15 mistakes I made while working with men: Mistake #15

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

15 – don’t quit! never give up!

In conclusion

Working with men is a great experience. Most often, they say what they mean and don’t have a hidden agenda. Respect them and serve them faithfully and they will be your advocates at every turn.

Do not quit your job because you are frustrated. Do not give up trying to work with them. God is in the business of restoring relationships and quitting is not an option. Pray, pray, pray. Do not quit and do not give up!

I thank God for the awesome men that I have served with and who have tolerated me while I learned to communicate and strive to be that professional, Godly woman that we all long to be.



http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1



Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

Take Advantage of the Moment

            II Kings 5 shows a great testimony of a young girl whose name is not even mentioned in the Bible and who only appears in one verse. If you have your Bible handy, read the chapter. Naaman was a captain in King Aram’s army. Verse one tells us that he was a great man, a valiant warrior, and was highly respected……BUT he had leprosy. The Aramean army had gone out and had taken a young girl from Israel captive in one of their conquests; she became the maid to Naaman’s wife.



Now, back up and think about what was just said. A little girl was taken from her family, her religion, her homeland and everything that was ever familiar to her.....to become the servant of one of the very men that put her in those circumstances. THAT would be hard to accept!


However, instead of complaining or sulking, she evidently accepted her situation and did not give up her faith in God nor her desire to make Him known. She tells Naaman’s wife: “I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” If I were her, I am pretty sure that would not be my attitude towards the man that dragged me from my family.


Isn't it amazing that just that one mention of her in verse 3 resulted in Namaan going to Israel, seeing Elijah, being healed of his leprosy, and his coming to know the God of Israel. Verse seventeen says, “your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord.” Wow! He came to know the personal God of Israel because she took advantage of an opportunity to say and do what she could to point Naaman to God. Scripture doesn’t say, but doesn’t it seem likely to you that the rest of his household probably came to know Him through Naaman? The faithfulness of one little girl certainly impacted more people than she probably ever dreamed! That nameless young servant speaks volumes to me:


* She was selfless in her circumstances.
* Her eyes were not on herself, but on others.
* She took advantage of a moment where she could verbally testify about God.
* She did what she could and where she could.
* She was faithful to courageously speak out about her faith.


“Lord, help me be as selfless as she was and to daily look for opportunities to speak about You no matter where I am or what I am doing.”

sweeter than honey

"How sweet Your word is to my taste - sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Psalm 119:103).

An excerpt from the devotional, Women at Southern: A Walk Through Psalms made me think today, so wanted to share:

"How sweet is God's Word to you?  It says 'to my taste' (v. 103). I take that to mean, God personalizes His Word for each of us, to what we need to hear from Him at that particular moment. Have you found that to be true? I have!

"...Psalm 119:97 starts out with, 'How I love your teaching! It is my meditation all day long.' You'll know how sweet His Word is by how much you meditate on it. Or do you meditate more on your needs, concerns, or sin area?  Which is bigger in your thought life, God or your Goliath? I have the tendency to focus on my issues and make them larger than life, but that's also when I know I haven't allowed the sweet honey of God's Word to melt my heart and guide my thoughts.

"Father God, May I love Your teaching more than my own insights. Let Your Word be the sweet taste that I'm longing to hear and guide me from every false way. Amen."

-Melanie Cook

(photo from honeylocator.com)

Don't Look Back!

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

Have you ever been running a race and looked back? What are some of the things that happen when you look back?

* You Slow Down
* You Loose Control of the Direction You are Going In
* You Look at Things That Will Not Help You Win The Race
* You Could Trip & Fall
* You Get Distracted From Running Your Race

These are just some of the things that the enemy and the world can use to get us off course of The Race that God has for each one of His Witnesses! Distractions Distractions Distractions! We must guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus against anything that would cause us to look back and take our eyes off the race before us!! You and I must have a daily plan, His Day Timer and stick to it! Yes, there will be times that unexpected things come into our days that we must take care of, but beware of the things of this world that will try and consume the things of God in our lives! There are more distractions than ever in the day we live and we must know what our distractions are!! Why? So that we can run the race that God has called us to press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus = The Finish Line of All Lines = JESUS!! And don't forget to take as many others with you as you can as His Witness! And as we are running, don't forget to cheer on as many others as we can that are in the same race and that will win the same prize on the same team, The Body of Christ!! What an awesome exciting race we are all in, Let's GO GOD!! You are Gifted2Go Run for Jesus!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVFPjIp6nkk&ob=av2e (The Great Adventure - Steven Curtis Chapman)

15 mistakes I made while working with men: Mistake #14

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

14 - Be a Godly woman in your attitude, dress, and actions.

            Act, dress, and live with an attitude that will honor Christ. In this day and age, we have completely forgotten some basic things. I am not talking about styles or trends, I am talking about some things like necklines that are too low, clothes that are too tight, and flirty attitudes that need to be left at home. I am amazed at the Christian women’s conferences that I attend where women, even speakers, wear necklines that would distract even women. If something can be seen, the neckline is too low. That is it. Case closed. It is inappropriate. We need to model the behavior of Godly women at church and in the neighborhood. How we dress and how we act. This means that we are careful about things like eating a meal with another male, meeting behind closed doors, riding in the car with the opposite sex, and the like. It only takes one accusation for someone to ruin our ministries. We have to think about how others will see us and what they might think. When I have defied these truths, I have regretted it. Years ago, I allowed a young man to go on a church visits with me. I was twice his age. When my birthday came, I received flowers and had to call him and make sure he understood the boundaries and apologize for not finding a man for him to go with. We do this to protect ourselves but also to protect others. Yes, it can be inconvenient. Yes, there are times when someone will send a car to pick me up somewhere and I need to ride with them. However, in most cases, these are things that can be addressed early on and most of us in the ministry are very careful to make sure to avoid these situations.

            There is no room for even the slightest flirtation in the office either. We must be careful not to touch the men that we work with. We also have to watch what we say because they may take it in a way that is completely different than how we meant it. I am not a huggy person but many people, men and women, are. I am careful to do the sideways hug with men if they approach me and I try to stick to the handshakes, high fives, or pats on the shoulder. I have found that taking a step backwards sends the signal that I am uncomfortable if someone is being inappropriate. I have also found that a stern eyeball to eyeball stare can communicate volumes to remarks that never should have been made. We want to be women but we want to be Godly in our interactions in ministry.

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

15 mistakes I made while working with men: Mistake #13

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

13 - Appropriate nesting

            One of the things that my husband taught me was that men don’t trust women who don’t nest in their offices. As an attorney, he has worked with many women attorneys. He says he always knows whether she is a long-timer or a short-timer by whether she nests in the office or not. Since I have had offices in buildings in other states, I have made it a point to make sure that I move my personal items like photos, diplomas, and work-related things into the offices so that there would be no question as to my “being there.” I want my office to look like my office even when I am far away.

            One of the mistakes that I have seen women make is nesting too much. What I mean by that is making the office look more like their bedroom rather than like an office and living room. Certainly it is appropriate to have nice, female things in the office. However, do leave the lace and the glowing, scented candles at home. We don’t want the office to smell like perfume; it is a work environment. I have heard the response that the men get to have deer heads hanging so why would we not be able to have our pink cushions with the cute bows but that becomes another story. If I were writing a book for men, I might have a comment but from our standpoint, they can have their animal heads but we still don’t get to go crazy with the frills. I will admit to having a mantle and candles in my Louisville office but I can assure you that neither is burning anything.

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

15 mistakes I made while working with men: Mistake #12

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

12 - Leave your emotions at home

            I wish that I had mastered the tears by now. I remember how many times I would get teary eyed when someone would talk about people coming to know the Lord or about someone losing a loved one in staff meeting. I remember praying and my voice cracking as I prayed over difficult situations. In a roomful of women, we can find forgiveness. In a roomful of men, I am not so sure. One of my bosses told me that he noticed that I was fine until I had to respond about a difficult situation and he suggested that I just sit and not feel that I had to respond when I felt emotional on a need or an issue. These were wise words and helped me greatly. He felt that I was not taken seriously because of my tears and he was right. It was at that time that I also learned that cutting the sugar and the caffeine was most helpful to me as well. Whatever works for us, we need to do.

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

15 mistakes I made while working with men: Mistake #11

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

11 - Don’t go over his head – stay under authority

            Have you ever watched women? They seem to want to get ahead by jumping outside the system. Instead of becoming the ideal team player and working together, they desire to show how much harder they work and they often go around their bosses to those over them and pat themselves on the back. It is amazing that we are still living out the same problem that Eve had. We must watch and be careful that we are being a part of the team and that we are staying under authority. This can be a challenge in a small group when we are working with the pastor’s wife and we know everyone. We must be careful to discuss the appropriate things with the appropriate person at the appropriate time. I know there have been many times that I heard about something that was coming down the pike long before my bosses did; yet, I had to sit on it and be careful with the information. Many times I knew that a phone call to the top would correct the situation but it would also ruin every relationship in between. When we go around our bosses, we show disrespect for the authority that God has placed us under. As women, this is an area that we all need to continue to work on.

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

A Woman of Prayer

When thinking back over people I know using their giftedness to bring people to Christ I immediately thought of a pastor's wife, Mrs. C. C. Warren in Charlotte, N.C. She was the pastor's wife when I started going to this little Baptist church at the end of my street after being brought up in a large chuch of a different denomination. My parents were very faithful in making sure we were involved in church, but I did not know what a personal relationship with Christ was like until I went to this little Baptist church/mission. I accepted Christ as my person Lord and Savior after attending for three weeks at the age of fifteen. I finished high school, went to the University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill and then to seminary to get a Masters in Christian Education. While I was there I received a letter from Mrs. Warren tellng me that she had prayed for me EVERY day since she met me--for me to come to a personal relationship with Christ and to serve Him faithfully. That was every day for 8 years! She had the gift of prayer for evangelism and was very diligent to follow that calling. There is no way to tell how many people she "prayed into the Kingdom," but that was something she did in her season of life as a senior adult and with her gift. I am thankful!

"For God, who said, 'Let there be light in the darkness,' has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6, New Living Translation).

This past weekend, my friend and I were helping teach a preschool class, and this week the lesson was on the first day of Creation.  After the lesson, my friend asked, "What did God make?" A little boy looked at her for a few seconds, tilted his head and while holding out his arms sad, "God made light."  It was funny to us, since it was said with an "of course" sort of tone.  It is amazing that God made light from darkness.

It amazes me, too, how He can make lightness in our hearts.  God helps us see that He sent His Son down to earth to show us how to honor God, and then He died to pay the price for our rebellion.  Is there a ruler on earth who died for people who rebelled against him?

The God who brought light to the earth at the beginning of creation is able to bring light inside of us.  There are different ways darkness can rotten us inside, but His light can break through all that.  So, as we learn more about God who wants to forgive us, save us, and lead us, I pray we see ways to help explain this light He's shown us, with others.

JESUS is LORD!

JESUS is EVERYTHING that everyone is searching for, yearning for, and SO MUCH MORE!!

Please Share Jesus with someone today, they will THANK GOD that you did!!


The Powerful Life-Changing Names of God!!!!



ELOHIM......Genesis 1:1, Psalm 19:1
meaning "God", a reference to God's power and might.
ADONAI......Malachi 1:6
meaning "Lord", a reference to the Lordship of God.
JEHOVAH--YAHWEH.....Genesis 2:4
a reference to God's divine salvation.
JEHOVAH-MACCADDESHEM.......Exodus 31:13
meaning "The Lord thy sanctifier"
JEHOVAH-ROHI......Psalm 23:1
meaning "The Lord my shepherd"
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH.......Ezekiel 48:35
meaning "The Lord who is present"
JEHOVAH-RAPHA.........Exodus 15:26
meaning "The Lord our healer"
JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU......Jeremiah 23:6
meaning "The Lord our righteousness"
JEHOVAH-JIREH.........Genesis 22:13-14
meaning "The Lord will provide"
JEHOVAH-NISSI.........Exodus 17:15
meaning "The Lord our banner"
JEHOVAH-SHALOM........Judges 6:24
meaning "The Lord is peace"
JEHOVAH-SABBAOTH......Isaiah 6:1-3
meaning "The Lord of Hosts"
JEHOVAH-GMOLAH........Jeremiah 51:6
meaning "The God of Recompense"
EL-ELYON..............Genesis 14:17-20,Isaiah 14:13-14
meaning "The most high God
EL-ROI................Genesis 16:13
meaning "The strong one who sees"
EL-SHADDAI............Genesis 17:1,Psalm 91:1
meaning "The God of the mountains or God Almighty"
EL-OLAM...............Isaiah 40:28-31
meaning "The everlasting God"


MORE NAMES OF GOD

ABBA.............................Romans 8:15
ADVOCATE.........................I John 2:1 (kjv)
ALMIGHTY.........................Genesis 17:1
ALPHA............................Revelation 22:13
AMEN.............................Revelation 3:14
ANCIENT OF DAYS..................Daniel 7:9
ANOINTED ONE.....................Psalm 2:2
APOSTLE..........................Hebrews 3:1
ARM OF THE LORD..................Isaiah 53:1
AUTHOR OF LIFE...................Acts 3:15
AUTHOR OF OUR FAITH..............Hebrews 12:2

BEGINNING.........................Revelation 21:6
BLESSED & HOLY RULER..............1 Timothy 6:15
BRANCH............................Jeremiah 33:15
BREAD OF GOD......................John 6:33
BREAD OF LIFE.....................John 6:35
BRIDEGROOM........................Isaiah 62:56
BRIGHT MORNING STAR...............Revelation 22:16

CHIEF SHEPHERD.....................1 Peter 5:4
CHOSEN ONE.........................Isaiah 42:1
CHRIST.............................Matthew 22:42
CHRIST OF GOD......................Luke 9:20
CHRIST THE LORD....................Luke 2:11
CHRIST, SON OF LIVING GOD..........Matthew 16:16
COMFORTER..........................John 14:26(kjv)
COMMANDER..........................Isaiah 55:4
CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL...............Luke 2:25
CONSUMING FIRE......................Deut. 4:24, Heb. 12:29
CORNERSTONE.........................Isaiah 28:16
COUNSELOR...........................Isaiah 9:6
CREATOR.............................1 Peter 4:19

DELIVERER..............................Romans 11:26
DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS.................Haggai 2:7
DOOR...................................John 10:7(kjv)

END....................................Revelation 21:6
ETERNAL GOD............................Deut. 33:27
EVERLASTING FATHER.....................Isaiah 9:6

FAITHFUL & TRUE........................Revelation 19:11
FAITHFUL WITNESS.......................Revelation 1:5
FATHER.................................Matthew 6:9
FIRSTBORN (3)........................................Rom.8:29,Rev.1:5,Col.1:15
FIRSTFRUITS............................1 Cor.15:20-23
FOUNDATION.............................1 Cor. 3:11
FRIEND OF TAX COLLECTORS & SINNERS.....Matthew 11:19

GENTLE WHISPER.........................1 Kings 19:12
GIFT OF GOD............................John 4:10
GLORY OF THE LORD......................Isaiah 40:5
GOD....................................Genesis 1:1
GOD ALMIGHTY...........................Genesis 17:1
GOD OVER ALL...........................Romans 9:5
GOD WHO SEES ME........................Genesis 16:13
GOOD SHEPHERD..........................John 10:11
GREAT HIGH PRIEST......................Hebrews 4:14
GREAT SHEPHERD.........................Hebrews 13:20
GUIDE..................................Psalm 48:14

HEAD OF THE BODY.......................Colossians 1:18
HEAD OF THE CHURCH.....................Ephesians 5:23
HEIR OF ALL THINGS.....................Hebrews 1:2
HIGH PRIEST............................Hebrews 3:1
HIGH PRIEST FOREVER....................Hebrews 6:20
HOLY ONE...............................Acts 2:27
HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.....................Isaiah 49:7
HOLY SPIRIT............................John 15:26
HOPE...................................Titus 2:13
HORN OF SALVATION......................Luke 1:69

I AM....................................Exodus 3:14, John 8:58
IMAGE OF GOD............................2 Cor. 4:4
IMAGE OF HIS PERSON.....................Hebrews 1:3 (kjv)
IMMANUEL................................Isaiah 7:14

JEALOUS..............................Exodus 34:14 (kjv)
JEHOVAH..............................Psalm 83:18 (kjv)
JESUS................................Matthew 1:21
JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD................Romans 6:23
JUDGE................................Isaiah 33:22, Acts 10:42

KING.................................Zechariah 9:9
KING ETERNAL.........................1 Timothy 1:17
KING OF KINGS........................1 Timothy 6:15
KING OF THE AGES.....................Revelation 15:3

LAMB OF GOD...........................John 1:29
LAST ADAM.............................1 Cor. 15:45
LAWGIVER..............................Isaiah 33:22
LEADER................................Isaiah 55:4
LIFE..................................John 14:6
LIGHT OF THE WORLD....................John 8:12
LIKE AN EAGLE.........................Deut. 32:11
LILY OF THE VALLEYS...................Song 2:1
LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH............Revelation 5:5
LIVING STONE..........................1 Peter 2:4
LIVING WATER..........................John 4:10
LORD..................................John 13:13
LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.....................Revelation 15:3
LORD JESUS CHRIST.....................1 Cor. 15:57
LORD OF ALL...........................Acts 10:36
LORD OF GLORY ........................1 Cor. 2:8
LORD OF HOSTS.........................Haggai 1:5
LORD OF LORDS.........................1 Tim. 6:15
LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS..............Jeremiah 23:6
LOVE.................................1 John 4:8

MAN OF SORROWS.........................Isaiah 53:3
MASTER..................................Luke 5:5
MEDIATOR................................1 Timothy 2:5
MERCIFUL GOD............................Jeremiah 3:12
MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT................Malachi 3:1
MESSIAH................................. John 4:25
MIGHTY GOD...............................Isaiah 9:6
MIGHTY ONE...............................Isaiah 60:16

NAZARENE.................................Matthew 2:23

OFFSPRING OF DAVID.......................Revelation 22:16
OMEGA....................................Revelation 22:13
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON........................John 1:18(kjv)
OUR PASSOVER LAMB........................1 Cor. 5:7
OUR PEACE................................Ephesians 2:14

POTTER...................................Isaiah 64:8
POWER OF GOD.............................1 Cor. 1:24
PRINCE OF PEACE..........................Isaiah 9:6
PROPHET..................................Acts 3:22
PURIFIER.................................Malachi 3:3

RABBONI (TEACHER)........................John 20:16
RADIANCE OF GOD'S GLORY..................Heb.1:3
REDEEMER.................................Job 19:25
REFINER'S FIRE...........................Malachi 3:2
RESURRECTION.............................John 11:25
RIGHTEOUS ONE............................1 John 2:1
ROCK.....................................1 Cor.10:4
ROOT OF DAVID............................Rev. 22:16
ROSE OF SHARON...........................Song 2:1
RULER OF GOD'S CREATION..................Rev. 3:14
RULER OVER KINGS OF EARTH................Rev 1:5
RULER OVER ISRAEL........................Micah 5:2

SAVIOR...................................Luke 2:11
SCEPTER OUT OF ISRAEL....................Numbers 24:17
SEED.....................................Genesis 3:15
SERVANT..................................Isaiah 42:1
SHEPHERD OF OUR SOULS....................1Peter 2:25
SHIELD...................................Genesis 15:1
SON OF DAVID.............................Matthew 1:1
SON OF GOD...............................Matthew 27:54
SON OF MAN...............................Matthew 8:20
SON OF THE MOST HIGH.....................Luke 1:32
SOURCE...................................Hebrews 5:9
SPIRIT OF GOD............................Genesis 1:2
STAR OUT OF JACOB........................Numbers 24:17
STONE....................................1 Peter 2:8
SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.....................Malachi 4:2

TEACHER...................................John 13:13
TRUE LIGHT................................John 1:9
TRUE WITNESS..............................Revelation 3:14
TRUTH.....................................John 14:6

VINE......................................John 15:5

WAY........................................John 14:6
WISDOM OF GOD..............................1 Cor. 1:24
WITNESS....................................Isaiah 55:4
WONDERFUL..................................Isaiah 9:6
WORD.......................................John 1:1
WORD OF GOD................................Revelation 19:13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3gbJGByIOE (More Than Amazing!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wid7nseWjsE (Jesus - You Are Everything To Me!)

15 mistakes I made while working with men: Mistake #10

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

10 - Don’t rescue everyone else

            Men may like to fix things but women like to fix people. Working with men and with the team means that we must not try to fix those we serve with and we must not try to fix the flaws that might linger in their ministries either. In my early years of ministry, I spend way too much time trying to help every ministry area to be perfect. I thought that if we had a perfect church, that more would come to know the Lord. I learned that I need to fix and deal with the log in my own ministries and let others deal with areas that I should not be concerned with. We come across as the critical spirit when we try to fix every flaw that is out there. When we do this, no one wants to be around us. We need to learn to deal with our own areas and not try to rescue everyone else’s.

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

15 mistakes I made while working w/men: Mistake #9

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

9 - Be a team player

            I think that I have been able to learn this by watching the men interact. Have you ever noticed that the men seem to respect and respond to whoever the leader is? They seem to have more of a pack mentality. They expect there to be a leader and they act like a team and follow the one in charge. Even if they disagree, the way they get ahead is to work harder and be even more of a team player.

            Being a team player means that we play our positions and we play them well. It is all about the team and God, the ultimate coach. Sports have a clear set of rules and positions for the players. Somehow, as women, we are not content to just play our positions well, we want to jump ahead and score and get all the credit. When there are clear rules, we want to be the exception. Whether we intend to do it or not, we want things to revolve around us. Especially in ministry, we need to learn to be team players and play for the good of the whole.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

15 mistakes I made while working w/men: Mistake #8

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

8 - Be an influencer – you don’t have to get the credit

            One of the joys of being a leader and a woman is that of knowing that we have been an influence. I have found it is more important that something happen than who gets credit for it. I have heard many women say that they have an idea and no one listened to them. Then, a few months pass and the pastor comes up with the same idea and he gets the credit for it. What difference does it make? Is it not God who gave the idea to begin with? I like the fact that I can be an influence in decisions and don’t have to get the credit for things. It is fun just to know that God is using us and our ideas.

            This same principle applies to those who serve with us. We need to give them the credit where credit is due. When we lift up others, it all comes back in return. We do not need to be concerned about who did or came up with what, but give all the glory to God and thank Him for allowing us to be involved in the process.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

15 mistakes I made while working w/men: Mistake #7

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

7 - Birth things and grow them up

            In the church, there are so many things that need to be done and often the ministry to women can help by starting new ministries, growing them up, and sending them out for the whole church. Where I served, there was a lady who had a passion for prayer. She went to some prayer conferences, learned how to teach others, and began a prayer ministry. It wasn’t long before that ministry became church wide and came under a different staff person. We also had a lady who wanted to offer support groups for women. There were groups for codependency, balance, abused women, among others. These groups were reaching so many and the men wanted to be a part of them. We had grown the ministry to the point that it needed to come under the direction of the counseling pastor so that the whole church body could benefit.

            I meet many women’s ministry leaders who want to start ministry but want to keep them. They feel like just about everything should come under the women’s ministry team. I believe that the purpose of the ministry is to support the church and the needs as a whole. If the women’s team can see a need and fill it, that is wonderful. When the new ministry is ready to be sent out, then it needs to be released. Those we work with appreciate when we are serving the whole church and giving in ministry for the good of all.

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

Letting Go & Letting God!

"...they may be won without a word by behavior...but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God." 1 Peter 3:1b, 4 nasb







LETTING GO TAKES LOVE
To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off,
it's the realization I can't control another.
To let go is not to enable,
but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means
the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it's to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for,
but to care about.
To let go is not to fix,
but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective,
it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny,
but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.

To let go is to fear less and love more
Remember: The time to love is short
Author Unknown

As 1 Peter 3 women, God teaches us how to let go and Let God take care of those that we love and those that need the Lord in their lives! I will never forget when I first became a believer and wanted EVERYONE in my life to follow Christ! The problem was that I was sharing sharing sharing so much with some of them that they could not hear from the Lord and I needed to learn to pray, live for the Lord through my actions and not always my words, but most of all let Go and Let God!!

Good News = It Works as many of them have come to know the Lord and are following Him!!!

You can count on my prayers for you as you "Let Go & Let God" take care of those that you care about today!! In Jesus' Name!! AMEN!!

15 mistakes I made while working w/men: Mistake #6

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

6 - Show him respect

            Respect is something that every man needs. It is easy to show respect for men by listening, not rolling our eyes, watching our tone of voice, and general things that we know but may not do. We also show respect by not nagging or treating him like an idiot. Some may be wondering why I would need to bring these things up but apparently women must tend to not be respectful because men keep noting these things as problems. We should respect our father, husbands, and all the men that we work with. We must treat him like we would treat Christ, regardless of how we feel or how they treat us. Most men respond well to those who show them respect.

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

15 mistakes I made while working w/men: Mistake #5

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

5 - Talk in bullets.

            I have found that I can usually tell whether an email is from a man or a woman by the length of it. Most of my emails from my bosses have been one to three words. It is amazing how much they can say with so few words. Emails from the women that I serve with seem to be longer. It is equally amazing how many pages someone needs to say one basic thing. Because of the national ministry that I am blessed to have, I get numerous emails from women and so there are times when I have to read an email several times to determine what the lady is really saying. When we work with men, we need to learn to talk in bullets, with as few words as possible to communicate our thoughts. I have found it helpful on emails to write out what I want to say, tweak it, and then summarize it with a word or two and send it as a heading. I write the bottom line or bullet first, and then put a phrases or bullets of explanation for them so that if they need more information, they can read it. Somehow this satisfies my need to communicate more than the base facts and their need to have the bottom line or bullet first. If I am going to talk to my boss about an idea that I have for ministry, I try to talk through that idea with other women first. This helps me think through the idea and then I try to come up with a short phrase to communicate the idea. With many men, it is helpful to even write the idea on paper using headings and bullets. This way, even when we do talk in circles, they understand better what we are telling them or asking about.

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

15 mistakes I made while working w/men: Mistake #4

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

4 - Listen more than you talk.

            As one who loves to talk, it is important that we are quieter around the men. I am not saying to not be yourself or to never engage in conversation; I am saying that for many women in ministry, we need to learn when to listen and when to speak up. We should learn to listen and hear the whole story from our bosses. We must learn not to interrupt. We must also learn that those who listen can come across as being very wise. There is a time to speak and a time to listen. We must be sure that we are listening to what others are saying rather than making our list of what we want to say at the next available moment.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.

15 mistakes I made while working w/men: Mistake #3

Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord—you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24, HCSB.

 3 - Protect your warrior and the babies.

            Our warriors or advocates will protect us but we need to return the favor. When someone makes a negative comment about our boss, we need to defend him. It may be that the pastor has made a decision that someone is unhappy with. Even if we agree with the criticism, we must learn to respect the decision and show respect for the one who made it. We must be supportive of our bosses. It is best to respond to the person by reminding them that we do not have all the information and that they need to address the one who made the decision personally. I have found that generally, people just like to complain to someone. Seldom do they go to the person anyway. We should make sure that we are protecting those we serve with.

            Another issue here is to protect those who serve under us in areas of leadership. I know that when working with women there are times that one will complain about another. We must not join the complaint bandwagon. Encourage the one complaining to go the woman personally just like it says in Matthew 18. Sometimes there will be a legitimate complaint and it might be that you need to get the other side on the issue. As we are all aware, there are many versions to any situation and we are only hearing one. Regardless of what might need to be address, encourage biblical interaction and protect those who serve under you.

http://www.amazon.com/Women-Leading-Biblical-Model-Church/dp/0805447601/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316883171&sr=1-1

Excerpts from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, Chapter Six, Serving with Men, by Jaye Martin.