is not wa;ed away from her struggles by
angelic beings. Trust me.
A powerful life in God is not a spotless, happy existence, peppered with
“hallelujahs!” at every turn. Quite the
contrary. Real life, even lived in faith, can
be quite messy. Life is veri;ably hard, rife
with surprises, twists, turns, and lots of
sinful human beings. It’s guaranteed to
confound us at times. Psalm 34: 19 underscores this truth, reminding us that
“many are the a;ictions of the righteous.”
You may be hurting today. Su;ering.
Living with a diagnosis. Dealing with marriage issues (what married person isn’t?).
Continually trying to blend a blended
family. Perhaps your kid’s not exactly on
the straight-and-narrow. Whatever it is
that you’re facing, you’re not alone. If
we’re honest, all of us must make the best
of some di;cult circumstances on a daily
basis, even though we love God and are
called according to His purpose (Romans
8: 28). ;e rains will fall and the winds will
blow (Matthew 7: 25), but what will be the
testimony of your life?
No matter how ordinary your situation
may seem, you can become no ordinary
woman, experiencing the glory of God
right where you live. What do I mean by
that? I think it’s really quite simple.
Here are some earmarks of a woman
who carries God’s glory:
• Most importantly, she lives by faith!
For me, marriage, child rearing, and
home educating is a faith venture. My
version of Luke 1: 45 goes something like
this: “Blessed is she that believed [and
believed, and believed, and believed . . .
against all odds, despite how she feels],”
because living by faith is a daily process
of applying one’s active faith again and
again, tirelessly, in order to experience
“a performance of those things which were
told . . . [us] from the Lord.”
When Mary said “yes,” agreeing to bear
the Savior, it wasn’t just one decision. It was
the one decision that led to all the others,
determining the course of her destiny. It
was a “yes” not only to carrying a miracle
baby but also to carrying a stigma her entire life. Jesus was born a stumbling block
( 1 Corinthians 1: 23), creating controversy
wherever He went, and He died a criminal’s death, placing Mary in a position that
drew harsh criticism and loud public opinion until the day she le; the planet. Surely
Mary had to apply very intentional faith to
her circumstances not just once during her
www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com
I’ve found that a
woman of faith
is a woman who
endures many
di;culties and yet
;nds God in the
midst of her troubles.
encounter with the angel—but repeatedly
throughout her journey on earth.
It’s easy to say “yes” when angels visit
during prayer. But then comes Monday!
Girls, what are we at home? Are we truly
faith-;lled women or women with a little
faith? One-minute devotions may do the
trick for others, but we are called to live
devoted lives, 24/7.
• Women of faith are sustained by
God’s Word.
I love God’s Word. On some days it’s
more like oatmeal than heavenly manna,
but I cling to it nonetheless, and by faith
I proclaim: “How sweet are thy words
unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey
to my mouth!” (Psalm 119: 103). If God’s
Word isn’t “richly dwelling in us” (
Colossians 3: 16), we are malnourished and
weak, with very little hope of walking in
victory.
“And blessed is she that believed: for
there shall be a performance of those
things which were told her from the Lord”
(Luke 1: 45).
One sentence. An entire message. I
want this to be the story of my life. I want
this to be the story of your life too.
• Mary knew her God. We must know
our God.
Let’s endeavor to build an altar daily and
connect with Him, whether it’s on our
knees in our living room or in an airplane
seat at 36,000 feet above ground. Psalm
132: 3–5 inspires me: “I will not enter my
house or go to my bed—I will allow no
sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids,
till I ;nd a place for the L;;;, a dwelling
for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
1
• Women of faith choose victory every
single day. It’s my only option.
I hold fast to the promise of 2 Corinthians 2:14: “;anks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.” I’m
determined that shouts of joy and victory
will resound in my home daily (Psalm
118: 15), because as an obedient child of
God,;according;to;Psalm;1: 3,;every;[lit-
tle] thing I do is going to prosper!
• Believing women should be delight-
ful people.
What are you radiating as you go about
your daily routine? ;ere’s a lot of truth
in the adage “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t
nobody happy.” Are you unknowingly
casting a shadow over your household by
your uncomely demeanor? Take a peek
at Galatians 5: 22–23 and see if an adjustment is in order. Love, joy, peace, longsuf-fering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance should be qualities
we strive to embody.
Denise Mira, author of No Ordinary
Child: Unlocking the Leader Within
Your Child, has been married to Gregory
for thirty-one years. ;ey are the parents
of ;ve sons. Denise has traveled extensively, both nationally and internationally,
inspiring change as she shares the message God has given her for families. She
would love to have you visit her blog at
www.denisemira.com/blog.php, and she
can be reached at contact@denisemira
.com. Find her on Facebook and follow
her on Twitter!
Endnotes:
1. Quoted from the New International Version of
the Bible.
Classical Composition made fun!
Writing Tales
www.writing-tales.com
Level One: 3rd or 4th grade User-friendly workbook format Lesson plans for homeschoolers and co-ops “My son now thinks writing is fun!” Level Two: 4th or 5th grade
His;Joyful;Homeschooler;•;March;2012;37
