The purpose of The Internet Café is to unite women of faith, regardless of our stage in life, our roles as women, our hair color, our political party, or the church we attend. We believe that one of the best ways to do this is to encourage each other in faith, by our spoken and written words accompanied by a short study each day to challenge and motivate you.
Most of our devotions are written by regular monthly contributors but we do accept submissions...
A Woman Inspired was a vision birthed in the heart of a small group of online friends whose mission was to minister to women online. It all started with the successful venture of a home education online conference and it just took off from there. The first A Woman Inspired Conference, Get Revived 09′, was held on April 6-9 and we had a record breaking number of women registered and even more set free from bondage and inspired to live the life Christ died to give to us.
The ladies at A Woman Inspired know that you want to simplify life so we've created this FREE toolbar just for you!
First of all, the search is powered by Google so you know that you get the best of the best and no personal information is required to install it. It is also virus free, spyware free, easy to install, easy to use, disables pop-ups, enables privacy,it won't slow your computer down and best of all it puts the best of the web (for all of God's girls) into one central location! You can't beat that!
Features include...
Our mandate is given in Exodus 18:20. God wants us to teach our children His principles, His thoughts on family, His plan for our future. Those are His mandates that must be taught at home. Every parent is a teacher. This is not a just a homeschooling conference but also a parenting conference. Please join us for this fun, informative, and encouraging conference from the convenience of your own home!
I have to thank grandma too. More than once I heard her say, "inquiring minds want to know." (with a wink) Not exactly an educational pursuit, more of a supermarket field trip, but inquiring none the less.
Even today these influences are part of my personality. Sometimes I can't just accept the things I read, I need to know more. Just the other day, I came across an excerpt from a book by Oswald Chamber, and my "Inquiring Mind" begged to know more.
"We are not built for the mountains and the dawns and aesthetic affinities, those are for moments of inspiration, that is all. We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle."
~Oswald Chamber
"Moment's of inspiration, that is ALL?" ~Oswald Chamber
"Built for the valley, ordinary stuff?"
WHAT?
Thankfully, with Google at my fingertips, my inquiring mind and I went deeper.
In the preceding text, Chamber's says;
"The test of our spiritual life is the power to descend; if we have the power to rise only, something is wrong. It is a great thing to be on the mount with God, but a man only gets there in order that afterwards he may get down among the devil-possessed and lift them up."
Let me tell you something, I love the lawnchair view.The view from the top. The final ascent.
Sitting in my lawnchair on the TOP of the mountain, sun shining, no distractions, breeze blowing through my hair and I am soaking it all in...maybe even getting a tan.Then it's as if the lawn chair is being shaken,
"Go on, get off! Shoo! Fold it up and get a move on it sister. You weren't meant to STAY here girlfriend! Oh no honey, I need you back in the valley."
The proof of my 'mettle,' (or as Miriam Webster defines it, 'vigor and strength of spirit,') is when I get off my derriere, pick up my lawn chair, and come down off the mountain where I caught a 'glimpse' of heaven and the glory of God. Those times on the mountain are where God 'refuels' us! He uses those moments to refresh our souls and invigorate our spirits!
Peter, James and John could not stay on the mountain where the Transfiguration occurred, (LUKE 9:28 ~36) they had to descend to the valley, where the lowly were living and teach them and inspire them with what they had seen and knew to be the truth.
We are no different, we are called to do the same. Come down! The mountain is a lovely place, it's a safe place. We however, were not meant to climb to the top, unfold our lawn chairs, spread out our blankets and stay.
Oh, maybe for a bit, to take it all in, but our spirits should want to descend to those valleys of the mundane and the trials of life. Girlfriend, WE are, after all, modern day disciples! (I know, I don't often feel like a 'disciple,' but we are! How AMAZING is that?? You and I, disciples!)
We are the ones who are now called to come down and 'share' what we have seen. We are the vessels with which the Lord wishes to use to encourage others to climb to the top and experience that 'glimpse.' We are modern day disciples sharing what we have learned on our journey, sharing so that others can begin their ascent, to catch their glimpse, and for a bit, experience their own lawn chair view.
If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine it, disciples on their way up, and those making the descent, (I imagine us high five~ing as we pass each other on the way) and so it continues on, until the end of time.
That mountain top view is lovely, I have seen it. I've unfolded my lawnchair and lingered at the top, and truth be told, I've been tempted to permanently cement my chair up there. But I was not meant to LIVE there.
"Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples." Matthew 10:38 (GNT)
So, confidently, I fold my chair and begin to walk down, grateful and humbled by the experience to have another view from 'up there.' It is with sleeves rolled up, I descend to do some real work. You know, 'proving my mettle!'
I remain always confident that HE has another 'view from the top' waiting for me, to encourage and refuel me on my way. I'm certain that the lawn chair will not be permanently hidden, just put away, for exactly the time He determines another 'glimpse' is needed.
As I descend, I'm reminded that it pays to have an "inquiring mind." Thanks gram!
join Lori daily at her personal website,all you have to give, where she'll happily let you borrow her lawn chair.
Bless you sweetie.
You KNOW how I love this quote!!! ;)
You are so right. Thanks for the reminder.
I love the glimpses of the our Lord's view. It's this revelation in our lives that is transformational. I enjoyed your post.
I love this post! I also think that descending means digging deeply into our own lives into the parts of our lives that need to be dealt with. It's good to enjoy those moments where we've conquered some sort of challenge, but always, you've got to come back down to earth and face the realities of life...including our own struggles.
this post is incredible. thank you for it. I'm afraid I need to pick up my lawnchair *sigh* xoxo