Gwendolyn Harmon's Blog: Learning Ladyhood, page 22

What If?

I tend to be a worrier.

Despite all the things I have learned about God through His Word, despite the fact that He has never failed me, I still find myself reacting to adverse circumstances with thoughts of “what if?” and elaborately-imagined worst-case scenarios.

When I am responsible to make a decision, it’s even worse, because not only am I a worrier, I am also notoriously indecisive. –And then after I finally decide, I worry about whether I made the right decision!

This week, God has been cha...

God so Loved the World

It’s funny to me the things God uses to remind me of spiritual truths. This week, it was a coffee cup. A sweet friend recently bought me a set of cups that each have a phrase or verse from Scripture on them. Last Saturday, I reached into the cupboard to get a cup, and my eye fell on the one that had a phrase from John 3:16 on it.

“God so loved the world”

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought it would be good to stop and take a look at the love of God from this simple, yet profound v...

Does it Matter What I Wear?

We live in a society that is all about appearances. The way someone dresses is an indication of who they are (or who they want others to think they are.) As a Christian, though, does my outward appearance matter?

This question may bring to mind the verse from 1 Samuel that tells us that God looks on the heart. I have often heard this verse used to argue that external appearance doesn’t matter, and that the only thing that matters is the heart. But read the whole verse with me:

 

“But the Lord said...

No Shadow of Turning

James 1:17“Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

~ ~ ~ ~

I love this verse. It never fails to remind me that everything I have is from the loving hand of my Heavenly Father. But it has typically been my go-to verse only when times are good.

When I am happy, healthy, and enjoying God’s visible blessings on my life, it’s easy to thank God for His goodness. But what about when ...

God Knows and Cares

It was Saturday. I woke in the early morning quiet to the gentle sound of rain running through the gutters outside my window. All was calm and peaceful, but as I sat up and opened the curtains, there was a disquiet in my heart I just couldn’t ignore.

It was Saturday, my day off, the day on which I was supposed to rest and catch up on the mundane things of life like laundry, but the busy week ahead already loomed large before me.

As I tried to quietly sneak downstairs and put my first load of lau...

Open My Eyes

It was Wednesday, and it seemed like every teacher in our school had some sort of major drama to deal with. By the end of the day, we were exhausted, emotionally drained, and, to be honest, more than a little bit discouraged.

 As I scrambled to grab some food and maybe even a few moments of sweet silence and calm before church, the audio book I had playing as I drove suddenly caught my attention. It was quoting a passage from 2 Kings 6.

The context of the passage is the king of Syria’s frustrati...

The Simplicity of the Gospel

My pastor recently began preaching through the book of Mark, and as we looked into the first chapter, I was once again reminded of the simple nature of Jesus’ message.

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)

You may be aware that the word “Gospel” literally means, “good news.” To “believe the gospel,” then, is...

The Blessing Behind Unfulfilled Longings

I’m attempting to read through my Bible twice this year, and as I read through the first few chapters of 1 Samuel last week, something stood out to me that I had never considered before.

You may know the story of Hannah. (If not, go read 1 Samuel!) She longed for a child, and not only did she experience the ache of barrenness, she did so while also experiencing the humiliation and hurt of watching her husband’s other wife bear child after child, even bearing verbal taunts from the woman Scriptur...

Worth the Effort

I love seeing new growth on my plants.

There’s just something awe-inspiring about a new little sprout poking up out of the ground or a new leaf bud beginning to unfurl. And then there’s the kind of hopeful joy that wells up inside me at the sight of the bright shade of fresh green that characterizes the new growth.

I also feel a sense of accomplishment, that this plant I have worked to nurture is actually thriving, that the time and effort I put into it has paid off. I feel that it was worth all...

Putting it into Practice

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” James 1:19

In the last few posts, we have looked at being swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. These are qualities that run contrary to our natural inclinations and dispositions, however, and can seem downright impossible to achieve. And yet, as James tells us just a few verses later, we are to be doers and not hearers only (v.22) So how do we develop these Christlike qualities?

I’m glad you...