EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 2009/Patience

The Shape of
Patience

Ministry: Online!
Dealing with
Negativity

Interview with
Tricia of
The Domestic
Fringe

Featuring
Patty Wysong
&
Isunji
Cardoso

living lives that glorify

EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009
Editor’s Welcome
I’m often tempted to blame my
impatience on my personality (very
Type A) and move on from ever
touching on this topic again. I do
have things to do, you know.
I just exclaimed the words, “I’m
the busiest person I know! I don’t have
time for this,” to my husband, while
formatting a magazine ministering on
the theme of patience.
That should keep me off any
pedestals for a good, long while.
The thing I’m learning about my
identity in Christ is that who I say I am
is very different from who He says I
am.
I say, “Kristen Schiffman? She’s a
Type-A, impatient, feisty girl who is in
dire need of some caffeine.”
He says, “Kristen Schiffman? She’ll
take on the shape of patience once I
finish molding her. Just you wait and
see.”
We sell ourselves short when we
blame sin (plain and simple) on
personality type.
This issue has challenged me to
lay down my flaws before Christ and
allow His Spirit room to move and
mold me.
And that was just during the
proofing process.
I am thrilled to feature two of my
blog buddies, Patty Wysong of
Patterings and Isunji Cardoso of The
Quiet One.
My favorite things about online
ministry are the friends you make.
Isunji will make you laugh out loud
and Patty will help you find the
ordinary to be extraordinary.
© Exemplify 2009
A stand out article for me this
month was Kara’s in which she writes,
“Oh to let the Holy Spirit course
through our lives forever transforming
our hard brittle souls into something
that is breathtaking in beauty.” I
encourage you to read her words on
page 24. You will be marked with a
hunger to offer Him more. I can
promise you that.
I’d also like to thank Christy
McGraw of CrittyJoy for offering her
photography to our magazine this
month. Look for her photos on pages
10, 20 & 21.
As always, it is with joy I offer you
this issue of Exemplify Magazine. Find
Him here among these pages,
glorified.
In King Jesus,
Kristen Schiffman
 contents EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE
Founder/Editor in Chief
Kristen Schiffman

Assistant Editor/Family
Columnist
Andrea Mitchell

In 10 Minutes or Less
Carol Moxley

Advice Column
Christine Johnston

Singles Columnist
Christy McGraw

22 Sanctuary Columnist
Christy Klein

Marriage Columnist
Jenifer Jernigan

features Fashion Columnist

Jennifer Norra

18 Patience Pie
Interview Columnist
19 Blog: Patterings Judith Roberts
20 THe Pathway to your Promise
22 Interview: life on the fringe
Ministry: Online! Columnist
Amy Bayliss

Devotion Columnist
Kara Cox

Book Review Columnist

Kate

columns Fiction Columnist

Tara Rachel

The book Nook with kate 4 Health Columnist

Love Longsuffering 5 Shannon

Ministry: Online! 7 Bible Study Columnist

How to get the most out of 9 Victoria Jenkins

every minute How-To Columnist

The one about online dating 12 Wendy Miller

14
Enabled Patience
15 Online & Blog Team
Wait for 10 minutes or less
16
Bible study: the lucky ones 24 Kristen Schiffman

The shape of patience 25

Andrea Mitchell
Christy McGraw
My sizzling Sanctuary 28 Victoria Jenkins
Jesus Christ, M.D. 29 Patty Wysong

Fiction: My Jehovah-Raphe Marsha Harwood

25
Be sure to visit our website for information on
Joanne Sher
Wendy Miller

Sonia Chacon
Shane Schwichtenberg
Kelli Reagan

our team writers. Christa Allan

Daisy Olsen

© Exemplify 2009

Surrender the Wind
by Rita Gerlach
Are you a fan of Christian historical
romance novels with wild plot twists and
plenty of intrigue? Then you will likely enjoy
Surrender the Wind, a newly published novel
by Rita Gerlach and the second Abingdon
Press book I’ve been given the opportunity to
read. Billed as “an epic story of love and
betrayal,” Surrender the Wind chronicles the
adventures of an American patriot in
England just after the Revolutionary War.
The novel is centered on Seth Braxton,
an upright young man who fought for
America’s Independence and was happily
living in rural Virginia when he receives word
that his grandfather, on his deathbed, has
bequeathed to Seth the ancestral Ten Width
estate in Devonshire, England. Seth is
reluctant to leave his home, but feels a duty
toward his sister Caroline, who had been
taken to England at the start of the war and
was living at Ten Width. Intending to stay
only long enough to get his affairs in order,
Seth’s plans are derailed by a series of tragic
and unexpected events, beginning with the
death of Caroline’s young son. However,
things may not be as they seem, and Seth’s
quest for truth puts him, and others, in mortal
danger.
While the story is initially focused on
Seth and Caroline, Seth finds unexpected
love in Caroline’s close friend Juleah, who
was present at the death of Seth and
Caroline’s grandfather. Her beauty and
naiveté are a troublesome combination,
however, and Juleah manages to get herself
into a fair amount of trouble, not least of
The Book Nook:
Surrender the Wind
which involves the attentions of the
dishonorable Captain Darden, a former love
interest who is unwilling to take no for an
answer.
There are many characters in this novel,
and quite a few minor characters turn out to
play crucial parts later on. Characters also
suddenly reveal themselves to be somehow
related in various ways, and I found myself in
need of a family tree or block diagram to
keep from getting confused. The wild plot
twists and wholly unexpected coincidences,
especially in terms of minor characters,
vaguely brought to mind David Copperfield
and Oliver Twist. Some of Surrender’s minor
characters are quite witty, and indeed, some
of the best lines came from bit players. One
of my favorite characters was Loll
Makepeace, a cemetery caretaker. When
Seth asked him if he believed that the dead
would one day be raised to heaven or hell,
Makepeace replied, “Don’t you, young sir?
If you don’t, then you are a man most
miserable.”
Another minor character, Juleah’s
elderly Aunt Isadora, warns women against
reading romance novels, presumably a touch
of irony on the author’s part. Isadora tells
Juleah, “Books like that give a young woman
wrong ideas, not what the real world is
about. They lead to disappointment.” This is
true, and is one of the reasons why I don’t
tend to read this genre.
The novel’s villain, Captain Darden, had
few, if any, redeeming qualities. He seemed
to turn what could have been virtuous
character qualities into sin. Darden loved
Juleah, but as time went on, that love
manifested itself as lust, and his passion for
her turned into obsession. Darden’s quest to
Review by Kate
gain property and love, by force if
necessary, demonstrates greed and
especially envy: He wanted what was not
rightfully his. This brought to mind James
3:16- “For where you have envy and selfish
ambition, there you find disorder and every
evil practice.”
A quick search of my Bible’s
concordance yielded a verse that, in my
opinion, is the great lesson to be learned
from Darden: Titus 3:3-4 says:
At one time we too were foolish,
disobedient, and enslaved by all kinds of
passions and pleasures. We lived in malice
and envy, being hated and hating one
another. But when the kindness and love of
God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not
because of righteous things we had done,
but because of his mercy.
Darden’s character seemed, to me, to be
a manifestation of man’s sinful nature. He
wanted what he wanted because he wanted
it, and was willing to go to extremes to get it.
Darden was enslaved by his passions and
pleasures and needed the mercy and grace
of God. To paraphrase John Bradford,
“There but for the grace of God, go I.”
The author, Rita Gerlach, has published
three historical novels and is a member of the
American Christian Fiction Writers. She is
also the editor of a writer’s website called
Stepping Stones Magazine. For those who
enjoy the historical romance genre, despite
Aunt Isadora’s warning, and are willing to
suspend disbelief, Surrender the Wind, which
was published in August by Abingdon Press,
is full of action, suspense, love, and surprises.
© Exemplify 2009
 Love Longsuffering
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009
It was my fourth semester of
Old Testament. I don’t think I
will ever forget that week.
I sat one row back, four desks in
inside a room covered from floor to
ceiling with painted maps of the
nations of Israel, Abraham’s
journeys, the exodus of the children
of Israel, and many other pertinent
Old Testament happenings, but that
week the maps didn’t distract me.
Instead my thoughts, eyes, and
heart were completely focused on
the professor as he stood behind
the lectern, tears streaming down
his face, and taught through the
book of Hosea. I was deeply moved
Written by Jenifer Jerginan
as we took this journey through the Hosea was called by the LORD to
pages of Hosea, but wouldn’t marry a woman who would
completely grasp its true meaning prostitute herself out later on in their
until years later. marriage. This woman would give
birth to children who may or may
Hosea was a prophet of Yahweh.
not have been the biological
He served the LORD in ministry from
offspring of Hosea. She would
around 755-710 B.C. During his years
disgrace him and bring shame
of service, the nation of Israel,
upon their home. But, Hosea would
God’s chosen people, experienced
not leave her; instead he would
peace, prosperity, moral corruption,
stand right beside her. He would not
and spiritual ruin. Hosea’s primary
shun her; instead he would
focus was to open the blinded
welcome her home. He would
spiritual eyes of Israel in hopes that
never hate her; instead he would
they would see how they had
love her all the more. If ever there
violated their covenant relationship
were an example of patience in a
with Yahweh.
martial relationship, Hosea would
be the poster child.
© Exemplify 2009
 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, LONGSUFFERING, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control. Against such there is no
law.” Galatians 5:22 & 23, NKJV
Patience and/or longsuffering as
defined for us in Galatians 5:22 is
the transliteration of the Greek
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009
word makrothumia which means
endurance, constancy,
steadfastness, perseverance,
forbearance, longsuffering,
slowness in avenging wrongs
(Thayer’s Greek Definitions).
In John Gill’s Exposition of the entire
Bible he says the following about
longsuffering/ patience,
“longsuffering is a patient bearing
and enduring of present evils with
joyfulness, being strengthened by
the Spirit with all might, according
to His glorious power; being slow to
anger, ready to forgive injuries, put
up with affronts (insults), and bear
with, and forbear one another: and
which is usually accompanied with
gentleness, humanity, affability,
courteousness, shown both in
words, gestures, and actions.”
Hosea joyfully endured the trials in
his marriage because he knew
there was a greater purpose. He
didn’t rant and rave when his wife
came home late; instead he
remained calm, compassionate,
and loving toward this woman who
had betrayed him. Over and over
Hosea would forgive his wife,
Gomer, for all the wrong she would
commit against him; with kindness
and gentleness he would stretch
out his arms to her and welcome Our marital circumstances may not
her home. He suffered great be as extreme as those of Hosea
heartache, yet he was a beautiful and his wife, but nonetheless, we
picture of patience. all face times of difficulty within our
marriages. There will be times when
How was Hosea able to, time and
our blood will boil with anger; times
time again, forgive his wife? Why
when our flesh will greatly desire to
did he continue to take her back?
seek revenge because of a wrong
Why didn’t he just divorce her and
done to us; times when our mate
marry a Godly woman who would
may get on our last nerve. It is
be faithful to him? How could he
during these times when you and I
keep on loving her? How could he
must make the choice not quench
be so patient? Patience isn’t based
the power of the Holy Spirit, but
on one’s immediate
instead allow His power to arm us
circumstances; rather it is based on
with patience for our spouse. First
who is in control of those
Corinthians 13:4, tells us that “love
circumstances.
suffers long”. Love outlasts all
From the passage we read in failures and injuries inflicted by
Galatians 5:22 we learn that another because love begins with
patience is a result of the Holy patience.
Spirit’s indwelling in and among His
If one were to continue reading
people- “but the fruit of the Spirit
through the book of Hosea it would
is…” Hosea was able to
become evident that Hosea’s
demonstrate patience in his marital
marriage to Gomer was a
relationship because his focus was
representation of God’s
not on the circumstances around
unconditional love, never-ending
him but rather on Yahweh. Hosea
forgiveness, and immeasurable
wasn’t keeping a running list of all
patience for His chosen people.
the times his wife would come
You and I can mirror this
home late. He wasn’t keeping
characteristic of patience in our
score of how many times he was
marriages only through the power
right as opposed to all the times
of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In order
she was wrong. He wasn’t
for us to view those circumstances
complaining because dinner
that tempt us to become
wasn’t on the table or his clothes
impatient, irritated, and annoyed
were dirty. Hosea remained true
we must DAILY yield ourselves to
and faithful to the calling God had
the authority of the Holy Spirit in our
placed on his life to marry Gomer
lives. We must seek His guidance
and serve those around him by
and wisdom in all situations and
lovingly reminding them of God’s
allow Him to fill our hearts with a
covenant love for His people.
pure, honest love that is willing and
able to suffer long.
© Exemplify 2009
 Ministry Online: What to do With Negativity
Written by Amy Bayliss
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009

There has been a time or two
when I have received comments
on my blog or profile that were,
well, less than welcome. People
have varied opinions on certain
matters and some like to express
them quite often in the comments
of others. In my earlier days of
being online it would absolutely
bother me if someone left a
comment that was rude or
offensive and I’d just sit and
ponder over what to do all the
while asking God questions like:
Why me? And what did I ever do
to them?
The first step here is to pray and
seek God’s guidance.
After taking the time to pray, I
realized that it really wasn’t about
me. It was about them. Why?
Because even if a person
disagrees with what you have
written or what you have said,
they can still reply to you in a
positive, non-offensive way or
better yet, they should email you
and initiate a private discussion.
Your blog or your profile is your
own private space, just like your
home. It is up to you to decide
what should stay and what should
go.

© Exemplify 2009
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009

In future issues, we
will discuss, in
detail,the
applications we can
use to minister to
others via the World
Wide Web. If you
have any specific
questions about
blogging (design
and writing),
twittering, or
anything else
pertaining to online What you should never do is argue, especially in your comments or in a
ministry please send future post. God, the Father will defend you (Romans 12:19). If you feel a
them to: need to express your position publicly then do it without mentioning the
inquiry@amybayliss. commenter.
com. I will try to
answer as many The best response is always a gentle response (Proverbs 15:1). Email them
questions as possible and ask how they are doing and if you can pray for them in some way.
in each issue. Let them know that you read their comment and are open to privately
discuss any concerns they may have. If you feel strongly that their
comment should be deleted then by all means do so and simply explain
to them that you didn’t feel comfortable leaving it on your blog. It’s your
space and you have the right to remove anything you feel the need to.

What if it is an anonymous commenter? That is the easiest to answer.

Delete. Don’t entertain them by responding or posting about their
comment, just delete. It is not worth your time or effort to respond unless
you feel led to. A person who leaves an offensive comment
anonymously then they are not interested in communicating with you.
“A gentle answer turns
They are interested in embarrassing you or making you feel bad. Don’t
away wrath, invite the devil in for tea. Refuse to open that door. If someone feels
strongly enough about something and cares so much about you or other
but a harsh word
that they feel they should say something about what you’ve written,

stirs up anger.” then they should at the very least reveal their identity. If they don’t,
delete. But still remember to pray for them.
Proverbs 15:1

© Exemplify 2009
 How-To Get the Most out of Every Minute Written by Wendy Miller

moment basis. However, we are accidents, climbing divorce rates,

36,000,000!
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009

still to strive for excellence in Christ and even the prevalence of STD’s.
That’s how many minutes the
and there are ways to set our We’re not inclined to pay
average person lives (estimated
minds to this, there are ways to attention. It’s a learned behavior
for a seventy-year-old). How
work toward making our time on and one that comes with rich
exceptional it would be to go
earth (however brief it may be) rewards. One way we can be fully
through life saying that you’ve
count. present in the moment is to take
made the most out of all
notice of where we are, what
36,000,000 minutes. What a Pay Attention
surrounds us, how our senses are
reward. Now that I’ve mentioned
We live in a culture that has engaged, what our mind is telling
averages, how many people
forgotten the art of paying us and most of all what is being
would you suspect on average
attention. Something must communicated to us by trusted
truly maximize the potential out of
demand our attention for us to loved ones or by our God.
each and every minute?
provide it. Examples of lack of
Obviously we all falter and fall
lorem ipsum dolor met set attention causing a detriment to
short, sometimes on a moment to
quam nunc parum society are obvious in traffic

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” Annie Dillard

© Exemplify 2009
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009
Learn Patience
“Eliminating hurry from your life will
reduce your stress level and begin to
open up some space for God in your
life.” ~ Keri Wyatt Kent from Breathe:
Creating Space for God in a Hectic
Life
Patience is another foundational
lesson our culture struggles to grasp.
Tom Petty sang about it being the
hardest part. It often feels difficult if
we rely on our feelings. Imagine this:
seven hours into a day-long car trip,
seventy miles per hour screeches to
less than twenty, then to no
movement whatsoever. First
reaction? Okay no, don’t go there.
Point made. Or even take something
as simple as a grocery line. You find
your place in line behind four other
people eyeing the lines to your left
and right seeing if they are moving
faster than yours. You wonder as
each minute escapes time forever if
you’d be wise to hop over to one of
the other lines. There’s something to
be said for trying to achieve a lot in a
minimal amount of time. There’s
more to be said for understanding
the value of waiting.
Inject Yourself into the
Moment/Be Fully Present
Never was homecoming queen, but
I’m a daydreamer believer tried and
true. My head is in the clouds. It takes
effort for me to suspend thoughts
about my next novel while my
husband tells me about his day at
work. God teaches me during these
times. If I’m to show my husband that
I’m all his, I am to show it. Meaning, I
can’t grant him a placating smile as I
fantasize about my new plot line.
Being fully present in the moment
requires me to rein my brain down
from the clouds and inject it back
“Let us go right into
the presence of God,
with true hearts
fully trusting him.”
Hebrews 10:22
into our conversation. Who knows
what God might be trying to teach
me as I quietly listen to my husband?
I imagine love would be one thing.
Forgive/Hand over your Past
Have you heard the expression leave
it at the altar? I have and it works. I
visualize carrying whatever hurt or
offense in a box and placing it
before the cross. Do my feelings
always subside? No. Do I perk up
and take on the positivity of
Pollyanna? No. But I’ve been
obedient when I do this and there’s
a certain freedom that comes from
forgiving. When we are freed up
from the chains of our past and the
baggage of hurt we are best able to
live unburdened and intentionally
committed to each moment.
Give Up Worry
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of
its sorrow; it empties today of its
strength.” Corrie Ten Boom
I once read somewhere the saying,
‘If you can worry, you can pray.’ If
you are burdened with something
the best thing you can do is to lift it
up in prayer to the One who has the
power to do anything about it. When
we worry we are preoccupied and
unable to carry on minute to minute
with integrity of spirit.
Make a Memory
Remember every given moment has
the potential to turn into a memory.
Do you really want to remember
waking up crabby every morning?
There’s no need to put pressure on
yourself to be chipper and attentive
at every single moment, but why not
pour yourself into your spouse, your
friends, your children, all of your
loved ones, including yourself at
times? Why not build something with
your days instead of tearing down
with incessant complaining and
bitterness?
Give (of your time, valuables,
encouraging thoughts…etc.)
“Let us go right into the presence of
God, with true hearts fully trusting
him.” Hebrews 10:22
I think the main man himself said it is
far better to give than to receive. It
feels good to get things and by
things I mean stuff, compliments,
love—you name it. I know you’d
agree it feels good to get.
Americans especially, we like to get. Show Appropriate Affection
But to give—to truly give of our time
A gentle hug or even a polite pat on
by volunteering, speaking a word of
the upper arm can do wonders for a
encouragement or donating our
person’s well being. Touch has been
things—nothing beats that. Beth
shown to reduce stress and even
Moore joked about a certain culture
relieve pain. I once had a lady in
where it’s common if you
one of my small groups who labeled
compliment someone’s glasses for
herself “not very touchy-feely.” God
example, they’re likely to take them
knew what He was doing when he
from their face and give them to
put me in her small group. I’m all
you. The ladies in my Bible study were
about hugs and high-fives at the risk
amused by that and oddly enough
of seeming goofy every time. It’s
we all were a little more frugal with
worth it. I think we communicate
our compliments from that point
such love when we appropriately
forward. Giving rejuvenates
reach out to others with touch. If
something in us causing the Holy
words aren’t necessary or there
Spirit to burst into life. It is part of who
simply are no words, sometimes a
God changed us to be.
hug can fill the moment with
I’m convinced the more we hold unbelievable connection and
onto things the more jumbled we meaning.
become and the less free we are.
Recommended book on this topic:
Smile More or Find Something Practicing his Presence by Brother
to Laugh About Lawrence
“I don’t ask for the meaning of the
song of a bird or the rising of the sun
Look for our review of
on a misty morning. There they and
they are beautiful.” Pete Hamill
Practicing His Presence
Did you know that every time you
smile you release endorphins and
by Brother Lawrence in
lower your blood pressure? What
does this have to do with making the
most of every moment? Life is short. October!
We never know when our time is up.
Wouldn’t it be wise to spend the time
we have doing things that are good
for us—that help us to light up and
glow for God? Smiling and laughing
are attractive attributes. Find yourself
a little funny. I do.
© Exemplify 2009
 The One about Online Dating
I did something at the end of May
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009
that many single girls debate
about doing or do. I joined an
online dating site. To be honest I
really did not pray about it but in a
moment of weakness and
wanting I joined.
I have talked about it with several
friends over the years and always
thought that it was not something I
would like doing. After hearing
about a few more engagements
and pregnancies among friends I
wanted that too. Let’s be honest I
was desperate. For what my
friends had, for love.
So at first I was doing well with the
site, I had a few rejections and felt
a little down but I had talked with
one guy and he seemed nice.
Slowly over the next week I
became more obsessive with the
site and logged on several times a
day. And I became more
discouraged. I would feel
rejection when a match was
closed. I would feel like I was not
beautiful enough, smart enough,
or interesting enough. I would
read a profile and be quite
interested in the fellow but nothing
would come of it...and again,
discouragement. There would
also be hilarious times, funny
messages and the like, but I was
still feeling the sting of the
rejections.
After realizing what I was doing I
set some firm boundaries about
the website. I only visited the site
once a day and did all of my
communication at that time.
More importantly I started asking
God to help me in this area. I had
not been earnestly seeking His
Face.
© Exemplify 2009
Written by Christy McGraw
Once I started seeking my Abba
Daddy’s wisdom the more
uncomfortable I felt about the
whole thing. Finally after a great
deal of heart searching I closed
my membership as a paying
member. Because I was not
comfortable with the whole
process and more importantly I
did not feel like I could meet my
spouse this way. I love emailing
and chatting online with friends
but there is something about
doing it with someone that could
be a potential mate that made
me uneasy. For that kind of
relationship I needed face to
face. I am not meant to be an
online dater. I have several
friends that are. In fact one dear
friend is in a serious relationship
with a fabulous guy she met
online.
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009
I learned two things from the
experience:
The first is that online dating
is not for everyone. And you
know what? That is okay! If you
joined an online dating site and
enjoy it that is fantastic, but if you
feel uncomfortable with it, as I
have learned, that is okay too.
One of my favorite things about
our God is how He made each of
us so unique!
The second thing I learned is
that when my impatience and
wanting gets the better of me,
it is usually because I am doing
what I want without the
guidance of my Abba Daddy.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control. --Galatians
5:22-23 (NIV)
When I think of patience I often
think of the fruits of the Spirit.
Because often if we are lacking
one of the fruits it is not long
before we are lacking the others.
My lack of patience soon led to a
lack of self-control...then I was
losing my peace, my joy, and my
faithfulness. Because I wanted
something so much I lost my
patience with God’s plan and
reverted to my own plan.
One would think I would have
learned this lesson by now! My
plan is never as wonderful as
God’s. Never. What I want at this
moment in time may not be the
best for me in the years to come. He is mine. He is and will always
Our God knows this. And He tries be more than enough.
to show us this (sometimes more
than once!).
I think that our impatience always
comes from our wants. I want a
husband. I want children. I want
“I am my beloved's and my
to be someone’s beloved. I, I, I. It
is when thinking with the I in front
of things that impatience comes.
It always comes back to one thing
for me. beloved is mine;”
Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the
Song of Solomon 6:3
desires of your heart. --Psalm
37:4 (NIV)
Instead of delighting in Him, I was
delighting in me.
It is only through my delight in Him
that my desires will be His desires.
Instead of delighting in Him I
choose to go my own route and
find myself a husband. After a
month of discouragement and
being uncomfortable I realized His
desire for me was not online
dating. His desire for me is also
not impatience. Impatience
seems to come when my wants
get in the way of my relationship
with Him.
Impatience is one of the many
things we single girls are going to
struggle with constantly. I know
for me when I am confronted with
engagements, marriages, and
babies I have a tendency to get
even more antsy about not being
in a relationship!
It goes back to one simple thing. I
already have a beloved. I am His.
© Exemplify 2009
 “I tried to find a step-by-step
set of instructions in the Bible for
exercising patience. No such luck.
But what I did find was the real
answer to having patience...”
Enabled Patience
One of the things I struggle
with the most as a mom is
impatience.
Some days are good. I am able to keep
my temper in check, laugh at the crazy
doings of my wonderful kids, and overlook
the little things that ordinarily drive me crazy.
But then there is the rest of the week.
Little things like messes, sibling spats,
and constant interruptions when I am trying
to get something done can drive me to
absolute distraction. And try as I might,
eventually at some point during the day I will
lose my patience and my temper to the
dismay of one of my unsuspecting family
members. And usually more than once.
It’s not pretty.
I could blame a variety of things. I could
blame my own childhood, where my mother
failed to demonstrate patience with me. I
could blame my “passionate” personality. I
could blame the fact that I am also a very
open person and have difficulty suppressing
how I feel.  While I may think I am
restraining myself, the reality is the other
person is experiencing a very intense flood
of emotion from me.
© Exemplify 2009
Written by Andrea
But as I have been studying patience,
God has very gently shown me the true
cause of this bitter fruit:
My lack of trust in Him.
You see, the reason I bear the fruit of
impatience isn’t because of my personality.
The truth is I get frustrated because I can’t
control the actions of the people around me.
I expect my family to adhere to the standards
I have set for myself, and when they don’t, I
don’t know how to handle it. When they fail
to reach my expectations, I feel like I have
failed because I cannot control their
behavior.
In all of it, I am guilty of wanting
complete control of my life and my children’s
lives, rather than simply trusting God.
Nowhere in the Bible can I read of a
time where the solution to a person’s
problems is to yell and scream at the
offending people. Instead, God admonishes
us to be gentle. Kind. Humble.
Patient.
I tried to find a step-by-step set of
instructions in the Bible for exercising
patience. No such luck.
But what I did find was the real answer
to having patience:
Above all, keep fervent in your love for
one another, because love covers a multitude
of sins. 1 Peter 4:8, NASB
Be patient with each person, attentive to
individual needs. And be careful that when
you get on each other's nerves you don't
snap at each other. Look for the best in each
other, and always do your best to bring it
out. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, MSG
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all
transgressions. Proverbs 10:12, NASB
(Love) always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres. 1
Corinthians 13:7, NIV
Love is patient. 1 Corinthians 13:4, NIV
When I am fully trusting in God, fully
submitted to Him, I am filled with His fruit,
especially with His love. That love enables
me to overlook the minor offenses that occur
throughout the day. That love enables me to
look for the best in my children, to do my
best to bring it out.
That love enables me to be patient.
It’s going to take a long while for me to
get the hang of keeping my patience. But
eventually, this root of not putting my trust in
the Lord will dry up and discontinue bearing
fruit. In time, my roots will be deeply and
fully established in His love, allowing me to
bear the sweet and juicy fruit of patience
instead.
I can hardly wait!
 
 WAIT FOR 10 MINUTES OR LESS Written by Carol Moxley

With busy schedules and jammed to-do lists, waiting, even for 10 minutes or less, can be
nerve wracking! Here are a few ways to wait it out patiently and productively.

•Plan ahead. Keep a
small notebook in your purse
to jot down reminders or
begin a to-do list. Your hand-
held is perfect for this as well.
•Keep your nails neat.
Whip out a small nail file or
buffer to repair neglect and
add some shine.
•Catch up on your
reading. Newspaper and
magazine articles are
purposefully designed to be
read in a few minutes.
Having reading material
handy when you anticipate a
wait lets you slip in those
quick reads.
•Story Time! If the kids
are with you, reading to them
can keep you relaxed while
entertaining and containing
them. Take a few kids’ books
when you’re out and about.
•Make a quick call.
Keeping that to-do list at the
ready allows you to whip out
your phone to schedule an
appointment or make a quick
inquiry.
•Thank someone.
Thank you notes will never be
out of style. It only takes a
few minutes to craft a note of
appreciation and it’s more
productive than staring at
waiting room walls.
•Exercise your brain.
Work on a crossword or
Sudoku puzzle while you
wait. It can be put away
when your turn comes and
finished another time.
•On hold at home? A
load of clothes can be
folded in about 10 minutes.
Or . . .
•Sweep the floor.
Either use your hands-free
device or speaker phone to
know when the other party
has returned to the
conversation.
•Debris your vehicle.
While waiting for the gas
pump to fill ‘er up, gather
trash from your car and pitch
it.
•Enjoy a healthy
snack. By keeping a
granola bar or package of
nuts at the ready, your wait
time won’t make you cranky
about the lunch time delay.
•Doodle. When was the
last time you simply drew a
few flowers. So what if
you’re not an artist? It’s not
like they’ll go on exhibit.
Come on, it’s fun!
•Daydream. Good old
fashioned day dreaming can
thwart stress. Mentally plan
your dream vacation or
redecorate your bedroom
while you wait.
• Keep verses in your
purses! Jot scripture onto
3x5 cards that can be pulled
out any time. Hide the Word
in your heart while you wait.
(Tip: Use purse-sized photo
albums with plastic sleeves to
protect your cards. They cost
about a dollar.)
•Pray. It’s hard to stress
out when in prayer. Lift up a
friend in need. Or pray for a
stranger who is waiting
alongside you. Even if you
don’t know their needs, He
does! (Tip: Use one of the
plastic sleeves mentioned
above to keep your prayer
list tucked in with your
verses.)

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with

compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12 © Exemplify 2009

 Bible Study
Written by Victoria Jenkins
Before we dive into the riches of
Scripture, let’s join together in prayer.  It is
so important to seek Godly wisdom before
venturing into His Word.  Let us not lean on
our own understanding, but on that of our
Lord.
 
Father, as we study from Your Word
today, we ask that You would fill us with Your
supernatural wisdom so that we might
understand the lessons You have for us.  edits that our Heavenly Father might have in
Lord, please give us ears to listen and hearts
to obey as we seek to apply Your Truth to
our lives, daily.  Thank You for this time in
fellowship with those who walked the streets
with Christ Jesus.  Your Word amazes and
we’re so grateful to be able to nourish our
souls with these precious Scriptures.  It is in
the name of Jesus that we pray.  Amen.
I love a list.  A beautifully designed
compilation of plans neatly organized on the
page just brings a smile to my face.  Often, I
feel so accomplished in my list making that I
no longer feel the need to perform the tasks
on said awesome list.  That truly reveals the
appeal of planning, doesn’t it? Being in
control, establishing order among chaos, and
grabbing the reigns can be quite enticing.  omnipresence, and, omnipotence—transcends
Patience - The Lucky Ones
 
List some areas in your life that
you desire to have control over.
 
Absolute power does, in fact, corrupt
absolutely.  Just having someone add to my
picture-perfect list of to-dos creates a
rebellious desire to scrap the list and any
notions of productivity that I may have had.  fellow man.  Only our Sovereign King can
All too often, that includes any additions or
mind.  It isn’t that I don’t desire to live a life
of obedience to the Lord; it all comes down
to an issue of patience.
 
“For as the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:9, NRSV
It is so much easier to run with our own
ideas than wait for God to reveal His, but the
easy route never stays easy for long and
instant gratification fades with time.  As
fallible, foolish beings we must rely on the
wisdom of our Lord to shape the decisions of
our lives.  His unique and all encompassing
worldview—a combination of omniscience,
© Exemplify 2009
time and space while our own understanding
of circumstance and consequence can only
reach as far as our very limited field of view. 
We can’t see what is yet to come, we can
merely speculate and hope for the best.  Any
real sense of hope rests solely in waiting on
the Lord.  We don’t know what motives and
secret desires dwell within the hearts of our
see such things and steer us clear of potential
perils.
 
“Desire without knowledge is not good,
and one who moves too hurriedly misses the
way.”
Proverbs 19:2, NRSV
In our haste to go with what feels right
we make our own plans and things fall apart.
Can you name a time when a
decision you made on your own
failed to go according to plan? Did
you feel God leading you in another
direction? Did you consider what
God wanted for the situation at
all?
 Of course, we can’t stand motionless
waiting for divine intervention to come and
handle life for us.  There is more to being
patient than simply waiting on the Lord; we
must also trust in His Sovereignty.  Allowing
God to perform His role as the exclusive
ruling party in our lives is key to our
spiritual survival.  When faced with
uncertainty, we have to fight our impulse to
come up with a plan on our own.  It is in
these moments that we must happily place
our hope in God alone.  We’ve got to
know that our Father is for us and with us
through all things.  Instead of coasting
through the good times we must be still and
know that He is at work for our good.  portion of God’s Word and visualizing Its
 
The most wonderfully humbling aspect
of patience is that we never wait alone. 
Through all of our failed attempts to
commandeer our destinies, God is waiting
for us to stop in our man-made tracks so
that He can put us back on that narrow
path to eternity.
 
God, the Master, The Holy of Israel,
   has this solemn counsel:
"Your salvation requires you to turn back to
me
   and stop your silly efforts to save
yourselves.
Your strength will come from settling down
   in complete dependence on me—
The very thing
   you've been unwilling to do.
You've said, 'Nothing doing! We'll rush off
on horseback!'
   You'll rush off, all right! Just not far
enough!
You've said, 'We'll ride off on fast horses!'
   Do you think your pursuers ride old
nags?
Think again: A thousand of you will scatter
before one attacker.
   Before a mere five you'll all run off.
There'll be nothing left of you—
   a flagpole on a hill with no flag,
   a signpost on a roadside with the sign
torn off."
But God's not finished. He's waiting
around to be gracious to you.
   He's gathering strength to show mercy to
you.
God takes the time to do everything right—
everything.
   Those who wait around for him are the
lucky ones.
                      (Isaiah 30:15-18,
Message)
 
 
“He’s waiting around to be gracious to
you.”
How is this passage of
Scripture speaking to you today?
 
In those moments when we’re most
tempted to plot a course of action and
“rush off on horseback”, we can recall the
imagery of this Scripture and picture our
Father literally waiting for us to put our
lives into His hands.  God is waiting for us
to give up the struggle for power in order
that He might bless us.  Memorizing this
reality can surely bring a girl down from
her high horse!  Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:3-5, The Message)!
Such humility is a great weight for the
lofty spirit, but it can only point us toward a
place of waiting.  Humbling ourselves
prepares us to receive the Spirit-produced
fruit of patience; it doesn’t create the stuff.  unbelief are all gifts too precious to
 
Read Galatians 5:22-23,
underlining each attribute listed.
 
Included among this list of Godly
character traits, you’ll find patience and
self-control.  What you will not find is the
plural form of the word “fruit”.  Notice the
words leading into that list, “…the fruit of
the Spirit is…” Singularly, the Spirit
produces each of the items mentioned.  Father, please take the
Not some of them, not most of them—all of
them!  In the following verses we learn for
whom this fruit is intended and how we can
better allow the in-dwelling Holy Spirit to
produce it.
 
“And those who belong to Christ Jesus
have crucified the flesh with its passions
and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us
also be guided by the Spirit” (Galatians
5:24-25).
 
Can you name one such desire
or passion of the flesh that you
have allowed to die in order to
better free you up to live by the
Spirit?
How did the Spirit begin to
guide you, thereafter?
The natural law of things, as stated in
Galatians 5:17, is that the desires of the
Spirit and of the flesh will always be in
opposition to one another.  Praise God that
we, as followers of Christ, are set free from
such laws!  We become the exception to
the rule when we live by the Spirit and
living by the Spirit will naturally produce
the fruit we crave.
 
“There's more to come: We continue to
shout our praise even when we're hemmed
in with troubles, because we know how
troubles can develop passionate patience
in us, and how that patience in turn forges
the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us
alert for whatever God will do next. In
alert expectancy such as this, we're never
left feeling shortchanged. Quite the
contrary—we can't round up enough
containers to hold everything God
generously pours into our lives through the
Oh, Father, how You amaze.  We truly
are the lucky ones, as Your Word tells us. 
Your faithfulness, Your out-pouring for our
every need, and Your mercy in our times of
describe.  For You alone my soul waits in
silence, for my hope is in You.  Lord, please
instill in me a desire to live for You in every
decision.  I ask that patience and self-
control grow so deep within that I can’t
imagine making a plan without You at the
helm.  You know my struggles, Jesus, and
today I give them to You. 
 
reigns as I...
___________________________________
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_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Amen.
© Exemplify 2009
 Patience Pie Written by Patty Wysong

Feature Article

Since I'm not a patient person by nature, I often wish for a patience
pie that I could stick my thumb into and pull out patience like Little Jack
Horner did with his Christmas pie and a plum. But if I were able to do that,
I don't think I'd find that elusive quality of patience. I suspect I'd find a few
ingredients that I didn't realize were in a patience pie until just recently.
One of the first things I might pull from a patience pie is distraction.
I have a set of Little House on the Prairiebooks that traveled
thousands of miles with me when I was growing up, and one of the things I
remember from Laura's life is a great example of this  ingredient in the
patience pie. Pa, Ma and the girls were in the wagon and Mary and
Laura were bored. It felt like they weren't getting anywhere. Pa pointed
out a tree that was a little ahead of them and had them watch it, just to
see how long it took to reach it...and...it...took...f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Next, he
pointed out another tree, further away this time, but rather than sit and
stare at the tree, they were to look at other things and see what they
could spot all around them. In no time at all they were passing the tree.
What was the difference? Their focus. It's that old adage all over again, a
watched pot never boils.
When I dig into the patience pie I might find this verse David wrote
after he had been anointed king but before he took the throne.  Ingalls watching the appointed tree creep ever-so-slowly closer to us, we'll
Wait for the Lord;  become impatient. But if we're looking around, getting our eyes off
be strong and let your heart take courage;  ourselves and our dissatisfaction, the time passes quickly, whether we're
yes, wait for the Lord.  waiting on God, on our family, or on our circumstances.
~Psalm 27:14  
David waited years before taking the throne, but those were full
years for him. They were an advanced  training ground for being a king
and leading his people. Without those years he wouldn't have been the
great leader he was. His waiting was time well spent, and a good
example for us.
The waiting God calls us to is not a passive waiting. It's not sitting
there and getting bored while twiddling your thumbs, but rather an active
and expectant waiting. Not something that we do for a brief moment and
then check off our list. It's an ongoing activity and it can be time well spent
for us, too. Thankfully, God doesn't leave us clueless when He tells us to
wait on Him, He gives us some direction to take while we wait. He directs
our focus, if we let Him.
We're to keep His way. What way? Well, the way He's pointed us
and the jobs He's given us to do. He's given each of us gifts, talents and
even personal preferences that we're to use for Him and for His glory.  In
Matthew 5:16 Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in
heaven.” If we just sit there and wait and wait and wait, never moving or
doing anything, God cannot shine through our Christ-likeness and our
good deeds as He wants to. We're to use whatever He's placed in our
hand, whether it's a spatula, lesson plans, business plans, our voice, or
even just our sincere smile. Whatever He's given us we're to use to declare
His greatness. Keeping His way and doing the things He's given us to do
can help us through our times of waiting. They can help distract us, giving
us a measure of patience in the face of waiting.
Another thing I might find in that patience pie is thankfulness. You
see, many times when I'm struggling with patience I'm also struggling with
thankfulness. That's when I'm not thankful for the progress that hasbeen
made or I'm not thankful for the circumstances I'm in.
In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
~1 Thessalonians 5:18 
That lack of thankfulness quickly gives way to discontent and
dissatisfaction. If we're sitting on the wagon seat with Mary and Laura
Patience is all about timetable and expectations. When our
expectations are not met in the time frame we want, we become impatient.
But how many of us sit there and stare at our expectations, sighing over
and over again? Our time would be put to much better use if we would let
go of our timetable, give it to God, and get busy doing other things. We
need to take our focus off what we want and put it on God.
Many times we think of distraction as not being good, but when it
comes to patience, distraction is an ingredient in the patience pie. So the
next time you feel short on patience, look around and see what you can
be thankful for and what you can do. Offer yourself to the King for
service, there's no better distraction to be found.

Wait for the Lord and keep His way...  *All Scripture quoted for the New American Standard Bible.
~Psalm 37:34
© Exemplify 2009
 Featured Blogger
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009

Patterings is the
home of:

Patty Wysong is happily married to her honey of 20 years and is a homeschooling mom
of five kids. They live in the cornfields of Southern Illinois, where her kids grow like weeds and
have room to run. Her days are filled with noise, food, family, and writing, but not
necessarily in that order. 

Patty was saved as a little girl living on the coast of Maine, and had the privilege of
spending her teen years in Ecuador as a missionary kid, where her faith became real and
and took root in her soul. She's thankful for those years that deeply impacted her life. She
feels called to write for God through devotionals, fiction and articles about marriage and
marital intimacy—her pen is for God's use.

Patterings is a collection of Patty's life. There you'll find short devotionals that stem from
everyday happenings that God uses to teach her as well as short stories she's written to
convey a message. It's the home of Fiction Friday, a weekly meme where anyone can post
fiction they've written and link up, providing links to family friendly, Christian fiction. 
Patterings also spotlights newly released Christian fiction and interviews with the authors,
often giving away a copy of the book.

pattywysong.blogspot.com
Patty is the co-owner of:

© Exemplify 2009
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009
Patience:
The Pathway
to Your
Promise
Feature Article
Written by Isunji Cardoso
I could not help but laugh
when I learned that I would
be writing an article about
patience.
You see my life seems like a constant
object lesson in patience. In fact, I’m
thoroughly convinced that God goes out of
His way to seize any and every opportunity
to drive the point home. Whether it’s
interacting with my elderly father or my three-
year-old nephew, waiting in the checkout line
at the Target, or navigating my way home
through the infamous DC Metropolitan rush-
hour traffic, there are a plethora of
opportunities for me to practice patience.  these Abraham/Sarah situations to
Can you relate? I am sure if you take a
moment you can come up with at least one
incident that tested your patience just today.
Maybe it was an annoying co-worker, a
difficult relative, the person in the fifteen items
or less line with twenty-two items, or stop-and-
go traffic, something tested you. If you are
like me, some tests we pass and some… not
so much!
There is another level of patience that
goes deeper than the kinds of annoyances we
talked about earlier. This is the kind of
patience that is a pathway to our promise.
This is the kind of patience that kept Abraham
believing God for a child in spite of the fact
that Sarah was well past childbearing years.  broccoli has a purpose in our lives, so does
“When God made his promise to
Abraham, since there was no one greater for
him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying,
"I will surely bless you and give you many
descendants." And so after waiting patiently,
Abraham received what was
promised.” (Hebrews 6:13-15 NIV, emphasis
added)
Now, I’m no expert by any stretch of the
imagination, but I do believe that God uses
accomplish something in us. I will probably
regret saying this tomorrow… but I believe
that patience gets a “bum rap” much of the
time. Even the definition in Webster’s
dictionary has a negative slant:  rough wait at times especially when I watched
“PATIENT: 1) bearing pains or trials
calmly or without complaint; 2) manifesting
forbearance under provocation or strain; 3)
not hasty or impetuous; 4) steadfast despite
opposition, difficulty or adversity; 5) able or
willing to bear.”  
© Exemplify 2009
Seriously? With a definition like that is it
any wonder that we are often warned that we
should never pray for patience? Patience is
like the broccoli of spiritual gifts, but like
patience.
“Be assured and understand that the trial
and proving of your faith bring about
endurance and steadfastness and patience.
But let endurance and steadfastness and
patience have full play and do a thorough
work so that you may be [people] perfectly
and fully developed [with no defects] lacking
in nothing” (James 1: 3-4 AMP)
This passage speaks to me on a personal
level because just last year as I was reading
through some of my old journals, it hit me that
I had been praying and waiting on God for a
mate for exactly 20 years. How’s that for a
test of patience?  In all honesty it has been a
everyone around me getting married. I
questioned whether or not I had really heard
from God about this. James 1:3-4 was, and is,
a reminder that God’s ultimate aim is to bring
us to a place of wholeness in Him and to fulfill
His promises to us. 
 If this experience hasn’t taught me should lie – if He said it he will surely make
anything else, it’s taught me the importance good on it (Numbers 23:19). His time table is
of staying focused on the One who promised much different from ours, and the way gets
and trust in His faithfulness. I have also rough at times. However, be encouraged
learned that in my own strength I cannot do it. because there isjoy in this journey of patience
It is only through the help and strength of the and more so when we stay mindful that the
Holy Spirit that I continue to stand and if I can end result is the promise fulfilled. 
do it so can you. Because of God’s presence
with me, I have come into a place of I realize this is not exactly a “hallelujah”
contentment right where I am. The message, but my prayer is that you find joy,
contentment came when I finally stopped blessing and peace in your patience and
fighting God on this and trying to make things never let go of your hope in God knowing
happen on my own. Instead I made a hope in Him does not disappoint. 
decision to, “imitate those who through faith
and patience inherit what has been
promised.” (James 6:12b) I’m content to know
that God takes care of me, loves me, and
treasures me the way a husband does for his
wife. In the mean time, patience is doing a
work in me – like allowing me to cultivate
intimacy with God on a level that might be
harder to reach if I were married for
example. 

“We inherit the

Perhaps your Abraham/Sarah situation
is nothing like mine. The same principal
applies – we inherit the promise through
patience. What has God spoken to you?

promise through
What is the desire of your heart that has not
come to pass yet? What is it you are believing
God for? I urge you not to grow weary in the
wait, but instead let patience complete its

patience.”
work in you. Stay focused on the One who
promised because He is faithful (Hebrews
11:11). Remember God is not a man that He

© Exemplify 2009

Blog: The “Quiet” One –http://www.isunjiisat.blogspot.com

Esperança Aleluia (yes that’s her real middle name) Urbano Cardoso, she normally goes

Meet Isunji Cardoso by Isunji, is a natural born storyteller. In fact, one of her earliest report cards includes
comments from her Kindergarten teacher about how she entertained my class with her
tales of feasting on snake and eggs for breakfast! Even back then, nothing beat the thrill
of having people hang on her every word. This was the first of many precursors to her
love for writing. Her passion for the written word didn’t come until third grade when she
penned her first short story, The Trip to Mars. The flame has been burning ever since. 
 
A member of Toastmasters International and an alumnus of the prestigious, highly
competitive Hurston/Wright Foundation’s Writer’s Week (2003), Isunji strongly believes
words have power to frame our worlds whether positively or negatively. Words have
power to heal and to bridge barriers, to tear down walls and to build up hope. Her
greatest desire is to leave the world a little better than she found it through the gift of
words that I've been given.

Isunji has been walking with the Lord for the past 24 years. Of her journey she says, “I
wouldn’t trade a single day for anything in the world!”
 Life on the Fringe
Wriiten by Judith Roberts
 I wish I could rock glasses like she does.
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009
It would save me a good three minutes in the
morning.
I also wish I could have her bangs. I love
the swoopy-do, but, as much as my hairstylist
and I try, my bangs refuse to do that.
 
I also wish – while we’re wishing, of
course – that she didn’t live so far away!
 
Meet Tricia, the cute and classy mom of
two and wife of 12 years, who never fails to
entertain over at The Domestic Fringe (http://
thedomesticfringe.wordpress.com/). She is The
Fringe Girl.
 
Doesn’t that just sound cool?
 
“I write about the ordinary things - family,
food, current events and my passions,” Tricia
said. “We live in a busy world with multiple
distractions vying for our attention, so we
rarely take a moment to consider our life
experiences. We turn a blind eye to the humor
found in line at Wal-Mart or the funny
parenting pickles we get ourselves into.
Sometimes I find myself so busy that I let life
run right over me without enjoying it.  Blogging
helps me to 'stop and smell the roses,' as the
old saying goes.”
Tricia is a stay at home mom with two
kids, a nine-year-old son and a seven-year-old
daughter, and is the wife of an electrician
turned shepherd of men.
“My husband is a pastor. He has been for
about five years,” she said. “When I married
my husband, he was an electrician. I never
thought in a million years that I would be a
pastor's wife. Sometimes I feel like I wear the
title 'pastor's wife' like a scarlet A. I'd rather
just be Tricia who happens to be a pastor's
wife. There's a lot of stigma associated with
the title.
 
“The role of a pastor's wife is often
undefined. Different churches have radically
different expectations from their pastor's wife.
I'm learning to focus on being the woman God
wants me to be, despite expectations and
others' opinions. This lesson is the same for
any woman. We can't do everything well for
the Lord, but we can do those few things He
has called us to do. It's all about obedience.
 
 “I think the part that is most
overwhelming is the weight of responsibility.
The pastor and his wife carry the burdens of
many in the congregation and community. It
helps for me to step away from time to time,
clear my mind and get my heart in tune with
God's.
© Exemplify 2009
EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE September 3, 2009
It's a great privilege and a great responsibility. Since my
husband became a pastor, I have much more
respect for the women in my life that have filled
the role of ‘pastor's wife.’  I definitely have a
burden to encourage other women in ministry.”
Part of this encouragement comes from her blogging.
Most of the time her blogs are serious with a side of sassy –
including one of her most memorable ones, in my opinion,
which stirred up some controversy regarding creationism –
and it was all unintentional.
 
This particular blog, “Extreme Mating Behaviors in
Mammals” (http://thedomesticfringe.wordpress.com/
2009/05/17/extreme-mating-behaviors-in-mammals/) was
casual, friendly. It discussed her trip to the American Museum
of Natural History. True to her style, she threw in some good-
humored jokes and praised the museum’s information. But two
sentences apparently rubbed some people the wrong way.
 
“Truth be told, I hold an unpopular view of mankind and
our origins,” she wrote. “I believe in intelligent design and
more specifically in creation.”
 
Seventy-seven comments followed in the next 20 days.
 
“The feedback to this post absolutely blew me away,”
Tricia admitted. “I never expected so many comments or such
controversy. I really mentioned that I am a creationist in
passing. I expected comments like, ‘I believe in creation, too,’
‘I'm an evolutionist all the way,’ ‘Science supports
evolution,’ (and) ‘You’re a nut-case.’”
Perhaps the most verbally angry commenter was Bobxxx,
who was…well, just downright rude.
Check Tricia out and find out all about the witty
Fringe Girl and her thoughts at The Domestic Fringe.
http://thedomesticfringe.wordpress.com/
© Exemplify 2009
 
“It is an unpopular view with scientists, educated people,
and people who are not insane,” Bobxxx wrote. “If you have
any intelligence at all, you would have to agree with the
molecular biologists…” And so on. You get the picture.
It got heated between Bobxxx and…pretty much
everyone else.
 
“I never expected such a passionate
debate to ensue,” Tricia said. “I appreciate
the fact that people were comfortable
enough to leave comments supporting both
creation and evolution. I enjoy hearing from
readers who not only agree with me but are
confident enough to disagree.”
 
Tricia’s nice. If someone wants to have a debate with me,
I want it to be a polite, intelligent conversation. Don’t get all
huffy on me.
 
“The overall purpose for my blog is to give readers a
place to come and relax for a minute or two,” Tricia said. “I'd
love them to leave my blog with a smile on their face and a
chuckle in their throat. The Bible says in Proverbs 17:22 that ‘a
merry heart doeth good like a medicine.’ Sometimes it's hard
to keep a joyful attitude when our focus is so often on the
bad. Although not every post is funny, I attempt to keep things
light and find humor in the mundane.”
 
She covers those bases well.  

I had one of those days today. You know the
kind I’m talking about; where try as you may you
still screw everything up. I wanted to show
kindness, but instead I ended up being rude and
inconsiderate. I wanted to be peaceful but instead I
was anxious. I spoke when I should have kept my
mouth shut, I was selfish when I should have been
giving. I had more character pratfalls than I care to
share. If I could erase a few from my memory bank I
would. It seemed like every effort towards Christ-
likeness was thwarted. It’s the kind of day that
makes you throw up your hands in despair and long
for bedtime and a chance for tomorrow’s new
mercies to beckon you to start over again. Or maybe
just stay in bed for a couple of days and see if the
crazy wears off. Melodramatic much? Yeah, I get
that a lot.
 
My biggest problem is that I beat myself up for
being human. For making mistakes that we all
make. I want that work that God began in me to be
finished already! Do you ever get the feeling that
sometimes God just throws back his righteous head
and laughs at statements like that? I know he knows
we are dust. I know he remembers our frame. I
know he sees Christ and His righteousness when he
looks at me. And I know He knows how long it’s
going to take to get me to completion. And it’s not
today. So I think He laughs. At least I hope he does.
 
I think He can laugh because He knows. He’s
not limited by time and space like we are. He knows
the end from the beginning and every detail of my
speck of a life. Days like this don’t make up my
whole life. Praise God they don’t. And on days like
this one, I am gently reminded by His still small
voice to “Let patience have its perfect work.” This
being changed from glory to glory doesn’t happen
overnight. It’s a process. A lifetime process. What
keeps me going at times like this is the knowledge
that God doesn’t give up on me, even when I’m
grace in the form of patience. And I know God is
one who gives in extravagant abundance. I love
what God’s word has to say about it here: “There's
more to come: We continue to shout our praise even
when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we
know how troubles can develop passionate patience
in us, and how that patience in turn forges the
tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for
whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such
as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite
the contrary—we can't round up enough containers
to hold everything God generously pours into our
lives through the Holy Spirit!” Romans 5:3 The
Message.
 
Oh the waiting game. Whether it’s waiting on
your friend to arrive for a lunch date, waiting on
God for a mate, or waiting on that perfect
completion, waiting isn’t fun. If you’re like me you
get anxious. You start to question things. You get
impatient. But the more I learn about walking with
God the more I realize there is just no way around
waiting. It’s written into the fabric of the walk of
faith. God has a purpose in it. Let patience have it’s
perfect work that you may be perfect and complete
lacking nothing. (James 1:4-5 NKJV.) There is a
glorious result that comes from the waiting that
produces patience. And I can’t get there any other
way. So I wait.
 
God brought to my mind the image of the
Grand Canyon the other day. I was pondering
patience and wanted to have some kind of tangible
glimpse of patience having it’s perfect work. And
then this picture of the Grand Canyon pops in my
head. Without getting into any kind of over my head
scientific data, I know that over many years the
Colorado river etched it’s way through what we
know now as the deep
© Exemplify 2009
The
Shape
of
Patience
Written by Kara
magnificent Grand Canyon. I
remember going there 20 years ago
when I was child. It is truly awe-
inspiring to see in person. To think that
a hard rocky ground can be transformed
so dramatically by water is unbelievable
to me. You’d think that rock wouldn’t
give. But then again the water is
persistent (reminds me of a relationship
between a Father and daughter that I
know). It didn’t happen suddenly,
perhaps to the ground’s dismay. Some
changes come over long periods of time.
But they do come. Oh to let the Holy
Spirit course through our lives forever
transforming our hard brittle souls into
something that is breathtaking in
beauty.
 
I want to be the Grand Canyon.
No matter how long it takes.
  “But let patience
have its perfect
work, that you may
be perfect and
complete, lacking
nothing.”
James 1:4
 Summer is over and
so is the 1st Sizzling
Sanctuary Summer
Contest. I’d like to say
thank you to all of the
ladies that
participated in this
event. I’d also like to My Sizzling Sanctuary Summer Makeover

invite you to help us Written by Christy Klein

make the contest better You may remember that I said I’d be working on my dining room for the summer
makeover contest. That didn’t exactly happen. I peeled the wallpaper down, if that
for next year. This counts for anything? But sadly, that is as far as I got in the dining room. I ended up
giving my son’s bedroom a much needed makeover instead, which was prompted by

being our 1st contest, we the receiving of a free bunk bed.

Let me give you a tour. Pleas keep in mind that my before pictures are lacking a
still have a few bit since I seriously had every intention of redecorating my dining room for the
contest. But once my son’s room was finished, I decided one room was enough for the
wrinkles to iron out. If summer. Call me lazy... I’m not in denial.

you have any ideas or This is the wall near the entrance to James’ room before the makeover. Yes, that is
a giant chalkboard I painted onto the wall with a special spray paint. Make a mental
input on how it can be note that this, my friends, is a cute idea but not wise. It was always a mess and the
carpet beneath it was constantly covered in chalk dust… really. not. attractive. Please
improved for next year, ignore the step ladder, bed frame, and paint sample on the wall.

we’d love to hear them.

© Exemplify 2009

This is that same wall now. When I work on
a room, I always start with 1 thing that serves
as my inspiration for the entire room.
Frequently, my inspiration is just a color. Colors
speak to me, you see. I must’ve been a rainbow
in a former life… kidding. Each and every color
God created has it’s own personality.
Fortunately, my son and I found a color that we
both love! This became our inspiration for the
room.
I was SO excited when we happened upon
this canvas. I fell in love with it right away and it
became my new inspiration for the rest of the
room.
Next, we have
the focal wall.
This wall is the
first thing one
sees upon
the Train and Perdy figurines nailed into the
scene. Oh, and the sky… complete with glow in entering the
the dark stars. Sure it was precious when he
was 4, but decidedly not cute for an 11 year
old. Time to let Thomas & Perdy go.
room.
Here’s the focal wall now. The bunkbed/
desk combo was exactly what we wanted for
James’ new room. The best part about this bed
is that it was completely FREE thanks to an
“accidental” eBay purchase by my sister. Don’t
ask. She’s just gifted like that – it’s one of the
reasons we love her so.

The two vases & trinket box are used to pull

the different colors out of the canvas and into
the room itself. I used the twisted branches to
add texture as well as visual interest.

The dresser was from another room and

had been painted a solid white. I originally
intended to strip it completely and stain it, but
once the other layers started to show through as
I sanded it down… I was a goner. I’m a sucker
for distressed wood. I love to uncover the years
of life in these pieces and make it all shine
together. I wanted to buy brushed nickel knobs,
but decided to save the money and simply
repainted the old ones silver to match the bed.

Next, we have the focal wall. This wall is

the first thing one sees upon entering the room.
I remember spending hours painting that
pathetic faux window. There’s even little Thomas
© Exemplify 2009
 The bedding and accent pillows came from
the clearance section - I think we spent a total of
$40 for the sheets, bed cover and pillows.
I tried to sell these stars at a garage sale on
two separate occasions. They were painted in
patriotic colors, and I’m not even sure why I
owned them. I think I must have picked them up
for a friend who was going through that
Americana decor phase. Shame on me for
encouraging that. Anyway, I had some black
paint leftover, so I gave ‘em each a coat of that
and then dry brushed them with the silver. And
the clock to the left... yep, that’s the Empire
State Building. I put that in there just for Kristen,
my favorite New Yorker. I used a cute black &
white ceramic vase to serve as his pencil holder.
We picked up this stool for his desk for just
$13! I adore the combination of colors and
materials. And to be honest with you, I’m pretty
sure it’s actually a plant stand. Don’t tell my son.
Moving on to the toy wall. These bins, filled
with more toys than there are stars in the sky,
were a constant source of contention between
my son and I. They were always a jumbled
unorganized mess that drove me insane to no
end. I am SO glad they’re gone.
James finally realized that his parents are
right (this ONE time) and that he will never play
with all those toys. So, we went through them
and selected a few he cannot live without. And
they fit neatly into this little woven box… sigh.
Do you see it on the floor there? It’s just a little
thing. Good bye, tiny pieces of worthless plastic
that mock me in my sleep.
Those round things hanging on the wall
there.. they’re chargers… ya know, for your
dinnerware. The top one is a dark wicker, and
the bottom one has a slightly green and earthy
tint to it, woven from some mysterious organic
substance. It’s pretty… that’s all I care about.
Lastly, do you see that door to the right
there? That door, along with one other twin and
two glass paned doors leading to the balcony,
were stained an orangey oak color. I’m sure it
was lovely in the 70’s, but SO not happening in
my sanctuary! I’m refinishing ALL of the wood in
my sanctuary in a black distressed finish topped
off with a coat of polyacrylic. That there door
was about 12 hours of blood, sweat, tears, and
toil. I left the inner panels their original color to
add visual interest and depth.
So there you have it - my Sizzling Sanctuary
Summer Makeover. All said & done this room
probably cost about $140... thanks to the free
bed!
© Exemplify 2009
 Jesus Christ,
M.D.

Written by Shannon

Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said,

“your faith has healed you.”
Matthew 9:22

When your members of your family are sick in bed; when friends have fallen ill; or when you’ve been
diagnosed, it is only natural to worry yourself sick! It becomes your focus and it is all you think about.
And when the doctor is visited and medicines are prescribed, you let out a sigh of relief, relying on
prescriptions to make everything better. But is this really the best way to handle these situations?

We often forget that God is the Master Healer, and that Jesus Christ performed countless medical
miracles. This month, I want to get away from practical ways to stay healthy, and emphasize the
importance of surrendering your well-being to the One who gives life.

Like so many other aspects of our lives, God has control of our health, yet we try to deny Him by
taking control ourselves. We try herbal supplements, trendy remedies for any kind of ailment, and worry
endlessly about doctor appointments, medical tests, and diagnoses. Don’t get me wrong: as a future
pharmacist, I’m very in favor of staying in shape, eating nutritious foods, taking vitamins, and using
medicine as treatment for medical conditions. However, more important than any of these is handing over
the reins of your physical body to God. 

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus urges us to give Him our burdens and take up His. God wants us to rely
on Him for everything, including physical health. And in Matthew 6, Jesus reasons that we have no
reason at all to worry because God knows our needs. And in many miracles Jesus performed throughout
the gospels, He emphasized that it was by faith that a person can be healed.

Doctors and medicines and pharmacists may have the earthly answers to sickness, but Jesus is the
ultimate answer to life! He has the power to heal the sick and raise the dead, and He wants you to trust in
the fact that He can do the same for you. He wants your faith, your prayers, and your patience. This
month ask Jesus Christ, M.D., to handle all of your medical issues, and rest assured that He is credible
and reputable in His line of work.

© Exemplify 2009
 My Jehovah-Raphe
Written by Tara Rachel

Sometimes I grow weary of looking at my toes.
I’ve heard all the arguments before. I have had
It is early morning on the Sabbath. The sun shines in several versions of Job’s wife in my own life.
brightly through the spaces in my walls, yet I can only see the tracks it
“Curse God and die!”
lays on the earthen floor. I shuffle around, watching my feet move
“You’ve been stricken by God!”
around my sparse dwelling. I raise my eyes as high in their sockets as
And my personal favorite, “What have you done to
they can go, but I cannot see above the table. make God so displeased with you?”
I am ill.
There are times these statements hurt. Times that
I reach my hands back and run them over the they feel like daggers being driven into my sideways heart. Times
permanent curvature in my waist. The roundness of of my rump they make my cry and the tears don’t roll down my cheeks but instead
flattening into the tabletop of my back. Drawing in a breath, I try to fall straight out of my face. There are times I lie on my mat at night,
straighten. Pain rips through my lower back and hips and I release curled in a ball, wondering what on earth could I have done to
the tension, allowing myself to fall forward again. Relief rushes provoke God’s wrath against me?
through my bones by the dull throb of resistance aches still in my And He has never given me the answer. I have
back. observed the Law since the days of my youth, had the priests make
I shake away the tears and shuffle towards the door. the proper sacrifices for me at the appropriate times.
How many times have I tried to do that in the last 18 years?
I am careful not to say I’ve been perfect. Instead I
Eighteen years. It is almost too hard to believe it has pray as King David, “Test me, O Jehovah, and try my; examine my
been that long. heart and mind.”

I long to experience what it feels like to stand up Only He knows the depth of what can be found
straight. I was a young woman when the affliction came over me. I there. And perhaps what He has found is worthy of this affliction.
remember it as though it were only yesterday, only this morning. The
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond
darkness that settled over me, paralyzing and bending me into its cure...” I whisper, remembering the words of the prophet. My hand
submission. The cracking and aching and numbness that followed as I closes into a fist over my bent chest.
tried to straighten myself back into God’s design. But the pain, oh, the pain. Sometimes I lie there,

I don’t remember what it feels like to stand straight, tears saturating my linens, wishing for it to end. Needing closure on
but I remember the feeling of being stricken. this misery. Flames of agony licking at my bones, my joints, until I feel
All around me my loved ones have grown from that my entire body will be consumed in the blaze of torture. I ache
babes into adults. And after the early years, I could no longer see from the tips of my fingers to the soles of my feet.
their faces, how they change, how they mature, how they wear their I want to die.
hair.
And yet I don’t die. I never have died. And only
And my feet. Most people do not pay any mind to God knows when I will.

their feet with the exception of how much dirt they collect throughout
Perhaps I will have this affliction until I die. I have
the day. made my peace with that. If this is God’s plan for my life, then there
My feet are different. My feet are the only must be something I have done to deserve it.
reminder to me that time continues to pass on around me. I have And so for eighteen years I have endured this
watched the smooth skin of the feet of a young maiden turned into the affliction. I have tried to endure it with dignity. Eighteen years I have
papery, vein-covered feet of an older woman. treaded carefully. I have hoped in Jehovah-Raphe, my God the
The sight of my feet is my constant companion. I Healer, to deliver me from this curse.
have learned not to take them for granted.
And for this very reason, you have found me today
Oh, how I wish I could raise my head, to look at the preparing myself to head to the synagogue. To the Women’s Court,
sky as the birds fly overhead. To feel the rain fall on my face. To lift to hear the teaching of the Word of the Lord. I am bound by duty to
my arms in praise to Jehovah. the Lord of Hosts, to the One who gives and the One who takes away.
Yes, praise. Is it shocking? Blessed be the name of the Lord.
© Exemplify 2009
 I have left early for the synagogue
because, naturally, it takes me a very long
time to get there. I have to travel on foot,
literally watching my feet every step of the
way. I tried to stay off the more crowded
streets to avoid being jostled by people in
more of a hurry than I can physically be. It
takes me longer to take the side streets and
alleys, but it is the lot I have been cast.
The good thing about
being bent the way I am is that when I
begin to perspire in the hot morning sun, the
beads of sweat travel down to the tip of my
nose and fall right off my face. I am
I don’t understand why I what is He going to do? I think desperately.
fortunate that the sweat never drips into my
eyes, obscuring my vision like it can with
others.
Of course, my vision being
so limited I guess it would not really matter
if the sweat got into my eyes.
“ ‘How lovely on the
I find my heart longing for
just a glimpse of the world above me. Just a
glimpse. One of my favorite things to do is
stand at the edge of a body of water and
look at the reflection of the heavens on the
water’s surface. It’s the only time I can see
past my given vision. But in my feeble
condition, trips to the water are few and far
between. I must rely on my memories and
snippets of grace that have been given to
“Woman,” He announces,
me over the last eighteen years.
My people are not kind,
which has been the greatest disappointment
of this affliction. I would have hoped for
help, for charity, and instead I have become
an outcast. Perhaps because I now
resemble more of an animal than a human
being, they perceive that to be my new
worth. This affliction has lowered my
standing in the created order.
These memories flood my
heart as I shuffle and jerk my way towards
the synagogue. The climb to the mount is
uphill and causes unspeakable pain in my
lower back and joints. But I will press on. I
must make it to the house of my God.
If the Lord is not the desire
The sandals stop a short though a current is transferring from His
of my heart, then what other reason do I
have to live?
* * *
I recognize it immediately. exerting no pressure, and yet... my back
I can tell by the casting of court. The one who has been challenging
my shadow that the sun has risen several
degrees in the sky by the time I finally reach
the synagogue. I lower myself
uncomfortably to the first bench I see. How
funny, I still use phrases like that! Because it
wasn’t the bench itself I saw, but its support
legs. Nonetheless my senses tell me it was a
sturdy place to rest.
I still have a way to go to
reach the women’s area, but my body is just
about finished. I close my eyes and will the
warmth of the sun to soothe the stinging
pains in my bones.
I can hear the synagogue
leaders quarreling nearby. Irritation settles
over me. I did not come all this way and
endure all this pain to hear an argument! I
came to hear the Word of the Lord! A thick
lump rises in my throat, blocking off my
breath, flushing my mouth with saliva. I
need the Word of the Lord today. Secretly I
hope for a reading from Isaiah the Prophet.
My heart needs a message of hope. My
heart needs a message of deliverance.
have been so downcast today, why the
painful memories of the past have haunted
me so deeply, why the desire for change is
so strong. My stomach is a bit anxious, and
I feel a tugging in my soul to leave the
synagogue.
Something tells me there is nothing here mountains are the feet of Him who brings
for me today.
The thought of getting up
and making the trip home wearies me
almost as much as the trip to the synagogue
itself. I will stay a bit longer. At least here I
am not alone.
I see the hems of the robes
of the synagogue leaders swishing over
their sandals, clean and crisp. They move
about around me, ignoring me. Shame
stabs at me alongside the pain. I am too
worthless for even the men of God to bother
with.
I stare at the ground, tears
filling my eyes, when a new set of sandals
enter my line of vision. They are tied on
dusty feet, and the leather thongs are worn
and frayed at the edges. The sandals
approach me, padding softly on the court
floor. These feet are not like the feet of the
Pharisees. I wonder if they belong to a
guard or synagogue attendant.
If they are coming to eject
me from the court, I hope they at least help
me to the exit.
distance from me, minute clouds of dust
rising from their soles. “Please, come to
Me,” a voice says kindly.
This is the voice of the new rabbi in the
inch my inch, bone by bone. And there is
the synagogue rulers lately. His teachings
are revolutionary, and I have enjoyed
hearing Him on the opportunities I have
gotten. Though I can’t see His face, His
voice brings a smile to my face , and His
words warm my tired, old soul.
He must notice my
hesitation, and repeats His beckon.
Everything in my flesh says instead the sky invites my eyes to take in
to stay put. The stinging pains shooting up
my neck, down my arms and into my legs
But at the same time I am
desperate. And if this affliction is a result of
my angering God, it will do me no good to
disobey one of His servants.
I plant my feet firmly on
the ground and push myself into my
macabre upright position. Bones grind
against bone, joints crack. I cry out softly in
agony. I shift until I am before Him, the top
of my head level with His waist. Tears leak
from the corners of my eyes.
He steps forward until His
feet are directly below my eyes. Oh God,
Am I about to be chastised?
Something shifts deep
within my heart, stirring within my soul. I
am reminded of the words of Isaiah, though
they are not the words I had hoped for.
good news, who announces peace and
brings good news of happiness, who
announces salvation, and says to Zion,
"Your God reigns!’ "
Chills break out down my
arms.
I wait to hear what He has
to say.
loudly and with power, “You are set free
from your infirmity.”
My whole world sways,
and I feel as though a crushing weight has
been lifted off my body. The darkness that
has clouded my soul, so thick and
impenetrable the past few days, vanishes in
a wisp, as though a brilliant lamp has been
lit within my heart.
I feel a pair of strong
hands on my shoulders, and I know they are
His because His feet are still unmoving
before me. I have no time to comprehend
this, though, because at His touch a fire is lit
within my bones. Unlike before, it is not a
fire of pain but a fire of power. It is as
fingertips into my body. And then it
happens.
His hands rest gently on my shoulder,
moves. It moves! I can feel it lengthening
no pain! No aching! The power from His
hands is a warm fluid on my spine, raising it
back into the created image of God. My
eyes dart back and forth as the world
widens before me. As I straighten, the
synagogue comes into full view, glorious in
the midday sunlight. I lift my head,
expecting the familiar pain in my neck, and
every amazing detail and cloud.
© Exemplify 2009
 Soon I cannot see a thing through
my tears. The world I have longed to
see again for eighteen years is a mass of
watery colors.
He still stands before
And He also knows it
me, though I cannot make out His face
through my emotion. I know there is one
thing left I have to do.
Slowly I lift my shoulders, waiting.
Nothing. No pain. I raise my elbows to
shoulder height. Nothing. I extend my
arms all the way, palms toward the
heavens, praise singing from my heart.
I am so choked up I needed to be set free.
again I can barely speak. “Glory be to
God!” I cry out, my voice breaking into
sobs of joy.
Once again the words of Isaiah
Though my arms and spill into my mind. “ ‘The Spirit of the
face are still newly outstretched towards
the heavens, I can sense the synagogue
leaders closing in. Sure enough, their
cold words cut into my freedom. “There
are six days for work. So come and be
healed on those days.”
My heart sinks deep
within my chest. God has heard my
“You proclaimed freedom for
affliction and answered my cry. I could
no more go into that bondage again that
I could fly. Not now that I have tasted
freedom.
“You are my healer,” I confess,
Before I can respond, remembering more words of the
He speaks again. “You hypocrites!” He
chastises. “Doesn't each of you on the
Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the
stall and lead it out to give it water?
Then should not this woman, a daughter
of Abraham, whom Satan has kept
bound for eighteen long years, be set
free on the Sabbath day from what
bound her?”
Silence, with the
exception of the sniffling of my nose, fills
He places a hand on my head,
the court.
I dare to look at the
leaders, using for the first time my eyes
to judge their attitudes. They mutter
mutinously, glaring at Him, my healer.
Finally the ruler stalks off inside the
synagogue, and the others follow.
He remains outside
with me, and I look over at Him, my
heart swelling with gratitude and joy.
He simply smiles, and my soul warms.
He doesn’t speak, but my heart and
mind race with His Words.
“ ‘... this woman, a
daughter of Abraham...’ ”
He knows me. He
knows me. He knows I am a Jew. He
knows how hard I have tried to keep the
Law.
He remains
wasn’t enough.
My thoughts
backtrack. Did I deserve the cursed
affliction? I would argue probably not.
I consider myself a decent, Law-abiding outside with me,
Jew.
But no matter how
and I look over at
good I was, obviously there was nothing
I could do to buy my freedom.
And I definitely did not do
Him, my heart
anything to deserve that.
Sovereign LORD is on me, because the
swelling with
LORD has anointed me to preach good
news to the poor. He has sent me to
bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim
freedom for the captives and release
from darkness for the prisoners...’ ” I
quote softly. gratitude and joy.
He smiles and says nothing.
me,” I whisper. “You bound up my
He simply smiles,
broken heart.”
Still He says nothing but
continues to smile.
and my soul warms.
prophet. “ ‘You restored me to health
and let me live.’ ”
And with a mobility that has
He doesn’t speak,
been a foreign concept for the last
eighteen years, I fall on my face at His
feet. His beautiful feet. He who brought
peace and happiness and salvation to
but my heart and
my soul.
My tears fall on the tops of His
feet, staining the dust in streaks. I gently
kiss His toes in worship. My Lord.
mind race with His
ruffling my hair as though I am a child. I
stand with lithe ease and draw in breath
into my lungs. I’m healed.
Words.
Jesus. My Jehovah-Raphe.
Adapted from Luke 13; Isaiah 37,
52, 61; Job 1
© Exemplify 2009
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