Did you guess who I was referring to? Did you guess Peter? I was actually referring to Paul (“Paul, an apostle-not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father…” Gal. 1:1). While finishing up the book of Romans, I came across a verse and this little verse held my thoughts captive throughout the day. Paul the greatest apostle and New Testament writer, in his letter to the Romans wrote:
“Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be His very own, and also his dear mother who has been a mother to me.”(Romans 16:13)
Even a profoundly gifted apostle, who God used in such an extraordinary way; was still in need of some mothering. Mothering can be defined as “act or an instance of treating 
someone with great care and affection.” I started to think about several powerful men who have ‘fallen’ from places of influence and I wonder how many of them thought they were “too old” to need any “spiritual mothering.” Forty-four years ago, my husband and I were BOTH “mothered” by a wonderful woman of God named Mamie Hinch. She profoundly impacted us with her passion for Jesus and her many acts of encouragement to each of us as we struggled to live with intentional, focus on Jesus in a world where apathy was the norm and passion for Jesus was exceptional. Mamie would call us “her children” and she was like Rufus’ mother-showing Ken and I such great care and affection. This “spiritual mother” daily lived the principle in Hebrews 10:24
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”
Like Paul the apostle, Ken and I were “mothered” spiritually by the same woman and her passion for God’s Word, forty-four years later is on display in our lives. Question: Are you a “spiritual mother or father” to someone at this time?
I have groaned more in the last 12 months than I have in years. I have listened to so many painful situations in the lives of people I love that my groaning has sometimes felt suffocating. One time in the middle of such deep groaning, I cried out to the Lord for a fresh word on bringing God glory in the midst of groaning. I know what it is like to trust God when facing the unimaginable but I needed fresh insight on bringing glory to God from a place of groaning. The answer began with a passage in Romans 8:18-26 where the word groaning was used. I found three groups groaning: creation (v. 22), Christians (v. 23) and Holy Spirit (v. 26).
Mother-Daughter Conferences. Those were times I knew I would cherish forever. When she got married and went off to seminary with her husband, I said goodbye to that “Mother-Daughter Tag Team.” Well, several months ago, Jessi asked me if I would be willing to do a women’s conference for the women at her church. As the co-pastor’s wife, Jessi is in charge of this particular event. I was thrilled to be asked and shouted YES! Besides the privilege of encouraging the women she serves, I also get the privilege of serving with my daughter. Jessi will do the music and I will teach. Now all this seems simple until I started thinking about the conservative group of women that Jessi ministers to–and I suddenly was anxious about giving the women a heart attack! Even Jessi’s husband warned her that she needed to be prepared that some of the women might consider me a LITTLE OVER THE TOP!
everyone this way, O Sovereign LORD?” For two years I have been mentoring a young mother (via emails) who is learning how to allow God to bring good out of the broken places in her heart. Recently I had blessed her with some of my journaling nuggets and she concluded her thank you with the phrase, HEARTFULL-A Waterfall of Gratitude. Her remark just washed over me and it captured what II Samuel 7:18-20 caused in my soul, A Waterfall of Gratitude.
instructions!!” Oh to GRIP the word of God like our lives depend on it (because they do!). This was a wonderful nugget to my heart today! Love you wild woman, forever grateful that 2+ years ago you told me that the Word of God would be the very thing that would heal my heart. Over 700 days later I am absolutely hooked to Papa’s medicine with a Chuck Norris grip! P.S. I am LOVING my one year bible, more than any other devo format I have used and so are the other 20 gals doing it with me. They don’t know the idea to buy the One Year bible came down from you. I told the group how you are doing it for your grandkids (this year I am personalizing a message each day to Emma Grace) and now TWO of the ladies are marking up their bibles with specific notes for their grandkids. Like a little mini food chain…one feeds the other…shares…feeds another!! Love you. Christina”
opposition. I looked at the verb “born” and found the word “midwife”. As I meditated on the reality that ‘a brother is the MIDWIFE for adversity’, I decided to look at the term “midwife”. We assume it refers to child birth and that is one definition but the second definition for “midwife” is: “one who assists in or takes part in bringing about a result”. The light came on as I realized that we as Christians have the privilege of assisting our siblings during their time of crisis. Each of us as a Spiritual Midwife can help “bring about the results that God intends”. The Spiritual Midwife’s presence during a time of crisis, gives the one facing the adversity the courage to continue and hope in God’s faithfulness.
If I typed Thank You in every known language, it would not express the depth of Ken’s and my gratitude for the sacrificial giving to our ministry account at the end of 2013. For months Ken and I have been praying and discussing the serious need in our ministry account. We were so busy serving this fall, that we honestly didn’t have the time to call everyone of our support team and tell them of our very specific need. We just kept praying and serving and refusing to be prisoners of doubt. We were counting on God’s holy nudge in the hearts of people who would choose to send funds to the ministry at the end of the year. Major THANKS for those who listened to the holy nudge.