Guest Blogger ... Maureen Lang

Inspiration At Church

A few months ago in church my pastor was talking about embryology. Yes, that’s right, the science and miracle of how life begins in the womb. This particular pastor was actually pre-med in college before the Lord called him into ministry. Little wonder he was excited about the topic and eager to share just what an amazing creation the human body is, from the moment of conception.

As he led us through a couple of verses from Psalm 139 that talk about how we’re “fearfully made,” something happened to me. Oh, it’s not a new experience; it’s happened before. I’ve talked to plenty of colleagues who’ve had this same experience. If you like to write, it’s probably happened to you, too. We’re sitting in church, taking everything in as it applies to our own faith and daily living, and suddenly an aspect of the sermon is exactly what a character in our current project needs to hear. It’s as if God timed the point of our novel and the topic of the sermon to intersect.

In my current project, still mainly referred to as simply Book Two or the tentative title “Will-O’-The-Wisp,” my hero struggles with his faith. He perceives God to have let him down so many times He can no longer be trusted.

Today, when my pastor talked about the reasons this Psalm of David uses the term that we’re “fearfully made,” he said it’s because such a miracle of life inspires awe. Awe because of how brilliant our Creator God really is.

He went on to explain a couple of practical benefits that accompany an awareness of God’s brilliance.

The two benefits mentioned today were:

Relinquish — By recognizing God’s superior understanding of life, it’s easy to hand over control and let Him be the Lord of our life.

And:

Relax — We can relax knowing God is in control because of His absolute genius.

When the pastor reminded us that God is worthy of having us relax in His care, that we can trust Him because there’s no problem He hasn’t seen or can’t handle, my character’s dilemma came back to me. He thinks he’d better take control of things because, clearly, God can’t do the job. But being reminded that God is so much more brilliant than my character can imagine is exactly what he needs to hear.

So while I’d begun making notes about how the sermon applied to me and real life, I ended up making notes about how I would incorporate everything I was learning into my work-in-progress—and pass on the wisdom to readers through my characters. Not that I wasn't still listening to the sermon, of course. ;-)

Interesting how God works, isn’t it?

Maureen's latest release, My Sister Dilly, has received rave reviews!

Find out more at her website, http://www.maureenlang.com/

Guest Blogger ... Lynn D. Morrissey

My Daughter, My Pearl
Adapted from Love Letters to God: Deeper Intimacy through Written Prayer (Multnomah Publishers) by Lynn D. Morrissey

I had been married for seventeen years when, for my fortieth birthday, God delivered a surprise present wrapped in pink: a precious baby daughter named Sheridan. She’s a treasured pearl I absolutely cherish, but one I initially struggled to receive.

I had never wanted to be a mother; the prospect frightened me to death. I was intimidated by the enormous responsibility of raising a child as well as by my many inadequacies. I knew nothing about children or interacting with them. I had a morbid fear of dying in childbirth, which having a child at forty only exacerbated. I was petrified! Numerous things could go wrong with the baby or with me.

Even though the pregnancy was uncomplicated, I dreaded the long haul, feeling as if I would be raising a child until I was eighty! How would I survive? Where would I find the physical stamina necessary to keep pace with an active toddler? How could I have the fortitude to combat twenty‑first‑century evils that would undermine my parenting at every turn? I also didn’t want to leave a career of twenty years that I truly enjoyed. The big picture overwhelmed me, and I felt trapped.

A well‑meaning Christian friend suggested abortion. Her advice only increased my struggle. I knew that this child was not a cosmic accident, but God's creation, whom He was intricately forming “layer by layer” in my womb. I didn't doubt God's will, yet I fought intensely against accepting it. I felt extremely pressured by my own deepening fear of all the unknowns. Though I wrestled repeatedly with God, I finally surrendered and penned this prayer of acceptance:

“Dear Lord, my body contains a secret seed, immortally conceived, mortally sown. Momentarily, I enfold creation. A fragment of eternity forms concentrically like a pearl. Can I bear weight of priceless cargo? Can my broken vessel store treasure of such worth? Can my earthen jar contain a soul outlasting every star? Can I refuse? Can I uproot the hidden seed? Can I coerce the Potter to remold my brittle clay—remake my fragile vessel for some other use?

“I can consent. I can surrender to Your engendering Spirit. I can open myself freely to Your infilling glory. I am willing to unveil the pearl at any price. I will become a chalice for my Maker's grace.”

Although I refused to abort, I didn't gracefully aquiesce to motherhood. I rebelliously complained, questioning God's wisdom and resenting His timing: How could this child be a gift? How could I raise her when I didn't even know how to change a diaper? How could I leave a twenty‑year career and financial security? Wouldn't I look ridiculous as a forty‑year‑old dinosaur swapping diaper‑rash remedies with my twenty‑year‑old counterparts?

Although my emotions vacillated between anger and apathy, I prayed that God would change my heart, grant me courage, and endow me with motherly feelings. I clung to the truth that, despite my opinion, this child was God's gift and blessing, His treasure and pearl.

Then it happened. From the moment I first held Sheridan, God miraculously replaced my callous heart of stone with a mother's heart of tenderness. I wrote in my journal: “Oh, God! Now that I see, touch, and talk to her, everything—absolutely everything—is different! Oh, God, thank You. Thank You. Thank You for my beautiful baby!"

When Sheridan was born, I did leave my career. And when God brought me home to raise her, He gave me not just my little “pearl girl,” but a luminescent pearl necklace of blessings: He fulfilled my dream of becoming an author and unexpectedly transformed me through the influence of my little girl. Sheridan was my "mid-life replacement therapy"—replacing my lethargy with her energy, my depression with her joy, my cynicism with her optimism, my jadedness with her innocence, my workaholism with her play. I grew mentally as she and I explored her world, emotionally as I loved her, and spiritually as I became completely dependent upon God for my mothering. What I had originally perceived to be the unwelcome grit of difficulty and fear, God transformed into pearls of beauty and delight.

Lynn D. Morrissey is founder of Journaling Unleashed, a ministry for reflective journal-writing, an AWSA and CLASS speaker, author of Love Letters to God: Deeper Intimacy through Written Prayer and other books, contributor to numerous bestsellers, and professional soloist. She, her husband Michael, and daughter Sheridan live in St. Louis, Missouri. She blogs at Set Free Today

And the winners are...

We've run several giveaways this past month and I've yet to announce the winners! (Oops.)

The winner of Dena Dyer's Mother of the Bible is Abi

The winner of is Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today by Kathi Macias Tamela

The winner of Bonnie St. John, Live Your Joy is Deb

And the winner of Kathy Ireland's Real Solutions for Busy Moms is Nana Trish

Guest Blogger ... Louise Caiola

Pearl Girl: Louise Caiola

Pearl of Wisdom: We are never too far from our humble beginnings to forget the beauty in simplicity.

Favorite Verse: Nahum 1:3 The Message: “God is the creator of all things great and small. Let us be open to gratitude, even at the least obvious moments.”

Pennies from Heaven

The heat of the summer, in Long Island, New York in 1974 brought a blistering sun and a sheet of humidity that draped itself over everything until it was damp to the touch. The days borrowed hours from some time in the future when they’d be less apt to be missed. Yet when they finally dwindled into the steamy dusk, and the skies gathered clouds together to relieve themselves, the kids in the streets below didn’t run away. Scrawny arms and legs, gangly growing bodies and faces in the process of changing from cherubic to awkward met the coming of the rain with an enthusiasm usually reserved for the bells of the ice cream truck or a birthday gift.

I took my place among the gathering of twelve year old counterparts, waiting in a red, white and blue two-piece bathing suit with freshly scraped knees from an afternoon’s game of jump rope gone bad. The first clap of thunder announced the arrival of lukewarm showers worthy of dancing in, deserving of open mouths with tongues outstretched and filling up potholes that became sloppy little pools before long. We tossed our heads back, inviting the water to run through our hair making sporadic rows of moist strands that clung to our neck and down the sides of young, eager shoulders.

Fast forward some thirty years and I am standing behind a tear streaked window glass inside my home, watching as the rain continued to fall for the fourth consecutive day. “Not again,” I groaned. A song verse ran through my head, “Every time it rains, it rains pennies from heaven.” I pushed it away. Tell that to my latest pair of soggy nylons courtesy of the puddle I stepped in while rushing through the previous nights deluge. Age and time had a way of turning sweetly sung phrases into a matter of opinion. I hardly ever considered the rain as a present from above anymore, much less one with any value. Rather it was a gloomy event; forcing folks to flock indoors or hide under umbrellas should they be forced to venture out. I had to wonder what happened to that girl, the one who sought out rainbows in the oil slicks on black tarred roadways when the sun finally emerged. What had become of her?

Perhaps there had been one too many warm midnight wishes lost in the cool morning’s dew. I learned the hard way that even choosing the brightest star did not ensure a happy ending. Relationships don’t always last. Children grow up and leave home. I was placed, misplaced, pushed, pulled, challenged and failed, and taught that a broken heart heals, but the scars remain. Each disappointment brought with it a dose of reality. Each harsh life lesson ushered in another reason to duck and cover from the rain, instead of tipping my head back to delight in its gentle benediction.

I took another look outside. On the lawn was the dogwood tree; its bare, twisted branches swaying to and fro. She was a pretty old gal who spent her days doing nothing more than providing shade while she waited for April to bring her buds to life. Yet in that instant I saw her dance. I saw her limbs reach out and up toward the sky to embrace the gift of that water. It fed and nurtured her. I witnessed a show of appreciation for the offering of nourishment. A celebration. I remembered it well. I thought about the oceans I had swam in and the rivers and streams there for my amusement on rafting and fishing trips. Surely they were thankful. And what of the farmers crop and the acres of forest and foliage for hiking and picnics?

Would they too be waiting with eager open mouths to rejoice in the coming of the rains?

Without water there would not be life. And it is through God’s grace that we receive this gift of life. It is written in Nahum 1:3 that The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. It seemed I had forgotten, in the hustle and bustle of my world, about the silver lining. It is His light and it is ever present, even in the darkest of days and times when it’s most difficult to see through the raindrops.

The dawn came with the return of a cerulean sky, the perfect canvas for a brilliant sunrise to help dry things off. Walking slowly to my car, I paused to glance upward where a quiet patch of pale grey was starting to fade. The footprint was unmistakable and then all at once it was gone. He walks with us. What a joy to know that we are never alone. A smile pressed my lips as one tiny drop fell from a branch of the dogwood landing on my forehead, a penny from heaven. I was thankful.

Louise Caiola is a writer, dreamer, creative spirit, mother and dog owner, who lives in New York and can always be found with a pen in her hand. She is currently at work on her first novel and is a frequent contributor to www.FaithHopeandFiction.com, a growing e-literary magazine.

Guest Blogger ... Dena Dyer

Be sure to check out Dena's wonderful blog, Mother Inferior and sign up for her FaithLifts!

Dancing in the Frozen Food Aisle

Dance like no one is watching. —Lindsay Kolb

On my mother's side, I come from a long line of "creatives." Which is a nice way of saying our family is a little whacked-out.

On my mother's side, my great-grandfather wrote tons of unpublished short stories, some of which I have. His daughter, Nanaw, was an artist and writer, as well as an art teacher. Her husband, Dadaw, was an amateur inventor and held several patents before he died. And my mother is a talented decorator and has published a few stories of her own.

I love my creative bloodline. But I have noticed that sometimes the craziness inherent in creative people comes at the expense of their family members' comfort.

For instance, Nanaw and Dadaw used to dance to the Muzak in the grocery store, much to my mother's chagrin. While they waltzed around the frozen food, she hid behind the stacks of canned goods, praying no one would see her. Their defense? "We can't let this good music go to waste!"

I know I've been an embarrassment—and a frustration—to my darling hubby at times. (I will be to my son, too, as soon as he's old enough to realize I'm not "normal.") Even though my husband is a professional entertainer, he tends to keep his creativity at work. I, on the other hand, love to decorate and re-decorate. In fact, Carey never knows when he'll come home to a totally different house than the one he left that morning!

He loves to tell people about my goofs, too—like the afternoon I decided our office wall could use some inspirational art. Instead of taking the time to find a stencil, I proceeded to freehand on the wall, with a magic marker, a "feel-good" quote about writing. (Hey, it looked oh-so-easy, and oh-so-lovely, when Lynette Jennings did it on HGTV.)

My version looked horrible, although I did cover it up nicely with a quilt. However, Carey often pulls up the blanket to show visitors the "artwork" on the office wall, as if to say, "Look what I put up with!"

To be fair, Carey also brags on me incessantly, and says my wacky side keeps our marriage fun and interesting. Recently, when I told him I had always wanted to go to circus camp and learn the trapeze, his mouth dropped open and he shook his head. "We've been married ten years, and you just now tell me this?" he asked. "Honey, I love you . . . but I'll never understand you."

At least he'll never get bored!

In fact, he encouraged me to write about my grandparents dancing in the aisles. "What a great story!" he said. "You have to write that down."

And I do love the mental picture of Nanaw and Dadaw shunning convention and kicking up their heels in the middle of "Thrift-Mart," especially since I never really knew my grandfather. I know he suffered from depression, and I know he basically worried himself to death at a relatively young age.

But somehow, in the grocery store, my grandmother's influence over him—or his own sense of absurdity—helped him let go of his worries and embrace life.

Maybe the next time I go shopping, I'll do the same.


Notes from the Coach:

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.

Exodus 15:20, NIV

David retorted to Michal, 'I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD. So I am willing to act like a fool in order to show my joy in the Lord.'

2 Samuel 6:21, NLT


I scrub my hands with purest soap, then join hands with the others in the great circle, dancing around your altar, God . . .

Psalm 26:6, MSG


You have turned my sorrow into joyful dancing. No longer am I sad and wearing sackcloth.

Psalm 30:11, CEV

The castoffs of society will be laughing and dancing in GOD, the down--and-outs shouting praise to The Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 29:19, MSG



Excerpted from Grace for the Race: Meditations for Busy Moms, Copyright © 2004, by Dena J. Dyer. Used by permission.

Dena Dyer is a busy wife, mom, and entertainer and she is constantly losing things—but she’s holding onto her sanity (barely). Her favorite forms of therapy? Cuddling with her two sons, date nights with her hubby, reading, and blogging.

Dena is thankful for her creative life, which is varied and full. In between driving carpools, helping her boys with homework, and shuttling kids to soccer practice, she writes, speaks to women’s groups, and performs part-time at a Christian-owned professional music theater, Rockbox Theater.
Her husband, Carey, works alongside her as a principal cast member at Rockbox Theater. The couple met in a post-college singing group and dated “on the road” before marrying in 1995. “Carey’s my best friend and my biggest fan, and I’m so thankful God has given us each other. I couldn’t pursue my dreams without him,” Dena says. “He even cooks!” (Sorry, ladies—he’s taken.)

Her publishing credits include the books Grace for the Race: Meditations for Busy Moms and Mothers of the Bible (both with Barbour), compilations such as Chicken Soup for the Sister’s Soul Woman’s World and HomeLife, and tips for Working Mother, Family Circle and Parenting.

PEARL GIRLS in the News ... Kendra Smiley's latest release!

Just in time for those Mothers with a strong-willed child -- this is for you!


“Aaron, you will not win,” says his father. “I will be with you every step of the way and you will not win.”

Why did Aaron want to win and control his world?

Because he was a strong-willed child.

When parents are raising a strong-willed child, they need to know that they don’t have to take this journey alone. In their updated book, JOURNEY OF A STRONG-WILLED CHILD, authors and speakers Kendra and John Smiley share the story of their second son’s development, offering advice and encouragement for parents blessed with a strong-willed child of their own. And in a particularly insightful twist, Aaron – now a responsible adult and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine —adds his own comments to his parents’ wisdom.

“What is difficult for most people to understand is the motivation of a strong-willed child,” writes Aaron, reflecting on the scene on the stairs. “The strong-willed child may choose the stated punishment in order to be in control, especially if the child considers the punishment moderate.”

Is it possible that a child’s behavior can actually be predictable? That others have gone before and lived to tell about it? That a strong-willed child can one day mature into a contributing member of society? The answer to those questions, according to Kendra, John, and Aaron Smiley is a resounding “Yes!”

JOURNEY OF A STRONG-WILLED CHILD will arm parents with the encouragement and wisdom they need to meet the challenges of raising a strong-willed child. From pre-kindergarten to college, JOURNEY OF A STRONG-WILLED CHILD addresses each stage of a child’s development and offers proven advice, accompanied by a myriad of delightful anecdotes. Along the way, you’ll gain a new understanding of your child’s heart and a renewed sense of gratitude for the special person God created him to be. Engaging, insightful, and irresistible, it is a book that will touch your family for years to come.





About the Smiley's: Kendra and John Smiley live on a working farm in Central Illinois. They have three grown sons and are thrilled to be grandparents. Kendra and John have authored books and spoken together for several years. Their latest book, Journey of a Strong-Willed Child, was released in January 2009. Kendra and John host “Parenting Like a Pro” radio program and have a regular monthly column called “Family Matters” in Prairie Farmer magazine.



Kendra, a former Illinois Mother of the Year, hosts a daily radio program, Live Life Intentionally, and speaks nationally and internationally. John, retired USAF Reserves Colonel now farms in addition to writing and speaking.

Guest Blogger ... Michelle Borquez

Agape Love, God Crazy Love!

No one can measure the depth and intensity of God’s love. You will only be as big as your concept of God. Here is what Jesus says to us: I know your whole life story, I know every skeleton in your closet, I know every moment of sin, shame, dishonesty, and degraded love that has darkened your past. Your shallow faith, feeble prayer life, your inconsistent discipleship and here is my word to you:

I dare you to trust! I love you just as you are and not as you should be, because you will never be as you should be.

The God of so many Christians I meet is too small for me. – Brennan Manning.

The more we feel accepted by God, loved by God, the more we are able to surrender and entrust our life to him, and the more intimate our relationship with Him becomes. It’s one thing to know you love God but what does that truly mean? Do we really understand what God means when He says He loves us? Phileo love which means casual friendly kind of love is the love we are used to hearing about when we talk about the concept of love between one another. It’s what most of us mean when we say we “love” someone, but there is a deeper love which is how God loves us and asks us to love others; and it is “agape” love. Agape love is a deep, intimate, selfless love. Phileo love only loves when loved and is based on receiving something in return. It is a very emotional centered affection based and focused on being satisfied by the object. It is based on performance of another individual and not on the acceptance of the person for who they are regardless of how they perform. Once the satisfaction of what the person does for you is gone, so is the phileo love. If the object of the phileo assumes any attitudes or actions which are displeasing, the phileo disappears in direct proportion to the displeasure. This is one reason we see marriages and even friendships not last because they are based in this “what are you gonna do for me” kind of love. This love is not able to endure, to persevere through hardships, this love is not a lasting, go through the muck with you kind of love.

How many times have we ended a friendship because the person has disappointed us, or failed us? Unmet expectation is a big reason why both marriages and friendships fail. If we have no expectation, if we love with the love of Christ which is agape love, then we are able to then love beyond the circumstance, beyond the offense, beyond the disappointment and failure and extend grace and mercy. The same grace and mercy that is extended to us by Christ is the grace and mercy he expects us to extend to the world around us. Agape love can love while being hated. This is why Jesus said was able to say to us love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic, either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

He goes on to say “If you loves those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend from those whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful even as your Father is merciful. Judge not and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned, forgive, and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given unto you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it, it will be measured back to you. Luke 6:27-37

You may think what Jesus was saying here to his disciples was just plain crazy. Yes, you are exactly right. It is so opposite what the world tells us, what our friends tell us, and even what we “feel” like doing. It’s just plain God Crazy is what it is. When we follow the principles God has laid out for us in His Word, we will be amazed what will come forth from it.

You may be thinking “ya know Michelle Jesus just could not have been talking to the people in this world who have been seriously hurt, those who have been burned, beaten, abused, betrayed, spit on, verbally trashed…Jesus wasn’t talking to them right?” Jesus himself had all those things happen to him and when He died on the cross He said “Jesus forgive them for they know not what they do”. Yes, He forgives us, loves us, has mercy on us, and the same love, mercy and forgiveness we have been given freely by Him, we are to extend to others.

We all have heart bruises, each and every one of us. As long as we are keeping those walls up around our hearts no one can get in and we cannot get out. No one can love us, and we can not let ourselves love either. It is in the embracing of forgiveness, and loving with agape love, we are set free. FREEDOM! At the very end of the movie “Braveheart”, William Wallace (played by Mel Gibson) is in the greatest pain, and at the end of his life and he cries out with everything in him, “Freedom”. He is not “free”, but yet he understood no one could take his soul. They could kill his body but not his soul. He was free because He was going on to another place and he understood he was dying for a greater cause. Something he felt to be way beyond himself…the freedom of Scotland.

“All men die, but not all men really live” expressed by William Wallace, was another quote from the movie. I love it. How true it is. We all die. This life is temporary. Our life is a vapor and then we go on. So let’s get God Crazy. Agape those who are persecuting you, forgive those who have wronged you. Do good to those who have done you wrong, and lend to those without expecting anything in return and you will begin to see lives changed, and miracles take place as a result and I am not talking just in the lives of those you are extending agape love to. I am talking about miracles taking place in your heart, and your life being radically changed.

Understand we serve a very big God who can get us through anything and restore our lives and heal our hearts. In the words of Brennan Manning as he declared Jesus saying to each one of us “I dare you to trust.” Trust Him with the outcome of your life. Trust Him on His word. Why? Because love never fails…agape love that is.

From my heart to yours,
Michelle Borquez
God Crazy Ministries
www.Godcrazy.net

About Michelle:
In 2005 Michelle Hosted and Co-Produced I-Life Television's 'SHINE With Michelle Borquez” and was the national spokesperson for Beth Moore’s “Loving Well” Television Ministry Special. Her book "God Crazy - An Adventurous Road Trip to Joyful Surrender" was released by Harvest House in July, 2007 and recently released in September 08 “Overcoming the Seven Deadly Emotions” a guide to Emotional and Spiritual Healing. Michelle is a dynamic writer and speaker with a heart for the broken, the wounded, and for restoration in the body and is President of God Crazy Ministries, whose mission is to educate and edify the body of Christ, and to empower them with their own awakening to God's transforming power. Michelle lives with her family in Tennessee.
A woman of vision, Michelle is a business entrepreneur, ministry leader, international speaker, television and radio personality, and mother of four. She has worked as a leading business consultant for George Barna, John Maxwell’s INJOY, Bee Alive, American Association of Christian Counselors, Extraordinary Women, Family Restoration, and has assisted to achieve long term goals and objectives for major ministry leaders and church organizations.

In 1999 Michelle founded Shine Magazine, a general interest publication focused on spiritual, physical and emotional health, highlighting fashion and travel. Her role as Editor-in-Chief allowed for wonderful interviews with well known personalities and ministry leaders, such as First Lady Laura Bush, Anne Graham Lotz, Michael W. Smith, Kurt Warner, Chuck and Gena Norris, Beth Moore, and many more.

Guest Blogger ... Dena Dyer

**leave a comment on this post to be entered to win a copy of Mother's of the Bible**

Failures as Fodder--Bathsheba

Scripture: Abridged from 2 Samuel 12 (CEV)

And he sent Nathan the prophet to tell this story to David: “A rich man and a poor man lived in the same town. The rich man owned a lot of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had only one little lamb that he had bought and raised. The lamb became a pet for him and his children. He even let it eat from his plate and drink from his cup and sleep on his lap. The lamb was like one of his own children. One day someone came to visit the rich man, but the rich man didn't want to kill any of his own sheep or cattle and serve it to the visitor. So he stole the poor man's little lamb and served it instead.”
David was furious with the rich man and said to Nathan, "I swear by the living LORD that the man who did this deserves to die! And because he didn't have any pity on the poor man, he will have to pay four times what the lamb was worth."

Then Nathan told David: “You are that rich man! Now listen to what the LORD God of Israel says to you: "I chose you to be the king of Israel. I kept you safe from Saul and even gave you his house and his wives. I let you rule Israel and Judah, and if that had not been enough, I would have given you much more. Why did you disobey me and do such a horrible thing? You murdered Uriah the Hittite by having the Ammonites kill him, so you could take his wife.”

"Because you wouldn't obey me and took Uriah's wife for yourself, your family will never live in peace. Someone from your own family will cause you a lot of trouble, and I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes. He will go to bed with them while everyone looks on. What you did was in secret, but I will do this in the open for everyone in Israel to see."

David said, "I have disobeyed the LORD."

"Yes, you have!" Nathan answered. "You showed you didn't care what the LORD wanted. He has forgiven you, and you won't die. But your newborn son will." Then Nathan went back home. The LORD made David's young son very sick.

So David went without eating to show his sorrow, and he begged God to make the boy well. David would not sleep on his bed, but spent each night lying on the floor. His officials stood beside him and tried to talk him into getting up. But he would not get up or eat with them.

After the child had been sick for seven days, he died… David comforted his wife Bathsheba and slept with her. Later on, she gave birth to another son and named him Solomon.

Devotional:

Bathsheba’s life could be considered a failure. After all, she slept with King David while her husband was at war, had a child from the illicit affair, and married David after he had her husband killed.

When their sins were exposed, Bathsheba and David repented, but their child became sick and died. The scriptures don’t tell us much about how Bathsheba felt, but as a mother, she had to be devastated.

But God wasn’t done with Bathsheba. She bore Solomon, whom David chose to succeed him. And Solomon went on to build the temple, fulfilling a promise God had given to David. In Proverbs, we see Bathsheba again, advising Solomon on the qualities of a virtuous wife. (She even advises him, speaking out of her own experience: “Don't waste your life chasing after women! This has ruined many kings.”)

Even more amazing, Solomon and the entire lineage of David were the ancestors of Jesus Christ, God’s own son. What the world saw as failure, God saw as fodder.

Bathsheba’s story proves that God redeems even the most heinous sin. He loves to restore and rebuild, and His word is the only final word in our lives. So don’t let your past hold you back. God is not done with you, either.
God can even use your failures as fodder in the parenting process. Jinny, a mom of two tweens, shares openly with them about the difficulties she experienced in childhood, and talks about how God used those hard things to form her character.

Jinny notes, “As parents, we can brush a nostalgic patina over our childhood stories, playing up our successes and omitting the struggles. When our kids do have a problem, they wonder why they are struggling when we never did.”

”What I have found is that when I vulnerably share with my children about a fear I had or how I dealt with a bully in the 4th grade, there is much more openness on their part to learn what God taught me through that challenge.”

She notes that children are constantly seeking the answer to the question, "How do I do life?" Jinny says, “When we would rather look good than be honest, we are feeding our kids a false formula--which they will eventually figure out and walk away from in frustration.”

”Part of being an ethical Christian parent is admitting that we need grace as much as our children do and we always have. We don't exact perfection from our children by telling them how perfect we were. That only serves to discourage them. They already have a heart to please us, and we have to take the utmost care in nurturing that heart toward the things of God. We are not perfect--but He is.”

Think it Over:

--What personal failures haunt you?

--Do you believe God can redeem them?

--How have you grown in character as a result of failing?

--In what ways can the story of Bathsheba encourage you?

See the former things have taken place, and new things I declare: before they spring into being I announce them to you.
Isaiah 42:9, NIV

Mothers of the Bible is a collection of a month's worth of devotionals based on the lives of 24 biblical moms like Mary, Rebekah and Rachel. Readers will find scripture and brief biographies, along with thought-provoking application questions and inspirational takeaways.

Dena says, "I learned so much while writing this book. I never realized that biblical moms struggled with the exact same issues facing moms today. Rachel, Hannah and Sarah dealt with infertility. Eunice was a single mom. Eve lost a child, and Naomi lost a spouse. Leah felt unloved, Hagar felt rejected, and Job's wife felt abandoned by God. I'm honored to share their stories. My goal with the book is to point mothers to the God who longs to meet them in the midst of their circumstances, just as He did for moms in the Bible."

Mothers of the Bible is priced low so churches and groups can purchase multiple copies for their members. It makes an excellent gift for Mother's Day or other special occasions. Go here to purchase!

And to find out more about Dena or to sign up for her monthly "Faith Lifts" devotional, visit http:www.denadyer.com.

Guest Blogger ... Kathi Macias

**leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of Kathi's book -- perfect for your mother (or a mother you know) for Mother's Day!**

Mothers of the Bible . . .

Still Speak to Mothers of Today

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all” (Proverbs 31:28-29).

Life is busy—and never more so than when you’re a mom. I know; I’ve “been there, done that.” And though my children are all grown and gone and I’m thoroughly enjoying being a grandma now, I’ll never stop being a mom—and I’ll never forget what it was like to deal with some of the issues unique to that title.

As I result, I’ve written a book about mothers—mothers of today, yes, but also mothers of biblical times. Why did I write the book? I’d like to say it’s because I did such a great job of being a mom myself. I’d like to say that—but I can’t because sometimes I didn’t. Instead, I decided it would be a much better idea to write about the “mom issues” common to so many of us by allowing the mothers of the Bible to use their own life experiences to set the scene and paint the picture that will speak to mothers grappling with those very issues today.

Surprisingly, as I researched these amazing women of the Bible who struggled with the issues of motherhood, I discovered that many of them would have considered themselves failures as mothers, even as you and I sometimes do. Yet God included their stories in the Scriptures for several reasons, one of which was to help mothers of today navigate their own lives and find the sure footing and direction they need to lead their children down the right path.

If that describes you, then no matter how busy you may be, I hope you’ll consider taking the time to glean from these biblical mothers the nuggets of wisdom that will enable you to discover what God wants you to know about motherhood. It is, after all, an honorable position, one designed and appointed to us by our own heavenly Parent. True, the responsibilities of wearing the title of “mom” are great—but the rewards are even greater. And, ultimately, digging deep and learning through refining are where we “pearl girls” shine the brightest!

***Adapted from Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers of Today by Kathi Macias (New Hope Publishers, 2009)

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