Same Old Story

 

Do you have a favorite movie that you can quote all the best lines from? For me, that would be “Steel Magnolias”. It is one of those movies that I can pick up at any point and watch the rest of the way through. I’ve seen it a million times. If I catch it when Shelby discusses her upcoming wedding while getting her hair done at Truvy’s beauty shop, (“My colors are blush and bashful.”) then I know to settle in, because the movie has just started. But, if they are to the point when Miss Clairee declares to Ouiser, “I love ya more than my luggage.” then I know, don’t get too comfy, the movie is almost over. Why, I am pretty sure if you turn the tv on right now, “Steel Magnolias” is on. Go ahead, check! TNT, Lifetime, search for it, “Steel Magnolias” is out there!

I believe the same goes with the well-known stories from the Bible. There are some stories you love to hear over and over. On the other hand, there are some stories that you have heard so many times, they have become so familiar to you, that when you get to them, you gloss over them. Oh yes, Noah and the Ark. All those animals, the rain, the dove, yep, yep, I know! Or even the story of Adam and Eve. We have all heard those stories over and over. Occasionally, we visit them through the eyes of our children. Yet, we usually zip right on through the story, maybe not really gleaning all that we could. Perhaps we are missing an important lesson along the way. 

That very thing happened to me recently. The parable of the Prodigal Son is another one of those Bible stories that we all have heard a bunch of times. For the majority of us, you can pick up the story at any point and know how it ends. If you are unfamiliar with it though, read Luke 15:11-32.

Now, up until awhile ago, whenever I heard or read that story I always thought to myself, “Don’t be like the prodigal son! Be smart. Don’t go off and waste all your money. Don’t be foolish.” I often thought too, what a wonderful father, to welcome his long lost son back to the family and how it relates to God’s forgiving heart towards us. However, when I read it recently, I realized that every time I had heard that story before, I totally missed the point of the mention of the older brother and his reaction to his younger brother’s return at the end!

It was also around this time that my husband and I were dealing with some issues regarding an estranged member of our extended family. We missed this person dearly. We thought of him often. His absence was felt at family functions. For our family though, and the situations surrounding this missing family member, we simply could not reconnect with this person. For my husband and me, it was almost like this family member had died. We mourned the loss of our relationship with him.

So when my devotional had an extra article in the back concerning the parable of the Prodigal Son, I thought, oh great, I already know this story! I dutifully read through the Scripture. I read through the devotional text outlining a repentant heart in the prodigal son, a forgiving heart in the father, and then, suddenly, MY heart was convicted! My eyes gazed upon the text. The older son had an unforgiving heart! Why, I never paid much attention to the older brother at the end of the story! I forgot he was even mentioned!

All these years I have heard this story and I never thought of the older brother at all! I didn’t realize he was an important part of the parable. He reflected hardness, vengefulness, and arrogance. I began to see how the older brother was unwilling to look past the mistakes the younger brother had made and forgive him. I realized too, that this was how I was feeling towards the estranged family member.

I continued to read the remainder of the devotional and was absorbed by the message. I wanted to take in all I could. I read it, reread it and then started to cry. I underlined sentences and was so moved by a Bible verse, I had to write it down and tape it to the wall! I could not wait to share with my husband what I had studied that day.

As I took in all this information, I prayed for forgiveness from God for being unforgiving to others. I prayed for God to help me to forgive those who had hurt me and to not be like the older brother in the parable. In the days and weeks following, I prayed for restoration of the relationship that was broken. I prayed also for God to prepare me to have a forgiving heart and open my arms to this person that I had missed and cared about so much.

Time went by. Months and months passed. While the parable wasn’t as fresh in my mind as it once was, every now and then I would be reminded of how I wanted to be like the forgiving father and not like the unforgiving older brother. It seemed like I could just come to it at any point and know exactly what was going on.

Then one day, my husband got a call our “missing” family member. Circumstances in his life had changed. He was in a difficult situation. He needed family, support, and most importantly - love. My husband invited him to our house for dinner that evening. When our family member arrived, I welcomed him into our home. We all had a wonderful time getting to know each other again. We spent hours catching up on everything he had missed in the 4 years he had been absent. He was overwhelmed by the love and affection of our three little girls who were really just meeting him for the first time in their lives.

My husband and I explained why we had distanced ourselves from him and how he had hurt us. He explained his perspective as well. By the end of our night, we all came away with a better understanding of the past. We had clarity for the present and most importantly, forgiveness was abounding.

I can’t say that our relationship with our family member is perfect now. We still face challenges in getting our relationship back to where it once was. I can say confidently though, that I have forgiven him. I have let go of the past hurts and wrong doings. I will always welcome him into our home with love.

I am thankful for the lesson I learned from that “same old story”. I am thankful for the opportunity to extend forgiveness to someone else and receive forgiveness for my hardened heart. I am so grateful to the Lord for bringing about the restoration and rebuilding of what I had believed was a dead relationship. None of this would have been possible without God!

“But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Luke 15:32 NIV

 

 

A List A Mile Long

I am a list maker.  Lists are awesome!  Yes, I am one of “those” people.  The organized, alphabetical order, “type A”, follow all the instructions kind of people. My food shopping list is highlighted with four different colors and has check boxes for items that have coupons.  Before folding it into my purse, I attach my coupons with a paper clip.  I have lists of to-do items before holidays, parties, etc.  I make a list of attractions I want to visit on vacations.  I am a list lovin’ girl!

Last fall my to-do list for September included attending the Fall Women’s Ministry Kick-Off with featured speaker, Adana Wilson.  If you attended that night, you might remember Adana mentioning prayer journals when she was discussing being in God’s presence.  She said that she had tried to journal many times but was never consistent in it. It just wasn’t what really what brought her life.  It didn’t help her feel closer to God.

I thought about what Adana had talked about that night long after I got home.  I had my daily quiet time with the Lord but was I really getting into His Presence?  I had a little devotional that I read and I had my prayer time but was I really being in being still and listening for God’s Voice?  I did not know much about prayer journaling but I thought, why not give it a try? If it didn’t work out, there was not much risk or loss involved.  I’d just throw a few pieces of paper in the trash.

I had no idea how to start.  Where there rules? Where there guidelines?  Should my entry be so many sentences long? My first morning, I felt a bit overwhelmed.  Would I do it right?  Could I do it wrong?  Did I need a fancy notebook? Was my pen special enough?

Suddenly inspired, I felt like the best way for me to begin, was to simply list a few things I was thankful for that day.  In the same little notebook I kept in my Bible carrying case, I wrote out the date and then a list.  The heading for my list: Things I am Thankful to God for Today.

For the next few weeks, I wrote a list each day of what I was thankful God had blessed me with.  Some days my list came quickly.  Some days my list took more thought and meditation.  Each day though, I had a list.  Sometimes my list was simple; thanking God for sunshine, good health, and protection.  Other days it was much more specific; thanking God for getting me through a certain situation or answered prayers for a loved one. 

Before I knew it, my list had changed into paragraphs. Those paragraphs revealed the longings in my heart, concerns on my mind, and what God was whispering to my heart.  Soon pages were filled from just one day’s worth of “quiet time”.  Quickly, the filled pages completed the notebook. As the weeks and months went by, I filled another notebook and then another.

When I missed an opportunity to write in my notebook, I noticed it.  My day seemed incomplete.  I was lacking something.  I was missing coming in to God’s presence.  I missed thanking Him, praising Him, worshipping Him, bringing my needs and concerns to Him, and absolutely missed asking for forgiveness from Him for my sins.  I missed hearing from God as well. When I had a day that I failed in making time to be in God’s Presence, I was not whole.

I love writing in my prayer journal these days.  I use a simple notebook and pen.  Nothing fancy but I so enjoy just sitting down and writing out my prayers.  I feel connected to God when I do it.  I feel like I am in His Presence.  It is like I am sitting here just talking with Him across the table from me.  I love taking a scripture and writing it big and bold in my notebook and then just meditating on it.  It is awesome too, when I get to the end of a notebook and look back on all I had written.  When I look back and realize all God has done, how He has moved in my life and in the lives of others, it amazes me.  My heart is filled with joy!

I urge you today, if you aren’t consistently taking the time to get into God’s Presence on your own, please do it.  Maybe a journal or list isn’t your thing.  Why not try just sitting with your Bible, a cup of coffee, and read where you feel God is leading you? Maybe the morning is not your best time to really get with God.  Perhaps in the evening after dinner, or in the afternoon on your lunch hour would be best.  Whatever feels the most natural to you, make the time to be still and quiet your mind.  Let His Presence envelop and overcome you.  It will make such a positive difference in your life.  You will never look back and think that it was a waste of time.  You may just end up with a list a mile long.

“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James 4:18 NIV

Speak His Name

Have you ever had “one of those” days? A day when nothing went right, you couldn’t catch a break.  You were tired, frustrated, scared, or all the above at the same time? 

I am a mom of three daughters.  My first and second daughters, Amanda and Megan, are only 15 months apart.  Bringing home a new baby is always a stressful time but when you have a little one at home already, who still is somewhat a baby herself, it is really trying. 

My second daughter, Megan, was born in the middle of a frosty January.  My husband was super busy with work.   He could not possibly take any more time off other than the three days I was in the hospital.  In fact, the very day after we came home from the hospital with our new baby girl, he was back to work. My husband works hard for our family but that means for us, he works long, late hours. 

Both my mom and my mother-in-law came to help for a couple weeks as moms/grandmas like to do when new babies arrive.  After that though, it was just me, Amanda, Megan and the dog at home.  That winter was very cold and snowy. We never left the house.  I was exhausted, stressed and lonely.  To add to my situation, Megan had colic.

Colic is a scary term for parents of newborns.  Did you have a baby with colic? If not, pray you never do.  Pray no one you know ever does either!  It happens to babies around three weeks of age and can last through six months of age.  The babies can’t tolerate formula well so they cry. A LOT! Sometimes the babies need a special formula to help their stomachs feel better.  Of course that special formula is also the most expensive formula! That was the case with our little Megan.  Her special formula cost $50 for a small tub and while she was able to tolerate it better than the regular stuff, it did not eliminate the crying.

Megan cried constantly.  We rarely could put her down.  She hated the bouncy seat, crib, and pack n’ play.  I tried everything I could think of to get her to calm down and sleep without me holding her the entire time.  Nothing seemed to work though.  If I wanted this baby to sleep, I had to hold her.

One day was particularly rough.  I was super tired.  My husband was at work and wasn’t going to be home till late that evening.  Amanda was really cranky that day and giving me grief like only a toddler can.  Plus, poor Megan was fussing.  She would not let me put her down for more than 5 minutes at a time.  My day was going from bad to worse.

Dinner time was drawing near.  I had planned on making a meal that required a bit of cooking on my part.  I had not planned on doing it while holding my little baby and trying to keep her older sister happy all at the same time.  I was starting to panic.  What am I going to do? I can’t cook this meal! There was no extra money to just order a pizza.  Even if I had the money, I can’t drag everyone out in the middle of a cold, snowy evening to hit the drive-through. I was stuck.  Then the dog needed to go out.  Amanda was getting hungry and irritable.  Megan had moved from fussiness to a full on wail.  I was at my wit’s end.  I stood in my kitchen, pots waiting for ingredients on the stove, baby screaming, toddler tugging at me, and I cried.  I felt so alone. 

As the tears flowed from my eyes, I prayed.  “Dear Jesus, please help me.  I’m all alone.  I need you.” I closed my eyes and it was if everything around me had melted away.  I suddenly felt calm and at peace.  I felt like someone was giving me a hug.

I don’t really remember the rest of that evening.  Somehow, dinner made it to the table.  Amanda cheered up and Megan calmed down a bit.  I do know that I didn’t feel alone anymore.  I had a sense of peace and calm that I so desperately needed that day.

It is important to remember that Jesus is with us.  Talk to Jesus! Turn your focus from yourself and place it on Him.  When you don’t know what to do, ask for help from the One who knows everything!

When you are having a rough day, speak Jesus’s name.  When you are scared, speak Jesus’s name.  When you don’t know where to turn or how to proceed, speak Jesus’s name.  He wants to surround you with his presence.  He wants to calm you with his peace. He wants to fill your heart with his love.  Look to him.  Invite him in to the situation.  Let Him rule in your life.  You will never regret it.

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”  Isaiah 41:13 NIV

 

West Ridge Women - Spotlight

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Gloria Lattanzio!  Gloria and her husband, Tom reside in the home he built for their family in Clinton, Beaver County.  They are parents to three grown daughters, Maria, Angela, and Laura.  They are also grandparents to five grandchildren ranging in age from five to eighteen months. At West Ridge, Gloria is leading the Titus 2 Ministry in addition to teaching in the Children’s Ministry part-time.

Gloria’s testimony involves some twists and turns and a few stints in different churches.  Growing up, Gloria was exposed church but did not attend it regularly.  Even though she and Tom married in the church, she felt no real connection to it. “I just knew in my heart I could talk to God myself.” Gloria said.  It was not until 1978, after her husband Tom, gave his life to Christ, did Gloria decide to accept Jesus as her Savior as well.  Thirty-four years later, Gloria is happy to call West Ridge as her church home.

Currently, Gloria is hard at work putting the finishing touches on the Titus 2 Ministry and is excited to see it begin on October 9th.  “My greatest challenge was getting this ministry off the ground.  I wondered what do young women really need in their life right now. What did I need when I was a young Christian? My life verse is Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.”  Gloria stressed, “You can’t go through the whole day without having Christ first in your life.”

Inspired by many women who have mentored her over the years, Gloria is looking forward to beginning this new ministry and sharing with the younger ladies, “I have a heart for mothers, especially young women who are new Christians.” Gloria pointed out that a mentor is sometimes more than one person. It can be a group of people who are in your life for a long time or just a season.  Gloria lovingly recalls how her mother-in-law and older women from her previous church families helped to mentor her when she was new in her faith.  She also emphasized that we can have Christ as our mentor as well.

The goals of the new ministry will include pointing women to Christ as their mentor, figuring out who they are in Christ and understanding it, how to become a prayer warrior, and how to really study God’s Word. Gloria is hopeful that the ladies being mentored will take all of this knowledge and try new and different things, “I want them to take what they have learned and try what God has for their life.”

There are three other mentors who will be mentoring the younger ladies alongside Gloria. The mentors will take two or three women each and work with them.  They will be calling those they are mentoring and checking in with them, in addition to their monthly meetings.  They will also be keeping prayer journals. It will be a great commitment of time and energy but Gloria believes there will be lasting rewards, “One of our goals is that the women who are being mentored in this program, will then in turn, become mentors themselves to other ladies.”

Now it’s time to get to know Gloria, a bit better… It’s time for the Super Six Questions!

1.      Are you a morning person or night owl? Morning person! I’m usually up by 6:30.  I like to have my “quiet time” in the mornings.

2.      What was the last book you read? “Eat Your Green Peas” by Cheryl Karpen

3.      What is your favorite way to relax? Turning off the phone and spending time with my husband and family.

4.      What would you have for the perfect meal? Salmon, a vegetable, and salad

5.      What is your favorite Scripture to meditate on in times of stress? As I said earlier, Philippians 4:13 is my life verse. When I am stressed I have to be in Christ so I can hear Him!

6.      What is your favorite thing about West Ridge? I love the teaching that Pastor John does but I also love the people!  We have people there who love the Lord. It is exciting to see the new people coming in as well.  It’s also the people I work with in the Children’s Ministry and the children I teach.  It is like having family there.

If you are interested in learning more about the Titus 2 Ministry or have questions, please feel free to email Gloria at: gloria.lattanzio@gmail.com.

Thankful - How I Came to Christ

Photo taken on a 2012 visit to the Flight 93 Memorial

The twelfth anniversary of 9/11 has passed us by. After pausing to remember the brave people who lost their lives, a flood of thankfulness overcame me.  I am thankful to God for softening my heart.  I am thankful He called me to Him and made me His Own. I am thankful He placed people in my path that helped bring me to Him. I am thankful God opened my eyes and allowed me to truly see my life.  I am thankful He filled me with hope.  I am thankful He wrapped me up in His Love and led me to my first church home. 

Where would I be without God in my life?  I don’t want to know.  I have a feeling though, it would not be a good place.  I think wherever I would have ended up would have been a destructive, self-defeating, sad place. Oh how grateful I am that my life will never go back to how it was. 

To understand my heart, you must hear my entire story.  To know why, every year on the anniversary of 9/11, I have such intense feelings, you must read on.  Let me start at the beginning.

In the fall of 2001 I was divorced, living at home with my parents, and living the life of a single twenty-something.  I had made plans with my best girlfriend to go to New York City for the weekend.  We drove to New York on Friday, September 7^th.  After arriving in town, my girlfriend and I enjoyed an evening in Little Italy, shopping and eating.  The next day we had a great time exploring the city.  We visited the Empire State Building, rode the subway, and checked out Times Square.  That night we had the opportunity to eat dinner at Windows on the World, which was a restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center.  I declined thinking we could check out the World Trade Center on another trip to NYC.  Little did I know that those buildings would not be standing there in 72 hours.

On Sunday September 9^th, my friend and I headed back home exhausted.  We had a great time and were making plans to go back to the city soon.  My girlfriend and I had tossed around the idea of possibly staying in New York for a few extra days but ultimately, we decided to head back to Pittsburgh.  I went back to work like normal on Monday and by Tuesday I was already looking forward to the weekend when I could go out with my friends again. 

I had no direction in my life at this time.  I was trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do.  I signed on at community college to take some business classes and I was becoming interested in going to church.  I noticed a lady carrying a book one day at my work called “He Wore Sandals Too” and asked her what it was about.  She told me about the book and the group that was studying it at her church.  I thought that her church might be an interesting place and made a mental note to check it out sometime.

On the morning of Tuesday, September 11^th I was at work, at my desk, already thinking about the weekend.  I was on the phone with a colleague in New Jersey.  She had just told me she heard that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I told her that was horrible, imagining a small Cessna or prop plane.  I had no idea what was really going on. 

Shortly after I got off the phone, word started spreading around my office what was taking place.  We all huddled around the TV in shock.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing before my eyes and I couldn’t believe that I was just in New York City.  I was in a daze as the morning went on.  I could not comprehend that a city I had just been in was now under attack.  I was so thankful that those events did not occur while I was still there.  I felt like the timing of my trip had happened for a reason.

When I had heard about Flight 93 crashing in Shanksville, I truly believed that this was the beginning of the end.  I thought that World War III was going to break out in the next few days.  I couldn’t sleep.  I didn’t feel comfortable being near tall buildings and whenever I looked up in the sky, I got sad.   It was eerie not to see a single plane.  I couldn’t handle watching all the grieving people on TV and broke down when I saw crying families or scenes of Ground Zero.

Around this time I felt like I really needed to know God.  I felt like He was calling me.  I knew that if the world was going to end, I wanted to be with God in heaven when I died and not in hell.  I wanted my life to change.  I wanted the peace that a relationship with the Lord would give me.

I will never forget the morning that I asked Jesus to come into my heart and for God to forgive me of my sins.  It was a cool, crisp, sunny fall morning.  The sun was shining in the stained glass windows of the tiny, little church.  It was my first time there and it was packed with parishioners.  I was sitting in the pew and there were people all around me but I felt like the pastor was only talking to me.  The sermon was about repentance.  He talked about how it is important to ask God for forgiveness but that you need to repent of your sins; that you need to turn away from them and walk on a path that leads you closer to God.  The message spoke to me.  Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt all kinds of emotions running through me.  That Sunday morning I prayed for Jesus to come into my heart and make me new.  I prayed for God to forgive me of my sins.  I wanted to repent.  I wanted a new life and I desperately wanted a close relationship with God. 

Since that day my life has never been the same.  All of the things I was looking for: direction, purpose, hope, joy, happiness, and love were given to me. So, you can understand why this day stops me in my tracks.  Whatever I am doing, whatever is going on in my life is shadowed by this day.  This is the day that changed our nation, our world, and our lives.  For some, it changed their hearts!

-Marcy Gates

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:5 NIV

 

Welcome!

Welcome to the West Ridge Women’s blog!  We are a group of ladies who are committed to passionately pursing God, loving each other and the world!  This blog will feature inspirational articles written by women for women dealing with everyday life from a female, Christian perspective. Whether you are young, old, married, single, mom, grandma, sister, daughter, friend, you all will find something here that will speak to you!  Also, we will interview amazing women who are leading various ministries at West Ridge Christian Community Church. 

Our hope is that this blog will inspire you in your daily walk with the Lord. We pray that the life lessons and stories shared here will draw you nearer to Christ.  If you haven’t made a decision to follow Christ yet, we pray that it will soften your heart toward accepting Him as your personal Savior. 

Take a look around, there’s info on upcoming events on the blog and various ministries.  If you have any questions or comments, email us at women@westridge.cc, we would love to hear from you! 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 NIV