Mothers Are Awesome!

Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.  Proverbs 23:25 (ESV)

The United States just recently celebrated Mother's Day.  While many could complain that it has been highly commercialized, which it has, some people chose to celebrate it with their moms and show their appreciation for their mom's efforts to raise them.

I spent part of Mother's Day with my mom and one of my grandmothers.  My move back to my home state allowed me a chance to do more than just a phone call for Mother's Day.  My mom is great (even if she didn't want us to pay for her dinner on Sunday).  She set an example for my brother and I to follow.  She's a prayer warrior just like her mom.  She has a great listening ear for when I need someone to talk to.

We are molded by our mothers, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad.  I'm not blind to the fact that there are people out there who have done a horrible, terrible job of being parents.  This does not mean that we are not responsible for our own choices and actions.  We learned how to treat people based on how our moms treated people.  Maybe we learned how NOT to do something because we were embarrassed by our mom's actions or didn't like how our mom did something.

Some women are unable to physically have children.  Those women so desire to have a child that I ache for them in their sadness.  It pains them to see those who can have children misuse this ability and gift.

Ladies, I think we all have the opportunity to be a "mom" to someone at some point in our lives.  Some sisters in the Convent do have physical children but many do not. As a pastor friend put it so nicely, we can be a "mother at heart" even if God has not chosen for us to be a physical mother.  Maybe you have an opportunity to be a "mother at heart" through volunteer activities or even your job.  Maybe you can be the support that another mom needs as she raises her kids. 

So, my female readers, are you a "mother at heart?" 

Sister Jane

Romans 14:8

ps: to my readers in Germany and Russia, thank you for reading the blog!  
pss: major apologies for the choppiness of this post.  I'd tried to smooth it out but it didn't work like I wanted.

What's In a Name?

... and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.  Matthew 1:21 (ESV)

... He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.  Luke 2:21 (ESV)

 ... and shall call His name Immanuel.  Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)

...and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

When we are born, our parents give us a name.  The name we bear may have special meaning.  Maybe it's a family name.  Maybe we were named after someone special in our parents' lives and they thought us worthy to carry that name.  The name we bear may not have any special meaning.  Maybe our parents liked the sound of our name.  Maybe they wanted to give a name that couldn't be shortened into a nickname.  Maybe we bear a name that is different and unique from any other name.

It's possible that we do not use the name that we received at birth.  Maybe we go by our middle name instead of our first name.  Maybe we are called by a nickname that isn't even close to a shortened version of our first name.  Maybe we think names aren't special.  Remember that Shakespeare quote:

"What's in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet." from Romeo and Juliet

Admittedly I jumped on the idea of a virtual convent because I was upset by the loss of someone who I thought cared for me.  At first I wanted to call the convent the "Sisters That Need No Mister" but as this is a religious convent it almost gave the meaning that we don't need God in our lives.  I thought the name through a couple more times and decided that adding an "s" to the end of "Mister" would solve the problem. 

The Convent and blog have provided me with the opportunity to pick a new name for myself.  This is not because I don't like or appreciate the name my parents gave me. Due to the public nature of what is written here, I decided to use a nom de plume for my own safety.  (There are crazy people out there, you know.)  After making this decision, I took time to think about the name I would give myself.  What kind of meaning did I want my new name to have?  I thought about names that I've used before on message boards I used in college.  I thought about names that I would have given my own daughter if I were to ever have one.  I thought about names that I liked in general.  In the end I chose Sister Jane because it is the name of the main character in my favorite book Jane Eyre.  Jane is a character that was able to hold up her head through many difficulties.  She kept pressing on through the struggles in her life.  Yes, Jane has been considered a plain, simple name but I needed a name that would remind me of a simple fact that God loves me and has my best interests in mind (Romans 8:28). Jane is also the name I would have given my own daughter as a middle name if I were to marry and have children of my own. 

This post began with a series of verses that point to the names of our Savior.  The names of Christ have a lot of meaning.  Christ's earthly parents were told what to name their son indicating that He was born to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21).  He was born to be "God with us" (Isaiah 7:14).  That's pretty cool!  Think about it.  God is WITH us! To be "with" someone is to be completely and utterly present; that's my interpretation of the word, anyway.  God is "completely and utterly present" in our lives.  This is an awesome thought! 

Christ's names reflect who He is.  He is a counselor, the mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace, with us, and savior.  I know that some would argue that Christ doesn't reflect peace.  "Look at all of the conflict going on in the world today," they might say.    I'm not blind to the fact that this world is full of conflict.  My prince provides peace to His children.  "...for those who love God all things work together for good..." Romans 8:28 (ESV).  The peace provided is not something the rest of the world can understand.  It is a peace that comes from knowing that even in the midst of conflict, God has a plan and He is working it out.  What is happening is not without purpose.  If you aren't a Christian, this doesn't sound peaceful.  You are correct because you are looking at this as an outsider.  I don't expect you to truly understand that the names of Christ truly reflect who He is and what He does for His family.

So, what is really in a name?  In my opinion, nothing.  A name is a name.  A name does not determine who we are, what we do, or what our purpose in life will be.  My name, your name, our names should not define us.  Although, our names can reflect who we are. Simon was given the name Peter to reflect what he was to become: the rock upon which the church was to be built (Matthew 16:18).  Read Peter's first sermon.  There the working of the Holy Spirit through Peter's sermon increased the Christian family by 3,000 (Acts 2:14-41).  Are you reflecting the work God is doing in your life?  If you could rename yourself, what name would you choose?  A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches... Proverbs 22:1 (ESV) Would the name you choose reflect His work in you?  I hope so.

Sister Jane

Romans 14:8

ps: While the Convent has been created to support single women, I hope that these blog posts have been meaningful all who read them: female, male, single, or married.

Up for a challenge?

So, are you up for a challenge?  I know I am.  

Truly, I don't always respond positively to challenges but this is one that I think God wants me to accept.  Would you be willing to join the Sisters of the convent as we challenge ourselves this next year?  What is the challenge you may ask?  Well, we have challenged ourselves to read through the Bible again this next year.  Some of us were able to meet the challenge last year and want to challenge ourselves to do it again.  Additionally we have challenged ourselves to pray for the entire world this next year.  This challenge was not met very well last year so we decided to challenge ourselves again. 

Why read the Word? Why not!  If I truly love my savior, wouldn't I want to listen to Him and get to know Him better?  A quick glance through Psalms 119 gave the Sisters enough reasons to choose to repeat the scripture reading challenge this next year.

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.  Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me... I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word...Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.  Psalm 119:97-98, 101, 104 (ESV)

The scripture is full of references I could use to convince you to make the choice to read His Word.  Go ahead, read the Word and find some for yourself.   I can't give all of the references to you; that wouldn't make this a challenge for you.

Why pray for the world?  Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 (ESV) We need to pray that the Lord's work continue in all countries around the world.  His Word needs to spread.  I can't personally travel to all of the countries around the world and share the gospel.  God has not provided me with those kinds of funds but He also hasn't gifted me with the ability to speak many languages to make the sharing of His Word possible. He has provided me with a desire to pray that others fulfill His work abroad while I seek to fulfill His work here.  My job, my church, and the Convent are my ministry locations; my Jerusalem (Acts 1:8.) I will pray for and support those who have been called of God to go out into the rest of the world to do His work.

If you've decided to join the Sisters, we have posted our Bible Reading and Prayer Calendar on the Convent's website for assistance as you meet your challenge this next year.  If two challenges are too much for you, just pick one challenge to meet this year.

Please join the Sisters in our challenge.  May God speak to you and guide you as you dig deeper into His Word.

Sister Jane

Romans 14:8

ps: For those who know Sister Jane personally, thank you for letting me know that you've been reading the blog.  It warms my heart. 

Milestones

A year ago, I lived in a different state.  A state that I moved to because I couldn't find a job in my home-state.  I lived in this other state for a little over four years before God called me back to my home-state.  This move was met with tears of joy and sorrow by both me and my friends in the other state and my home-state.  This other state had a little country church that I attended for most of the time I lived there.  It wasn't until the fall before I moved back that I finally started attending a Sunday School class at that little country church.  I know that some questioned why it took me so long but I had my reasons.  Ever since my move to the state, I'd been wanting to go back to my home-state.  I knew that once I started attending Sunday School the relationships I would have at the church would grow and deepen making it harder to leave when God answered my prayer to return to my home-state.

I joined the Sunday School class as the class was working through the book Radical by David Platt.  If you haven't read it, you should.  As we finished the book in class, we were challenged by our teacher to do the Radical Experiment for a year, beginning April 24, 2011.  I don't mention the book or the experiment because I'm trying to sell you something; far from it.  I mention the experiment because it is a good thing for you to consider.

As I looked at the 5 challenges I needed to work on for the year, I realized that a couple of them were things that I was already doing.  I also realized that there were a couple that I needed to do.  I set out this past year to read the entire Bible through in a year.  I also started working on the challenge to pray for the entire world throughout the year but I was unable to keep up on that challenge.  I did pray every night as I did my Bible reading but I wasn't able to keep up with the countries.

By God's grace I was able to read the Bible through this past year and this past Saturday I finished the last couple chapters of Revelation to meet the challenge.  I've been a Christian for a number of years; I've grown up in a Christian home; and I've attending Christian school and Christian university.  Unfortunately, I've never read the entire Bible through before this past year.  God's Word is pretty cool!

Did I understand everything I read? No.  Did I learn a lot? Yes!  Nehemiah is my new hero.  I loved reading that girls worked on the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:12.)  I quietly celebrated this milestone by getting a new Bible for myself.  I love my old Bible (Scofield KJV) but many of my friends  have been recommending the ESV Study Bible so I chose this as my reward. I'm not setting it aside to use it only on Sundays but have challenged myself again to read through the Bible this next year with the additional challenge to pray for the entire world this year.  Sometimes I can only meet one challenge at a time.  Now that the Bible reading is a habit, adding in prayer for the world won't be as hard.  Yeah, there'll be a lot more books for me to take with me on trips but getting into into His Word and praying for His world is important.

What milestones have you reached in your life?  Have you set goals and met them?  I challenge you to look at the Radical Experiment.  Meeting all 5 challenges can be difficult but if you were to only pick one challenge, I strongly urge you to read the Bible through in a year.  The long list of "begats" in the Old Testament can drive you nuts but have a study Bible nearby and that might help make sense of the lineages you read.  Reading the Word can only help bring you closer to God.

Read the Bible. You'll be glad you did!

Sister Jane

Being Like Epaphras

"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God." Colossians 4:12 (ESV)

A couple months ago I was able to speak at a ladies event at my church.  I was surprised to be asked and thankful for the opportunity.  In God's awesome way He knew that I was going to do this and provided me with lots of time to prepare.  I sought out a pastor friend for suggestions on scripture passages and I humbly received two of his sets of sermon notes.  What a great starting point those sermons turned out to be!

As I would sit through Sunday School and church services and while reading my Bible at night, I would come across scripture that dealt with prayer and write it down on a list.  I happened to be doing a lot of reading through the Old Testament at the time and so as I prepared my "sermon" many of the verses were from the OT.  Sometimes we Christians forget that the Old Testament has a wealth of knowledge and information.  The old covenant pointed to the new covenant.

Anywho, I'm getting away from the intent of this post.  Let's get back on track, shall we...

I find this verse about Epaphras powerful.  I start to ask myself lots of questions as I reflect on this verse.  Do I pray for others? How do I pray for others? Am I praying that others grow mature in their walk with the Lord? Am I praying that God's will be done?  Often I am unable to answer these questions in the way they should be answered.  Humbling, but not in a good way.

My walk with Christ continues to grow; this is as it should be.  If it wasn't growing, I better be dead.  The example of Epaphras reminds me that I have a lot of growing to do.  My challenge to myself and to those who read this blog is to follow Epaphras' example: pray for others to mature and be in the will of God.

Are you up to the challenge?

Sister Jane

The Iron Lady

I watched the movie The Iron Lady this evening.  You know, the one with Meryl Streep.  As a fan of history, I usually enjoy watching movies like this.  I did enjoy this movie.  If you had seen me about halfway through, though, you would have seen tears streaming down my face.  Was it because the movie was sad?  No.  Was it a romantic movie that required crying? No.

I cried because the movie portrayed a woman who after years of service and the loss of a husband continued to see the husband in her daily life.  She was loosing her mind but her husband, the love of her life, was still with her.  I cried because that is what I want.  I'm bound to have dementia in my old age (both grandmothers have it) and will probably be that little old lady in the nursing home that swears like a sailor because I don't know how to control what I say anymore.  It sounds crazy but I would be okay with loosing my mind to the present world as long as the love of my life was by my side in my dementia imagination.  I really would be okay with that. 

I'm back to crying again, darn it, because I have to let this idea go.  It won't happen to me.  Marriage requires 2 people to agree to the marriage.  I may want to marry a guy but if he's not okay with the idea, I'm out of luck.  Yes, this is hard to accept but I can't force the person to agree with me.

I've been trained and raised to be a wife and mother.  Sometimes I just feel useless because God doesn't want me to use my training.  I don't get it.  I'm trying to understand but I just don't.  

Singlehood Ho! 

Sister Jane 

The Beginning...

Hi!  I'm a single Christian woman and I think that the Catholics have too long had a monopoly on the convent.  This idea has run through my head for quite a while now.  Those in a convent are not expected to marry.  I'm at an age where I doubt that I will.  Two failed relationships have set me on the path to create a convent.  I'm not sure there will ever be a physical convent (it would be cool if it did happen) but a virtual one is a great start.

I've grown up in a Christian home and have listened to numerous religious programs throughout my life.  I'm getting to the point where I don't want to hear about the marriage relationship when I'm not in one.  As our society has grown, women have had more opportunities to work outside the home, to become more independent, to live life without a husband providing for their needs. 

Often I sense a contradiction in Scripture when Paul talks about women not being allowed to speak up in church but they are to ask their husbands at home their questions about spiritual things (1 Corinthians 14:34-35.)  How am I to ask my husband at home when I don't have one?  How am I to make sense of this when Paul elsewhere says that it is better for people to be single? (1 Corinthians 7:7-9, 34)  Paul, I don't get you. Did you mean only for men to be single?  Or am I to marry and pray to be a widow to meet your declaration?  How am I to care for the things of the Lord if I have a question and have no husband to answer my scriptural questions? 

I'm still sorting this out though prayer and reading of scripture.  I know that God has answers for my questions, I just don't have those answers yet.  Was I given a brain and not expected to use it?

Sister Jane