WOMEN IN ACTION

Imagine the reaction of your family if one day you wake up and inform them there will be no meals because you were deeply wondering that if you go to the kitchen to cook a meal, you may burn the food, or you may burn the pot, or you may burn yourself!
How about if you cook and your family does not like the meal prepared, and if your family would prefer a snack?
Only by writing or reading it, it seems so silly, isn’t it? But you know what, this is exactly how we rationalise in other aspects of our lives.
When there is a problem, and honestly, we do have problems nearly every day, we start dwelling on the “if’s” of that problem. We become very worried, but not actually with the problem in front of us but with the suggestions our mind brings up in relation to that problem:
“What if I lose my job? And if my husband is having an affair? And if my son is involved with bad friends? And if, and if, and if…
By experience, when you look back at the problems you faced recently, you will have to be honest and count how many if’s you have uttered and suffered anguish over something that never happened. But there you were, consumed with worry about things that did not happen at all. The problem is over now and as a bonus you got some wrinkles on your face, some pain in your body because of tension, a few grey hairs, missed some hours of sleep and then life went on.
“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” (Matt 6:27)
What to do then? Look at the problem with sober perspective; deal with what you actually have in your hands and with the means you have to solve that problem. Do not allow “if this and that” to rule your life.
Get to the point as it is in the present and not as it might be in the future. Your boss is not satisfied with the quality of your work. Deal with that without worrying with what will happen IF you loose your job because, right now, the problem is in the quality of your work. Concentrating on that you requires your attention and not if you will lose your job…
Your marriage is going through troubled waters. Do not worry what is going to happen if your husband has an affair, if he is going to leave you. Deal directly and clearly with the causes of your incompatibility.
Your health is not doing well. Do not consider thoughts, such as “what if I have an incurable disease or and if I am going to die?” Follow the doctor’s prescription and advice. If needed, change your lifestyle to improve your health.
Above all, exchange your worries with the assurance of faith. God is certain to put this assurance in your heart if you have the right perspective and approach towards your problems.
“For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) and have you noticed there is no “if” in this statement?
Marcia Pires

When Mary, was given the biggest news of her life, she had no husband

to confide in.  Her first instinct after her visit from the angel of

the Lord was to immediately go out and seek Godly counsel from her

cousin Elizabeth. Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord!

Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from

her. Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with

haste, to a city of Judah and entered the house of Zacharias and

Elizabeth. Luke 1:38-40

Mary didn’t waste any time, she went with haste. The definition of the Read the rest of this entry »

Today is a very special day when we recognize all the efforts and love and care of many mothers who have poured and still do their life on behalf of their children. I also want to praise mothers to many who do not have children of their own but have adopted, cared and loved children who, today, if not by their efforts would have no reason to celebrate mothers’ day.

They are those carers who provide in orphanage, children’s clinic, grandmas or aunts raising their relatives. We pay tribute to these courageous women who did not deny a calling and sacrificed themselves for others.

This is the story of a brave woman – Irena Sendler, our hero on Mother’s Day! She passed away recently at the age of 98. During the Second World War, Irena got an authorization to work at the Warsaw Ghetto as a plumber. But her real intention was to save children from death in the gas cameras.

She would hide toddlers in her toolbox and kept bags for older children in the back of her truck with a dog that was trained to bark to the soldiers to cover up for any noise from the children.

While she managed to do this work, she has saved about 2,500 children until they found out and, as a punishment, broke her arms and legs holding her in severe imprisonment.

She kept records of the children, in a glass bottle embedded underneath of a tree in her garden. After the end of the war, she tried to find the families to those children but many were killed by the Nazis.

Therefore she made sure those orphans would go to a shelter or be adopted by foster parents.

She was appointed for the Noble Prize last year but not chosen however in the hearts of millions she is a mother to be remembered today.

Marcia Pires

This is a very curious expression. All of us are in a quest for time. We all have lots of responsibilities and tasks and challenges and commitments and plans and dreams for one single day and one common complaint: lack of time to grasp all we want, to reach for all we planned, to achieve all that was entrusted to us. Read the rest of this entry »

Once again we are about to celebrate the Pass Over and there is no greater Event in all Christian Calendar than to revere Easter Season.

However, I feel a common lack of celebration spirit in many women for this particular holiday. During Christmas there is a great deal of consideration to everything related to it: decoration, gifts, wish cards, supper, making amendments with others, reuniting friends, seeking for unity, forgiveness, commitment and, honestly speaking,  there is nothing wrong about that. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you know those small pieces of clothing that they have irregular shapes like underwear, vests, socks or accessories that look scattered all over your closet or drawer like bijous or scarves? More you try to organize them, less it gets done because they are small and probably you have one of each type? This is the practical solution to get it organized: box it all up! Read the rest of this entry »

International Women’s Day has been observed since in the early

1911 Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women’s Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic ‘Triangle Fire’ in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women’s Day events. 1911 also saw women’s ‘Bread and Roses‘ campaign.

1913-1914 On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women’s Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Wommen’s Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women’s solidarity. Read the rest of this entry »

Many women live their life wondering what others think of her. Some go to the point of changing what they really are just to match other people’s opinion on how she should be.

Sad though that many changes are done, external and internal, but not because as a human being they will feel better like this or that but just to agree to the general opinion of society or their interacting group.

At they end of the day, many are frustrated and not fulfilled because they do not look like, behave or live as they would actually enjoy.

There is something I have learnt in my walking with God and it may be the answer or changing of attitude for those who fit in the above examples.

I do enjoy and respect other people’s opinions, suggestions, and observations about myself or about any project I might be working on but I care much more for God’s opinion on my life.

Before making any decision, before planning something, before doing any change on my interior, I wonder what is God thinking about that.

Do you know what God thinks of you? I am going to invite you to hear directly from Him:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12)

God is the source of all goodness in your life, He loves you and cares for you, His plans are to fulfil you – why not to give Him more ears than to criticism and words that constantly put you down?

Experience God’s plans in your life and all changes you might do will only make you whole.

My husband makes a remark how we behave when we buy something new but still we want to keep the old one just in case. When we buy a new set of pots, we tend to keep one or two of the old set, which do not look good anyway, just in case we need that later.

When we rationalize about it, we actually see no sense but I know many friends who do the same.

Imagine you are in dear need of a new mattress and when the company delivers the new one, you tell the guys to place it on top of the old one? It will not serve the purpose!

Read the rest of this entry »

When we first came to Jesus, we did so seeking for a solution to a series of problems and frustrations that we were living with, but gradually we understood the great need of considering where we want to spend eternity and salvation then should have been our priority seeking purpose.

However, many so dwell in the solution to their problems that they despise totally what is the essence of a Christian Life: eternity with Jesus! It goes beyond of words but it is said on an affirmative action, more like a spiritual strike or bargain: as I do not get what I want, I leave the church.

Read the rest of this entry »