One nice lady approached me recently after an event where I shared my testimony, and she asked me what gives me such passion to be a speaker for Christian women.  I didn’t have to think about it very long, really, because the joy it gives me has long been bringing so much healing into my own life!

 I believe Christian women writers and speakers are called out to testify of the power in the love of Jesus Christ that  gives a woman the dignity she is meant to own and appreciate.

Women who love God and know the secret of letting Him love them can enjoy Him like few ever do. My newest book, Woman With Destiny in the Kingdom of God  (don’t miss it!) is being used to point women to the truth about their tremendous value and how beautifully that truth can affect their unique roles in life. Before banging out the first sentence of that book or either of the other two, I sighed with expectation for the opportunity in my hands to teach, testify and train.  Ah, and then prayer. . .the great essential!   It’s important to  me to pray for God’s love to prepare others to hear from Him as He prepares me to write and speak.  I pray each will listen for His pointed word just for her because I believe it will be there.  As powerful as God is, He can’t answer prayers not prayed, right?

Being a Christian woman makes me keenly aware of the unique needs of Christian women.  Having been party to the games we women sometimes play has made me alert to warn against the trap of a victim mentality.  Desperately aware of  my own shortcomings, God can use me to warn and restore if I let Him.  So, I see transparency as another essential for committed Christian women writers and speakers.

Even the most gifted communicators can’t give away something they don’t have.  If His uncompromised Word  is not our own light and lamp, we’re faking it.  The third critical heart choice, then, for Christian women writers and speakers is humility, which, simply put, is agreeing with God about me.  It’s teachability.  We must first be the teachable ones, and it’s got to be our own way of life.  It’s the necessary precursor before attempting to persuade others to believe anything we might have to say.

Here’s the reference I use as a personal plumb line:  “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a performance of that which was told her from the Lord.”  Luke 1:45

Giving back from the treasury ot what God Himself has deposited in to our lives is the unquenchable passion in the heart of anointed Christian women writers and speakers.  It’s Divine privilege of the highest portion.  It’s a sensational way to live.

Sending love,

Marsha

Have you ever heard it said that happiness is a choice?  It’s true.  What’s even more true is that it can be really tough work making a choice to be happy.  Half the time I don’t think I’ve known what really would make me happy, so I didn’t realize what eluded me.  I’ve often been so comfortable being miserable that I was too lazy to move even enough to ask myself why I stayed miserable!

Ladies, it’s another time waster.   Time slips through our fingers like sand.  Time to be more honest with ourselves.  Take off the masks with me and let’s get uncomfortable in our disappointments and pain then run to those still, sweet waters and green pastures of contentment.  Choose to find that hiding place and bask in the Love being poured all over you by a living, loving God who absolutely wants you to enjoy every sweet moment He gives you on this planet.  Forget for awhile that you even have problems.  Bathe yourself in the only truth you really need.

My husband is a busy executive who travels.  Too much travel, actually.  Too much for my comfort level, because he’s my greatest personal encourager.  He drove off to the wild blue yonder again yesterday, and I put myself to the tasks he trusts me with, including that of being happy in the process. 

It was like some dark cloud hovered over me all day.  Honestly, I’m facing a huge disappointment  right now that’s starting to scare me a little, and I don’t want to face it alone.  So I’m even sniffing and whining through my prayer and study time just wishing I didn’t ‘always’ have to go through this stuff alone.  Boo hoo me.  As if John is my answer to everything. Even he knows better than that.  Sigh.  Lord, bear with me, please. . . 

I try to stay away from comfort food, so I grabbed a comfort movie instead, knowing my troubles would evaporate for at least two hours.  I picked one of my favs from Christmas, actually, and climbed into my big brown chair with my big orange blanket and waited to be made happy.

I’d watched this scene at least a half dozen other times, thinking, wow that’s really sweet.  No, it was more than that.  This time it was more.  It was gutsy.  The movie is The Christmas Card, and  toward the finale the scene came when the handsome (oh, boy) young soldier on leave was saying goodbye to the girl he loved because she’d chosen someone else.  It was so plain to me that she didn’t want that someone else.  It was easy to see that she just felt trapped and guilty and, well, miserable, but couldn’t be honest with herself enough to be honest about herself and the risk she was taking (to say nothing of what she was tossing away).  She told the handsome soldier she wished him happiness; and I loved it, just loved it when he looked right at her so lovingly and said, “I’m going to be happy!”  The first time I saw that I just cried crocodile tears wondering how he would ever manage happiness without her.  This time I saw something different, though, and I didn’t cry.  I got excited at the truth that popped out at me.  Of course I knew how this would end, but what I saw was a declaration.  This young man was a man of faith.  This was an inspirational Christmas movie.  He handled his entire relationship with this woman and her family with great dignity and honor to this moment, and he made a faith declaration about her rather than to spew out his disappointment and hurt her.  He knew a secret she desperately needed to learn.   I’m going to be happy!  Even though I love you and can’t have you, I’m making a choice to live my life without regrets so you can do the same. 

Find the movie.  Get it.  Watch it.  Write me what you think. 

The joy of the  Lord is our strength.  Happiness is our choice.  Jesus’ love and sacrifice has made happiness possible for me and for you.  He knows what makes us tick and what makes us whole.  We can choose his boundaries and live without regrets.  It’s the very freedom we’re looking for, and time is short.  Do you have a happiness decision you can make now that will free you and free God to work in someone’s life?

With tissues in hand, I remain your friend in Jesus,

Marsha

It’s all been said. 

That was my excuse.  No kidding.  I had a vision.  I even had a title.  What I didn’t have was faith.  I was surprised at myself; alarmed really, because I know myself to be a woman of faith many times tested and tried.  Many.  So I talked myself into believing I was being prudent and practical, when actually, I was only trying to negotiate with God.

Don’t ever do that, ladies.  Not when you love Him and you know He loves you.  It’s an awful waste of time.

There is so much Kingdom work to do!  Plenty for all of us, and all of us have a part– our own calling, timing and anointing– as women who love God.  When He gives you an assignment, He’s saved it specifically for you.  You have no competition.   None.  And that old jealous mindset will keep you and me going around a maypole until our hearts come in to agreement with His.  And how long is that going to take? 

Whatever the task, the moment  agreement comes and the motivation of my heart is right, the doors fling open and God makes a way where there seems to be none.   I did say ‘none’ again, didn’t I?  And I did say ‘seems to be’.  For a long time I just couldn’t believe it possible.  Appearances are deceptive, ladies, and  of course, don’t anybody touch my idol!   Maturity levels show up clearly when our idols get touched.   That’s why it took me so long to say ‘yes’.  He wanted me to write that third book, and  I just didn’t want to try and end up disappointed.  The thought of failure kept me from trusting.  What have I got to say that hasn’t already been said?

He remained true to His nature.  He patiently persisted in His effort to take the fear out of me.

Hasn’t He always been gloriously faithful?  Then why are we so afraid that He might not be from here on?  Hasn’t He told us not to live by what we see or  let the past dictate the future?    Women who believe Him don’t have to see first, and they have no desire to be strangled by the past.   They move by the power of the Love that gives them the only reason they need.

He gives us what we need when we need it to do what He asks. What’s more, we always have the potential to change the world around us and bring a smile to His face and, yes, to our own.   I have to say, there’s nothing more satisfying than that.  Not that I’ve found, anyway.  I was finally able to see that I’m never at risk when I obey the Lord.  Nothing ever goes to waste when its trusted to Him.   His faithful love showed me that I could only fail if I didn’t trust.

So, here we are.  Maybe it has all been said, in one way or another, but not in the way my life will say it.  No one has lived what you’ve lived and I’ve lived, Woman of God, and we each have a Divine appointment to share what He’s given us with those in our sphere of influence.  Just by reading this, you’re in mine and I’m in yours.  It’s thrilling, isn’t it, to think of what God can do when we say ‘yes’ to Him?!  I’ll be delighted for you to share my excitement over the release of   “WWDKG – Woman With Destiny in the Kingdom of God”, coming from Jebaire Publishing this summer.   Subtitle for the new book is “Claiming Your Birthright”. 

You are a Woman with Destiny in the Kingdom of God when Jesus is your Lord.   Share the quest, and tell me what inspires you.

Sending love and blessings,

Marsha Lenski