New Braunfels Bible Church Women's Ministry

Last week I wrote about the importance of input. We cannot input immoral garbage into our hearts and minds, and still enjoy the blessings of fellowship with our holy God. One of the tips said, “Guard your children’s input, but also start teaching them to discern and choose good instead of evil.”

How do we do this? Well, we need to start by being a good example, by consistently choosing good input for ourselves. This is powerful. Of course, at the same time we need to teach them about the Lord, His ways, and the connection between our obedience and His blessing. If we also are faithful in disciplining our children, they will be learning what is good and what is not.

Unfortunately there is a tendency among children, as among adults, to believe that boundaries keep them from something good. This was Satan’s first lie to us. If we nix something for our children that their friends are enthusiastically enjoying, they are not likely to appreciate our loving protection. There are many times when we just...

This term was originally coined to apply to computer data input and the resulting output, but I have always thought of it in regard to my mind. If I input garbage in a moral sense, it will come back out in my thoughts, my dreams, my words and my actions. That’s plenty of reason to be careful about input, but there’s more.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians, chapter 4 that we should meditate on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and worthy of praise. That’s quite a list. The promise is that when we think on these things, “the God of peace will be with us.”

When we aren’t careful about input, our fellowship with the Lord is impaired. Our pastor is currently preaching on the pursuit of holiness. If we want the joy and peace of abiding close to our Lord, we must pursue holiness. We need to focus on Him and on the good things listed above.

Even if we are careful, many things that do not make the list grab our attention. Think about the daily news. Most...

God’s Word warns us strongly about the troubles our tongues can cause. James chapter 2 tells us that our tongues, though small, can kindle a great forest fire. I’m not sure that my words have ever caused a huge conflagration, but I have certainly wanted to call some of them back. As the poet Carl Sandburg wrote, “When you let proud words go, it is not easy to call them back. They wear long boots, hard boots; they can’t hear you calling—Look out how you use proud words.”

Proud words, lies, slander, angry and malicious words, gossip, filthy words…all can muck up our lives, our relationships, and our testimony as believers.

Our words reveal our hearts, and our hearts are of primary concern to God. He knows that when our hearts are full of wrong thoughts, wrong words and acts will soon follow suit. If we are struggling with our words, what is in our hearts that needs fixing? As God’s children, we must put off anger, rage, malice, and filthy language. We can then put on compassion, kindness, humility,...

I just attended our ladies’ retreat. It was wonderful in all respects. One of our speakers shared that she constantly emphasizes to her children that obedience brings blessing. You could almost say that it’s a mantra… no, a motto? Maybe a maxim, which is pretty much a proverb. Whitney: “Obedience brings…?” Whitney’s kids: “blessing.”

I applaud this emphasis. I wish I had words to express how very important I feel this is. Every child needs boundaries, rules, and expectations of acceptable conduct. And every child needs correction, discipline, and consequences…yes, unpleasant consequences for disobedience. This is such a basic need that scripture tells us that the parent who spares the rod hates his child, but the one who loves him is careful to discipline him. (Proverbs 13:24)

Another proverb says “Discipline your child while there is hope.” (Proverbs 19:18) I have seen disastrous results when a parent or parents did not discipline. These include: a lack of social skills, bullying, lying, uncontrolled...

When you think about spiritual gifts, and about your spiritual gift in particular, do you ever think, “Well it’s not teaching or leadership. Nothing too important or essential?” Never, ever think that! Every gift is important. Everyone needs to exercise their gift in the body. Otherwise, it’s like an amputation or atrophy. And if your gift is service or hospitality, your contribution can be great!

Thirty years ago, my husband and I became missionaries. An elderly widow named Dorothy opened her home to us and welcomed us warmly whenever we returned to the Northwest. Her home became “home” to us. Our younger daughter expressed this the first time we ate a meal there. With a big sigh, she declared, “I feel so at home here!” She was only four years old, but she knew she was truly welcome.

When Dorothy was a young mom of four, on a tight budget, she made sandwiches for the hobos who came to her door. She and her husband often invited soldiers home for dinner after church on Sunday. She taught first grade...

If you have ever researched the history of Valentine’s Day, you have to scratch your head. How did we ever get from remembering Christian martyrs to cupids and hearts, chocolates and roses? Well, never mind. Roses are lovely, but I did tell my husband the first time he brought me a big bunch that I could be quite happy with one or two in a bud vase. Roses are expensive and more so just before Valentine’s Day. I got two this year. Chocolates are very nice, too, but again not too many…for other reasons.

It is very nice to be remembered with treats and to receive loving words on this day, but older women are supposed to encourage younger women to love their husbands every day. (Titus 2:4) What an awesome assignment! Without God’s Word, I would not attempt it. My husband and I were newlyweds when we started walking with the Lord. I have often wondered what a foolish mess I might have made of our marriage without His principles. His ways are so opposite to the world’s that they may seem extreme to us. But no...

We had a chaotic, crazy Christmas this year. Our house was full of family, and at times family of family. Our grandchildren range in age from 18-months to five years. I am still finding objects out of place on a high shelf, where a parent put them after rescuing them.

One memory we cherish is that of Pippa, age 2-and-a-half, opening gifts. Everyone’s gifts. She would deliver them to the intended recipient, but she still thought it was her job to unwrap the gift for them. If a gift was for her, her eyes would light up, and hugging it, she would exclaim, “For me? Oh my!” It was delightful, even after several repetitions.

When I sat in our communion service this past Sunday, and heard an elder read the words, “This is my body which is broken for you,” (I Cor 11:24) Pippa’s words came to mind. “For me?” Broken for me? “Oh my!” I swallowed some tears. Somehow God’s indescribable gift was especially personal to me at that moment.

Do you suppose that when Jesus endured the cross for the joy set...

Change and mobility are very much the warp and woof of our times.  Do you have an adventuresome spirit that welcomes all things new?  Or do you sometime wish things were more stable and predictable?  Maybe sometimes one, sometimes the other?

My husband and I have moved many times.  Some moves involved a whole new culture and language.  A couple times we didn’t know where we were going next.  Once we sat a table in our apartment in France feeling a bit homeless.  We had just been told that we weren’t getting the visas we’d been assured, and that we had about five weeks to get out of the country.  My eyes fell upon a bookmark we’d just received at church.  It said in French, “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9)  How very good of our Lord to place it there!

We are now retired and hope to stay put, but we are not supposed to feel too settled and cozy in this world.  Hebrews chapter...

One important courtesy that is often neglected these days is the writing of thank you notes.  This is too bad.  A well written thank you is a blessing to receive.  If you have taken much time and trouble with a gift, receiving warm thanks makes you glad that you did. 

I have a sister who feels thank you notes are so important that only nieces and nephews who write them continue to receive gifts, usually well-chosen books for their children.  Our daughters know this and manage to get their thank you’s off to her promptly.  I hope this is not just because they want to keep receiving those delightful books, but because they know it is important to her.  They aren’t always quite so good about notes to us.  Our younger daughter has been known to write a note, but then squirrel it away in her purse for quite some time.  Life is very full for her and her sister.  For many of us.

Thus, if we struggle with this matter, we need to be more intentional about it.  We should plan ahead.  Choose note cards that...

The Apostle Paul wrote from prison, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every circumstance, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:12-13)

Many in this country are currently facing serious financial need for the first time.  Some are angry.  They want to blame someone.  They haven’t learned Paul’s secret.  Have we?  It’s definitely a challenge.

We’re rather spoiled.  At least some of us are.  My husband and I have faced some lean times, but we have never experienced the kind of poverty that much of the world knows.  We’re now living in the realm of plenty rather than need.  God’s Word warns us that spiritually this is a more dangerous place. 

It’s good for us to remember that in those lean times the Lord faithfully provided.  Friends prayed and gave.  One couple told us when they gave us very large financial...

A friend used this expression when it was time to get ready to go to a corporate event with her husband.  What did she mean?  I knew her well enough to be sure she wasn’t talking about putting on a mask.  No, she was talking about her heart.

Some verses from Colossians come to mind: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”  (Col 3:12-14, NIV)

In the context of a corporate party this made sense.  My friend would need these attributes as she interacted with some of the difficult people she knew she was likely to encounter.

That we, as God’s people, can put on patience, humility, and love for difficult people is pretty amazing.  Sometimes, before we can appropriate these qualities which...

Mary Poppins gave us this bit of wisdom.  The following quote from Miss Piggy seems to contradict it, but actually both are true: “Too much is never enough.” 

Any time we have enough we should consider ourselves blessed as if by a feast, and we should thank the Lord.  As Americans we often slip into the realm of “too much,” and this is not a good place to be.  It is never satisfying.  Thus Miss Piggy is right, too.

Have you ever not asked yourself after overindulging, “Why didn’t I stop?”  This can apply to more than eating.  We can get carried away with the number of items on the Thanksgiving menu or the number of gifts we put under the Christmas tree for our children.  The holidays seem to have this effect on us.  The result is not good.  Troubling words like overspending, fatigue, stress, unrealistic expectations, grumbling and discontent come to mind.  It’s not a pretty list, definitely not what we want as we welcome family and friends into our home. 

In Luke 10, Martha is trying to...

It’s very interesting to me that in God’s word, there are no perfect families.  There are a few men  that have nothing recorded to their discredit.  That’s not to say they were without sin.  That is only true of Jesus.  But some, like Joseph and Daniel, trusted the Lord and honored Him through thick and thin.

But families, no way.  Every family has a skeleton or two.  So does ours.  In fact when our younger daughter had an assignment to make a family tree for a sociology class in college, she used a double layer of poster-board and made doors that opened, some revealing a skeleton.  She got an “A.”  She and her sister both used to play my-family-is-weirder-than-your-family with college friends, and they usually won.

But both our girls called home as college freshmen to tell us how thankful they were for us, for our immediate family.  With the Lord’s help, we have been able to break the mold.  We have a great marriage and a close relationship with our girls.  They are very close also.

Some...

Are you familiar with this concept?  I first read about it in Laura’s Kitchen, an “earth mother” book published in the late 70's.  I am not an “earth mother.”  I do not grow our produce, grind our flour, or bake our bread, but I do like this concept.  Traditionally “the keeper of the keys” was the woman of the house.  She was responsible for the efficient management of the household resources in good times and bad.  She wore a ring of keys at her waist, keys to the pantry, linen closet, storeroom, cupboards, and chests.  It was a position of great responsibility, authority, and trust?

I’m afraid that we have pretty much lost this concept, which is too bad, because it is biblical.  The Proverbs 31 wife is a very good keeper.  Thus she not only has adequate food for her household, but enough to share with the poor and needy.  Today we don’t have all those keys, and I am glad.  But we are still very much key to the efficient management of household resources.  Your husband may manage your finances overall,...

I really like this expression.  We tend to say, “God is good” when He answers our prayers, but in truth, He is good all the time.  He may not answer our prayers the way we want, but He always hears, and answers with our good in mind.  Sometimes He seems to be telling me, “This is not about you.  There is something else I need to deal with here.  Just trust me.”

Some are quick to say there is no God or certainly not a good and powerful one, or He would not have let some tragedy occur.  I would say that they have missed a few basics. 

First of all, from the beginning God gave man and woman free will.  This was a very courageous gift.  Man could either choose to obey, love and trust God or he could go his own way.  If he chose his own way, he would forfeit the blessing of God. 

Of course God could have created us without free will, but then we would have been puppets.  There is a huge dynamic missing from any relationship that lacks choice. 

God chose to graciously extend His love...

Being like-minded is a biblical goal that can make a big difference in our relationships.  Romans 15:5-6 says, “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

My husband and I lacked this concept early in our marriage.  I remember one appalling occasion when we invited a single gal to dinner.  Somehow we wound up at odds, more or less competing with each other for her attention.  There was no unity.  After she left, I could only ask, “What must she have thought of us?”

Perhaps that evening was in the back of our minds when we found the above verses and embraced them as what we wanted for our marriage.  We then had the goal of together seeking the best solution, the best way, the best timing for all our decisions.  Of course, by then I’d also begun to grasp that my husband was to be the head of our marriage.  Hmm.

The Greek words...