Me and My Original "Mama B"

The older I get, the more thankful I am to still have my grandmother in my life. She is, of course, one source of inspiration for the Mama B Series. Accordingly, when I talked to her about the plot of the novella, she gave me some advice which actually resolved the conflict (thanks, Grandma!).

When I really think about it, my grandmother has given me quite a few lessons in this story we call “life.” I don’t think she’s ever actually given me a lecture. Instead, she has taught me by example.

For one thing, my grandmother NEVER spanked me or yelled at me. She didn’t have to. There was something about her sweet love that somehow made me either more attentive or more obedient in her presence.

(My uncle Fred, of course, would have a different story. He would probably say that she spoiled me. I disagree. I was really good around my grandmother!)

Another thing about my grandmother is how she chose to encourage me. I’ll never forget the day I called her to tell her that I was pregnant. I was barely 20 years old, still in college, and not married. Though I am sure she was crushed by the news, she did not express her disappointment to me. Instead, she encouraged me to keep my head up, ask God to forgive me, stay in school, and move forward. She told me that I wasn’t the first girl to get pregnant in college, and I wouldn’t be the last. And she reminded me that, despite the situation, I was still a smart girl and she looked forward to my graduation. Her choice to encourage me rather than ridicule me in that fragile moment was soooo…I can’t even give you the right word for how she re-directed me.

I’ve been around my grandmother enough to know that she is not perfect. She’s human, which is really the beauty of God’s love for mankind as well.

When I think about how He loves us, I still don’t have words. But like a grandmother who has grown wise with time, He knows that once people realize how much they are loved, their respect, reverence, and obedience toward Him grow out of the love He already has for us.

God is also faithful to encourage us when we have done wrong. For believers, He has already forgiven our sins and made a conscious decision to forget them. While sin may just be happening from our perspective, it has already happened, been nailed to the cross, and been forgiven from His point of view. When we do wrong, the Holy Spirit doesn’t come to condemn those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1). Instead, He convicts us of our righteousness (John 16:8-11). He encourages us by directing our focus back to Christ in us.

If have a grandmother, mother, aunt, sister, or cousin who has been a source of encouragement to you, please give her her flowers! Even if you don’t currently have a “Mama B” in your life, you can have Christ. I encourage you to receive His love. It will fill you with memories that are sometimes challenging, but always loving :)

Stay Faithful

Feeling weary? Discouraged? Ready to throw in the towel on your God-given hopes and dreams?
Simply put: DON'T!

Be encouraged by Michelle's audio teaching, encouraging believers to stay faithful to the calling God has on your life. You have everything to gain!

Hello, my Women Growing In Christ friends! Last year, I focused on marriages - with GREAT testimonies and encouragement from women across the country. I'm sooo glad to finally share The Wife Academy, which grew from that experience. (I know - y'all probably thought I was chillin' - I was working on THIS.) Whether you're a newlywed, approaching your golden anniversary, or just wondering if you're ready to be a wife in the first place, I encourage you to check out these videos and, later, order the rest of the videos if you'd like to go further. And PLEASE share this with your friends through email and other social networks. You may never know how you saved a family by passing along information and encouragement. Finally, if you're in the DFW area and/or a member of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, I hope we can touch bases this fall during a Bible Institute class I'm facilitating entitled "Developing a Wife's Discerning Heart." Thank you for all the love, my sisters. And, please, don't hesitate to share your prayer needs with me. One of our greatest weapons in this world is prayer! In His Love,

Help for Overwhelmed Folks!

Today, I'm working from my "other" office - Panera because it seems that when I'm home, very little gets done. Normally, when I'm here, I'm under a deadline. I come in, I fire up my computer, I write and write until it's all done. Today is different. I have 10 different things on my to-do list. For some reason, after I wrote down all that I needed to accomplish, I suddenly felt overwhelmed. Where do I start? What's the priority? Even if I don't finish #3, I MUST finish #8 before my daughter gets out of school. In the midst of feeling overwhelmed, I thought about an easy escape - Facebook. If I just opened up that browser, I could take my mind off all the things I had to do for a moment. But the Holy Spirit spoke up inside me and let me know that I was using Facebook (as fun as it might be) as a crutch to be unproductive. Ouch! Well, even after He told me that, I still wasn't feeling any better about my list of things-to-do. Didn't have any more guidance than I'd had five minutes earlier. And then He did what He does so well - brought scripture to my remembrance. "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for reminding me. Thank You, Lord, for the power of Your word to remind us of all the provision You have already made for us!

Just Checking in :)

Hello friends - virtual et al,
2011 ended with a bang, and 2012 has been no less adventurous. Last year was so fulfilling in that I was able to share information with wives. It seems that working with wives is turning out to be my passion and calling. Working on even more to share in the near future. God Bless!
-Michelle