Lessons from Old Testament Women #2

     If you've read through my The One Year Devotions for Girls Starring Women of the Bible devo, then you've already read this. But it's a good lesson anyway. (And if you get the book, there are 364 more to read!)

God Has a Special Plan Just for You

     For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

     Trust in the Lord with all your heart;  do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

     Just as God created you to be unique and special (see Sept 18), he also has a special plan tailor-made for you. Sometimes it's easy to fall into the trap of being and doing what everyone else is doing--or doing what others think you should do, not what you really want to do. It's important to look for God's plan for you and follow it rather than copying what others are doing. Each person's plan is different. Think of the plans he had for the Old Testament women.

• God created Eve to be the mother of all living things. No one else could do that job.
• God planned for Mrs. Noah to be the one who, along with her husband, stepped out in faith and saved her family. She led her family into a new world after the flood.
• God planned for Sarah to be the mother of the child who would fulfill God's promises to Abraham.
• God planned for Puah and Shiphrah to be in the right place at the right time to spare many Israelite baby boys.
• God chose for Jochebed to save her young son who would live in Pharaoh's palace and lead his people out of bondage.
• God planned for Ruth to go to a foreign country and be part of Jesus' family tree.
• God put Esther in the right place at the right time to save her people.

     These are only a few examples of the plans God had for each of the Old Testament women we've read about. He has an equally wonderful plan for you. It doesn't matter to God if you're popular at school, or a super brain. It doesn't matter if your parents are rich and influential or if you're being raised by a single mom or a grandparent. God's plan is designed just for you, and you are the only one who can fulfill it.

     Ask God to guide you each day and be willing to do the things he asks you to do. As you read your Bible, look for God's instructions to you. Listen to his voice speaking to your heart, and he will keep you on the right path to fulfill his plan for you.

Thinking it Through

     Read Proverbs 3:5-6. What does it mean for you today?

    Ask God to show you his plan for you today and follow as he guides you through his Word and his Spirit speaking to your heart.

Look for this book at your local Christian bookstore to read about more women of the Bible.

Lessons from Old Testament Women #1

Old Testament Women: God Created You to Be Unique

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:14

There are many principles we can learn from Old Testament women that apply to your life right now, right where you are. It doesn’t matter whether you are homeschooled, or in in public or  private school.It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a follower of Jesus most your life or if faith is new to you. These principles are for you.

The first one is this: God created you to be unique. Remember Eve? God created her as a full-grown woman in the Garden of Eden in his own image. Eve was the first woman, so of course she was individual, but so are you. God doesn’t have a limited set of molds he uses to create people. He makes each one with his or her own looks, personality, talents, and strengths.

Think about your friends. One might be short, red haired, musical, and love roller coasters. Another might be tall with dark skin and dark hair and be the track star. You may look totally different from either of them and have some shared and some different interests.

God made you your own person. When you try to be like someone else, you cheat yourself of the individuality God gave you. Sure, it’s okay to try the same hairstyle as one of your friends or to want an outfit similar to hers, but you shortchange yourself when you try to be her and not yourself.

Look for the things that make you unique and special. Are you outgoing? thoughtful? good at planning? Can you sing? identify all the constellations? decorate cakes? God gave you the looks, talents, and personality traits he wants you to have. It’s up to you to develop them and to be willing to use them for him.

Thinking It Through

What makes you special? How are you using your own talents and personality traits for God and others?

Pray Psalm 139:14 as a prayer of thanks to God—and really mean what you say. Next time you find yourself wishing you were more like someone else, think of these words.

Adapted from The One Year Devotions for Girls Starring Women of the Bible.

When Someone Gets What You Want

Do you remember a while back we were talking about Sarah? She was jealous of Hagar because Hagar could have children and she couldn't. Most of us know what it feels like to be jealous--but what about when you're the one who has what someone else wants? That's kind of the flip side of jealousy. And that's the position Hagar was in.

     Hagar's story is intertwined with Sarah's. You already read how God promised that Abraham and Sarah would start a great nation, but years passed, and they still had no children. Sarah came up with her own plan. She told Abraham to have a child with her maid, Hagar. So Abraham did what Sarah asked, and Hagar became pregnant.

     Sarah had wanted to have a child for years, but it was Hagar who was pregnant. Since Hagar was pregnant with what was assumed to be the promised child, she began to act like she was more important than Sarah. That was too much for Sarah.

     Sarah was strong in faith, but she was human. She had the same emotions you have when you see someone else getting what you want, especially if they flaunt it in your face. Sarah was jealous, she was angry, and she took it out on Hagar. She even blamed Abraham for the predicament, even though it was her own idea for Hagar to have a son for Abraham.

     Hagar teased Sarah. Sarah became jealous and angry. No one was winning. Abraham told Sarah to handle it however she wanted, and Sarah mistreated Hagar. That is all the Bible tells us about what happened between Sarah and Hagar, but whatever happened was bad enough that Hagar fled to the desert to escape Sarah.

     Jealousy and teasing rarely lead to good relationships as the problems between Hagar and Sarah show.

     Sarah desperately wanted to have a baby. Hagar became pregnant with the child Sarah wanted. Hagar flaunted her pregnancy, and Sarah reacted with anger and jealousy.

     You may have been in that situation. Not with a baby but with other things. You want to be best friends with someone, but another girl comes along and becomes the best friend. You want a particular pair of shoes. Your mom says they are too expensive. You see another girl wearing a brand new pair of those shoes the next day at school.

     Can you think of a time when someone got what you wanted? How did you feel?

     Has there been a time when you had something (a possession, a talent, an award) someone else wanted? How did that make you feel?

    No matter whether you are the one who wants what another has or are the one who has what someone else wants, it's important to act graciously and kindly. Jealousy and pride both lead to hurt.

Have a great week!

Kathy

Got Fear?

Most of us fear something.

Remember when I was talking about Sarah in my last post? I think if Sarah had to name her fear, it would have been the fear of never having a child.

For me it's heights. Not all heights. Just heights that make me feel like I could fall. I look down and feel dizzy. I haven't always felt like this. This first time I noticed it was when I was about 20, and I saw a small child at the top of the biggest slide I've ever seen. Mom was nowhere around and I was sure this child was going to fall at any minute. He couldn't make it over the top to come down the slide, and he couldn't back down. He was stuck. I sprint to the slide and climbed to the top.

Then I had to figure out how to get over the top with the child and safely down the slide. It was tricky, but I managed. Then I looked down. Whoa. And that's when I knew I had a problem with heights.

And you know what? Instead of pretending I don't feel that way, I give myself permission to feel that way. It doesn't prevent me from going about my daily life and doing the things I want to do.

It's okay to have fear, but not if it keeps you from doing what you need to. Like if you're afraid of dogs and you have to walk by a big, ugly barking dog on the way to school everyday, that might make you want to stay home. Or if you fear tests, that might make you do poorly at school. Then it's time to talk with someone about it.

Why I am bringing this up? Because last week I offered my children the chance to parasail. One of them had done it before, so she knew she liked it. The others weren't sure. They'd never been that high, so they didn't know how they'd feel about it.

Two were too young, one didn't really want to try it (not heights, just not interested) and three decided to do it. Jasmine is only ten, so I had all three go together.

Jasmine  panicked as they started to go up, so the other two decided that the three of them would sing all the songs from Tangled. Jasmine loves to sing and she watches Tangled at least three times a week, so singing those songs was a good plan to take her mind off of her fear.

Me? I stayed on the ground of course!

Sarah's Desire

Sarah, like other women in the Bible times, wanted children. They were a sign of God's blessing. When a woman didn't have a baby, other people wondered if she had done something wrong and was being punished. We don't think of it that way now, but that's how it was then.

What Sarah wanted most of all was a child. And God promised her one. Genesis 15:5 says 

     Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

Sarah must have wondered about God's promise since she and Abraham didn't have any children at all. But God kept his promise--although Sarah had to wait many years--and Isaac was born. He was the promised child. God fulfilled his promises through Isaac.

Sarah was a mother at last! And she was happy. Now the other women would realize that God had blessed her too.

Next Sunday we celebrate Mother's Day. This may be a sad day for women who want children but don't yet have any, but a happy day for those who are blessed with children. Families add children through birth, adoption and foster care. I have two children by birth, three adopted from Haiti, one adopted through a private adoption in the United States, one adopted through foster care and a step child.

Even though children join families in different ways, each is equally valuable, and God has an amazing plan for every child because they are all created in his image.  

This is a picture of my family. Leave a comment and tell about your family.

Kathy

Sarah: Dealing with Jealousy

Sarah had a problem common to us today--jealousy.

Sarah gave up on God's promise to give her a baby and took matter into her own hands. She told Abraham to have a baby with her servant. Yet when Hagar became pregnant, Sarah was angry. Then she blamed Abraham for the problem.

Jealousy brings out the worst in most people. When a person has talents, possessions or popularity that another person wants, it can become ugly. This was true in Abraham and Sarah's day and is still true today. Just look around you.

Imagine that a less popular girl shows up at school in a really cute outfit. A few people will compliment her on it, but many will make rude comments about how it looks. Why? Because they don't think the less popular girl deserves that outfit. They should be the ones with those clothes.

Or imagine that one group of girls have been the cheerleaders for three years straight. Then a new girl tries out and bumps one of them from the squad. Uh oh. She'd better look out. She now has the position another person wanted and having what someone else wants leads to jealousy. The girl whose spot was taken will probably be watching for any little flaw in the new girl's performance. The friends will make the new cheerleader feel unwelcome.

There is no reasoning with jealousy. Whether you are jealous like Sarah, or the brunt of the jealousy like Hagar, life is difficult. The only cure for jealousy is to learn to be content with what you already have. Rather than playing the comparison game, be thankful for your own talents, abilities and possessions.

Do you have a problem with jealousy? Take the quiz below to find out.

1. You work hard for several weeks on an essay for a contest. You get third place. You:
a. Should have gotten first place. Your essay was better than the winning one.
b. Hope the winner doesn't enter next year so you have a better chance.
c. Are disappointed but plan to try again next year.

2. You've worked really hard on your balance beam routine but are still having problems. It seems so easy for the others girls. You:
a. Hope you do better than they do on the bars.
b. Work hard and ask the coach for tips.
c. Hope one of them falls off of the beam during the meet.

3. Your friend's dad is taking everyone to the amusement park and then out to eat for her birthday. You had cake and ice cream at home with your family for your birthday. You:
a. Hope your friend's birthday is a lot of fun. After all, you get to enjoy it too.
b. Wish your parent were as cool as her parents.
c. Think it's unfair that she gets everything she wants.

How did you do?

The correct answers are: 1-c, 2-b, 3-a

It's okay to want to improve. The desire to improve motives you to work harder. It's when you wish for something bad to happen to someone else or get caught up in the "it's not fair" game that it becomes a problem. Try not to compare yourself to others. That's when jealousy gets a grip. Be happy for their successes, and don't let them make you feel less important. You are an individual with your own talents and successes. Using what you have and what you own for God and others is the real key to being happy.

Kathy

Changes

     Spring is coming, and with it comes changes. Some changes are good like flowers growing, warmer days, making new friends and finishing another school year. Some times changes are hard like when a friend moves away--or you move, a grandparents becomes ill or a pet dies.

     We have both good and bad changes in our life. Sarah was like that too.

     Abraham and Sarah, then called Abram and Sarai, lived in Ur of the Chaldeans along the Euphrates River in what is now southern Iraq. This was an important city in the ancient world.  Abraham was probably a very educated man, and Sarah most likely had all the luxuries of life.

     Abraham's father, Terah, decided to move the whole family from the thriving town of Ur to the land of Canaan-- a land very different from Ur. The family packed up and said goodbye to their home and all they knew. Then they set out. But for some reason, Terah stopped halfway to Canaan in the village of Haran in what is now southern Turkey, and the family remained there.

     Sarah's life took a dramatic turn when she left behind the art, culture and thriving businesses to follow her family. The Bible doesn't say much about this move, but we can guess that it was hard for Sarah to leave her life in Ur to become a traveler and then reside in Haran. Yet she accepted it, and the family stayed there until Terah's death.

      Once again Sarah had to pack up and leave all she knew to follow God's leading. The family journeyed another 600 miles into the area that is now modern Israel. Abraham and Sarah had faith in God and they obeyed him. In turn, God poured out his blessings on Abraham's family in generations to come.

    Changes aren't always easy. Eve had to leave the beautiful Garden of Eden, Mrs. Noah had to leave everything behind knowing it would all be destroyed, and Sarah had to leave behind a bustling city for Nowhere Ville. Yet the Bible doesn't mention them complaining about the changes. How do you handle changes? Read each sentence below and choose a, b or c to complete it.
If my dad were to announce a  move I would be:   

A excited                          
B upset              
C anxious

Starting a new school:                                      

A  is a chance to try new things. 
B  means leaving friends and activities behind.     
C might be okay

I like:
A new experiences          
B things to stay the same  
C some changes in my life

Did you mark A's, B's or C's? If you marked:

A's  You welcome change. Moving to a new home or starting a new school is a chance to try new activities and make more friends. Chances are, you aren't a bit shy. It's easy for you to adapt to change.

B's You like things to stay the same. You may be shy and find it hard to adapt to change or you may just like your life as is and don't welcome any changes right now.

C's You are cautious about change. You welcome changes you can control, but you need time to get used to the idea of a new place or new routine. Once you've settled in, you are okay.

     There may be changes in your life you don't have control over. Try to face them with a positive spirit like Mrs. Noah and Sarah. Trust that God is in control even when you don't see him at work.

Spring Break and Mrs. Noah

Hi! It's spring break here. We'd planned to go to a park tomorrow where everyone could do what they most wanted--fish, wade, climb, hike.... But it's supposed to rain! I wish we could have our fun day out, but there are lots of things to do when it rains--play board games, play Wii (that gets everyone moving), read, watch movies and eat popcorn and so on.

I wonder what the Noah family did to pass time on the ark while it rained? Not only were they on there for the forty days it rained, but they had to stay on their floating home much, much longer while all the rain went down and the land became dry enough to live on again.

God looked down from heaven at the world he'd made and only the Noah family were trying to obey his commands. He asked Mr. Noah and his sons to build a large boat for their family and pairs of animals. How the neighbors must have laughed at and made fun of the Noah family. But they chose to say "yes" to God's plan anyway. That's how they ended up building a boat and being safe while everyone else was destroyed.

We hear about Mr. Noah in the Bible stories, but Mrs. Noah played a big part in the story too. She probably took care of the house and feeding her family while they were busy building and readying the boat. And once they were on board, there was still work to be done. The animals had to be fed and so did the Noah family.

But they still probably had a lot of free time on their hands. What do you suppose they did to pass the time? What's your favorite rainy day activity?

Kathy

Eve and Me

Hi! Welcome to our blog. When I was trying to decide what to write about for my first post, I had lots of ideas. I thought about writing about how I get ideas for books or how I actually write the books. I thought about writing about how I come up with craft ideas. Karen is really the craft expert. I'm kind of craft challenged. So if I can do the crafts in my books, anyone can!


But then I thought I'd write about some things I've been learning. This past year I've been reading about women in the Bible. Some are well known like Sarah, Deborah, Mary and Elizabeth while others are less well known like the five sisters who asked Moses to let them have their father's land, Caleb's daughter, and the midwives who saved many Hebrew boys by disobeying orders to kill them at birth.


The first Bible woman we read about is Eve. When we think of Eve, we usually think about her eating the forbidden fruit and having to leave the garden, but there is much more to Eve than that. She was the first woman, and God created her with a unique personality and a mission to fulfill. She was to be the mother of all humans. Since Eve was the only woman around, she didn't have anyone to compare herself too like we do today. She didn't have to worry about whether she weighed more or less than the other women or if her hairstyle was up to date enough. She just accepted herself as God created her.


Just like Eve, God created each of us with our own unique personalities and abilities. And he has a special plan for each of us. For some of us it's writing books. For others it's being doctors or nurses, computer programmers or teacher, athletes or musicians. You don't have to wait until you're an adult to live out God's plan for you. Just look around you each day and ask God to show you what he has for you that day.


There's lots more to say about Bible women, but I'll save it for another day.  Why not leave a comment and tell me who your favorite Bible woman is?


Today my daughter Jessica and I are driving to Orlando. We're going to spend a few hours at Universal Studios/Islands of Adventures and then go on to the Florida Christian Writer's Conference for a few days.

This is two of my daughters and myself on our last trip to Universal/Islands of Adventure. I'm in the purple shirt and hat.


Have a great week!


Kathy


(PS I write under the name Katrina Cassel because that's my legal name, but I go by Kathy)