Becoming Civilizers and Life-Givers through Relationship

“’You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its remotest parts, and said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'” Isaiah 41:9-10

In all generations, when human beings turn their hearts away from God and do not build godly character and act with integrity, there have been chaotic consequences for nations and the history of the whole world.  Recently, I recalled one of the first times I felt “panic” about the difficult circumstances of my life. There had been lots of tension in Poland between the Polish workers and the Russians who controlled the country, and I was a young missionary living there--illegally. People had begun to riot and rebel, and Russian tanks began to roll into Warsaw, where we lived. Many of the streets were lined with soldiers and the threat of war was in the paper and on the news every day. I remembered thinking, “What am I doing over here in a time of war? I am not sure if I am ready to die in this conflict just now.” We had been ministering in Hungary and touched the bullet holes in apartment buildings of people we had worked with, where a similar revolt had caused the loss of hundreds of lives.

It was one of the first times I remember coming across this passage in Isaiah: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” I camped on that verse, pondering and praying it. I resolved that I would stand on it emotionally and spiritually. The Lord was faithful, and we came through the conflict with Him holding our hands.

There have been so many other times and seasons where fear threatened to take away my peace. Yet, I have a pattern of remembrance now. He has been faithful through all the seasons and hard times.

God is still with us. He still loves us. He will always be abundantly faithful. Women are especially designed and equipped by God to dig down deep and bring beauty, faith, peace and hope to nations. A woman is at her best when she is creating life from the richness of her soul. I believe moms are true heroes who will be the bearers of light when shadows threaten to overtake. They weave peace and love in homes where burdens are weighing on the shoulders of husbands. They sing songs of faith in the midst of life’s calamities. They can model a child-like faith and rest in God when they live in the Sabbath rest of His provision, even when physical provision is scant. I believe that moms can be the determining factor in our country during difficult times, to bring courage to families and nations as we wait on God and follow His ways.

In these days of the shaking of moral foundations and volatile uncertainties, in an era of confusion, when biblical motherhood is often disdained or dismissed as irrelevant or unimportant in a post-modern culture, we are ripe for a movement of the Holy Spirit. There is need for an intentional movement of godly women to hold forth ideals, to inspire confidence, strength, faith and good works, and in the midst of all that, to develop deep friendships with other moms. God created women to be the wisdom bringers, gatekeepers, and civilizers of culture through relationship.

My wonderful friend Phyllis is such a joy to me. She is 72, and yet her desire for bringing life and beauty and love to women so burns in her heart that she is always alive, energetic and engaged whenever I see her. She has made her home a haven, so that just to be inside her rooms is a pleasure. There are soothing colors on her walls, pictures, small relics and treasures throughout her home that speak of the many places she has lived and traveled, her love of the Lord, and the great value she places on family. And always there is a candle lit, soft music playing, and a pot of fresh tea ready in case someone might want to come by for a few minutes of fellowship. There is a lovely little bedroom in her basement, just ready for someone who needs to get away–two single beds waiting for the next guests.

Every week for the past nineteen years, she has opened her home to young moms. Her “cuppa” is shared, along with sweet fellowship for the first few minutes, followed by prayer and scripture opened and taught and discussed. Literally hundreds of women have passed through her doors in these studies, including me. Each week, women leave with hope, conviction, ideas, love, and renewed and refreshed spirits.

Where there are real relationships and real love and heartfelt devotion to the Lord, life takes place. God built us for relationship. God built us for love and friendship and intimacy–the desire to be known and still loved.

When we as women experience this kind of relationship and warmth, our whole demeanor is different, our emotional and spiritual cups are filled and we become better at everything–walking with God, loving our children and husbands, bringing beauty in our homes and in reaching out with God’s grace to others. It is what we were designed to do.

If you have the desire to go deeper today, take a moment to complete the reflection and application below:

• ”But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things ...” Luke 10:41 Do you find yourself worried over many things? Make a list. Then write at the top the scripture here from Isaiah ... and throw the list away.

• “Be hospitable to one another without complaint.” 1 Peter 4:9 If you have an introverted personality, it may be difficult for you to even think about purposefully inviting someone into your home! But making the effort is worth it. Ask the Lord if there’s someone you could invite over for a cuppa—and maybe share this little exercise with them, too!

I birthed a new book! And now I can finally decorate for Easter!

Clarkson Traditional: An Easter Egg Tree

Now let the heavens be joyful,

Let the earth her song begin:

Let the round world keep triumph,

And all that is therein;

Invisible and visible,

Their notes let all things blend,

For Christ is risen, Our joy shall have no end!

St. John of Damascus

Tonight, I finished writing a book I have had in mind for a little over a year. I turned it in just before writing this blog and it will go through a process and come out sometime next January. When I write a new book, it always forces me to examine my life, to remember God's faithfulness, and to plan/pray about living even more into ideals, so that I may end serving Jesus to my very last breath.

The title of my book will be revealed when it is final, but the subject is about taking responsibility for your choices, your faith, the legacy you will live and your actions. Getting to the end of this book makes me realize that God has indeed worked amazingly in my life. Not because I am in any way especially gifted. But the secret is that I was challenged to give my all to Him, to believe He would partner with me to work, to live by faith and to take risks and to follow Jesus' life and model to live a life of generous love.

Being at a funeral lately caused me again to reflect on the legacy I am leaving. What will people say when I go to see Jesus? You will have to read about it in the book! :)

But as we ponder His reality this week of celebrating His resurrection, we must understand again, that if this event was true, His being raised from the dead, His total forgiveness of our sins, His kingship over the whole universe and call on our lives to invest in His kingdom, then today is the day to live to the fullest, to show His reality, to believe that our faith matters, to be true to teach our children of his message, His forgiveness, His call on each of us to be stewards of His light, His life and His love.

I love Easter! The message encourages me every year. I love Jesus and his story and celebrating my adoption as His child. I love the grace that pours over my soul. I even love Easter Egg hunts and celebrating the day with friends and family.

We celebrate big in our family. (We even always have a hunt even for our 20 year olds--each child in our family has their own color of plastic egg with goodies inside--now gift cards and money!  and we would color code the eggs to be more difficult for the older and less for the younger so that Joy would have a chance to actually find hers--though sometimes the younger ones were better scouts than the older.  Sarah would always look for pink, Joel--blue; Nate red and Joy purple. So much fun.

Now, a few pictures from the past when Joy was in an Easter production we held at our church.

For now, I am going to sleeeeeeeeeep and take a day off. And then I will shop for food, finish decorating the house with our special Easter treasures collected over the years, and live into the moments God has given.

It is truly my wish that it will stop snowing and give us a hint of sunshine. Have a lovely week and live this week for eternity. This is the day you have to live a story worth telling.

I was working on my book in a hotel, because our internet went down and saw this! I adore roses.

It was so pretty I just had to take a picture. So this week, I wish you roses!

What is your favorite flower?

French Dip Easter Sandwiches

"The most indispensable ingredient of all good home cooking: love for those you are cooking for."-Sophia Loren

With Easter only a little over a week away, it is the perfect amount of time to begin dreaming and planning for your holiday feasts and festivities! You already know that the crockpot can be an amazing friend in the kitchen. Why not put it to work to make a lunch and even leftovers for another meal? Most families will bring out the ham and deviled eggs at Easter, but our family loves to feast on these melt in your mouth sandwiches that are known as “dips.”

If you have never had the pleasure of eating a French Dip sandwich, you must try it now! Nothing goes to waste! You even use the lovely broth created from the meat (au jus) and dip your sandwich into it before each delectable bite! It is more than an easy go-to meal, it’s fun food!  Save whatever meat you have leftover, if any, and use it for soup, pot roast dinner, even add some mexican seasoning to the meat to use for tacos or enchiladas! You can’t go wrong with this inexpensive cut of meat!

Yields: 12 sandwiches (24 halves)

Ingredients: 4 lbs. boneless chuck roast 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 beef bouillon cube 1-2 bay leaves 3-4 peppercorns 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp garlic powder 12 French Rolls - split 12 slices of Havarti cheese (or whatever you like)

Directions: 1. Place roast in a 5 qt. slow cooker. 2. Combine soy sauce & next 6 ingredients. Pour over roast. 3. Add water to slow cooker until roast is almost covered. 4. Cook covered on LOW for 8 hours or until very tender. Cook until it falls apart! 5. Remove roast, reserving broth. 6. Shred roast with 2 forks. 7. Place split french rolls under broiler for about 30 seconds to toast.  Remove bottom halves. Return top halves to oven with slice of havarti cheese on top, just to melt (10-15 seconds). 8. Place shredded beef onto bottom half of roll, top with other half roll & cut at angle. 9. Serve with broth on side in small ramekin or add a little broth to meat before completing sandwich.

The beautiful thing about having a crockpot is the fact that your home cooked meals remain juicy, delicious, and flavorful without all the hassle. Remember that it is more important to have extra time to spend with your sweet loved ones on Easter than it is to stress about having the perfect feast. Enjoy this easy, delicious meal, and don't forget the secret ingredient...love!

What are some of your family's favorite Easter treats and meals?

This year, I am part of the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle! Discipleship & Discipline eCourse is included!

Mark your calendars! The Ultimate Homemaking  Bundle is going to be available on April 23rd.

This is an 80+ eBook resource library that you are not going to want to miss. Make sure to come back here on the 23rd so you can see all of the wonderful resources that will be offered, including the Discipleship & Discipline eCourse.

You can subscribe to itakejoy.com so you don't miss when I post about it. See over there on my sidebar where it says "Get ITJ Posts in Your Inbox"? Just put your email there.

(If you're reading this in your email, you're already subscribed.)

Just wanted to let you know!

Who and What Defines Your Vision?

 In Lucy Maud Montgomery’s book, Rilla of Ingleside, the heroine, who has spent two years of her young life living through the hardships of war, is asked whether she’d like to change those difficult years.

 “’No,’ Rilla said slowly, ‘I wouldn’t. It’s strange, isn’t it? They have been two terrible years, and yet I have a queer feeling of thankfulness for them–as if they had brought me something precious with all their pain … I suppose I had a soul then, but I didn’t know it. I know it now and that is worth a great deal–worth two years of suffering. And still, now, I find that I don’t want to suffer any more–not even for the sake of more soul growth–even though at the end of two years, I would probably look back and be thankful again for what they would have brought me, but I don’t want it now.’

‘We never do want difficulty,’ said her friend, ‘That is why we are not left to choose our own means and measure of development, I suppose. No matter how much we value the lessons we have been taught, we don’t want to go on with the bitter schooling.’”

This passage put a finger on my heart today. I feel validated when I see that others share some of the feelings of my heart, as in this story. Though we sometimes in our hearts find a feeling of dread at having to face difficulties, we can still be spiritual and godly. We were made for rejoicing and happiness. If we rightly understand that trials cause us to suffer and we find that we don’t want to suffer, we are only feeling what Jesus felt … “Who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2).

It helped me so much to realize that Jesus despised the shame, but because He knew He would redeem mankind and be seated with the Father, He went to the cross anyway. Feelings are natural–they are God-given. However, what we do with our feelings will determine our obedience and show our faith. We can acknowledge feelings of sadness, dread, or anger. But then we must give those emotions into His hands and say, “You know what is best. I will trust You in whatever You do.”

Some time ago when my family was going through a difficult, troubled time, I was driving home with the girls. I had time to have some discussion with the Lord, and decided what I needed was to make some resolutions specifically for that season. A resolution is a determined commitment, an act of my will to decide in advance how I will behave and obey the Lord. That resolve doesn’t mean that my intentions won’t be tested, but it does give me a plan for how I will live and helps me to address, ahead of time, those areas that could be problematic. It also helps me fight against Satan’s desire to tempt me to despair or not to believe in God’s goodness.

I resolved that I would not allow my heart or mind to go down the road of fear–that I would reject any fearful thoughts by choosing to worship and focus on God’s wonderful faithfulness and trustworthy character.

I resolved that I would be a strong pillar of faith for Clay in the midst of all he has to hold together. I will not whine, complain, or falter unnecessarily in the midst of his hard work and commitment to figure out how to keep supporting our family. He needs me to “smile at the future,” like the woman in Proverbs 31, because of Who is in control of my future.

I resolved that I would make this time a blessed season of great memories—warm soups, candlelight, inspiring stories of heroes in other times, cards of encouragement to friends who need them, phone calls and phone prayers with my boys who need support and encouragement in the midst of their financial difficulties, Bible studies and life-giving words sent to all whom the Lord brings to mind--simple efforts spent in eternal areas that will minister to the hearts of my precious family and friends.

I resolved to think of new ways that Sarah and Joy and I may serve others during these days. As we plan to be God’s hands and voice and words, it gives us a way to be about God’s business and to perceive the strategic role Christians can play in the lives of others.

By allowing God to define my vision for the trials ahead, I have a roadmap to follow; to guide my steps, guard my attitudes, and inform my will. As I walk in the power of His Spirit, invest in the Word, and make time to pray, I have been energized and excited to know that there really are things I can do to help during difficult days. I have ways to give hope and opportunities to bring life. The Lord has renewed my heart and made me excited to start living according to some of my plans. I already know that these years will be an opportunity to show what my heart is really like–that I really do love and believe that God will hold my hand and show me His ways. May He grant each of you grace in the midst of your own journeys!

To take your study deeper today, take a few moments to complete the reflection and application below.

• “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven ...” Ecc. 3:1 Are you facing a particularly difficult season right now? Remember that God has appointed every season of our lives. He is able to help you and prepare you for what’s next.

• “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11 What resolutions can you make in advance that would help you be prepared to make good decisions regarding your emotions, actions and intentions when the pressing times come?

• How will you intentionally find and create beauty in your life during this season?

Life! Weddings, funerals, deadlines, and a thankful heart

A little cafe in the car rental hall at the DFW airport.

(I have never seen any cafe or store that was Sally's, except the make-up, hair products store before the last few months! A friend just had to take the picture! Fun in the midst of sadness, the moments of life go on.)

Just barely week ago, I had arrived home from a 10 day ministry trip to the East Coast, sighing in weariness but happy to be home. Then a week ago today, we found out that my sweet mother-in-law, Nana, had taken a turn for the worst after a stroke a few days before. Clay, Sarah and I arranged a plane trip to Dallas for Monday and journeyed one more time. We were joined by Joel and Joy and Rachael and Nathan were not able to come same day, but kept in touch.

God's grace followed us in amazing ways. We had a two hour drive from the airport to Walnut Springs, where we had lived for 4 years. Nana was resting peacefully and breathing regularly. How blessed we were to be able to kiss her and stroke her hair and tell her how much we loved her. At 11:30 pm, we went upstairs to put on our pajamas. Just as we had fallen asleep, we were awakened at 12:30 am and found out that she had passed away, peacefully with only two short breaths. How amazing that we had the opportunity to say goodbye to her before she left us. Nana was 92. (My sweet sister-in-law had been watching over her meds, and breathing with the hospice team faithfully. Wiley, Clay's brother has had her living in his home for the past while. We were so very thankful for their constant care of Nana in her last months.)

The next couple of days was a whirlwind of arranging for the funeral, seeing old friends who came to honor Nana, and to be with precious family. A wedding a month ago, and a funeral a month later, were both major family events. One marked the beginning of a new family history and the other was closing of a family's history. How precious to be able to ponder where we are headed and where we have been. Both events made me so grateful for my loved ones and increased my commitment to being intentional to make time to be with them. Family is so very important throughout all of life, but life does indeed pass like a breath. Making plans for some changes ahead just to refine goals God has put on my heart as a result of these two significant events.

Now, a book deadline looms ahead, as I missed it for traveling to the funeral. So working and thinking and writing like a crazy girl will fill the next days. Life never slows down, but God has a way of intervening in our plans to slow us down in our tracks. My only real deadlines that matter are keeping my commitments to Him. The other responsibilities will always come and go and then come again.

I would appreciate your prayers for this book and that I might be able to write clearly and in a way that will inspire and encourage women who will read this a year from now.

Just thought I would check in in person. Onward, one day at a time, faith steps each day.

Nana, at her wedding.

Good Morning, God. What's For Breakfast?

The house is still, my bed so cozy, and all of a sudden this song stuck in my head. God’s way of greeting me to a new day. This is my wake up call, and before I even realize it, I am quietly exiting my pillowtop bed to start my morning routine. You could say I am a morning person.

Like clockwork, I slide on my slippers, feel my way through the darkness to the hallway and shuffle quietly to the kitchen, headed straight for the tea kettle. Even the tea pot is slow to boil in this early morning hour, so I reach for a glass in the cupboard, squeeze the juice of one lemon into my oversized glass,  and have already chugged my first glass of water before I have my first cup of tea...sleeping makes me thirsty!

Tiptoeing to the library, I flip on the light and slip on my lap blanket in the cold morning hours of winter, to carefully select several findings from my book basket sitting at the side of my overstuffed chair.  Already five minutes have passed and the tea pot exhales the last drop of caffeinated courage I will partake in to start my day off right.

As I take that first warm sip of strong English tea, pre-dawn conversations, petitions, prayers, and reflections are all awaiting me this morning. Did I mention how much of a morning person I am? Not everyone is. In fact, I am not sure anyone else in under this roof is! God blesses me with mornings to get my attitude aligned with His because I need it and He knows it.

Now more than ever I listen, I prepare, and then I decide what kind of Mama I want to be, over and over, each and every day.

Time flies by...I hear the shuffling of feet into the kitchen and down the hallway.

This is about the time the growls from deep within interrupt the preparation of a new day, and breakfast suddenly comes to mind.

One thing I love more than oatmeal is quinoa! It is one of my go-to breakfast when the temperature drops and I want a healthy and delicious breakfast. If you make your quinoa ahead of time, you can store it in a quart size ziplock bag and take a cup at a time. This is a real time saver, and you will only spend 2 minutes cooking up breakfast instead of 20 minutes waiting for your quinoa to cook! Add a tablespoon of chia seed or ground flax and you will have your omega 3’s without even knowing!

 Quinoa, Spinach and Eggs

Ingredients: 1 cup quinoa (cooked) 1 cup fresh spinach (or your favorite greens/veggies) 1 egg, poached or over easy - sunny side up! Salt/pepper to taste 1 tbsp chia seed or ground flax (optional)

 Directions: In a small bowl, reheat quinoa for 30 seconds in microwave or on the stove top. Add spinach on top and set aside. The heat from quinoa will steam your spinach (nothing like a meal that cooks itself)! Cook your egg according to your liking. While waiting 2 minutes on your egg, sprinkle in your chia or flax for good measure!  Place your egg in bowl, break egg yolk and mix through quinoa. Enjoy, it’s amazing!

Make this morning a good morning. Spend time with God, take the time to pray, ponder what kind of mother you aspire to be, and enjoy a healthy, delicious breakfast. Give yourself the spiritual and physical fuel that motherhood requires!

Teaching children to think by Raising Children Who Read!

Statistics have shown that in a class of 20 students, few, if any, teachers can find even 5 minutes of time in a day to devote to reading with each student. These studies have also come to find that the majority of children in our generation will stop reading as soon as they no longer have to. This absolutely breaks my heart for a number of reasons. Children are no longer delighting in reading, getting swept away in a captivating story, or enjoying the wonder and fun that comes from learning.

As parents, God has trusted us with a very important job. We are here to not only be mothers, but to be teachers and instructors in all that is good and lovely in the world. In my sweet Sarah's book, Read for the Heart, she quotes:

"The first thing that a young heart needs is an education in all that is good."

The main reason behind why children won't find joy and excitement in reading is the fact that they are not being exposed to great books. We don't live in a culture that is filled with very much excellence. While we may not be able to control the media of our generation, we must take on the responsibility of exposing our children to excellent books that will encourage, inspire, and help them flourish into adults who have a love of literature.

In our home, each child has his or her own book shelf. Every Christmas everyone gets their own books!

Book baskets are all over the house--with picture books, magazines, art books, and piled with all sorts of genre's of interesting tales.

In our library, we have overstuffed recliners so anyone can go read in comfort at any time.

At bedtime we kept baskets of short stories and picture books and chapter books to keep going one more chapter each night. (and of course we always followed with cd's of favorite music that placed beauty in their little heads as they drifted off.)

Mediocrity is natural. There are a lot of time wasters out there. However, as mothers, God has called us to the supernatural--the above and beyond of ideals that Jesus wants us to understand. We must rise above what our culture views as normal  activity and cultivate minds and hearts in our children that are excellent, joyous, and full of wonder. What we feed our children's minds will in many ways determine what they will have in their soul to respond to when they are adults.

3 Excellent Picture Books to Introduce to Your Family This Month:

1- Tuesday by David Weisner 2- Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey 3- Song And Dance Man by Karen Ackerman

You must live in the Present, launch yourself on Every Wave

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.” ― Henry David Thoreau

This morning as 6:37, we received a phone call from Clay's brother that his sweet mama  seems to have turned a corner for the worse and may pass away in the next 48 hours. Having heard a few days ago that she had a stroke prepared us for this call. And even now it is a touch and go--should we leave now? Will it be 10 days? When do we arrange the kids' flights?

God has His ways in our lives of reminding us that we are not in control, we think our issues are more important than they really are. Today, as we packed and waited for more information,  I was reflecting all afternoon about the deaths and funerals of our other 3 parents who have already passed away, as well as the life Clay's mom lived.

Ecclesiastes 7:2 reminds us:

It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart. 

So true, death cause us to think about eternity, what really matters, how we have lived, what we can change.

And the living take it to heart--that is what I have been doing all afternoon, taking the issues of death and legacy to heart.

I have been thinking about my own life. What legacy do I want to leave in the minds and hearts of my children while I still have the time?

If I were to die suddenly, what do I want to do right now while I have a chance, to be sure I take action now instead of waiting until it is too late? What would I want them to say about me at my funeral?

I want to leave my children with a verbal blessing,  to speak words over their lives that whisper to them them of their intrinsic value every day,  the rest of their earthy life, that they were loved, cherished, a gift to me. I want them to know that in the heart of their mama, they were my light, love and most prized possessions.

I want them to know that no matter what they do, they cannot ever be separated from the Love or presence of God.

I would want them to remember that every day, I chose to believe God,

to bring light into darkness,

that I lived like a child in innocence and happiness because I let God handle all of my problems, and asked Him to fight my battles

 that I had compassion for the lost and reached out to them in humble love.

I hope they would remember that my greatest wish was that they would love God every day, no matter what, until they see Him face to face.

I want to remember that  every day, I stopped to recognize the fingerprints of God amidst my moments--

that I greatly enjoyed beauty,

that music and  singing filled my day,  

that I loved to laugh often,

to give honor daily to the value of life,

that I stopped to talk to people and validate their significance, because of their worth to God

That I worshipped Him in front of them every day--as I will never have this day to enjoy and celebrate again.

and that I  invested in eternity, placing my future treasures in the kingdom of heaven,  where we will one day meet to speak of all the ways we saw Him work in and through our lives.

In last moments, I would not mention the messes, or be angry or frustrated, or carry any bitterness--I would just bless them and cover them with love.

What would you like to leave as a legacy to your children? What would you want them to remember because of how you are living today?

Heroic Women: Fact or Fantasy?

{Today's article is from the heart of my daughter-in-law, Rachael Lee Clarkson.}

"Who can find a virtuous and capable woman?     She is more precious than rubies." -Proverbs 31:10

Praying for many years, that God would bless my children with equal soul-mates, those who would love God with all of their hearts, but also, those who would desire to live a purposeful life for His kingdom and His purposes. The last place on earth I ever thought my son would find such a woman--one whose passion for Christ matched his, was in Hollywood. But God is so much bigger than our own perspectives and ideas.

You can't imagine how deeply grateful I am and standing in awe, that He gave me such a daughter-in-law as lovely Rachael. Her passion to redeem the darkness of her world for Him inspires me to be faithful. The zest with which she reads the Word of God, books that inspire, and gives out of a rich soul is such an example to me. So, her life encourages me to keep praying, keep trusting, keep sowing seeds of faithfulness and faith, because she is a picture to me of his willingness to do above and beyond all I could ask! Here is an article that has been bubbling up in her heart. Rachael has an active ministry to young women to call them to their true roles as beloved women because they are His!

**********************************************

Rachael Clarkson

Just the other night, as my husband of one week and I were scrolling through Netflix, searching for the perfect show to watch, we entered into a long discussion that distracted us from our show-decision-making. As I looked at all of these fun, entertaining shows that entertain us, we began to realize that almost none of the shows revolved around a main character with heroic qualities--a noble character, a "good guy", someone who was capable of doing the right thing in the face of trials and difficulty.

Even more unsettling, I struggled to come up with any strong female lead actresses I had seen recently who were heroic, brave, and made the tough choices. Women who are excellent role models, courageous, and lovely all at the same time. Those are the kinds of women I want to see, I strive to be, and frankly don't see enough of on the big screen or small screen these days.

Many of the strong female leads I see nowadays gain much of their status and power through sexuality, lies, and manipulation. Young women need to understand that their meaning and worth is not found in sex. We are not more valued by sex,  (in fact, it creates the opposite effect). Culture tells us that sex makes women more free, but the more we focus on creating our identities in our sex lives, the more we become slaves to exactly what this culture is trying to do: put you in a box. 

As women, we should feel powerful, strong, and worth enough on our own so that we wouldn't need our leading ladies to take off their clothing in order to grab our attention. I live and work in Hollywood, and I fully understand how ratings work, but I'm speaking woman to woman here. How can we become heroic? How can we fulfill our God given purpose? What does it look like when women are brave?

This question made me wonder, and when I googled "heroic women", the only images I saw where super heroes and completely fictional characters. I came to realize that being a heroic woman in today's culture seemed like an absolute myth and fairytale to most.

You don't need super powers, super strength, or a cape to become a heroic woman. Being a woman of influence does not mean being perfect. It simply requires faith, courage, honesty, confidence, and a pure heart. Young women need to understand that there is value in what is lovely, classy, beautiful, and pure.

{Books} One of my favorite books of all time is "A Wrinkle In Time", where Meg is a relatable young girl who struggles with insecurities. When I was younger, I loved reading and connecting to her character as she was so authentic--Meg felt ugly sometimes, strange, and like she didn't quite fit in with her family. She goes on to do amazing things filled with bravery, courage, and even finds her own self respect.

{Film} Many of my readers know I adore Audrey Hepburn. She was a true leading lady who defined true beauty (through laughter, smiles, composure and class) and carried herself with strength and dignity. After her acting career ended in the mid 1960s, Audrey used her platform and influence by devoting the remaining period of her life to humanitarian work with UNICEF.

{Scripture} Esther is one of my very favorite women of influence. Her courage to fight for what she believed in preserved her nation and changed countless lives. She risked her life to listen to and serve God. This woman is such a beautiful picture of faithfulness.

As women of influence, we must never stop seeking to know heroic women who can inspire us. Who are you watching? Perhaps the even better question is: who is your daughter watching? Who is inspiring your daughter? And who are these people encouraging your little girl to grow up to become?

Every girl always has her eyes peeled and ears listening for the role models who may impact her life. Make sure that you are filling you and your children's minds, hearts, and souls with stories of heroic men and women. Whether it is through literature, film, television, scripture, or stories in history, start a discussion in your home today about how your children can have influence in their generation. Ask questions like:

What story will you tell? What nation will you preserve? What will you overcome? What quest will you conquer? What hero will you become?

Rachael's book Identity Girls is a resource for girls who are hoping to overcome obstacles and insecurities in order to become women of influence. Click here to snag your copy of this 30 day devotional (and consider going through it with your daughter with a cup of tea once a week!).

{You can find more from Rachael Lee Clarkson by clicking here to view her blog for young women.}