+adamwife+....

ally2011 · July 2013

Hi,

I am also a believer (Christian...not a "check the box" variety as I saw you post before:) On one of the FB pages I follow, someone posted a link to this website: https://www.headcoveringmovement.com/

I am really intrigued and want to be God honoring in my worship. You have mentioned a few times that you cover your head for worship and I have some questions about that if you would not mind. However, I don't know how comfortable you are discussing here versus PM or email. If by PM or email, I will delete this.

Thank you,

Jenn

wifeofadam · July 2013

I'm fine with discussing it here, unless you would prefer to talk about it privately. Just let me know what you want to do. What would you like to know about it? I would be happy to share why and how I started covering if that is what you want to know. Otherwise, ask away and I'll do my best to answer

ally2011 · July 2013

You are sweet, thank you! Yes, that is what I wanted to know.....the why and how of starting. Also, do you only cover for worship or in other areas of life as well? Thank you for sharing in advance. I hope you have a wonderful night and your nerves recover from the photo shoot. I am on my 5th day of my husband working 13 hours and am close to losing it myself.

wifeofadam · July 2013

I started covering in 2011. I had never read 1 Corinthians 11 that I could remember or maybe I had read it but never really thought about what it meant. I had never even heard a sermon on the topic or really thought about why some women cover their heads. I knew the Amish did, but always thought it was just part of the "costume" they wore. I had no idea there was religious significance to the covering.

So, when I came across a blog post by a woman who covered I was intrigued and felt like I needed to look into the issue a little more for myself. At the time I felt like I was sort of struggling with some vanity issues. My hair is something that has always gotten me a lot of attention, by both men and women, and I was starting to feel uncomfortable about it after some comments that were made out in public about my hair by men. I dressed pretty modestly at the time in order to avoid getting that type of attention from men, so I didn't want my hair to be doing the same thing, if that makes sense. I felt like God may have been telling me that covering my head was the answer to this problem.

I did some lengthy studies of 1 Corinthians 11 over the course of several months. I studied the Greek and read every bit of research I could get my hands on. To be honest, I didn't want to cover at all, so I was looking for reasons not to do it - trying to find support for an argument against covering. I finally went to my pastor with all of my research and asked for his advice. He basically told me that he thought covering was cultural and no longer necessary in our modern times, because we wear different symbols of authority (like wedding bands) and that as long as I was dressing as a female and being submissive in spirit to my husband, a physical covering was not necessary. I felt so relieved and decided that I would not cover.

In the following weeks I felt very discontented spiritually. I knew in my heart that I was wrong in my decision not to cover, even if my head was telling me that if my pastor says it's fine, it's fine. I continued to pray about it and then one night God showed me a passage in the Bible - Isaiah 6:2 - in which the seraphim were covering their faces/their glory in the presence of God. It was as if something clicked for me - something I hadn't read in any of the research I had already done. In 1 Cornthians 11 one of the reasons for headcovering is "because of the angels". It seems like everyone has a different meaning for those words and it isn't really clear. But suddenly it hit me that even the angels cover their heads in the presence of God. The Bible says that my hair is given to me as my glory and shouldn't I cover my head in God's presence too.

Suddenly, the idea of covering didn't seem like such a burden. It felt like something I wanted to do in order to honor God. I wanted to cover my glory when praying to Him, to show him that I respect the authority structure He has put in my life. It became a very beautiful symbol of what my heart wants Him to know.

And I should mention that for me it is purely symbolic. I know that covering isn't a salvation issue - I'm not a legalist. I feel like it is something God has called me to do for whatever reason and that perhaps it isn't necessary for everyone. I don't consider myself a better Christian or that others are doing something wrong if they don't do it.

Anyways, so I came back to my pastor with this new revelation about the angels and told him that I was going to start covering. He was happy for me that I had peace with the issue and although he disagreed, he said he thought that my listening to the Holy Spirit on this was a good thing. He did, however, warn me that other women in the church may feel threatened by this choice - that perhaps they will think that my doing it means that I think they should do it. He said that unfortunately other Christian women will probably be my harshest critics in this practice. He was very right.

I started covering full-time, all the time. I wore mostly large headbands that covered the top of my head at first (for normal day-to-day wear) and scarves for worship. I felt (and still feel) that to be truly following the command in 1 Corinthians my hair needs to be completely covered for public worship. The Greek talks about an actual veil hanging down around a woman's head, so a simple headband covering the top of my head doesn't really "count" for me in public worship. I have tried hanging veils, but since I am often holding a baby during services, it isn't practical. The veils always end up tugged off my head. So, something like a snood or scarf that covers all of my hair (my glory) feels good to me.

I covered full-time for nearly two years. Now, I personally feel like a covering is only truly necessary during public worship. I do like to cover during other times for different reasons - the covering almost feels like a security blanket at times, offering me spiritual protection. It's also really practical, saving me time in the mornings getting ready. It literally takes thirty seconds to put a covering on versus however many minutes it would take to do my hair, even just to put it up in a bun. I feel like the covering helps me with my vanity - less time spent worrying about what I look like gives me more time to spend on what really matters - God and my family.

I am the only woman in my church who covers and apart from the Amish/Mennonite community in my area - the only mainstream Christian woman I know that does it. I've gotten lots of comments - mostly people wondering what denomination I am or asking if I'm Amish. lol It's a great opportunity for me to share my faith, I think.

My husband was supportive when I came to him about it. He doesn't believe a physical covering is necessary, but he does feel that it is necessary for me if I feel like God is asking this of me. He is proud of me for listening. I struggled for the first year, worrying about my husband, who married this woman who looked one way - a woman with long, thick, beautiful hair that he really liked. And now I was covering it up all of the time. I worried he wouldn't think I was beautiful anymore. But that has been another blessing of the covering - reminding me that my husband loves me for much more than that.

Other family members were mixed in reactions. Most didn't understand. Some had some nasty comments to make about it. Friends were confused and some got scared that I was in some cult now or something. But I had been growing in my faith and drifting from a lot of those friends before this happened, so it was I guess the straw that broke the camel's back.

The first time I covered in church it was so scary. I kept thinking about what my pastor said about other Christian women. No one ever said anything to me, but I got a lot of whispers for the first few months. I honestly think people had no idea why I had it on my head - they just thought I had some weird fashion sense. After over two years, no one says a word about it. I've just sort of become that woman with all those little kids that wears the snood to church. I keep hoping other women will think about it and join me, but it hasn't happened so far.

The first time I covered my head for my job (I work at a private university) I was super scared. People asked questions and I answered honestly.

It got to the point where I felt naked leaving the house without it on. I still feel that way sometimes. I could never ever leave my house with my hair down now or I would literally feel naked, but I do leave without the covering. I used to believe that you had to cover all the time because we should cover while praying and the Bible says to pray without ceasing, but I have prayed a lot about that and come to the conclusion that if that were the case, a man could never ever wear a hat, because 1 Corinthians 11 says that men should never cover their heads in prayer and should also pray without ceasing.

It's been a huge blessing in my life. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I can try to answer the best I can. If you would like a more specific explanation about 1 Corinthians 11 and my analysis of Scripture, I would be happy to share it.

My biggest word of advice to you if this is something that God has laid on your heart is to turn to Scripture and pray about it. God will show you the answers, as He did with me eventually, and you will find peace with this issue.

Have a great weekend

ETA - I stink at math. It was actually 2010 when this happened.

froggystomper · July 2013

Can I pose a ton of questions to both of you ladies? How did such deep rooted faith come to you? Were you born and raised devout? Were you called to your faith by some mystery of grace? How did you grow it to have such conviction? Do you evangelize others or are you more of the my faith is my own type?

I've always felt I'm missing something in my faith journey. As a very liberal woman I find it very conflicting that many of my core values are demonized by the church and yet still feel called to be a part. I have no intention of changing how I feel about a lot of things as I FEEL them not just think them and therefore consider them right to me. As fairly conservative women do you feel someone with extremely differing opinions can still be a woman of God? (My previous experiences say no but you seem like a very different breed of women than the dry spiritless church I was raised in) I've found myself in a UCC church with a beautiful open and affirming community for all people and I love it there. I just still don't feel like I've gotten to where I need to be. Do you or do you feel it's a constant journey?

Man that got longer than I thought. I seriously hope you don't find any of this offensive. It's just not often I read something that provokes that much thought about the difference and depth of faith humanity is capable of. Thank you in advance for any insight you offer.

kleigh926 · July 2013

froggystomper:

I'm sure adamwife could answer your questions much more eloquently than me, but since I'm also a conservative Christian I thought I'd give it a whirl from my point of view.

I was born and raised in a strong Christian family. I've been going to church every Sunday since I was a baby. I have never known anything other than our faith and I strongly believe it to be true.

This may sound harsh, but here's what I believe: it doesn't matter what you feel is right. The Bible tells us what's right and what's wrong. God spells it out pretty clearly. I'm not saying that the Bible isn't confusing, because it certainly can be. That's why it requires study and prayer. But the mentality of "what's right to me" is not biblical, at all. God decides what is a sin and what is righteous, because He's GOD. It's not up to us to decide what we want to believe is the right thing, no matter how much we may think or want it to be.

I think people have trouble with this because we don't like the fact that someone else has control over our lives. Being a woman or man of God would require relinquishing the control you think you have (because really, none of us has any control over anything) and admitting that your opinions and feelings towards certain things might not be right.

Now, let me say this: we are all sinners. I try hard not to judge anyone else's sin because even though I might not struggle with that particular thing, I struggle with other things and it's all sin in God's eyes. Also, believing that someone is sinning does not equal hating that person (which I feel is a common stereotype of Christians).

I would encourage you to start exploring the Bible yourself. Often it's encouraged to start in the gospel of John, and go from there. You may find some things you don't like, but God can handle it. Feel free to PM me if you want.

ally2011 · July 2013

froggystomper:
Can I pose a ton of questions to both of you ladies? How did such deep rooted faith come to you? Were you born and raised devout? Were you called to your faith by some mystery of grace? How did you grow it to have such conviction? Do you evangelize others or are you more of the my faith is my own type?
I've always felt I'm missing something in my faith journey. As a very liberal woman I find it very conflicting that many of my core values are demonized by the church and yet still feel called to be a part. I have no intention of changing how I feel about a lot of things as I FEEL them not just think them and therefore consider them right to me. As fairly conservative women do you feel someone with extremely differing opinions can still be a woman of God? (My previous experiences say no but you seem like a very different breed of women than the dry spiritless church I was raised in) I've found myself in a UCC church with a beautiful open and affirming community for all people and I love it there. I just still don't feel like I've gotten to where I need to be. Do you or do you feel it's a constant journey?
Man that got longer than I thought. I seriously hope you don't find any of this offensive. It's just not often I read something that provokes that much thought about the difference and depth of faith humanity is capable of. Thank you in advance for any insight you offer.

i would love to share and will this weekend if that is ok....my brain is fried right now and it would be gibberish

Thank you for reaching out, I look forward to chatting with you.

PS - I co-lead a ministry with a pretty liberal friend...she is an amazing Christian and we make a good team

octobermama87 · July 2013

kleigh926:
froggystomper:
I'm sure adamwife could answer your questions much more eloquently than me, but since I'm also a conservative Christian I thought I'd give it a whirl from my point of view.
I was born and raised in a strong Christian family. I've been going to church every Sunday since I was a baby. I have never known anything other than our faith and I strongly believe it to be true.
This may sound harsh, but here's what I believe: it doesn't matter what you feel is right. The Bible tells us what's right and what's wrong. God spells it out pretty clearly. I'm not saying that the Bible isn't confusing, because it certainly can be. That's why it requires study and prayer. But the mentality of "what's right to me" is not biblical, at all. God decides what is a sin and what is righteous, because He's GOD. It's not up to us to decide what we want to believe is the right thing, no matter how much we may think or want it to be.
I think people have trouble with this because we don't like the fact that someone else has control over our lives. Being a woman or man of God would require relinquishing the control you think you have (because really, none of us has any control over anything) and admitting that your opinions and feelings towards certain things might not be right.
Now, let me say this: we are all sinners. I try hard not to judge anyone else's sin because even though I might not struggle with that particular thing, I struggle with other things and it's all sin in God's eyes. Also, believing that someone is sinning does not equal hating that person (which I feel is a common stereotype of Christians).
I would encourage you to start exploring the Bible yourself. Often it's encouraged to start in the gospel of John, and go from there. You may find some things you don't like, but God can handle it. Feel free to PM me if you want.

this is pretty much what I believe also. Well said kleigh926.

I was raised Pentecostal.

wifeofadam · July 2013

froggystomper - I was raised in a Lutheran church and was confirmed when I came of age, but I never really experienced Christ in a personal way as a child. God, to me, was sort of like Santa Claus - if I did good, I would get to go to Heaven, and if I was naughty, I would go to Hell. I had absolutely no concept of Grace and no idea that God was actually here on earth with me. I just thought He was more observing my life from afar and judging me. My parents didn't really "practice" their faith apart from going to church, so while seeds may have been planted at church, there was no one at home helping them to grow.

My parents had a falling out with their church when I was 14 and we stopped attending. I stopped attending too and God sort of faded out of my life and I "moved on". By the time I was in college I was describing myself as an atheist and I thought all of this God stuff was silly.

I began searching shortly after I graduated. First, September 11 had me sitting in a church for the first time wanting answers and wanting comfort from the pain of this life. I also met a boy who shared his testimony with me and it changed everything. I wanted so badly to believe in God, even if I didn't at the time.

Then I met my husband. He was born and raised in a home in which faith was everything. He has had a very deep personal relationship with Christ pretty much since birth. Despite the fact that I was now defining myself as an agnostic, we started dating. DH said he was never concerned about my lack of faith, because God had asked him to trust in Him and he just knew that I would end up a believer.

After about a year of dating and many, many talks about his faith, I was saved and DH and I got married shortly after that. My DH is such a blessing to me. He is such a strong man of faith and amazing leader of our family. I learn from him daily.

You asked about growing into conviction - that's exactly what happened. A lot of people talk about pinpointing a date that they were "born again". I can't do that. I know of a day where I first said I wanted to know Christ, so I guess that counts. But to be honest, being "born again" has been a process. I often feel like I'm being born again over and over as new things are revealed to me by God. I feel like even in that moment where I decided I wanted to know Christ, I still didn't completely understand Him or understand Grace.

I would say that my convictions came to me as a started reading the Bible. I honestly think that not having been a Christian for my whole life and then making this decision as an adult has been a blessing to me, because it had caused me to learn about and evaluate the practices of my faith as an adult instead of having grown up in a church where perhaps I would have just grown accustomed to whatever they did there and never thought to ask why we do what we do. I started from scratch and was asking myself what I believed about things like baptism, the Lord's Supper, Heaven/Hell, the Trinity, etc. Whenever I came across a topic that confused me or I wasn't sure about, I would get out my Bibles (my spiritual gift is research, so I tend to research things to death....lol) and study the topic/pray about it until I felt like the Lord had brought me the answers I needed. And over the years since I became a believer God has continued to reveal new insights to me about those topics and my beliefs have changed. Faith, to me, is a living, breathing thing, and God continues to reveal Himself to us in different ways so we have exactly what we need at certain times in our lives.

I am so long-winded, so I'm sorry for the rambling. I guess my advice to you if you're searching is to get out your Bible and start reading. God promises us that we will find the Holy Spirit when we read His Word, so if you're confused about something or looking for deeper answers, you WILL find them there. It may not happen right away, but just trust in Him and know that the answers will come to you in His perfect timing - exactly when you need them.

I think there is nothing wrong with being or believing differently than the other members of your church. I have yet to find a denomination that believes everything that I believe or practices exactly how I practice. And even my DH and I don't agree on everything - in some ways he's more liberal and in other ways I am. But what matters is faith. Find a church family that challenges you to grow more (maybe believing slightly differently helps that) and that supports you in your journey. That's what matters. Your faith is between you and God and you are never going to find someone else who has experienced Him in exactly the same ways.

I could ramble all day on this topic, but I guess I'll stop now. In the meantime, I'll be praying for you, that you find the answers and community that you are searching for. I feel like wanting more is such a good sign - being stagnant in our faith is the worst thing that can happen. A sign of true devotion to Christ, in my opinion, is craving more of Him and always wanting to get closer/please Him more.

holly321 · July 2013

Thanks for your posts ladies. I have been really down in a religious sense lately. About a year ago, our pastor, well lost his mind or something, he is mad at my dad and seems to attack my family every chance he gets. We feel like God wants us to keep fighting for our church, but it is hard when we have very little support. And your posts just reiterated to me that you must do God's will, even if it isnt what you necessarily want.

kelly321 · July 2013

Yes

For this whole thread.

froggystomper · July 2013

You ladies are positively wonderful! I don't think +adamwife+ rambled AT ALL. Thank you other ladies too for contributing. I love hearing other peoples stories of faith and how they grew.I feel like the insights I can take from this are numerous and well thought out. I've got a challenge ahead of me in delving into the Bible again (Lets just say the Bible and I have a love hate relationship that has lead me into some dark, dark places) and I thank you for that. One needs challenge to grow not complacency.

I can't believe how lovely of a BMB community we have that an open conversation about possibly one of the most controversial topics can be so full of knowledge, faith, love, and community. For the billionth time in the last year- you ladies are AMAZING!.

froggystomper · July 2013

So I looked up the Bible study women's group at my church. It's during my work hours. So is the regular combined Bible study group. Do you have a system or method you followed for diving into this? Which translation do you prefer? ( I have NASB, NIV, NAB, and NSRV but prefer my NASB copy) Would a Bible in a year plan offer much or should I start somewhere specific. This is way more daunting than I thought I would be!

wifeofadam · July 2013

froggystomper:
So I looked up the Bible study women's group at my church. It's during my work hours. So is the regular combined Bible study group. Do you have a system or method you followed for diving into this? Which translation do you prefer? ( I have NASB, NIV, NAB, and NSRV but prefer my NASB copy) Would a Bible in a year plan offer much or should I start somewhere specific. This is way more daunting than I thought I would be!

I prefer the NIV, but find value in a lot of the different translations.

Have you ever read through all of the gospels? If not, I think that's the best place to start. Get a good study Bible and the footnotes and cross-references will help a bunch.

If you don't want to start with the gospels, are there certain topics that interest you right now? is there something in particular you're struggling with - your marriage, being a mother, being a part of your church family? Find Scripture that relates to those topics and start there. Or if you prefer a little more structure, maybe you could find a good Bible study series or devotional that would help you. Does your church have a library? Do you have a Christian bookstore anywhere near you? Both may have some options for you depending on what you're interested in.

Something good to do and to help you remember to read your Bible every day is to make sure to read the Proverb of the day. There are 31 Proverbs, so you have at least one for every day of the month. It's nice to start your day that way.

Another good idea is to get a good audio Bible. I have one on CD. Sometimes I like to just play it as I'm going through my day. Every now and then something I hear will spark my curiousity and I'll make sure to note it so that when I get my Bible out later I remember to look it up. As a busy mom who sometimes doesn't have the time or energy to read the Bible throughout the day, the audio Bible helps keep my mind on the Word.

If you have a topic you're interested in, let me know and I can point you in the direction of some resources that may help you.

ally2011 · July 2013

froggystomper:
You ladies are positively wonderful! I don't think +adamwife+ rambled AT ALL. Thank you other ladies too for contributing. I love hearing other peoples stories of faith and how they grew.I feel like the insights I can take from this are numerous and well thought out. I've got a challenge ahead of me in delving into the Bible again (Lets just say the Bible and I have a love hate relationship that has lead me into some dark, dark places) and I thank you for that. One needs challenge to grow not complacency.
I can't believe how lovely of a BMB community we have that an open conversation about possibly one of the most controversial topics can be so full of knowledge, faith, love, and community. For the billionth time in the last year- you ladies are AMAZING!.

I am posting and running but wanted to share this link real quick to a blog that I love...disclaimer: she can be a little crass, but she is a genuine believer and keeps it very real w/ regards to faith, the church, missions, etc. Anyway, this post she had about the first time she was exposed to the Bible is great so I thought I would share:

https://www.theveryworstmissionary.com/2011/11/because-bible-is-kinda-weird.html

ally2011 · July 2013

froggystomper:
So I looked up the Bible study women's group at my church. It's during my work hours. So is the regular combined Bible study group. Do you have a system or method you followed for diving into this? Which translation do you prefer? ( I have NASB, NIV, NAB, and NSRV but prefer my NASB copy) Would a Bible in a year plan offer much or should I start somewhere specific. This is way more daunting than I thought I would be!

Ok, I really am running, haha, but wanted to share this one other thing....it is called Hello Mornings and it is run by a real life friend of mine and other women I don't know. Basically they have 13 week "challenges" all year that are really just online communities of women who are desiring to grow in their faith and need others to do it with. Most of them have children, often young, but that is not a requirement. Check out their website....they will have another challenge starting this fall or late summer. They always have a Bible study to go with it, which is why I mention it. I will try to find the link to some of the past studies, they are great:

https://www.hellomornings.org/info/

This site has the free e-book called Maximize Your Mornings as well as a ton of other great resources. And you can follow all this stuff on Facebook too:

https://inspiredtoaction.com/ebook/

ETA - here is the study they have been doing this summer....could be a great place to start as it covers the Book of John. It is $5 and available as an automatic PDF download. If cost is an issue at all, let me know and I will get it for you and email to you. https://quenchbible.com/bible-studies/meet-jesus/

You can also read all the blog posts about the study from the first link I posted.

This one is free and was one of the earliest ones they did: https://inspiredtoaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Run-to-Him.pdf

Another good site is www.donotdepart.com

froggystomper · July 2013

I love you guys. You don't even know

KayLorraine · July 2013

Love this whole post. Didnt know there were that many of the same faith on here. Cant wait to start the study in Mark and get to know some of you more!

ally2011 · July 2013

froggystomper:
I love you guys. You don't even know

We love you back I ETAed some other resources above

mattanda2011 · July 2013

Wow I love this, and honestly is exactly what I need right now.

I work at a Christian school and I love the school I work at, but sometimes it can be easy to just get complacent. Since having my DD I have felt somewhat out of touch with my church community because so many of my friends have toddlers and it seems like the best time for them is also the time that DD takes her best morning nap,

Lots of information but all that to say that this is so refreshing to feel like I have "friends" with similarl beliefs and it feels less alone.

I am really looking forward to the Matk study!

101Mims · July 2013

Just wanted to say how great this thread is! A big thumbs up to all who have been so open and honest with their responses. It's a very brave thing to do on such a public platform.

Also, to those of you who don't believe, like myself, and to those who really disagree - a big thumbs up for you too. It speaks volumes about the caliber of our Fab Feb mommas that no upsetting or confrontational comments have been added to this thread.

It makes me proud to be part of this group :-)

kleigh926 · July 2013

101Mims:
Just wanted to say how great this thread is! A big thumbs up to all who have been so open and honest with their responses. It's a very brave thing to do on such a public platform.
Also, to those of you who don't believe, like myself, and to those who really disagree - a big thumbs up for you too. It speaks volumes about the caliber of our Fab Feb mommas that no upsetting or confrontational comments have been added to this thread.
It makes me proud to be part of this group :-)

I agree. I was really nervous to post what I did, because on all the other boards I've ever been a part of, I would've gotten flamed like crazy for what I said. Every time I saw there was another response to this thread I just knew it was going to be someone flaming me, haha. It is so refreshing to be able to post my beliefs on a public board and not be ripped apart for it.

kleigh926 · July 2013

froggystomper:
So I looked up the Bible study women's group at my church. It's during my work hours. So is the regular combined Bible study group. Do you have a system or method you followed for diving into this? Which translation do you prefer? ( I have NASB, NIV, NAB, and NSRV but prefer my NASB copy) Would a Bible in a year plan offer much or should I start somewhere specific. This is way more daunting than I thought I would be!

In response to this, I like the NIV the best, but like adamwife I believe there is value in all the different translations. I have tried reading the Bible through in a year and for me, it can get kind of overwhelming. It got to the point where it was just one more thing to do and I ended up skimming everything and not really getting a lot out of it. What I do now is read 1 chapter a day. That allows me to not feel so rushed and spend more time actually digesting what I'm reading. There is value in every book/chapter in the Bible of course, but I like reading the Psalms and the New Testament the most.

Devotional books can be very helpful too, as they focus on a study of something more specific and provide more guidance as to what you're reading. There's a REALLY good book by Nancy Guthrie called "Hoping For Something Better." It's a study of Hebrews. It helped me look at Jesus in a totally different and awesome way. I would highly encourage that one. I'm praying for you froggystomper!!!

froggystomper · July 2013

Thank you again for all the help and suggestions but thank you most for all the prayers. When I posed questions last night I didn't think today I'd feel the spirit stir up in me again today that's for sure. Whatever prayers are being sent my way are truly being felt!

kleigh926 · July 2013

coffeecream:
kleigh926:
Devotional books can be very helpful too, as they focus on a study of something more specific and provide more guidance as to what you're reading. There's a REALLY good book by Nancy Guthrie called "Hoping For Something Better." It's a study of Hebrews. It helped me look at Jesus in a totally different and awesome way. I would highly encourage that one. I'm praying for you froggystomper!!!
This book sounds good! I just ordered it. Thanks Kleigh!  

You're welcome, I hope you enjoy it! It's kind of long as far as devotional books go, but it's just so thought provoking and really humbling.

sararn2004 · July 2013

may10587@hotmail.com:
kleigh926:
froggystomper:
I'm sure adamwife could answer your questions much more eloquently than me, but since I'm also a conservative Christian I thought I'd give it a whirl from my point of view.
I was born and raised in a strong Christian family. I've been going to church every Sunday since I was a baby. I have never known anything other than our faith and I strongly believe it to be true.
This may sound harsh, but here's what I believe: it doesn't matter what you feel is right. The Bible tells us what's right and what's wrong. God spells it out pretty clearly. I'm not saying that the Bible isn't confusing, because it certainly can be. That's why it requires study and prayer. But the mentality of "what's right to me" is not biblical, at all. God decides what is a sin and what is righteous, because He's GOD. It's not up to us to decide what we want to believe is the right thing, no matter how much we may think or want it to be.
I think people have trouble with this because we don't like the fact that someone else has control over our lives. Being a woman or man of God would require relinquishing the control you think you have (because really, none of us has any control over anything) and admitting that your opinions and feelings towards certain things might not be right.
Now, let me say this: we are all sinners. I try hard not to judge anyone else's sin because even though I might not struggle with that particular thing, I struggle with other things and it's all sin in God's eyes. Also, believing that someone is sinning does not equal hating that person (which I feel is a common stereotype of Christians).
I would encourage you to start exploring the Bible yourself. Often it's encouraged to start in the gospel of John, and go from there. You may find some things you don't like, but God can handle it. Feel free to PM me if you want.
this is pretty much what I believe also. Well said kleigh926.
I was raised Pentecostal.

Me too. Not the Pentecostal part though, I can't recall what denomination we went to when I was young. Frankly, I am just Christian and if I like a particular church I pick that one. Currently, we like a Nazarene church.

sararn2004 · July 2013

may10587@hotmail.com:
kleigh926:
froggystomper:
I'm sure adamwife could answer your questions much more eloquently than me, but since I'm also a conservative Christian I thought I'd give it a whirl from my point of view.
I was born and raised in a strong Christian family. I've been going to church every Sunday since I was a baby. I have never known anything other than our faith and I strongly believe it to be true.
This may sound harsh, but here's what I believe: it doesn't matter what you feel is right. The Bible tells us what's right and what's wrong. God spells it out pretty clearly. I'm not saying that the Bible isn't confusing, because it certainly can be. That's why it requires study and prayer. But the mentality of "what's right to me" is not biblical, at all. God decides what is a sin and what is righteous, because He's GOD. It's not up to us to decide what we want to believe is the right thing, no matter how much we may think or want it to be.
I think people have trouble with this because we don't like the fact that someone else has control over our lives. Being a woman or man of God would require relinquishing the control you think you have (because really, none of us has any control over anything) and admitting that your opinions and feelings towards certain things might not be right.
Now, let me say this: we are all sinners. I try hard not to judge anyone else's sin because even though I might not struggle with that particular thing, I struggle with other things and it's all sin in God's eyes. Also, believing that someone is sinning does not equal hating that person (which I feel is a common stereotype of Christians).
I would encourage you to start exploring the Bible yourself. Often it's encouraged to start in the gospel of John, and go from there. You may find some things you don't like, but God can handle it. Feel free to PM me if you want.
this is pretty much what I believe also. Well said kleigh926.
I was raised Pentecostal.

Me too. Not the Pentecostal part though, I can't recall what denomination we went to when I was young. Frankly, I am just Christian and if I like a particular church I pick that one. Currently, we like a Nazarene church.

sararn2004 · July 2013

may10587@hotmail.com:
kleigh926:
froggystomper:
I'm sure adamwife could answer your questions much more eloquently than me, but since I'm also a conservative Christian I thought I'd give it a whirl from my point of view.
I was born and raised in a strong Christian family. I've been going to church every Sunday since I was a baby. I have never known anything other than our faith and I strongly believe it to be true.
This may sound harsh, but here's what I believe: it doesn't matter what you feel is right. The Bible tells us what's right and what's wrong. God spells it out pretty clearly. I'm not saying that the Bible isn't confusing, because it certainly can be. That's why it requires study and prayer. But the mentality of "what's right to me" is not biblical, at all. God decides what is a sin and what is righteous, because He's GOD. It's not up to us to decide what we want to believe is the right thing, no matter how much we may think or want it to be.
I think people have trouble with this because we don't like the fact that someone else has control over our lives. Being a woman or man of God would require relinquishing the control you think you have (because really, none of us has any control over anything) and admitting that your opinions and feelings towards certain things might not be right.
Now, let me say this: we are all sinners. I try hard not to judge anyone else's sin because even though I might not struggle with that particular thing, I struggle with other things and it's all sin in God's eyes. Also, believing that someone is sinning does not equal hating that person (which I feel is a common stereotype of Christians).
I would encourage you to start exploring the Bible yourself. Often it's encouraged to start in the gospel of John, and go from there. You may find some things you don't like, but God can handle it. Feel free to PM me if you want.
this is pretty much what I believe also. Well said kleigh926.
I was raised Pentecostal.

Me too. Not the Pentecostal part though, I can't recall what denomination we went to when I was young. Frankly, I am just Christian and if I like a particular church I pick that one. Currently, we like a Nazarene church.

kelly321 · July 2013

I've been looking for a devotional journal to help me get back into reading more Scripture (2 kids plus PhD plus 2 PT jobs tends to put everything on the back burner that isn't pulling on my leg and/or screaming).

Besides Hoping for Something Better (which I've put on my amazon wishlist), does anyone else have any suggestions?

wifeofadam · July 2013

kelly321:
I've been looking for a devotional journal to help me get back into reading more Scripture (2 kids plus PhD plus 2 PT jobs tends to put everything on the back burner that isn't pulling on my leg and/or screaming).
Besides Hoping for Something Better (which I've put on my amazon wishlist), does anyone else have any suggestions?

Is there a topic in particular that you are interested in studying?

kelly321 · July 2013

+adamwife+:
kelly321:
I've been looking for a devotional journal to help me get back into reading more Scripture (2 kids plus PhD plus 2 PT jobs tends to put everything on the back burner that isn't pulling on my leg and/or screaming).
Besides Hoping for Something Better (which I've put on my amazon wishlist), does anyone else have any suggestions?
Is there a topic in particular that you are interested in studying?

I've thought about Streams in the Desert because I've been in a spiritual desert myself for quite a while now.

I loved My Utmost for His Highest and have been disappointed in many more modern devotionals because I often feel they're so shallow. It's been more by chance that I've stumbled across them, though (usually directed by reviews on amazon), so if anyone has recommendations, that would be great.

At this point in my life, I really wouldn't mind one specifically directed towards mothers of small children. Some days (like today), I really need to be reminded of God's perspective in all of this, the charge I have in raising my children in His word, and encouragement that things won't always be this difficult!

wifeofadam · July 2013

kelly321:
+adamwife+:
kelly321:
I've been looking for a devotional journal to help me get back into reading more Scripture (2 kids plus PhD plus 2 PT jobs tends to put everything on the back burner that isn't pulling on my leg and/or screaming).
Besides Hoping for Something Better (which I've put on my amazon wishlist), does anyone else have any suggestions?
Is there a topic in particular that you are interested in studying?
I've thought about Streams in the Desert because I've been in a spiritual desert myself for quite a while now.
I loved My Utmost for His Highest and have been disappointed in many more modern devotionals because I often feel they're so shallow. It's been more by chance that I've stumbled across them, though (usually directed by reviews on amazon), so if anyone has recommendations, that would be great.
At this point in my life, I really wouldn't mind one specifically directed towards mothers of small children. Some days (like today), I really need to be reminded of God's perspective in all of this, the charge I have in raising my children in His word, and encouragement that things won't always be this difficult!

Here's a website with free devotions that I've come across. The topics are categorized on the left side, so if there is something in particular you're looking for, you can go there.

Something that helps me, in terms of mothering and taking care of my home, is a character quality study I did a few years ago and I am now doing again with my children. I took 49 character qualities and made a binder with Scripture, activities, and questions relating to each one - DH and I studied one quality a week together until we got through them all. It helped us focus on how to model better character for our children. For me, personally, I feel like it helped me focus on how to be a better mother - to handle the stress and sacrifice. If you're interested, I can email you the Word file. Just PM me your address.

kelly321 · July 2013

+adamwife+:
Here's a website with free devotions that I've come across. The topics are categorized on the left side, so if there is something in particular you're looking for, you can go there.

Nice website! Thank you! Something like that was just what I was looking for.

+adamwife+:

Something that helps me, in terms of mothering and taking care of my home, is a character quality study I did a few years ago and I am now doing again with my children. I took 49 character qualities and made a binder with Scripture, activities, and questions relating to each one - DH and I studied one quality a week together until we got through them all.

This made my heart sink. I thought- I will never, ever find the time to do this, at least not in the next 5 years or so.

+adamwife+:

It helped us focus on how to model better character for our children. For me, personally, I feel like it helped me focus on how to be a better mother - to handle the stress and sacrifice. If you're interested, I can email you the Word file. Just PM me your address.

And then you came along with this. :-) I will send you a PM.

somebuddiesgettingmarried · July 2013

Love this whole thread! Nice ladies!

RJM050705 · July 2013

+adamwife+:
kelly321:
+adamwife+:
kelly321:
I've been looking for a devotional journal to help me get back into reading more Scripture (2 kids plus PhD plus 2 PT jobs tends to put everything on the back burner that isn't pulling on my leg and/or screaming).
Besides Hoping for Something Better (which I've put on my amazon wishlist), does anyone else have any suggestions?
Is there a topic in particular that you are interested in studying?
I've thought about Streams in the Desert because I've been in a spiritual desert myself for quite a while now.
I loved My Utmost for His Highest and have been disappointed in many more modern devotionals because I often feel they're so shallow. It's been more by chance that I've stumbled across them, though (usually directed by reviews on amazon), so if anyone has recommendations, that would be great.
At this point in my life, I really wouldn't mind one specifically directed towards mothers of small children. Some days (like today), I really need to be reminded of God's perspective in all of this, the charge I have in raising my children in His word, and encouragement that things won't always be this difficult!
Here's a website with free devotions that I've come across. The topics are categorized on the left side, so if there is something in particular you're looking for, you can go there.
Something that helps me, in terms of mothering and taking care of my home, is a character quality study I did a few years ago and I am now doing again with my children. I took 49 character qualities and made a binder with Scripture, activities, and questions relating to each one - DH and I studied one quality a week together until we got through them all. It helped us focus on how to model better character for our children. For me, personally, I feel like it helped me focus on how to be a better mother - to handle the stress and sacrifice. If you're interested, I can email you the Word file. Just PM me your address.

I love every single thing about this thread. Feb mamas are the BEST EVER.

+adamwife+ I'd love to look at the character file! Mind if I pm you my email?

I've been seriously slacking on both church attendance (though I love it when I go) and on reading my bible. HELLO, I feed DD at least once a day and it takes her 30 mins to finish her bottle... Perfect time for some bible reading! I'm going to go find a plan to follow on my phone.

ally2011 · July 2013

Adamwife (and everyone else) - please forgive me for the delay in coming back here! Adamwife, I seriously do not know how you manage 4 kids. One baby is close to taking me down, haha. I need a lot more hours in the day. Or I need to need less sleep. Either would work.

I wanted to thank you for such a beautiful and thorough response to my question. You have given me a lot to think about and I look forward to looking into it more. I especially liked how you shared your choice in a way that was very disarming for anyone who might get defensive and assume you think everyone should because you do. This is something I struggle with, I can sometimes feel judgy thinking that they way I am walking with the Lord is how everyone should, and I know this is wrong. The way you presented your journey to head covering and your feelings on it now was a really wonderful example for me about how I should approach many other areas of faith (those that are not black and white). You clearly have a very mature faith and are an inspiration to me. I look forward to participating in the Bible study thread with you and hearing your insight. This is definitely an area I need to work on and am encouraged by so many of the ladies here.

Thank you also for taking the time to share your faith journey. Wow! That was awesome to read and I appreciate so much your transparency in your walk.

I look forward to getting to know you better and will PM you for the word character file. That sounds wonderful....I am part of a women's small group and I bet they would love it to (our husbands meet together as well as part of a men's small group).

Thank you again for taking the time to share with me, and with all of us. We are blessed to have you as part of the board!

PS - Froggystomper, I will be back to share my journey too....naptime is of course way shorter than I needed today!

wifeofadam · July 2013

Thank you all so much for all of the kind words.

I'll email the file out tomorrow. I was holding off until I got all of the emails so I can do it at once. I didn't forget about you, ladies

+adamwife+....

Re: +adamwife+....

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