Friday Footprints

By -
 Photobucket

So many things happen in the week and one of the praises we can continually have is that our Lord is ruler and sustainer of all. As we approach the weekend, here are some interesting links that remind us of our hope in the Lord through our salvation, our calling to love one another and our mission to stand firm in the Bible and preach the gospel to the lost and hurt.

Check out this devotional by Elisabeth Elliot, reminding us that every blessing we receive in this life is due to God's grace. Lysa Terkeurst builds on this devotional by reminding us to remain rooted on Christ because He is the only constant source of true Strength, that allows us to walk and not grow weary and faint. Read more about that here.

Summer's here and parts of the U.S. are experiencing a heatwave. Last week, a YouTube video by Jessica Ray discussed the evolution of the swimsuit, and modesty is this summer season’s hot topic (forgive the pun, well intended). An article on the Rebelution site gives us a great resource on what modesty is and who it is for. It also gives us the right biblical response to modesty, which is a trait that can be seen from the inside out. Check this link for more details.

This week the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, which has been in place since 1996. Also, they declined to rule on Proposition 8, which was voted for in California. As Christians, a lot of prayer and grace must be remembered and given, not just for other people but for us believers as well. It is easy to get caught in the crossfire and defend our idiosyncrasies; however, a good reminder is this: Jesus Christ has won the war against sin and death and we cannot add to it. Our calling is and remains that we should preach the gospel, love the Word of God and love others until He returns. This article by Ed Stetzer reminds us of a Christlike response, one that is not focused on modifying behavior and making people change, but by glorifying God through our embracing of truth- standing for it but still responding with grace and love.

The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12 that “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

1 Corinthians 13 reminds us that, if we do not have love, nothing else we do matters. We just make a lot of annoying noise [paraphrased]. Lastly, remember this encouragement: “Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

May God bless your weekend, ladies!
Our prayers and abounding love,
Joanna, Megan, Krista, Emily, and Victoria

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell

By -
Image
For over 11 years, Bloom! has existed to spur you on in your journey towards Biblical womanhood.  What started as a big dream in the hearts of three teen girls, turned into an international print magazine and then later turned into a thriving blog.  Our heart has been to go beyond the fluff and dig deep into God’s Word and into how to practically apply that to our daily lives.  If any good has come out of Bloom! , we know it is because God is the one who waters the seeds we plant ( 1 Cor. 3:7 ).  This journey of magazine and blog has spanned for over a decade and what a thrilling and beautiful one it has been.   God has deepened and widened our worldview.   He has given us a deeper understanding of His ways.   He’s brought me (Joanna) through some really hard times and pushed me to write despite the pain .   He’s shown me that although I am nowhere near perfect, He can still use me anyway. One thing He’s been teaching me recently is that sometimes, some chapters mus
Read more

How a Journey of 8,000 Miles Changed Me, part 2

By -
Image
Make sure to check out part 1  here !                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Want to make friends in a new country?  Be prepared.  This isn't always easy.  Sometimes you meet someone on the train and instantly, you're buddies.  Sometimes you try and try and nothing happens.  Many things factor in - you're a foreigner, you're different, your first language isn't the same as everyone else around you.  Not only all that but your perspective, worldview, and beliefs are almost guaranteed to be different.   Then there's the fact that you've been shaped by your own culture all these years, so yeah, cultural differences are big as well. All this...and I still live abroad.  Better yet, I  choose  this life!  Sure, there's been plenty of disappointments, confusions, misu
Read more

Tales from Taiwan #22

By -
Image
Dear Sisters, Thursday night while I was volunteering at the rescue home, I asked one of my boys, Liam* (name changed) how his summer was.  I expected him to smile and answer with all the fun things he had gotten to do.  Instead Liam sobered and said quietly that his dad had passed away.   The kids who live at this home are rescued from abusive, unhealthy or dangerous situations.  Some are orphans and some have family.  They rarely talk about the family they do have, usually because they've been extremely hurt by them.  But no matter what, I've found that family is still family and more than anything, that's what these kids long for - loving, healthy, safe families.   I told Liam I would be praying for him and his family.  He stopped, looked up at me and asked me if I really would pray for them.  After I reassured him that I really would, he smiled and said he would pray for his family too.  What a moment of beautiful, childlike faith!   Liam's simple "You sai
Read more