What is There to Celebrate on Mother’s Day?
“Motherhood. It brings with it such complicated grief; yet in the midst of that grief, there lies a beauty endowed by the Creator. Because since before the fall, motherhood has been God’s very good plan to show us more of himself. Since the fall, its complexity often clouds out the beauty, leaving us wondering at times what there is to celebrate on Mother’s Day.” What is There to Celebrate on Mother’s Day? by Madelyn Istrate
Shame: How God Uses Our Weakness to Show His Strength
““Shame on you!” I heard this phrase many times growing up in the 80s. It became a common way for adults to address children’s misbehavior. But what weight do these words actually carry? Shame. On you. Despite hearing the word “shame” frequently, I lived many years without understanding what it really was and how it impacted me. Now as a mom and a pastor’s wife, I want to be able to spot shame and its harmful effects in and around me. I want to link arms with other women as we “put off” shame as part of the old self and instead “put on” the freedom, joy, and security that Jesus has for us (Eph. 4:22–24)! ” Shame: How God Uses Our Weakness to Show His Strength by Myra Dempsey
How to Minister From a Place of Loneliness
“For me, ministering in a season of acute isolation feels like the cabin pressure dropped, the oxygen masks came down, and I’m fumbling to help others while I’m struggling to stay conscious. Maybe you’re a mom, experiencing deep loneliness with children to care for. Or maybe you’re wrestling with grief and loss but trying to love your church well. Perhaps you’re starting over in a new place or stepping out in faith to do something the Lord has led you to do and you’re feeling lonely. Sisters, the Lord sees you and desires to meet you in your loneliness.” How to Minister From a Place of Loneliness by Bev Chao Burrus