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Hi ladies! Welcome to week 3. Last week we talked about when godly ladies are hospitable, produce good works, and are hardworking. This week we’ll be learning about what it means when the Bible talks about godly women speaking with wisdom and kindness and are trustworthy.

Before we dive in, let us understand that speaking with wisdom does not always mean when one speaks they always sound wise, intelligent, or deep. Speaking with wisdom is knowing when to speak, when not to speak, and how to speak kindly.

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who generously gives without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” If we’re not sure when to say something or how to say it, ask God through prayer or go to His Word. He can help us.

To speak wisely, we’re showing humility and with humility comes wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).

Have you ever said something that you knew you shouldn’t have said? I know I have. Have you ever let your anger get the best of you and lost self-control of your words? I’m shrinking in my seat right now ‘cause I know I’ve done that once or twice.

OK, maybe more than that.

See how I snuck in self-control? I thought that was pretty crafty. See my previous post on self-control and modesty, The “List”: Week One.

So, am I saying that it’s not OK to be blunt or sarcastic? Of course not! We can be honest and sarcastic all we want, we just need to know when it is appropriate to do so. There’s a fine line between funny-sarcastic and just plain rude sarcastic. We need to know the difference.

Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning when they hold their tongues.” If fools know how and when to speak wisely, I have no doubt that us godly women can do the same.

Also, keep in mind that people we hang around can influence the way we speak, “walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20.)

If we are to be an example of Christ’s love to others, it’s important that our “conversations always be full of grace, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6).

For example, my love language is words of affirmation, so nothing would please me more than praise from God, my family, and friends.

So, what about speaking with kindness?

We talked last week how in Titus 2 the older women are to teach the younger women to be hardworking and not malicious talkers. Paul also states that they teach the younger women to be kind.

“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). Kind and loving words to others not only gives strength and encouragement to them, but to us as well.

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). We can do so much to help and heal others when we pray with them or just smile at them and be friendly.

We must “not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs…be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29,32). We’re God’s chosen people, His princesses, and He’s asked us to clothe ourselves in kindness (Colossians 3:12).

Not only does He ask us to be kind, He commands us to love one another.

So, if we speak with wisdom and kindness, thinking of others before ourselves, we are loving one another.

There’s so much anger and hatred in this world because people don’t know when to shut their mouths. Ladies, I can’t say this enough: speak wisely and be kind.

Our future husbands don’t want to be constantly arguing with us because of something that was said without kindness, and I’m sure we all feel the same way.

Let us learn to control ourselves and lift one another up instead of putting each other down.

So, what about being trustworthy you ask? Great question!

Remember that story in the Bible when a dude named Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den? We’ve all sung about it in Sunday school one time or another.

King Darius was jealous of Daniel’s “exceptional qualities”, so the leaders of the kingdom tried to find something wrong about Daniel to hold it against him. They weren’t successful because Daniel was neither “corrupt nor negligent” and was “trustworthy in everything” (Daniel 6:1-5).

That’s a fine example of trustworthiness right there, folks.

Imagine, the mean girls at school or at work are jealous of your work ethic, hospitality, modesty, self-control, and kindness. They try to tear you down, but there isn’t anything they can hold against you because you hold yourself in a godly manner.

That’s a godly woman.

Gossip betrays confidence, but our husbands will have full confidence in us when we use discretion, speak wisely, and with kindness (Proverbs 31:11, 11:13, 2:11).

It is an honor when one knows that we’re trusted with the deepest desires and sins of another. To love is to bear one another’s burdens and doing so is obeying Christ (Galatians 6:2).

Heavenly Father,

You’re so worthy of our praise. We thank You that, despite our failing efforts to

speak with wisdom and kindness and to be trustworthy, You still love us. We ask

that You help us become wise, kind, and trustworthy women, so we can love

others and love You to the best of our ability.

Amen.

M.A.

Like this post? Check out my whole Godly Woman series here.

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Good morning ladies! Last week we talked about what it means to be godly women with self-control and modesty. This week we’ll be learning together what the Bible says about being hospitable, producing good works, and being a hard worker.

“Dear children, let us not love with words, but with actions and truth” (1 John 3:18). I strongly believe that when Jesus commanded us to love one another, he wanted us to do so with actions and not just with what we post on social media.

I am guilty of this too. We put on this front thinking that posting long posts with Bible verses and posts about love, but what about actually showing God’s love through our lives?

When we show and practice hospitality, we’re loving with our actions and showing God’s truth.

At our house, my mom has an “open door” policy meaning we would open our home to anyone in need. In high school, I was a leader at my youth group and my mom volunteered for the youth group as well. In our youth group, the majority of the teens were from poorer families and because of that, my mom made sure to buy snacks for every Wednesday night as much as she could.

I’m telling you this because no matter how stressed out my mom was, she made sure our youth pastor and the kids had all that they needed to keep the youth group running. If our youth pastor couldn’t have church at her house that week, we would have it at ours. If our youth pastor and her family had to go out of town, we would take care of church that week. My mom constantly showed hospitality even when she wasn’t at home. She took care of people.

She gave all that she had to be a mom to some kids who didn’t know what being loved felt like. In turn, she was showing them God’s love.

That’s hospitality.

My mom showed hospitality “to others without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9). She showed, and still shows, “love in action” (Romans 12).

I remember asking her, “don’t you ever get tired? Don’t you want recognition for all you do? Don’t you want a ‘thank you’?”

She just smiled and said, “It’s not about me, it’s about Him.”

One of the fruits of the Spirit is hospitality. When we care for the needs of someone, we’re showing hospitality.

When we “bless those who curse us” and give to our enemies, we’re showing hospitality (Luke 6:28).

When we’re kind to strangers or people we don’t know well, or people we might not necessarily like, we could be showing hospitality to angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2).

“The woman who serves unnoticed and unthanked is a woman who loves God more than she desires praise from others” (Wendy Pope).

Showing hospitality can be difficult, but I promise that it’s fulfilling. It’s the same way with producing good works and being a hard worker.

Titus 2:3-5 says, “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

In verse 3, Paul talks about the older women teaching what is good. Then in verse 4, Paul states what happens when older women teach what is good: the younger women would love their husbands and children, become self-controlled, pure, taking care of their homes, kind, and submitting to their husbands.

Producing good works is when we surrender our lives to God and set an example of His Word so that others may come to Jesus because of our example.

But remember this: just because we strive to produce good works doesn’t mean we need to strive for perfection. Jesus is perfect, we are not.

And that’s OK.

In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, he talks about living a quiet life, minding our own business, and working hard so that our lives would “win the respect of others” (4:11-12).

If we want to do good for the Gospel and be successful, we need to mind our own business.

Ladies, it does no good to gossip or pry into other people’s lives. It just distracts us from showing hospitality, working hard, and “running the race God has set before us” (Philippians 3:14).

Whatever we do, we must do it as if we’re working for the Lord (Colossians 3). I promise that when we work hard and show hospitality, we will produce good works.

The Lord sees our struggles. He sees our workload and stress. He sees our timidity towards strangers. He understands.

But He also commanded us to love Him and love others. When we surrender our agendas, our homes, and our resources to show someone love, in turn, we’re showing our love for Jesus Christ.

God bless,

M.A.

Like this post? Check out my whole Godly Woman series here.

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Good morning, ladies! Week one of our series, 11 Characteristics of a Godly Woman! We’ll be talking about when godly women practice self-control and modesty and how those qualities will not only benefit us, but our future husbands as well.

What exactly is self-control?

I’m focusing on the self-control of our emotions. When a godly woman has self-control, she knows when to bite her tongue when she’d rather fight back. A godly woman has self-control when she would much rather throw caution to the wind and party hard. She knows what her boundaries are, and she doesn’t tempt them.

Proverbs 25:28 says “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Without self-control, we have no defenses. It’s so easy for the enemy to slip in and make chaos.

In Song of Solomon, the author states: “Do not awaken love until it so desires” three times. There’s a reason for that. Have you ever manipulated a situation just so you could talk to your crush? I know I have.

Have you ever liked someone so much that you tried to act like you were in a relationship with that person even though you weren’t? Yup. Check.

Have you ever wanted someone’s love so much that you shared all of your burdens with that one person in hope that they would comfort you? Yeah, I’m totally losing.

Shall we repeat it again? Ladies, DO NOT AWAKEN LOVE UNTIL IT SO DESIRES. You’ll just make a mess of things. I’m speaking from experience here. Wait on God’s timing. I know it’s hard, but I promise your waiting will not be in vain.

It’s important that we have self-control when it comes to our emotions. Ephesians 4:26-27 says “In your anger do not sin…do not give the devil a foothold.” It’s crucial that we not let the devil get a hold of our emotions — the wild ups and downs we feel in our day-to-day lives. Letting him in and wreck us.

Do y’all know that the Bible has some pretty cool advice? Who knew, right? My mind is blown right now.

“Fools give full vent to rage, but the wise bring calm in the end” (Proverbs 29:11). Can I just say that it’s super easy to “give full vent to [my] rage”? Yeah, I’m having one of those moments where I’m feeling convicted, but my pride is freaking out.

This will blow your minds: “Those who consider themselves religious yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless” (James 1:26).

Woah. Let that sink in.

Worthless? So, when I don’t have self-control, or I let my emotions run like me running to Krispy Kreme when I hear that they have pumpkin spice glazed doughnuts, I’m deceiving myself and my faith is worthless?

Ouch. The truth hurts.

One of the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 is self-control. Also, Titus 2:5 states that women should have self-control. There must be a reason that all throughout the Bible it’s mentioned time and time again to have control of yourself, whether that’s with emotions, your tongue, lust, or food.

Ladies, our future husbands don’t need us to be overly emotional like a pregnant lady in labor all of the time. Does that mean that it’s not ok to cry? No! It’s ok to cry. It’s natural even. When we have self-control, we’re telling the enemy that we’re confident in who we are as daughters of the King and we know how to handle issues by giving them to God.

So, what about modesty?

Modesty isn’t just covering up our bodies. It’s respecting yourself enough to say “hey, my body is only for my future husband to see.”

So, we can’t be confident in what the Good Lord gave us? Of course we can! But girls, is it more important to be confident in the way God made you, or is it more important to be confident in cleavage, makeup, and tight leggings?

“Charm is deceptive, beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).

Modesty also goes with the heart. If we’re modest on the outside, but not on the inside, people will see through us really quickly. We can dress modestly all we want, but a woman who does not reveal her modesty within her heart hasn’t made any changes.

1 Peter 3:3-4 says “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and find clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

If God is the One who gives us our future husbands, we can bet that they will be men who fear the Lord. Men who fear the Lord do not want their wives “throwing pearls to pigs”, they want to unclasp our pearl necklaces themselves (Matthew 7:6).

“I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds…” (1 Timothy 2:9-10). It’s important that we value ourselves, our future husbands, and our faith over how “in-style” we are or how pretty we look. Does this mean that it’s wrong to like fashion? Of course not! We just need to make sure that our love of fashion doesn’t become an idol over our relationship with Jesus.

Ladies, we are daughters of the most High King. Having self-control and being modest isn’t about obeying rules. This does not prevent you from going to heaven. Having self-control and practicing modesty is about revealing respect for ourselves and our future husbands, showing humility, and becoming holy.

As we go about our week, let us reflect on the Scripture. We are royalty, let’s act and dress like it.

M.A.

Like this post? Check out my whole Godly Woman series here.

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“To marry a prince, you must first become a princess.” When I read this in my morning devotion a week ago, I had to take a step back and pause for a second.

I want to become a princess: poised, polite, loving, kind, and sophisticated. But what if it’s not enough? I can’t always help that I have anxiety attacks. I can’t help the fact that I’m short, my hair never seems to stay in place, and I snort when I laugh. That’s definitely not princess like.

But am I a princess?

We’re always so quick to refer to our lists of qualities we want in our future husbands, but what about the list of qualities our future husbands want in their future wives?

I’m not saying that it’s not important to have a list of characteristics we want in our future husbands. It’s important to learn what the Bible says about godly husbands.

What I am saying is that it’s also important to find out what the Bible says about godly wives.

So, after some studying of the Word, I have come up with a list of eleven qualities of godly women throughout the Bible:

OK. Don’t freak out. I know it’s a lot. Thank goodness that God’s grace is ever flowing because I would be a sinner in a sauna if you know what I mean.

Through the next five weeks, I’ll be explaining what each point means and talking about what it means to be a godly woman. Together, we’ll dig deeper into God’s Word and discover the qualities we didn’t know we had.

Will you join me?

M.A.

P.S. Click the subject listed here to automatically go to that post.

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How to Simplify Your Mind When Everything Around You is Chaos

I feel like my brain is going to explode. There’s so much that I need to do, so man people I need to talk to, too many things I need to improve, and not enough time to do it all.

I need to work on and improve my blog, put together a workout schedule, finish projects at work so I stay employed and pay bills, spend time with my boyfriend, spend time with my dog, cleaning my apartment, taking care of my garden, talking to friends back home, talking to family back home, going to doctor’s appointments, running errands, going to church and church activities, my internship, checking off my to-do list, and setting time apart to spend with Jesus.

Notice I didn’t mention a social life, daily chores/schedules, random things that’ll pop up in my schedule, or sick days (I have a lot of those).

All the while I’m trying to grow my blog, do an internship, clear my skin, figure out some health problems, lose weight, fighting anxiety and depression, working full-time, and living on my own for the first time.

I’m smelling burnt toast just thinking about it all. Can ya relate?

*Takes a deep breath*

So, I finally took a minute to write down everything I’m worried about, what I need to do, who I need to reach out to, priorities for now, and priorities for later.

Putting everything down on paper helped A TON. I was able to get a clear view of all that’s going on in my head and it simplified what needed to be done now versus later.

May I encourage you? While I still have to take deep breaths throughout my day, My brain hasn’t exploded. This strategy might help you, too!

Get a sheet of paper, a pen, and lock yourself in the bathroom for five minutes. Take a deep breath and write!

God bless,

M.A.

P.S. Check out my post on How to Plan a Simple Weekly Schedule and download my FREE weekly planner for more resources and tips!

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Recently, my family and I had taken our annual trip to Lake Okoboji. I hadn’t been feeling well the whole trip, the last day being the worst, & when I woke up that day I felt a tug on my heart to talk to the Lord.

I felt an urge to go out onto the dock alone to pray and worship Him. What’s significant about this is that I have a horrible fear of deep water. I have nightmares about it and my breath gets caught in my throat just thinking about the idea of drowning.

I was determined and as I walked up to the beginning of the dock, looking at how far away the end was, my knees began to shake.

That’s when I heard, “trust Me.”

And so began the walk down the long dock to the end — walking around spider webs, large boats, and on creaky planks of wood. After an agonizing 60 seconds, I made it to the end and all but collapsed on the wooden bench secured on the dock.

But, oh, the view.

The water was completely calm. When I dared to look over the edge of the dock, I could see all the way down to the lake floor. I heard nothing but a slight breeze and the early morning sun’s warmth on my face.

I knew right then and there why God had called me to the end of that dock. There were no distractions, no people watching me, no electronics fighting for my attention… it was surreal.

For thirty minutes I talked to God about my hopes and dreams and all of the “long docks with deep water” in between me and my deepest desires. The Spirit led me to Lamentations and at first I wasn’t sure why.

Lamentations? The whole book is basically God’s people crying and wailing about how God Himself turned His back on them. Super encouraging.

But then, I got to chapter three which talks about waiting for the Lord and our God’s complete, enduring, merciful, steadfast love. And it clicked.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him. The Lord is good to those who hope in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It it good for a [woman] to bear the yoke while [she] is young. Let [her] sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on [her]. For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though He brings grief, He will show compassion, so great is His unfailing love. For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.”

–Lamentations 3:22-28 & 31-33

What are your “docks?” What are your deep, murky waters & creaky wood planks? What is God telling you to trust Him with? To wait for?

My waiting list is a long one, and I’m sure you have a couple things you’re waiting on as well. But halfway through walking towards the end of that dock, I didn’t take my eyes off of the sunlit water that waited for me. I didn’t focus on the spider webs, the creaky boards, the big intimidating boats on each side.

God is saying “wait for Me. Focus on my love, focus on my grace, focus on Me.” And when I did just so, before I knew it, I was at the end of the dock in the sunlight in awe of what God was showing me.

I doubted Him. I thought, “maybe I’m imagining the pull. Maybe I’m sleep deprived (which wouldn’t be surprising). Maybe I should just go back inside.”

I’m so glad I didn’t.

God reveals Himself to those who take the risk and walk down the dock towards Him even when surrounded by their fears and insecurities.

I encourage you to reflect on what your “dock” is, your deep, murky waters, creaky wood planks, spider webs, and big intimidating boats. Cast them aside, put one foot forwards, take a deep breath, and trust Him.

Because, oh, the view is beautiful.

M.A.

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Everyone is pressed for time — whether you’re a stay at home mom, a student, a business owner, or a human! It’s easy to get caught up in to-do lists and work. Life can be chaotic, but it doesn’t have to be! Here’s how to plan out a simple weekly schedule that will keep you on track and help your life be simple!

First, print or write out a weekly calendar. I have one that blocks out the time by the hour, so I can schedule by the hour! You can download my weekly planner here.

Second, on a separate sheet of paper, write down everything you need to do for the week: work, appointments, errands, chores, and to-dos. I find that writing everything down helps me narrow down everything that I need to do and prioritize what needs to get done first.

Third, write in the appointments, works, etc. by time into your printed calendar. This will help you block off time that’s already scheduled and give you a bird’s-eye view of all of the extra time you have for the week! I color code my appointments and to-dos so I have a better idea of ho I’m spending the majority of my time.

Fourth, write down your to-dos on the day you need to do them. Saturdays are my cleaning and errand days while Sunday evening I meal prep for the week ahead.

Lastly, add any morning or evening routines you do. It’s important to add these because they take up time in our schedules.

Please note that your weekly schedule should be as flexible and firm as possible. Life doesn’t always work out the way we want (or schedule) it to, but having a schedule helps one pay attention to priorities and find ways to relax.

Do you have any scheduling tips? Share them in the comments below!

God bless,

M.A.

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I’ve waited weeks to write and publish my first blog post. My brain has been swirling with content ideas and I couldn’t come up with the confidence to post. But through all of my website making and content creation, one question has been at the forefront of my mind: is living simply worth it?

When having a blog, an author writes to share information to help the reader. I’ve researched other blogs who talk about “living the simple life,” but none of them speak about life in light of eternity and their lifestyle doesn’t feel attainable either. I’m not planning on living in a cottage in the middle of no where nor start a homestead nor go off the grid and I’m pretty sure the majority of readers are in the same boat.

One of my favorite views in Colorado. I loved taking the time to walk around the lake and breathing the fresh air.

To me, living simply is knowing how to say “no,” prioritizing, and being at peace knowing this isn’t my home — Heaven is. Simple living is time management and organization that provides the time and space to slow down. Simple living is serving those around us and choosing to make time to do so. Simple living is taking time to enjoy the present by creating beauty and not filling my schedule to the brim with things that make me lose sleep.

Makes you want to stop and linger for a while, doesn’t it?

Is it worth it? Throwing aside what the world offers — chaos, no sleep, corporate ladders — and running the race towards a greater future? I’d like to think so.

So, here I am. I’m still trying to figure out this simple-lifestyle thing, but I’m moving forward. I invite you to join me on this adventure and I’m excited for all of the good things to come!

God bless,

M. A.

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Hello, ladies! Since I’ve been told people enjoyed my series, 11 Characteristics of a Godly Woman, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about godly men and their specific characteristics. So, we’ll be starting a series called 6 Characteristics of a Godly Husband.

I decided to wait until now to begin this series for a few reasons:

Work is an ever-present thing whispering in my ear, “stop procrastinating.”
I’ve been getting feedback from readers and collecting data for the blog.
I’ve been designing some new feature photos and emails for the blog.
I like to take naps.

Hey, at least I’m honest.

Some feedback I’ve gotten from friends and readers has been that “there aren’t any ‘good guys’ left.” There seems to be almost a unanimous agreement between young, single Christian women that all of the “good ones” are taken.

I have to admit, I’ve felt that way before.

But, what makes the good guys, well, “good”?

In high school, I read a blog post where the author had come up with a list of things she wanted in her future husband. They weren’t anything physical, but all spiritual and emotional, and there were no more than 5 to 10 characteristics that she thought she needed in a spouse.

I was inspired. Throughout the years, I’ve compiled multiple lists of characteristics I want in a spouse. My list has been long, short, rearranged, tear stained, crumpled, rewritten, and torn.

Through the next 6 weeks, we will go through the list of 6 characteristics of a godly husband and what the Bible says about those characteristics.

We’ve talked about the characteristics of a godly woman/wife, so I bring you 6 characteristics of a godly husband:

Come join me as we learn together what we should look for in a husband and how God speaks the same through His Word!

God bless,

M.A.