Not Your Average Dinner Out

I had wanted it to be special.  A fortieth birthday is nothing to shrug off.  But, as birthdays often do, my husband’s birthday snuck up on us both. There was no time for an elaborate, surprise, “over the hill” party or even a little get together.  No, we were barely able to coordinate schedules and get our act together to celebrate with a dinner out.

After arranging for the kids to spend the night with the grandparents, we had the task of picking a restaurant and making reservations.  My husband and I love to try to new places to eat.  Since, my husband is in the restaurant business though, a dinner out is rarely just enjoying the company and the meal.  He notices all those little things people who have never worked in the business would miss.

We picked a place that was new to us but not certainly not new to downtown Pittsburgh. The last thing we wanted to do after dropping off the kids was wait an hour and a half to eat dinner.  People, we are old.  We are in our late thirties/early forties but some days it feels like late seventies/early eighties!  Three kids, packed schedules, and 80 hour work weeks, had us feeling like maybe it was time to start considering the early bird special at Denny’s, then head home and go to sleep.

Our desire for an evening out that didn’t come with a kid’s menu and free babysitting (thanks Gammy & Pap-Pap!) won out.  We parked our van in the parking garage and headed towards the restaurant.  As we strolled down the city sidewalk, I thought of everyone who kept asking why we chose the place we did.  Didn’t we want to try somewhere flashier? Trendier? Somewhere up and coming? We couldn’t explain why, we just both felt like the restaurant we picked was where we needed to eat that evening.

But as we walked in to the run down building and headed into the restaurant, I was silently having some doubts about our choice.  The décor was late nineties, at best.  The carpet had seen much better days.  The room was packed though and we took it as a good sign that what the ambiance lacked, the food must make up for.

We sat at our table and as my hubby often does, he surveyed the room.  He noticed that most of the tables in the room were full but there were only two servers.  And those two servers were, as those in the restaurant biz call it, “in the weeds”.   They were slammed. They were stressed.  These two waiters were hustling from table to table, apologizing to customers for their meals taking so long and refilling drinks.

My heart sank.  When my husband said the kitchen must have crashed, I knew our experience was not going to be the best.  I felt so disappointed.  I really, really wanted this dinner to be great.  Not just for me (even though I did get dressed up, had makeup on, and fixed my hair – this doesn’t happen every day!) but to be a true celebration of my husband’s birthday.  And now, well, now it seemed like it was going downhill fast.  

Our server finally managed to make it over to the table and he was sweating! This was not just a little “hey it’s kinda hot in here” glow.  It was profuse, “I’m working as hard as I possibly can” SWEAT. He explained they were running a bit behind but he’d be back to get our order as soon as he could.  My husband and I exchanged glances and we both knew this was going to be a loooong meal. Then my hubby told me about how he felt bad for our server.  This man was working so hard, he was breaking a sweat.  To make it worse, the other customers waiting for their meals were complaining. Loudly.

Now, I was starting to feel bad for the guy too!  When he came back to take our order, I made sure I was the nicest customer he had had all evening.  I wanted to make waiting on our table easy on him! He took our orders and headed off to get our drinks.  

Our waiter returned quickly with our drinks and as the other diners meals started coming out, things got less crazy. You could feel the tension dissipating in the room.  When he came by to drop off our bread, we got to chat with him for a minute.

He told us how crazy it had been there that night.  How he was really tired.  Not only had he been working hard that day but he had been spending all the rest of his time at the hospital.  

“Oh no, what’s wrong?” I asked.  

Our server paused, then spilled his heart out, “My finance was in an accident and she’s in intensive care.  She has head trauma real bad.  I’m all she has here so I’ve been spending all my time at the hospital.  She never wants me to leave.  But it’s hard.  I have to come to work here and take care of stuff at home too. I haven’t done laundry in days.”  

My husband and I questioned him further and talked with him about what had been going on.  His story tugged on our heart strings. The poor guy was going through a really rough patch.  Having a stressful evening at work wasn’t helping him either.  He headed off to the kitchen and left my hubby and me there to digest his story.

When our server came by to say our meals were almost ready, my husband told him that we would pray for him and his fiancé.  This seemed to comfort our server and he thanked us in advance for praying. But as I heard my husband speak those words, I felt the Holy Spirit stir inside and tell me we needed to pray right then and now! So I blurted out, “Why don’t we pray right now?”

You guys, that is not typical Marcy behavior.  I will gladly pray with you or for you, if you ask me to.  I will offer to pray for and with my family and friends.  Most of the time though, I will pray for you in private, just the Lord and I aware of it. However, this was the first time, I offered on the spot to pray for a stranger right there, live, face to face.  I was compelled to do it.  I could not ignore what the Holy Spirit was leading me to do.  There were no second thoughts of what other diners would think or if this server might shrink back from our table, he and our food never to be seen again! 

And so we prayed.  In the midst of people eating their dinner and in the middle of the restaurant, my husband, our server, and I held hands and prayed for his fiancé.  I prayed for her healing and complete recovery.  Led by the Spirit, I asked God to strengthen and comfort this man, who we were now on a first name basis with.  When I finished praying, I think we all had tears in our eyes.

I looked around the room and realized it was empty.  We were the only diners left.  Our server went off to the kitchen and came back with our meals.  Since we were the last customers in the place, we had the whole restaurant to ourselves.  

We ate our dinner and chatted a bit more with our waiter.  The meal itself wasn’t anything fancy.  The food was good but the meal wasn’t anything special.  We paid our bill and said goodbye to our waiter.  My husband and I smiled, then left the restaurant hand in hand.

As we walked along the sidewalk back to the parking garage, we realized it was no accident that we had dinner at that restaurant.  Lots of little things here and there tried to sidetrack us and make us change our minds and pick somewhere else.  Even as we walked in at sat at our table, we could have gotten up and left what looked like a disappointing and uncomfortable situation.  Yet, it had felt to both of us that that restaurant was where we needed to be.

How often do you experience those situations? How quickly do we shrug off those promptings by the Holy Spirit because we are afraid of how people will react?  I want to encourage you today not to fear. Don’t worry about what other people will think.  When God nudges your heart, pay attention to it.  Be obedient to what He is leading you to do.  I promise, you will not regret it. 

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.” 1 Timothy 2:1 (NIV)

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25 (NIV)

Post by: Marcy Gates

A Royal Mess or Royalty?

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different” - C.S. Lewis 

When I consider many things in life, I find a common thread among them all and that is, process. Most things in life have to go through a process to get to an end or a level of completion. The process typically takes time. Some, more time than others, but time is always part of the deal. It takes time to become something. 

In our culture, we don’t like waiting. We are almost trained to want things ‘right now!’ We get impatient, frustrated, bored, or angry. I am guilty of all of these things and as much as I try to have patience, often times I do not. I get especially frustrated when I don’t understand why I am going through the process, why it is taking too long, or when the results are not what I envisioned. I try to control things or rush them. In the past I would give up or run from the process of becoming. Can you relate to these things? 

I will admit, rarely was my first reaction to trust God. 

And when I choose that way. When I choose to take my eyes off of Jesus and put things into my own hands, I royally mess things up. So now not only is the process hard or confusing, it’s messy. And I get messy.

If there is one thing I have learned from messing up the process because I don’t want to wait, it is that God ALWAYS works everything out for the good of those who love him! (Romans 8:28)

“Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be.”- Rick Warren

Remember I said I would run from becoming? In those days, I would picture God up there wagging his finger at me with his angry face on. Then I would feel like a failure. Like I had to make up for the mess I just made. 

More recently God has shown me in a grand way that he’s not up there with his angry face on. No, not all. In those messy times when I feel like a royal failure, God is right beside me. He is there next to me, loving me through it all. He is there next to me saying, “Sweet daughter, please stop trying to control this. Trust me. Rest in Me.” And then He wraps His arms around me like only a father can comfort his daughter. In that moment I remember, I am not a royal mess, I am a royal princess! 

Dear sisters, the process isn’t always easy or understood but when you keep your eyes on Jesus and you trust Him for your comfort, guidance, and wisdom then the process is so much sweeter. Turning the page can be a beautiful thing! 

“You may not always end up where you thought you were going. But you will always end up where you are meant to be.” -Unknown

Post by: Jimmie Lee

Why the Sparrow?

I’ve been bird watching lately.  Well, more like sparrow watching.  From my kitchen window I can check out sparrows feeding at the bird feeder that I have hanging in my yard.  My husband teases me that I have a flock of sparrows out there sometimes!  Some people are bothered by sparrows. They see them as pests, driving away the other prettier birds.  But I enjoy watching them act up by the feeder, flitting and flying about.

Sparrows are not the most attractive birds.  Their feathers do not stand out.  They are kind of boring with their plain, neutral colored feathers.  The Hebrew word for sparrow means a small bird and they certainly are not majestic in size or even the song they sing.  They are very common.  So common, in fact, they are largely overlooked by humans.

Every time I see them outside my window though, I am always reminded of the Bible verse, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV).  How comforting that verse is to me.  Sparrows, so plentiful in nature, so common they go unnoticed by most people are important to the Father.  He knows each sparrow, and trust me, there are a lot of sparrows around. As for me, well, to Him, I am even more valuable than the sparrows.  So important, in fact, that the Lord knows EVERY hair on my head!  My husband, my mother, even my stylist can’t make that claim!

As I watched the sparrows flick seeds out of my bird feeder to their buddies on the ground, I started wonder, why sparrows? Why did Jesus specify them in Matt. 10:29 and not a blue jay or woodpecker? There had to have been a reason.  So I decided to do a little research the sparrow.  (Ok, I confess, it was more of a Google search, lol!)  I felt like there was something to be learned from them.  

I found out that sparrows are wise. They are mentioned in Psalm 84:3, “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God.” (NIV) From this verse we know that sparrows were not driven away from the nests they built in the Temple.  What smart birds! I don’t know about you but I want to make my home in the Lord’s dwelling place. I can think of no better place to raise a family!

I discovered that sparrows have powerful beaks as well.  From chirping to breaking open seeds, their beak contains power.  How true that is for us humans too.  We have power in our mouths, our tongues, the words we speak.  Our mouths have power to sing a song of worship or break open a heart.

Then my search came across the lyrics to a beautiful old hymn, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”.  These words stuck out to me…

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,

And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy,

I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me

It is so easy to allow the troubles and stresses in our lives to overwhelm us.  But when we remember His awesomeness, His faithfulness, His promises to give us a hope and a future; we can rest in how good our God is! Even when we can’t see but more than one step in front of us, He is with us.  He is leading us with His rod and staff just as a Good Shepherd should.  

In all of that, we can rejoice and be at peace.  We can sing because Jesus has set us free!  We are free from worry, free from striving, free to be all He has created us to be!  His eye is on the sparrow, yes.  But even more precious than that is that His eye is on me too.  He is smiling over me, delighting in me!

The next time you glance outside and see a sparrow, think of these words and remember the lessons of the sparrow – His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me!

Post by: Marcy Gates

For When You Feel Like Peter

“Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him. “Before the rooster crows twice you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.” Mark 14:71-72 (NKJV)

Peter had just denied Jesus three times. In earlier passages, Jesus warns him. He prophecies that Peter in fact will deny him. Peter argues, “I would never! I love you.” In Luke, it tells us that after this final denial, Jesus looks at Peter and then Peter remembers. Peter remembers the words that Jesus foretold. And he knows in that moment the gravity of what just happened.

I love that little detail that Jesus looks at Peter before he remembers what Jesus said. And the very human part of me wants to believe that Jesus is scolding Peter. Imagine it. Peter charges with the last denial, his words still spilling out of his mouth, before he can finish a rooster crows in the distance and Jesus locks eyes with Peter. One might read into this as Jesus saying, “See, Peter. I told you so.” But knowing what I know about Jesus that is not at all what his eyes were saying. I believe that Jesus is saying to Peter, “I still love you. Even in this moment when the gravity is weighing you down, I love you. I loved you before, I love you right now and I will still love you tomorrow.” I am hard pressed to believe that there is anything other than compassion in the eyes of my Savior, Jesus.

But still Peter could not bear what had happened and so he wept, bitterly.

Ultimately Peter had forgotten. Don’t we all wear that badge sometimes... Forgetful.

Let me set the stage. Day one unfolds as the darkest of dark days. Jesus is crucified and buried in a tomb. There is silence. Day two, still nothing.  His followers are getting restless, losing heart even. But the third day comes, this grace day.  The brightest of bright days. And look, let’s see what happens…

“But go, tell his disciples-and Peter-that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Mark 16:7 (NKJV)

Do you see it? “Go! Tell everyone! And don’t forget Peter! Tell Peter.” It is such a small detail you might miss it. I did. Until someone else recognized it and pointed it out. Peter forgot. He felt the weight of the world. He felt shame, guilt and despair. But Jesus doesn't let him off the hook. Jesus remembers him. Jesus sees him.

I realized... I often feel a lot like Peter, unforgivable. Like I have to earn my keep, like I have to work my whole life to make up for what I’ve done. All the little mistakes, all the big blows, every single thing I see as wrong, I live my life to make up for. As if toeing the line, dotting all my i’s and crossing all my t’s, making all the right moves could ever make up for all the sin in my life.  

I’m positive we all have Peter moments in our life. When we feel like we have just messed up so badly that we have to earn our way back. But I am convinced, without a doubt, this is not the way Jesus wants us to live. Of course he wants us to turn from our sin, but he didn’t hang on that cross for us to work so hard. He didn’t go through the agony, pain and suffering so that we would have to make up for it. That was never the plan.

Jesus gives us so much in that one monumental act. More than we deserve of course, but that is the beauty in it. He freely gives grace, forgiveness, mercy and love. Even in our mess, he locks eyes with us and says “I still love you.” We must only accept it. We don’t have to turn from Him when we are going through something. Jesus is not afraid of our confusion, our anger, our questions or our doubts. He gives us one last look and says, “I am going to love you through this.”

Forgiveness is sweet, my sisters. Taste and see. Don’t turn from Him, turn to Him. When your inner Peter rises up to say, “I am not good enough. I must earn my way.” Remember what Jesus did. He did not forget Peter. He made specific mention of his name as to signify his love and forgiveness of Peter’s crucial act. He does the same for us! He calls each one of us by name and his love for us is indescribable!

Post by: Jimmie Lee

Let This Cup Pass

The Garden of Gethsemane

My oldest daughter was getting ready to go to bed a few nights ago.  But her last minute request stopped us both in our tracks.  “Mom, would you pray for me?”

“Sure, what do you want me to pray about?” I asked with my mom-senses all tingly and on alert.  You never know what will come next. Tears, smiles, or a mix of both.

“Would you pray that school would be cancelled tomorrow or that we would have a delay?” she asked shyly.

“Why, honey?” I questioned, bracing myself for the worst.  Bullies? Mean girls? Big test? Head lice?!

“Because I don’t want to have swim class.  It’s scary and they are going to make us float on our backs and I hate that.” Then the tears began to flow from her eyes.  “I just don’t want to do it!” she said with the sobs flowing freely.

Now for a moment, I felt for her.  I remember having swim class back in school.  But my experience was much different.  It was surrounded by a bunch of other middle schoolers, awkward and trying to just melt into the background.  And swim caps.  They were AWFUL! Plus there was the pressure of trying to make yourself look presentable after wearing the dreaded swim cap and not be late for your next class! (Do they still make kids wear those?!)

But then I remembered the Bible story we read a few nights beforehand.  The story of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane.  How He prayed for the cup to pass him by.  But if not, let God’s will be done. “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." Luke 22:42 (NLT)

I shocked my daughter by denying her request.

“Honey, I’m not going to pray for school to be closed or delayed.  But I will pray for God to be with you.  I will pray for Him to take away all your worries and fears.  I’ll pray for Him to help you do well with swimming.  And mommy can find some Bible verses for you to remind you that God is with you and He will help you.”

My daughter stopped crying and was ready to pray.  So we held hands and I prayed over her.  I prayed that she would have no fear as she stepped into the swimming pool.  I prayed that God would help her to complete all the exercises the teacher gave her to do in the pool. I prayed that she would remember that God goes before her and behind her, that He’s got her back.  When we finished, she was excited to see what verses I would have for her the next morning.

“Are you really going to find all that in the Bible mommy?” she asked.

I reassured her, “Oh yes! It’s in there.”

As I poured through my Bible later that night, writing down each verse for her, it struck me how often, in our adult lives, we ask God to take away something.  It is such an immediate response to stress, pain, and suffering. “God, please take this away.  Lord, remove this.”  But how many times do we really say, “Your Will be done”?

I think of Jesus that night in the garden.  How absolutely wretched that dark night must have been.  He knew what was coming. He knew what would happen the next day.  “He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” Luke 22:44 (NLT)

 I just can’t even imagine it.  Can you even wrap your mind around it?  The anguish. The pain.  The suffering.  Yet, Jesus wanted His Father’s Will to be done.  Oh to have that heart!

I can only pray that the next time something comes up in my life, before I am quick to ask for release, to ask for relief that I remember too, that truly, I want His Will to be done in my life.  That God does have my back.  That He does go before me and behind me, hedging me in.  That if He is willing, He’ll let the cup of suffering pass.  But that I want His Will to be done and not mine.


Post by: Marcy Gates


Curious what verses I placed by my daughter’s seat at the kitchen table the next morning?  Well, here you go!  I inserted her name before each one.  I encourage you to do that too! Nothing is more powerful that praying God’s Word!

Insert your name right here: ______________,

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them.  For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you.  He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (NLT)

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

“The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:13b (NIV)

We Don’t Have to Do This Life Alone

No man is an island, we can be found

No man is an island, let your guard down

You don't have to fight me, I am for you

We're not meant to live this life alone

~Tenth Avenue North “No Man is an Island” 

At one time, I sat at this place in my life where I felt so alone. As a young girl I learned to build up these walls to protect myself. And I had all these guidelines for who I would let in. I had a lot of guidelines which left little to no room for people. I often felt like I was living on an island. Really, it is no fun living on an island... alone. 

For the longest time, I was afraid to let anybody in. Now, there are a million things that I could say about that right there, I could fill the sea! The important part is I was afraid and I thought I could just slide by in life with a small safety net of a support system. I stuck close to my comfort zone, never venturing too far out.  

God has been so gracious to me, breaking down walls, healing the broken places, washing and renewing my spirit. It took years to get to a place where community didn’t scare me. On the contrary, I actually started to crave it! You see, community is important to God. He created us to be in community. He created the church like the body. You need eyes, ears, hands, feet. One doesn’t work without the others. And so, you can only go on so long before you begin to crave community.

God began to reveal to me, my deep need for community. I had a rather strong online life for a while where I would read, ALL. THE. BLOGS! I would find these extremely encouraging women who wrote online and for a season that was exactly what I needed. But! I began to yearn for these encouraging women in real life. I would ask, where are all these real life women?! I need them. I need to have these real life women who encourage me face to face. 

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

I began to pray and ask God to reveal these people to me. I knew that God knew what I needed and so I trusted that He would make it happen. You want to know something funny? He answered! The process wasn’t easy. I had to go through a few things first. Remember, to refine something it must be put through the fire. However the result is a beautiful thing. And that’s what community is, really. A beautiful, sometimes messy, thing. 

I have this larger safety net of support now: spiritual encouragers, life givers, creative encouragers, professional encouragers, emotional encouragers. I can’t imagine my life without of some of these people! It is like a breath of fresh air, to look at someone and go, “Me too!” We don’t always get everything right and sometimes being in community is downright hard. But sister, it is sooooo worth it! 

Your story might not look like mine. Your reason for seeking community may be very different. I want to encourage you though, give it to God. He will answer. He will give you what you need. Each person’s community will be different, large or small. The most important thing is that you find others who will lift you up, that don’t pass judgment, or scold you but love you through this life. They are out there. Sometimes they are right in front of your nose. Sometimes, they are the ones you would least expect! 

Post by: Jimmie Lee


If you are interested in joining a community and/or making some new friends, the Women’s Ministry has a bunch of great opportunities for you to get plugged in!  In addition to the different events we hold at church, there are also a variety of groups you can join.  We offer small group Bible/book study, Titus 2 (mentoring program), Encourage (ministry for expectant moms), Women’s Prayer Team, and the Social Media Ministry.  If you would like more information, please check out the other sections of this blog or email us at: women@westridge.cc

A Friend Loves at All Times

The tagline on the Facebook post caught my attention first, “Do You Fit the Profile of the Average Christian Woman?”  Ooh!!! That peaked my interest! I immediately clicked onto the blog post, ready to tackle some kind of questionnaire.  (What is it with us ladies and answering questions?  I love to ask them and answer them. Even better if it is multiple choice with an assessment at the end!)

But as I read through the article, it described me (tired mom, lol!) and just about every other woman you could imagine walking through the church doors.  From old to young and every stage and circumstance of life.  It was a great reminder that we ALL are LOVED.  And it reminded me too of what we are all here for. 

Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God but He also said that to love others was second.  By the time I reached the end of that blog post, my heart ached.  All sorts of emotions were stirred.  Am I loving others?  Am I being a good friend?

Sometimes I hold back. I let that little voice in my head talk me out of saying hello to the new lady I see in church or at the preschool pick-up line.  I’ll think, why would she want to talk to me?  Why did I say that? Am I even interesting enough to hold a discussion with? Is there something in my teeth? These jeans make me feel fat. So and so is so cute and put together, why can’t I look like that when I walk out of the house?  I’ll just stay over here…

But I need to remember to tell that voice to be silent.  I need to listen to the still, small voice of God whispering from my heart, “She needs you to say hello.” Or, “You need to pray with her right now.” Because that is really the only voice that matters.  That is the voice that tells you to open your heart and share life with others, to love them.

Ladies, we cannot do life on our own.  When we reach out to each other, there is a balance in it all.  We need each other.  The single lady wondering if Mr. Right will ever come along needs the advice of the lady who has been there too, encouraging her that God has a great plan for her life.  The brand new momma needs to hear from the mother of three that yes, it will get better, God’s grace is sufficient for you, and you will sleep through the night again (but not for at least the next five years – trust me on this). The widow who goes to work and comes home to an empty house needs to know she is welcome and wanted by friends who smile at her when she comes their way, that she is very precious in the sight of the Lord.

We all can relate to feeling like we are not enough.  We all know what it is like to struggle.  Though the specific struggle may be different, the answer is the same for all of us.  Jesus.  He wants us to love Him and He wants us to love each other.

So, do you fit the profile of the average Christian woman?

“Jesus, replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)

“A friend loves at all times…” Proverbs 17:17 (NIV)

Post by: Marcy 

If you are interested in reading the post that inspired this one, please visit: http://www.kimberleysuchta.com/2015/01/27/do-you-fit-the-profile-of-the-average-christian-woman/