Pearls of Encouragement for Christian Working Moms
January 2008 Edition
Happy New Year
CWM Coaching Tips
Prayer Partners
Article – Are you FINE for 2008 or do you want rest?
Final Thoughts

Happy New Year

Wow! I can’t believe it is 2008. May I say Happy New Year to the CWMs from all over the world. I recently looked at the CWM website stats and found women visiting from the United States, Netherlands, Canada, South Africa, Latvia, Southeast Asia, and Australia just to name a few. I often think we as a CWM community are a little taste of what heaven will be like. Do you make New Year’s resolutions or have you given up? Post your response on the CWM blog at http://christianworkingmoms.blogspot.com. You can also post questions you may have. The Online CWM Bible Study can be found at http://cwmbiblestudy.blogspot.com. If you have not filled out the CWM Survey, go to www.christianworkingmom.com and click on Survey on the home page. We have over 1500 women who have filled out the survey to date.

CWM Coaching Tips

CWM Coaching Tips is coming soon, no later than the end of January and hopefully within the next two weeks. Stay tuned to your email box for a special announcement.

Prayer Partners

Several months ago we started virtual prayer partners. Women have told me what a blessing their prayer partner has been. If you are comfortable, please share your experience with your prayer partner on the CWM Blog. We still have women wanting a prayer partner. So, if you would like a fellow CWM as a prayer partner, send an email to Kimberly@kimberlychastain.com with Prayer Partner in the subject heading and I will try to connect you with a Prayer partner as soon as possible.

Article – Are you FINE for 2008 or do you want rest?

How many times have you gone to church and had a blow up with your family right before you got there? Or your baby blew out their diaper as you were heading out the door? Then, as you walk into church someone ask how you are doing and what do you say? “I’m fine, how are you?” Aren’t we great pretenders?

Over Christmas I was reading a great book entitled, Girl on a Swing by Nancy Kennedy. The subtitle is finding rest in the warmth of God’s smile. I love how she defines FINE, Fouled-up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Exhausted. Do you resemble that at all? I know depending on the day I can pick them all. Today, I’m just exhausted. Yet, the main point of her book is God’s grace and love for us. We all “know” God loves and showers his grace on us, but do we really know it. Do we act any differently, due to his grace? Do you truly believe that there is nothing you can do so well to make God love you more and there is nothing you can do so bad to make God love you less? Oh, my sisters in Christ if we truly lived every day free and secure in God’s love how much different we would be and those around us. We would show grace and patience to others, because of what God has shown us. We would stop worrying what others think about us, because the creator of the Universe loves us, warts and all. We would thank God for his love and care for us. We would trust he is in control of our lives even when there seems to be no evidence God is at work. God loves you period.

In order to truly understand God’s grace we need to know the reason for the grace, God’s wrath. Often, when you ask someone why they became a Christian they will say to go to heaven. Yet, we miss the bigger picture. God is a Holy God and he demands perfection in order to be in his presence. God is also a just God and he requires punishment for sin. The penalty has to be paid. Yet, God in his infinite grace provided the sacrifice. When Christ died on the cross for us he paid the penalty. Now, when God looks at us he sees Christ work on the cross and says the penalty has been paid. Christ righteousness is placed on us. We are declared righteous because of Christ work.

So, that is why we sing Amazing Grace. We did absolutely nothing to deserve it. God did the work. His wrath had to be satisfied and he satisfied it with his only Son’s death on a cross. Then, God looks at us and says I see Christ work. I love you. Some people will then say because I have grace I can do whatever I want and God doesn’t care. That is a perversion of grace. When we truly realize the gift we have been given we want to obey God and follow him. Knowing we won’t do it perfectly. But, when you have a heavenly Father who gave his only Son to die for you how can you not want to please your Father.
When someone truly loves you unconditionally you want to please and love them back.

My prayer for you in 2008 as a CWM is to truly drink in God’s grace and love for you. Realize no matter how much you mess up this year God will never leave you nor forsake you. He will still smile on you and love you. Learn to rest in the love of your Almighty God. May you learn to rest in Him and not be FINE. May you live out Psalm 84:1-2, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Cry out and rest in your Savior.

Final Thoughts

I have now realized another consequence of when Adam and Eve sinned, LAUNDRY. Before the fall there was no laundry to do, because they were naked. Now, please don’t hear me say I want to walk around naked, no way, no how. I do think laundry is my middle name. May all your socks match for 2008.

Till next time,

Kimberly M. Chastain

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