Posts by "Lori Beard"
How in The World Have I Stayed Married to You?
"How in the world have I stayed married to you?"
This is an age-old question. I bet Adam asked it of Eve often after they got kicked out of paradise and had to sweat for a living. I bet Eve asked it of Adam after she had to suffer through childbirth and practice submission against her will.
Comparison - The Root of Many Sins
Recently, I was standing in the check out line at Walmart on a Sunday right after church (I know, I know....really). But here I was. And in front of me were two ladies practicing great patience and kindness with the cashier who was not really happy to be there. They had clearly just left church too. They were dressed in flowered skirts to their knees and their hair was neat as a pin. I immediately thought of a much younger; much more arrogant me.
Self-Esteem: The Big Fat Lie
Self-esteem=big fat lie. Do you want to know the truth? You have not been getting it from the psychology world or the secular counseling world for a very long time. In fact, I think we have never heard the truth from those worlds at all in the matter of self-esteem. We have, instead, as Christians, been buying into a lie that is eating into the fabric of who we really are and what our worth really is.
I am Woman
Let me confess right off the bat that womanhood is a mystery to me. I can honestly say that after 53 years of being a woman, I am still figuring it out. That being said, I do know a couple of things for sure and thought I would pass them on. We deal in a world that thinks what we FEEL is truth. Well, that is simply not so. Truth is absolute; like 2+2=4. Even if I wished it equaled 100, well, it does not. So, it is with womanhood. There are some absolute truths to be known about being a woman.
Dependence
Recently I have been studying Isaiah. It has been revealing to say the least. It has also been very convicting. It appears to me that the overarching theme of Isaiah is our dependence on ourselves as opposed to God.
Bitter Women Make Bitter Enemies
I have seen bitterness run rampant and destroy marriages and relationships with children in horrible ways. I have sat with women who are harboring bitterness like a treasure. They have stored it away in their hearts in a safe place. They say things like, "It does not affect my life. I am just not ready to lay it down. I control my emotions well enough that it does not affect me."