"That's the way the money goes ... POPE goes the Weasel!"

Pope Francis of Rome

Hey, I ain't hating on the Pope, so don't get your panties in a wad! But I'm sure glad that I can now turn my television on without getting a blow by blow description of his trip to America last week!

I suppose all the hype is to be expected with more than 69 million registered Catholics in America (22% of the U.S. Population) and many more who vied just get a glimpse of him. (These stats are two years old so, the numbers may be slightly different.)

It just struck me odd as a non-Catholic just how inspiring this visit was for those who are!  I read of people weeping, standing in lines for hours, altering their life drastically; bringing their children, traveling miles just to be in close proximity of His Eminence.

Truly, it looked like something out of the Gospels, when Jesus came to town!  Only, let's get this straight...The Pope ain't Jesus!  And he wasn't healing (at least not physically) diseases and infirmities.  Folks gathered around, kissing his hand, bowing before him and feeling oh so privileged to just be near him as if this was their main purpose for living.  

 Powerful and revered as the pope is and no matter the traditional teaching of Catholicism;  He is no more God's representative on earth than we are!  I just don't get it! But then, maybe this trip has a higher calling! I'm sure God has some unrevealed purpose.

In all fairness, I do have to say that this Pontiff comes off quite different from former popes.  First of all he seems more vibrant and healthy.  Remember Pope John Paul, II's bullet proof ride?  He was so frail that I wasn't sure if the glass covering was meant to protect him from outsiders or to catch him should he hit a bump in the road and fall out of the vehicle!

He also seems to be more in touch with the real world and it's social issues. Not hiding behind his papacy but actually addressing the hard stuff like sexual abuse, abortion and same sex marriages.  Got to give it to him, he's sticking to his spiritual guns and does have a certain charm about him!

Still, I'm jealous of the attention he got by the masses!  Would they treat my Jesus the same way?  God the Father is the only Holy Father I recognize (Abba Father,  Mark 14:36).  I bow before no one but  God, (Daniel 3) for even the apostles rejected this kind of treatment. (Acts 14:15) But God deserves every praise!

 I believe that Jesus, would have barely gotten His feet on American soil before being profiled as a Terrorist! You do know that in human flesh, He would present as an olive skinned, bearded middle eastern man, dressed in ethnic garb!  How many photos of men like this have you seen flashing across your T.V. screen since 9/11?

People hung onto every word the Pope spoke and he did have wonderful things to say!  But did he really say anything different that what Bible preachers and teachers have been saying?  His key themes were: We need to love each other more, attend to the needs of the poor; humble yourself before the Lord, judge no one and work toward peace and harmony!  I don't know about you but I get that every week, in Sunday school and morning service!

Having said all this, I ask you to do as I'm going to do.  Search the scriptures more thoroughly regarding End Time events.  Revisit a study of the book of Revelation and pray to God for discernment.  What did this trip really mean for America and the world? My heart tells me THAT GOD IS UP TO SOMETHING...AND THE POPE'S VISIT IS ONLY A PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS!

UNTIL NEXT TIME!...

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A Woman For All Seasons

I Thess. 5:17 Pray continually!
(image, picturespider.com)

Excuse me while I get my shout on!  I'm just so full of joy this morning.  After six weeks of a liberating bible study at my church and a couple days bonding with some sacred sisters at a retreat, all I can say is GOD IS SHO NUFF GOOD!

I'm no stranger to prayer mind you, but I can't tell you what the ministry of prayer has done for me over these past weeks!  The sheer number of opportunities increased at least ten-fold.  With all the violence, sickness, health scares visited upon my community, friends and family, it seems every hour or so somebody was calling me to pray for or with them!

Couple that with the nation wide release of that phenomenal movie, War Room, and another, Captive, being released this week...if you've missed the message that God is calling us to pray...then something's wrong with your God Meter!  

Like you, I'm well aware of those rare breed of women, called Prayer Warriors.  I grew up with them!  Generally, they were the older women of the church.  Real strict looking, starched and severe in their white dresses.

They had eyes that looked like they could see sin in your life ten miles away! And if you even whispered you needed prayer for anything, they would gather around you, lay hands on your body, toss their heads back and wail to the Lord on your behalf! 

Now I have to tell you, I didn't understand much of what was going on then, but Lord, I sure appreciate it now!  Those women had spiritual discernment!  They knew when you, or your family, or your job, or your city was in trouble and they entered into intercessory prayer instantly.  We need to do the same thing!

God has broken that stereotypical image of a Prayer Warrior today! We don't have to be scared of the term any more! Don't have to worry that we don't fit the mold, can't meet the standard of those women of old. He's not just calling older women to seek the Lord in prayer, He's calling women of all ages to hold up the banner! He wants us to be a Woman for All Seasons!  What Seasons am I talking about? Here's only a sampling!

• A Season of  Lies - Satan, with the help of some very influential people are telling the world that Biblical Truth doesn't matter.  You can be, live, talk, and malign Christians for the beliefs and it's perfectly okay in the name of Tolerance! (1 Tim. 4:1-3)

• A Season of Hedonism (pleasure seeking) - The sexual abuse of our children by people in trusted authoritative positions (teachers, ministers, child care workers) is sickening! There's no facet of our society it has not touched. (Ephesians 4:19)

• A Season of Greed - Over consumption of everything is evident in our world today.  America is especially guilty because we have more access to excess than a lot of nations.  But who is paying the cost? Those who can afford it least.  We have super-sized ourselves into obesity, national debt, chemical dependencies of all kinds, and have become technological gluttons, with each new gadget draining our financial resources. It's as if we have forgotten Who owns it all! (Psalms 24:1)

Here's my challenge to you:  Go Right Now to your Prayer Closets, Your Prayer lines,  Your Prayer Meetings, Your Prayer Partners, near and Far...

BE A WOMAN FOR ALL SEASONS....BECOME A WOMAN OF PRAYER!

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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JOURNEY TO SISTERHOOD: If You Say It, Do it!

"For the upright will inhabit the land,

 those with integrity will remain in it."

(Prov. 2:21)

A woman of the Word is also a woman of her word! There's nothing more harmful to a person's reputation than to be known as one who does not keep her word.

We make promises so frivolously.  Even before some of them come out of our mouths, we know we don't intend to keep them.    The fact that we take so little time to even consider what we're saying is proof enough.

Some make promises out of guilt.  Sister Friend went with you to a certain place and now you feel obligated to return the favor.  When the date comes around, you find a convenient excuse therefore reneging on your promise!

Some make promises to try to fit in.  People Pleasers, always find themselves over engaged and pressured into events and tasks that they don't have the slightest interest in. They constantly find themselves weighing in the balances--Do I go or risk not being asked again and left out for the next big thing?

Once there was no need for contracts, IOUs, promissory notes and the likes because a a woman's word was her bond!  Not any more.  Verbal agreements are now being videotaped and audio-taped for  business purposes. Too many trusts have been broken by people who you thought you could depend on.  Or at least could count on to give you a straight answer.

Let me tell you one Person who doesn't think integrity is passé, out-of-style, or simply blasé -- God! Check this out:  

• “This is what the Lord has commanded. If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. (Numbers 30:1-2)

•  You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth. (Deut. 23:23)

• “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. (Matthew 5:33-37

• But whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: (I John 2:5)

From the Old Testament to the New Testament, the message is the same.  Good human relationships are based on honesty and integrity.  Think before you speak.  Keep your commitments few and your integrity always intact.  If by chance you cannot keep your word, make sure you own it, and/or reach out to the one depending on you, with a sincere apology and an act of good will.  Perhaps offer your time or service for another occasion. 

Knowing integrity's importance to horizontal relationships, how much more do you think it influences our fellowship with the Lord?  W.O.W your Lord and your friends!  Be a Woman of Your Word!

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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JOURNEY TO SISTERHOOD: Apologize, Already!!!

Something short of a miracle happened to me last week. Two sisters took me aside and apologized for possible wrongs done to me!  One, I had forgiven long ago.  The other, came as a shock, as frankly, I couldn't recall any incident or moment of discord.

I can't begin to tell you what the gesture meant to me.  I can only hope it was equally as humbling and freeing for them.  It started me thinking about the power of these two little words...I'm sorry!   Of course it needs to be sincere but is there any easier way to get on in our relationships after a misunderstanding?

Along with three other phrases: Please, Thank you, and I was wrong, we just might have the answer to World Peace! Here's what I've learned.

 First, an apology is not meant to assign blame or elicit retribution from an offending party. It's not about catching my sister friend in a vulnerable position and sadistically twisting the knife of guilt.  Giving back some of the pain I experienced.

HERE'S WHAT AN APOLOGY WILL DO: 

• IT ACKNOWLEDGES YOUR PAIN.  As a human you have feelings.  You exist as a person with God given rights and dignity.  When wounded emotionally and/or physically, the perpetrator violates both of these and depending on your vulnerability, your self worth may have suffered. 

• IT RESTORES POWER TO THE INJURED. There are few things so devastating as to be in a position of powerlessness at the hands of another.  The loss of control and helplessness causes a fear and anxiety that's really hard to describe because it's different for everyone.

• IT CLEARS THE WAY FOR DEEPER HEALING. I don't know a lot of women who wait around for an apology before moving on with their lives, but for a few this step is absolutely necessary.  An apology shows that there is remorse and may even allow for an explanation. The more details you have about the nature of an offense, the more you can learn from it and avoid the negativity that caused it.

• IT COULD FACILITATE RECONCILIATION. I'm sorry will not fix every problem or heal every wound, but sometimes it is the beginning of the process that restores a relationship.  We must never underestimate the impact wounding has on us and others.  The collateral damage that occurs could take hours of prayer and spiritual counseling to help us become whole again.  Still, even if you never regain the warm and fuzzy you once had for a sister friend; the Grace of God will enable you to resume a cordial, even pleasant association honoring Him and the past you once shared.  Just ask the Lord to show you how!

Galatians 6:10 is a wonderful reminder:

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
   
UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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JOURNEY TO SISTERHOOD: Can you Take the Truth?

I love that commercial where a woman asks her husband or maybe it's her boyfriend, "Do these pants make me look fat?" And he hurriedly crams a Twix candy bar in his mouth to keep from answering!  It just shows the slippery slope we all tread when trying to maintain good relations with people we care about.

It begs the question though: Is a friend truly a friend if she won't be honest with you?  The politically correct answer is, of course not! You want a true sister friend to be  comfortable and trust worthy enough to tell you the truth about yourself when it is needed.  But what happens when that's put to the test?  When she tells you something you don't want to hear and can't even believe!

I'm not talking about making judgment calls, character assassinations, or otherwise petty comments we women indulge in.  Just being brutally honest in order to protect you from harming yourself or another and desiring to see God's best for your life.

The truth is that we all have blind spots when it comes to admitting to things that put us in a bad light!  It might be our behavior, our attitude, sometimes even our loved ones.  All these are deeply personal and can trigger emotions in us so ferocious that it would make a football defensive linebacker cower down!

Very much like when driving, a blind spot is something very close and so obvious that it should be readily seen, but isn't.  In this case it is something we ignore because it is unpleasant or too difficult to deal with.  Now who can't relate to that?  But this is where a true friend is needed to help us out!  To give us perspective.  Take a look at Proverbs 27:6.

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."


There is a two-fold interpretation of this saying from the Bible's Book of Wisdom, Proverbs.  First, it tells us that we can depend on a friend telling us the truth about ourselves in a trustworthy and reliable way.  She's not going to go behind our back and bad mouth us to someone else.  She's coming straight to the source!  That's actually the meaning of the Hebrew word emunah in this scripture.  It's literal meaning is "faithful".

But it also means that she does so with great risk!  She may wound you temporarily to bring out the good in a situation but takes the chance of losing your friendship and suffer the consequences of years of anger and bitterness if it is not received well!

Still, isn't it better to hear it from someone you love than in the streets?  That's where those phony friends (the kiss butt  enemies in the the verse) will take it.  They have no qualms about allowing you to live in the devastation of your blind spots then blind side you with insults and abandon you when you hit the wall! 

On our journey to learning what real sisterhood is all about.  Let's think about what matters most! Instead of gathering to ourselves silly sisters willing to tell us what we want to hear; let's find some mature women with enough love to tell us what we need to know, and back bone and patience enough to take it, when we go foul on them and lash out because we don't want to hear it!

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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JOURNEY TO SISTERHOOD: Handling The Drama Queen

Why is it that just when a sister friend relationship starts coming together, the Drama Queen shows up?   It never fails somewhere between those wonderful fun-filled social activities and long chats of sharing, she makes her appearance!

One little comment gets taken way out of context and before you know it...here comes the drama!  All of a sudden the conversation gets strange or even non-existent and when you ask what's wrong, the face drops to the floor, eyes water up and it all comes out...I never thought you would ever treat me like that...After all we've been through I thought for sure you would have my back!  Always over the top with everything normal stuff doesn't happen to a DQ, it's a national crisis in her life.

But Lord, you gotta love those Drama Queen Sisters.  I mean really, the Lord says you really HAVE TO!  I Corinthians 13:7 says this: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The best way to handle a Drama Queen friend is to not feed into her theatrics.  Down play the seriousness of the situation and although it will take a few times for her to get the message; it won't be long before she moves on to the next person.  Remember no Diva wants to play to an empty theater! It's no fun if she doesn't get the right response.

A second way, is to set limits to how long you will give them a listening ear.  If on social media, simply stop responding!  If you're face to face, find a way to shorten the conversation.  Move to another conversation as quickly as possible. Not rudely but firmly give your attention to another person in the room or even distance yourself by focusing on an activity that will take you away from the situation.  

Now of course a real Drama Queen will want to tag along or even hunt you down if you escape too quickly. But you can honestly tell her that this is time that you must spend by yourself to do some thinking and when isn't taking a break from the busyness of this world not warranted.  Even Jesus did this!  (Mark 1:35-36).

An opposite approach may also work.  You pick a time and place and actually spend some time with her!  These dear sisters are starving for attention, but seeking it in highly annoying and inappropriate ways!  Let her vent for a few minutes and then stop her with some thought-provoking questions.  Keep them rational and objective, free from emotion:

Did this really happen, just like that?  Have you prayed about it?  What three things could you do to address this issue?  The point is to try to reduce the emotional fuel behind all the theatrics and help her think through the issues.

Last but not least,  make sure the Drama Queen knows that she is not the only sister that you can connect with as a friend, companion, or acquaintance.  As much as she would like to believe that you simply cannot live without her, prove to her that her friendship although cherished will not be allowed to consume you emotionally or your time!

By all means, treat your Drama Queen sister with patience and tenderness.  Pray for her, pray with her but do not handicap her by feeding into a behavior that will eventually devastate all her relationships and actually pushes God off the throne of her heart.

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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JOURNEY TO SISTERHOOD: Bearing With One Another!

Bear ye one another's burdens...Galatians 6:2

                Me and you, us never part, 
(Makidada)
                     Me and you, us have one heart, (Makidada)
                     Ain't no ocean, ain't no sea, (Makidada)
                     Keep my sister away from me...

(From the movie, The Color Purple, 1985, Warner Bros. Films)


I can't help it.  Every time I come across a rerun of this Stephen Spielberg film, I have to watch at least this part: Celie and Nettie's heart wrenching love expressed so poignantly in their clapping song.  It could be that it conjures up afresh, the love I have for my own sisters, all four are now with the Lord.

Somehow, all those things they used do that drove me up the wall, don't really matter. The personality flaws, annoying habits, and even the occasional underhanded schemes to get what they wanted is of no concern.  This fact remains...ride or die...we are sisters and not even eternity will change that!  Nothing will keep us apart!  Our relationship was not by personal choice but came down biologically through our parents...simply put, we're blood!  

This is not unlike our spiritual sisters which did not come by choice, but through our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We're also blood.  United and sealed with His blood throughout eternity (Ephes. 4:5-6).   Why then do we exhibit such intolerance, impatience, and down right hostility when offended by a Sister in Christ?  I understand that we are all human, with real feelings and emotions. It hurts when wounded by another Saint! But I also realize that none of us are ALWAYS operating in the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  Which means we're open to attack by another Christian at any time.  And by no means are we exempt from doing some sniping of our own. So get used to it!

Still the Bible refuses to give us a pass!  You know what will happen if you took that eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth adage literally (Matt. 5:38)...you both end up blind with no teeth!  God insists that for the sake of Spiritual Sisterhood that we learn to rejoice when persecuted (Matt. 5:11-12) and forgive those who wronged you (Ephes. 4:32). I know...I know, it sounds straight up crazy, counter intuitive, inane, even impossible....But doesn't it sounds just like Jesus?

Relationships are incredibly complex and none are so complex as those between women!  It takes work, it takes prayer.  But let me tell you if you can find a way to work it out, it is well worth the effort!  I'd like to start a little Sister Good will with a list on this blog.  Let's create some positive love language for sisters. I've put some thoughts down and I want to hear yours.  Please read and then add your own statements: 

 Send an email to: sisters4sisters@att.net OR  scroll to the bottom of my blog page at  http://alittlewiser63.blogspot.com  click on the pencil and the no comments will change to a writing space.  HERE WE GO!

ONLY A REAL SISTAH .....

1.  Will tell you about a good store sale even though you've just had a big argument! 

2. Listens quietly to your drama but won't let you hang up until she's prayed for you!

3. Gives you space to develop a relationship with others without getting offended! 

4.  Loves you enough to tell you when you're wrong and tries to get you back on track!

5.

6.

7.

UNTIL NEXT TIME....ENJOY THE JOURNEY TO TRUE SISTERHOOD!!