-margaret-fell-1614-1702" target="_blank">http://thewell.intervarsity.org/in-focus/mother-quakerism-margaret-fell-1614-1702 </a> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-85015326487498682812017-03-10T07:00:00.000-07:002017-03-10T07:00:13.442-07:00Quaker Women Series: Joan Mary Fry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtQ2SOqeGEbyfIDoADYtLyhZW1Br9FUpi-kboK-t9sKwaaO188CIQvaFQ8NPpL86Lsquzn3wYbmzuwmqxqJ6LxNZGZhRANsBVkO26KYd-uBXEfChEv5O2wmHSu7JQtCM37FHn/s1600/Quaker+Women+Series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtQ2SOqeGEbyfIDoADYtLyhZW1Br9FUpi-kboK-t9sKwaaO188CIQvaFQ8NPpL86Lsquzn3wYbmzuwmqxqJ6LxNZGZhRANsBVkO26KYd-uBXEfChEv5O2wmHSu7JQtCM37FHn/s400/Quaker+Women+Series.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>âQuakerism is nothing unless it
be... a practical showing that the spiritual and material spheres are not
dividedâ.</i><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><i>Joan Mary Fry<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw0Vs5tDMHAQa8q8jROx5E0pVkG8Vkg4jtrJDE28zy_MZfqiIn-FInXpSLIhljvy4sEbYZxaHg3er-xTnnp_7CIH9W4_SbtW2jE3lZjkGOFKD8Sng3o9bzY317Wu8vlvVqKSI/s1600/Joan+Mary+Fry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPw0Vs5tDMHAQa8q8jROx5E0pVkG8Vkg4jtrJDE28zy_MZfqiIn-FInXpSLIhljvy4sEbYZxaHg3er-xTnnp_7CIH9W4_SbtW2jE3lZjkGOFKD8Sng3o9bzY317Wu8vlvVqKSI/s200/Joan+Mary+Fry.jpg" width="200" /></a>Joan
Mary Fry (27 July, 1862 â 25 November, 1955) was born into a wealthy Quaker
family in <st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city>;
where she was a member of London Yearly Meeting and where she later died. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Morgan
(2010) describes her as âa social activist, Joan is also a pioneer vegetarian,
biblical scholar, prison chaplain to conscientious objectors and organizer of
food aid to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Germany</st1:country-region>
in 1919.â The Royal Mail honored Joan
for her life of selflessness with a stamp in 2012 (pictured right). She served as clerk of the
Friends Allotment Committee for twenty years (1931-1951).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
She is
also the first woman to give the Swarthmore lecture in 1910, on the eve of
Yearly Meeting. The title of Joanâs
lecture was, âCommunion of Life.â While
I do not have access to the entire lecture, I was able to read snippets of it:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
This
lecture, she said, attempts to âshow clearly the intimate connection of
religion and ordinary affairs.â She continued: âQuakerism is nothing unless it
is a communion of life, a practical showing that the spiritual and material
spheres are not divided, but are as the concave and the convex sides of one
whole, and that the one is found in and through the other.â (Morgan 2010)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Her
words in 1915, regarding peace, also struck me hard; with so much unrest today,
âAt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
a time
when the Unthinking are saying that the ideal of peace is impossible, it is,
for some, the paramount duty so to think as to make that ideal more real than
it ever has been.â <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
Joanâs
writing is used on October 11, in the devotional, âA Time to Reflect: 365
Classic Meditations:â<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin-left: .5in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
âŠGradually,
as mind, soul, and even body grow still, sinking deeper and deeper into the
life of God, the pettiness, the tangles, the failures of the outer life begin
to be seen in their true proportions, and the sense of the divine infilling,
uplifting, redeeming Love becomes real and illuminating. Things are seen and known that are hidden to
the ordinary faculties. This state is
not merely one of quiescence; the soul is alive, active, vigorous, yet so still
that it hardly knows how intense its own vital action. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
I was
thrilled to find a BBC interview with Sybil Oldfield, who wrote a biography on
Joan Mary Fry: Joan Mary was the only woman allowed into military camps to see
the treatment of conscientious objectors. She came from a very sheltered background;
chaperoned until her thirties, living at home until she was in her forties, and
not going to a theater until she was in
her sixties. These things did not bother
Joan, though. What mattered was that she
was a âpracticing Quaker; serving people.â You can watch it here: <span class="Hyperlink0"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pf298">http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pf298</a></span>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<b>Those
words sum up her life well, âa practicing Quaker, serving people.â</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">References:
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">BBC
Radio 4 - Woman's Hour, Fascinating Mummies at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">National</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype></st1:place>
of <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Scotland</st1:country-region> , Joan
Mary Fry Stamp. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2014 from <span class="Hyperlink0"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pf298">http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pf298</a></span>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p> </o:p>Feb 23 -
News release - Quaker features on new postage stamps | Quakers in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Britain</st1:country-region>. (2012,
February 23). Retrieved from <span class="Hyperlink0"><a href="http://www.quaker.org.uk/news/feb-23-news-release-quaker-features-new-postage-stamps">http://www.quaker.org.uk/news/feb-23-news-release-quaker-features-new-postage-stamps</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p> </o:p>Fry, J. M.
(1915). <i>Christ and peace: A discussion of some fundamental issues raised by
the war</i>. (online version) <st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city>:
Headley Bros. (<span class="Hyperlink0"><a href="https://ia600402.us.archive.org/18/items/cu31924007414075/cu31924007414075.pdf">https://ia600402.us.archive.org/18/items/cu31924007414075/cu31924007414075.pdf</a></span>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -22.5pt;">Morgan, H.
(1998). October: Reflections from Christian women. In </span><i style="text-indent: -22.5pt;">A time to reflect:365</i></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>classic
meditations to help you through the year</i> (pp. 191-192). Retrieved
September 18,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2014 from <span class="Hyperlink0"><a href="http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Joan_Mary_Fry%23">http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Joan_Mary_Fry#</a></span>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="text-indent: -22.5pt;">WorldCat
Identities. (2010). Fry, Joan Mary 1862. Retrieved September 18,
2014,</span></span></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">from
<span class="Hyperlink0"><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/identities/viaf-215642583">http://www.worldcat.org/identities/viaf-215642583</a></span></span>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
#QuakerWomen #WomenPreachers #WomensHistoryMonth #Quakers #Friends #ConscientiousObjectors </div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-66107042222649514382017-03-08T16:47:00.002-07:002017-03-08T16:47:26.792-07:00International Women's Day 2017<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEzdQHlpz0Z2Y5H7jU-MKOTEYtN_mNLDPctY185ZQRvxnMCsW7ZLOwpBw4TPdp0AfPUCWI2cI66iqLmvOGgTblNvcXKMroymzQDpxf1EZXJxjMzwKsC769FlBrSw2qxTUarRV/s1600/Margaret+Fell+%25281666%2529+said%252C+-Mark+this%252C+you+that+despise+and+oppose+the+message+of+the+Lord+God+that+he+sends+by+women%253B+what+had+become+of+the+redemption+of+the+whole+body+of+mankind+if+they+had+not+cause+to+believe+t.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSEzdQHlpz0Z2Y5H7jU-MKOTEYtN_mNLDPctY185ZQRvxnMCsW7ZLOwpBw4TPdp0AfPUCWI2cI66iqLmvOGgTblNvcXKMroymzQDpxf1EZXJxjMzwKsC769FlBrSw2qxTUarRV/s320/Margaret+Fell+%25281666%2529+said%252C+-Mark+this%252C+you+that+despise+and+oppose+the+message+of+the+Lord+God+that+he+sends+by+women%253B+what+had+become+of+the+redemption+of+the+whole+body+of+mankind+if+they+had+not+cause+to+believe+t.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I am running a series on this blog featuring Quaker women this month and you can find them easily with #QuakerWomen and the label "Quakers" in the right column. Each post starts with this banner to make it easy to spot, too:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEyffqIV-bL1QrllrCCbo7uDtmLH4bfJOWf6x045L3uhyphenhyphendQDFeh7KinbzE65U2OMcAlGzhrNWI8mUsSXJAIPPJgVzj9KBODVZqfh0PWOBOihGH03juVtn_GYcYNc9De_YUYHL/s1600/Quaker+Women+Series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEyffqIV-bL1QrllrCCbo7uDtmLH4bfJOWf6x045L3uhyphenhyphendQDFeh7KinbzE65U2OMcAlGzhrNWI8mUsSXJAIPPJgVzj9KBODVZqfh0PWOBOihGH03juVtn_GYcYNc9De_YUYHL/s400/Quaker+Women+Series.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Today, I honor three very important women in my life. Strong women. Quaker women. My mother:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDC1tBaQ0i19ur2XyZFKlPiDSZcYbQwwKIL5SngV8pUc0ZHPUjW3m6u2wgpmcK4vp-kpEgjVfrNRw7PHu0Z4mvKvDlSk-QkmExkHKa0Afocz5GNHQoB19_c5aJq1lhnPVGdXt/s1600/strong+women+Mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDC1tBaQ0i19ur2XyZFKlPiDSZcYbQwwKIL5SngV8pUc0ZHPUjW3m6u2wgpmcK4vp-kpEgjVfrNRw7PHu0Z4mvKvDlSk-QkmExkHKa0Afocz5GNHQoB19_c5aJq1lhnPVGdXt/s320/strong+women+Mom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
She lives strength in love. It is such a compliment when people tell me I remind them of her. Because of her, I know I am never too old to learn new things nor to stop learning. She is a shining light in my dreary days and her ministry is a reflection of her gifts, of which I am a recipient! </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLOCxtnxr1HYxsS6DBKv9Kam1ASbZIaK2SK18kGTByfmjwH2fO22_n7IR3QKl3-AOizwWQ7HL9_brqHnsK-3j2qUGbwO7zyORZZqfliEgUYtjFazIrnTYDw0Y4TeawuXOY4I9/s1600/Strong+women+Mel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLOCxtnxr1HYxsS6DBKv9Kam1ASbZIaK2SK18kGTByfmjwH2fO22_n7IR3QKl3-AOizwWQ7HL9_brqHnsK-3j2qUGbwO7zyORZZqfliEgUYtjFazIrnTYDw0Y4TeawuXOY4I9/s320/Strong+women+Mel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My oldest daughter who has become stronger than she probably wanted to be. She is courageous and started a blog to share her vulnerability with the world in hopes of helping others who need to know they are not alone: <a href="http://mywanderingmindsponderings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ponderings of a Wandering Mind</a>.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMCJfjedMauN-LfM9aZwsMgMm-MG51XJxPMKN0hPHlMqWUna7zp3POXtm8Te6kKwQadeZbYa_toQ22IriCCMHByZ6a7feskXOXkalZx_g8yz5rcFWApPXfRrcjWI5rsnqiw7p/s1600/Strong+women+Sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMCJfjedMauN-LfM9aZwsMgMm-MG51XJxPMKN0hPHlMqWUna7zp3POXtm8Te6kKwQadeZbYa_toQ22IriCCMHByZ6a7feskXOXkalZx_g8yz5rcFWApPXfRrcjWI5rsnqiw7p/s320/Strong+women+Sky.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My youngest daughter who is one of the strongest people I know. She is tenacious and encourages others to be as strong as they can be while always pointing them to the Source of her strength, Jesus. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Of all the people in the world, I am humbled and honored to have these three strong women in my corner. Between the three of them, they encourage me every single day. When my depressed mind and body does not want to function, they offer their strength until I am strong enough to stand again. I cannot imagine my life without them in it; and dread the day, should it ever come. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On this day of honoring women, who is in your corner? Who holds you up when you do not have the strength to stand? I know some people are fortunate to have one such person, and here I have these three women, not to mention the number of men who are in my corner, too. These are the blessings I am thankful for today... and tomorrow. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
#InternationalWomensDay #QuakerWomen #strongwomen</div>
<br />Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-8678086333493808942017-03-08T09:08:00.001-07:002017-08-11T16:35:37.213-06:00Quaker Women Series: Elizabeth Ashbridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzanHAilmBxGfpkE4_8_p-D4Oeo49zOD77ossQXvShz7NSivJLRqz3t-aaXXhynv9xxEV7agVbduLoSaj18Ka_TMVEKGJYg2RZsxcQ09gqS2ow9DVbg7CucNv6tApeQpgqbnTH/s1600/Quaker+Women+Series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="1400" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzanHAilmBxGfpkE4_8_p-D4Oeo49zOD77ossQXvShz7NSivJLRqz3t-aaXXhynv9xxEV7agVbduLoSaj18Ka_TMVEKGJYg2RZsxcQ09gqS2ow9DVbg7CucNv6tApeQpgqbnTH/s640/Quaker+Women+Series.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRowIX08w9Mu-yp3PShJyPoDrf-w3yLmRDDks4WADhWAkvvT3W31d6lK4wWb0yKKtqnfGdT0hAoTuep7jSpqmniZp3d4_3wQkG-LImi8xCzxapdR09u3qUbP47aahTJ7oE1_dm/s1600/Elizabeth+Ashbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRowIX08w9Mu-yp3PShJyPoDrf-w3yLmRDDks4WADhWAkvvT3W31d6lK4wWb0yKKtqnfGdT0hAoTuep7jSpqmniZp3d4_3wQkG-LImi8xCzxapdR09u3qUbP47aahTJ7oE1_dm/s200/Elizabeth+Ashbridge.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in Middlewich in <st1:place u2:st="on"><st1:city u2:st="on"></st1:city></st1:place><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Cheshire</st1:city>, <st1:country-region u2:st="on"></st1:country-region><st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region></st1:place> in
1713, to âhonest parents: Thomas and Mary Sampson,â Elizabeth Ashbridge had an
âawful regard for religion and religious people.â She considered herself
a normal child; well behaved, for the most part, and when she did wrong, she
knew it and was sorry for it.<br /><br />She eloped when she was fourteen and was
widowed that same year. She lived with relatives in <st1:country-region u2:st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region>,
before securing passage to <st1:country-region u2:st="on"><st1:place u2:st="on"></st1:place></st1:country-region><st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region> by
becoming an indentured servant. She married an abusive drunk, and
suffered the consequences of becoming Quaker, like many Friends in the 18th
Century (being ostracized by family, abused by husbands, public ridicule and
abuse, anything to try and deter them from remaining Friend). <br /><br /><st1:city u2:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:city> saw
a lot of hypocrisy among Christians, which gave her a very jaded view and
opinion of them:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The observations I made on their conduct
confirmed me in my atheistical opinions. They diverted themselves in the evening
with cards and songs, and a few moments after, introduced prayers and singing
psalms to Almighty God. Often did I say to myself, "If there be a God, he
is a pure Being and will not hear the prayers of polluted lips."</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />When she was twenty-two years old, she
attended a Quaker meeting, âI heard a woman Friend speak, at which I was a
little surprised. I had been told of women's preaching, but I had never heard
it before, and I looked upon her with pity for her ignorance and contempt for
her practice, saying to myself, "I'm sure you're a fool, and if ever I
turn Quaker, which will never be, I will not be a preacher."<br /><st1:city u2:st="on"><br /></st1:city></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><st1:city u2:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:city> longed
for something more than the church was offering, so she sought Truth.
While visiting family in <st1:city u2:st="on"><st1:place u2:st="on"></st1:place></st1:city><st1:city w:st="on">Philadelphia</st1:city>,
she read a Quaker book and went from darkness to light!</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">O, thou God of my salvation, and of my
life; who hath abundantly manifested thy long suffering and tender mercy, in
redeeming me as from the lowest hell, I beseech thee to direct use in the right
way, and keep me from error; so will I perform my covenant, and think nothing
too near to part with for thy nameâs sake. O, happy peoples thus beloved of
God!â</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />This decision only made her life more
miserable. âSullivan became enraged when a church warden suggested that
his wife would become a Quaker minister. Ashbridge tells us that her
husband, âin a great rage, struck her and told her that she had better be
hanged on that day.ââ <br /><br />Widowed (again) in 1740, the next years
were spent paying off her husbandâs debts and traveling as a minister. In
September 1746,<st1:city u2:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:city></st1:city> married
Aaron Ashbridge, a prominent Quaker at <st1:city u2:st="on"><st1:place u2:st="on"></st1:place></st1:city><st1:city w:st="on">Goshen</st1:city>.
From homeless in <st1:country-region u2:st="on"></st1:country-region><st1:country-region w:st="on">Ireland</st1:country-region>,
to indentured servant, to abused wife, to Quaker minister and Elder, <st1:city u2:st="on"><st1:place u2:st="on"></st1:place></st1:city><st1:city w:st="on">Elizabeth</st1:city>âs
life shows the transforming power of God.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Elizabeth was
obedient to God and answered his call to travel abroad where she ended up dying
on a mission. Her life, so dramatically written, is an example for us not
to allow bitterness to take root. I am reminded that most of early
Friends lives were not âeasy.â Perhaps, that is a lesson as well â living
a life committed to Jesus comes at a price.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span lang="EN" style="font-size: x-small;">Included below are sources used in the writing of this
post:</span></em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><span lang="EN"><br /></span></em></span>
</span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ashbridge, E. (edited 1846). <i>Some account of the life of
Elizabeth Ashbridge.</i> Friends Library. Retrieved from: <a href="http://articles.ochristian.com/article4096.shtml">http://articles.ochristian.com/article4096.shtml</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ashbridge, E. â<i>Who
must I joinâ: Elizabeth Ashbridge, an 18<sup>th-</sup>century Englishwoman
becomes a Quaker.</i> Retrieved
from: <a href="http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6511">http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6511</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Levenduski, C. (1991). <i>Remarkable
experiences in the life of Elizabeth Ashbridge: Portraying the public woman in
spiritual autobiography</i> [E-reader
version]. <st1:country-region w:st="on">Great Britain</st1:country-region>: Gordan and Breach Science Publishers, <st1:country-region w:st="on">S.A.<o:p></o:p></st1:country-region></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Madden, E. (1999). <i>Quaker
Elizabeth Ashbridge as `The spectacle & discourse of the company'. </i>Early American Literature<i>,</i> <i>34</i>(2), 186-186.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tarter, M. (2005). <i>Reading
a Quakersâ book: Elizabeth Ashbridgeâs testimony of Quaker literary theory. </i>QUAKER STUDIES, <i>1363-013X</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">#QuakerWomen #WomenPreachers #WomensHistoryMonth #Quakers #Friends</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<u1:p></u1:p>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="border: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS4JkxxUMi9US2qEu3helWIheHE_HblX7NSNghDj9fBMAoWZfMrMgugwqShGc0NNbNSxASLU2Zd1fUuTJVkWIQE-4PJF4k1RnAJ9O-3aIPOhDUcxKOjVAieKDQ3NmTVb6rR5I/s1600/Elizabeth+Ashbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left;"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75"
coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe"
filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:90.75pt;
height:150pt'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\Joy\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg"
o:href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyS4JkxxUMi9US2qEu3helWIheHE_HblX7NSNghDj9fBMAoWZfMrMgugwqShGc0NNbNSxASLU2Zd1fUuTJVkWIQE-4PJF4k1RnAJ9O-3aIPOhDUcxKOjVAieKDQ3NmTVb6rR5I/s200/Elizabeth+Ashbridge.jpg"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-53103197268523985472017-03-06T23:23:00.000-07:002017-03-06T23:28:41.226-07:00Quaker Women Series: Mary Morris Knowles <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQNoynvsIf0srj_rKCaRAej6XUJ23DnE_XNbMRebTNUyxfKVBd8BtoKz-TAE6107oSzzh0CQOhYUh7bxlqq2VpOMANzpBlKKamg_2JtNuhJMw7OCZs_gxBFY2thAsqfxkRDnA/s1600/Quaker+Women+Series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQNoynvsIf0srj_rKCaRAej6XUJ23DnE_XNbMRebTNUyxfKVBd8BtoKz-TAE6107oSzzh0CQOhYUh7bxlqq2VpOMANzpBlKKamg_2JtNuhJMw7OCZs_gxBFY2thAsqfxkRDnA/s400/Quaker+Women+Series.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>"There are
good people of all denominations; it is not the name, or the outward profession
of any religion that can make us good, but a steady adherence to that which is
right in our own consciences. Thou mayst be a very good girl professing the
religion of thy education, as long as thou canst be satisfied with it, But if
thou cans't not, I would advise thee to have recourse to that inward light
which will guide thee into all truth." (Mary Morris Knowles)<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDzgqC9FOQcXtVcoC15T68HZSNAKId1cBGwJ5XZdwdS6hvALZAI4E7qSBjv8T13HuQLe4i1TCqYVKFWPh-MI_tIuGPLgPXcUKopL7JmCipXGF0OEo0S9ViAypjxia0SOrPq_B/s1600/MaryMorrisKnowles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDzgqC9FOQcXtVcoC15T68HZSNAKId1cBGwJ5XZdwdS6hvALZAI4E7qSBjv8T13HuQLe4i1TCqYVKFWPh-MI_tIuGPLgPXcUKopL7JmCipXGF0OEo0S9ViAypjxia0SOrPq_B/s200/MaryMorrisKnowles.jpg" width="163" /></a></div>
<div style="border: none; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Mary
Morris Knowles went head to head with a âbig-wigâ of the time: Samuel Johnson,
English author and critic, and rubbed shoulders with royalty.
Third-generation Quaker, Mary was born in Staffordshire in 1733. Mary was
single until she was thirty-four years old. Young Mary was fiercely
independent and not afraid to voice her opinions and act on her beliefs.
There was no way she was going to allow someone else to choose her spouse; and
she advocated for womenâs right to choose their spouse. You can imagine
that this did not go over well during a time in Quaker history when overseers
in Friends meetings were holding people to the notion that they must marry a
Quaker. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
By the
time Mary married Thomas Knowles in 1767, she was set in her ways and âshe
resolved not to become âa poor passive machine ...a mere smiling <u>Wife</u>.ââ
She nearly died giving birth to their son in July, 1768. They named
the baby Morris, and he lived one day. Shortly after this, her mother and
sister died. From my calculations, they had another son, George, in
1773. Thomas died in 1786 when he was 52, Mary was 53, and George was
13. Thomasâ death left Mary a wealthy widow. She used her position
and money to promote abolition. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Mary was
skilled in needle painting and did some prestigious portraits for the King and
Queen. Her position and affluence allowed her to rub shoulders with
royalty and prominent political and religious men; namely Samuel Johnson and
John Wilkes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Mary
refused to allow current Quaker civilities to dictate what she believed,
similar to the early Friends! Focusing on the inner Light âallowed her to
advance contentious positions, such as her criticism of slavery and sympathy for
the American and French revolutionaries, while simultaneously affirming her
religious belief and dedication to the national interest (73). In doing so,
Knowles became one of the foremost defenders of Quakers in a culture that
increasingly questioned their patriotism and religious conviction.â<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
She was
not afraid to âstir the potâ and in June of 1788, when asked to write a poem
for the top of a tobacco box, she took the opportunity to write about abolition:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Tho various tints the human face adorn<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
To glorious Liberty Mankind are born;
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
O, May the hands which rais'd this fav'rite weed
<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
Be loos'd in mercy and the slave be
freed! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
âKnowles
had defended womenâs liberty in her debate with Johnson in 1778, and she now
extended this principle to all humans. The arguments she expressed were
rational, nonsectarian, and based on universal rights. For Knowles, religious
liberty led to political and social freedom, and her brief poem reminded the
owner of the tobacco box about the important political issue of freedom for
African slaves and abolition of the slave trade.â <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Mary
Knowles went against the grain, much like the radical Quakers before her.
I appreciated reading of her advocating for abolition, education for women,
equality, and peace. Her writings are not easily available but are in The
Religious Society of Friends library in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
Most
widely held works by Mary Knowles:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/185028408">Dialogue between Dr. Johnson and Mrs.
Knowles </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/015443254">A brief account of the vision and
death of the late Lord Lyttelton to which is added, an anecdote of Lord Kames
and the melancholy end of a profligate young man </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/027371088">Dialogue between Mrs. Knowles and Dr.
Johnson </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/038819584">Hacking River catchment : a pollution
source inventory </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/054163342">A compendium of a controversy on
water-baptism </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/562038158">Mrs. Knowles. [A biography; with a
portrait.] </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/690398500">Dialogue between Dr. Johnson and Mrs.
Knowles </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/084066558">Compendium of a controversy on
water-baptism </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/028532154">A Tpl to C++ translator </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/032983486">Adolescent family disengagement : an
empirical test of Haley's model </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/065028693">Four biographies [of Samuel Johnson],
1786-1805</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/071446844">A survey of the defence policy of the
Dutch government during the inter-war period and of the attitude of the Social
Democratic Workers' Party and the Liberal Democratic League to the defense
issue </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/207287840">A brief account of the vision and
death of the late Lord Lyttelton; : to which is added, an anecdote of Lord
Kaimes [i.e., Kames], and the melancholy end of a profligate young man </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/052891590">AL, [England] to Mrs. Bradney </a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/612739600">The Pope's journey to the other
worlds, to seek advice and assistance against the National assembly of
France </a><br /><a href="http://worldcat.org/oclc/032434864" style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sunset
curtains, draperies & shades </a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Resources used in the writing of this post:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Breuninger, S. (2009). <i>Gender,
religion, and radicalism in the long eighteenth century: the âingenious quakerâ
and her connections - by Judith Jennings.
</i><em><span style="font-style: normal;">Historian,</span></em> <em>71</em>(1).
Retrieved from <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-6563.2008.00233_17.x/full">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-6563.2008.00233_17.x/full</a>
<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Jennings, J. (2007). Mary Morris Knowles:
(1733-1807). Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/knowles.htm" style="font-size: small;">http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/knowles.htm</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Mary Knowles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2014,
August 1). Retrieved September 8, 2014, from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Knowles#cite_note-12" style="font-size: small;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Knowles#cite_note-12</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small; text-indent: -22.5pt;">WorldCat Identities. (2010).
Knowles, Mary 1733-1807. Retrieved September 8, 2014,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">from <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-nr93-44409/">http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-nr93-44409/</a></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: .05in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -22.5pt;">
#QuakerWomen #WomensHistoryMonth #Quakers #Friends</div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-39873515326525682112017-03-02T16:50:00.000-07:002017-08-11T17:03:35.413-06:00Quaker Women Series: Elizabeth Hooton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqwHG0d-s5cV1B-VzLoYWWM6R3QG8-zV-U_lnoasmjcyBi5Lj7-l3FliASKJwOIjndFUN7N1W-dLtQTXPdunAcjOkoz906Pv9ouDdedfmUVDKcNmzgAiEfoOacL0jAl5I4KPu/s1600/Quaker+Women+Series.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="1400" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqwHG0d-s5cV1B-VzLoYWWM6R3QG8-zV-U_lnoasmjcyBi5Lj7-l3FliASKJwOIjndFUN7N1W-dLtQTXPdunAcjOkoz906Pv9ouDdedfmUVDKcNmzgAiEfoOacL0jAl5I4KPu/s400/Quaker+Women+Series.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>âTravelling through some parts of Leicestershire, and into Nottinghamshire, I met with a tender people, and a very tender woman, whose name was Elizabeth Hooton.â <br />George Fox</b></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CBu2Q4EqJH9b6JxTSzizUi9U9My5YyAgslI6OqOsI80YPSjJgHyQ9L1ZVWH-zao-1wuYrBPnhncH_VWZBiwe85WNJ7Yn5IdyQYNXwnz-dGydnDF0oQFDe_48634x_YDNfVKh/s1600/Hooten+pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="221" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CBu2Q4EqJH9b6JxTSzizUi9U9My5YyAgslI6OqOsI80YPSjJgHyQ9L1ZVWH-zao-1wuYrBPnhncH_VWZBiwe85WNJ7Yn5IdyQYNXwnz-dGydnDF0oQFDe_48634x_YDNfVKh/s200/Hooten+pic.png" width="145" /></a>The first Quaker woman I am featuring in my "Quaker Women" series for Women's History Month is Elizabeth Hooton, George Fox's first convert and preacher! Who was this woman? <br />
<br />
Elizabeth Hooton (Hooten), was born in the early 1600s in England. She met George Fox in 1647 and the two began a life-long friendship that was filled with imprisonment, beatings, shunning, and more. In her book, âThe Valiant Sixty,â (which included Elizabeth Hooton) Elfrida Vipont describes her as âmotherly, devout, and open-minded.â Her husband, Oliver, was not as quick to join the movement but eventually was convinced and âmeetings were held in their home at Skegby, near Mansfield.â Oliver and Elizabeth had five children: Thomas (1636), John (1639), Josiah (1641), Samuel (1633) and Elizabeth (1636). Samuel and Elizabeth both suffered for religious freedom, like their mother. <br />
<br />
<br />
Elizabeth, considered middle-aged when she began ministry, as previously mentioned, was the first Quaker preacher. Gerald Croese states, âAfter her example, many of her Sex had the confidence to undertake the same office.â According to Walter Williams, she was part of the first small groups called, âChildren of Lightâ and âFriends of Truth.<br />
<br />
Reading Emily Mannerâs book, âElizabeth Hooton, the first Quaker woman preacher (1600-1672),â was an eye opening experience of what transpired in her life after becoming a Quaker. Elizabeth suffered imprisonment numerous times. The first time was in 1650 at Derby for speaking to a priest. It was during this time that she wrote her first of many letters, many of them to public officials. <br />
<br />
Her time in the prison at Derby is the first of many. By 1652, she served sixteen months at York Castle (prison) for preaching. During her imprisonments, she wrote letter after letter informing public officials of the harsh treatment of the prisoners and of their wrongful imprisonment. She signed her letter, âElizabeth Hooton, A prisoner of the Lord in Yorke Castle.â A common theme in her letters was, âShe denounces in no measured terms the corruptness of Judges, Magistrates, teachers and clergymen, and all officers are gaolers and compares them to Herod and Pontius PilateâŠ!" Each time she was released from prison, she went right back to what she had been doing; which landed her in prison repeatedly. In fact, âshe was the first sufferer for the Truth in Lincolnshire.â<br />
<br />
While beatings were common in prison, Elizabeth suffered abuse outside the prison walls, too. There is record that âApril 2, 1660: Elizabeth Hooton, passing quietly on the road, was met by one Jackson, Priest of Selston, who abused her, beat her with many blows, knocked her down, and afterward put her into the water.â This is the last record of her early service in England. <br />
<br />
<div>
âShe was stepping from pan to fire.â<br />
<br />
Persecution followed Elizabeth to America where she was imprisoned in Boston for visiting other Friends who were prisoners. In 1661, she and her companion, Joan Broksopp, traveled to Boston. She said, â⊠for God and his people to those people in the heate of persecution, and if God required us to lay down our lives for the testimony of Jesus and in love to their soules, not knowing but what they might heare and so be saved so they might be left without excuse and God might have his glory and we cleare of their bloud if they would not heareâŠâ It was a crime to be a Quaker in the new world. It was in Boston that she and her daughter were whipped together. <br />
<br />
Each time I read of her abuse and imprisonment, followed by her release, followed by her repeat of what landed her in prison before, I realize she had the Light, that is the Holy Spirit, inside her that empowered her to continue whatever task He set before her. She did not allow abuse, which I have come to believe was rape, beatings, whippings, flogging, starving, nor disease to alter the coarse set before her. Her experiences as the first Quaker woman preacher, one of the valiant sixty, and a sufferer for Jesus are extensive and detailed. From the time she became a Quaker until her final breath in Jamaica in January of 1672, she never stopped loving man; âYea, the Love that I bear to the Souls of all Men, makes me willing to undergo whatsoever can be inflicted.â<br />
<br />
Emily Manners summarizes Elizabethâs life beautifully and with a challenge for us today: âShe played her part in the heroic age of the Society of Friends: always valiant for the truth, quick to seize any opportunity that offered to plead the cause of her fellow sufferers, even though her own sufferings made the occasion â fearless in denouncing the evils of the time â far in advance of the age in which she lived in her advocacy of prison and other reforms, and though her methods may appear strangely uncouth in our politer days, yet her history is eloquent in its lessons for us, conscious, it may be, that, in the words of Whittier, âThe spiritâs temper grows too soft in this still air.ââ<br />
<br />
Has the Spirit's temper grown too soft in this still air?<br />
<br />
â⊠She was a Godly Woman and had a great care lay upon her for people to walk in Truth that did profess it, and from her receiving Truth, she never turned her back on it but was fervent and faithful for it till death.â George Fox<br />
<br />
Included below are sources used in the writing of this post. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">References:<br />Clayton, J. (2013, January, 08). Tough as nails. [web blog post] Retrieved from <a href="http://www.laboringinthelord.com/tough-as-nails">http://www.laboringinthelord.com/tough-as-nails</a>.<br />Jones, R. (Ed.). (1976). The journal of George Fox. Friends United Press: Richmond, Indiana.<br />Manners, E., & Penny, N. (1914). Elizabeth Hooton, the first Quaker woman preacher (1600-1672). (e-book) London: Headley brothers.<br />Vipont, E. (1975). George Fox and the valiant sixty. London: Hamish Hamilton.<br />Williams, W. (1987). The rich heritage of Quakerism. Barclay Press: Newberg, Oregon.</span><br />
<br />
#QuakerWomen #womenpreachers #Friends #Quakers #ElizabethHooton #GeorgeFox #WomensHistoryMonth </div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-5882439660784211012017-02-28T19:31:00.002-07:002017-02-28T19:31:42.710-07:00Quaker Girl's Journey to Lent Year 5Five years ago I began my journey to Lent. There are over 30 posts, to date, documenting this journey, and you can read through them <a href="http://mamacitalujan.blogspot.com/search/label/Lent" target="_blank">here</a>, if you so desire. Each year I seem to add or subtract something as I listen and obey the Holy Spirit's promptings. That's pretty much my daily goal, too. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This year, I am stepping outside my comfort zone and am hosting an online accountability group as we read through the Gospel of John together. You can follow and join me <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WomanofValorWarrior/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjegX9sOnEYHpUISK-CS9xLhBc8mC9Vk4HeIEJeJbzf0W3xHdu5lxelaEC7vwumaOofFFCGlcglMKavdPF72UIqdzrnUjIIT1GUe5VgsRcZSh_dmXJOmp1_cOS9XUERGkZpYHm/s1600/introverts_unite_separately_in_your_own_homes_poster-r3c11ccf8b72445d2b45074668522cc34_a3uq_8byvr_512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjegX9sOnEYHpUISK-CS9xLhBc8mC9Vk4HeIEJeJbzf0W3xHdu5lxelaEC7vwumaOofFFCGlcglMKavdPF72UIqdzrnUjIIT1GUe5VgsRcZSh_dmXJOmp1_cOS9XUERGkZpYHm/s320/introverts_unite_separately_in_your_own_homes_poster-r3c11ccf8b72445d2b45074668522cc34_a3uq_8byvr_512.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">2017: This Lenten Season and beyond... To build up habits that will bring holistic health, and lose the idols that have made me unhealthy in all the areas of my life. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm also challenging myself to read (or listen) to the Bible as much (or more) than I am on social media. I started this challenge yesterday and I am always amazed how much awareness leads to action. I read (listened) 40 minutes yesterday and had about the same amount of time on social media by the end of the day. Today, I have read (listened) 75 minutes and have spent maybe 30 on social media. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This is helping me prepare for reading the Gospel of John through Lent and prepping my heart and mind to be ready to be held accountable to reading and journeying with others as they desire the same. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHsATQIbt-Aq9lsf1oxELbSFfst7HhbC5oCmvwjb2p98MIaFC8UrBXAlErpxvu53KlrCoCoOZ8Iob9Ls27HhJmpVUw2GPXAf7eqP7tuT_jCXZSmJ2U4pAwvKlOlVeWCRdlSlq/s1600/iron+sharpens+iron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHsATQIbt-Aq9lsf1oxELbSFfst7HhbC5oCmvwjb2p98MIaFC8UrBXAlErpxvu53KlrCoCoOZ8Iob9Ls27HhJmpVUw2GPXAf7eqP7tuT_jCXZSmJ2U4pAwvKlOlVeWCRdlSlq/s320/iron+sharpens+iron.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have had both introverts and extroverts say how this online group is meeting a need in their lives. For introverts, they don't have to leave their home to dive into God's word with other people. For extroverts, they like the idea of having social interaction around reading the Bible. Everyone seems to like the idea of having different levels of involvement. From reading the verses and hitting "like" to say you read it. Bam! You're done. To sharing what God revealed to you during your time together - to learning new Bible study tool techniques and digging deeper. The bottom line is, we are all busy. Our schedules are crazy and traditional face-to-face studies are not always an option. This format caters to all of us ready to try something new and grow closer to God in the process. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6CJoUYaYWWoTeuLzEGyq-Fy5e4dOIsRULkMEZZ4M3fMGne7dg1li2wH3WBI6c3FEQ62xy9WkyWdHcaEo_U7lGjEBKUN0laeY6kc-oFjo1igK1CGWqIh_fMCh1xJosBshiX_9/s1600/extroverts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6CJoUYaYWWoTeuLzEGyq-Fy5e4dOIsRULkMEZZ4M3fMGne7dg1li2wH3WBI6c3FEQ62xy9WkyWdHcaEo_U7lGjEBKUN0laeY6kc-oFjo1igK1CGWqIh_fMCh1xJosBshiX_9/s320/extroverts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">If this sounds like something you might want to try, find out more on the page and give it a whirl. We don't have much to lose, right? Just click on the picture below:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/WomanofValorWarrior/?ref=bookmarks" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlOoeo0OkVXXABPtA8xVxRvw-ZGuG3TP35d16YuJLOpvpSQ1CC5t76Rg0I9oImDwp4E0Uh2PqNDEUfHLtFNB5XlWjMRCSXGTOCKj6CjcxAyzW0aoOqWoNAwxnHUEiGJmLE707/s320/eshet+chayil+warrior.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WomanofValorWarrior/?ref=bookmarks" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/WomanofValorWarrior/?ref=bookmarks</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
By the way, "Woman of Valor" refers to me; it was not meant to be an exclusively female page. Here's to preparing our hearts for the celebration of our Lord's resurrection! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
#GospelofJohn #Lent2017 #WomanofValor </div>
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: times, times new roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-9001229029959364862017-02-17T09:35:00.001-07:002017-02-17T09:35:06.448-07:00Beating the Odds<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0NZgty_tUcNh50tW-4eCTJVxh_O6zyof8DWyUnbChqblQeA2QuphMzq1VVK1bqGfId_gzm0frzdvMqbfVrmInSE6tKCngBUk_2akxn8rcxlChLHjtlJaJ06n7EL17GWwQny5/s1600/bigstock-Two-hearts-on-dice-one-broken-36433666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0NZgty_tUcNh50tW-4eCTJVxh_O6zyof8DWyUnbChqblQeA2QuphMzq1VVK1bqGfId_gzm0frzdvMqbfVrmInSE6tKCngBUk_2akxn8rcxlChLHjtlJaJ06n7EL17GWwQny5/s200/bigstock-Two-hearts-on-dice-one-broken-36433666.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Transparency is something people desire - real people in their real lives being honest about their dirt. Here is a glimpse into my marriage and how we are beating the odds stacked against us before we ever married. What odds? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For starters, while this is my first marriage, it is my
husbandâs second marriage. Right away,
our marriage is categorized as higher risk.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another factor that increases our odds of divorce is the
fact my husband already had children. To
make that increase even higher, they lived with us! Why might that increase the odds of our
marriage failing? Numerous articles and
personal testimonies talk about adding children to the equation. Learning to adjust to the relationships your
spouse has with his/her children and the extended family that were âpre-youâ is
complicated. Tensions rise when
loyalties are questioned and conflict closely follows. Children struggle with the changes that come
with their biological parentâs re-marrying, and the separation that naturally
occurs with their extended families.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the parent of the children, learning to value and honor
both spouse and children is difficult when a choice has to be made. Someone is going to end up hurt and angry,
creating the tension mentioned above.
Most cases feel like a lose-lose situation, especially in the early
days. We remember those early days well
and they are not fond memories, either. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Letâs take a look at a check-list of things that make
relationships higher risk for divorce:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Previously divorced</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Having divorced parents (he does, I do not)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Parents re-married after divorce (significantly
increases divorce rates)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Children from prior marriages/relationships</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Alcohol and/or drug abuse â thankfully we met in
recovery</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Extreme financial difficulties (make less than
$50,000/year)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Experiencing economic recovery</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.75in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Co-habitation
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.75in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Premarital
pregnancy </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.75in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Marrying
at a young age (statistics state marriages before the age of 21 have a higher
divorce rate).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.75in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->No
religious affiliation</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 57.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -39.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Age discrepancy of 8 or more years</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 57.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -39.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Bi-racial couple</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 93.0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -75.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Either
or both smoke</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 93.0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -75.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Either
or both drink two or more alcoholic beverages a day (average)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 93.0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -75.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";">o<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Either
or both have a cancer diagnosis</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 129.0pt; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -111.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Live in <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 129.0pt; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -111.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Raising daughters (as opposed to sons)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 129.0pt; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -111.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Chronic pain (him)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 129.0pt; mso-list: l1 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -111.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">ĂŒ<span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Depression (me)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This list is in no way complete. Active alcohol and drug use, abuse, and
infidelity are not mentioned above but those high risk factors certainly
increase the odds of a marriage ending in divorce. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is overwhelming looking at the list above and how many
check-marks there are. How are we
beating these odds? Some of these odds
have significant increase percentages, so high that if we added them together
we should have divorced long ago. So
what are we doing (and what have we done) to protect our relationship?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Church Home.</b> We are invested in a church family and they
invest in us. Having a home church,
studies say, decreases the odds of divorce.
We have had a church family since before we were married and we see the
benefit of having them in our marriage and in the health of our family. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Counseling</b>. Not only pre-marital counseling, but
counseling through different times of our marriage. We see counseling getting a bad rap for
couples. That it means you are on the
verge of divorce. A last ditch effort to
save your marriage. We see it entirely
differently! We see it as <b>marriage maintenance</b>! Getting a different perspective, creating a
safe place to discuss hot topics, and seeking the counsel of another are
helpful in working through stressful situations and decisions. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="https://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/" target="_blank">Financial <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Peace</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place></a>
(FPU).</b> We are not joking when we say
FPU likely saved our marriage. Financial
strain and stress is a HIGH divorce factor.
This course, and the people in our class, made a significant impact in
our lives. We consider three of these
couples ones we can share our financial woes without fear of judgment. Having a <b>budget</b>
and talking openly with one another about financial fears is ongoing. Not allowing our finances to determine our
happiness was HUGE! We may be broke but
we are not poor. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Recovery. </b>For two people who met in Alcoholics
Anonymous, we cannot ever afford to forget that we are in recovery. Self-care and accountability are needed and
support of the other to keep their own recovery as a priority is needed in our
relationship. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Medication. </b> Being willing to seek medical attention for my
depression is an ongoing self-care decision.
Taking my medication keeps the various hormones and chemicals in my body
more balanced and makes daily living easier.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are some factors we have never had control over, like
our parents. We cannot change our age
difference, our race, the gender of our children, and where we were born and
raised (we can chose what country we live in).
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Letâs be honest, we had no idea what we were getting
ourselves into. While we knew what
issues we were starting with, well most of them anyway; we did not know what
struggles were in our future. None of us
do. Being real with one another, other people, is a way we can learn from each other. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We did not know what secrets the other kept, that things from our past would
raise their ugly heads and knock us down.
We knew we had scars but we did not know how deep those scars went and
what healing still needed to happen. We
did not know we would need to have emotional and spiritual surgery and re-open
wounds we thought had healed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We did not know the number of fights we would have over
money, children, and decisions we were making.
We did not know the number of tears that would fall because of the harsh
words said by the other. We were two
people, two broken people, who were trying to making a whole couple. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In order to make something whole from broken pieces, you
need all of the pieces, or at least something to fill the missing area. Once we learned we could not be whole, we
learned God could and would fill the broken areas and we could be broken
together. The first time I heard the
song, âBroken Together,â by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms, I bawled - tears
streaming down my face, snot too. It was
us. God healed us. God heals us,
still. Daily. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZAAvPDgKf30/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZAAvPDgKf30?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">So, here we are. Beating the odds, one day at a time; some days are good, some not-so-good, and some are flat out awful, but here we are. We made a commitment to one another and to God. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV) says, âThough one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.â As long as we keep God in the center of our marriage and each of us are willing to put the other before ourselves, to be on each otherâs side, each the strongest supporter of the other, praying together and dying to self each day, we will continue to beat the odds that have been stacked against us since before we married. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">#BrokenTogether #EgalitarianMarriage #BeatingTheOdds</span><br />
</div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-70764345599025352682017-02-13T11:03:00.000-07:002017-02-13T11:03:37.056-07:00Expressing Love<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Valentine's Day is dreaded by many people for different reasons. One of those reasons is it serves as a reminder that they do not a human professing romantic (<i>eros</i>) love. For some, February 14th is "National Singles Awareness Day." Some joke about it, some cry about, but the fact remains - our culture has made romantic expressions of love a priority, when in reality, it is just the surface! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another reason is they feel it has become commercialized and the people benefiting the most are in the flower, card, chocolate, and jewelry businesses. They see Valentine's Day as an "industry."</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A third reason has been raised - we should express love 365 days a year and not just one. That expressing love should always be our goal and by setting one day aside we excuse lazy expressions of love for 364 days. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WHAT IF.... We changed the way we view love?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wYcMA9iLLvFXP869l9Ml_oQ9QZSJWjno7lc-pb9lW3UgWVdvejN-g47D0qDsTqCq2XTutSZ5LnJgcwr_LD94-5N2b_-MlaDUNQgN2CzwhtSGGm5dBEAQuf4HPkb-j6k4LL3y/s1600/agapelove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8wYcMA9iLLvFXP869l9Ml_oQ9QZSJWjno7lc-pb9lW3UgWVdvejN-g47D0qDsTqCq2XTutSZ5LnJgcwr_LD94-5N2b_-MlaDUNQgN2CzwhtSGGm5dBEAQuf4HPkb-j6k4LL3y/s320/agapelove.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is more to love than <i>eros</i>! We have <i>phileo</i>, (friendship) love, as well as <i>agape</i> (commitment) love. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Of the three Greek words for love and their meanings, e</span></span><i style="color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">ros </i><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">is the more selfish love ("I want you") compared to </span></span><i style="color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">phileo</i><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> ("I like you") and </span></span><i style="color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">agape</i><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> ("I love you unconditionally). There is nothing wrong with wanting (or having) all three but at the end of the day, I want to know my friends, including my husband, are committed to me and love me unconditionally; and that is what I want my friends, including my husband, to know. I will work on having and expressing that kind of love. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WHAT IF... We changed the way we expressed love? </span></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some ways we can express love deeper than e<i>ros. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></i></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Phileo - mutual love:</b></span></i></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spend time with people you love versus seeking their attention.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Give them companionship versus pleasure.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead of "wooing" them, work at improving areas of communication.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Show them you want to walk side-by-side; not wanting them by your side (mental shift of how you view them). </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Agape - unselfish love:</span></i></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to giving them time, give them your trust.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to giving them companionship, give them yourself.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to working at improving communication, see their worth, independent of anything they do (or don't do).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While being side-by-side, be on their side. </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">Change begins with us, as individuals! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Let's show <i>phileo</i> and <i>agape</i> love to those around us</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><span style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> We can make Valentine's Day more than a day for lovers. We can make it about showing the love of Jesus to those around us, family, friend, acquaintance, and stranger. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jesus loves us with </span><i style="color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;">agape</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> love. Take a moment and soak these lyrics in, "O, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus," written by Samuel Trevor Franics, arranged by Tom Fettke:
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1vUhwyjdk8A/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1vUhwyjdk8A?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For my single family and friends, if this day reminds you of something/someone you don't have but want, I am sorry! My prayer is you are shown love by others in abundant ways that remind you of our Father's love. I pray people express their love to you in powerful ways that leave you cherishing those relationships. I love you. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For my family and friends in romantic relationships, I pray you are challenged to look beyond flowers, cards, chocolate, and jewelry and give the ones you love your time and trust. Find some chore you have put off and do it because it means something to your loved one. Tell them how much they mean to you and affirm their gifts. Remember, "love unexpressed is love unknown." </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For my family and friends who mourn the loss of their lover, I grieve with you. Many widows and widowers impact my life and my marriage from your life experiences of love. Thank you. I love you. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">#ValentinesDay #NationalSinglesAwarenessDay #Agape #Phileo #Eros </span>Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-84780470223795270912017-01-10T11:47:00.001-07:002017-01-10T11:47:28.516-07:00Mommy's Happy Pill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxg4sWDVMzLIt43w7chIfDHl43Pbr8-EzU27tXTnzxU5zUV3pffxlACUM_c5QwvtZ4wUfysvUzMF4lVMfOScLxGKcstpkl1oIpHl_u8iL9eOm1kDzYaFIJZEBgbi4vRiIduG9/s1600/Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxg4sWDVMzLIt43w7chIfDHl43Pbr8-EzU27tXTnzxU5zUV3pffxlACUM_c5QwvtZ4wUfysvUzMF4lVMfOScLxGKcstpkl1oIpHl_u8iL9eOm1kDzYaFIJZEBgbi4vRiIduG9/s320/Image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yesterday was a bad day. Now, bad is relative. For some, having <i>another </i>snow day makes it a bad day. I'll be the first to admit to groaning when I learned we were having YET ANOTHER snow day today! A bad day for me <i>usually</i> means my responses are a bit snippy, everyone and everything is on my nerves, but I can pull out of it. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfJagIr5qooc_3-QEjZ6_C6gZ-5KJb4zxjReX7u7qeFRyr-hTaLrVB-eDIbfeVNM2MO5GgizQd13c_yxYKJAL4t8PuZAaIDgzsatgQuSiy8n2zHUd79vtRvND2Tn8PaPuIG8S/s1600/fb8528d9463f28b1b95e69c06c199e26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxfJagIr5qooc_3-QEjZ6_C6gZ-5KJb4zxjReX7u7qeFRyr-hTaLrVB-eDIbfeVNM2MO5GgizQd13c_yxYKJAL4t8PuZAaIDgzsatgQuSiy8n2zHUd79vtRvND2Tn8PaPuIG8S/s1600/fb8528d9463f28b1b95e69c06c199e26.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br />A bad day used to mean something entirely different. It was dark. Heavy. Unmanageable. Interfering with daily life. After exhausting every non prescription idea and remedy, I finally got to the desperation place to try an antidepressant; much to my family's relief. I hated the first ones I tried as they made me not feel anything. When I finally found one that made the highs not so high and the lows not so low, I kept taking it. Then, we decided to start a family so I stopped taking it for several years while I was pregnant and/or nursing. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Fast forward to depression interfering with daily life again and getting back to the place of admittance that an antidepressant is needed. Which brings us back to yesterday...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Due to a situation with our insurance and a mistake they made, I was delaying filling my Rx until my co-pay was back in working order. I started decreasing my dose and getting two days per pill in hopes of any day the co-pay would be back and I could fill my Rx. Well, without talking to anyone (stupid pride), my bottle ran out and I went a couple days without - cold turkey (a big no-no). After several hours of misery yesterday, I called the pharmacist and found out my Rx was not super expensive! I then found a coupon online that reduced the price by a third! Prescription filled and full dose was back in order. YAY! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnp4tV_NpVES8aHNbdurBmH_H1jhPtWlhVwc_-Sfq09gG3Tg-v4WPSAKA-FTqZi08PiR25LScMNY4UzHKC8XRDrmgbq9uBiIPZpyFPREhctgaraTPGJ_6gMP5NBvsPIIgO0gwL/s1600/keep_calm_and_take_the_pills_in_all_colors_postcard-ra9e8ac1660574b748a1615f0a0d84eea_vgbaq_8byvr_324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnp4tV_NpVES8aHNbdurBmH_H1jhPtWlhVwc_-Sfq09gG3Tg-v4WPSAKA-FTqZi08PiR25LScMNY4UzHKC8XRDrmgbq9uBiIPZpyFPREhctgaraTPGJ_6gMP5NBvsPIIgO0gwL/s320/keep_calm_and_take_the_pills_in_all_colors_postcard-ra9e8ac1660574b748a1615f0a0d84eea_vgbaq_8byvr_324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This post is not a Rx pusher but a "real life" post about life with depression. I learned several things this past week. One - my Rx is needed. Two - Should I decide to stop taking said Rx, I need to do so gradually so I do not have horrid withdrawal symptoms (shakes, skin crawling, skin itching, skin tender to the touch, foggy head). Third - I need to get the facts of my situation before making decisions (price was affordable and this whole thing could have been avoided if I had called pharmacy 10 days ago). Four - I need to tell my hubby when I start messing with my dosage so he is at least aware my mental health is being compromised. <br />
<br />
Sometimes depression is for a season. Sometimes it is because of a season. Sometimes it just is. There are MANY things one can do to ease the symptoms of depression and these help the overall mental health of people in general: spiritual disciplines, exercise, eating healthy, vitamins, and essential oils to name a few. I feel better in every way when I am disciplined in those areas. For some of us, though, that is not enough. And that is okay. Sometimes medical issues can be controlled without prescriptions. I manage my cholesterol without an Rx (through diet and exercise), another family member controls high blood pressure through diet and exercise; so sometimes mental health issues can be controlled and managed without a Rx. Sometimes, a prescription is needed to get things under control faster (high blood pressure or cholesterol, for example) and then the number can be managed without the Rx. All this to say, sometimes a prescription is needed and sometimes it is not. It does mean the person who chooses to take a Rx is taking the easy way out nor does it mean they are less of a person for taking said Rx. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHeDhUsDGCRvoaZ6T9dOErdaJ5RgQxMWIaIqqSO2yK_IhWu1caaUB5ztNYV39kQAhrGNNOpFwSaCRx2ry3IWRRH7IIEWEzLVHlUmqtgtj4Knzt6q5TPktxxH5CjxwFtjxYoGi/s1600/happy+pills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHeDhUsDGCRvoaZ6T9dOErdaJ5RgQxMWIaIqqSO2yK_IhWu1caaUB5ztNYV39kQAhrGNNOpFwSaCRx2ry3IWRRH7IIEWEzLVHlUmqtgtj4Knzt6q5TPktxxH5CjxwFtjxYoGi/s320/happy+pills.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Anyway, yesterday was a bad day. Today is better. Tomorrow will be better yet (especially if the kids go to school). Mental health issues do not need to be taboo. I love Jesus and He loves me and our relationship is not based on whether or not I take a pill. Conversations about depression and other mental health issues are needed in the church so we can better support one another. We talk about other health issues - it's high time we talk about this one, too. <br /><br />Here is a snip-it of Scripture that is currently speaking to me. Feel free to read the whole section, though, for the bigger picture:<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Liberation Sans", FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;">O lord, you are my lamp. The lord lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. âGodâs way is perfect. All the lord âs promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. 2 Samuel 22:29-31</span><div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Liberation Sans", FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 19px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
#depression #mentalhealthawareness #semicolonproject </div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-48345469690139233032017-01-09T17:16:00.000-07:002017-01-09T17:16:04.288-07:00Christmas 2016I had a wonderful Christmas season. Our children got us some amazing gifts that I admit make me a super proud moma. For starters, they know we enjoy having date nights at home so several of them got us gift bags to help us enjoy our home date nights! From movies to snacks, we are set for several home date nights. LOVE IT!<br />
<br />
Another favorite gift we received was from T & N, who live in Portland. They surprised us with a Portland getaway to come see them! We cannot wait to redeem this gift and the opportunity to spend time together with them in their stomping grounds. <br />
<br />
Through the years we have changed our gift giving from when we started our family and were overspending on needless gifts so our kids would just have more things to open to gifts that mean something. We have done several different challenges through the years and while we did name an official challenge this year, I am content with how our gift giving turned out. Here's a sampling:<br />
<br />
Most of the kids got books, either to complete a series or starting a new one. One daughter got silverware since she is getting married this year; the other daughter got a new pair of boots that should help her out with her student teaching this semester. The little boys got fleece blankets in their favorite sport team's fabric and sport bags to store their stinky sports stuff in. HA! <br />
<br />
I am also super excited that I got special quilt square rulers and a 2011 NIV Bible! <br />
<br />
Anyway, I have posted through the years about gift giving and thought I should keep the tradition going. <br />
<br />
Merry Christmas 2016!<br />
<br />
#giftgiving #Christmas2016 #frugality #FPUJoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-16713001202141871242016-10-08T19:03:00.000-06:002016-10-08T19:03:19.075-06:00Distractions
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuN81Tqy2G0FNoi_BnVer0yhC4MdV1AMumMwQf2HQBq4m-Gd2z5JXB6PFKWqpN7K3xUR7KErI8fDRxKTnqkRdHYTovuNWzNLhhp6qXWjS7JOn4nBkpVqPnqxKB5MapuoJ2hZpn/s1600/distraction-quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuN81Tqy2G0FNoi_BnVer0yhC4MdV1AMumMwQf2HQBq4m-Gd2z5JXB6PFKWqpN7K3xUR7KErI8fDRxKTnqkRdHYTovuNWzNLhhp6qXWjS7JOn4nBkpVqPnqxKB5MapuoJ2hZpn/s320/distraction-quote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Distraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Merriam-Webster
dictionary defines a distraction as<span class="intro-colon">:</span> something
that makes it difficult to think or pay attention; something that amuses or
entertains you so that you do not think about problems, work, etc.; a state in
which you are very annoyed or upset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was distracted this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While not a
new occurrence, I usually handle my distractions exactly as Merriam-Webster
describes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a hard time thinking
and paying attention to what I needed to (school and research project) and I
was very annoyed or upset (not that uncommon either).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The difference this week, though, was what I
did while âdistracted.â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of
spinning my wheels and wasting time, I read verses over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I re-read emails sent as encouragement to me as a Quaker woman called to pastoral ministry and others reminded me of Godâs provision. I looked up things I had prayed for and
saw some AWESOME answers to prayer that I had not gone back and thanked God
for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I did it this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked for ways to remind myself of Godâs
provision and care in my life and the lives of those I love and care
about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I claimed them as assurance and
promise for the plans He has for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
lesson I learned this week was while some distractions are negative and serve
no other purpose than to take our eyes OFF Jesus, some distractions are needed
to stop thinking about unimportant things and focus ON Jesus!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all distractions are bad â this week the
rabbit trails I went down took me down paths of hope, assurance, affirmation,
and calling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like others, I can get caught in a cycle of selfishness,
thinking if something is connected to me in some way then in must be about me
in some way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, I learned another
lesson this week in which the Holy Spirit stepped in and made it very clear to
me that what I was worried about was not about me at all but about Satan
fighting for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was AMAZING to hear
the Holy Spirit say, âThis is my battle.â<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am not sure I have ever felt the Holy Spirit physically stand between
me and Satan but I did this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was a physical barrier and I just have to say, it was âgoosebumpsâ awesome!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitG71UDft2A1s3W8ZfKYLinKn9KxpH1-fPFVT2ZdYw_RyWaP1fOAOVG3PqYx5Nv01JEbl68ccNO4YBaAwTFXCh8wX_OFNa-ooDdDT_d6u4MD7CnCgQvVi01dCiMqFR2oYGNDCe/s1600/2Chron2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitG71UDft2A1s3W8ZfKYLinKn9KxpH1-fPFVT2ZdYw_RyWaP1fOAOVG3PqYx5Nv01JEbl68ccNO4YBaAwTFXCh8wX_OFNa-ooDdDT_d6u4MD7CnCgQvVi01dCiMqFR2oYGNDCe/s320/2Chron2017.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I John 5:18, âI am born of God, and the evil one cannot
touch me!â<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">âI have been rescued from Satanâs domain and transferred
into the kingdom of Christâ (Col. 1:13).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">âI have been established, anointed, and sealed by Godâ (2
Cor. 1:21, 22). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At the end of the week, I can say, with assurance, the words to the song
I have been singing, âIt is well!â <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Txg5nOIZYO8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Txg5nOIZYO8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> References</span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Distraction</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8,
2016, from <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distraction">http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/distraction</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">#HolySpirit #QuakerWomen #Deliverance </span></div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-66766650045598017052016-09-11T08:27:00.000-06:002016-09-11T08:27:03.791-06:00This is My Song - A Song of Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Dt_CzDQhTck/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dt_CzDQhTck?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<h2 class="song-viewer-title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: akagi_probook, HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 1.6875rem; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
This is My Song - A Song Of Peace </h2>
<h2 class="song-viewer-title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: akagi_probook, HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 1.6875rem; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
(Finlandia)</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
By Sibelius and Stone</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="song-viewer-part" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2c2a29; font-family: akagi_probook, HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 1.4375rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
<br /></h3>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2c2a29; font-family: akagi_probook, HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">This is my song</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">O God of all the nations</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">For song of peace</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">For lands afar and mine</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">This is my home the country where</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">My heart is here are my hopes</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">My dreams my holy shrine</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">But other hearts in other</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Lands are beating with hopes and</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Dreams as true and high as mine</span></div>
<br />
<h3 class="song-viewer-part" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2c2a29; font-family: akagi_probook, HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 1.4375rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
<br /></h3>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #2c2a29; font-family: akagi_probook, HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue Light", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">My country's skies</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Are bluer than the ocean</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">And sunlight beams</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">On cloverleaf and pine</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">But other lands have sunlight</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Too and clover</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">And skies are everywhere</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">As blue as mine</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">O hear my song</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Thou God of all the nations</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">A song of peace for</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Their land and for mine</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">I will never forget 9/11, and the aftermath that occurred. I believe the same God who holds me in the palm of his hand is holding my brothers and sisters of every nation in the same palm. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">Falling to my knees. Break this spoiled American girl so she can see through humble and loving eyes to the hurting people in her path each day. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 1.6;">#peace #anthem #myprayer</span></div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-82911309789947440922016-09-09T17:02:00.000-06:002016-09-09T17:02:01.711-06:00Worship - Our First Response?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBkYDnkQh0w-xxW3JqcqIpKgJDpZdxYLU0NaT_Ck_Yjh08MlWgGSPu8_56EXfX5omtX2n7ob4BCo1aSwiXUzsHOZALvIB6SYpx26tW5HAqF5TQXjfnBMLnuUovDGkNruShUaO/s1600/Job.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBkYDnkQh0w-xxW3JqcqIpKgJDpZdxYLU0NaT_Ck_Yjh08MlWgGSPu8_56EXfX5omtX2n7ob4BCo1aSwiXUzsHOZALvIB6SYpx26tW5HAqF5TQXjfnBMLnuUovDGkNruShUaO/s1600/Job.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Bible journaling by someone else)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="text Job-1-9" id="en-NIV-12879" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Job 1: 10-12: Satan replied.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Job-1-10" id="en-NIV-12880" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">10 </span>âHave you not put a hedge<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12880Z" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12880Z" title="See cross-reference Z">Z</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> around him and his household and everything he has?<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12880AA" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12880AA" title="See cross-reference AA">AA</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12880AB" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12880AB" title="See cross-reference AB">AB</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Job-1-11" id="en-NIV-12881" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">11 </span>But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12881AC" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12881AC" title="See cross-reference AC">AC</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and he will surely curse you to your face.â </span><span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">12 </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">The </span><span class="small-caps" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> said to Satan, âVery well, then, everything he has</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12882AE" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12882AE" title="See cross-reference AE">AE</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.â</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XqWEyMia0rMWJ3VnY7tc5fZhAif6RgCxERgTaYDRjy5GPLLRSdqb6MiDup4YbaMWE1Ie72sYy2iPElv7Yo9wO1AMYSzOZF8yvwn4xs1JbSlnzASqAFoQXLJhA8UJ7aAM4xXW/s1600/round1-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XqWEyMia0rMWJ3VnY7tc5fZhAif6RgCxERgTaYDRjy5GPLLRSdqb6MiDup4YbaMWE1Ie72sYy2iPElv7Yo9wO1AMYSzOZF8yvwn4xs1JbSlnzASqAFoQXLJhA8UJ7aAM4xXW/s200/round1-logo.png" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">I'll call this next section, "Round 1." Messenger after messenger came, before the previous one was done speaking another arrived and told Job of yet another calamity - each one being life-altering experiences. Three different occurrences against his livestock where they were either stolen (Job 1: 15, 17), or burned (v. 16); his servants were killed at all three of these blows and finally, a monstrous blow to Job, all of his children were killed (v. 19). </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">There is no preparing for some news: the dreaded call from the doctor, the news your family is being broken through divorce, death, expected is hard; unexpected death is debilitating. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwvCzD5Wj63mSTJBhenhHbLDGcgq_BE38QQ4yieFr3Qz9VUa3VjuwQRCs0pi37IUBa7sAXG5y6MQVZpLvGvJry8mBbaaBp2RpQPLYcaAS9nOqjTmSZ5ZdEFSvmkEHUUQpx7e7/s1600/seasons+of+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzwvCzD5Wj63mSTJBhenhHbLDGcgq_BE38QQ4yieFr3Qz9VUa3VjuwQRCs0pi37IUBa7sAXG5y6MQVZpLvGvJry8mBbaaBp2RpQPLYcaAS9nOqjTmSZ5ZdEFSvmkEHUUQpx7e7/s320/seasons+of+life.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">For some of us, we see different seasons of our lives as times of hardship, growth, or misery but for most of us, the season ends and with it, we find new life. Some of us have one long season of pain - chronic pain with no end in sight. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I am in a new and different place right now. It is unknown and uncomfortable and honestly, I like the known and I am a tad embarrassed to admit it, but I am partial to comfort. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I am strategically praying for God to move in some mighty ways regarding this crazy financial situation we find ourselves in (broke; not poor), and I selfishly pray that I will not succumb to asking God, "Why?" and question His ability to care for us. You see, what Job does right after hearing that all of his children are dead, is worship God: </span></span></span></span><br />
<blockquote style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -0.5em;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span><span class="text Job-1-20" id="en-NIV-12890" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">20 </span>At this, Job got up and tore his robe<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12890AS" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12890AS" title="See cross-reference AS">AS</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and shaved his head.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12890AT" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12890AT" title="See cross-reference AT">AT</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> Then he fell to the ground in worship<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12890AU" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12890AU" title="See cross-reference AU">AU</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span> <span class="text Job-1-21" id="en-NIV-12891" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">21 </span>and said:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text Job-1-21" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">âNaked I came from my motherâs womb,</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Job-1-21" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and naked I will depart.<span class="footnote" data-fn="#fen-NIV-12891c" data-link="[<a href="#fen-NIV-12891c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><br /></span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12891AV" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12891AV" title="See cross-reference AV">AV</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><span class="text Job-1-21" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">The <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> gave and the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> has taken away;</span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Job-1-21" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">may the name of the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> be praised.â<br /><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12891AX" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12891AX" title="See cross-reference AX">AX</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Job-1-21" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-12891AX" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-12891AX" title="See cross-reference AX">AX</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span></span><span class="text Job-1-22" id="en-NIV-12892" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">22 </span>In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 24px;">While all of these verses are worthy of attention, particularly worship being the first response when we are hit with life-rocking news, God keeps drawing me to verse 22, not charging God with wrongdoing. While this little bit from the entire book is not an exegesis by any form, it is where God spoke to me today and reminded me what I should be doing now:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">1) WORSHIP GOD</span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4978hh6mCivP3XU34Upv27TUUu8xz_hfZz8-MoFCT4LKWoAxhkpyT4-aOZU00_q1YbAjYffEfX3M7F4EdzuPbLQE1LHisfPE1LYhtyOVPMdGdf2OGPJN4iOCc6o6nRQzCzqB/s1600/IMG_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH4978hh6mCivP3XU34Upv27TUUu8xz_hfZz8-MoFCT4LKWoAxhkpyT4-aOZU00_q1YbAjYffEfX3M7F4EdzuPbLQE1LHisfPE1LYhtyOVPMdGdf2OGPJN4iOCc6o6nRQzCzqB/s320/IMG_0057.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">2) Do NOT complain to God about what He is doing - this would be charging God with wrongdoing. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">3) PRAY</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">4) Give thanks - live eucharisteo! </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gCkv6gX3VLn7wwYjgzatzTTrNt2IV8dn0FrUarY5BowYLaq2FJeZCQE8Yr-6ZrAplasGZ0YgdAcvAKpJemTsxRXk1ZF9t_Qpk4VaLpkfIMGmtBbAWvAa_WV0VTv8f12FBeme/s1600/eucharisteo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gCkv6gX3VLn7wwYjgzatzTTrNt2IV8dn0FrUarY5BowYLaq2FJeZCQE8Yr-6ZrAplasGZ0YgdAcvAKpJemTsxRXk1ZF9t_Qpk4VaLpkfIMGmtBbAWvAa_WV0VTv8f12FBeme/s320/eucharisteo.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">I do not know where you are today, but if you, like me, have been knocked down and are trying to figure out where your life is going, just stop and spend time worshiping</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> God. You will not regret the time spent in worship; at least I don't. Even though I have a list that needs done a mile long, worship realigns my heart to God's and if nothing else changes, that is more than I could ask for and more than I deserve. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Here is a two-hour set of worship songs (with lyrics) for you to sing along with. Just click on the arrow:</span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/shSzCKwpJJI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/shSzCKwpJJI?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span> #worship #eucharisteo</span><br />
<blockquote style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: -0.5em;">
</blockquote>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-31739754320018507112016-09-01T10:11:00.001-06:002016-09-01T10:13:41.593-06:00Speaking Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>This post serves to do several things: share my personal reflections from Northwest Yearly Meeting 2016 Annual Sessions, call attention to misuse of voices speaking on behalf of others, invite people to read the Faith and Practice and know what they agreed to support, and question the use of social media during business meetings. </i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I walked into the second Friends college dining hall just days after leaving the previous one. It took me a minute to realize what I was feeling and then it hit me - I could sit at any table WITHOUT fear for my beliefs. My heart opened to feelings of life, peace, excitement, and unity! I was among like-minded Friends and it was the food my soul needed. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In order for you to understand what a life-giving experience that was for me, you have to feel the constraints I had felt less than a week prior. My heart was in a vice that tightened with each passing hour. Hours where I listened to Friends speak their peace about the <a href="http://nwfriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Decision-by-Elders-July-2015.pdf" target="_blank">Elder's decision to release West Hills Friends Church</a> (WHFC). Hours with an upset stomach and head hurting over the tension and turmoil among my church family. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_OZi7sHlkGu9PqhSRIIeaTJerEEXEpN9i7DnJw1plRPsWGUYgTzHcwp0ENfG25HFwarlSS4bdu_NdcB1eVXoEkHQonuR_BP83xOdXlklbe2zxM_ZoMlUSVSK7LB75bx_fmoj/s1600/fear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_OZi7sHlkGu9PqhSRIIeaTJerEEXEpN9i7DnJw1plRPsWGUYgTzHcwp0ENfG25HFwarlSS4bdu_NdcB1eVXoEkHQonuR_BP83xOdXlklbe2zxM_ZoMlUSVSK7LB75bx_fmoj/s320/fear.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was clear from the first meeting that there was not a fair representation of our yearly meeting present. This is one of the hardships of having a yearly meeting span three states with 400+ miles to travel to attend these annual sessions. This is the reason we have the Council of the Representatives - "members of local faith communities who
have been chosen, prayerfully, on the basis of spiritual maturity, respected judgment, and acceptance of
Friends beliefs and procedures as set forth in this book of Faith and Practice" (NWYM Faith and Practice, 2011, p. 41). These representatives of the local meetings provide equality throughout the entire yearly meeting; preventing meetings closer to the meetings to have a louder voice. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://nwfriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/faith-and-practice-2011-2012-08-20.pdf" target="_blank">Read the Faith and Practice</a>!</span> A requirement of being a representative is, "acceptance of
Friends beliefs and procedures as set forth in this book of Faith and Practice" (p. 41). </b>You appear ignorant when you stand and speak things that are contrary to the description - and I know you are NOT ignorant! You are intelligent and want to speak factually so make sure you are. It is easier to hear what you are saying when what you say is true. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One thing that appalled me was how many of the representatives, of which I am one, were ill-informed of what the representatives "job" was! They spoke of things that were not true and when I spoke to them personally, the responses varied from "I guess I need to read that" to "I did not know that is what I agreed to," </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://nwfriends.org/representatives/representatives-position-description/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Read the job description</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> before agreeing to it. Churches - make sure the people you appoint meet the requirements! </span></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Another appalling thing was how many people stood and spoke on behalf of an entire group but they were not that group's representative nor had they taken the time to speak to other people in that group. For example, youth would stand and say that "the youth...." and when I asked other youth including my children if there had been any discussions regarding this, they said no. In reality, the person speaking was only reiterating what they and their like minded friends talked about; this is not representation or making sure each person has a voice. It is misleading to people to say a group feels or believes something when you have only addressed a specific population of that group. I am not picking on youth here. Young adults stood and said that since they had been involved in youth ministries they felt led to share what they had learned from youth. Later, I asked these people if they had attended any camps in Idaho and the answer was "no." </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Same thing with young adults. Young adults would stand and speak as if they were representing an entire population! An Idaho pastor, also a young adult, stood and testified, "We don't fit the narrative that younger minorities would leave the yearly meeting if WHFC is released." Idaho has an active young adult group who meets and studies the Bible together. They did pages worth of discernment and in the end got signatures affirming their statement of affirmation of the Elder's decision. This group has a representative and she was there. She was allowed 3 minutes to speak on behalf of this entire group and when she ran out of time, there was not another Idaho young adult to stand and continue the dialogue - something Oregon young adults did not face. They live close enough they can easily attend and having lopsided representation does not benefit our yearly meeting. It hurts it. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Do not speak for other people!</span> </b>Unless you are an official representative for a specific group, <b>PLEASE stop speaking on other people's behalf! </b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">An extremely disturbing phenomenon this year was the role social media played in our business meetings. People, mainly from the Newberg area, tweeted (one live tweeted) what they wanted people to hear. This was grossly misrepresented and makes me sick to think that while I was doing my best to listen to others and more importantly, the Holy Spirit, people were busy tweeting and allowing their bias to reflect what was said. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Example: Eric M. tweeted that Julie P, clerk of WHFC, stood and said she had never felt more loved than she had this past year. End of tweet. What he never followed up with was what she said next; which was most pertinent to the conversation at hand, "If we want people to honor the process we went through then we need to honor their (the Elder's) process. I AFFIRM THEIR DECISION!" Please just sit on that for a minute. This was a monumental testimony of trusting our elders and honoring the process they went through for years. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you search #nwym2016 you will find many tweets. On my 8 hour drive home I scrolled the feed and was dismayed and offended by the distorted slant a member of the Administrative Council, Eric M., took on our meeting. Of these many tweets, you will find some from me. One voice on twitter among many different voices crying out for people to realize that the twitter feed is NOT a representation of what took place this year. In fact, one tweet was particularly offensive:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60E_tyhsrh4Bc8x5zSDX8M_wbQ67esPQgIAU3jPLWLD_yk7pq3HyGhcpJTM8X0s3efkuyjA9hPSaAZ_gJ51yIjrNAzMa59frxESv0vGIFqosOF5WupeCXYN2-CQ1p0sdthC6g/s1600/Screenshot_2016-07-30-01-24-12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60E_tyhsrh4Bc8x5zSDX8M_wbQ67esPQgIAU3jPLWLD_yk7pq3HyGhcpJTM8X0s3efkuyjA9hPSaAZ_gJ51yIjrNAzMa59frxESv0vGIFqosOF5WupeCXYN2-CQ1p0sdthC6g/s400/Screenshot_2016-07-30-01-24-12.png" width="225" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It took me a minute to realize I was being labeled homophobic! I looked up the definition in Merriam Webster, just to be sure I really did know what it meant (I did): "irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was (and am) offended that my affirming the EIGHT YEAR process the Elders went through, walking along side WHFC, and that I believed they followed the procedures set forth in the Faith and Practice, would make me homophobic! Nothing could be farther from the truth. I have good friends and family that I love dearly who are gay. This decision was not about changing our faith and practice, it was about confirming the Elders followed procedures and did not do anything outside of faith and practice in releasing WHFC to </span><a href="http://nwfriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Decision-by-Elders-July-2015.pdf" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">minister as they feel led and called to</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">; which happens to be outside the parameters set in our Faith and Practice. Until such time as that changes, I believe our Elders acted in the best interest of both parties, WHFC and NWYM, by releasing WHFC to minister and calling NWYM to do the hard work that is before us; and I do not believe this makes me homophobic and I refuse to be </span>labeled<span style="font-family: inherit;"> one. </span><br />
<b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Social media did not reflect the diversity in our yearly meeting.</span> </span></b></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For a different perspective than mine, Brandon Baker shared his reflections <a href="http://standatsinai.blogspot.com/2016/07/reflections-on-nwym2016.html" target="_blank">here</a>. While he is grateful for the live tweets, I am not. I feel they were biased and misrepresented what happened. Only quotes that aligned with what he wanted portrayed were used and I could not find one quote from the number of people who stood and affirmed the elder's decision. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCX8D1JzpFLk56d_8BH8FPt7HxBQJg2KLOPl0KUw59cWqI8sVhz2wqeSsyU1QNqBBLwKAoBeznJX4fPOrZ8QauyMv1ts_5EIveq7VSC_r_iSva9ojjYtaMBmjreEBELenmU3D/s1600/speak-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCX8D1JzpFLk56d_8BH8FPt7HxBQJg2KLOPl0KUw59cWqI8sVhz2wqeSsyU1QNqBBLwKAoBeznJX4fPOrZ8QauyMv1ts_5EIveq7VSC_r_iSva9ojjYtaMBmjreEBELenmU3D/s320/speak-up.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Brandon is one of the only ones who asked me to share my reflections from yearly meeting - after he saw my tweets. Thank you, Brandon. I hear the request to speak up but in the past when I have done so, I leave the conversation feeling attacked and belittled for sharing. But I will speak up. I will stand up. I will speak for myself and not allow others to speak on my behalf without my permission. I do not have to be strong because </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">"He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).</span> </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqdjvuiSyVAuaa8ajFVdFaOHyYRyxi4_eednrPM84F4NyjyJZEW2pIcl2bZf-VhNbqN0l-rkGvJWYsofCxCH-RsF2GNatI9M1BascwVfYZUV0FNspW_BjD3B6D5IhrmqHEXTA/s1600/stand+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqdjvuiSyVAuaa8ajFVdFaOHyYRyxi4_eednrPM84F4NyjyJZEW2pIcl2bZf-VhNbqN0l-rkGvJWYsofCxCH-RsF2GNatI9M1BascwVfYZUV0FNspW_BjD3B6D5IhrmqHEXTA/s1600/stand+up.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>If you comment, be respectful</b>. I maintain the right to delete any comment I perceive as rude or offensive so please keep that in mind should you chose to comment. Thank you.<br />
<br />
#nwym2016 </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-88247227692681701662016-08-15T10:51:00.001-06:002016-08-15T10:51:29.106-06:00Make Your Own History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9gz9BvmeDO5zXFCuLH7K29-3C2qSPZsxnzVzsZ6Y0XbxxQN9WGVtvDyC5UVwzeCktXj12VhOCbt0RPqz0fnPa_IjVNbGcC79hrocbAqjL-6VXa4KHTm5d-CoLgluQbXCikm3/s1600/Make+your+own+history.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9gz9BvmeDO5zXFCuLH7K29-3C2qSPZsxnzVzsZ6Y0XbxxQN9WGVtvDyC5UVwzeCktXj12VhOCbt0RPqz0fnPa_IjVNbGcC79hrocbAqjL-6VXa4KHTm5d-CoLgluQbXCikm3/s320/Make+your+own+history.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
God keeps reminding me that how I live each day right now is me writing my history. A history that will be shared with others in the future. What do I want to be able to say? That we were miserable, discontent, and questioned God's plan OR that in spite of all the unknowns, we trusted God, made the most of our circumstances, and chose joy? Being a place we do not want to last long is fine but how we handle that time is up to us. <div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qegMjQulVm-Ubt8WR-e3WH5O4nlFo2-0-UnMHCys-CRjIbsUfDNaA3UkUPz6KMfhw7GBxjji7s94hFPzhl5wmZvRsg4q2rJznwCUmsh01eyVaJ7zoCZCy1kaHXlgNZVQcYEW/s1600/isaiah-558-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qegMjQulVm-Ubt8WR-e3WH5O4nlFo2-0-UnMHCys-CRjIbsUfDNaA3UkUPz6KMfhw7GBxjji7s94hFPzhl5wmZvRsg4q2rJznwCUmsh01eyVaJ7zoCZCy1kaHXlgNZVQcYEW/s320/isaiah-558-9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Each day I have choice to make: "Do I trust God to take care of me?" Will I chose to keep my eyes focused on Him rather than focusing on the problems at hand? Especially the significant problems that appear life changing to me in this moment? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How will I spend my time? Stressed, unhappy, and caustic or will I cast my cares upon God, spend more time in His word, and on my knees in prayer? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At the end of the day, what do I want my testimony to be? That is how I must I live! Some of the most meaningful testimonies I have heard are of people going through hard times, choosing joy, trusting God, doing hard things, and staying faithful. Through deaths, financial stress and/or ruin, divorce, cancer, chronic pain, or relationship issues, people I know testify to God's goodness and the life they lived revealed the Holy Spirit at work in and through their lives. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9s1OE-o-FIQHUgT1ysHAhMGFPsFuuW4VBVs-VRxuXik_Pbv-jtbKgBMRj5t-iGkbR0WelX5MDL_FIHn-MJLV7QjNXevVjWSQb8UoVJsRX2bnatRu0MbiWQ-nZVST19ankabv/s1600/choose-joy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9s1OE-o-FIQHUgT1ysHAhMGFPsFuuW4VBVs-VRxuXik_Pbv-jtbKgBMRj5t-iGkbR0WelX5MDL_FIHn-MJLV7QjNXevVjWSQb8UoVJsRX2bnatRu0MbiWQ-nZVST19ankabv/s320/choose-joy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I want that. I have that. What I chose to do each day is on me, and me alone. What do you want your history to say? You are already writing it so think about what you want the remaining chapters to say. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
#preachingtomyself #queries #walkthetalk #makehistory</div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-72289429969834384382016-06-19T16:22:00.003-06:002016-06-19T16:22:26.757-06:00A Man Chasing After JesusIn the movie "War Room," Priscilla Shirer, aka Elizabeth, says, "I would rather have a man chasing after Jesus than a house full of stuff." When I heard this, tears sprung to my eyes, because it is exactly what I needed to hear in the midst of our transition. YES! YES! YES! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcCrxQe2TkreRTe9Ul5orJ_PYPfbAn5gwpy0-O07vcaKyWz3I-887PIeMoMtX8FG7StOgIEiv5dq24hGwug9Chjn3SJZYtA3JnT5ZbnDcP2LLbvGXeoRn9M0h_qOc7CelCXC2/s1600/Roy+L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYcCrxQe2TkreRTe9Ul5orJ_PYPfbAn5gwpy0-O07vcaKyWz3I-887PIeMoMtX8FG7StOgIEiv5dq24hGwug9Chjn3SJZYtA3JnT5ZbnDcP2LLbvGXeoRn9M0h_qOc7CelCXC2/s320/Roy+L.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I do not tell Roy or others often enough what a wonderful man I am married to. If you moved, there is a a 99% chance my husband assisted in some way - usually in the form of a trailer, pick-up, and muscles. <br />
<br />
Church work days? He's one of the first ones there and last to leave, gathering all the supplies to make it possible to actually do the needed chores.<br />
<br />
Quaker Hill Work Weekend? When not attending a graduation for our little school, he is the one you'll see on the roof tops.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOotS4SLVisHbEfKtC6OoMCgERcFXr2rcVxe5BfPGGv9wlu0FlSSLhU8QPOwiIXlPmsTMaXKmAbCXmITZXuuBq21erLPFrgHBU7_CKyQIQQqGYADINcGInssVMLJjRKcF8Sbct/s1600/Roy+QH+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOotS4SLVisHbEfKtC6OoMCgERcFXr2rcVxe5BfPGGv9wlu0FlSSLhU8QPOwiIXlPmsTMaXKmAbCXmITZXuuBq21erLPFrgHBU7_CKyQIQQqGYADINcGInssVMLJjRKcF8Sbct/s320/Roy+QH+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
He has taught all of our children the value of hard work and doing things the right way the first time:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEmQMVpvX7-SKeQ1Di0cpmtzb2TwSx2Y8PNzjkQeu0o78X6nz-b5iWbDXihXJHaKPTxmAzkxnUGnQH_PQhhqSfXDOoVZZCtGo0AEJdQ8oB-TOp8ycEc2LPPMw1emRogRTZAkV/s1600/Roy+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtEmQMVpvX7-SKeQ1Di0cpmtzb2TwSx2Y8PNzjkQeu0o78X6nz-b5iWbDXihXJHaKPTxmAzkxnUGnQH_PQhhqSfXDOoVZZCtGo0AEJdQ8oB-TOp8ycEc2LPPMw1emRogRTZAkV/s320/Roy+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
What's more is he build things for his wifey, me, that he does not even want! Like this chicken coop, here. He hates chickens... but loves fresh eggs, so we compromised and got chickens. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSVZKpVxyezt-Dbko8Y3ZKl7aqTPHLE1U-tyklvSZTGKqO8b0OagTetViKPVZDw3LrE6nKnMSZASs8fHf4SuC3rIEFcuxCacZ9M-jq7UIpyjk-ImFjZshepY2SOOjljX_5qzz/s1600/Roy+coop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSVZKpVxyezt-Dbko8Y3ZKl7aqTPHLE1U-tyklvSZTGKqO8b0OagTetViKPVZDw3LrE6nKnMSZASs8fHf4SuC3rIEFcuxCacZ9M-jq7UIpyjk-ImFjZshepY2SOOjljX_5qzz/s320/Roy+coop.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Beyond work, he is the one encouraging and supporting our children's sense of adventure:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja4uYbjLDhdfETiSVh1b9wVtNFTz4sUwtk0ukceR-Yfwi3ypqXtbVKOkV1XcmJjRBKaKKACytHgPrE0sYcuNFlHVL0Tj1tORC8stwLUC5qcL1evj-ZoTICJ7S53oOMlf2Vhev/s1600/Roy+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja4uYbjLDhdfETiSVh1b9wVtNFTz4sUwtk0ukceR-Yfwi3ypqXtbVKOkV1XcmJjRBKaKKACytHgPrE0sYcuNFlHVL0Tj1tORC8stwLUC5qcL1evj-ZoTICJ7S53oOMlf2Vhev/s320/Roy+kids.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I was thinking this morning that on Mother's Day people rave about single moms and how hard it is to be a single mom and how they have to be both mother and father... when I married my husband, he was a single dad. He has always been a wonderful daddy and I am so honored to journey with him in life as we parent all our children and learn how to be better parents as we grow up, too.<br />
<br />
Thanks, Roy. Let's Hear it for the Boy! You are my man! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VZLBZ3eD7wI/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VZLBZ3eD7wI?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
Happy Father's Day, honey. As we transition into a different phase of life, I know I can do it because you are at my side. Home is where we are. As cheesy as it sounds, it true - we make a house a home and I think we do a pretty good job of it no matter the building, or how big or small it is. Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28245721.post-88315026955407067302016-04-12T13:40:00.000-06:002016-04-12T13:40:18.136-06:00Shatter the Silence - Sexual Assault Awareness Month <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB9uRLtEMK-9eRnAKetHt1x_O9y8_lbSsqCXef0JnD9kN_cOBJHt8E0gXV76Oy8bwSBj6u8iT2QrPhhjRRpGoMOPsqt8UIs0yu4xFYxWhjH1kzF5Zc3_vWitGWiAMJSqzjeip/s1600/Sexual+Assualt+Awareness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmB9uRLtEMK-9eRnAKetHt1x_O9y8_lbSsqCXef0JnD9kN_cOBJHt8E0gXV76Oy8bwSBj6u8iT2QrPhhjRRpGoMOPsqt8UIs0yu4xFYxWhjH1kzF5Zc3_vWitGWiAMJSqzjeip/s320/Sexual+Assualt+Awareness.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<div style="line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.32px;">I needed to watch a training video (complete Sexual Abuse Safety System for Camps and Conference Centers) to volunteer at camp...</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
</div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My case was nearly textbook in every example. From the grooming, to the keeping secrets, to accidental touch, to the long term effects it had on me: depression, mood change, and alcohol abuse, the list goes on. I was crying while watching it and as I started to sink into âstinking thinking,â I was prompted to claim the blood of Jesus and His power. âNo, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lordâ (Romans 8:37-39, NRSV). I am thanking Jesus I am restored, healed by him and no longer controlled by the actions of a man I had no control over.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.32px;">I have grown so much spiritually and am grateful that I am able to hear the softest voice prompting me to remain in Him.</span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.ministrysafe.com/about" target="_blank">Ministry Safe</a> provided the training I took and it is extremely well done and "spot on" from my perspective and experience. They include a section about the "gatekeepers," the people responsible for keeping the children safe and again, textbook example of my experience. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.familywatchdog.us/" target="_blank">Family Watchdog</a> allows you to search for offenders in any area you chose (city, zip code, school zone, etc.) and is FREE. However, as <a href="https://www.ministrysafe.com/skillfulscreening" target="_blank">Ministry Safe says</a>, "<span style="color: #2b2614; line-height: 19.2px;">Checking for criminal convictions </span><em style="color: #2b2614; line-height: 19.2px;">alone</em><span style="color: #2b2614; line-height: 19.2px;"> will not protect children in children's programs. Statistically, less than 10 percent of sexual offenders are </span><em style="color: #2b2614; line-height: 19.2px;">ever</em><span style="color: #2b2614; line-height: 19.2px;"> criminally prosecuted, because children do not report abuse until years later, if ever. </span><strong style="color: #2b2614; line-height: 19.2px;">As a result, approximately 90 percent of offenders have no criminal record to check." </strong><span style="color: #2b2614; line-height: 19.2px;"> Yet another reason careful screening of volunteers is important. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #2b2614; line-height: 19.2px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #2b2614; line-height: 19.2px;">If you are a volunteer and are required to go through training, have a background ran on you, and character references, not to mention interview questions that are unexpected, PLEASE submit to the process with the understanding that lives are at stake and whatever measures the ministry deems necessary are for their protection, which is what we should all desire: safe places for our children to grow up. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #2b2614; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.2px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #2b2614; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 19.2px;">Here is an excerpt from my biography, </span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<div class="Body">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Things took a bad turn for me when I was 15. Unfortunately, the choice of another hurt me deeply and I became a rape victim. For five years, I kept this incident a secret but my behaviors and personality took a turn for the worse. I was no longer content and joyful. I lived with knowing that God could have stopped it from happening and chose not to. I resented Him for that. </span></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: normal;">By the time I was 20, I was faced with helping someone else who had been raped by the same man and I released the burden I had been carrying alone for years. My family was supportive and loving through the whole process. Through counseling, I slowly was able to see that God still loved me and had not given up on me.</span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bmuaa5XQC7dsgYt4sBsxZ66rEQKNEIJB1MCkBDQwQv6lfblkXWEwis7hEAx05bDfC8v-nYAypUdwoV3D5eClfDsizVUvJCU_oMNzv6_HDuXSRoaHjvVH3WXGtTgOl93qmUY1/s1600/shatter+the+silence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bmuaa5XQC7dsgYt4sBsxZ66rEQKNEIJB1MCkBDQwQv6lfblkXWEwis7hEAx05bDfC8v-nYAypUdwoV3D5eClfDsizVUvJCU_oMNzv6_HDuXSRoaHjvVH3WXGtTgOl93qmUY1/s320/shatter+the+silence.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are many sites for you to go to for professional help and suggestions. These are my own.</span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What to do/not do when someone tells you they were sexually assaulted:</b></span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<ol style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do NOT suggest in the slightest that they did something to provoke the attack! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do NOT ever say:<br />"What did she expect when she dressed that way."<br />"If she hadn't gone to that party then she wouldn't have been raped."<br />"She shouldn't have drank so much."<br />"She should have been paying better attention."<br />"What did she think would happen?"<br />"I hate to say it but, I'm not surprised."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do NOT compare rape stories to someone else's experience. If it is your own story, you will have a better idea of what they need to hear. If it is not your own experience, do not offer someone else's story for comfort. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do NOT sympathize with the offender with statements like, "He is sick," "He was drunk," and never say, "Boys will be boys"! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Know that you are a special person in which this survivor is trusting you! With that in mind, DO say empathetic statements like, "I have no idea what you are going through but I am so sorry." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">DO offer a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. Healing takes years and knowing people won't tell you to "move on," "let it go," or "I wish things were like they were before" is a very powerful tool for the survivor to have. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just be there. Don't try to fix it, solve it, or treat the situation as a problem that needs addressed. Listen, empathize, love, and support the survivor and their families. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Remember the family but focus on the survivor. </span></li>
</ol>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you are in a position that requires you to report the incident, NEVER promise you won't tell. Report the abuse to your supervisor immediately. </b>If you are not in a position that is require to report abuse and it is has not been reported, offer to be there with them when they report it, stand by their side, and encourage them to report the abuse. (This is not legal advise, this is a non-professional survivor speaking).</span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I could go on but focusing on Sexual Abuse Awareness Month, be aware! <a href="https://www.facebook.com/catherine.st.germain.31/videos/199573620424746/?pnref=story" target="_blank">Watch this video</a> by a mom and BE AWARE! </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">#notavictim #survivor #morethanconquerors #shatterthesilence </span></div>
Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11194724896237883505noreply@blogger.com0