Onward Christian Woman

Alone in Marriage

Some of you may be experiencing a season of intense loneliness in your marriage. Maybe you feel like your marriage has been one-sided for a long time. Maybe you feel like you've had enough and you want to "check out" emotional or even leave physically.

Family Life Today is airing a 3 part series this week that will give you hope and encourage you. Susie Larson is the guest and she has written the book Alone in Marriage: Encouragement for the Times When It's All Up to You.

You can listen to all 3 parts online:

Spiritual Resolution Ideas

Since it is almost the New Year, I did some research to make an idea list for New Year's Resolutions. I searched the Internet to find ideas that will help improve our spiritual lives.

Resolve to be a missionary right where you are: your work place, neighborhood, school, congregation.
Resolve to include Jesus in all parts of your life
Resolve to equip yourself for the Spiritual battle that is taking place in your life, with more prayer and more Bible study.
Resolve to work together as Christians, supporting one big ministry for God, instead of competing with each other.
Resolve to cut back or remove spiritually negative influences on your life: TV, music, entertainment, negative people.
Resolve to serve God every day.
Resolve to pray for your husband on a regular basis, even when you're mad at him.
Resolve to deal with the emotional problems that keep you at an unhealthy weight, which negatively influences your spiritual growth.
Resolve to manage money better, so that there will be more to give to God's work.
Resolve to pray for your children, minister to your children, pray that your children will grow up to serve God.
Resolve to follow God's will for your life, to fulfill His goals for you.
Resolve to forgive and get rid of the bitterness that can destroy you.
Resolve to not become proud of your spiritual growth and wisdom, but to give God the glory.
Resolve to let your Christian light shine, ask yourself - What would Jesus do?
Resolve to encourage and pray for Christians in their ministry - pastors, church workers, volunteers, missionaries, Christian teachers, and any Christian ministry worker.
Resolve to rely on God's strength to help you, instead of worldly advice or trying to comfort yourself with an unhealthy addiction.
Resolve to learn from your mistakes and to grow spiritually, instead of letting them discourage you.
Resolve to base your decisions on what the Bible says, instead of what the culture says is okay.
Resolve to have patience with everyone in your life: children, husband, church members, co-workers, etc.
Resolve to be thankful to God for his - unconditional love, provision, and guidance - even if you don't feel it.

It's a Wonderful Life

Our family starts the new year watching It's a Wonderful Life. What a great movie to remind us that our life is not our own. We should be seeking after God's will for our lives. George Bailey was given a special gift - to see the difference his life made to others. We don't get to see most of the ways that we positively influence others. So, we have to trust that God's plans are the best plans for us.

You may get to heaven and find out that:

the neighbor kid you invited to church, decided to try church again in college.
the child you taught in VBS, brought her parents to church.
the person you listened to and encouraged didn't commit suicide.
the Christian ministry worker you thanked decided to stay working for the ministry.
the person you gave a Christian tract to, read the tract and accepted God's gift of salvation.
the Christian high school student you motivated, decided to go to Bible college to study ministry work.
the poor family you shared your food with, shared food with another family later on.
your good example made a child want to serve God.
a couple decided not to divorce, because of the example of your marriage.

We can't possible imagine all of the ways God has been using us. This year, I am going to try to ask God everyday - "Lord, what do You want me to do today? Please show me."

He uses us where we are at. We don't have to wait until we've been a Christian for 5 years, gone to Bible school, read through the entire Bible, or read Christian books. Even children can be used by Him daily. We just have to be submissive to Him and His will for us, and obedient when He shows us what to do. Plus, we need to keep growing spiritually. I encourage you to start the new year asking Him - What do you want me to do today?

Ideas for a Frugal Christmas

Make a cash spending plan and stick to it:
I heard that the majority of people buy at least one extra thing for themselves while they are out Christmas shopping. Plus, people tend to spend extra money on snacking, stocking stuffers, and extra gifts for the kids. Staying out of the stores during the Christmas season can really help. I make my list and try to order as much online as I can, avoiding the whole Christmas spending excitement that is going on in the stores.

Cut back on presents:
This year, we are cutting back on the amount of individual presents that the kids get and getting some group gifts that all the children can share. I also like to take some of the emphasis off of presents and put it on our Family's Christmas Traditions.

Make the recession work for you:
Because we are officially in a recession, you can announce that you are cutting back on Christmas spending this year. Plus, many stores are having great sales. But only buy the sale items if they are on your spending plan.

Extend Christmas:
Last year, my kids knew that they were going to be getting new jackets. But, we waited until the beginning of January to go buy them. We got a $100 jacket for $20 at J.C. Penney's, a $40 jacket for $15 at Kmart, and a $35 jacket for $5 at Wal-Mart. There are lots of year end clearance deals.

Try giving unique gifts:
You can do a weird gift exchange, give gadgets, something from a craft fair, make your own Gift Basket or Box of Themed Gifts, get something off of Ebay that represents an old memory for someone. Just make sure that your unique gift is also an affordable one.

Fill Christmas day with fun activities:
If there are going to be less presents under the tree to play with, then plan to keep the kids busy on Christmas day with family activities - have a Christmas devotion, go caroling in the neighborhood, invite people over, have brunch, make Christmas dinner together, volunteer, watch a Christmas movie, make crafts, play Christmas games, drive around looking at lights, look at old Christmas photos, call up relatives, talk about Christmas memories, do an outdoor activity together, have a family slumber party near the lighted Christmas tree, have a treasure hunt for a group gift and then play with it, take a walk together or play in the snow, make birthday cakes for Jesus, or decorate an outdoor tree for the animals.

Plan ahead:
Next year, set aside and save a little bit of money each month in a Christmas fund. Get presents through out the year when you find them on sale.

Make Your Own Gift Baskets

Fill an cheap basket, used Christmas tin, Christmas stocking, or Christmas bag (from the Dollar Store) with inexpensive related items:

body wash, lotion, bath sponge, and candle (Dollar Store)
assorted teas or coffee and a Dollar Store mug
a Dollar Store Christmas plate (the breakable kind) piled with homemade treats and a $1 Christmas CD (from christianbook.com)
an older (classical) movie from the $5 rack at Wal-Mart, candy, snacks, and microwave popcorn
inexpensive Dollar Store craft supplies and art supplies from the Wal-Mart back-to-school sale in August
a small Christmas cactus plant, homemade ornaments, Christmas dish towel, homemade cranberry jam, Dollar Store Christmas items
a $2 Christmas fiction book (from christianbook.com), Dollar Store mug, box of hot cocoa, chocolate bar, and a dollar store candle
for Grandparents: a framed picture of the grandkids, kid decorated sugar cookies, homemade Christmas tree ornaments made by the kids
for a young girl - nail polish, lotion, stickers, notebook, pens, a cute Dollar Store stuffed bear
if you have the right recipient: fill a basket with the most unique and humorous items and snacks that you can find

Family Christmas Traditions

I've made a blog with 100 Family Christmas Traditions.

You may want to choose a few to make your Christmas season more memorable. If you're really ambitious, choose one a day starting the day after Thanksgiving.

Thank You Card Ministry Idea

Thanksgiving is in a week, so today's ministry idea has to do with being thankful.

Get a pack of inexpensive thank you cards from the dollar store. Or, you can make your own cards. Write thank you's to your children, spouse, family, neighbors, and friends. You can thank them for something special that they did for you. It doesn't even have to be something done recently. Or, you can tell them what you appreciate about their character or personality.

People really like to be appreciated and thanked. It makes them feel good and it encourages them.

Cry of the Orphan Campaign in November

Encourage your Christian friends and family to listen to certain radio shows during the Cry of the Orphan week - November 17-21, 2008.

In November, the Cry of the Orphan campaign informs listeners about the orphan crisis and the need for Christian adoption. Christian radio hosts devote a week of broadcasts to orphan stories and information. The participating shows are:

Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey
Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson
Money Life with Chuck Bentley

Being Consistent About OurTime With God

My daughter and I are reading A Young Woman After God's Own Heart. In chapter 2, Elizabeth George writes about Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators ministry.

"He once spent five days interviewing candidates for overseas missionary service. He spent a half hour with each one, asking specifically about their devotional life. Sadly, only one person out of 29 interviewed said his devotional life was a constant in his life, a source of strength, guidance, and refreshment. As Trotman continued to probe into the lives of those men and women planning a lifetime of service for God, he found that never since they had come to know the Lord had they ever had a consistent devotional life."

If this was the case for 28 out of 29 missionary applicants, I wonder how true it is for others in Christian ministry work. Do our pastors, Christian leaders, and other ministry workers struggle with having a consistent time with the Lord? I imagine that the effectiveness of their ministry must be lacking if they don't have a regular time of prayer, Bible reading, and worship with Him.

This got me thinking about a ministry that is common among many women - raising children in a Christian home. If we don't have a consistent time with God, worshiping Him and growing spiritually, how effective is our ministry to our children? If we can't succeed with the ministry God has given to us, of raising our children, He can't trust us with other ministry work that could have an impact on a greater amount of people.

November - National Adoption Month

I've made a blog called How to Help Orphans. It lists many ideas for how you can help orphans and promote adoption.

Are you interested in starting an Orphan Ministry at your church?

Does the Church Need a Great Awakening?

Do churches need a great awakening? Do they need to be awakened to the fact that there are 143 million orphans? Many orphans are being cared for well. However, much more help and money is needed.

Orphanages are in need of support. There are orphanages without heat, hot water, and basic necessities. Some lack the staff needed to properly care for and love the children. Every year, thousands of children turn 16 and are forced out of the orphanage. Because they are young and unskilled, they are unable to financially support themselves. Therefore many of them commit crimes, turn to prostitution, or commit suicide.

Many orphans aren't fortunate enough to call an orphanage their home. India can't provide for it's 18 million orphaned children, so many of them fend for themselves by living on the streets. 12 million African children have been orphaned, mostly due to AIDs having killed their parents. A lot of them now live on the streets or have been forced into slavery. Yes. Slavery. I heard on the Family Life Today radio show that there is more slavery going on in the world than at any other time in history. Thankfully, Christian organizations like All Kids Can Learn International are helping by building orphan villages to provide homes for some of these children.

In my own country, the United States of America, we still have 118,000 foster children that are currently available for adoption. The U.S. seems to be busy pointing the fingers at everyone else's problems, yet we have our own orphan crisis here.

These are just some of the facts, but they can easily be changed. Over the years, Christian churches have shown compassion to less fortunate and hurting people. There is free help and services available for people who are hungry, homeless, poor, in need of counseling and support groups. Many churches are reaching out to sponsor orphanages and are encouraging their church members to adopt. But why is it taking so long for the rest of the churches to awaken to this crisis? Why are there still 143 million orphans?

Until every orphan has a home, churches need to make the orphan ministry a top priority. We have the money, the resources, and the ability to help. Now we need the initiative, the passion, and the commitment of every church. This is a problem that could disappear. God is waiting on us. He has already told us the need. He's already told us what to do. So why are there so many Christians still looking the other way?

If you're interested in starting an Orphan Ministry at your church you can order a book with DVD for $10 from Hope for Orphans

Individuals, families, and churches can find realistic ways to help orphans on my site How To Help Orphans

The Pursuit of Holiness

Holiness is ... conforming to the character of God and obedience to the will of God. Jesus is our perfect example of holiness.

For most of my life, I have been a Christian - believing that Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sin's. But, I never really thought that He required very much out of me. Basically, I ignored Bible verses like:

Romans 8:13-14 For if you live by it's (your sinful nature's) dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

1 John 1:6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.

1 Peter 2:21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ sufferedfor you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

My husband and I just recently realized this need for holiness. A few months ago, he talked with one of our pastors about why Christians have such a struggle with sin. The pastor said that the reason we even struggle with this sin is because we are not pursuing holiness. If Christians would grow in holiness, then they would stop being a slave to their sinful nature.

That basic statement from Pastor Wayne motivated my husband to get the book and study guide - The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. We've been learning about holiness together. There is verse after verse in the Bible telling us that growing in holiness is not an option for the Christian. If we are a Christian and Christ is Lord of our life, then we will need to pursue holiness.

Holiness in not an option for Christians.
We have a responsibility to pursue holiness and to live a holy life. We must obey and do our part to resist temptation and not sin. We are responsible for our sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions. But we can not pursue holiness without the help and the strength of the God.

What God does for us concerning holiness:

He delivers us from the reign of sin.
He unites us with Christ.
He has the Holy Spirit reveal our sin to us.
He has the Holy Spirit give us a desire for holiness.
He strengthens us as we fight sin and pursue holiness.

What we are to do concerning holiness:

Submit to God.
Choose to stop sinning
Avoid the temptation to sin.
Accept the fact that we are responsible for out thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
Pray and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us grow in holiness and point out our sins.
Read the Bible to develop convictions about sin.
Make a disciplined plan to read the Bible, think about it, and apply what it says.
Fill our minds with good, pure, and praiseworthy things.
Obey God's will for us.
Not get discouraged over failures. Repent and keep going forward.

Some Bible Verses about Holy Living
Hebrews 12:14
Ephesians 4:30
1 Thessalonians 4:7
Titus 2:11-12
Psalm 15:1-5
Psalm 32:3-4
Isaiah 64:6-7
Matthew 1:21
Matthew 7:21-23
1 Corinthians 1:2
2 Corinthians 5:17
Ephesians 1:4
James 2:14-26
1 John 3:2-5
Hebrews 12:14
2 Peter 3:14
Psalm 66:18
2 Timothy 2:21

Holiness by Sonicflood

Halloween Evangelism

If it is too late to order tracts, then you can print out the Are You a Good Person? comic tract for free on your own home printer. I have printed them in just black and white and have given them away.

Also, you can make up your own cards (business card size) with the website www.smartyface.com and give them to trick-or-treaters.

Don't miss out on easy ways to evangelize this Halloween:

Get tracts from a Christian book store and distribute them with candy to trick-or-treaters. (You may still be able to order online, if you pay more to have them sent fast.) Creepy Cash Tracts, Christianbook.com Tracts

Pass out tracts and candy in public places. (You can even offer free face painting.)

Tell the neighbor kids about the local church harvest party or carnival on October 31st. (For many churches, this is one of the biggest evangelistic outreaches of the year. They just need others to help get the kids to come.)

Invite kids over for a Harvest/Halloween party on Saturday. Have a pumpkin object lesson, play harvest games, make a scarecrow tract craft, and serve scarecrow cupcakes.

Deliver pumpkin pies and tracts to neighbors.

Decorate your yard and front porch with a heaven/hell theme and make an evangelistic poster for your front door.

Email: Tell kids about these online Halloween comics for Kids - The Little Ghost and Happy Halloween

Email: Death Beth knows if you're going to die. (for teens and adults) You can also print and pass out business sized cards advertising the Death Beth site.

What Can I Sacrifice (or Surrender) for God?

This is what God is concerned about:

that we have hearts that say "Yes" to Him
that we sacrificially lay down our lives for Him and believe that it's worth it to do so

"For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God." Hebrews 13:14-16

God does not expect all of us to sacrifice the same thing. It will be different for each of us.

Maybe God wants you to sacrifice (or surrender):

a good paying career to do a Christian related job or ministry
your free time to spend more time ministering to your kids or serving God
your TV time to read devotions and the Bible to your children or yourself
your hobbies to spend more encouraging and supporting your husband
your bitterness and unforgiving attitude to pray for and encourage your husband
the trust that you place in your money in order to trust in God's provision for you
your worrying in order to step out and follow God's will for your life
your job in order to homeschool your children
materialism or your financial security in order to give more money to God
your past hurts to concentrate on Jesus and the needs of others
your personal dream to support your husband in his dream
an addiction to trust God to help you and comfort you

What is God calling you to sacrifice in your life?

Worship Video: Take My Life by Chris Tomlin