“David said, ‘My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced.And since the Temple to be built for the LORD must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now. So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death. I worked hard to provide materials for building the Temple of the LORD, nearly 4,000 tons of gold, 40,000 tons of silver, and so much iron and bronze that it cannot be weighed”

(I Chron. 22:5,14)

These verses and chapters 28 and 29 of I Chronicles spoke so deeply to my heart. First you have a father, King David, who in his final years is laboring to prepare to help his son fulfill his God given assignment, even after David has died. Secondly, I began to consider that when I wrote the book, The Mentoring Mom, I was providing some cedar logs, stones, nails and bronze for young moms in fulfilling their God given assignment of discipling (mentoring) their children and the children of their children’s friends! Last but not least, this summer has been filled with many random mentoring moments where Ken and I have given “nails, logs and some silver and gold” to help many of God’s girls who long to fulfill their God given purpose. Whether it was gold for a mission trip or silver wisdom helping two different girls decide which seminary would develop their unique gifting. We were able to give cedar logs of courage in processing the deep heart wound of abuse with a couple girls. These supplies for doing God’s Will continue to flow over the internet and AT&T from our home. Below are some of the recipients:

Devotion under the Stars

JACKIE: Tonight, we are talking about a lady of security and contentment! God has been so good Jackie! I will have to take a picture and send you one of all us girls! Tonight, we are going to be meeting super late because we all work during the day, so I am hoping to have a “Devotion Under the Stars” kind of night. It has been such a joy sharing with these girls your book and all you taught me at PBA! I cannot wait to see you in the fall! (Kelsey)

More: Cedar Logs, Iron Nails, Stones and Bronze

Oh Jackie Jackie Jackie!

I am so excited about all that God is doing. The Bible study went from 3 girls the first night to 11 girls last week. God is so good. This week we focused on Lady of Faith and when I tell you that I felt the Holy Spirit moving in each of those girls, Jackie I am getting the chills even thinking about it!! The girls had so much to say and so much to comment on about how faith is the only thing that sustains you. One of the girls opened up and shared her heart with the group about the struggles she had with her family back home, (she is from Barcelona) and she told us how the Lord is so faithful to those who just believe. She is now so excited about returning to Spain and sharing what she has learned. (We mailed this girl a Spanish version of Lady in Waiting-to share with others when she returns home.) Jackie I am so excited at all that He is teaching these girls! Continue to be praying for each and every one of the girls as they continue this journey to be a lady in waiting, waiting for the Lord’s best for their life. (Brittany)

So glad we are connected. I have begun reading your book “Lady in Waiting” it truly has changed my life. I am no longer on hold! 🙂 God Bless you (Micheleluce )

Have I told you lately how much I love you? Grateful beyond words for our phone time today. You’re the best! (Sami)

Have you ever seen those ladders that have some “give” to them? They are sturdy but can bend a little when someone hurries up them. I told a group of women that I felt the perfect Father’s Day gift would be this ladder. Some 80 women looked at me quite puzzled with this particular gift suggestion. I assured them that I had a perfectly good reason for such a gift. I reminded them about the study we had been doing on the topic, “When a Man Doesn’t Need a Woman.” We had been talking about a woman’s tendency to want to control not only her children, but also her husband.

One of the most common techniques employed by women for control is nagging. Now, women hate the reference to nagging about as much as they hate the jokes about PMS. One day I mustered enough courage to read some of the common references on a nagging woman (see Prov. 19:13; 21:9-19; 27:15). One of the verses implies that a man is better off being a “roof-top dweller” (see Prov. 21:9) than living in a house with a nagging woman. As soon as I finished reading that verse, I saw a man placing a ladder on the side of his house and hurrying up the ladder to his roof. I started laughing at the thought of a man having to sit on his roof to escape his nagging wife and find a moment of peace with the God who made his wife!

Then I thought about the concept of a place that a man can hurry to when his wife begins to nag. So I brainstormed a trip to Home Depot where a woman could buy a ladder and place it on the side of her house with a ribbon around it for Father’s Day. Then the next time Mommy starts nagging Daddy, he can calmly walk out the door, climb the ladder, and wait for her to calm down. I envisioned a whole neighborhood where men were sitting on their roofs just after dinner. Just think of all the fights that this ladder could prevent. What a quiet but potent visual reminder that nagging never changed one individual on planet Earth!

As I thought about the escape ladder, the Lord showed me that most men already have their escape routes down pat, whether it is tinkering in the garage, hunting every weekend (see Prov. 21:19), staring at the TV or computer, or even sitting behind the newspaper. Each man develops his own technique of muting his wife’s voice. The saddest aspect of this reality is; when a man must develop a means of muting out his wife’s nagging voice, he also carelessly mutes out her voice of love, encouragement, wisdom, and respect.

“At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

LUKE 22:61

For me, one of the most incomparable aspects of God’s Word is that I can read a passage more than 50 times and still notice something new and heart wrenching! When I read this passage, 7 words grabbed my heart, “the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Just as Peter finishes denying Jesus for the 3rd time, he receives a “glance from Jesus.” Oh the power of a glance from the Savior, soul wrenching without saying anything. As I thought about this moment in Peter’s life, I began to ponder the impact of a glance from Jesus every time I deny Him. How do I deny Jesus? Every time I do not live the truth that Jesus has taught me through the Word, I am living a denial of the truth. For example, when I am anxious and worried about something, I am denying in practice Jesus’ instruction: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life” (Matt. 6:25).

Oh for a glance from the Savior every time I choose worry over trust. I was considering putting a picture of Jesus in every room of my house, so I would have a visual glance available when I am acting like a “practicing atheist”.