Poem: Back to Back

Image by Christina Morley

Lord, gentle my anger; gentle my strife

Cause me to be the kind of wife

That knows how to bring peace in our home

To show my husband he’s not alone

May we be friends in the battle, friends in the Lord

Our faith as our shield, the Word as our sword

Standing back to back we know we can conquer

The worst that Satan may have to offer

by Christina Morley


My Christian Marriage Series:

Who's in Control? - Part 1

Who's in Control? - Part 2

Who's in Control? - Part 3

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Who's in Control - Part 3 of 3

Image by Christina Morley

In the past, people have used the Bible to condone slavery. Others have used it to subjugate women. Are women really not equal and is slavery really acceptable? Most people today would agree that slavery is not God’s perfect will for anyone. However, when it comes to women and their role in the home or the Church, there’s a huge divide among Christians.

Doesn’t the Bible state that women are to be subject and all the rest? Well, when it comes to hard-to-understand scriptures, it’s important to try to interpret them along with fundamental truths which are easier to understand. One such truth states that there is no longer slave or free, male or female, because we are all under Christ (Gal. 3:28). This scripture was written in order to unify believers. Where there is unity, God commands a blessing. We are not to lord it over each other anymore. We are all heirs of the same promise, and if Christ set us free, then we are free indeed.

We women should honor our husbands. That means that when we feel the need to disagree, we should do so respectfully. This is how we should behave toward all authority figures. They, in turn, should be mature enough to honor us even when there are disagreements or when we make suggestions.

Women might be very different from men, but we are not unlike God. God has all the male and female attributes found in mankind. When He created Adam and Eve, He created them in His image. The concept of both male and female begins with God. As we allow God to take His rightful place of authority in our lives, we can be confident in His perfect leadership. The Lord is without sin and so His leadership will never harm us.

As parents, it’s our responsibility to demonstrate healthy authority to our children. We are the first authority figures that they will have contact with. We are also their first glimpse of what God is like. Our children are growing up to be the next generation of leaders. Are we teaching them to be respectful and to be respected? Whatever values we instill in them during their developmental years will become their values in adulthood. Hopefully, they will live in such a way as to make their world a better place.

Related posts:

Who's in Control Part 1

The "Christian" Submission Trap

Who's in Control Part 2

Should Wives Always Submit?

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Who's in Control - Part 2 of 3

Image by Christina Morley

I refused to be controlled, but my desire for self-preservation was so strong that at times my husband felt that I was behaving in a controlling manner. He certainly had a tough time with me. When I wouldn’t back down, he’d often argue harder and raise his voice. On at least two occasions, he dominated the argument to the point where I needed to leave the house to get my space. It was only when we allowed God into our communication that He was able to resolve even the worst deadlocks that we were facing.

We were no experts at conflict resolution. I felt caught in the middle of a tug-of-war. Or maybe it was more like a three-way tug-of-war with my husband, God, and me. Fortunately, God won the war, but He had to first teach us how submission works in a marriage. It’s not as simple as some would have us believe. I had come from a highly conservative Christian background where godly women were meant to “know their place.”

I tried the submission route only out of desperation. Did it fix our problems? No, it fell short of expectations and it sometimes flew right back in my face.

I don’t think compromising convictions ever works. The Bible says that whatever is not of faith is sin. I desperately wanted to be controlled by the Spirit, but at times my husband wanted control. He couldn’t always tell when my feelings were just my feelings and when they were really prompted by the Holy Spirit. The fact that his reactions tended to be based on cognitive processes whereas mine were based more on feelings meant that we often struggled in our communication.

I can clearly remember one incident where our idea of submission showed its flaws. At the time, we were staying at my in-laws’ luxury country inn. My husband and I were sitting outside one of their suites while the children were down at their grandma’s house. It had been a lovely day, and the kids had been running around barefoot.

Later that afternoon, as the air began to cool, my husband became concerned that the children could catch a cold. He thought that I was being negligent and told me that I must go down immediately to put socks and shoes on them. I didn’t feel that going right then was a good idea because my mother-in-law had said that she was resting and I didn’t want to disturb her. Also, the kids were indoors so I didn’t think the cold air would bother them for another half-hour or so.

Well, my husband became annoyed. He wanted me to respond to the situation as he thought I should. To keep the peace, I went down, despite my reservations. I tried to be as quiet as possible, but my in-laws’ house was small and their room was right next to the living room where the kids were watching TV. I didn’t stay long, but long enough to have disturbed her rest. I had become trapped between my husband’s expectations and my own conscience. Clearly, submitting in every situation did not always have a favorable outcome.

Related Post: Who's in Control - Part 1

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Who's in Control - Part 1 of 3

Image by Christina Morley

At the age of eighteen, I left home to become a missionary. With my new-found independence, I took the time to do some soul searching regarding my relationship with God. I wanted to know Him better. My conversion experience was real and I never questioned that, but there was still something missing. I realized that I knew a lot about God, but I didn’t know Him all that intimately. Up until then, I had lived my Christian life according to my own understanding.

I distinctly remember a conversation that I had with God one evening. I sensed that God was asking me, “How is the Holy Spirit important to Christianity?” It’s then that I began my journey of learning about a part of the Trinity to which I had never properly been introduced. In the churches that I had attended, I had heard lots about Father God and His Son Jesus, but there was little taught about the Holy Spirit.

Through books, testimonies, and searching the Scriptures, I began learning and experiencing more of the Spirit. I became more attuned to His leading. For me, it became a surrendered life. I no longer wanted to be the one in control, because God knew how to do things better.

Then I got married. My husband and I didn’t live the Christian life as well as we thought we did. We thought we were more Christ-like than we really were. Marriage brought out all our imperfections. When we couldn’t agree on something, the issue of submission would sometimes follow. Neither of us knew exactly how submission was meant to function in the marriage. I, especially, had doubts.

My ability to stand up for myself was also my weakness. I didn’t know how to let God fight on my behalf. My strength was merely adding fuel to the fire. You see, growing up as a military kid, I had acquired some survival skills. During the eighteen years I lived with my parents, we moved eight times. I had experienced very few constants. Change was a part of life. No one stood up for me either, not even at home, so I had to learn to stand up for myself. I became a confident individualist, a nonconformist, one who stuck by her convictions.

Now, I had no fear in submitting to the Lord, but I did have a few misgivings about submitting to my husband in every situation. How could I let him take the place of God? Was it biblical that I should be controlled by him? Was it my duty just to submit? Well, through it all, the Lord was teaching us both a hard lesson. At the end of the day, the Lord wanted to be the One in control of both of us.

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Poem: With Our God

With our God are all provisions

And the courage to make decisions;

To fulfill our purposes in life

And understanding to handle strife.

May we never cling to a victim’s view,

But being over-comers just as You.

Seeing the flower and not the thorn.

Having Christ’s glory us adorn.

We lay our inadequacies at Your feet.

Putting on Your armor we can defeat

Ghosts of the past, demons of the future

With love and compassion our world to nurture.

by Christina Morley

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Our Thoughts and Emotions - Part 3 of 3

Image by Christina Morley

The fact is that whatever is going on inside of us overflows into how we behave toward others. If our thoughts are stirring up negative emotions, then we need to consider what we are thinking about. We decide what to think. The Bible tells us that whatsoever things are pure and whatsoever things are lovely, we should think on these things (Phil. 4:8).

Usually, what happens is that we waste lots of time reviewing in our minds a particularly negative situation over and over again. If we notice that our thoughts are spiraling downwards, then we need to grab hold of them and make a focus shift by redirecting our thoughts towards God’s view on the situation. Unhealthy thoughts bring unhealthy emotions.

When my eldest daughter was just four years old, she began battling with her thoughts. She would ask questions like how do we know when our thoughts are from God and when they are from the devil? Deciphering truth from a lie was especially perplexing for her as she struggled with lots of negative thoughts toward herself.

I had a few conversations with her about it, but I didn’t seem to be getting through to her. Then one day my son decided to try and help her with her dilemma. He was only eighteen months older, but his advice took. He told her that the devil speaks to her mind, and God speaks to her heart. The way he put it was simple enough for her to grasp. Once she recognized that her thoughts were not always telling the truth, and that she could listen to her heart, she began having more peace of mind.

It’s also important to note that the way we treat ourselves is the same way we’ll treat others. This means that we cannot respond toward others lovingly if we don’t love ourselves. The way we treat ourselves has everything to do with the way we think about ourselves. Our minds hold a lot of power.

We need to train our thoughts to be in line with God’s thoughts. We are not victims, and we are not powerless. We can change what is troubling us. Through Christ Jesus, our old thought patterns no longer need to have center stage. In fact, they can be totally replaced with God’s truth by reading the Bible and by receiving His thoughts about life. Through the Word of God, we can positively impact our lives and the lives of others around us. In Christ, we can have peace beyond understanding.

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Our Thoughts and Emotions - Part 2 of 3

Art and Text by Christina A. Morley

Nothing heals a wound like forgiveness. God says that we should forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us. All of us have done wrong and have hurt others in the process, so we all need forgiveness. When we remember that God freely forgives us, we can obey Him by doing the same.

Sometimes the wounds inflicted go so deep that we might not feel the people who hurt us deserve forgiveness. We harbor negativity toward them because we want them to pay for what they’ve done. This negativity seeps into our being like a toxin, but we only end up hurting ourselves. The more we suffer emotionally, the more we suffer physically.

Whenever we think the other person doesn’t deserve forgiveness, we ought to look back at the cross. Jesus endured a brutal crucifixion in order to accept punishment for mankind’s sins. He took the penalty of every injustice that we ever felt with each blow. That horrible event was God’s just punishment for all sin, so there could be forgiveness for everyone.

He knows how we feel. He fully understands our weaknesses, our struggles, our hurts, and our pains. He doesn’t take the wounding we’ve received lightly. Yet, He also knows that the answer to any wounding comes through forgiveness. Sometimes, we need to forgive ourselves too. When we don’t, we are declaring that God’s judgment on Jesus was not sufficient suffering to pay for our mistakes. Forgiveness helps the hurting heart to heal and the hardened heart to feel.

Sometimes it helps to remember that hurting people hurt others. This doesn’t excuse their behavior, but does explain it. Something went wrong in their lives, and then, they acted out of their own emotional mess. We have the opportunity, on the other hand, to make the right decision regarding forgiveness so that this messed-up cycle stops with us.

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Our Thoughts and Emotions - Part 1 of 3

Image and Text by Christina Morley

All of us have traveled through life and have picked up a number of wounds along the way. For some the wounds inflicted were more terrible than for others. When these wounds are not healed, they begin to impact our lives negatively.

Perhaps you lost a parent while growing up and have always felt the void this left. Or your family didn’t know how to show you love. Maybe you were one of the many at school who felt the stinging words of bullies. Or perhaps you were emotionally, physically, or even sexually abused.

Whatever the wounds, they may still leave you wondering if you are special and if you really matter. Your logic tells you that if you were special and if you did matter then those people would never have hurt you. Maybe you’ve even convinced yourself that you deserved to be treated that way. The devil is the author of these kinds of lies. If you have confused the ill-treatment with your self-worth, then you have acknowledged that the devil is right, and God is wrong.

It’s important that we take inventory of our thoughts and emotions on a regular basis. They impact our lives to a great extent. Some of the things that we carry are too heavy for us to bear. God asks us to cast our burdens on to Him because He cares for us (Ps. 55:22). He knows everything in the tiniest detail and understands all human suffering. There is nothing on this earth that goes by Him unnoticed. If a little sparrow falls from the sky, He knows and cares. Yet, He is never gloomy, and He is not wrapped up in negative emotions.

When our emotions are overpowering us, it’s a sign that something is wrong. The matter only worsens if we try to avoid whatever it is that’s bothering us. Usually, we keep ourselves so busy that we’re out of touch with what’s going on deep down inside.

We complicate matters when we don’t search our hearts to discover the source of our problems. Instead, by running from our pain, we develop “ghosts” that don’t go away. These “ghosts” are unresolved issues that resurface and trigger us to react to situations in an inappropriate manner, like when we blow-up at the slightest provocation or respond defensively when spoken to.

Issues that have not been appropriately handled need to be brought into the light. We have to make the choice to face the real reason behind the pain. By bringing these “ghosts” into the light of truth, we will know them for what they really are. No longer will they be faceless wounds. Instead, they will be known as real hurts with names like “rejection” or “neglect.” As each negative experience from the past is distinguished, the better equipped we’ll be to recognize them every time they rear their ugly heads. Then we can deal with them appropriately.

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Poem - The Sun Rises

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The sun rises across the sky

As people are walking by

Shining on the rich and poor

From desert to sea shore

On every man, woman, and child

From the city to the wild

It rises and then sets again

Each day without end

Telling a tale for all to see

That we aren’t living equally

Perhaps equally we never will

And also without justice ‘til

We speak up for the weak and small

In the daytime and at nightfall

To remain consistent and fair

As our lives are there to share

by Christina Morley

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Money on the Move – Part 4 of 4

When it was time for us to leave Japan, we had no idea how we would pay our way back to the airport. Then unexpectedly, one of the Japanese workers who helped us get on a train to the airport gave us some money. Not only did he give us enough for our fare, but there was also enough to buy a few souvenirs at the airport. During our time in Tokyo we had firsthand experience of God working through people and through us.

Life is not all about shopping at the mall, watching TV, or playing computer games. As parents, it’s our responsibility to shape our children’s world-view. Most kids don’t even appreciate what they have. The best way to combat materialism is by giving away money or things. The best way to combat selfishness is by giving away time through acts of service.

Consider taking your kids with you on a short-term outreach during a holiday or summer break. Allow them healthy exposure to the outside world so they can learn how other people live. Teach them to be grateful, compassionate, and generous. God has blessed us so that we can be a blessing. God doesn’t want the resources we possess to stop with us. He wants them to keep flowing.

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Money on the Move – Part 3 of 4

We spent the two final weeks, before flying back home to South Africa, at a Bible printing organization. The workers were mostly singles who lived on the property in dorm rooms. We were offered a single’s room with a small kitchenette; the bathrooms were down the hall. Lunches were provided and we were blessed with a small allowance to cover the other meals.

During the day, the place was alive with the hustle and bustle of many people hard at work. At night, they all disappeared into their rooms. The halls were deserted and the place fell silent. It went from one extreme to the other. The atmosphere lent itself to work productivity, but after working hours there was just nothing happening. Sadly, there didn’t seem to be any life outside of work.

Most of the people there were Japanese. Since we had arrived in Tokyo, I had learned that the Japanese were generally not accustomed to practicing hospitality. The Lord showed me that as often as possible I was to invite one person from the building to our room for dinner. I wasn’t sure if we would have enough food to feed ourselves, let alone provide a meal for someone else. I also knew how particular the Japanese were about their rice. What if I couldn’t cook it right?

Whatever my reservations, we managed to open our door to several of the missionaries there. We could see that they were surprised when we invited them for dinner. It might have been a small thing, but it was an opportunity for us to be a blessing. They needed to know that they were loved for who they were and not only for what they did. We were also blessed by some who did the same for us.

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Money on the Move – Part 2 of 4

Please read Part 1, if you haven't already.

On our first morning there, they invited us to their apartment for breakfast. We could tell by the questions they asked us that they thought we were crazy to make the trip to Japan without concrete arrangements. When we had finished eating, they read their morning Bible devotional with us. The topic happened to be about faith and trusting God for the impossible.

We were about to pray together when the wife mentioned that Japan was experiencing a serious drought (the year was 1996). It had become a national crisis. As we bowed our heads in prayer, I asked the Lord to please bring rain. The wife looked out the window, and the next thing she saw was a pedestrian pulling out an umbrella. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Perhaps God had sent us there for that short time just to refresh them in the area of their faith.

Having heard our heart for Tokyo, they felt moved to connect us with another missionary family, who invited us for dinner. We discovered that the husband was the overseer of all the regional mission organizations. They were just the right people to learn from and they eagerly shared from some of their years of experience with us. We mentioned that we were on a short-term visit and they invited us to come and stay at their house for a week.

The following morning we said our goodbyes to the first missionary couple that had welcomed us to Tokyo. They gave us a little Japanese outfit for the baby on its way and surprisingly told us that we didn’t need to pay for our stay. We went onto our new host family and continued to learn much from them. While we were there, they arranged for us to stay with a Japanese family for a week so that we could have first-hand experience of Japanese culture. This turned out to be our toughest week emotionally and spiritually, but we learned a lot.

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Money on the Move – Part 1 of 4

Before I got married, the Lord gave me the promise in scripture where Jesus tells His disciples not to worry about what they would eat and drink or what they would wear. As long as they sought God’s Kingdom first, the Lord would take care of the rest (Luke 12:22-31). I knew that God was speaking directly to me in regard to my upcoming marriage and the life we would lead. We were to keep our hearts passionate about God’s things, and He would look after us.

My husband and I chose to take God at His word. If getting married without financial security was His idea, then we were going to have to trust Him. We were willing to take the leap of faith.

This decision was tested many times. One particular occasion was when we heard God tell us to go to Tokyo, Japan, for a short-term outreach. We were not joining a team. It was just going to be the two of us, and I was going to be six months pregnant with our first child. When we arrived in Japan, there was no one to meet us and nowhere to go. We thought we might make contact with a Japanese friend, but that idea fell through. We had only about $200 and this was to last us for one month.

We had to rely totally on God. At this point we needed a place to stay for the night at least. We looked in a telephone directory and found a mission organization that we felt inspired to phone. An American missionary couple in charge said they had place for us and the husband would meet us at the train station. They told us that they rarely took in people who weren’t affiliated with their organization. We spent our first two nights in one of their spacious apartments, knowing that all their missionaries were expected to pay for accommodation. We decided not to tell anyone about our financial status as we believed the Lord was going to provide somehow.

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Poem - Crumbs or Steak

Tell me, who knows the mind of the Lord that we should offer Him counsel?

If He has told us a thing, is it not true?

Either we believe God or we place His wisdom on a mantel,

Which is like living our lives in an old, smelly shoe.

What has He promised for His beloved daughters and sons?

Did He not say that He would take care of each and every one?

So why are we so busy eating the crumbs

When God wants us to live a life of joy and even have fun?

We easily get focused on what our needs are

That we forget to seek God’s Kingdom first.

When we get our priorities right and up to par,

Then God will give us a marvelous thirst.

We’ll begin to see the needs of others around

And God will fill us with living water that will always abound.

To seek His Kingdom first is to be eating that steak,

And to discover a life of faith, believe God, it’s no mistake.

Photo and poem by Christina Morley

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God’s Money – Part 3 of 3

The Word of God speaks over and over again about money matters. He knows that we have practical needs. There have been many times in my married life when my husband and I needed to see God come through financially and materially. Our first few years of marriage were especially challenging. I remember a couple of times that I fasted when the money ran out, asking God literally for milk money.

Our giving to the Lord was more haphazard in those days. Sometimes we gave generously, but often we gave below the tithe. When it came to money, we didn’t always seek His Kingdom first. We figured God didn’t want us to go without and we needed the money more than He did. However, we learnt that the tithe helps us consistently to seek His Kingdom first with our money and to trust Him to provide our needs. The tithe is only the foundation for giving. There are also other ways to give.

One day, God convicted me about this through the story of the widow in the Bible who gave her last penny (Mark 12:41-44). Why did she give her last penny? She knew God would take care of her. As I was pondering this, I sat convicted, but at that point I had no money to give. I just didn’t have eyes to see past my own predicament. That’s when I felt God prompting me to look at what I did have instead of what I didn’t have. The only things I could think of that God might be able to use were the baby clothes. By now I had already had two children, a boy and a girl, so there was plenty. In obedience, I packed baby clothes, baby accessories, plus maternity wear. Then, my husband and I drove to the nearest crisis pregnancy center, which was in another town, and blessed them with the things.

Sometimes giving to God or others is not going to be easy. Sometimes it’s going to require faith and sacrifice. When we were struggling because we didn’t have enough money, we realized that we weren’t giving to God what was His. The best decision we’ve ever made was to make tithing a lifestyle, not an option.

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God’s Money – Part 2 of 3

Luxembourg Christmas Market
Photo by Debbie Shiel

Perhaps you’ve heard people say that to be godly you have to be poor and miserable. Some Christians depict Jesus as a weak, blond-haired, blue-eyed man who lived a deprived life. First of all, Jesus was a Jew from the Middle East, so He would have had dark hair and dark eyes with an olive complexion. And yes, He was born in a stable, but only because there was no room in the inn. Joseph could have paid for something better, but Father God allowed the Son of God to be placed in a manger instead. This was His birth place, but it wasn’t His home.

Sometime later, wise men brought Him some very expensive gifts. Was this the same Jesus who was born in a stable and had a manger for a bed? Did He need such costly gifts? Didn’t someone in church once say that God provides only our needs? Is poverty really true godliness?

Certainly, Jesus didn’t live a life of luxury. He knew what it felt like to work hard to earn a living. He also knew what it was like to be in full-time ministry without a fixed income, but His regular provisions were not meager. There were some women of good standing who were noted for their financial support. Even the disciples had money in the general purse. We know this because Judas was said to have stolen from it.

Many of the dialogues with Jesus took place at meal times where He was the guest of honor. When the crowds were hungry, on two occasions, Jesus demonstrated compassion by performing the miracle of the multiplication of food. Not only did they eat their fill, but there was some left over as well.

When we read about Jesus’ crucifixion, we find out that He wore a special garment. As the story goes, the guards divided up His clothes among themselves. When they saw His cloak, they realized it was valuable as it was seamless, so they chose to gamble for it. Does this sound like a Messiah who walked around in poor men’s clothes?

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God’s Money – Part 1 of 3

People say money makes the world go round. Money does make things happen. It can even gain a person power and influence. But, many wrongly place their faith in it.

Others say that money is the root of all evil. They are referring to a verse from the Bible which really states that the love of money is the root of all evil (1Tim. 6:10). Money in itself does not bring evil, but loving it does. When we love our money, we allow it to consume our thoughts. Then, it begins to control us. Soon we find our energies are spent on the pursuit of it, or we fear not having enough, so we hoard it. This is abusing what God has entrusted to us.

There’s no freedom in loving money. In this frame of mind, you can never have enough to satisfy. Circumstances can change dramatically overnight. Today you may be a millionaire, and find out tomorrow you’re a pauper. Imagine yourself back in history to America’s Great Depression. One day you have loads of money saved in the bank, but when fear grips the masses and everyone wants to be paid out at once, there’s nothing left for you. Look, if God can hold creation together, then wouldn’t the world’s economy also be under His control?

If you find it difficult to put your trust in God’s Word, then perhaps you’re thinking that His Word is not relevant to the 21st Century. God is the Great I Am. He was and He is and He is to come. He is not archaic. He’s not out of touch with the latest trends or technology. He certainly understands the economy better than we do. He’s not far removed from our humanity. Jesus, God himself, walked this earth and experienced day-to-day life, just like us. He knows how we feel.

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Poem - Take Timeout

My daughter, Amanda

Lord, help me take timeout in my busy day,

Remembering my kids also want me to play.

They want a mommy, who can laugh and run,

Because all they know is how to have fun.

To them their world is not about cooking and cleaning.

For them it’s all about climbing and swinging.

Help me remember what it is to be a child once more

And set aside tasks to take them out the front door.

By Christina Morley

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Working Moms – Part 4 of 4

Interestingly, the Proverbs 31 woman was not suppressed by the male-dominated culture. In those days, it was expected of most women to care solely for their homes. They seldom had equal opportunities and most of them were uneducated. Sadly, it’s still like this today in many countries and cultures around the world.

This woman described in Proverbs 31, however, was someone with authority. She had the freedom to make her own business decisions and to earn her own money. Nowhere in the passage does it mention that her husband controlled her affairs. He doesn’t even seem to be threatened by her business savvy. Instead, he seems to have had full confidence in her decisions and even praised her for her accomplishments.

She seems to have been her own boss, which would have allowed her to choose her own hours. Perhaps, when her children were small, she didn’t have so much time on her hands to pursue being an entrepreneur. During this time, she might have acquired or developed skills that later became useful in business ventures.

Sometimes even hobbies become careers. Endeavor to put your energy into those things that give you fulfillment, and God will bless you. Never underestimate the potential that God has placed in you. Give yourself permission to be the unique you that He made you to be, and watch Him put it all together.

No matter the job, business, or career, we must never make money our priority. We cannot serve both money and God because our hearts will follow after one master or the other. That doesn’t mean that we can’t pray and ask God to give us success in our work, but if money becomes the issue, then it will have control over us. If we live for the pursuit of money, we will rob ourselves of living joy-filled lives.

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Working Moms – Part 3 of 4

Sometimes you may be doing what God has called you to do, but you continue to feel unfulfilled. When my first two were still in diapers and I was their primary caregiver, I knew that I was in the center of God’s will, but it was a constant struggle. Regularly I felt as if I was dying a hundred deaths. Those are the times when we must learn how to draw strength from God.

Perhaps you feel that your efforts are going unnoticed. Maybe you’re wondering why you even bother. Give yourself a break once in a while. Reward yourself for those “thankless” jobs. Go and have some fun… make a memory… be creative.

One thing that I want to make clear is that God never intended women to be suppressed in the home. There’s much more to moms than cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, and so forth. Those jobs in themselves can take up all of one’s day. For me, it felt as if I was one of those pet hamsters running endlessly in a suspended wheel.

The good news is that God created moms to use their different gifts and talents as much as everyone else. In the Bible, there were a number of women who had jobs and who were leaders. Some even supported Jesus and His disciples financially. Most of these women were probably mothers, but they were also involved in the world around them.

One of the best examples of an all-round woman is the famous woman of Proverbs 31. It’s possible that she wasn’t a real person, but rather a representation of an ideal woman. Whoever she might have been, I didn’t always like her. She was too perfect and seemingly able to accomplish everything with superhuman strength. I thought, “How could the rest of us women ever hope to live up to her standard?”

I figured that, of course, her husband must have adored her. Who wouldn’t want a wife that could do everything? Yet, if you look closely you will notice that she didn’t achieve everything single-handedly. At times, she actually had others working with her. Actually, we all could accomplish much more if we had people helping us like she did. Not only can we accomplish more, but we can feel energized knowing that not everything rests on our shoulders alone.

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