Too Good Not to Share

It has been a busy week for me and I have been lost for time to write a post. In my last blog I encouraged you to seek those God ordained moments and to act on them. It didn't mean you had to spend money but it did mean you might have to give of yourself, even sacrifice of yourself. I pray you had one of those moments!


As I tried to reflect on what to post here, my thoughts are not my own. They are borrowed from others...thoughts shared, studies explored. Somehow, my words are empty but the words I choose to include here are meant to be shared. They are meant to bless others as I have been blessed.


My new Bible study this week has been from 'Believing God' by Beth Moore (recommended by Yolanda, from Higher Ground). It starts us out with five statements we need to wake up to and embrace each morning:

*God is who He says He is!
*God can do what He says He can do!
*I am who God says I am!
*I can do all things through Christ!
*God's Word is alive and active in me!


Then....


Teri (A View From the Mountain Top) shared the following from a 2007 Beth Moore conference, their commissioning prayer and it is so US!! It is a prayer we can use daily as we look to serve for His kingdom work, to grow into a vessel He can use:

My Dear Sister,

The God of Glory

Has called you.

You have a ministry.

In Christ, you are enough for that ministry.

Never forget that showing God off is your ministry.

No matter what,

Keep your heart in your ministry.

Unveil your face

And serve others with authenticity.

Always remember that the power is in God's Presence.

Let nothing Come between you and intimacy with God.

Keep moving forward

From glory to glory.

Let God thin that veil.

Remember, ministry is not about position.

It's about people.

Let name after name

Be written on your heart.

Do not seek great things for yourself,

Seek a great God.

As you leave this place,Go in a fresh anointing.

He who turns water into wine

Turns wimps into warriors.

You have a ministry.

Go fulfill it.

Powerful words. Powerful meaning. Affected me so greatly that it is too good not to share.


Ladies-you have a ministry-GO FILL IT! May God's Word be alive and active in you!!


His Maidservant~Pamela

PS-Thank you my two blogger friends that lead me to these two things!!! I am obsessed with these thoughts, the message behind the words.

God Ordained Moments....

Have you ever had one of those moments when you felt a prompting and questioned whether it was of the Holy Spirit or not?

I remember a situation a couple of years ago in which an acquaintance was going through a separation and she was worried because she had no money for Christmas for her two kids. That year we had enough and the thought had crossed my mind to give her two hundred dollars. I stewed over it, thought about mentioning it to Joe, but was almost fearful-I had no reason to be fearful with Joe about this. In the End, I didn't act on it. When I did finally share with my husband what my thoughts had been (after that holiday season) he shared that he had had the same thoughts. So we both have regretted what had to be the Holy Spirit speaking to us that season. Still regretting it.

So as I sit here now typing this while my patients sleep, please know that I am in no way "tooting my horn" but I have to share what I did last night on the way into work because it was so cool!!




I was in the drive through of Chick-fil-A treating myself to one of those delicious lemonades. I knew I was going to need that sugar for energy at work tonight. I noticed the women in the van behind me was frantically looking for something after she had placed her order. She even got on her cell phone. As we inched forward I kept watching her dig around the seats. There is no way to exit this line once you are in and the though came to me.. "What if she cannot find her wallet?" Well you know what thought came next.... "Pay for her order". O dear. Here we go again. Do I? Don't I? Money has been tight but it's not right now.

So what do you think I did?

Well, I didn't do it completely right. I was so nervous, almost giddy inside. I asked the cashier how much the order was for the car behind me (here's where I did it wrong-I shouldn't have asked but just walked in faith but I had seen those advertised signs for their party trays). The cashier look at me strangely and I told what I had been observing and what I was thinking about doing. You should have seen her face. It broke into such a sweet smile. "$17.68". I handed her my debit card and said I will cover her order "just in case" (second error-I should have said, tell her it's a gift from God").

I wish I would have seen that women's expression. I wish I knew her story if there was one. She is probably a young mother, looked to be in her late 20's. I wish I knew if it was indeed a blessing. I noticed two kids meals on the receipt. Is she a single mom? Did she use it as a teachable moment? Will she pay it forward? I know it felt really good on my end.

Then I had to call me husband. Grief. He worries about our finances. Should I? Shouldn't I? Well of course I did! He was absolutely fine with it!

So here is the deal in sharing this my friends. I have been encouraging you in my previous post to look and accept the uncertainties we face in life. Now I want to encourage you this week to look for that moment in which you can make the most of a God-ordained opportunity (Eph. 5:15-17). I encourage you to act out in faith this week (and be blessed!!). And if you do so-please come back and share it.

His Servant~Pamela

Now That's Divine!

"The greatest hazard to your spiritual health is thinking that your past is haphazard or that your future is left up to chance alone." ~ Mark Batterson, In A Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

Prayer is my focus in my spiritual life of 2009. I am attempting to be more faithful. Like many of you, daily I pray to see God and to know Him better. I have also been praying to boldly hear His voice. I took a break yesterday to read more from the author I have quoted above. This minister was discussing his encounter with God as he was seeking direction for his life while in college. In a quiet walk He audibly heard God's voice. Audibly. WOW. I'm jealous and I let God know it. I asked Him why? Why not speak to me also? Am I not seeking what adventure He has for me on the other side of the door for 2009? I sense it. I want to be sure of it. Do you know what I am talking about here? Ever been in this situation with God?

Faith is embracing the uncertainties of life. It is chasing the lions that cross our path. It is recognizing a divine appointment when you see one. Embrace relational uncertainty. It's called romance. Embrace spiritual uncertainty. It's called mystery. Embrace emotional uncertainty. It's called joy. Embrace intellectual uncertainty. It's called revelation. ~Mark Batterson, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

Divine appointments. Yes, that was yesterday. Two interactions. Two different conversations with hurting souls about the same difficulties I have traveled through in my own life. Yet I have survived it because of God's grace. I was able to share with them how God walked me though it. I was able to minister in what I have felt God has called Joe and I to but have been uncertain about. Divine appointments. God's confirmation.

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.~Genesis 50:20

Grace. My past has not made sense to me. Why did I choose to enter certain sins when I knew better? Why did I followed my plan instead of His? What satan meant as harm, God is turning around for His glory. Stealing from Candice Olson "Now that's divine!" (though I love her show Divine Design, God's divine design trumps this any day).

The circumstances of my past is allowing me to share with others where I went wrong, things I didn't foresee, the severity of the pain, the healing process, God's love, forgiveness, and grace. The sting of my past is actually bringing glory to God? The sharing of my past is causing others to turn to Him, to seek His face? Amazing.

Uncertainties may be in your weekend...in your life. Embrace them. Don't walk through that door with the mind set of inviting God. Walk through that door following God's lead. Look for those divine appointments. Share Jesus. Share your life. Share His gift of love, forgiveness and grace. Find a way to glorify your Savior!

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.~ 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT)

I know I am going to sound like a broken record but it bears to be repeated....So what does your weekend hold for you? Do you have a busy schedule? Are you including God in it? Or better yet, are you following His plans instead? Don't walk into this weekend praying God to join you, instead follow Him into each day. Embrace those uncertainties and look for those divine appointments!

His maidservant~Pamela

Are You His Errand Runner?

Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. ~2 Corinthians 4:5&6 (The Message)

One of the things I talked about briefly with Yolanda at our lunch this past week was how hard it is to take the "me", the "I" out of my blog post. So many of you share your daily life experiences and apply it to a spiritual concept so beautifully. But we both, and I am sure you are with us in this, want our hearts messages to not be about ourselves but about God in our life...about God. One day in writing a blog post, I went back and tried to rewrite every sentence that had any reference to "I" or "me". Try it. It's hard. Sometimes the message cannot be written without it.

I don't think God is asking us to completely take the "I" factor out or otherwise we would not be able to be His warmth, His light, His fragrance in the cold, dark, and foul world that is trying to encompass God's creation. We are "messengers, errand runners" for our God, our God and Christ all bright and beautiful! We will never be able to measure up to our God's likeness but it is such a joy trying, don't you think?

As I have journeyed in my prayer devotional series "Praying with Purpose" by Stephen Nelson Rummage, he ended the book describing all that God is. The attributes Stephen listed are His glory to which we try to honor and praise Him for. When you sit back and examine this list, we fall short in our minds to truly take it all in...His magnitude, His power, His existence. But we have to attempt to, we owe Him that.

I am including this list of attributes Pastor Rummage listed on 214-215 in his book for you to reflect on as you carry on in your life, striving to be His messenger, His errand runner. Maybe take one of the attributes each day of this week and praise God for it throughout that day, glorify Him for who He is. The promise is that the more we try to know Him, the more we try to understand Him, the more of Him we will have in our life, the more we will reflect Him and carry Him out to other in this cold, dark, and foul world.

• He is Self-existence. All created things have a beginning and a cause, but not God.
• He is self-sufficient. God created all there is-not out of any need that He has-but simply because it pleases Him.
• He is eternal. For God, yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all "now".
• He is infinite. Everything about God is without limit. He knows no bounds.
• He is changeless. God has no need to change, because He is perfect. He shines with unflickering perfection.
• He is omniscient. God knows everything. He is never surprised and never amazed.
• He is omnipotent. God has all power. There is nothing too difficult for Him to do.
• He is all-wise. God sees everything in focus. His wisdom is without flaw.
• He is transcendent. God is above all things. He actively sustains His creation, but stands apart from it.
• He is omnipresent. He is fully and always everywhere. Though He is transcendent above us, He is ever present with us.
• He is faithful. We may be unfaithful to Him due to fear, weakness, or our own desires, but God will never waiver in His devotion to us.
• He is good. Because God is good, He takes pleasure in the happiness of His people.
• He is just. God's perfect righteousness will not leave the guilty unpunished.
• He is merciful. Through Christ, God extends compassion to those who have offended His justice.
• He is gracious. God offers eternal and abundant life as a gift of His grace.
• He is loving. God loves is personal, intimate, and transforming, having no beginning and no end.
• He is holy. God is completely different from humanity. While we may fear God's power and admire His wisdom, we cannot even imagine His holiness.
• God is sovereign. God rules His creation with absolute sovereignty. He alone governs the universe He has made.

WOW. Can you imagine if we truly could reflect all that God is to others? Our world needs us to.

We all, with unveiled faces, are reflecting the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18

As the "cloud filled the house of the Lord" the day that Solomon dedicated the temple of Jerusalem (1 King 8:10-11), I pray your week is filled with the blessed heaviness of God's presence.

His Maidservant~Pamela

Standing on the Wings

I turned the TV on as I was ironing my daughters clothes for school this morning and here was this picture and the announcer stated "Standing on the wings, waiting for their rescue":
We praise God for the skill of that pilot to bring Flight 1549 into that Hudson water and then without a life loss....yes, another praise-no lives lost. My mind quickly latched onto that announcers words "Standing on the wings"..."waiting". I went to Biblegateway.com and quickly looked up all the passages referencing "wings". The majority of these passages referenced being under God's wing or in the shelter of His wings. Protection. Comfort. Shelter. Security.

Deuteronomy 32:10-12 (New King James Version)
“He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.
As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings,
So the LORD alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him."

So to God will carry us on His wings and bring us to safety, to peace, to healing.

Wait on Him. Stand on His wings. Trust. Believe. Praise.

His Maidservant~Pamela

Whoever finds a friend...

Meeting friends from this blog world is such a sweet gift. I met many at the She Speaks conference last summer and the bonds remain across the miles. I cherish you all!! Yesterday was such a blessing to me so I must share. Camera's and I do not get along but....

I journeyed to Wichita Kansas to meet up with our blogger friend Yolanda from Higher Ground. It was our halfway point between our two homes. I had 3.5 hours of God time on the way there and back plus the 3.5 hours of friendship time there. My husband asked me if all the travel time was worth it and I replied "Yes, OH YES!". Why?

For the first time in five years I sat down with someone who has shared in my pain. I was able to talk and reflect on where I have come in my life and where I am with God without remorse or regret for sharing. I walked away from that meeting with peace, not worried that I shared too much or that I would be rejected. There was a heart sitting on the other side of that lunch table that was just like my memory verse of last week from James 3:17-18-pure, peace-loving, considerate, full of mercy, impartial, sincere. There was no pain in the conversations as we shared our journey's and our past. There was instead praise for how we have traveled and where God is now taking us.

In this dear sweet friend, God showed me I need to allow more time between my past and His plans. God showed me hope for what my hearts longs to be doing in ministry. I am even more secure in Him and the path I am on (Deut. 33:12).

I so recommend getting together across the miles. We have so much to offer each other, so many blessings to bestow on God for this blog ministry and our blog friendships.

I so appreciate all of you and would love to have lunch with each and everyone of you! Hummmm....there's a thought!

His Maidservant~Pamela

My Prayer for you...

Isaiah 43:10-12 (NLT)

[10] “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord. “You are my servant. You have been chosen to know me, believe in me, and understand that I alone am God. There is no other God—there never has been, and there never will be. [11] I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior. [12] First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord.

Every Sunday evening I sit down with my bible and Prayer Journal (Prayers of my Heart by Debbie Williams) and I choose a Bible verse to pray for each different member of my family, ministries, and blog friends throughout the next week. When I was searching for a verse to pray for my husband, I came across the verse above and the Holy spirit prompted me that this is the verse I am to pray for you this week. Read it in the Holmans Christain Standard Bible:

[10] "You are My witnesses"—the LORD's declaration—"and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. No god was formed before Me, and there will be none after Me.
[11] I, I am the LORD, and there is no other Savior but Me.
[12] I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed—and not some foreign god among you. So you are My witnesses"— the LORD's declaration—"and I am God."

You sweet bloggers are God's handpicked servant. He is calling you to know him and trust Him, to seek Him diligently so that you might understand Him. No matter what else you may face this week, there is one thing that is constant...Him. He is God. He always is the I am. He is our hope, our strength, our joy. He will reveal Himself to us if we but ask Him to. He will rescue us, if we need rescued. More importantly, He will grow us. And He is calling us to be His witness this week.

Each day this week I will be praying for you a different component of these verses: to be a witness; to know, to believe, to trust and to understand Him better; to be rescue; and to reveal, to save, and to proclaim Him to all you come in contact with.

Be blessed. Be encouraged. Be His witness this week!! Be His evidence!!

His Maidservant~Pamela

The Power of Christ in our Life

Tonight I get to teach the lesson in our mid-week youth Bible study because my husband is sick with bronchitis. I am really pumped as this month we are beginning our study in a subject my husband and I are so passionate about-coming "Face-to-Face with God". Our first lesson tonight is titled "Time Well Spent: Getting to Know God" and deals with quiet times, Bible Study, and developing a prayer life. I am praying for God's words to come from my mouth tonight as I want to shake each shoulder and scream about this importance until they get it and do it. But, it doesn't work that way does it? A relationship with God can't be given from one person to another like that but it must be sought out, and worked at by the individual seeking God. We all know God is there for each of us, waiting, anticipating, desiring to bond with us, teach us, train us, and guide us...

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. " ~ Psalm 32:8

So then, why do we sometimes fall short on our end in this relationship? Time? Responsibilities? Priorities? Motivation? My Bible study this morning reminded me of some of my favorite verses this morning (it was the verses I had carried through 2008 as my life scripture for that year). May it be a reminder to of why we seek him and prioritize Him into our life, into every component and aspect, into every moment, minute and hour, and into every breath and beat of our heart. This is why we seek Him...

Isaiah 61

[1] The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
[2] to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
[3] and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
[4] They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

Look at your life. Has He not turned your ashes into beauty? Has He not taken your pain and sadness and replaced it with His joy, a down to the bone kind of delight that changes your entire outlook and disposition in life? Has He not taken your despair, fears, and rejections and replaced them with songs of praise? Has His grace not caused a re-birth, a blooming of your life, will and testimony again?

When we seek God daily, He will keep us clean, He will keep us from failure. Our faithfulness to Him will be rewarded by His faithfulness to us. He will not only recharge us, but also preserve us and protect us. He will accomplish through us His work by His tender mercy and love. He is our lifeline.

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah." ~ Psalm 32:7

So I ask you the same question I will ask the youth tonight...

"What really matters in your life?"

And I will tell you the same thing I am going to tell them...

Whats on your mind matters. Whats in your mind matters. The way you live your life matters. Fill it with God.

This is why we seek Him...because of what He has already done in our lives. Grace. Amazing grace.

Psalm 119:9-15

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.
I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches.
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

His Maidservant~ Pamela

Update: well, I am not sure how well it went last night. Being a teacher I am too critical on myself. One girl walked up to me afterwards and stated she had a new journal and she planned to start journaling to God using scripture. If but one life is effected it is worth it, right? I have felt a bit discouraged though. Did I put too much of "me" into the lesson? As one of the youth leaders was praying before the lesson I kept praying "take me out of this" but...
Then last night I had the chance to blog hop. I marvel at the spirit of the women out here in blog land and the strength they have to stand up for what is right in God's eyes when all around them their life is falling apart or has walked out the door. Yet, it was another nick at my heart to add to my discouragement as I reflected on the time I did not stand like they did. So is that satan throwing his darts at my heart to drag me back into my past regrets and insecurities or is God saying, "Hey...your still carrying something you don't need"?
I am questioning my role in the youth ministry...to teach or just to quietly serve, my role as a mother (I have failed miserably in the past, can there be any real redemption here?), my ability to lead in the women's ministry...the list goes on and on.
I have spend time in His word and in prayer this morning and all I could hear was "I have you right where I want you". And so I say "Yes Lord". I have been blessed by two pieces of scripture from blog post that I am clinging to this day to lift me out of my funk back into God's truth. The first:
Habakkuk 3:18-19 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
Yet I will triumph in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!

and the second:
Isaiah 33:2 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
LORD, be gracious to us! We wait for You. Be our strength every morning, and our salvation in time of trouble.

Again, I am but His maidservant, willing, full of His joy, awaiting His instruction.

Spiritual Adventure

As you know, I have encouraged you to find a piece of scripture to carry you through this new year (here), to replace those new year resolutions you no doubt will break if your like me. And many of you have! You won't regret this. My sweet friend Yolanda from Higher Ground felt God laying a descriptive "word" on her heart for the new year (you can read about it here) and it so stirred my thoughts. I begin praying for a "word" to add to my chosen scripture of Col 4:2-6.

When I went to She Speaks this past summer, a word and scripture was given to me after praying at the cross, places on a little laminated card which I cherish and carry in my Bible. The word was "secure" and the scripture from Deuteronomy 33:12: "Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders." How fitting! I was on a journey towards becoming secure in God's grace and I can honestly say I ended 2008 secure in God's grace and truth. So what might 2009 hold for me? What might it hold for you? What word, as challenged by Yolanda, captures your heart for your 2009 journey with Him?

I purchased two books for my husband's stocking this Christmas. Only one arrived before Christmas. Lelia from "Write for the Heart" introduced me to Mark Batterson's book "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day". My husband is enjoying this book and I plan to read it when he is done. Mark Batterson's second book "Wild Goose Chase: Reclaiming the Adventure of pursuing God" came yesterday. So on this lazy Sunday afternoon, I opened it's pages for a sneak preview and I have been drawn in. I must however put it down and finish the book I currently am in but I found my word that I have been asking God for within it's title and first chapter. I feel it correlates well with my scripture of Col 4:2-6 for 2009.

In this book "Wild Goose Chase", Mark refers to pursuing the Holy Spirit as "chasing the Wild Goose" (you have to read this book to understand where he came up with this-it's cool!). He writes:

"I understand that "wild goose chase" typically refers to a purposeless endeavor without defined destination. But chasing the Wild Goose is different. The promptings of the Holy Spirit can sometimes seem pretty pointless, but rest assured, God is working His plan. And if you chase the Wild Goose, He will take you places you never could have imagined going by paths you never knew existed" (pp.2)

Does that describe your heart, your desires, your life right now? Boy. I am there. Chasing the Holy Spirit, or as Mark refers to it-"Wild Goose", determined to know Him more. There is one descriptive word that comes to me over and over as I look at my relationship with God, His place in my life, my heart, my desires....it is what I anticipate in 2009-ADVENTURE--not just any adventure but Spiritual Adventure!! That is the word this author uses to describe what its like to pursue God. I am pursuing God more in all areas of my life, but specifically my prayer life. I sense an ADVENTURE ahead in 2009!! Do you?

Webster defines adventure as "an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks; the encountering of ; an exciting or remarkable experience". In briefly summarizing the key concepts I see being presented within Marks book, he describes spiritual adventure as:
1. pursuing the passion God has put in your heart (responsibilities)
2. trading in the routine for adventure
3. to stop living in assumptions
4. re-conditioning spiritual reflexes (guilt)
5. accepting divine detours and divine delays (failure)
6. playing offensively with our life (fear)

"If you would describe your relationship with God as anything less than adventurous, then maybe you think you're following the Spirit but have actually settled for something less--something I call inverted Christianity. Instead of following the Spirit, we invite the Spirit to follow us. Instead of serving God's purposes, we want Him to serve our purposes. And while this may seem like a subtle distinction, it makes an ocean of difference. The result of this inverted relationship with God is not just a self-absorbed spirituality that leaves us feeling empty, it's also the difference between spiritual boredom and spiritual adventure." (pp.4)

I'm looking for a grand spiritual ADVENTURE in 2009. A never ending chase! How about you?

"Wild Goose chase is an invitation to be part of something that is bigger than you and more important than you." (pp.11).

I leave you with 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (The Message) as you ADVENTURE into this new year:

[4-6] Every time I think of you—and I think of you often!—I thank God for your lives of free and open access to God, given by Jesus. There's no end to what has happened in you—it's beyond speech, beyond knowledge. The evidence of Christ has been clearly verified in your lives.
[7-9] Just think—you don't need a thing, you've got it all! All God's gifts are right in front of you as you wait expectantly for our Master Jesus to arrive on the scene for the Finale. And not only that, but God himself is right alongside to keep you steady and on track until things are all wrapped up by Jesus. God, who got you started in this spiritual adventure, shares with us the life of his Son and our Master Jesus. He will never give up on you. Never forget that.

Sweet, sweet words to my soul.

I would love to know your "word" or scripture for 2009. I am sure Yolanda would too!! Be sure to share them here and on her blog Higher Ground!!

His Maidservant~Pamela

His Maidservant

I have pride in being Mrs Joe B. Arnold. I am so honored to be Joe's wife and adapted the signature of "MrsJoeB" since our wedding day. My heart in no way has changed in this but you will see a change in my signature on this blog site.

But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abundant in faithful love and truth.
Turn to me and be gracious to me. Give Your strength to Your servant; save the son of Your female servant.
Show me a sign of Your goodness; my enemies will see and be put to shame because You, LORD, have helped and comforted me.~Psalm 86:15-17 (HCSB)

As God has worked through my life, my focus has changed. The truth I have come to is I am first and foremost God's maidservant. It is what I want to be, to have the humble and submissive heart of Hannah or Jesus mother Mary.

Webster defines maidservant as "a female servant, one that serves others ". Interesting enough, there was no other descriptive word in the Thesaurus for servant or maidservant. It is a plain and simple concept and that is what we are to be...a servant of God.

The role of a maidservant, also called a "handmaid" is surrounded by domestic responsibilities. In the Bible, their role often included bringing forth children for their master as with Rebekah and Issac. I am thankful we live differently today (call me selfish!). There are many days however, that I hint of having the blessing of someone to come into my home and help with the domestic responsibilities. However, it does keep you humbled when you are the mom, the wife AND the maidservant, agree?

The key concept to take here is in what the maidservant brought to their master-they brought honor in their service. As a nurse I am a maidservant to the sick. I bring honor to God's calling for my life. As a wife and mother I am a maidservant to my family, called to bring honor to God in how I serve and love them. As a maidservant in ministry I bring honor to God by service.

Honor. Service. Doing. Being for others...not for myself. That is the definition of a true maidservant.

I cherish this role. I desire this role. God has proven Himself over and over in my life when I take on this attitude of being His maidservant. I am convicted to change my signature because of all the things that I am in life-wife, mother, daughter, sister, nurse, college instructor, friend, women's ministry leader-I am Gods maidservant first and foremost.

O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.
I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.~Psalm 116:16&17

Be encouraged to be His maidservant in this new year! As a child of God, we are called to be His maidservant and to bring honor to Him.

His maidservant~Pamela