Women's Scars

"Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me. Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh? Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!" Job 19:21-24 KJV

What are Scars?

Scars are wounds that have left a mark. Some wounds are old and some are new. Some are still painful and sore. Some wounds have dried up unto scars. Scars can be in obvious places and others are hidden. Yet one notable thing about a scar is that it is permanent. It's not something that easy to forget or let go of.

Women's Scars:

I want to share with you some "scars" that other women have share with me. These are hidden scars. They are ones that are very personal. I know someone who: 

      *can't get pregnant.

      *had a preemie/NICU baby.

      *had a miscarriage.

      *cares for special needs children/adults.

      *has/had depression.

      *lost a family member to tragic death/suicide.

      *was a victim of sexual/physical abuse.

Make a Choice:

Each woman that you and I know personally has a permanent "scar". Truthfully, we ourselves even have a "scar".

We need to stop looking at women's unpleasant/mean appearance and judging their actions of anger, rudeness or frustration. We need to remember that the women that we see/talk to have a hidden "scar". We don't know the burden she bears... maybe even daily. We don't know what she has been through.

Be Ye Kind:

"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32 KJV

Forgive others for hurting us by their words or actions. Be kind to them instead. Let's remember our own past and the "scars" we bear.

God Cares:

God is the ULTIMATE comforter. Draw high unto Him and He'll draw nigh unto us. (James 4:8) Seek Him daily and hourly. He can help us through each pain/trial.  He can heal you and make you whole again. (Psalm 30:2)

The Book of Psalms is a great book to read to see how God comforts and keeps his children. A favorite of mine is Psalm 34.

Keep a Prayer Journal

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4

"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." 1 John 3:22

Before you Begin:

If you want to have a successful prayer journal, then you must please the Lord by putting Him first. Ask yourself these questions. Do I seek the Lord daily? Am I reading my Bible consistently? Is God my priority? God will draw nigh unto is, if we first draw nigh unto him. 

What is a Prayer Journal?

It is sharing your heart with God. It's something you do consistently, even daily. It's writing out prayer requests and petitions, pleads and concerns. You are even sharing your deepest desires and dreams. But you must believe that He can answer them. You must trust Him to make them come true.

What to Write?

Here is an example of a entry:

February 18th, 2014
* Get my laundry and ironing done today.
* To own a piano and violin.
* Stay consistent in my Bible reading.

Explain:

First, date your entries. It is amazing to watch God answer your prayers and to see when they get answered. Some prayers may be answered immediately, some over a long period of time, and others are answered in different way. But if you don't date them, you'll never know. I have prayers writing down from 2002... that are now being answered! :D God never stops working on your prayers.

Second, be personal. Write prayers first for yourself. What do you want? It could be marriage, passing a course in college, writing a book, or learning something new? What's your passions? Write these down in your prayer journal. Ask God to help you succeed. Give your heart's desire to Him and trust him to fulfill it. Second write down prayers for those you love: parents, spouse, children, and friends. Third, you could pray for leaders in your church, leaders in your business, and leaders of our government.

Third, be very specific. General prayers are not going to be visible seen as answered. General prayers are not helpful. I need my laundry done and to see God do something beyond me... I would like it to be done today. (That would be a miracle.) Specific prayers strengthens our faith and show us what God can do.

Fourth, be honest with yourself and GOD. Do you really need a million dollars? Are you faithful with the income you have now? Do you really want to own a house and carry the responsibility for it? Are you being a good steward with the small place you live in right now? Sometime we ask for things that we know we can't handle right now. Maybe later... as our faith grows, God will give you more. So be honest.

Fifth, thank GOD for every answered prayer. Give God the glory for what He has done for you. Share with others the goodness He has shown you. Praise him for His care for you, your needs, and your dreams. :D

Why Should You do It?

I can tell you from my personal experience of doing this from 2002 til now. I have seen God do miracles. Small.. like providing for a double stroller. BIG... like allowing a family a five with a small income to travel via airplane on a trip last year. Yes, that happened. :D

My faith has grown so much...  that now I wonder how BIG I can dream my prayer requests to be! God can do the same thing with you and your prayers, so begin a journal today! :D

Your sister in Christ,
Yuliya Lee 

The Story behind "Joy-Givers"

"for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10b

Lonely in the Ministry:

My husband works at our church and I am a stay-at-home mom of three very little girls. He is involved in several ministries and enjoys working for The Lord. We have a shared passion to minister to others. Well, it was hard at first, because I began to feel lonely and left out. I couldn't go to all the activities or participate in everything he was doing... and being at home with kids made it hard for me to stay connected with other women. So I started to wonder if other women I knew felt the same way...

I looked through my facebook and saw that I knew over ten women whose husbands also worked for a church or they ministered together in church. They live all over the United States. I wanted to created a facebook page to reach out to them and encourage them. I want to share my stories and spiritual growth with them to uplift them... and to let them know they weren't alone. I wanted to make them smile and say "With God, nothing is impossible". :D I know several good women who are trying to live for The Lord and loving others through prayer, through hospitality, through encouragement, and through friendship.

A Phone Call:

One friend, in particular, Sara Barker, a sweet newly wed lady that lives in California, texted me in December, and told me that she had an idea that she believed The Lord put on her heart and that He had brought me to mind to share it with her. Hmm... I wondered. I have no idea what it was, but I'll call her... Well, she began to say, "Yuliya... I want to encourage women. I want to make them laugh. I want to share personal stories and devotions with them. But I believe God wants me to do this together with you." I literally got goosebumps. I couldn't believe that God had put this idea on someone else. I couldn't believe that someone else had been praying and pondering how to be a blessing to others through writing blogs and social media.

Preparation:

So we began to pray and plan together. We had phone coffee dates. :) Each week, we'd come up with new ideas and shared them. We'd take notes and we'd pray some more. We decided to name ourselves as "Joy-givers". God gives us true Joy and we want to share that Joy with others. Sara and I are devoted to God's Word and desire to grow spiritually. Everything we learn and receive from God, we want to pass along to our dear friends. 

Joy-Givers is official today:

As we open this page to you, our dear friends, please follow us. Daily, we will have something for you that we pray will draw you nearer to our Lord and Saviour. Sara and I will also blog on a weekly basis. We will cover topics such as Prayer, Marriage, Single life, Just Us Woman, Tempations, Children, and the Home. We are praying for each person that reads our blogs and follows our page. We want to reach out and connect with you all.

Thank you all for your love, your precious time, and your support.

Your sister in Christ,

Yuliya

PS. Here is the link to the page directly: https://www.facebook.com/joygivers14

An Impossible Dream (Solo part)

Childhood Dreams:

When I was little, I was a BIG dreamer. I had so many dreams... be a mom, travel the world, live on the coastside of Maine, own a restaurant/cafe, write a book, be an artistic designer, play the fiddle and sing a solo. Some dreams are obtainable: I became a mom (3 times). Some dreams may never happen: don't think I'll ever live in Maine. But the hardest ones are the impossible dreams. They provide the most obstacles. For me: it's singing a solo.

Why is it impossible?

I don't really have a "solo/duet" voice. At 18, I joined a worship group of five people... that lasted one Sunday. At the time, I had a friend who was a very talented singer.... She said something that I've never forgotten. A good singer with a good ear has a hard time listening to someone sing off-key. OUCH. 

At 21, I considered joining a 20-ish choir group. Why would I, you ask? because I love to sing praises to Jesus and thank Him for all He's done for me. :D

Every week for several years that I'd go to choir practice, I would face obstacles. Those who could sing challenged me to sing "higher" and not to be "flat". IT was SO Painful. Sometimes I wanted to quit... wait, many times I wanted to!

Success??

No, I still have not sang a duet/solo. But I can honestly say that I'm 100 times better than when I first started choir. I know it. Yes, there are still times I wonder if I make those around me cringe or laugh.... because I sang off-key. But I'm no longer discouraged or feel embarrassed. 

I started noticing that I could hear if I was off or if I was on track. I wasn't told to sing "higher" or that I was "flat" as often. I started singing more confidently. 

But my favorite is when I tried out for a duet a few years ago... yes, I actually tried out for it. I felt brave. The first time, myy choir director heard me, he wasn't too excited about it; but the second time he heard me, he said I was 400 times better. WOW! 

Wait, I could actually sing a duet??........
It was possible?

Encouragement for YOU:

Dreams are not impossible. Persevere. Don't give up. Don't worry what others think. If they challenge you, learn from it. If you do it for God, do your best and glorify Him with it!

I leave you with this Bible verse: "And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." 1 Samuel 30:6

Encourage yourself in the Lord. Stay focused on Him. We do everything for an audience of One: GOD.

Mom the Baker (Priorities)

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land whither I bring you, Then it shall be, that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up an heave offering unto the LORD. Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough [for] an heave offering: as [ye do] the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it. Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering in your generations." Numbers 15:19-21

Mom the Baker:

My mom is an incredible baker. She makes the most amazing rye, wheat and sourdough breads. She makes delicious caramel cheesecakes and cinnamon rolls. She is known for her cranberry scones. She has fans and even paying customers.

She loves just to bake. She puts love and great effort into making the very best and moist breads and pastries. It's a hard work and time-consuming to kneading the dough.

Now, imagine the Israelite mother as she makes her week's worth of bread, she takes a portion of it... the first portion and gives it to the Lord.

Priorities:

We belong to the Lord. Everything we have, even our lives, is a gift from God. He created us and He saved us from our sins. (Hebrews 12:1-2) 

And yet, we can choose to dedicate a portion of our day to the Lord. God says to give ten percent to him... typically, I know, we think of income, but as I read God's Word, I see Him ask us to give ten percent or a portion of everything.... of our bread dough, even. :D

So I calculated what ten percent of a day (not sleeping portion) is... and it is one hour and thirty minutes.

Have you set aside one hour and thirty minutes to spend with God today? 

Why not use that time to pray for God's help to today? Why not read your Bible and ask God to open your eyes to His wisdom and knowledge?

Trust me, It's worth it.