Moving With Moses and the Women in His Life

A couple of weeks ago I compared a contemporary move to Mrs. Noah's move, you know her trip on the ark, and what a trip it must have been!

Another family, later in the Biblical story, also took a trip - - -on an ark. Do you recall the four whose lives and future changed because of a little ark that saved the life of a three-month-old baby boy?

Moses, his mother Jochebed, Miriam his sister, and the Pharaoh’s daughter, an Egyptian princess each moved emotionally, spiritually, and, in the case of Miriam, physically, because of a choice one woman made: Jochebed - to move from her comfort zone, in order to save her baby. Little did she know it would spawn one of the greatest mass movements in history - the Exodus of the Israelites.

For the next weeks, we will look at Moses and the women in his life who were affected by moves, moves pre-ordained by God, in whom we live and move and have our being.

Today let's look at Jochebed whose story can be found in Exodus 1-2:10 (background included) and 6:20.

Moves include the unknown, decisions that impact the future, choices that save or destroy, and against-the-flow adventures. Would you agree?

Moses' birth occurred during a horrific time in the life of the Israelite slaves. Imagine knowing your child would be killed shortly after his birth. Jochebed had to make a move. Either she could stand by and allow the midwives to destroy her child or she could move toward God and ask for comfort and direction. She chose to put her baby boy in a basket and float him out into the waters. What a brave woman. What a move!

If you are a move-her, you have made similar choices. You have sent your children off to new situations and sat by trusting a new teacher to give your child the necessary tools for life.

That is exactly what the princess did! She equipped Moses with an education that moved him from the palace to the pasture. Both careers prepared him for the mass Exodus he would eventually lead.

As move-hers, we can trust God when He calls us to make moves that might wrap our emotions in fear. We can look to Jochedbed and Miriam who stepped out of the norm, little knowing that their move would save a nation.

Maybe your move isn't so dramatic. Just remember, in God's divine plan all moves have a purpose. Let me challenge you to step out in submission and ask God to give you courage for the adventure. Who knows who you might meet and who in your new life may be seeking salvation!

the little china chest that taught us the value of financial planning.

Could you use $1000? I have a challenge for you! Read on...

Recently I asked a friend of mine if she had ever been in debt. "You betcha!" she answered. She graduated from college with loans to pay off. She was also single so there was no double income to help her with the process. My friend told me her story of loans and debt. She became so desperate she finally went to God for help.

Why do we ignore God when He should be our first source of direction?

She could see no way out until she decided to promise God that, in the midst of her financial troubles, she would give Him 10% with each paycheck. She doesn't know how it happened, but slowly her debt decreased. Here would come a bonus out of nowhere. Her parents would send her a larger-than-usual check for her birthday. She stopped browsing the mall and chose to spend her spare time working with unwed teen mothers. When she was busy, she couldn't easily spend money

Now she is rethinking her financial situation. She is out of debt and living within her means, but she is challenging herself to buy only the essentials for the next 30 days. She says she just wants the challenge. She would like to be able to give a nice gift to the home for unwed mothers.

Why is she entertaining this unnecessary challenge?

She found two articles of clothing in her closet that she bought last year and each still sports a price tag. She never wore them!

She realized that there are too many purchases that are unncecessary. She can't account for them when her credit card bill (which she pays off each month)comes due.

I am also challenging myself. I have decided that I want to have $1,000.00 by this time next year to use in a discretionary way.Most recently I helped scholarship someone to She Speaks. Maybe you would like to join me. Here are some ideas. Let us know if you have some more thoughts on saving a few bucks here and there.


Save $1 a day in change: 365
Save $5 a week by not eating out: 260
Save $100 one month by spending money only paying
necessary bills: only water for a month, no soft drinks,
no chips, or store bought snacks.No eating out, no
impulse purchases... 100
Save $4 a week for 6 months by playing games with the
family every other week rather than renting and watching movies: 96
Save $3.50 each month by avoiding the purchase of that
magazine at the check out counter: 42
Save $40 by shopping at "repeat" shops for everyday,
stay-at-home-and-play clothes. I found the cutest white
capri jeans at Goodwill for $4.00. I love them! Let's say
you buy 5 cute tops at $12 each during the course of a
year. You will spend $60. You can probably find 5 cute
tops at a "repeat" shop for no more than $15. Put $40 into
your kitty! 40
Save at least $100 by serving popcorn, lemonade, and
apple slices instead of a full blown meal twice a month.
What a wonderful break for mom and kids will love the
snack supper while playing games! 100
Grand total: $1003.00

There is so much we can do with $1000,00! Why it would be enough to treat ourselves to She Speaks next year and have money left over to take the family out on the town, to an amusement park, or on a fun first-day-of-summer-let's-each-get-a-new whatever... shopping spree!!

Do you have some unique ways to save a few dollars toward filling a pot with $1,000? Please share it with us.

Here I go - pennines into my change jar.

WAITING FOR SUMMER

Tonight in our Bible study on -Wait Training we took some light- hearted steps into our past and talked about summer, how, when we were little, we couldn’t wait for summer!

Couldn’t wait for the freedom of riding bikes all over the neighborhood.

Couldn’t wait for the neighborhood pool to open where we spent hours every day.

Couldn’t wait for family vacation because then we had Daddy’s undivided attention!

Couldn’t wait for the yearly trip to the beach.

Couldn’t wait for Grandma to arrive with favorite cousins in tow.

Couldn’t wait for the family reunion in the mountains when all the kids stayed in one cabin.

Couldn’t wait ‘til summer camp with bon fires and capture the flag competitions.

Couldn’t wait for the freedom of choosing books out of the library and reading them because we wanted to, not because they were requited reading.

What about your summers? What memories do you have of the break in routine, yet the regularity with which you passed the long lazy days?

Summertime is full of anticipation when we wait happily for all the fun and adventurous activities.

But what if what you are waiting for holds no joy. What if you are waiting for something to happen and it seems it may never take place. What if you are waiting for a child to understand the errors of her ways. What if you don’t have a job and the money in your savings account is dwindling. How does one wait for a job to come through? What if a loved one has a scary diagnosis. The results have not ben revealed

Waiting is one of lifes biggest challenges. None of us likes to wait! What if…

-you got in line at the amusement park and announced, “ I love waiting in these long lines!”

-you told your teenager at three in the morning after she has come home, “Honey I am so glad you kept me up tonight. I love waiting up for you!”

-you jumped up and down for joy when you called the air conditioner man and he announced it would be two weeks before he could repair your AC-in the summer!

How do you wait? Have you ever heard these words, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice.” When waiting, can you rejoice?

The key to waiting gracefully is to rejoice in the midst of your circumstances. God has allowed the time trial to happen, now it is time to allow the trial to strengthen and build.

Next time you find yourself struggling with “wait” open your mouth and praise God. You will see that by a miraculously divine design your wait will lift. Let’s not focus on the difficulty. Let’s put our hope in God and look to Him as the source of our joy!

I know Job, Jeremiah,Paul and Silas faced horrible circumstances: loss of everything, exile, and imprisonment. Yet, each one emerged a stronger and better person. Let's take the challenge: the next time a wait threatens to crush and destroy, let's praise God, fall down and worship Him.

WHEN GOD MOVES ME

Most of us don't like change and we certainly do not like being moved out of our comfort zones. But when we obey God's calling and move toward the destination He has prepared for us, the blessings overflow.

I am still standing in amazement at eleven women I met Friday night. Each one told a tiny bit of her story, illustrating that moving is a good thing. The women you see in this picture were hand picked by God to spend a precious moment in eternity together. From all directions each moved toward Charlotte beginning several months ago as they heard and felt God's call.

"Take a step of faith. Do it even if it feels uncomfortable."

Few people cherish a move, but once we step out, the lessson we learn erase all feelings of discomfort.

Each of the ladies in my group has moved! You know what? I am not so sure that any of them has ever moved - like a corporate transfer or a relocation. But I can tell you each of the ladies in my group has moved hundreds of spiritual miles into a place of deep meaning, into a place of secure comfort, a place like no other in the entire universe.

You see each of the ladies in my evaluation group has moved from her past and stepped into her future where her life shines forth with dignity and confidence knowing God will never ever abandon her.

These are the moves my new friends have made:

From shame to dignity, from a once abused woman to God's daughter

From saddness to purpose, from infertility to laughter and joy

From abandoned at the altar to embrassed by the king of the universe

From worried to care free, from what would they think to I only care what Jesus thinks

From drug addiction to Jesus set free

From desperation and self destruction to pouring life into hundreds of children

From "I'll do whatever it takes to be his girl" to " I'll do whatever it takes to seal my soul in eternity."

From drowning in loneliness to seeing Jesus in others

From the pain of losing a mother to brain trauma to trusting in God whose ways are always higher than our own

From mistakes that could have crushed and destroyed to surrender that set free to soar...

It is possible to move!

Whether God has called us to leave home and move from one coast to the other or wheter He has challenged us to set aside our own agenda to fulfill his commission we are always on the move. I prase God for the wonderful women who took the first step and moved into my heart.

I am a better person for having been invited into your story.

You moved me!