Womanly Submission

"She is beautiful and therefore to be woo'd.
She is woman, therefore to be won."
-Shakespeare, King Henry the Sixth

Anthony and i have been ready this book called "Doing Things Right in the Matters of the Heart," by John Ensor. I ironically bought this book almost exactly 2 years to the day. Recently I moved out on my own an took out all of my books from storage and from a bookshelf my grandmother had in her office room, so I have been able to see all of the books I own once again. So the other day when I was looking to read a book for the summer reading program at work I came across this book. Anthony remembered that I originally purchased this book for us to read together, but in the end we decided to go through a few other ones and forgot all about this one. So we started reading this book together. And I must say that this has been an amazing book for us to read together, in fact I do wish that we had read this book when started courting. One of the key concepts that the author speaks about is "womanly submission and manly sacrifice" and wow what a concept!

Today as women we are taught to take charge, be the leader if there is no leader in our life. We are told to see ourselves as equals to men, that there is really no lines between the genders (except for the obvious biological ones). Yet, in the Christian realm it is not that much different. Women, struggle to find their place even in the church and when given the opportunity may at times lead with emotion rather than with wisdom. However, I am learning as a 29year old woman that my God-given place in this world is in my home. I have been blessed with the ability to run my home in an orderly and godly fashion. Now, don't get me wrong, I think it is amazing all of the triumphs women have accomplished yet, we have taken off running the world and have forgotten our homes, husbands and children. As a engaged woman, I see that I have the innate desires to take care of those I love and to take care of my home. When I lived with my mom and grandparents, I hated and I mean HATED cleaning!!! That was always the last thing on my list. Yet, living on my own I have found that all of the lessons my mom may have either intentionally or unintentionally taught me on keeping a home have stuck! In the same way that those skills that have been set in us before our lives as women even began so has our place in the world of relationships.

The quote I mentioned at the beginning says it all. Women are meant to be woo'd we are meant to be won. I love it when I watch romantic movies and the guy chases after the woman and in the end they are together. If that was not the picture of how relationships work, why is that the blue print for every romantic movie we watch, every book on romance we read and every song we melt over? I am learning the hard way that I must in a sense submit to the woo'ing of my fiance, to submit to his leadership in our relationship. Not only in scripture are we commanded to submit to husbands specifically but we are also commanded to submit to one another. In love we must continually put others before ourselves, we must love without condition, we must sacrifice our own for the good of others. And this is not easy, I am learning that I am a selfish woman by nature and day by day I have to die to my flesh and surrender to the only one who can help me to love others fully and completely without conditions. JESUS CHRIST.

So, basically I just wanted to share what I am learning right now. And I pray that this blesses you as it does me.

Many Blessings,

Angelia

Whom do I serve?

I often think as believers we tend to forget whom we serve! Once in a while there comes those "life changing" situations and we are wondering, "Lord, I don't know if You noticed but I'm having a bit of a problem here?" or it make get so intense that it leaves us shouting, "CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME NOW! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?" But we have forgotten whom we serve...we all to often place our God (the creator of the heavens and earth...) on the same level as we are, we give Him the same tools we have to solve problems and limit His solutions to our own. Wait a minute...the Creator of the heavens and earth, the maker of my Heart needs my help? Do you remember when the Children of Israel were being chased by the Egyptian army? They came to a bit of a problem when they reached the red sea...now what? You see God didn't lead them all that way, deliver them from bondage in Egypt and make a promise of a new land just for them to be killed! He had a plan...yep the whole time! Even when they began to yell, shout, complain to Moses, God still had a plan. But if God would have told them His plan before they got there would they had believed Him? And if they did, how would they have benefited from the trial? In the end, were they delivered from the Egyptian army? In fact, it was such an amazing deliverance that later in Joshua a lady named Rahab referred to this occurrence years later (Joshua 2:11). And it was that actual event that saved her and her family by her having fear of a God she didn't yet know personally but had heard of His amazing power! She believed the stories told about the Powerful God that the Children of Israel followed and it was that fear that saved her and her family.
You see, the Lord will use even our own trials to save others. We don't see the big picture because if we did we would miss out on the opportunity to mature in Him and grow in Faith. So in everything that is going on today, whether you are being effected by the horrific events right now in Southern California or you are having your own world crash, know that by God's grace and perfect plan for your life He has everything under control. Even if just one person comes to know the Lord through these events, it was all worth it. Because our hearts need to be focused on the big picture and we need to see events in our lives as a tiny piece to a huge puzzle being carefully put together piece by piece by the creator of the universe, the former of our hearts.

"...Be strong and corageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

"...Those who trust in me will never be put to shame." Isaiah 49:23b

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. 'Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression. you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.' "

Laboring in prayer for you,

Angelia

Don't forget whom we serve....the same God who delivered the Children of Israel so long ago is still able to deliver us today...whether it is parting that "Red Sea" or providing "Quail" for us to eat, He is the same, yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)