My husband and I sat outside our favorite coffee shop last spring and Phil pulled out our local paper. His eyes landed on a story that captivated him and he began reading aloud.

It was about a young woman named Minda Cox. She was born in India eighteen years ago without arms or legs. After learning about her, her soon-to-be mom began to secure her adoption. It took longer than they hoped because Minda could not provide a fingerprint for her legal papers or passport.

As Phil read, we both choked up with emotion. Minda is a budding artist. She cradles a brush between her chin and shoulder-she paints with such talent that her art is worthy of her own show. Though her artistry is impressive, what really inspired me was the list her mom found in her backpack when she was in the fourth grade.

It contained 127 things she would do if she had arms or legs.

Things like: set her own alarm clock, make the sign of the cross, walk where there aren't sidewalks, jump with joy and clap her hands...be tall.

The news reporter ended the article by disclosing Minda’s purpose in life. Minda said her purpose is to show that God is good all the time, even when it doesn't look like it. Minda is guided by the unseen. She truly, even in a wheel chair, walks by faith and not by sight.

Faith is a journey, a bumpy road at times where we embrace what we can't understand- believe what we can’t see. In George MacDonald's tale, The Princess and the Goblin, faith is portrayed by “following an invisible thread.” After Princess Irene rescued Curdie from the goblins cave by following her grandmother's thread, she pled with her companion to see what guided them; "There! - don't you see it shining on before us?' she added. 'I don't see anything,' persisted Curdie. 'Then you must believe without seeing,' said the princess; 'for you can't deny it has brought us out of the mountain."

Just like the skeptical character in MacDonald's fairy tale, most of the time we don’t see either. God's ways seem obscure to us. Yet we follow and trust and recognize that He has “brought us out of the mountain” of our hopelessness, darkness and despair. To follow and trust even when we can't trace His path is to believe without seeing. It is the difference between being governed by revelation rather than mere reason alone.

As George Macdonald put it, “Seeing is not believing - it is only seeing. “the real triumph of this life is to understand that “Believing is seeing!” Like precious Minda, when we trust God to act with goodness, we see His goodness. When we believe God to be faithful, we see His faithfulness. When we are convinced that God is love, then we see His love everywhere.

The walk of faith requires following even when we can't see or understand. Zora Neal Hurston said: "Faith ain’t got no eyes, but she’s long legged!” It's true. One step at a time, we trust God more than we trust our feelings. One step at a time, we receive what we can't reckon. One step at a time, we accept what we cant avoid.

Blindness has helped me to follow the invisible thread.

As I believe Him to provide and guide, I see his leadership and provision. As I trust Him to comfort and teach me, I feel His Hand and hear His voice. I think that Minda has followed the same thread and she has been led out of a mountain of sorrow and gloom.

Thomas heard the voice of Jesus while he touched Christ’s nail scarred hands, “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." I want that blessing. To see because I believe, don’t you?

Trust him more today than you did yesterday. If you can't understand, just keep following. Though it may be dark right now, you will see that eventually He has led you out of the mountain! "Let us step into the darkness and reach out for the hand of God. The path of faith and darkness is so much safer than the one we would choose by sight." George MacDonald

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

An outreach to new mothers in your community!

This is an idea that was brought to our church by someone who was blessed by a similar ministry in another state! When a woman in our community has a baby, we try to stop by in the first month and take her a gift basket.

The basket typically has:

The ladies go in pairs to visit new mothers. They make an appointment to give the mom time to prepare, and try to keep the visit brief. They also bring a digital camera and take a picture of the mom and baby, as well as any other family members that may be there.

The visit is followed up in about a week with a "we are praying for you" card and a copy of the picture that was taken.

We find the women through word of mouth and watch the birth announcements in the paper.

Submitted by: KC Smallwood
Church: First Baptist Church in Farwell, TX

Laurie Cole is an author, teacher, and speaker whose ministry is dedicated to encouraging and equipping women to love God most and seek Him first. A frequent speaker at women’s events, find out more about Laurie by visiting www.priorityministries.org.

Take a minute to revisit last week's sponsor...

• Jennifer's Sole Sisters

Once a quarter we give away a bundle of books to one lucky winner!

Entering is easy... just send us your great ideas for ministries, events, themes, icebreakers, etc. and if we use your idea, you will automatically be entered to win.

This quarter's winner will receive:

• The Messies Manual by Sandra Felton
• Growing People through Small Groups by David Stark & Betty Veldman Wieland
• The Dance of Restoration by Abel Ortega & Melodie Fleming
• A Women's Ministry Guide to Scrapbooking by Sandra Joseph
• Experiencing God's Power in Your Ministry by Mary Southerland
• Not Even a Hint by Joshua Harris
• The Mom You're Meant to Be by Cheri Fuller

And the winner is....
Kim Schartow who submitted "Planning A Prayer Garden" that was featured in Issue 321 on July 12, 2006.

Congratulations Kim! Please send your mailing address to robyne@womensministry.net.

Did you know there is a brand new Issue of Java with Jennifer coming soon?

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See the August Issue here.

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When you visit our Featured Sponsor link, you will automatically be entered to win a free book, cd, or other resource from WomensMinistry.NET.

 

We randomly select the winner from those that click through the featured sponsor links in last week's issue. This week's winners are...
okiebeach@cox...
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Each one of these winners will receive Ablaze: Igniting Spiritual Passion for Life through Reading God's Word.

Attention: Winners listed above. Please email us your address!

I love to keep little "encouragement gifts" in a box to hand out to women for a variety of reasons. Sometimes I hand them out as rewards for completing study homework, or as "thank yous" for thoughtfulness, or even to encourage someone who is feeling down. Whatever the reason, here are some of the fun things in my encouragement box:

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Here's how it works... send us your great ideas and if we use them in a newsletter you will be automatically entered to win the book bundle for the quarter. The more great ideas you submit, the more chances to win. At the end of the quarter we will announce the winner and the books she has won!

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