When I can’t fit my thoughts in my regular newsletter, I come here to ramble, sometimes even eloquently. As a jack-of-all-trades type, the topics vary greatly. You’ll find stories behind my paintings, short stories and essays on anything from agriculture to intentional living to cultural issues. If you don’t like one post, maybe don’t give up until you’ve tasted a few.
Often, I’m mentally chewing on some big things and just want to send my thoughts out to the void, secretly hoping for some solidarity.
Always, I strive to filter these thoughts through a sieve built with love.
Thoughts, updates, stories…
With Love, Elli
Women’s Work
“God’s design for gender was and is perfect. Men and women are equally valuable, differently made beings for a purpose. But I believe this is another situation in which we think to “small-ly” of God. I have no argument with “Christ is the head of man and man is the head of woman” and I have no issue with the word submission. This is not about whether or not women should lead in certain areas or speak in church. This is about the battle field. Forget the semantics, politics and appearances. Those matter little when you’re in the thick of warfare...
When women pick up the armor God gave to every believer and own their identity as daughter and servant of the King,darkness shakes,beasts are slain,and lives are saved from the enemy.It is not by our own power or wisdom or any device of woman; it is by the strength of His might.
Every woman is different and I don’t want to make generalizations but each woman has passion, cares, strengths and eyes that see differently than the man next to her. There are people that need our touch. There are hearts that need our eyes to see. There are voices that need our ears to hear.”
Are there Hobbits in Christianity?
Despite having so many projects, deadlines to make and our main school lessons to finish for the year, I can’t help but continue to work on my novel. Even if I’m not putting more words on the page, the characters and their stories are growing in my silly brain. Right now, I’m staring the action scenes in the face so I’ve been reading other novels to give that time to develop. Right now I’m over halfway through Tolkien’s Return of the King.
It’s been a while since I’ve read the Lord of the Rings. And as it should be I’ve learned so much since then, but particularly about spiritual warfare. Tolkien loathed direct allegory, but did love to use symbolism creatively in his works. I can’t even tell you how much beauty and truth I’m finding in it and some of it strikes me so hard and so deep. Why am I telling you this? Because I have a couple of thoughts ignited by my recent reading that I wanted to chat with you guys about, even ask you about. But I wanted to assure you that I’m not going to talk about LOTR forever! I’ll do a couple of posts this week and try (my very best) to be done for the time being. But don’t be afraid to shoot me an e-mail (or reach out on social media) and continue the conversation!
Let’s Begin With Gratefulness
And then God used several sweet friends to remind me that writing isn’t optional for me. (Gratefulness Item numéro deux) It’s a passion God gave me and I have a choice. I can hide it away and avoid all the risk or I can GROW. In the year since, I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to use my writing for a ministry full of gracious women. It has allowed me to make mistakes and realize it doesn’t kill me. It has taught me that the growing process isn’t something to be ashamed of. (<-Definitely still working on it.)