Life as a Christian Woman

As 2007 ends with a bang tonight, I thought it would be fun to look back at the most popular LCW posts. I started writing Life as a Christian Woman in June and have loved every minute of it. I have had the chance to meet some great people through this site, share in prayer and support for some, and explore the struggles and triumphs of Christian women and men around the world. I look forward to continuing to write for my own benefit as much as anyone else’s. My own faith walk has grown stronger as I have prayed everyday for guidance and researched the Bible and history of our faith. Take a look back at the topics readers found most interesting over 2007, and be sure to let me know what topics you want to see either continued or introduced in 2008.

LCW BEST OF 2007:

Televangelist Juanita Bynum Assaulted by Husband

Abuse Through the Eyes of Christian Women

Even before the attack on Juanita Bynum, LCW had been talking about domestic violence in Christian marriages. The blog carnival brought in quite a bit of interest and readers. With the announcement of Dr. Bynum’s experience, that interest exploded and continues to bring in more readers than any other single article. I will continue to support Juanita Bynum and bring you updates on her. I also intend to periodically revisit the topic of domestic abuse among Christians and offer new resources and information as I find it.

Christians Shouldn’t Swear, Da**it

Lord, He’s Driving Me Nuts!

Did Mary Have Donkey Trouble?

These posts are bit tongue-in-cheek and were written about more personal topics that I was dealing with. I was surprised at the interest they have continued to garner. Clearly, finding the humor in everyday situations is important, and God can show us how to cope if we just ask.

Successful Christian Women: Joni Eareckson Tada

Ruth Bell Graham: Her Legacy In Writing

Win Beth Moore’s “Breaking Free”

I wrote these three posts to expose my readers to successful Christian women I have either read or read about. The Beth Moore contest is long over, but continues to bring in more traffic even than the article about her life. Judging by the number of readers on all three of these posts, books by or about Christian women are hot items. I will continue to hold periodic contests for give-aways. I also plan to start a monthly list of the best selling Christian books.

Free Christian Image Collections

Free Baptism and Other Christian Scrapbook Pages

Who doesn’t love “free,” right? Along with other posts about free resources, these two articles in particular draw the most interest. I promise to continue sharing anything free I happen to come across that I find useful.

So there you have it. LCW’s Best of 2007 based on readership. If you missed any of these articles, I hope you will take the time to read them. Leave me a comment if there is a certain topic you want more information on or if there is something I have not addressed that you wish to learn more about. I will be making some announcements over the next few days for new projects and contests to start off the new year.

I look forward to 2008 and pray you will join me for a new year, a new heart, and a renewed faith.

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The mother of one of my best friends passed away last night. She had been ill for a long time, but her death is still a shock, especially just five days before Christmas. Her faith was strong, and I have no doubt she is with her Lord as I am writing this post. It is those of us left behind who must now wrestle with the grief and loss.

Sarah was the first person I was really close to that suffered a significant illness, at least the first once I was old enough to understand. She was like a second mother to me when I was a teenager. She was extremely active, worked full time, cooked for her family every night, kept her house spotless, was very active in her church, and centered her life around her only son.

About 18 years ago, that all changed in the space of a few seconds. Sarah sat down to eat dinner with her husband. She told him her head hurt, and then slumped over at the table. She had suffered a massive stroke. The ambulance rushed her to the local hospital, where they called an ambulance from the larger, more equipped hospital thirty miles away. The paramedics had to perform surgery on the way to insert a shunt in her brain. She was pronounced dead at least twice. Her family and friends began arriving in the middle of the night, and I just remember it being one of the longest nights of my life.

Pacing the hospital, watching her son and husband and extended family, hearing the doctors talk, seeing the tubes and machines keeping her alive — I wasn’t a Christian at that time, but I prayed more that night than I had the previous 16 years of my life. And she lived!

After rehabilitation, she came home a completely different woman. She couldn’t walk more than a few steps and was mostly confined to a wheel chair. She lost most use of one side, and her speech was difficult to understand. She struggled to remember words and put sentences together. She could no longer work, or drive, or even leave her house much. But with the loving care of her devoted husband and son, she lived for another 18 years.

She is at peace now. She can walk, and talk, and do all those things she couldn’t do after her stroke. Last night at their house, I mentioned to another friend that I was really sorry for the family her death came so close to Christmas. He said she gets to go to the party, though. The biggest birthday bash in Heaven.

And he is right. Can you imagine what it will be like to be in Heaven for Jesus’ birthday? Here on earth, we have electric flashing lights, choir music, and a star on top of the tree. But what about in Heaven? To hear the angels singing, maybe to the accompianiment of Gabriel’s horn; to see not electric lights and a star that always leans no matter what you do to it, but the whole firmament stretching as far as the eye can see; to be able to hug the guest of honor and say, “Happy Birthday, Jesus.”

The whole of Heaven is celebrating, and Sarah gets to go. She couldn’t attend many parties in the last years of her life. But, she made it just in time for the biggest birthday bash we can imagine. Maybe she’ll even get to dance.

Throughout the Bible, there are instances of God either naming a person or changing a person’s name, thus changing the meaning. These Biblical name changes did not reflect that person’s relationship to other people, but rather their relationship to God. If God were to change your name to reflect your relationship to him, what would your new name be? Would it have a postive meaning or a negative one? Would you be Hannah (”favor” or “grace”) or Mara (”bitter”)?

The best-known instances of naming/name changing occur in both the Old and New Testaments.

Abram - Abraham (”many” or “plentiful”); Gen 17:5

Sarai - Sarah (”princess”); Gen 17:15

Ishmael (”God will hear”) - named by an angel of the Lord; Gen 16:11

Isaac (”he laughs”) - named by God; Gen 17:19

Jacob - Israel (”God contended”); Gen 32:28

Simon the brother of Andrew - Cephas [Aramaic] or Peter [Greek] (”rock”); John 1:42.

And the greatest naming by God for Christians was, of course:
Jesus - named by the angel of the Lord that appeared to Joseph; Matt 1:21

These are just a few instances of the name changes that take place in the Bible. There are many more cases, both positive and negative, when God chose to highlight a special relationship with him by naming.

Contrary to what you might think, God did not name Adam and Eve. The word Adam is the Hebrew term for “earth creature” or humankind. (Harris, Stephen L. Understanding the Bible: A Reader’s Introduction, pg. 53). The term first appears suddenly in Genesis 2:19 (NKJV), where up to that point, he is referred to as “the man”. Adam gave Eve her name just as he did every other creature on earth, beginning with “woman” in Genesis 2:23. In Genesis 3:20, the first woman gets her name: “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.”

So, if God were to change your name, what would it be? What is the predominant characteristic in your relationship with Him? Scan this list of Biblical names and find which ones you think would suit you. Pick a new name according to your relationship with God right at this moment. Then pick one according to what you WANT your relationship to be. Or maybe, like most people, your name would change from day to day.

Some days I feel like a Dinah (”judged”). Other days I feel like an Ariel (”lion of God”). And then there are those days when I just feel like a Jael (”mountain goat”).

SOURCES:

Name Changes in the Bible. Thomas F. McDaniel, Professor Emeritus.

Behind the Name: the etymology and history of first names: Biblical Names

Holy Bible, New King James Version

Image: Morguefile.com; Mitchlee83

For a little fun with names, see We had E O from Kyla Myers.

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Since Dr. Juanita Bynum’s experience with domestic violence, she has often (and unwillingly) been in the spotlight. Her marriage, ministry, and her life have been under a microscope. Both supporters and dissenters seem to have come from nowhere to watch the drama unfold and scrutinize her and Bishop Weeks’ actions. With time comes healing, though. Reliance on God brings physical and spiritual strengthening.

No time is more appropriate for renewal than the season of Christmas. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, our Savior and Comforter, born of a miracle from God that we might know Him. The virgin birth was God’s ultimate gift. Share the gift of Dr. Bynum’s music in her Christmas album celebrating this time of renewal.

Christmas at Home with Juanita Bynum CD By Infinity Music Distribution Join Juanita Bynum for this nine track collection of jazz and blues style renditions of traditional holiday favorites. Featuring guest appearances from Micah Stampley and Myron Williams, Christmas at Home includes “The First Noel,” “Mary Did You Know,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” and more.

Dr. Bynum is now appearing Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern on The Word Network. On This Week with Juanita Bynum she shares her vision and wisdom, stating “It’s not about platforms; it’s about people.” One way she is exemplifying this belief is by visiting three Georgia churches during the holiday season to participate in an event at the church that gives back to the community in some way. Churches were given the opportunity to register and tell more about their annual event. Three lucky churches will be visited personally by Prophetess Bynum where she will participate and take photographs with the church leaders and event attendants. To learn more about “Dr. Bynum’s Christmas Experience,” visit her website.

Juanita Bynum has published many books, cd’s and dvd’s that always offer her faith, strength, and Biblical principals to those searching for God’s word. Give one as a gift, or buy yourself a gift this year and celebrate your Christmas with Dr. Juanita Bynum.

Juanita Bynum

Also on Sunday, December 16, 2007, BET will be re-airing the episode of Exalted in which Dr. Bynum was featured. The show will appear at 11:00 a.m. E.T. If you missed it the first time, or just want to see it again, be sure to tune in.

To read comments and support for Juanita Bynum from readers of this site, read the previous entries.

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Cheryl left a comment for several prayer requests on another post, so I thought I would share them all with you here. Please pray for each of these friends and situations Cheryl has listed. Also pray for peace and safety during the holiday season.

• Penny — her sister is dying. She also takes care of her elderly mother and has a 10-month-old baby. She has been abused by the child’s father, who is also an absentee father offering no support for the child.
• Roger — an alcoholic.
• George — a father with serious medical difficulties and depression.
• Rick — Cheryl stated he is “a man who needs to be saved and let go of some horrible sin issues.”

Thank you, Cheryl, for bringing these needs to our attention. I also pray that God will give you the wisdom, strength, and guidance to know how to help your friends and family members.

God Bless!

If you have a prayer request or a praise you would like to share, please leave a comment or use the “contact me” link.

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For Christians, Christmas is the time we celebrate the birth of Jesus. The Christ Mass honors God’s Son who was born of a virgin and sent to us to open the way to God and begin a new covenant with our Lord. No one knows the exact day Christ was actually born, but Christians celebrate his birth on December 25, a date that was a pagan celebration and chosen by a monk for the Christ Mass to provide an alternative to the pagan ritual. The season is a time of love and redemption, recognizing the miracle God gave us.

And beginning in October, sometimes earlier, we are bombarded with store advertisements, pressures to buy the perfect gift, find the greatest tree, hang the brightest lights in the neighborhood, and give until our bank accounts are empty and credit cards maxed out. How can Christians preserve the sanctity of the season in the midst of the “gimme” season?

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Mitt Romney is Mormon. By now, you know that. Do you know anything else about him?

I try to stay away from writing about politics, but the persistent questioning of Mr. Romney about his religion is beginning to approach the ridiculous. Is it valid concern that presses otherwise intelligent reporters to continue asking the same questions over and over again? Or is it paparazzi-style sensational reporting, with news outlets beating a dead horse?

The treatment of Romney has been compared to that of JFK when he ran for office and had to defend his Catholicism. However, the difference is in 24-hour news anchoring that forces stations and internet sites to find stories whether they or not they exist. Meaning that Romney’s religion is on 24-hour suicide watch.

Democrats appear to anxiously await their chance to say, “Ha ha! We told you he was a religious nut!” Republicans appear to follow his every move anticipating any imagined slip that will bomb him out of the popularity polls. And no matter what venue poor Mr. Romney appears in, his religious beliefs are his co-host for the event.

Mormonism and your views of it are not the aim of this post, but rather religious beliefs and the press. Do you think the press is badgering Mitt Romney about his religion, or do you feel the persistent questioning holds valid merit in the political race? Vote your stand on it and leave a comment of your thoughts on Mr. Romney, the press, and religious beliefs.

To learn more about Mr. Romney and his political platform, visit Mitt Romney for President 2008.

To read more on conservative politics and viewpoints, visit Right News and Views.

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I was surprised to see that Good Christian Life passed along the You Lift Me Up Award to Life as a Christian Woman this weekend. I put a lot of time and effort into trying to provide relavant, honest, and Biblical material here. It is nice to know that someone is reading it and gaining something from it.

I had toyed with the idea of writing a Christian blog for many months but had not a clue where to start. I had never blogged before, and although I had written plenty of online material, it was never for any site that I had to have technical knowledge. Then I saw the job posting for 451 Press and applied. They handle the technical side and all I do is write. It has opened up a whole new world for me as I interact with my readers, research material, and pray daily for God’s guidance in what Christian women are searching for.

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Life as a Christian Woman is hosting its second blog carnival: Christian Women Speak Up and Speak Out: Balancing the true meaning of Christmas with materialism.

How do you achieve a balance between the two? Or do you? Tell us what your family does to keep the spirit of Christ’s birth in your heart during the stress of the Holidays and the quest for “the perfect gift.”

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