Life as a Christian Woman

Vacation Bible School started at my church today. As of yesterday’s count, 220 children had pre-registered to attend, and there will be many “walk ins” this morning. Children are the world’s most precious asset. They are adored by God with a love we can’t even imagine. “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:16) I think I am the only Christian woman I know that does not have the God given talent for working with children!

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If you are single mother, you always have a part of your mind that lies in wait for the question. Those questions about fathers, or the lack of, are a natural part of a child’s curiosity about his or her family. Christian single mothers often have the support of men in their churches to act as role models and examples of a different kind of family. But what about on Father’s Day (Sunday, June 17, 2007)?

Father’s Day is of particular concern because it celebrates something, or someone, that is missing in one-quarter of American households. These single mothers face the decision each year of whether to attend church that Sunday. Churches usually place a heavy emphasis on holidays such as Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, and the music, sermon, and Sunday school activities reflect that fact. So do you take your child to church and risk them reacting badly to not having a father? Do you stay home and try to distract them? Do you talk about it or not talk about it?

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Summer is here, the kids are out of school, vacations are looming, and it is time for a renewal of mind and spirit. The Women of Faith holds conferences around the country promising, “Refreshment, Reality without Reproach, and Relationships.” Founded in 1996, over 3.4 million people have attended conferences with guests such as Sandi Patty, Avalon, Max Lucado, and Beth Moore.

Upcoming conference locations include Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Wayne, Houston, Little Rock, and others. Each conference lasts two days and attendees come from all walks of life. The Plain Dealer wrote, “There were pregnant women, pierced women, white-haired women and women whose hair came in colors that don’t exist in nature.” “Who knew Christians could be so stinkin’ funny,” wrote the Ft. Wayne Sentinel.

If you can’t attend a Women of Faith conference, visit the online store and browse products such as conference DVD’s, music CD’s, books, and featured items from major guest speakers. This non-denominational company has set out on a mission for Christ and brought 267,000 women to first-time commitments. Their company message states, “Beyond a shadow of a doubt, God loves you - regardless of where you are in life.”

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The cross has seen a huge surge in popularity over the last ten years or so, and the true symbolism of it has been clouded in popular culture. From simple two-inch pendants to huge dimaond-encrusted monstrosities, it is being worn by rap artists, actors, models, and high profile celebrities. But for Christians, the cross and other religious designs hold a special meaning as representative of our acceptance of Christ and our desire to follow God. Are we wearing the right ones for the right reasons?

Salvation does not remove a woman’s love for shiny things. Earrings, necklaces and bracelets still hold the same fascination for me, and I must admit that I have more than I need. I wear different jewelry every day, and have on rare occasions picked my outfit based on the necklace I wanted to wear!

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Women’s clubs have never held much appeal for me. Especially in small towns like the one I live in, it seems they all have four basic themes: Decorating; Table Setting; Cooking; Scrapbooking. Every meeting is simply a variation on one of these themes, tailored to fit the season. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to redecorate, my table is usually littered with my legal pads, interview transcripts, and my son’s baseball bag (it is near the back door), my cooking is sporadic and contains no more than four ingredients, and I hate scrapbooking. So when a friend offered a third invitation to a Christian women’s group, I thought surely it would be different.

The first meeting I attended, we refused to look each other in the eye as we squeezed fake breasts looking for “tumors” and listened to a breast cancer lecture. The next meeting, we heard of a husband and wife’s dream vacation to the Bahamas. When the program for upcoming topics listed “Fall Centerpieces,” I feigned illness (not exactly a Christian thing to do) and never returned. Where was the “Christian” part in these meetings? Was this sort of fluff really appropriate for a group that was supposed to be learning to live as Christian women, to serve our churches and community, and exemplify the teachings of Christ? Did Mary and Martha ever squeeze goat bladders filled with sheep’s wool trying to feel the hidden stone? Wouldn’t this type of group necessarily fold after a year or two for lack of material?

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Teenagers are irresistably drawn to social networking sites because they can talk to anyone at anytime about anything. Parents have an innate fear of these same sites because of possible exposure to internet predators, pornography and other inappropriate content. MyPraize.com offers Christian networking that closely monitors the site and provides a safer environment for young people and less worry for parents.

In a recent interview with MyPraize owner Joshua Holmes, he stated the mission for the site: “Give teenagers and young adults a place on the web where they can interact just like bigger soical networks, but without offensive material, and [with] a Christian user base.” The efforts to provide a safer environment include such steps as all user names having to be approved by administrators, any photographs or images uploaded entering a queue and having to be approved before they are viewable, and chat rooms filtered for foul language and most of the time having at least one monitor watching conversations.

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