Monday, March 17, 2008

Being a Women of Influence

I read a quote over the weekend that I want to share with you this morning...
When I stand before God at the end of my life,
I hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left
and could say. "I used everything You gave me."
~Erma Bombeck
Now that describes a women of influence, don't you think? So the big question for this week is, "Am I using everything thing, every talent God has given me, to influence others towards God?". Does my life speak of one that would define what it is to be a contagious christian, a women of influence? Do I constantly stretch myself towards the heavenly? Am I growing each day to be more like Him? Do I make myself available to Him, seeing life as He has called me to see it? Do I believe that God can do anything in and through me?
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory...
~Ephesians 3:20, 21a
No matter the journey we have been on and the journey we are in, God knows us, He knows our needs and He is motivated on our behalf. He cares about our heart, our ministry, our family and He will lead us in each of these. When our family or friends let us down, He will be there. When we are feeling struck down or in despair, He is our strength and our power.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay
to show that this all-surpassing power is from God
and not from us.
We are hard pressed on every side,
but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed.
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
~2 Corinthians 4:7-10
Only in God and God alone can we find our satisfaction in life. Only in God and God alone is contentment. It is in relying on Him, laying ourselves down before Him and admitting we are nothing without Him that we can experience His true workmanship in our lives and be an influence for His glory. A women of influence is a women of integrity and integrity is measured not by other peoples standards but by God's standards. When no one else is looking and God is, what does He see?
"It's never too late to be what you might have been"
~George Eliot"
This weekend my husband and I had a wonderful time of renewal in each other as we celebrated our anniversary in a remote log cabin but we also had a wonderful time of renewal in Christ as we spent many hours in spiritual study. Satan was quick to hit us with his ugliness once we returned home-but I have to be careful to not let these obstacles of Satan sidetrack me from whom I am in God. He has called me to first of all love Him with all my heart and mind-and I do. He has also called me to serve Him and my family as a women of grace, a women of influence, a wife, a mother and a stepparent. He has called me to be Jesus in this world, despite the obstacles, despite the roadblocks, despite anything negative I am faced with. God loves me. He has shown me His mercy and grace and it is only in this I can move forward and know that I can be a women of influence through Him! I can refuse to be blindsided by Satan's actions against me and live in the joy of Christ. Today, I choose to be Jesus in this cold and ugly world. I choose to be a women of influence to all those I am around.
What do you chose today? Will you allow Satan's negativity to ruin your day-the kid's attitudes, the housework that seems to never give you relief, the illness that is trying to steal your strength, the weariness of the weather or those hormones we have been blessed with? Or will you choose to be a women of influence and be Jesus in your world today?
In His Graces~Pamela
"Preach Jesus. If necessary, used words"
~Jo-Anne Cinanni

7 comments:

Tonya said...

Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by my blog today and for your sweet and encouraging words. In hearing your testimony about "the end of life" it confirms what I already thought.

Watching GOD work preparing HIS children to meet HIM should leave no unbelievers. I wonder how in the world there are any medical providers that claim to not believe in GOD? I know there were a few doctors that witnessed what we saw in Brent. One even said, "Children seem to make peace with something, or someone before they die." This lady was NOT a believer - but even SHE had seen enough to RECOGNIZE SOMETHING was different about BELIEVERS, and/or the death of young children!

Now about your post.. I LOVE the quotes you used and the scriptures. Ephesians 3:20 was actually our "life verse" while Brent was still here. It was several months after going HOME to be with the LORD that I realized that he INDEED got his "Ephesians 3:20 HEALING!" GOD healed with a healing that's IMMEASURABLY MORE THAN ALL WE COULD HAVE ASKED OR IMAGINED. I'm just SO THANKFUL that we KNOW the TRUTH and have put our trust in JESUS!

Thanks again for stopping by. It was such a PLEASURE to meet you.

Andi Carter said...

Hi Pamela. You won one of my Circle C Adventure books at the Ultimate Blog party. However, your e-mail address has bounced back to me. Please e-mail me your book choice as well as your mailing address. Thanks!

susankmarlow[at]comcast[.]net

Kimberly said...

I truly do desire to be a woman of influence, too. What a great post! And I love the scripture and the wonderful quotes!
I am so glad you and your husband had such a wonderful time of refreshing together!
Blessings!
Kimberly
And thank you so much for your prayers!

Andi Carter said...

Well, this is very strange! I hit "reply to sender" and it STILL bounced back to me! AUGH!
At any rate, go here to pick a book:
www.susankmarlow.com.

I would have just sent you one (you told me to pick one for you) but you didn't send your mailing address! LOL

So now you can pick one after all.
-s-

Yolanda said...

Pamela:

Oh, it looks like from your post that you truly became refreshed IN HIM. Isn't that an awesome thing, to be able to get away for a few days, to soak in HIM and to share that with your Mate?!! GLORY!

This post causes me to reflect on what I asked my "Friday Friends" on Saturday evening. Here is some of what I asked them from my own ponderings earlier in the evening. Do you think, NOT FEEL, but think deep in your heart that you are drawing nearer to Christ, than you ever have?

If so, why:

If not, why:

And also, do you think that your life is making a difference for the Kingdom of God?


Are we making choices EVERY DAY that count for eternity?

I truly desire to get my eyes off of myself, to not have that little pitty party, or woe is me. So just thinking some things with my Gals! Pamela, I agree, being a woman of INTEGRITY is a measuring stick against God's word, that we are applying those truths to our lives daily.

Lovingly,
Yolanda

PS: When you get a chance, check out King of kings

Kelley said...

Hi Pamela,
Oh how wonderful to spend some alone time in spiritual retreat with your husband! John and I haven't gone away together in over 12 years. We have gone with kids, friends or family but not just the 2 of us. I am thinking we are due. Our 20th anniversary in in May so ????.

I love what you wrote about being a woman of integrity. I so much want to lay it all down for Him and yet I can get so distracted or discouraged. The great part is, His mercies are new every morning and each day I can begin again! Thanks for such encouraging words!

Kelley

Lelia Chealey said...

"It's never too late to be what you might have been"

Loved that quote of truth.
This is a tough calling, but worth every step.