Girl Talk

Complete strangers who may otherwise never speak to each other can connect during stressful circumstances.   It is Diagnostic Day at the clinic…the day that women with a history of breast cancer or women at risk are scheduled all in a lump, pardon the pun, for their mammogram.  Sitting together in the small waiting room, we are a women-only club, a little vulnerable in our identical gown-with-opening-to-the-front apparel.

The “Girl Talk” flows, from career choices to parenthood to medical histories.  We rotate in and out of the room;  our name is called,  we wait, we are called back for a second look, we wait some more, we are taken in for an ultrasound, and we wait. The typical types are all present.  There is the woman who is upbeat and optimistic, there is the woman who provides running commentary and engages others in conversation, there is the pessimist filled with worry, and there are the quiet ones who flip through their magazines or knit  in a purposeful way.  We recognize that we all are in the same boat…and this isn’t so routine.

How are women who start out as complete strangers able to converse so easily, connect so quickly?  It is a gift!  In stressful times, such as waiting rooms, it is a blessing to naturally lean towards listening and encouragement.  But there are also aspects of “Girl Talk” that aren’t positive.  Take gossip for instance…

This week in our Daily Devotionals, we close our time in Proverbs with a focus on Girl Talk, both the positive and the negative, all areas we can and should work on.  These Devotionals can be found under the category of Wise Words…Worthy Goals at  www.gttdaily.wordpress.com.

A New “Our Story” has been published! Take a look at one woman’s journey with  Depression, a topic that touches a lot of women’s lives.  We often hesitate to talk about depression, but it is a conversation worth having because there is hope!

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Journeys of Strength

“It is cancer.” Surely, the most dreaded words a patient can hear.

The blue negative-sign on the stick. Some women see it with tears of relief, while others see it through tears of frustration and pain.

Marriage humor.  It is hard to laugh when you are single and alone…and you don’t want to be.

How do women deal with these kinds of challenges with grace and dignity?  Yes it is possible, just read through the personal journeys of strength of the women highlighted in Our Stories. You will be inspired and encouraged!  And you might want to grab a tissue.  Is there someone you know who would be encouraged by one of these stories?  Forward this site on to them with a note of support, letting them know that they are not alone during their hard times.

In our Daily Devotionals this week we continue to pursue the goal of wisdom, looking at specific topics found in the book of Proverbs. This weeks Devotionals can be found under the category of Wise Words…Worthy Goals at www.gttdaily.wordpress.com.

Blessings on your week!

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Wise Words…Worthy Goals

“For fast acting relief try slowing down.” Lily Tomlin

“Don’t confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other.” Erma Bombeck

“Know yourself. Don’t accept your dog’s admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.” Ann Landers

“Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” King Lemuel’s mother

What woman doesn’t wish for a wealth of wisdom such as found in these above quotes?  Such a great blend of practical and smart!  But I will be the first to admit that I don’t always act on my own potential for living a wise life.

My grandparents loved sitting around the card table with several of us grandkids playing games. One of our favorites was a game called Proverbs, a long time family tradition from my grandparent’s own childhood on the farm.  Various wise sayings, many from the Bible, were organized in categories (friendship, charity, etc.) and the goal was to complete books of each category with the most books winning the game.

Just sitting here at my kitchen table I can recall several of those wise sayings.  One such favorite that rolled easily off the tongue:  “Never trouble trouble ’til trouble troubles you.”  Due to familiarity from the game, those proverbs became part of our daily lives, popping back into our brains as certain situations would arise.  And we always felt great freedom to quote them to our four siblings when opportunity presented and they needed to hear some truth.  Water left running?  “Waste not want not.”  Not getting something you want?  “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.”  Deep wisdom that was always greatly appreciated, as you can well imagine.  The point is, because we learned those wise sayings at the game table with Grandma and Grandpa, they became woven into the fabric of our daily lives.

In the coming days, our Daily Devotional will highlight several extra-practical truths from the book of Proverbs useful to women who want to live their daily life wisely and well. We hope you will join us each day, looking on these wise words from Scripture as worthy goals.  Our prayer is that these truths will become woven into the fabric of every day life…at work, at home, with our relationships.

Are you new to this site?  Welcome!  We are so glad you stopped in.  We would love for you to read Lydia’s Story, Our Stories, and the  About Us tab above to learn more about what is most important in our lives.  

The Daily Devotionals run Monday through Friday and you can find this week’s devotionals under the category of Wise Words…Worthy Goals at www.gttdaily.wordpress.com.  

Want to subscribe to the weekly blog?  Sign up with the subscription box at the right and you will automatically receive each newly published post in your email.  You can also do the same on the devotional page to receive those posts each weekday.  And thanks again for stopping by!

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Because He is Alive…

…my trembling hands can reach out and find strength in His nail pierced hands

…questions about the future can transition from “who knows” to “He knows”

…my purpose goes from “whatever” to “forever”

…death here on earth isn’t final

…I can live a life of  hope rather than despair

How would you finish this sentence?  Because He is Alive…___________________.  Leave a comment anytime this week and share with us what is on your heart.

The focus for this week’s Daily Devotional will be specific things God tells us result from the fact Jesus didn’t stay dead and buried in the tomb, but He is in fact alive.   To read these Daily Devotionals, just click here www.gttdaily.wordpress.com and then click on  the Category entitled Because He is Alive…

Happy Easter!

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