Suzanne Eller, Proverbs 31 Ministries

Leading women in a new direction

Becoming a woman with a Spirit-led heart {{freebies}}

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“Is this stuff still happening?”

We sat at the table, reading the book of Acts. My friend’s question came out of the blue. “I need to know. Is this stuff still happening?” she asked.

The stuff she was talking about was praying for the sick, and people being healed. It was being tongue-tied one moment, but sharing a message so powerful that it drew thousands to Christ the next.

My friend asked this question, not because she wanted to start a healing ministry or to tour around the country talking about Jesus, but because she wanted to pray for her children and know that God heard that prayer. She wanted to effectively live her faith in a world that doesn’t always understand it. More than anything, she wanted to be a woman with a Spirit-led heart.

If there was power that could bring her faith to life, she wanted every drop.

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Turning a task from a grind into a party! {{Giveaway}}

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If you came over from Encouragement for Today, welcome! In today’s Encouragement for Today devo, I share how I am a lean-mean working machine, which can be a good thing. . . until it’s not.

 

What does your to-list look like?

Well, if you are like me you may ask, “Which one?”

There’s my calendar which lists all my deadlines and work to-do’s, and then there’s the list on the page sitting next to me with my daily tasks. Then, there’s the reminders to pick up this, pay that, or be at this place at a certain time.

Goodness, that can make us tired, right?

It can also sneak in and steal away our joy, if we allow it. You and I are wired for joy. The Bible confirms that over and over again. In fact, it might surprise you to know that joy is talked about in equal parts with what we “do.”

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Thwack! Why hurting people to make them do better never works.

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The kids seemed almost perfect.

There were five of them. They sat straight up, head forward. At first, I thought it was because they had to be the most amazing kids ever. But then I saw the strap. It was leather and thin. The mama held it in her right hand. A child whispered to her sibling. The strap slipped out like a snake and . . . thwack. A small red mark appeared on the child’s arm. Her brother shifted in his seat. The strap snuck out again. . . thwack. Right on his thigh. Another red mark.

If I hadn’t been right behind them, and at the angle that I was, I wouldn’t have seen it. It was quick. It was almost silent. If you’ve ever been abused, you are hypersensitive to it. I didn’t know what to do.

This story happened nearly 30 years ago. Rather than speak to the woman directly, I privately sought out someone in leadership and shared what I had seen. They promised to talk with her and counsel this family.

Shortly after that the strap went away.

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When it feels like you are slip sliding away from faith

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It was so muddy!

We woke up that morning and rain was pounding outside the window. It had rained for days before our arrival. We wondered if we had traveled to paradise, only to be trapped in the small room we were staying.

We had two choices: stay hunkered down or make it an adventure.

So, out we went! I don’t usually equate adventure with mud, but that’s what greeted us. Lots and lots of slippery, thick mud. Mud that sucks your shoes in and won’t let go. Mud that pulls you in up to your knees. Mud that tries to throw you off narrow paths into the cascading water below.

We hiked all week. Some of the hikes seemed almost impossible due to how steep they were, and when you added slippery mud, it became both amazing and bit scary.

At one point I fell into a crater. My hands and arms were muddy. My knees were bruised. My hair hung in my face, for my hands were so muddy I couldn’t touch it with my fingers.

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10 questions that help you make the wisest choice {{printable}}

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If you came over from Encouragement for Today, welcome. This isn’t just a blog. It’s a community. Grab your Bible. Grab a friend. Let’s dig deep into this topic together! And hey, there’s a couple of free printables at the end! ~ Suzie

Some days we don’t know what to do

Not just what to do, but the best choice to make in the moment. The wisest decision for the long term. For the person standing in front of us.

Just yesterday I found an empty chair and put my head in my hands. I was frustrated. I didn’t want my emotions — which were all over the place — to rule.

In those hard places, we can be honest with God.

Lord, I have no idea which way to go next, but I trust you’ll show me. Give me the words to say and the words to hold back. See these emotions all over the place? I need direction. 

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. James 1:5-6 (The Msg)

I’m not going to pretend that I’m all-wise, but there are 10 questions that I’ve learned to ask myself when wisdom feels elusive.

#1 – Have I prayed about this?

When we pray, the Lord will lead toward wisdom rather than away. He desires the best for us.

#2 – Have I acknowledged how I feel?

Stuffing our feelings is never healthy. We don’t have to wallow in them or shout them out to the world, but we do need to give them room to breathe. Acknowledge them.

I’m angry. I’m hurt. I’m confused. I feel let down. I feel out of control. I feel alone.  [Read more…]

What the Holy Spirit is trying to give his church – us

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Was I the only one feeling it?

This past Sunday my face was wet with tears. My knees nearly buckled under the weight of what I was feeling. I looked around for a moment. Yes, there were others that sensed it too. It was the presence of the Holy Spirit. Thick. Sweet. Powerful.

Richard placed his hand on the man, a friend, standing next to him, and they began to pray.

Yes, they felt it too. 

Friends, I don’t know about you but I’ve been desperate to find my way back to the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. It’s not that he’s gone anywhere. He lives in me. He lives in you.

There’s just been so many distractions.

It’s a crazy smart plot, if you think about it — stirring and distracting believers until they are sidetracked and oblivious to the power waiting for each of us.  [Read more…]

Changing the world one woman at a time

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Will you consider joining in our Living Free Together 2018 COMPASSION Initiative? Our first project is to join with Mission India to raise funds for two literacy classes for women who have never learned to read. ~ Suzie

 

118 degrees, no roads, a mountain of trash

I stood in a rag picking slum in India. Houses with dirt floors and rags as the only roof. Tires holding those rags down while children scooted in and out. Little ones picking through mountains of trash.

Later, in that same rag picking slum, I sat with a group of women and children as their animator (a teacher) taught the women how to read. We sat in a dark tent with crazy wiring that snaked up a metal pole. Light flickered. The floor was dirt. Women proudly read from their workbooks, and some from a Bible. They smiled shyly, so excited to read. Something they had been told they could never have.

There were moments I staggered under the weight of oppression placed on the women and little girls I met on that vision trip. I’ve traveled to 19 countries. I’ve witnessed oppression. I’ve seen poverty. This was different. This was darkness that cast its widest shadow on little girls from the moment they were born.

They were called untouchable. The lowest of the lowest caste.  [Read more…]

When you want to clean out and confront old family junk

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She told the story again. . . sort of.

I had heard it many times. It was a different version each time.

Someone picked a fight. Someone got mad. Someone said hurtful words. Someone did something wrong, not caring about the consequences or effect on others. The ending was always that she had to deal with it in some way.

Clean up.

Trying to ease everyone’s feelings.

Stepping in to smooth things over.

Taking the brunt and dealing with it emotionally.

Why didn’t she just walk away? 

Well, it was her family. It’s hard to walk away from family even when they are a mess.

And, second, it felt confusing as a believer.

  • We are commanded to love, but what does that look like in these situations?
  • We want to give second chances, but what about the third, fourth, and fiftieth chance?
  • We desire our family see Christ in us . . .  yet their behavior makes us feel less than Christlike.

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When negative thoughts just won’t let go

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Our thoughts are powerful.

We have about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts a day. Did you know that?

That’s a huge span. For those of you on the 60,000 register, that means your brain rarely rests. But let me share something else I find fascinating. According to some researchers, as many as 98 percent of our thoughts are exactly the same as we had the day before.

If you are thinking positive thoughts, that’s pretty cool. If you are thinking about that insult someone made day after day, not so much. If you are waking up, going to bed, going about your day trapped in thoughts of revenge, anger, or rehearsing the hurts of the past, that’s pretty painful. [Read more…]

When you don’t feel God, it doesn’t mean he’s not there

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You reach and it feels like you’re grabbing air.

You know that God is real. You aren’t going anywhere, because even when you don’t feel it, you can’t help but thank him for who he is, and what he’s done.

But it’s dry.

So stinking dry.

And you want more.

That’s where I found myself recently. Like “last night” recently. I tell you this because you might be there too, and maybe you’ve started to believe it’s because you’ve messed up somehow. Or that you’re not as spiritual or faith-filled as others.

Nope, that’s not it all.

It’s the wilderness, and for whatever reason, we can end up there for a season. It’s so opposite of the times that God is as close as a whisper, or when joy bubbles up, or you throw your hands in the air (maybe in your thoughts, because there’s people all around) as you rejoice in who God is.

So, last night, when I was lying in bed, I talked to God about this.  [Read more…]