Why The Modern-Day Woman Is Ill and/or Angry

I COME TO PROCLAIM THE GREATNESS AND BUEATY OF WOMEN AND WOMANHOOD

Are you a victim of Eve Syndrome? Never heard of this before huh? There is a reason why you haven't heard of it.

How many of you out there are suffering from what I have labeled as the Eve Syndrome? Many diseases and ailments are silent until they have caused much damage. 

Well, since it is a relatively newly discovered ailment (by me); I better define it so you can diagnose whether or not you may be suffering from it. Let's first look at what does the word "Syndrome" means:

syn•drome (sndrm)n.

1. A group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease, psychological disorder, or other abnormal condition.

2. a. A complex of symptoms indicating the existence of an undesirable condition or quality.

2. b. A distinctive or characteristic pattern of behavior: the syndrome of conspicuous consumption in wealthy suburbs.

The word syndrome is Greek = sundrom meaning concurrence of symptoms, from sundromos, running together: sun-, syn- + dromos, a running.

Many women, when going to the doctor for feeling something is not right with their body but that can't quite pinpoint what it is, will be diagnosed as depressed after routine x-rays and blood work comes back normal. But maybe deeper probing needs to be done.

As we are a triune being, mind, heart, and soul, the root cause of disease, may remain hidden and undiagnosed. With my educational background, I look at the soul/spirit and that is how I discovered Eve Syndrome which many Christian women suffer from unknowingly. 

EVE SYNDROME defined by: Dorothy Guyton (Not actually a true medical diagnosis, but my discovery)

1. Not being seen as anything other than alive to help support another’s life and well- being (husband, child, extended family) not knowing to support your own life as a high priority. Many people refer to the Bible verse in Genesis which says a woman is a helpmeet. The phrase "helpmeet" appears in Genesis 2:18 of the King James Version of the Bible, which says, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him". The word "meet" in this context means "suitable". The verse is saying that God created a "help" for Adam, and this helper was "meet" (suitable, fit, proper) for him. 

2. Putting yourself second to all others including strangers because you were created second assuming there was status associated with creation placement even though the one created first could not be happy on his own. Always playing the supporting role of fixer, therapist, supporter without reciprocation. 1 Timothy 2:13 Adam was created before Eve, and that Adam was not the one deceived, but the woman was. This verse is the basis of Paul's teaching about women in the church. 

3. You find it strange to be your own glory while a child, teen, young woman, before marrying and becoming your husband's glory. You must be in a relationship at all times to be happy or complete. You have been taught to be the glory of someone else, not self. 1 Corinthian 11:7-9 "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man". 

4. Accepting that you are a deceiver and easily deceived; prone to fall and stumble over and over again without support. Let others define you and remain in drama friendships with gossip and backstabbing. In Genesis 2, the fall of man, the entrance of sin into the world was caused by Eve and extended to all women.

5. Believing you must be everything at all times. If you are not a superwoman everything will fail or crumble, not allowing yourself to be human and limited. The Proverbs 31 woman is virtuous, noble character, faithful, trustworthy, resourceful, hardworking, entrepreneur, charitable, prepared provider, presentable, wise, Impactful, and God fearing.

6. Trying to perform every remedy or act in order to find forgiveness and acceptance from people especially other women. You must have affirmations of beauty, popularity, and/or womanhood. 1 Timothy 2"15 states, "But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety".

7. Feeling the heat of shame when the word "Eve" is ever mentioned. Feeling shame in choosing a career instead of or alongside motherhood. Feeling shame for being a sexual being equal to a man in sexuality.  1 Peter 3:7 "In the same way, you husbands must live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are the weaker sex. Treat them with respect, because they also will receive, together with you, God's gift of life."

8. Continually proclaiming your weakness and susceptibility to the world. Downplaying your intelligence to fit in or get a man. Reluctant to marry a man who earns less than you because it will cause issues. Presenting a fake 'you' that is more favorable to others. 

ON A MEDICAL CHART YOUR SYMPTOMS WOULD READ AS FOLLOWS:

Anxiety, exhaustion, weakness, inability to walk on her own, host to several parasitic beings, anemia from the parasites, contagious, prone to hot flashes, and dual personality of saint and deceiver. 

I inserted a little humor with the symptoms a doctor would list, but Eve Syndrome is insidious because it can be copied or passed on to other women, even your daughters. A healthy example and definition of what a woman is and what womanhood CAN encompass, is important to every girl. 

With America declaring itself as a Christian nation and the Bible depicting women as a "sin," we as women must ensure to explain the beauty of God's creation - woman and not remain spiritually sick with Eve Syndrome. Our sons and men must also have a respectful understanding of what a woman is. The Bible should no longer be used as a weapon against women and wives. That is not the original intent of the Bible as I explain in my book.

Every woman should find health and healing within the Christian faith. Ask yourself "What does your internal self- image look like?" then read my book "When Will Eve Be Forgiven?" for more understanding. A book for every woman, religious or not.

God created you. He loves you and He forgave his wonderful fallen creation a long time ago. It is time to fall in love with you again, the prescription and treatment for EVE SYNDROME: reading my book and forgiveness by self.

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Black History and Hair

 

    When it comes to celebrating Black history, one part of that history, natural Black hair. gets overlooked. The hair of Black people has played a significant part in the evolution of Black people in America and the hairstyle DREADLOCKS has been center stage.

    Hair matters and there is no other choice of hair style that has elicited strong emotions more so than dreadlocks. The dreadlock hair style is filled with history, confusion of origin, myth, and strong political and ethnic ownership. People argue about who is allowed to wear dreadlocks and where dreadlocks can be worn. Dreadlocks have been designated as a no in the workplace, but that is changing. Authors have penned books about dreadlock history or how to care for them. My book, Don't Dread Dreads, The People Speak is different. Through personal interviews and photos from around the world from dreadlock wearers, I give the reader intimate access to the world of dreadlocks. The dreadlock world is a world where even the ‘name’ to call the hair style is contentious. Dreadlocks evoke strong emotions and endless debate. Even if you do not choose to wear your hair in an African-centric hairstyle such as dreadlocks, your choice of hairstyle still speaks volumes.

    Has the African American community embraced their natural hair as a thing of beauty, or will the natural kinks and wooliness of our hair continue to cause shame and self-loathing? Recently, there has been a reclaiming and pride of natural hair in the Black community. Due to the availability of Black hair care products and the revelation of hair straighteners being linked to cancer, the Black community has begun to love their natural hair. The once hated coiled hair is now being viewed as beautiful and holds a sense of pride for Black men and women. But that was not always the case.

    Madam C. J. Walker (December 23, 1867-May 25, 1919) an American businesswoman, hair care entrepreneur, tycoon, and philanthropist, marketed beauty and hair products for black women. She was the first female to become a millionaire. She was born Sarah Breedlove in Delta, Louisiana and was the first member of her family to be born free. Her parents had been slaves.

    When she began to lose her hair from extreme dandruff and scalp disease from washing her hair once a month, which was customary during that time period, she designed her own line of hair care products. By 1917, she had the largest business in the United States owned by a black person. "I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the wash tub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations...I have built my own factory on my own ground.'' An estimated 75% of American black women continue to perm or relax their hair. The award winning 

    Whoopi Goldberg often has members of her own community tell her that her dread locks are disgusting and that she should "take those nappy braids out." A generation earlier, actress Cicely Tyson was told by members of the black community that she may be a gifted actress, but her short natural hairstyle was detrimental to the image of black women.

     "As the twentieth century closes, I believe that Black women have come to better appreciate the array of beauty we portray, despite subtle, and not so subtle, pressure from the media, the workplace and the larger society to conform to their standards of attractiveness. Yet, I am sometimes troubled that too many of us still make snide and cruel comments about the politically, professionally, or socially acceptable way to wear our hair. We would be a lot stronger as a people if we used that energy to support each other economically, emotionally, and spiritually." Quote by A'lelia Perry Bundles, Great-great-granddaughter of madam C.J. Walker, black hair care industry pioneer. Information source: Article by Russell K., Wilson M., and Hall R. (1992) Hair: the Straight and Nappy of it all, "The Color Complex: the Politics of Skin Color Among African Americans" NY: Anchor, 81-93.

    There is a rich history regarding Black hair on several continents. For some, hair has always connected them to status and pride. For the African American during the slave era, their hair connected them to negativity and became a source of ridicule and shame. The slave was demeaned for their natural hair and encouraged to adopt the European standards of hairstyles, which meant straightened hair. For many Black women today, long straightened hair is still the ideal standard of beauty and that choice is fine. But, natural Black hair is also viewed as beautiful and women are no longer demeaned for choosing to wear their natural hair.

    The Black hair industry has grown to be a multi-million dollar industry. Black people care about their hair. No matter the hair style choice of Black people, they have left behind the indoctrination of being seen as ugly for their African features, which included their hair. Black history consists of embracing one's beauty in its various forms. Black hair is Black history.

Lust & Cheating Guarantee

“Money and women are the most sought after and the least known about of any two things we have.”— Will Rogers

    Sometimes- late at night- it happens. I see the commercial for Booty Call. I don't know what channel this commercial usually airs on, but I know it is not on a porn site because I don't order the porn channel.

    But there the commercial is: one is done with a joke (a pun) "You know the leading cause of divorce is marriage?" And then there is the techno type music one where all forms of desirable bodies are dancing in enticing ways. There has to be a market for this service because the commercial has been around for a while.

    I stumbled across an article featuring advice on how to cheat on your mate. To many, the thought of being able to cheat and not getting caught, is actually the rush they are after more so than the actual sexual tryst. Let's look at the secrets of cheating. The advice begins with why a person (in this case a man) would think about cheating in the first place:

1. A woman is most attractive when you don't know a thing about her, a love/lust object.

I think this is a true statement. Mystery is intoxicating and arouses lust from the imaginings of our own brain filling in the unknown with our own secret desires. 

The article goes from this point to the place where you are now engaging in the affair.

2. While you're having your affair you need to make up an alternate persona for yourself. Hiding the true you, not leaving any clues to the one being deceived, as to who you really are.

3. If your girlfriend/spouse is getting suspicious of you the best course of action is to get even more suspicious of her. That's right, begin to accuse her of horrible treachery and lies. If it must be done in machine gun fashion; a barrage of attacks, so be it. You are the one who has your back up against the wall, so lie.

But the author of the article ends his tips with an inevitable conclusion: 

4. At some point you will be caught. I never made any guarantees to the contrary.

    These tips were given for a person who had an attraction to another person while turning a blind eye to promises of fidelity to the person he had made the promises of faithfulness to (did you follow that? 😄😄).

    I want to put a spin on this and turn this lustful relationship into an affair between a man and his money and see what happens. Remember, that money is intoxicating and the pursuit of it is the climax for those who lust after it.

    “Money, it turned out, was exactly like sex, you thought of nothing else if you didn’t have it and thought of other things if you did.”- James Arthur Baldwin

     People without money fantasize about what it's like to have more money (rule #1). You know what it's like to have the money you have. You know what the money you have can do. You become bored just doing the same thing over and over that the money you have allows you to do. Imagining, wondering (mystery), and finding out what it would be like to have it makes you lusty.

    Because the love of money (rule #1) and the constant need to obtain it for personal greed is not acceptable to society, a cover, alternate persona (rule #2), must be created to hide your lust for money, so you become a caring money seeker, kind, angelic person who wants to help the hungry or you say you are a business savvy person, or- you get my drift. You create an innocent outer person wanting money but inwardly you're lusting after money to feed your need for materialistic extravagance, desire to be a baller, power, and influence. For some the chase of money is the high and no matter how much they have they want more. People involved in the constant chase may be called hustlers always finding ways to get money. "Business is the art of extracting money from another man’s pocket without resorting to violence". ~Max Amsterdam

    Next is when your cover is blown, and people find out about your lustful endeavors. You lie on the other person. no matter how ludicrous the LIE, do it with eyes straight forward and full steam ahead and lie, lie, lie (rule #3). You say it's because she wants so much is why you spend all your time trying to get money. You say if she brought more to the table you wouldn't have to work so hard to earn it. "We live by the Golden Rule. Those who have the gold make the rules." ~Buzzie Bavasi

    Oscar Wilde knew how to get lusty: "When I was young, I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old, I know that it is."

    Benjamin Franklin understood the nature of the lusty: "He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money."

    The Political arena has turned to a show down about money (just like we didn't know that all politics are about money). Money is being hidden in Swiss bank accounts, class warfare is being screamed, and the rich are getting richer. It can be argued Donald Trump, who loves new acquisitions of new money (rule #1), donned an alternative persona (rule #2) of president while pursuing his lust for money. While having the money affair, he made sure who he really was hidden, even to the destroying of White House documents. When accused the lies flew (rule #3), blaming any and everyone and any and everything. The nation is waiting to see if rule #4 will happen and he gets caught and suffer the consequences, which I must add is usually forgiveness from the one who has been deceived and the relationship continues.

The religious community does not escape its lust for the green goddess. The alternate persona????

The religious hide their love affair with money under scripture, Bible verses known as the prosperity gospel or the health and wealth gospel. It is a Christian religious doctrine which claims the Bible teaches that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians. The doctrine teaches that faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will always increase one's material wealth. It is not certain if the Christian receives wealth if they will use it in the service of God.

Does this type of lustful affair ever become exposed (rule #4)???????Let's check in with TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network)

    Their granddaughter, Brittany Koper, recently filed court papers that include allegations of $50 million in financial shenanigans at the world's largest Christian broadcasting network. Her suit was followed by another from a Koper in-law, who detailed opulent spending at the network on items such as private jets, mansions in California, Tennessee, and Florida and a $100,000 mobile home for Jan Crouch's dogs.

    The suit came after Koper's husband was accused by a debt collection company of embezzling more than $1 million from TBN. The debt collection company that filed the lawsuit later added the Crouches' granddaughter and two of her in-laws as defendants.

    The lawsuit attention comes at a bad time for TBN, which has seen viewer donations drop steeply. TBN raked in $92 million in donations in 2010 and cleared $175 million in tax-free revenue, but its net income plummeted from nearly $60 million in 2006 to a loss of $18 million in 2010, the most recent year available. Donations fell by nearly $30 million in the same period — a hit the network blames on the bad economy. 

     In 1998, the elder Crouch secretly paid an accuser $425,000 to keep quiet about allegations of a homosexual encounter. Crouch Sr. has consistently denied the allegations, which were first reported by the Los Angeles Times, and has said he settled only to avoid a costly and embarrassing trial. SOURCE for information: Lawsuits bring scrutiny to Trinity Broadcasting Network,

Published: Thursday, March 22, 2012, 4:44 PM. Updated: Thursday, March 22, 2012, 4:51 PM
By The Associated Press.

    Well, I guess the author of the article on how to cheat was right; in the end the cheater always gets caught. 

    To make it clear why I decided to write this blog, I will let the next quote shine the light on my motives: 

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom." (Martin Luther King Jr.).

The lover of war (rule #1) also has alternative persona (rule #2), we have heard the phrase "weapons of mass destruction" (rule# 3), and people got caught cheating (rule #4).

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    As most of my followers know by now, I am a veteran of the Army. I ran across a Facebook page for women who have served in the Army. Most of the friends of the group were women who served in the military in the middle sixties and seventies. They were sharing stories of how women were once not accepted into the Armed Forces, what they actually did while in uniform, and how things have changed since they first donned their uniforms.

     I served during the nineties, and it was more acceptable to see women with weapons. I served in a field that was predominantly male. I worked on the tanks setting the crossfire on the lenses of the weapons attached to the canon to fire accurately hitting its target. My job was what was considered a frontline occupation. I was the one who kept the canons hitting targets and not causing collateral damage. There were many men and women who did not like me in a heavy artillery job position. Women thought of me as manly, and men thought of me as an incompetent woman. For about five months I received stares and off the cuff comments. 

    On my first trip to the field, where we simulated tactical battle maneuvers, the men operating the tanks refused to fire because I had worked on their tanks and they were afraid of not only missing the designated targets set up hundreds of miles away, but that my work would be so off until they may accidently hit a nearby village in the German communities. Needless to say, this stance caused big trouble. A three-star general came to the field to inquire why the tanks were refusing to do the training exercise. The men explained their anxiety. The general summoned me, my co-worker (who was the only other female in which worked with me. Two women and hundreds of men in a company!), our sergeant, and my officer to ask us was the work correct. With all eyes on me and my co-worker; we said yes. The general gave the command for the tanks to fire. To say there was a lot of tension in the air is an understatement. I was visibly shaking waiting for the call back over the field radio that the hit struck its target. If there had been a misfire- there could have been a court martial at the minimum. "ORDINANCE HAS MADE CONTACT---------------A DIRECT HIT!!!!!" 

    There were cheers and moisture in the eyes. From that moment on, me and my co-worker were treated with respect and the work orders began to roll in. Even though I had passed my training with flying colors and knew my co-worker was even more competent than me, I still was shaken by doubt. I imagine this is the way many women who preach feel. They are probably competent and have a support group aiding them that has wisdom of many years. But, in the shadow of the night they may feel: "Am I doing what God wants me to do or are all those who tell me women can't preach correct?" I hope to have some encouragement for you. Romans 8:5 states"...but those who live in accordance of the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." The Holy Spirit desires us to be a living example of holiness and to take up the command to spread the gospel. That is why Jesus said after he left the Holy Spirit would come to be a comforter and to help remind us of his words.

     God spoke to the woman at the well, making her the first missionary woman. He instructed her to go and tell her town about him. Not only to other women and children but to everyone who would hear. You may say that there is so much opposition against you though. Paul was a man who should have faced every person he came in contact with not believing he was a Christian and a supporter of Christianity. Paul had a few words for those who may have doubted his assignment: "...if I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10)" Those were strong words from a man who wrote most of the New Testament. I am sure there were those convinced Paul was up to something sinister. But we can understand why God would choose Paul (a persecutor of Christians) to be his servant. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 states " Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential, not many of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 

    When male preachers, deacons, and elders declare that they are the only ones to teach or to give the message of God, they are not boasting in God, because God can send anyone for the purpose of shaming the strong and foolish. Paul again explained to the new Christians about who he was in God and also who they were or should be in 1 Corinthians 3:5-7: "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-as the Lord assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow, so neither he who plants, nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow." Paul states we are all called to be seed planters, servants of God. Titles and positions are not needed, because it is God who is doing the real work of saving people. And if God takes the time to aid in the salvation process, I believe he will be a part of the maturing process. 

    Servants are servants. So what is the discouraged woman to do? "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth no to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). You should move forward in your kingdom work and "...Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind (Romans 14:5)." Paul explains that there are mature Christians and immature Christians who may not see eye to eye on sin. But what each does, if they are trying to please God and obey him, can do so unto the Lord as long as it does not create a stumbling block for each other (read the rest of ch. 14). The origin of the action is in the heart, which only God knows. And finally, servant Christian women, remember when times are hard and you are plagued by doubts from outside sources "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more (Rormans 5:20).

Christian Women and Depression

    

Seven million Christians in the US experience major depression each year. It is estimated that 106.8 million Christians attend church at least once or twice a month. The National Institute of Mental Health lists the prevalence of having a major depressive episode in 2017 at 7.1%. Being a Christian does not guarantee a lower risk of depression. Another study shows nearly one in six (15.6%) very religious American adults have been diagnosed with depression in their lifetime. This group is about 24% less likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who are moderately religious and 17% less likely to be diagnosed with depression than those who are nonreligious. WHY ARE CHRISTIANS DEPRESSED?

    I used to live in a small rural community. On every corner there was a church. For every large family group there was a church that goes back from generation to generation. Everyone knew the family you belonged to if not you personally. It was a die-hard Christian community. There was a secret though. Look into the eyes of the many God-fearing women and you would notice fixed dilated pupils. The majority of the women 30 and over were on antidepressants. After the age of 29, it was pretty much standard procedure to be prescribed something for depression. With such a large Christian population it would seem there would be no time for sadness for the saved. The women followed the Proverbs account of a Godly woman and taught the little ones in Sunday school to revel in being a great southern cook and housekeeper, Butttttttttt.    In small groups away from the Christian man, there were whispers of discontent mingled with the fear of missing heaven. Anger and confusion turned inward led to depression. The inability to say what's on their mind built up over time. I was privy to a post of a woman who was a part of the Quiversful Movement (an online community) and she said she was a closet alcoholic. Her inability or the overwhelming demand of being the perfect Christian wife, mother, and woman left her to find solace in being absent in life through drinking.

    Faith and depression have a connection in that religious women have a higher incidence of the condition. Clinical Depression is a medical issue. While women are more likely to get depressed than men, they don’t have what has been derisively termed as a “weak gene.”  The mistaken train of thought is that they are predisposed to be depressed because of their gender. But it’s true that they are twice as likely to become depressed, and the risk factor just balloons when they are deeply religious. 

1 in 8 women may experience depression at least once in their lifetime.

    In general, people of Jewish descent, Pentecostals, and those with no affiliation experience higher rates of depression than other religious groups. Religious affiliations were categorized into six groups: mainline Protestant (27 percent), conservative Protestant (59 percent), Pentecostal (4.2 percent), Catholic (2.4 percent), other religions (2.6 percent), and no affiliation (4.4 percent). The six-month prevalence of major depression among Pentecostals was 5.4 percent, compared with 1.7 percent for the entire sample. Even after psychosocial factors such as gender, age, race, socioeconomic status, negative life events, and social support were controlled for, the likelihood of major depression among Pentecostals was three times greater than among persons with other affiliations. 

    Can the demands of being a Godly Christian woman be leading to the large number of antidepressants being prescribed for these women? In Utah, there is a high incidence of antidepressant use by those women of the Mormon faith. Is there a link? Statistics indicate that 11% of women and 5% of men are taking antidepressants. I believe that total is low. Are Christian women trying to just get through their Christian lives? Surveys of alcohol use among African Americans point to the positive relationship between religious participation and abstaining from alcohol, for both women and men (Caetano and Herd 1984; Herd 1988; Herd and Grube 1996). 

    A strong commitment to religious values and church participation has been a significant component of family life for many African Americans. As the central pillar supporting the African American community, the black church provides spiritual, social, emotional, and economic resources (Lincoln and Mamiya 1990). Most African Americans are affiliated with Baptist denominations, which are characterized by a lack of tolerance for consuming alcohol (Herd 1996). In addition, African American women participate in religious activities to a higher degree than African American men (Taylor et al. 1999). Their high rate of abstention from is consistent with the norms of their religious denominations. Thus, African American women’s level of religious participation may serve a protective function, buffering them from higher rates of alcohol use. 

    Well, regular alcohol use is a no-no for Christians, but antidepressants are more acceptable. PLEASE do not take from this post that those needing medical help for depression and other mental illnesses should not seek help. PLEASE always seek help for any emotional difficulties you may be going through. Women within the Christian community may be using antidepressants just to make it through an existence that would cause any person to become depressed trying to always be a"superwoman."

    Women are more than likely to be prescribed antidepressants than men. 5.3% of the men and 9.8% of the women were prescribed at lest one antidepressant. As of 2023, around 24 percent of women in the United States reported currently having or being treated for depression, compared to 11 percent of men. Women are more than twice as likely as men to use antidepressants, and use among White women is at least double that of other races/ethnicities, according to a new analysis from the National Center for Health Statistics.

    Being able to talk about life as a Christian woman and all it entails should be a natural part of the Christian experience before it leads to alcoholism and other drug addictions. Be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

    Many Christian women may become depressed from the definition given of a Christian woman in the Bible. By biblical standards the woman has the role of being a wife and a mother, rearing godly children, and teaching her children in God's laws (Genesis 1:28; Proverbs 1:8; 6:20; 22:6; 23:22). She is expected to have habits such as prayer, reading the Bible, being thankful, being joyful, not worrying, being generous, living simpler lives, serving others, and having self-control. Her virtue shows as she strives steadfastly. All that she does through her work and her diligence are to insure that her family will not suffer in the future. Clothes, food, and shelter will be provided by her hard work, but she also realizes that there are other needs for the future in addition to material security. The ideal woman is a woman who is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

    A godly woman does not dress in public in ways ungodly, suggestive, slovenly, or slipshod. Her outer adornment reflects her inner demeanor. She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong (Proverbs 31:17). Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future (Proverbs 31:25).

There is a lot of pressure on the Christian woman to face life's obstacles with joy and smiles. But many of life's experiences bring forth tears. Not acknowledging or supressing emotions can lead to unwanted affects. Suppression gets held in the body and creates a host of downstream effects, including anxiety, depression, stress-related illness, all the way to substance abuse and suicide. Holding back your emotions can actually intensify them. A classic example of this involves anger. Many people believe it's better to tamp down anger than express it. But suppressing your anger means you don't address it, so it continues to build and seethe under your mask of calm.

    Why should you stop hiding your feelings? Although it may not feel comfortable or “safe” to express one's emotions, suppressing, suffocating or hiding feelings can harm one's mental health. It can lead to harmful behaviours such as using drugs, alcohol, food, or sex to numb any emotion. Moreover, suppressing emotions can manifest in physical symptoms like frequent headaches or stomach aches. These physical manifestations serve as reminders that the mind and body are intricately connected. When emotional distress is not addressed, it can take a toll on our overall health. 

    Emotions are physiological states that mobilize us for particular behaviors and communicate important information about our internal and external environments to ourselves and others. Anger mobilizes us to attack, and signals that a boundary, value, or rule has been violated. Fear mobilizes us to freeze or flee and signals threat or danger. Shame mobilizes us to hide and signals low social status. Guilt mobilizes us to make amends and signals remorse. Joy motivates us to approach and signals reward.

    Accepting and responding to an emotion entails noticing its presence (often, its physical presence in our body), softening our resistance to it, tuning into what it's trying to tell us, and using that information to inform (but not dictate) our behavior.The more we recognize, allow, and make space for our emotions, the greater tolerance we build for them. With greater tolerance, we're better able to modulate our emotions so they don't overwhelm our decision-making abilities or reason, or seem so unbearable that we have to suppress them. It may not always feel easy to respond rather than react to our emotions, but each time we try to do so, we get that much better at it. 

    ALWAYS seek professional help when you believe your emotions may be affecting your daily life and relationships negatively.

Please buy my book When Will Eve Be Forgiven? on amazon.com and like, share, comment.

Facebook Frienemies

   

    I didn't want to, but I was forced to come into the 21st century four months ago and join the Facebook world. As an author constantly on the lookout for new topics and inspiration for my writing, I needed to expand my resources; so, I joined Facebook.

     The first day of friending and reading I HATED FACEBOOK and could not understand why anyone would be a part of such a community. There was a lot of cursing, praying, farm life news (the game I guess), and business sharing. I poked around and read some profiles and discovered people really enjoy describing themselves in the utmost positive light. There were several people who enjoyed various activities, open minded, and fun loving. These people seemed very interesting in their likes and dislikes. One would believe the world is full of beautiful people doing beautiful things at all times. Of course, the picture albums with the standard booty poses and thug love poses can't be beat. People are living it up on Facebook. They eat, they drink, they are sad and sick, but most of all they like what others have to say. I DID NOT LIKE FACEBOOK --- AT FIRST. 

    After about a week I became drawn into "what will they post next?" Was it going to be "I am so full," "I am blessed," "haterz hating today," or a wonderful new happy picture? I was on a high because I got to peruse over people's lives and loves. It became a secret addiction. I personally do not have anything I want to share that much, but I do comment here and there. I feel a little happy for all of the people enjoying their lives and making connections with others. With life filled with so much stress you can unwind and enjoy someone else's good day. There is always someone with a word of wisdom or encouragement, or a partial sermon sprinkled in. It's like reality t.v. on a smaller scale. 

    I only have a few Facebook friends. One of my daughters has over 500 friends, how and why I do not know. I have been sent a bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day and have taken a quiz or two. Not too long ago I sent out requests for people to friend me. South Park did a spoof on a kid without any Facebook friends and how sad he was. I did not know anything about Facebook at the time, so I was out of the loop on the joke. Now I am the kid without a lot of Facebook friends. My kids say it is because I am too old. I can't believe I am at that time in my life when I can be considered too old for something. So, there is age discrimination on Facebook, I guess. But I have no interest to friend those cursing kids with their secret language codes.

    Exactly how many friends are enough on Facebook anyway? As with all love relationships, the thrill is waning. I don't get the rush like I did before. I do not like arguing social or political issues; also add religious issues. Some things are too private even for Facebook. I have joined many wonderful writing groups, genealogy groups and religious groups. But I do not rush to Facebook to read and look at the photo albums anymore. I guess I am a fickle friend. Now my Facebook activity is more related to my career endeavors. I mean if I could max out and have 5,000 friends, I would have a large vein for resource and research. So, am I a friend or enemy of Facebook? I guess we are FRIENEMIES.

The Devil Gets The Credit

     

    I have a story for you. After Hurricane Katrina many people who were not affected by the storm, claimed they were, getting boo-coo of food stamps. Going on food shopping sprees loading up their freezers and cabinets with all kinds of goodies. It was high times. 

    Fast forward a year and in the mail is a statement saying because of fraud all of the money (food stamps) would have to be paid back. A date for review of the case was set. Money or time in jail would be the outcome. What does the person accused of food stamp fraud do? Go to church and say the devil is busy - yall pray for me. After many prayer circles and prayer groups the person heard a message from God: "The devil will not be victorious. Everything is going to be alright." Sure, and satisfied God was with them, on the appointed day of the review, the person was shown leniency. Instead of paying back thousands of dollars, a mere $300 was the penalty. Rejoicing and praises to God were offered. And finally, what has become a Christian idiom was said "What the devil meant for evil; God turned it to good."

     During the whole ordeal I was dumbfounded. How did the devil become involved in this? A person, a Christian person, willfully chose to be deceptive and lie. Once caught the person ran to God to clean up a legal mess and to battle with the devil. Does anyone realize bad choices equal bad consequences?

     Again, a person who goes to work and does the bare minimum their job requires, talks on the telephone all day, comes in late, and is not the most productive employee will declare the devil is busy if they are terminated. Where is self-reflection? Where is growth and change. I told a cousin of mine how tired I was of hearing how busy the devil is. According to the Bible the devil does not have power or authority over Christians. Christians can speak to the devil, tell him to go, and he will flee. The devil it seems is not that occupied with people that already serve him, so where exactly and with whom is the devil busy with?

     She was appalled at my statement. "The devil IS busy! He is always up to something." The devil is busy. But he is getting too much credit for our human busy-ness. We do a lot of things without any nudging from the devil because it has become a part of our daily living. If he can be blamed for everything then we have no need to try to do what is right. There are bad things that happen for no other apparent reason than it had to be from evil, but there are a lot of things we set in motion ourselves. Temptation is everywhere but choice comes from within. 

    As I looked at my cousin when she said she believed the devil was busy, I could see she honestly believed it. We have to have an enemy to blame our pains on or we would have to come to the realization that we are sometimes the enemy of ourselves. It is easier to get compassion from others if there is a common enemy. Would we actually admit to another that we are responsible for some of our bad situations? But that is exactly what God wants us to do. Reflect on our own behavior and strive to change it for the better. The devil knows and is happy he gets blamed for everything because we will have no reason to change. Genesis stated he was the craftiest of all creatures. He has no problem taking the credit for bad as long as you continue with the bad instead of saying "GET THEE BEHIND ME SATAN."

Women are large and in charge

 

Found this article and found it enlightening. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did.

 FEMALE PASTORS:

 The stained-glass ceiling by Galen Holley/NEMS Daily Journal.

     The Rev. Cheryl Penson had been preaching up a whirlwind, but halfway through her sermon she paused and drew a deep breath. Like a mother gathering her children, Penson seemed to pull the spirited words and expansive gestures that carried the first part of her sermon in toward her, compressing them into a warm, staccato whisper. She began speaking in a measured cadence, making sure every member of Lane Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church could hear the point she was about to make. “Mark, in his gospel, as does the Apostle, Paul, uses the body as a metaphor for the Christian community,” she said. Just before she took the pulpit, Penson’s husband and co-pastor, the Rev. Charles Penson, prayed that God’s anointing would be upon her. “Like Yahweh’s blessing upon Aaron in the Old Testament,” he said, in a deferential, loving voice. As his wife preached, he handed her a towel, and the congregation clapped and waved their hands in recognition of the nuptial gesture.

     Today in America there are twice as many women senior pastors as there were a decade ago. Women like Penson are providing capable leadership in many denominations, but females still haven’t assumed the larger pulpits in the same numbers as men. According to the California-based research institute The Barna Group, one in 10 U.S. churches employs a female senior pastor. That’s a remarkable increase in a short time, considering that, until recently, women in the pulpit were an anomaly. Those numbers are encouraging for people who see the issue of females in ministry as one of equality and justice, but even the optimists admit that women have a long way to go in terms of reaching parity with their male colleagues. Mainline success Despite decreasing membership and ongoing internal debates over social issues, mainline Protestant churches have opened new horizons for women in ministry in the second half of the 20th century. 

   

   Today, 58 percent of women ministers, as compared to only 23 percent of their male counterparts, work in mainline Protestant churches. Until recently, however, those women were mostly relegated to serving as associate pastors or as children’s or music ministers. Among those churches with the longest-standing traditions of ordaining women is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America which started almost 40 years. 

    Today, two of the four female ELCA ministers in Mississippi are senior pastors. The Episcopal Church has ordained women since 1976 and it is currently led by a woman, Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori. Thirty percent of priests considered senior pastors in the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi are women. The Presbyterian Church USA started ordaining women in 1956 and over the past decade the number of women serving as ministers of word and sacrament within the church has increased by 75 percent to just under 1,200. Today, four women serve as senior pastors of PCUSA churches in the Magnolia State. 

    When the Rev. Sandra Sisson left homemaking to enter the seminary in 1983, she was afraid people would laugh at her. At that time female ministers in the PCUSA were still rare. Sisson eventually became the first female teaching elder ordained in the Presbytery of St. Andrews. Sisson, who today pastors Okolona Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church in Aberdeen, is convinced that women’s history of teaching religious education and directing ministries has paved the way for them taking over as lead pastors. “Women were the primary educators for a century or more,” she said. “It just makes sense that we’d eventually start leading congregations.”

 

    Mainline churches, like the PCUSA, are often criticized for being too liberal, and those who oppose women serving as senior pastors see it as another concession to contemporary culture. However, one church with a conservative pedigree has ordained women as fully commissioned officers and assigned them as senior pastors since its inception. Women in 19th century England were instrumental in starting the Salvation Army. Major Sue Dorman has been the ranking officer and senior pastor of the Tupelo Salvation Army for three years. In addition to her administrative duties, each week Dorman preaches and ministers to a congregation of around 80, as well as countless transients. The Salvation Army mostly utilizes husband and wife teams, but Dorman is the only single female serving as a senior pastor in the region that includes Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. “There’s such a great need in the world today, both in terms of social justice work and in terms of preaching and spreading the gospel,” said Dorman. “We have to use every resource, every person we have, in order to succeed.” Dorman believes women in ministry tend not to get hung up on issues of gender. As long as a person is able to do the job effectively, it doesn’t matter whether they’re male or female. 

    Small churches, although female pastors have achieved unprecedented success, the Barna study showed they still haven’t taken the pulpits in the country’s largest churches. For example, Sisson’s two congregations, in Okolona and Aberdeen, are of small and moderate size. Across denominations, churches led by male pastors average 103 adults at Sunday worship, compared to 81 for female pastors. The United Methodist Church recently celebrated 50 years of ordaining female ministers, yet today only about one tenth of women shepherd the denomination’s largest churches. Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, who became the first female bishop for the Mississippi Conference in 2004, said getting women into the senior clergy positions of the largest churches is the new frontier in building the kind of diverse church Methodists want. 

    The UMC recently launched the Lead Women Pastor Project which combines researching leadership styles and building mentoring relationships to try to figure out how to get women ministers into bigger churches. Ward said the project makes sense given that over 50 percent of those enrolled in Master of Divinity programs at Methodist seminaries are women. That confirms findings from the Barna study which show that females in ministry are better educated than their male counterparts. Seventy-seven percent of female ministers earn a seminary degree, as opposed to 63 percent of men. Although being relegated to smaller churches presents a glass ceiling for female senior pastors, Ward said that as young women see more females leading congregations it will create momentum and inspiration. “I find that a church’s openness to accepting any minister is in direct proportion to the minister’s experience,” said Ward. “If there’s a minority or a female minister that people can see, it opens people’s eyes. We have so many people out there doing good work – so many women – and, as a result, I think resistance to accepting female ministers is decreasing.” 

    Minority experienced black women are also taking the pulpits in greater numbers. Twenty-three percent of the congregations in Mississippi are historically black churches. That’s the highest percentage in the country. Female ministers in the black church are a fairly new phenomenon but their ascendancy represents an affirmation of the strong matriarchal currents that have always been present in the church. Denominations like the African Methodist Episcopal Church have led the way in ordaining women as presiding elders and today almost 30 percent of AME ministers are women. In 2000 the AME Church elected its first female bishop, Vashti Murphy McKenzie. The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church started ordaining women in 1976. Today, about 5 percent of senior ministers in the CME are women. Penson and her husband at Lane Chapel shepherd the largest CME church in the area. She’s pleased with the progress her denomination is making, but she’d like to see her sisters elected to the highest positions in the church. “We’re gaining new responsibilities all the time,” said Penson. “Right now we have to be faithful servants and stewards with the opportunities we have.” 

    Even women who stand outside the pale of possible ordination are finding inspiration in what they see as the long-overdue historical progress of female senior pastors. In her office at St. Christopher Catholic Church in Pontotoc, Sr. Soledad Mendoza sat counseling a young Hispanic man who often comes to her for advice. Fr. Tim Murphy didn’t hesitate to say that, in a very real sense, Mendoza is the shepherd of the sizable Hispanic community at St. Christopher. The Catholic Church doesn’t ordain women, and with so few priests in the area Murphy is hard pressed to keep up with everyone who needs his attention. As a result, Mendoza and women like her often perform many of the pastoral duties in taking care of a congregation. They’re providing a critical pastoral presence, particularly at smaller, Catholic mission churches that don’t have full-time priests. Some say they’re keeping rural communities alive. Mendoza isn’t angry that she can’t be ordained, instead she takes heart that women are increasingly being seen as equals in ministry, and, like her, they’re taking the lead. She walked out of the counseling room, whispering in Spanish, telling the young man that she’d be right back. “This is a matter of justice – yes, I think it is,” said Mendoza. “This work is not easy, but women have gifts, as do men.” She smiled and leaned forward. “Perhaps one day I would like to be a priest, too.” 

Contact Daily Journal religion editor Galen Holley at 678-1510 or galen.holley@djournal.com

Office of Deaconess

     Many theologians have debated if there is such an office of deaconess and if it is does it carry the same responsibilities as the office of deacon for a man. Pheobe is usually brought into this debate as many scholars deny she was a deaconess or in the position of pastor. There has come to the forefront documentation as to the office of deaconess being acknowledged by one of the apostles, Bartholomew.

    "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve - designating them apostles - that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter) James the son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder) Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." Mark 3:13-19. 

    From my book - "When Will Eve Be Forgiven?" 

    Bartholomew, one of the twelve disciples, wrote protocol concerning ordination of a deaconess within the church. CONCERNING THE DEACONESS – THE CONSTITUTION OF BARTHOLOMEW. XIX. Concerning a deaconess, I Bartholomew, make this constitution: O bishop, thou shalt lay thy hands upon her in the presence of the presbytery, and of the deacons and deaconesses, and shalt say, THE FORM OF PRAYER FOR THE ORDINATION OF A DEACONESS. XX. O Eternal God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of man and of woman, who didst replenish with the Spirit Miriam, and Deborah, and Anna, and Huldah; who didst not disdain that Thy only begotten Son should be born of woman; who also in the tabernacle of the testimony, and in the temple, didst ordain women to be keepers of Thy holy gates, -- do Thou now also look down upon this Thy servant, who is to be ordained to the office of a deaconess, and grant her Thy Holy Spirit, and “cleanse her from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, that she may worthily discharge the work which is committed to her to Thy glory, and the praise of Thy Christ, with whom glory and adoration be to Thee and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume VII, Constitution of the Holy Apostles. Book VIII, Section III. 

    In the above writing one of the original 12 apostles wrote how a deaconess is to be ordained. High honor is given to the position of a woman as a creation of Christ. She is viewed as a fellow worker in the kingdom of God. I was very pleased to have run across such an account, not so much for the knowledge of a position in the church for women. But because there was a time in which they were seen as capable of being a servant along with men in the church.