Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Joy Comes from Perseverance |  Shelia Walsh

 
  Welcome  to  Pearl  GirlsTM  Mother  of  Pearl  Mother's  Day  blog  series  -­‐  a  week  long   celebration  of  moms  and  mothering.  Each  day  will  feature  a  new  post  by  some  of   today's  best  writer's  (Tricia  Goyer,  Sheila  Walsh,  Suzanne  Woods  Fisher,  Bonnie  St.   John,  and  more).  I  hope  you'll  join  us  each  day  for  another  unique  perspective  on   Mother's  Day.
 
  AND  ...  do  enter  the  contest  for  a  chance  to  win  a  beautiful  hand  crafted  pearl   necklace.  To  enter,  just  {CLICK  THIS  LINK}   and  fill  out  the  short  form.  Contest  runs  5/6-­‐5/13  and  the  winner  will  on  5/14.   Contest  is  only  open  to  US  and  Canadian  residents.
 
  If  you  are  unfamiliar  with  Pearl  GirlsTM,  please  visit  www.pearlgirls.info  and  see  what  we're  all  about.  In  short,   we  exist  to  support  the  work  of  charities  that  help  women  and  children  in  the  US   and  around  the  globe.  Consider  purchasing  a  copy  of  Pearl  Girls:   Encountering  Grit,  Experiencing  Grace  or  one  of  the  Pearl  GirlsTM  products   (all  GREAT  Mother's  Day  gifts!)  to  help  support  Pearl  Girls.
 
  And  to  all  you  MOMS  out  there,  Happy  Mother's  Day!
 

  Joy  Comes  from  Perseverance  by  Sheila  Walsh
 

  One  of  the  most  important  lessons  I  have  learned  in  my  own  life  is  the  joy   that  comes  from  perseverance.  Eugene  Peterson,  borrowing  a  phrase  from   Friedrich  Nietzsche,  wrote  his  book   “A  Long  Obedience  in  the  Same  Direction   ...Discipleship  in  an  Instant  Society.”  He  points  to  the  Psalms  as  the  way  believers   have  always  learned  to  pray  what  they  live  and  live  what  they  pray  but  it  is  not  a   short  journey.  It  is  an  intentional  commitment  to  keep  walking  even  when  you   are  worn  out.
 

  *If  we  want  to  see  lasting  results  in  any  area  of  life  it’s  important  to  keep  walking  in   that  direction.
 
  *If  we  want  to  have  a  better  understanding  of  the  Gospel  of  John  then  it  takes  time   and  commitment  to  dig  deeper  day  after  day.
 
  *If  we  want  to  be  thinner  this  summer  than  last  summer  then  the  work  begins  now   not  then.
  So  too  in  our  relationship  with  Christ.....
 
  *If  we  want  to  know  Him  at  a  more  profoundly  intimate  level,  that  also  takes  an   intentional  seeking  after  Him  every  day.
 
  As  a  grown  woman  I  have  come  to  love  the  beauty  of  this  gift.  Passing  this  “mined   treasure”  onto  my  son  on  the  other  hand  has  been  an  interesting  challenge.    We  live  in  such  a  fast  paced,  attention-­‐challenged  culture  where  the  latest   thing  can  be  delivered  to  your  doorstep  by  tomorrow  for  a  few  dollars  more.  But,  as   you  know,  by  the  time  it  is  delivered  it  has  already  been  replaced  or  updated!
 
  How  do  we  speak  then  into  the  lives  of  our  children  to  help  them  understand   and  value  perseverance?
 
  For  me...part  of  the  puzzle  meant  a  large  piece  of  poster  board,  scissors,  some   photos  and  a  bottle  of  Elmer’s  glue.  My  son,  Christian  and  I  spread  everything  out  on   a  sheet  in  the  game  room  as  I  explained  our  project.  “We’re  going  to  make  a  family   faith-­‐tree,”  I  said.  “These  are  photos  of  family  on  your  dad’s  side  and  on  mine.  Many   of  them  have  gone  on  to  be  with  Jesus  but  the  seeds  they  planted  into  our  family   continue  to  grow.”  Then  we  wrote  down  their  names  and  when  they  came  to  faith  in   Christ  (as  many  as  I  knew).   It  was  quite  something  to  see  when  we  were   finished.
 
  “Your  life  matters  Christian.  Running  your  race  well  matters.”
 
  That  night  we  read  these  words  from  the  writer  to  the  Hebrews,
 
  “We  are  surrounded  by  a  great  cloud  of  people  whose  lives  tell  us  what  faith   means.  So  let  us  run  the  race  that  is  before  us  and  never  give  up.
 
  Hebrews  12:1  (NCV)
 
 
 
  ###
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Sheila  Walsh  is  a  Bible  teacher,  speaker,  singer,  and  best-­‐selling  author  with   more  than  4  million  books  sold.  Sheila  Walsh  is  the  creator  of  the  award-­‐winning   Gigi,  God’s  Little  Princess®  and  her  new  series,  Gabby,  God's  Little  Angel.  Meet   Gabby  in  Gabby's  Stick-­‐to-­‐It-­‐Day.  As  a  featured  speaker  with  Women  of  Faith®,   Sheila  has  reached  more  than  3.5  million  women  by  artistically  combining  honesty,   vulnerability  and  humor  with  God’s  Word.  She  resides  in  Dallas  with  her  husband   Barry  and  son  Christian. Visit  www.sheilawalsh.com  for  more   information  about  Sheila,  her  other  books  or  Women  of  Faith.
 

 

 
 
 
  Exciting  News  –  the  latest  Pearl  Girls  book,  Mother  of  Pearl:  Luminous  Legacies  and   Iridescent  Faith  will  be  released  this  month!  Please  visit  the  Pearl   Girls  Facebook  Page  (and  LIKE  us!)  for  more  information!  Thanks  so  much  for   your  support!
 
 
 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Cats, Carats and Killers (Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries) by T. C. LoTempio

  Cats, Carats and Killers (Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries) by T. C. LoTempio About Cats, Carats, and Killers Cats, Carat...