While I'm Waiting by John Waller

Facing the Giants- While I'm Waiting

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

While I'm Waiting by John Waller {Fireproof music)

The Godly Woman

Becoming Esther
by Charo & Paul Washer

"Before a girl's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she
had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments
prescribed for the women, six months in oil of myrrh and
six with perfumes and cosmetics. And this is how she
would go to the king..." Esther 2:12-13

I have always been amazed at the kind of preparation
that the future queen Esther had to go through before
she was able to come before King Xerxes. Would
any of us want to go through twelve months of beauty
treatments before meeting the man of our dreams? Probably
not, but then again, imagine the possibilities. One year set
aside for one sole purpose - becoming all you can be for the
one you love the most. Precious time to cultivate beauty, to
make an investment in education and etiquette, to strengthen
virtue, and build character.

The preparation of Esther reminds me of that
precious time between the awakening of desire in a young
woman.s heart to share her life with a mate and the
moment she walks down the aisle. For many, this time of
preparation is seen as nothing more than a time of waiting.
Single women often see themselves as sitting on the shelf
while life passes them by, or as sitting on the bench while
others play the game. They do not realize that they are
wasting the most important time of their lives, they are
robbing themselves of great joy and reward, they are
robbing their future husbands of a more virtuous woman,
and they are robbing God of a servant through whom He
desires to do great things.

As Esther had to be prepared before she could be queen
of an entire realm, so the woman must be prepared before
she can embark on one of the most important and difficult
callings in life - marriage and motherhood. Esther had to
learn the ways of the kingdom to which she belonged, she had
to learn the manners of court life, the intellectual, emotional
and spiritual challenges of high position. To put it simply,
Esther had to be transformed from a young lady into a queen
before she could wear the title and fulfill the role. In the same
way, the single Christian woman must learn the ways of the
Kingdom of Heaven before she ever unites with the one that
God is preparing for her.

She must be prepared intellectually,
emotionally and spiritually, not by court attendants in
some pagan temple, but by God Himself, His Word, and by
other godly women who have been prepared before her.
Singleness is not a waste of time or a sitting on the sidelines,
but a time that God has set aside especially for the
woman, to make her into what He wants her to be, and to use
her in ways that just might be impossible after marriage. Singleness
is a time in which a woman is to cultivate the virtues that
pertain to being a woman of God, so that she can offer to her
future husband and the world something more than just a
pretty face.

Remember in your singleness that you are not the only
one single, but your future husband is passing through the
same stage as you. Would it not be a terrible thing to finally
meet the man who is to become your husband only to find
out that he has used his singleness to serve God and to prepare
himself to be a better husband for you. And yet you did
not use the freedom of your singleness to serve the Lord, nor
did you take advantage of the training that God offered you?
Would it not also be a terrible thing to realize that your
husband spent his days as a single man praying daily for your
needs and the work of God in your life, while you neither
prayed for him, nor responded to the grace of God that was
given you as a result of his prayers.

It is a wonderful thing when God blesses a woman with a
husband. That special someone who is .just perfect. for her
in that he has been carefully and thoughtfully designed by
God to be united as one with her. It is such a joy for the
woman to look back and remember how God enabled her to
wait on Him and that He was faithful to bless. It is still an even
greater joy for her to know that her time as a single woman
was also a time of seeking God and being faithful to Him and
His purpose. That she did not for one moment wish to flee
that state, but desired only to trust in God and wait upon His
gracious sovereignty.

By no means is it a tragedy to be a single Christian woman,
but the way of the world has once again infiltrated Christianity
with the false idea that it is. One of the greatest lies is that
if you do not .have someone. or are not .actively looking.,
there is something wrong with you. Another lie is that the
single woman should be dating around as though looking for
a husband were the same as shopping in a mall. Still another
even stronger lie is that the single woman should be giving her
affections away indiscriminately so that she may be more .experienced
. and know what to do when she finally finds the
man of her choice.

My dear Christian, it is a lie and an
affront to God to say that experience is the best teacher, when
in fact it is God who is the best teacher, and though the
world.s motto is .live and learn,. the Bible.s advice is .learn
and live.. You do not need to be experienced, you only need
to be knowledgeable of what God has said and obedient to it.
You should not be looking for the man of your choice, but
should be waiting on the man of God.s choice. And when he
comes, it will not be past experiences that will make your
marriage work, but past chastity, purity, and godliness. We
should hide our faces from the ways and experiences of this
wicked world and look upon only those things that God has
placed in the path He has prepared for us.

God knows exactly what you need and He even knows
the desires of your heart better than you do. God loves
surprises. He does not want you to be looking for your
husband, He wants to bring him to you, and probably at a
time you least expect it. If you disobey this advice, as so
many other women before you, and take it upon yourself
to look for a mate, you may find someone, but chances are
that someone you find will not be the right one.

As women, our nature desires the company and companionship
of a man. This is from God and therefore good.
But at the same time, we are wrong to think that death will be
the result if this need is not fulfilled. Needing another as a
companion is not like needing to take your next breath of air.
That is, you can survive without companionship, at least until
God has done His perfect work in you. Remember the Scripture,
.God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond
what you can bear.. (I Corinthians 10:13)

I have found that there are two primary reasons why
someone .desperately. needs someone else. First of all, it is
because they do not know God as they should. Is God not
the God of all comfort? Is not Christ the exalted Lord who
fills all things everywhere? Then why do we complain about
how empty and alone we feel? Could it be that God extends
our time of singleness so that we might find our life in Him
and learn to be complete in Him? If we seek to be married
because we feel that a husband will fill our lives or will in some
way make us complete, we will be sorely disappointed in our
marriage.

No man, no matter how Christ-like could ever take
the place of God in our lives, to think such a thing is pure
idolatry. If we are not filled by God now and complete in
Christ in the present, then not even a marriage made in heaven
will be able to change our emptiness.

The second reason for desperately needing someone in
our lives is plain selfishness. When we need someone in order
to feel loved, or when we need someone so that our feelings of
loneliness might dissipate, then we are wanting marriage for
all the wrong reasons. Marriage should not be looked upon
as an opportunity to have our needs met, but as an opportunity
to meet the needs of another. If we have not learned to
take our own needs to God, then we will probably overwhelm
our husbands with our own needs and be unaware of his.

I have known Christian women who spent their days consumed
with their own needs and constantly lamenting about why
God had not brought someone into their life. But why should
God entrust a godly man to a woman that is absorbed in
herself and her own needs, and does not use the freedom of
her singleness to serve God and prepare herself for His purposes?
Such a woman would have little to offer a godly husband!
My dear friend, being single, like being married should be
considered a very special and enjoyable time in the providence
of God.

It should not be considered a mere circumstance or
a curse from which one should try desperately to flee. Being
single is a time to learn of God and of ourselves, a time to
discover who we are in Christ, and to grow in Christlikeness.
It is a time to be zealous for good works and involved in
ministry to others. Being single has a magic of its own that
should be enjoyed in its time because once passed it may not
return. There is nothing quite so sad as a woman now married
who regrets what she could have been and done with her
life while single. All was lost for the sake of hurrying to be
married without consideration for the plan or work of God.

Every season in life has a beauty and wonder of its
own. My prayer for all single Christian women is that they
might enjoy their time in spite of the lies of the world. That
they might be demanding and not settle for anything less
than the perfect will of God. That they might wait patiently
on God who is the giver of every good and perfect gift.
That they might be like Esther, using whatever time God
deems necessary to make them beautiful on the inside and
out.

( An article first published in
HeartCry magazine Volume 3, January 1998)

Femeia? Cum? Barbatul? Cum? De ce?...raspunsuri :

Viata acestei lumi este alcatuita din doua loturi: treburile obstesti si treburile casnice. Dumnezeu a facut doua parti: femeii i-a dat îndrumarea casei, barbatului, toate treburile Statului, cele privitoare le negustorie, judecatile, treburile militare si celelalte ranguri obstesti.
* Femeia nu poate mânui arma - ea poate sa tina si sa chiverniseasca asa cum se cuvine toate cele casnice.

*Ea nu-si poate da întotdeauna parerea într-o problema obsteasca, - ci numai în camin, unde, de atâtea ori este mai buna decât barbatul.

* Ea nu poate îndruma cum se cuvine treburile Statului, dar poate creste, cuviincios, copiii.

Poate vedea preluarile servitorilor, le poate supraveghea treaba, dând barbatului toata linistea, despovarându-i de orice grija dinlauntru, - poate avea grija camarii, pregatirea meselor, întretinerea vesmintelor si toate celelalte treburi de care nu se cade a se îndeletnici barbatul; înca un semn al întelepciunii si-a orânduirii dumnezeiesti este si acesta ca acela care-i în stare de a face lucrarile însemnate, sa nu le poata face pe cele mai mici, în care se arata neîndemânatic, ca, în felul acesta, femeia sa aiba un rost însemnat.

Daca Dumnezeu l-ar fi facut pe barbat îndemânatic în toate aspectele vietii, femeia ar fi fost marginalizata. Dimpotriva, daca ar fi dat îndemânare femeilor la treburile cele mai însemnate si mai folositoare, le-ar fi facut sa se trufeasca.

Cugetând a întemeia pacea si pastrând fiecaruia locul cuvenit, El a facut din viata noastra o armonie, dând fiecaruia ce-i este de folos. Barbatul care-si petrece cea mai mare parte din timp în viata publica, este prins de treburile obstei.

Femeia, stând la ea acasa, ca într-o scoala a întelepciunii, reculegându-se în ea însasi, are putinta sa se dedea rugaciunii, citirilor pioase si alte întelepte îndeletniciri.

Dupa cum cei ce salasluiesc în pustie, nu sunt tulburati de nimeni, tot asemenea femeia, traind mereu în camin, se poate bucura de o pace fara sfârsit. Ea poate asadar, sa savârseasca, pe socoteala ei, întelepciunea. Poate, când barbatul vine tulburat, sa-l potoleasca, sa-i aduca linistea, sa-i departeze din suflet grijile cele închipuite, cugetele de mânie, si sa-l trimita iarasi la treburile lui despovarat de cele rele - ducând cu el cele bune câstigate acasa.

Nimeni nu are o putere mai mare întru a desavârsi un barbat si a-i mladia sufletul cum vrea, decât o femeie pioasa si înteleapta.

Asemenea, de la nimeni altul: stapân, judecator, nu va primi mustrari sau sfaturi cu bunavointa un barbat, ca de la femeia lui; va fi pentru el chiar o placere sa fie mustrat de ea, din pricina iubirii pe care el o are pentru aceea care-l sfatuieste.

As putea arata multi barbati, aspri si neprimitori de mustrari, care au fost, în felul acesta, mult îmbunatatiti de sotiile lor.

Femeia, care împarte cu barbatul ei si masa si patul, care-i mama copiilor lor, care stie treburile cele vazute si cele tainice ale lui si toate celelalte, care-i este alaturi întru toate, care tine de el ca trupul de cap, daca-i înteleapta si stie cum sa se poarte, va veghea mult mai bine si mai folositor decât oricine ar fi, asupra tovarasului vietii ei. Poftesc pe femei la o asemenea lucrare - sa fie barbatilor lor bune sfatuitoare…

"Cuvinte alese"-Sf. Ioan Gura de Aur

Femeia - frumusete de caracter

Mesajul meu este un protest disperat la aceasta mentalitate a lumii in care traim. Tot mai des femeia este asociata cu frumusetea si ce e mai ingrijorator, cu sexul. Femeia si-a perdut menirea pe acest pamant.

Conceptia denaturata a lumii in care traim creeaza o imagine tot mai hidoasa a femeii, ceea ce o duce spre o existenta mizera si un cuget manjit de pacat. Femeia a fost transformata intr-un obiect de o senzualitate maxima menit sa produca placere. Haideti sa o spunem deschis, acesta este PACAT.

Este revoltator faptul ca acest virus a reusit sa patrunda si in lumea crestina. Incercam sa fim cat mai atragatoare prin impodobirea trupului sau prin dezgolirea acestuia. Incepem sa ne asemanam din ce in ce mai mult cu lumea. Dar oare aceasta asteapta Dumnezeu de la noi? Aceasta este imaginea cu care trebuie sa ne afisam in societate?

Pentru a avea curaj, va invit sa facem o scurta retrospectiva asupra marilor femei ale Bibliei si sa vedem care sunt caracteristicile care ar trebui sa ne insufleteasca. Sa vedem cum s-au comportat acestea in diferite imprejurari si sa urmam exemplul lor.

SARA – sotia lui Avraam, a fost mijlocul prin care Dumnezeu a decis sa-si implineasca promisiunea de a avea un popor .A fost folosita de Dumnezeu in scopuri sfinte. Cu o exceptie in care a esuat, Sara a fost un model de conduita si de respect fata de cel care ii era sot, numindu-l ,,domnul meu’’, era supusa si devotata.

ANA – a fost o femeie a rugaciunii, nu se indeletnicea cu shopping-ul. Ea stia ce isi doreste si insista tot timpul in rugaciuni staruitoare inaintea lui Dumnezeu pentru a primi un fiu. Este un exemplu extraordinar de rabdare si staruinta in rugaciune.

TABITA – o ucenica (Fapte 9.36). A fost dedicata slujirii Domnului. Aceasta a fost prioritatea numarul 1 in viata ei. Nu avea o pozitie sociala de mare succes, nu era invatata, dar avea ceva mai de pret ,,facea o multime de fapte bune si milostenii’’. Avea ocupatii tipic feminine: croia haine pentru vaduve, vizita pe bolnavi si pe cei singuri. Trebuie sa intelegem ca aceste munci nu sunt demodate, invechite. Chiar si muncile zilnice de acasa precum gatitul, spalatul rufelor si a vaselor, lucrul in gradina, grija de copii, aceasta onoreaza o femeie nu o injosesc.

ESTERA – o femeie de mare caracter hotarata sa reziste oricarei incercari. O regina care se dedica timp de trei zile si trei nopti, postului si rugaciunii pentru a-si salva poporul sau de la pieire. O femeie de o frumusete trupeasca si sufleteasca. Totusi frumusetea ei nu statea in imbracaminte, accesorii sau alte elemente menite sa atraga privirile. NU! Frumusetea ei statea in CARACTER. Ceea ce o deosebea pe Estera de celelalte fete era bogatia caracterului sau. Frumusetea din inima, i se rasfrangea pe chipul ei. Prin aceasta a reusit sa indrepte inima imparatului catre ea.

Va indemn sa ne unim pentru a strapunge lumea cu adevarul Scripturii. Sa traim ca niste femei adevarate si sa fim exemplu pentru cei din jur. Sa fim mai bune, mai curate si mai miloase. Intr-un cuvant sa fim mai feminine. Sa fim un glas catre lume, spre un model de frumusete sfant!

Estera Petrus

Un comentariu (Anca Bordea)

E asa de adevarat!!! Femeia a intrat pe un teritoriu de unde nu isi mai poate defini identitatea si valoarea...e important pentru o femeie sa fie frumoasa, ca femeie aşa consider! Dar ce fel de frumuseţe aratăm lumii acesteia? Petru, când vorbeşte despre podoabe, nu ne spune să nu fim împodobite, ci podoaba noastră să fie diferită adică "omul ascuns al inimii, în curăţia nepieritoare a unui duh blând şi liniştit care este de mare preţ în ochii lui Dumnezeu"1 Petru 3:4. sunt minunate femeile care ascultă de Petru şi le poţi recunoaşte din milioane, şi sunt apreciate, de asta sunt sigură.

Tu sti cine esti?

Astazi toata lumea vorbeste despre noi.
Dupa atatea scole de marginalizare sociala, suntem in sfarsit in centrul atentiei!

In politica, in biserici, in autobuze si in scoli (mai putin poate acasa, unde nimeni nu vede), se intrec barbatii sa ne dea intaietete, sa ne sara in ajutor, sa ne ocroteasca drepturile cum cum numai ei stiu.

Pe un post de televiziune cineva ne apara, spunand ca ar trebui sa ni se acorde mai mult credit. Pe altul suntem descrise la puterea a treia...Cineva ne lauda pentru talent si pentru sensibilitate, altcineva admira independenta noastra, castigata atat de greu.

In ziare si reviste ni se dau o puzderie de sfaturi cum sa mancam , cum sa ne imbrcacam, cum sa slabim, cum sa iubim cum sa gatim, cum sa muncim, cum sa facem copii si cum sa ii crestem.

Se incurajeaza astfel "discret" o competitie acerba intre noi. Dar nimeni nu ne invata cum sa traim cu-adevarat, cum sa atingem implinirea aceea despre care doar am auzit vorbindu-se, dar nu am gustat-o inca.

Invidiez soarta acelor femei neemancipate de acum doua mii de ani si mai bine, a caror existenta a fost innoita pe de-a-ntregul de o simpla si miraculoasa intalnire.

A fost mai intai o fantana si o cerere de Dumnezeu insetat, apoi o mana si o inima de femeie s-au intins dupa Apa vie. O, ce n-as da sa fi fost eu samariteanca aceea..

Apoi a fost un vas de alabastru plin cu mir, turnat de o Marie cu sufletul mai curat si mai frumos ca oirce parfum. Oare -as putea sa fiu astazi ca ea, aplecata la picioarele Lui?...

Si a mai fost cineva fara nume; doar s-a atins de haina Celui in care credea si a fost vindecata... Vindecata si laudata: "Indrazneste, fiica, credinta ta te-a mantuit!". Tanjesc sa mi se spuna si mie candva cuvintele acestea...

Nu stiu cum te simti tu in vartejul acestei lumi contemporane, care epuizeaza pur si simplu cu infinitele ei "oferte " si "posibilitati" , platite mai apoi atat de scump cu timpul, pacea si sanatatea noastra.

Stiu doar ca eu nu ma regasesc cu adevarat decat in linistea acelor seri cand, cu Biblia deschisa , ma asez pe marginea unei fantani de demult, sau la picioarele Celui care
ma cunoaste si ma cheama: "Indrazneste, fiica! ".

Atunci stiu cu-adevarat cine sunt.

Tu sti cine esti?


Martie 2008 (autor anonim)