Defining Womanhood

At certain times growing up, I heard pastors and teachers say that they felt like their message was directed more at themselves than anyone else. I'm going to start by making a similar claim. This post is directed at myself today as I fight the urge to feel self pity and irritation. The goal is to remind myself how to live out the beauty of the gospel even when my feelings internally whisper selfish desires. "I love you, but I just don't like you right now." Have you ever thought or even spoken these words to someone close to you? I admit that this phrase has crossed my mind many times over the course of my life. It has been directed to those closest to me such as my parents, my brother, my husband, and even my two-year-old daughter. (That's low!) What is really at the heart of disliking someone you love, and how can we transform our thinking in moments of dislike? What is really at the heart of disliking someone you love?   Let's answer this question wi...

I have always enjoyed listening to statistics on different subjects. I am a very visual learner, so when a pastor or speaker presents a statistic for what they are discussing, I am then able to create a visual of the impact those numbers represent. I recently came across a Barna study that compiled survey information from 1991 to 2011 concerning differences in men and women's faith over the course of those twenty years. I will just be focusing on the statistics for women throughout the remainder of the post. This may not be the most current information, but I believe the conclusion is just as relevant today. This study tracked surveys in relation to fourteen religious beliefs and behaviors of significance. Here are the opening lines from the article. "No population group among the sixty segments examined has gone through more spiritual changes in the past two decades than women. Of the 14 religious factors studied, women have experienced statistically significant changes ...

It is so wonderful to be back with you all again through Defining Womanhood. The last two years have been a tiring yet amazing whirlwind of church ministry, marriage, and motherhood. I am excited to bring new insight and a reinvigorated passion for sharing biblical truths in relation to living out God's design for women. This last year I was able to watch the Revive '17 women's conference which was focused on Titus 2. Since then, I have been able to dig even deeper into this passage of scripture and learn what living out the beauty of the gospel looks like in a christian woman's life. Are you ready to join me as we strive to be the women that God designed us to be? If so, then get ready to be challenged and encouraged as we take this journey together.

It has been far too long since my last post. A new baby, part-time work, starting a small design business, work around the house, and church related obligations has this girl feeling dazed and confused. Throw in all of the holiday craziness, and I'm officially diagnosing myself as a mental nutcase. At times I feel sad that my husband and I aren't getting to spend much time together, other times I feel overwhelmed at all the responsibilities that seem to be piling up on me, and still other times I feel agitated at people and situations around me during day-to-day activities. Highly emotional? Yep, I'd agree with you there. Do you ever struggle with feeling overwhelmed, stressed, crazy (the list goes on and on)? Well, I was given a helpful new perspective this last Sunday, and hopefully it will be helpful to my fellow crazies out there. I think we can all agree that God is sovereign, meaning that He is good and that nothing is out of His control. With that being said, we ...

Women are notorious for being confusing, and it's no wonder. We say something but mean something else, don't say something which definitely means we're saying something, and say part of something in hopes that the rest will magically be figured out. One word sums this up, expectations! I don't know how many times I've wanted to tell my husband how I feel but think, no way! He is an all powerful mind reader who should know how I'm feeling about this and take the best course of action to make me feel better. "Darling wife, I know you have been with our daughter all day. Please let me spend the evening bathing and rocking her while you put your feet up and relax." "Whitney Dearest, since we have been apart so much this week, let's spend the day together with no distractions." That was a fun little daydream, now back to reality. This is not how it works ladies. There is a word to describe these types of thoughts. Selfish! You heard me right...

Kids are always in a hurry to grow up. They can't wait to drive, go on dates, get a job, get married, etc. While I wanted those things, I have never been in a hurry to get any older. It's a Peter Pan syndrome of sorts, and while I am still young in the grand scheme of life, I have already hit the point where I hate birthdays. I almost cried on the morning of my twentieth birthday because I had to officially say goodbye to my teenage years and hello to a deteriorating life of responsibility, old age, and death. (Hey, I never said I'm not dramatic at times.) At 21, I argued with the eye doctor that I could see just fine and did not need glasses. At 23, I had a bike wreck which took days to recover from instead of hours. At 24, my knees and back began to hurt if would stand for too long. Now at 26, I seem to have lost half of my brain cells and memory after having a baby. I have always been able to do anything I set my mind to, but I can see that as I age things are going to g...