Gwendolyn Harmon's Blog: Learning Ladyhood, page 25

The First Step Down the Path of Disobedience

As a Christian, I want to obey God. I want to live life the way He designed me to, and I want the closeness of relationship with God that comes when I am walking in obedience to God. My greatest desire is to do what He wants me to do, act how He wants me to act, and say what He wants me to say.

But desiring and doing are often two very different things. As Romans 7 puts it,

 

“I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward m...

Be Still

It was only Wednesday, and it had already been a rough week.

Each day had been busy, and a mind-numbing headache had eaten up the biggest chunk of writing time I had planned. A project requiring hours of work had just been dropped in my lap, and on top of all that, some family drama had suddenly exploded, leaving me overwhelmed in its emotional aftermath.

I felt more sympathy than ever for Paul’s description:

“without were fightings, within were fears.” (2 Corinthians 7:5)

 

After school, I picked...

Hard Things

There is an emphasis in our culture on making things easy. Banks, car companies, technology developers, grocery stores, restaurants, and many other businesses are actively seeking to make life easier for us. (Or so their advertising would have us believe.)

Don’t get me wrong, I am as big a fan of modern conveniences as the next person, and am very thankful for things like heating, refrigeration, computers, and cell phones.

It is wonderful not to live in “the olden days” when simply cooking meals ...

Importunate Prayer

I’ve heard many sermons and lessons on the parable of the unjust judge and the importunate widow in Luke 18, but until recently I hadn’t thought much about what that kind of importunate prayer is really for.

I had always assumed that persistent, tenacious prayer is meant for times when God appears to be saying no. But then I noticed the account of Elijah and the rainstorm.

In 1 Kings 18, God has just proved Himself God by sending fire down from heaven to consume the offering on the altar Elijah h...

She That Believed

One of the hardest things for me to deal with is uncertainty. I like to know what to expect, what to prepare or plan for. I hate that nagging dread that settles into the pit of my stomach when waiting to see whether or not something unpleasant, difficult, or painful is about to occur.

Of course, we live in a very uncertain world, and over the past year it seemed to me as if the world was becoming more and more uncertain with every passing day.

Mary also lived in uncertain times, which were made ...

Service and Sacrifice

I’ve been reading a lot lately. I used to be one of those readers that could only handle one book at a time, but at some point in the past year, I became the kind of reader with a stack of books piled high on my nightstand, each one with a bookmark in a different spot.

Recently, as I was reading several very different books, God brought two very similar truths home to my heart.

The first truth was that there can never be love without sacrifice.

Whatever we love, we will at some point be called up...

The Big Picture

Have you ever had someone set up a perfect witnessing opportunity?

A few months ago, I did. However, I was just a moment too slow with my reply, and right when I opened my mouth to speak, the man turned and walked away. I never got to tell him about Jesus.

I was disappointed and a little frustrated. I watched and waited for another opportunity, but nothing ever came. Lord, I prayed, I was ready to obey, I wanted to speak for You… why didn’t I get another chance?

It’s easy for you or I to feel lik...

Unfurled: A Lesson in Christian Growth

It was Monday morning.

I had passed a rather frustrating night, full of tossing and turning and desperately trying to get to sleep, to succeed only as far as accomplishing a fitful doze now and then. And, of course, as happens on such nights, I had fallen soundly asleep just before my alarm alerted me that it was now time to wake up.

After dragging myself to consciousness, I reached down for my prayer notebook and began my time with God, trying to keep myself from drifting off again. I struggled ...

That Which is Least

It is spring. Outside, the sun is shining, birds are singing, and it is warm enough to be mistaken for summer. Inside, students and teacher alike struggle to keep focused as they near summer break.

It happens every year, this struggle to keep pressing forward when it seems much easier and more pleasant to coast into summer doing the absolute minimum. Perhaps you’ve never experienced this, but you might relate to feeling like coasting through the little things instead of giving them the time and ...

To Be Content

In the beginning of L.M. Montgomery’s classic novel, Anne of Green Gables, a little orphan with a big imagination chatters away next to Matthew Cuthbert as he drives the buggy to her new home. Enraptured with everything she sees, she exclaims,

“just now I’m pretty nearly perfectly happy.” Then, lifting a braid, she continues, “I can’t ever be exactly perfectly happy because —well, what color would you call this?”

Matthew, not sure what else to say, replies: “It’s red, ain’t it?.” With a heavy sig...