A Reminder to Women & Mothers to Live Their Dreams and God Giftedness

I am posting this video because it is important. It is important to hear as women, Christian women, and mothers. Shauna Niequist, the amazing author of “Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table,” gives an incredible Q Ideas Talk called “What I Learned from My Mother.” It is an incredible reminder to women, especially mothers (& young moms), to not table their dreams because of the logistics and practical concerns of taking care of kids and the home. She stresses the correlation between women living their dreams and happiness. Although we know that motherhood is a calling from God, God also gives women a voice and dream.

She recalls her mother saying, “they (her children) didn’t get to see, up close and personal, a woman fully alive in God.” She challenges us, as mothers and women, to not give up our dreams and passions for others — their unique gifting from God.

I encourage you to watch this video – and if necessary, rediscover your dreams, passions, and God-giftedness. Thank you Shauna for the reminder.

Wishing you hope, joy, peace, and dreams,

Hope

{Rooted} “Love Idol” Study – Chapters 8 & 9: Preapproved & Very Little

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Hello Ladies,
I hope you all are having an amazing week. How’s your study of “Love Idol” going? These two chapters (8 & 9) have really put surrendering to God daily on my mind and in my heart. I love how Jennifer writes on page 115:

“Sinners, saved by grace, know we need daily saving grace to keep us from falling. If we come to the end of ourselves, we need to stay there, for this is the sacred place where Christ’s daily renewal springs forth.”

This quote and her other thoughts on the same page really sum it up for me. How we have to chose Him to defeat our Love Idols:

“He leaves us with a choice: follow Me or fall again.”

Honestly, I struggle to die to myself every day. Old habits are hard to break but I’m working on it. I think it’s easy to know intellectually that we are loved by God and have our identity in Him but it feels different lived out … somehow. Some mornings I wake up giddy with the thought of God’s love and other days I find it hard to really, deeply feel it. I’d love to hear how you all are battling the “Love Idol” with God’s help.

{Rooted} “Love Idol” Study – Chapters 2, 3 & 4: Clout, Conviction & Mudpies

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Hello Rooted Ladies,

This week we are diving into another week of studying “Love Idol” by Jennifer Dukes Lee. This book is revealing a lot of Love Idols in my life and in my heart. Idols that are preventing me from feeling and seeing God’s love for me. And more importantly, the idols are hindering my relationship with Christ and what he wants for my life. I am so thankful to Jennifer for writing this book.

Let’s jump in.

{Rooted} “Restless” Study – Chapters 21, 22, & 23: Dreaming, Focusing, & Ending the Mundane

Hello Rooted Ladies,

Here is the last set of questions. Can you believe we’ve read through the whole book?!? It’s been quite a journey.

This last set of questions was written by my co-leader, Karina Allen. Let’s jump right in.

{Rooted}: “Restless” Study – Chapters 18, 19 & 20: Threads, Purpose & Shrinking

Hello Rooted Ladies,

Welcome to our latest study of “Restless” by Jennie Allen. We are discussing chapters 18, 19 and 20. So if you’ve made it this far in “Restless,” you know we are wading in the deep end — super deep end. We’ve left the shallow waters of finding our purpose in God’s will in chapter one.

Seriously though, each chapter has artfully shed light on on how we all fit together in God’s plan and how our unique experiences, passions and pains are all threads for our special purpose. And in this latest set of chapters, Allen talks about what’s holding us back from fulfilling our purpose especially when we have a glimpse of what it could be.

For me, this book has already made me take steps in the direction in which I’m being pulled. God is having things I need being miraculously provided and support given. God is good. I pray you are having experiences that put you closer to understanding all of your threads. Let’s jump in.

{Rooted} “Restless” Study – Chapters 15, 16, & 17: Threads of People, Passions & The Tailor

Hello Rooted Ladies,

We are continuing our “Restless” by Jennie Allen study. This week my co-leader, Karina Allen, has created the discussion questions for chapters 15, 16, and 17. Here we go!

And Forgiveness & Love Looks Something Like This, Thanks Kristin Armstrong

Today I had the deepest pleasure to watch a video from the IF: Gathering. In the video, Jennie Allen (one of my favorite writers) interviews Kristin Armstrong, the ex-wife of cyclist Lance Armstrong. She speaks honestly and openly about the struggle with forgiveness when the hurts of life like divorce occur.

{Lent 2014} The Surrender Realization

This year, for the first time, I’m observing lent. As a somewhat new Christian, I felt called this year to see what lent was all about.

So to observe lent I decided to get into a study and to read a book on my own. I joined the Managing Your Blessings online weekly study of the book Holey, Wholly, Holy: A Lenten Journey of Refinement by Kris Camealy. {It’s not to late for you to join.}

{Rooted} “Restless” Study – Chapters 12, 13, & 14: Threads of Gifts, Suffering & Places

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Hello Rooted Ladies,

Happy Ash Wednesday! It is fitting that we are discussing “Restless” on the first day of Lent!

I hope you all are enjoying this study as much as I am. I am finding that the questions Allen gives us for our journal is really making me engage with the material in a whole new way. The questions are helping me go deeper and become closer to God.  This week we are discussing Chapters 12, 13, and 14. Can you believe we are halfway through? Let’s jump in.

{Rooted} “Restless” Study – Chapters 9, 10, & 11: The Project, Immovable Fabric, & the Starting Place

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Hello Rooted Ladies,

This week, my awesome co-leader, Karina Allen, developed the discussion questions for our study of “Restless”  by Jennie Allen. I have posted them below.

Chapter 9: The Project

Yeah, so this chapter brought some tears. I just think that I am a bit overwhelmed at what God might show me in this whole process of sorting through my threads. On page 75, Allen talks about God untangling our souls, stories, gifts, etc… I LOVE that! I often make a mess when I try to figure things out on my own or try to make something happen.