Girls To Grow

Hello, friends, and welcome to autumn! The weather is definitely supposed to feel more fall-like here over the next few days, and I’m looking forward to that. I’m not ready for coats and boots yet, but a little sweater weather would be nice 🙂

Recently I was trying out a new recipe. The instructions said to put a certain group of ingredients in the food processor. However, I didn’t want to drag that heavy thing out from under the counter and then have to clean it when I was done. The blender was much easier to access in the pantry and I could easily throw it in the dishwasher afterward.

That all sounded like a great plan until I got the ingredients into the blender. And then I realized that there was almost no liquid in there…meaning the ingredients probably weren’t going to come together like they were supposed to. At that point, I wasn’t about to dump it all into the food processor and start over. I *may* have gone off script and added a little liquid to make it work.

It came out okay in the end, but in retrospect, I can see how the food processor would have worked better. Full disclosure: I feel like a lot of my cooking and baking adventures go this way. I do something wrong the first time and learn from that what not to do the next time!

There are times when we can learn the right way to do something by studying what not to do. I think we’d all agree that we want to be wise women. So today I thought we’d look at what characterizes a foolish woman to see how we don’t want to act.

Based on different Bible verses, here are five characteristics of a foolish woman.

1. She won’t listen to instruction.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” ~Proverbs 1:7

A foolish woman isn’t teachable. She wants her own way. She doesn’t seek wisdom from God’s Word or from Godly people in her life.

I think we can throw stubbornness in here, too. Proverbs 7:11 describes the strange woman as stubborn. If you want to be a foolish woman, refuse to change your mind even when there are good reasons to do so. Don’t yield to anyone else’s direction, regardless of the circumstances.

2. She tears down her house.

“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” ~Proverbs 14:1

I’ve done some digging to try to discover what that phrase means – the foolish woman plucks her house down with her hands. Obviously, it’s not talking about her physical house, but her home. It would be actions that damage her family’s wellbeing.

Things that come to mind are living above her means, spending money that they don’t have. Maybe she fails to manage the household well; she neglects her children and doesn’t provide the things that would make them feel safe. And there’s certainly the spiritual side of it as well. If she doesn’t prioritize living out and teaching God’s Word, she is failing to build the spiritual foundation they need for life.

3. She doesn’t accept everything as from God’s hand.

“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” ~Job 2:9-10

Wow, Job had it so right here. His wife’s perspective was, “How can you still believe in a God that would allow all these terrible things to happen to you?”

Is that how we want to be, doubting God’s love and goodness when a trial comes along? That’s the way of the foolish woman.

4. She has no control over her tongue.

“The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” ~Proverbs 15:2

Like water pouring out of a pitcher, a foolish woman just lets words spill out of her mouth. We could say that she doesn’t have a filter or that she speaks before she thinks.

Honestly, this can be an easy trap to fall into. Usually, the more we talk, the more opportunities we have to say something we shouldn’t. And thoughtlessly spoken words can hurt others.

5. She gets angry easily.

 “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” ~Ecclesiastes 7:9

Just like the foolish woman doesn’t control her tongue, neither does she control her emotions. She blows up over little things. Maybe her family tiptoes around her until they’ve assessed what her mood is that day.

Nothing good comes from having a short fuse. A sign of a foolish woman is one who has a quick temper and is easily offended.

As we see these five qualities of a foolish woman, let’s ask God to point out any that have taken root in our own lives. With His help, we can become wise women who bless our families and honor Him.

Can you think of other traits that a foolish woman might have? Let me know in the comments below!

Related posts:

• 7 Steps to Becoming a Wise Woman: Build Your House
• 10 Traits of a Wise Woman
• 5 Things You Can Do Today to Be a Virtuous Woman

It’s a new week here at Girls to Grow! Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Last week we did a brief series on five basic disciplines in our Christian lives. We began by talking about reading our Bible daily. It’s one of the first things we start to do as new followers of Jesus.

As we grow, however, we’re going to want to dig a little deeper. The best way to get to know more about God is not just to read, but also to begin studying His Word. Maybe sometimes we think we need to be real scholars with a seminary degree to study our Bibles. And if that’s you, great! But if not, all of us can still learn great truths for ourselves as we study God’s Word.

Before we get into the ways we can study Scripture, let’s talk about a few basic tools you’ll want to have on hand. Obviously, you’ll need a Bible. For my personal Bible study, I use a Bible that my parents gave me when I was in high school! I love seeing all the notes I’ve written in it over the years. And I’m so familiar with its layout that I can picture exactly where many familiar passages are on its pages!

Secondly, you’ll want a pen and something to write on. It could be a nice journal or just a basic notebook, which is what I use.

And then you’ll want a way to do some research. You could certainly have physical books like a concordance and a Bible dictionary on hand. I actually like having all of that available digitally. I use my laptop to do things like look up the meanings of words or search for verses on a particular topic. My cell phone works just as well but I’m more likely to get distracted and look at other things on my phone than I am on my laptop.

Finally, I want to remind us that what we need more than any other tool is the help of the Holy Spirit. He’s the one who can take the words on the page and make them come alive for us. You’ve probably had the experience where you’re reading a very familiar passage and all of a sudden you grasp a truth that you’ve never noticed before. In our lifetime we can never get to the bottom of all that the Bible has to teach us.

So whichever way you choose to study the Bible, it’s always good to start by praying and asking for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you.

Now let’s look at eleven different ways we can study the Bible.

1. Study a specific Bible character.

You could choose a well-known character who has many verses or even several chapters written about him – like Moses or Joseph or Paul. Or dig into someone who’s a lesser-known character like Abigail or Mordecai.

2. Study a topic in the Bible.

Fear, prayer, temptation, wisdom – the list of topics you can study is quite long! Use a concordance or a topical Bible to find all the verses that deal with your chosen topic.

3. Study one of the epistles.

You’ll find these letters that the apostles wrote, most of them to different churches, in the New Testament.

See if you can discover the theme of a particular epistle. If people’s names are mentioned, try to find out more about them. Search other epistles or the book of Acts to see if their names appear there.

4. Study the Psalms.

You could spend a good long time in Psalm 119! It’s a great study about God’s Word. Look for new lessons in popular Psalms like 23 and 100.

Or you could do a study of Psalms that focus on praising and worshipping God. There are lots of them! Look for similarities and differences.

5. Study Who God is in a story.

Choose any story – the Israelites at the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Esther, Daniel in the lions’ den, Paul and Silas in jail. Note how God interacts with the people in the story. What action does He take, if any? What characteristics of God stand out the most in that story?

6. Use a published Bible study.

I tend to rotate between doing my own study and using a published one. Some of my favorites have been Priscilla Shirer’s The Armor of God, Jen Wilkin’s God of Creation, and Betty Henderson’s A Woman of Prayer.

7. Read through the gospels.

I got this idea from Annie F. Downs. She read through all four gospels every month for a year as a way to get to know Jesus better. I’ve read the four gospels through in a month, though not for twelve months in a row!

8. Do a word study.

This is similar to studying a topic, which we mentioned above. But instead of a topic, choose a particular word and find all the times it’s used in Scripture.

If you want to go deeper, maybe choose a Hebrew word in the Old Testament or a Greek word in the New Testament to research. We’ve probably all heard the different words for love, like agape. Find all the mentions of agape in the Bible and see what you can learn from it.

9. Study the names of God.

Jehovah, Adonai, Alpha and Omega – these are just a few of the names of God used in the Bible. Read them in context in various passages and realize all that God is to you.

10. Study the promises of God.

This one is exciting to me! Find promises God made in the Bible. Start with the one He made to Noah that the whole earth would never be destroyed by a flood again. Then find more of His promises, to Abraham, to the Israelites, to believers in the New Testament.

11. Study the commands of Jesus.

This idea came to me when I was reading John 14. In verse 15, it says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” I decided that I wanted to know exactly what those commandments are. I went through the gospels and found commands that Jesus gave to His followers.

These are just 11 ideas for ways we can study the Bible. There are certainly many others! I hope you’ll let me know if you have another one that we could add to the list.

May we take the wonderful gift God has given us in His Word and use it to learn more about Him.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you. Thank you for supporting Girls to Grow through your purchases!

Related posts:

• 5 Questions from the Bible to Ask Yourself Today
• 5 Daily Practices for the Christian Woman
• 5 Truths the Bible Teaches Me About Love

Happy Friday! I hope you have something fun or relaxing planned for this weekend – or maybe just something you want to get accomplished! My husband and I are headed out on a date tonight, and tomorrow we hope to make progress on staining a dresser that we’re refinishing.

We’ve come to the final day of our series asking ourselves, “Why Should I…?” We’ve talked about reading our Bible, praying, being thankful, and serving others. The last question we’ll address is “Why should I meditate on Scripture?”

1. To renew our minds.

As we go through the day, our minds are overrun with conflicting thoughts and ideas. Many of them are not helpful or uplifting. Meditating on God’s Word can keep us thinking on those things that honor God (Philippians 4:8).

2. Because it brings success.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” ~Joshua 1:8

I think this promise is just as applicable to us as it was to Joshua. Meditating on God’s Word and applying it in our lives will prosper us in many ways.

3. To get victory over sin.

“Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” ~Psalm 119:11

Memorizing and meditating on specific Bible verses can give us victory over the sin we struggle with. There is power in God’s Word.

4. To gain wisdom.

Scripture is full of truth that will help us deal with the situations we face. The Holy Spirit can take the verses that we meditate on and give us direction and discernment.

5. To help us praise and worship God.

“My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.” ~Psalm 119:48

It’s such a blessing to be able to praise God with His own words! When we’ve memorized a praise passage, say from the Psalms, we can think about it as we go through our day. At any point, we can have our own private worship time as we use those verses to praise Him.

Thanks so much for following along with the series this week! I hope something we’ve discussed has encouraged you to cultivate habits that will help you grow in your walk with the Lord.

Related posts:

• 5 Helpful Ways God’s Word Can Light Our Path
• Using Bible Verses to Fight My Fears
• 10 Simple Verses from Psalms to Inspire Your Praise Life

Thanks for coming back to Girls to Grow today! I’m enjoying getting to touch base with you each day this week as we talk about some of the basic fundamental practices of our Christian faith.

I probably should have said this earlier on in our series, but please don’t think that doing the things we’ve talked about – reading your Bible, praying, being grateful – get you into Heaven or earn you more of God’s love or favor. God’s love for us is constant, and our only way to Heaven is through trusting Jesus’ work of redemption on the cross. However, if we want to grow in our faith and seek to become more like Christ, these are practical ways we can do that.

Today we’re going to look at five reasons why we should serve other people. They could be family or friends, coworkers or neighbors, or complete strangers.

1. To follow Christ’s example.

“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” ~John 13:14-15

One of the last things Jesus did for His disciples before going to the cross was an act of service. He even washed the feet of Judas Iscariot who would betray Him. As we find ways to serve others, we’re following the example Jesus set for us.

2. To obey God’s command.

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” ~Galatians 5:13

We know that God tells us to love one another – it’s the second greatest commandment (Mark 12:31). Loving others will naturally flow into serving them as we seek to meet their needs.

3. Because serving others brings joy.

I hope you’ve already learned this one by experience. Just as Jesus said it’s more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), so we get more joy from serving than from being served.

4. To show others the love of God.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” ~John 13:35

As we love and serve others, people will see the love of God reflected in us.

5. To humble ourselves.

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” ~Philippians 2:3

Jesus was willing to humble Himself, to become a servant, made in our likeness, so that He might save us from our sin (Philippians 2:7-8). Serving others reminds us that we are all created and equally loved by God.

Have you had an opportunity to serve someone lately? May we all look for ways that we can meet the needs of the people around us.

Related posts:

• 5 Ways to Serve Others as a Family
• Lessons on Humility from a Person Who Battles Pride
• What’s the Key to Serving Others the Way Jesus Did?

Welcome to the next post in our series this week! We’re asking the question, “Why should I…” as it relates to different areas in our spiritual lives. So far, we’ve talked about why we should read our Bible daily and why we should pray.

Today we’re asking, “Why should I be grateful?” I don’t know that thankfulness technically qualifies as a spiritual discipline. But I do know that it has an incredible impact on our attitude and how we live each day.

So let’s look at five reasons why we should be grateful.

1. Because it’s God’s will for us.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

Maybe we sometimes question what God’s will is for us. In this case, we don’t have to wonder. We’re told that it’s God’s will for us to give thanks in everything.

2. To bring glory to God.

“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.” ~Psalm 69:30

Everything we have comes from Him. When we recognize that and praise Him for it, we bring Him glory, both personally and when we share that with others.

3. To keep us keenly aware of our blessings.

Isn’t it easy to focus on what’s hard in our lives? Yet we have abundant blessings. Purposely looking for things to be thankful for helps us keep a right perspective. And hopefully, as we recognize our own blessings, we’ll want to be a blessing to others.

4. To cultivate contentment.

It’s hard to be grateful and discontent at the same time! As we take time to be thankful for what we have, we’ll be more satisfied and less tempted to want what we don’t have.

5. To remind us that God is good.

If we’re counting our blessings, as the old hymn says, then we really have no choice but to recognize that God is good.

“The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.” ~Psalm 145:9

Reading Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts {Amazon affiliate link} a number of years ago really challenged me in this area of being grateful. I’ve read it through several times since and add to my own written list of gifts nearly every day.

May each one of us live with grateful hearts and thankful spirits today!

• When You Don’t Feel Like Giving Thanks
• Giving Thanks on the Normal Days
• Living Grateful: Making a Daily Choice to Give Thanks

Hello and thanks for stopping by the blog today! I hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend. Ours was nice and relaxing. It’s the second week of having both of our daughters off at college, so I think we’ll find ourselves developing a rhythm that’s all our own.

Today’s the second day in our brief series asking “Why Should I…” do certain things in our walk with God. Today we’re asking, “Why should I pray?”

Here are five reasons.

1. To communicate with God.

Prayer is how we talk to God. If we’re reading His Word regularly, like we talked about yesterday, then we’re hearing what He says to us. Prayer is our opportunity to talk to Him.

2. To have peace instead of worry.

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7

Most of us are tempted (maybe often) to be anxious or worry about something. It could be finances, work, family, health, the future – there are plenty of things that could go on the list. But the verses above tell us to take our concerns about those things to God in prayer. In return, He will give us His peace.

3. Because we’re commanded to pray.

“Pray without ceasing.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:17

That’s a fairly simple instruction. We can’t always be in a quiet place talking to God. But we can maintain a spirit of prayer in our hearts so that whenever something comes to mind, we can pray about it.

4. To keep our hearts humble.

It’s too easy to think we can handle life on our own. Prayer shows that we recognize that we need God. Remember 2 Chronicles 7:14?

 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.“

Humbling ourselves enough to go to God and ask for His help is where prayer begins.

5. Because we can trust God to answer our prayers according to His will.

Prayer would be a futile act if we didn’t believe that God hears and answers our requests.

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” ~1 John 5:14

As we pray and see God answer those prayers, our faith grows. We learn to trust Him. Answered prayer also gives us the opportunity to glorify Him as we share our experience with others.

Let’s set aside time each day to talk to our Heavenly Father. And as we go about our daily tasks, let’s be reminded that there’s nothing too small – or to big – to take to Him in prayer.

Related posts:

• 5 Bible Verses to Encourage You in Your Prayer Life
• Does My Prayer Request Pass These Tests?
• What Hannah Teaches Me About Prayer

Good morning! I hope you’re enjoying this Monday so far. My husband is off work today, and I think we’re just going to enjoy some time together at home.

I decided to mix things up a bit with a different posting schedule this week. Rather than put up one longer blog post on Wednesday, I’m going to do one shorter post each weekday. It’ll be a brief series, and each post will focus on one of the basic disciplines of our Christian faith. Each day’s blog post title will start with, “Why Should I…”

So today’s post asks the question, “Why should I read my Bible daily?” It’s something we’re taught that we should do even as a brand new Christian. But why is it important?

Here are five reasons.

1. To learn about God.

The Bible is God’s Word. It’s a written document, inspired by the Holy Spirit, that is the best tool we have to learn about the God we want to love and serve. Whether it’s through verses that tell us directly about Him or through the stories that reveal how He interacts with people, we begin to grasp His character as we read and study the Bible

2. To know how to live.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” ~2 Timothy 3:16-17

From the Bible, we can learn what pleases God and what doesn’t. He gives clear direction, beginning with the ten commandments in Exodus and going through the gospels and epistles in the New Testament.

3. To be encouraged.

Going to God’s Word for encouragement is a precious gift. How many of us run to the Psalms when we’re deep in our feelings! We can identify with David’s writings when he’s struggling and can find hope through the same God that he followed.

4. To renew your mind.

We live in a world that is full of sin and corruption. We can easily get caught up in the temporary pleasures and pains of now and lose sight of living with eternal values. Spending time each day in the Bible gets our focus back where it needs to be – on growing to be more like Christ and sharing our faith with others.

5. To find God’s promises.

I want to know what God has promised me! Therefore I need to be in His Word so that I can find His promises and claim them for my own.

Reading the Bible daily is definitely a discipline! We have to plan for it or it won’t happen. It’s easiest for me to do it first thing in the morning. But regardless of the time of day we choose, let’s prioritize reading God’s Word.

Related posts:

• 5 Powerful Promises from God’s Word for You
• 7 Truths About Finding Joy in God’s Word
• 10 Things We Can Know About God’s Goodness

Welcome to Girls to Grow today! It’s the last Wednesday in August…which means I want to believe that when September arrives, fall weather will come with it. However, I’ve lived here in South Carolina long enough to know better! 🙂

I did buy a new sweater last week, but it will likely be November before it actually gets worn. I’ve noticed, though, that the days are starting to get shorter, so I plan to enjoy the rest of summer while it lasts.

We all have dark days, whether they’re for a brief time or through a longer season.  Financial difficulties, illness, death of a friend or family member, career struggles – no matter what form they take, these trials can make us feel as if the darkness is surrounding us.

If you’re in one of those times today, here’s a verse that I hope will encourage you.

“For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.”  ~ II Samuel 22:29

When the darkness comes, we’re not alone.  No matter how dark it seems, God is with us. Just knowing that He walks with us through our troubles can make the darkness feel less overwhelming.

What else does light bring us?  Here are five ideas.

• Light illuminates the path. Once we have light, we can see which way to go.  Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”  Letting God’s light shine into our situation can help us know how to proceed. Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Reading and studying our Bible will help us see the way to go.
• Light removes the fear of the unknown.  When you can see what’s around you, you’re not as scared.  A verse that comforts me in times of uncertainty is Psalm 112:7, which says of the righteous, “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.”  I don’t have to be afraid of the unknown if I’m trusting God to take care of me.
• Light brings comfort.  If you’ve ever had a child (or been one!) who’s afraid of the dark, you know how comforting it can be to see a little night light shining in the darkness.  God is called “the God of all comfort” in II Corinthians 1:3 and He is able to comfort us at every step. 
• Light reveals imperfections.  When the light of the Lord shines on us, we can see how much we need Him.  Through His Word and His Holy Spirit, He reveals our sin and our weakness. As we acknowledge them, God can show us Himself and His ability to meet our every need.
• Light leads us to our ultimate desination. I think of being lost outside on a cold, dark, wintry night. Just when I feel like giving up, I see a light in the distance. That light gives me hope to keep going, trusting that there’s warmth and something hot to eat and drink where I’m headed! In the same way, we may struggle along here in the darkness of the world, but as Christians, we have a home in Heaven where the light of our Savior always shines!

If you’re going through a dark day, I pray that you will let the Lord shine into your darkness!

Related posts:

• 5 Powerful Promises from God’s Word for You
• How to Praise God When Life Is Difficult
• 10 Things We Can Know About God’s Goodness