Letters to Young Black Women

Woman to Woman by Michelle McKinney Hammond

virtue4 — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 13:01:10 +0000

Ladies, can we talk? Talk about why women are frustrated and men are confused? Talk about where we lost our way and what that really means? Talk about where all the good men have gone and why so many are wandering? Let’s talk about the fine print we’ve neglected to read and how much that oversight has cost us. About the power that we’ve thrown to the wind. About what’s happening to our relationships. Our children. Our hearts. Our bodies. Our souls. Let’s talk about how the art of being a woman has become a near-extinct and priceless treasure. And how those who stumble across it treat it as an antique they don’t know the value of—tossing it aside, preferring the newer, more streamlined, cheaper model of so-called liberation. Funny how you never realize the value of Grandma’s brass bed until you get older and find out how much others are willing to pay for what we so easily discard.

As creation longs for the original plan of peaceful coexistence, the groans of weary women have come before the throne of God. The vicious cycle of men abdicating, women rising up, men fleeing, and women becoming embittered, hardened, and hopeless has tainted society and caused wonderment in the heavens. The lines are invisibly drawn, silently proclaiming war. Romance lies trampled underfoot and understanding lies shattered beneath hurled insults and accusations.

Ladies, can we talk? I mean talk without pretense, posturing, or qualifying. After all, real life is not a talk show. I often wonder if anyone is really tuned in to real life. I wonder if anyone is really seeing what we’re doing to one another. How we’re robbing one another. Hurting one another. Killing one another. The golden rule of “love your neighbor as you love yourself” has been broken, snapped over the knees of those determined to seize what they want in blind frustration with total disregard for the whole picture. Can we talk about getting off the merry-go-round? Can we talk woman-to-woman about how we’ve “lost it” and how to get “it” back?

Can we talk about calling a truce with one another—with our men—and finding ourselves again? Let’s talk about acknowledging
and learning to celebrate this simple fact—men and women are different. I long for all women to sink back into the glorious place of truly being women in the same way I long for a hot bath when all of my muscles are screaming. The warmth of the water closes over my limbs like a liquid blanket, wrapping itself around me, becoming intimate with every part of me. I do not recoil from this. Rather, I embrace it because it sets me free from pain, free from the struggle I’ve endured all day long. It defies my further efforts to stay afloat all by myself in the world. It gently invites me to let go. Let go of all I think I should be. Let go of the demands of others. Let go and just be. Just be a woman. Naked and unashamed. Warm and soft. Content in my liquid cocoon. Relaxed and unthreatened. Just a woman—lost in the oasis of being me. Ladies, can we talk—I mean really talk—about where we went wrong? Can we talk without shouting?

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Source: The Power of Being a Woman: Embracing the Triumph of the Feminine Spirit
by Michelle McKinney Hammond

Please visit www.michellehammond.com

God’s Bigger! by Thelma Wells

virtue4 — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 12:50:46 +0000

God’s bigger than your hesitations, fears, and pride!

Why is it we ask God to guide us, to reveal His plans for us, and when He does, we foolishly try to get away with NOT doing what He tells us?

The truth is God’s favor makes whatever we do for Him successful. When we obey His directions, He works miracles through us—even in spite of us!

Hallelujah!

We need to thank God for His patience and persistence.

Thank Him for trusting us enough to give us projects when we don’t know how to do them.

Thank God for being faithful to give us what we need to succeed for His glory!

Are you ready to win?

Psalm 90:17 says, “Establish the work of our hands for us, yes, establish the work of our hands!”

A big hug and love to you today from Thelma Wells!

Nothing But Christ, by Joyce Meyer

virtue4 — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:57:57 +0000

For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you. And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power. –1 Corinthians 2:2-4

I’ve tried to imagine what it would have been like to go to Corinth or other Greek cities at the time of Paul and try to speak to those wise, brilliant thinkers. After studying every parchment given to me, and gaining knowledge of all their arguments, I would have prayed for God to help me overcome their objections.

We don’t know what Paul did, but his answer is astounding. Instead of going after them with great reasoning and sharp logic, he went in exactly the opposite direction. He stayed in Corinth a year and a half, and many came to Christ because of him. Later, when he wrote 1 Corinthians, he said, “For I resolved to know nothing . . . among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified” (2:2). That’s amazing. If any man had the ability to reason with those Greeks and could show them the fallacies of their logic, surely that man was Paul. But, being led by the Holy Spirit, he chose a defenseless presentation–to let God speak through him and touch the hearts of the people.

Now, centuries later, I appreciate his approach–although I didn’t always feel this way. For a long time I wanted to explain and reason out everything, but when that didn’t work, I ended up feeling miserable.

I’ve always been curious, always wanted to know, and always wanted to figure out the answer. Then God began to work in my life. He showed me that my constant drive to figure it out caused me confusion and prevented me from receiving many of the things He wanted me to have. He said, You must lay aside carnal reasoning if you expect to have discernment.

I didn’t like loose ends, so I felt more secure when I figured things out. I wanted to be in control of every detail of every situation. When I didn’t understand or was unable to figure things out, I felt out of control. And that was frightening to me. Something was wrong–I was troubled and had no peace of mind. Sometimes, frustrated and exhausted, I would just give up.

It was a long battle for me because I finally admitted something to myself (God knew it all along): I was addicted to reasoning. It was more than a tendency or desire to figure out things. It was a compulsion. I had to have answers–and had to have them right now. When God was finally able to convince me of my addiction, I was able to give it up.

It wasn’t easy. Like people who withdraw from drugs or alcohol, I had withdrawal symptoms. I felt lost. Frightened. Alone. I had always depended on my ability to figure things out. Now, like Paul, I had to depend on God.

Too many people assume that relying only on God is something we do easily and naturally. It didn’t work that way with me. But God was gracious and patient with me. It was as if He’d whisper, You’re not there yet, Joyce, but you’re making progress. It’s uncomfortable because you’re learning a new way to live.

God wants us to be victorious–and I knew that all along. Now I walk in greater victory than ever before–and I no longer try to reason out everything before I act.

Pray this…

Heavenly Father, thank You for being so patient with me and people like me who feel we must have all the answers before we can act or trust. In the name of Jesus, help me to simply trust in You, knowing that You will give me what is best for my life. Amen.

Let God Touch You

virtue4 — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:57:05 +0000

This article is excepted from the book, Letters to Young Black Women

Dear Daughters & Young Women:

I want you to know that you are a special blessing from God. As far as I am concerned, the greatest gift to God’s green earth has been women. God has blessed you to be a woman. In my opinion, without you, this world would be incomplete and colorless. Without a woman, the Son of God would have never been born. So, I must join T.D. Jakes in saying, “God loves His girls.” The world may be hostile towards you, but God loves you very much, and you need to keep that in your heart and mind throughout the vicissitudes of life.
In this, my second letter to you, I want to encourage you to let God touch you — deeply. For some reason, traditionally, women have been more attracted to the Lord than men have been. The first people to the tomb were women; many of Jesus’ followers were women. If you are not a follower of His, you need to get to know Him for yourself. In order to do that, you must open up your heart to Him, and let Him touch you. Well, you say, how do I do that? I’m glad you asked.
I was raised in the church, but I got saved outside of the church because I never heard a clear, understandable, presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ while in the church. So, listen closely to what I’m about to tell you:

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Great Rewards Abound When You Are Obedient to God

virtue4 — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:33:43 +0000

“Obedience to the call of Christ nearly always costs everything to two people – the one who is called, and the one who loves that one.”
-Oswald Chambers

“Just as a servant knows that he must first obey his master in all things, so the surrender to an implicit and unquestionable obedience must become the essential characteristic of our lives.”
-Andrew Murray

“I find the doing of the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans.”
-George Macdonald

“Goodness makes greatness truly valuable, and greatness make goodness much more serviceable.”
-Matthew Henry

“The golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters is not intellect, but obedience.”
-Oswald Chambers

The Desires of Your Heart

virtue4 — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:33:27 +0000

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.”
- Psalm 37:4-5, NIV

When you are living your life in commitment to God, He gives you the desires of your heart because they come from Him. God placed the desire for a companion and marriage partner within Adam’s heart, then He fulfilled the desire.

In the beginning, Adam was single. Increasingly he longed for a companion with whom he could share his life. He didn’t have to beg God or beat the bushes or spend every Saturday night in a singles bar. He just went to sleep in God’s will. I wonder if, as he drifted off to sleep, he was praying that God would somehow take away the strange ache in his heart and the loneliness he felt inside, especially when he had observed that every animal had a partner except himself.

“So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man” (Gen. 2:21-22, NIV).

In His wisdom, God knew exactly how to meet Adam’s emotional needs – by presenting Adam with a wife. And He knows how to meet your needs and satisfy your desires, too. So . . . commit your way to Him and trust Him!

http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/

Let God Talk to You, by Daniel Whyte III

virtue4 — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:27:48 +0000

excerpt from the book Letters to Young Black Women

Dear Daughters & YBW:

I trust that you are doing well today.

In this letter, I want to encourage you to let God talk to you. What I mean by this is, I want you to get into the habit of reading the Word of God — the Bible — on a regular basis. Let the Word of God be your guide — not popular opinion, not your girlfriends, not your emotions, but the Word of God. Be a woman of the Word! Frankly, there is nothing more beautiful on God’s green earth than a woman who lives by the Word of God, and not by her feelings and emotions.

Men are attracted to her, women respect her and listen to her, and children love her. The Bible refers to this woman as a virtuous woman — whose “price is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). In other words, you cannot put a price on such a woman. I strongly encourage you to make it a daily habit to read the Word of God, to study the Word of God, to meditate on the Word of God, and to live by the Word of God. Reading and doing the Word of God, young sister, will keep you from a lot of pain and heartache in this life.

Psalm 119:11 says: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” When you put the Word of God in your heart, your conscience will not allow you to linger in sin. The great preacher, D.L. Moody, once said, “This Book will keep you away from sin or sin will keep you away from this Book.” Reading and doing the Word of God will make you a smart and wise woman; it will make you a leader instead of a follower.

Notice what these women said about the Word of God:

“Scripture has phenomenal power, but unless you submit your mind to its inerrant truth, its power is largely lost to you.”
– Martha Kilpatrick

“The Word of God is a Person. When you read it, do you see words or do you see Him?”
– Jacquelyn K. Heasley

“That Book [the Bible] accounts for the supremacy of England.”
– Queen Victoria

Again, let me strongly encourage you to love, cherish, read, meditate on and obey the Word of God, because, if you do so, it will make you a woman who is priceless.

With the Bible in my Heart & Hand,

Papa

Power Thoughts:

“Study the Bible through. Never begin a day without mastering a verse from its pages. Pray it in. Never lay aside your Bible until the verse or passage you have studied has become part of your being. Put it down. The thoughts that God gives you put down in the margin of your Bible or in your notebook. Work it out. Live the truth you get in the morning through each hour of the day. Pass it on. Seek to tell somebody else what you have learned.”
– J. Wilbur Chapman

“What makes the difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”
– Gipsy Smith

“The Bible is God’s mirror which shows man as he is — not as he thinks he is!”
– Selected

BIBLE GEM: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
–2 Timothy 2:15

TALK TO GOD: Dear God, thank you for Your Holy Word. Give me understanding as I read it through, but above all, help me to obey it and to hide it away in my heart. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

BOOK: Believing God, by Beth Moore

CHECK IT OUT: www.annegrahamlotz.com

Sleep in Peace, by Joyce Meyer

virtue4 — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:12:42 +0000

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.” — Psalm 4:8

In the quiet of the evening after a long day, it’s not unusual to think about and evaluate the events of the day. But thoughts can be disturbing, especially if you faced problems that remain unsolved.

Sometimes these thoughts are not easy to turn off and can threaten to rob you of a peaceful night’s sleep. But staying awake and worrying will not change or improve the situation at all.

This is a good time to share your concerns with God and ask for His help. He tells us in His Word to cast our cares on Him, so give your thoughts to Him and trust Him to provide a solution. Then lie down and sleep in peace.

Let God Touch You

virtue4 — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:50:03 +0000

excerpt from the book Letters to Young Black Women

…I want you to know that you are a special blessing from God. As far as I am concerned, the greatest gift to God’s green earth has been women. God has blessed you to be a woman. In my opinion, without you, this world would be incomplete and colorless. Without a woman, the Son of God would have never been born. So, I must join T.D. Jakes in saying, “God loves His girls.” The world may be hostile towards you, but God loves you very much, and you need to keep that in your heart and mind throughout the vicissitudes of life…

P.T. (Power-Thoughts):

“If we open our hearts to God, He has promised to work within us.” – Prime Min. Margaret Thatcher

“The knowledge of sin is the beginning of salvation.” – Epicurus

“The spiritual part of you can be thought of as the part of you that cannot be seen with the natural eye. This part of you will live forever. And where the spiritual you lives, depends on the decision you make today.” – Joyce Meyer

“The cross is the only ladder high enough to touch Heaven’s threshold.” – G.D. Boardman

“A man may go to heaven without health, without riches, without honors, without learning, without friends, but he can never go there without Christ.” – John Dyer

BIBLE GEM: “…There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” –Luke 15:10

TALK TO GOD: Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and that I have broken your commandments. I now believe with all my heart that you — Jesus Christ, died, was buried, and rose on the third day. I am now ready for you to become the Lord of my life. Please come into my heart and save my soul and live within me forever. Thank you for your love and for your forgiveness. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray. Amen!

BOOK: The God I Love: A Lifetime of Walking with Jesus, by Joni Eareckson Tada

CHECK IT OUT: www.torchlegacy.com/throughthedoor

From My Heart

virtue4 — Mon, 31 May 2010 20:28:34 +0000

excerpt from the book Letters to Young Black Women

“These letters are written with a full heart, yea, a heart overflowing. What I mean by that is this: I have shared these thoughts and principles with my daughters for years in the presence of my wife, Meriqua. These letters are addressed first to my daughters, and I am just going to open a vein and bleed these loving truths out to you as well…I hope that you, young dear sisters, will follow the example of these great women and walk in their footsteps to bring back the standards of old that America so desperately needs.”

P.T. (Power-Thoughts):

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’” – Erma Bombeck

BIBLE GEM: “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.” – Proverbs 4:13

TALK TO GOD: Lord Jesus, as I read these letters, help me to have an open heart and an open ear to receive Your words of truth and love. Help me to apply all that I read to my life and to be the woman that You want me to be. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

BOOK: A Jewel in His Crown – Rediscovering Your Value as a Woman of Excellence, by Priscilla Shirer

CHECK IT OUT: www.goingbeyond.com