Take Root and Write

Welcome Christian Women to Take Root and Write

 

Welcome to Take Root and Write!

If its your first time here, come on in! You can click to expand all of our Columns & Categories to your right. Want a sneek peek as to what the descriptions are for each? Open the slide show below. Then go read & subscribe to your favorite columns separately in your fav feed reader. You can also sign up to receive via email and or our Interactive Digital Magazine! You can see the current issue below along w/the sign up box to receive it in your inbox every Sunday Morning. You will continue hearing all about the excitement brewing here at TRW. Connecting Christian Women is what we are about. A whole new branch of TRW will be at Christian Women Affiliate. Click and you can go read more about what's to come with CWA & even sign up to receive notice when all is ready for you! Pray for us as we dive into all God has for us, for you, in 2009!  Don't forget to click on our Christian Women's Community that has close to 700 women & growing everyday! Getting Real, Getting Encouraged and Getting Rooted together to continue to Grow and be all God has created us to be! Christian Women Take Root!

Blessings to each of you!

The Take Root and Write Team

More Information About Our Ministry

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More information on Our Ministry...

We have our Private Community that you can join and connect with other Christian Women, Christian Women Take Root. If you have noticed around Take Root and Write a lot of us connect through Twitter. We have Christian Women Tweet Up! You can click and read all about it. Christian Women Affiliate is now open to read a little about it and sign up to receive updates. So click on over and sign up to get those!

Thanks to Patricia Warren, our Digital Magazine Publisher, Our Brand New Digital Version of Our Take Root and Write magazine is well under way! I hope you are signed up to receive those. They are delivered via your inbox once a week on Sunday Morning. Easy to Read and all links are active and will bring you right back to the site so you can comment and engage!

We do have some openings on the Take Root and Write Team. Writer's positions are listed on the Potential Writers page on TRW. There is also an opening listed there for a Christian Women Tweet Up Cordinator. We are always looking for women to become involved over in the community ministry. Let me tell you what a blessing it has been to serve with this team of women! And to make it even better we are connecting with other teams of Christian Women too! We are not about being separate or trying to make ourselves stand out over other Christian Women Ministries online. We are about connecting. How much stronger are we united?

We are non-profit and very much consider all branches of TRW to be ministry. As our other branches open, more positions become available. So! Do not hold back, if you have a desire to get involved. Come on in!

Please contact via email in far right corner.

Subscribe to WeeklyTake Root and Write Digital Magazine HERE

Current Magazine always posted on Monday Morning. Last 2 Issues Below!

Open Magazine; June 29-July 3rd

Open Magazine; July 6-9th,2009

Waving the White Flag of Surrender

In American culture and in our humanness, we believe we will be the winner. It could be a simple discussion with someone who has an opposite view, cheering our child’s soccer team, or leaving a stop light. Ultimately, we know there will be a winner and a looser, and we will not lose.

My walk with God is like that. He shows me a place of necessary growth. Instantly, my pride begins to argue that I really don’t need to change. A tussle with the Lord begins . . . until I get tired of struggling and I wave my white flag of surrender.

I lost the scuffle. I am the loser, I think. Yet, the reality is that when God wins, I win. My white flag waving isn’t the beginning of a prison sentence; it’s the beginning of my freedom in Christ.

Throughout history, waving some type of white flag has represented surrender. Raised empty hands above one’s head, paper adhered to the front of a helmet, a torn t-shirt or handkerchief tied to a stick, or a sheet attached to a pole are all examples of white flag symbols of surrender.

Whether it is a full war or a small disagreement, the white flag allows the weaker side to yield to negotiation and expect protection as seen in the ancient rules of war in the Old Testament, (Deuteronomy 20:19-20) through the modern days of The Hague and Geneva Conventions.

Surrendering can be a single act or a process.

By definition, waving of the white flag is a noun - a single one time event resulting in acknowledgement of defeat. As a verb, surrender is a continuous yielding.

Trusting God is a lifetime process. In Psalms, David’s voice is an unremitting sound of internal struggle to the One he knows will defend and protect him. For David, this is not a one time event of waving the white flag of surrender but a continual choosing to yield his faith to his God.

In this process, David is not a defeated prisoner, but a man who can walk in the freedom of God’s protection and rescue.

“Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this” (Psalm 37: 3-5)

“He will do this” becomes clear as the psalm continues, telling David and countless generations how God is going to protect and defend against our enemies as we trust him, delight ourselves in him, and commit our ways to him.

Each week, a man in my church waves a white hankie during worship service. Hand raised high, he waves that hankie with the fervency of a cheerleader at a playoff game.

When I asked someone about why he waved the hankie, they answered that it was joyful gratitude for his grandpa giving his life to Christ. His grandpa had been an alcoholic, but when he gave his life to Christ, his grandpa was healed of that deadly disease. He now lives his life in Christ.

Every day, I have opportunities to wave the white flag, rejoicing in all the Lord has done for me. Yet, sometimes instead of rejoicing, I wrestle with the Lord, wrestle against new opportunities for growth.

I forget that God wants to protect me from harm, defend me from enemies, and free me from the situations that will defeat me.

As a reminder, I stuck a white hankie in my Bible. When I struggle to trust the Lord, I pull it out, and wave my white flag as an act of surrender.  

 

Donna Helzer’s greatest joy is sharing the journey of discovery and trusting God’s wisdom in the midst of life’s challenges.  Whether over coffee, in a note, or blogging, scripture applied to life keeps Donna going.

3 Tips on How to Balance a New Business and Family

Are you a parent who is wondering if you can also run a home-based business successfully without neglecting the kids? Preparation is needed to do both roles effectively.

Both parenting and entrepreneurship take a lot of care and attention. That raises the question: can one person handle both? Through careful planning and evaluation, yes, both can be handled. Here are 3 tips to help successfully balance a new business and family.

Time Management

In order to successful launch your new business without neglecting the time commitment needs of your kids, take inventory of how you currently spend your time. Create a time study, recording what you do over a week's time. Next, evaluate the results, looking for time waste that can be allocated for your business start-up. Then try to find 5 to 10 hours per week to carve out of your schedule.

Time Management also takes into consideration away-from-home time. While, not an issue in a home-based business, it might require doing home parties at other locations. Does your work time over-lap your kids dinner time? Bed time? Extra-curricular time? Will your work schedule be conducive to your family-time needs?

It is also important to take some time for you and your spouse. Keeping your marriage strong is key to a happier family and business. You want your spouse’s support, so you need to be careful not to neglect time with them.

Through successful time management, you can ensure that both family and business get attention to thrive.

Money Management

Kids cost money! They need clothes, school supplies, plus outside activities that all come with a price tag. Family expenses need to be considered while building a business. Building a business includes start-up costs, in addition to the time it takes to build a steady income.

Create a study of current family expenditures. Take a good hard look at where money is currently spent. Do you go out to eat or get take out each week (or multiple times per week)? Do you spend money on a hobby? What are the places to tighten your belt?

As you evaluate your financial start-up needs, consider supplementing your income with a part-time job in the beginning until more consistent money comes in. Telecommuting is a stay-at-home option. Working from home for an employer would allow more flexibility than working an outside job, plus you would save money on gas and child-care, including commuting and away from home time.

Space Management

You have a choice: renting office space or creating a home office space. Is there home space, either a separate room, or a corner of a room, to allocate to your business? Productivity suffers with interruptions, so creating a distraction-free area to conduct business is import to the success of your business.

Rental space, while reducing distraction, is a more costly option that takes you away from the convenience of working from your home.

Comparing home space and rental options will help decide which is best for you and your family.

As your business begins to bring in some profit, think about outsourcing some of your activities or projects. Eventually, you could even hire some others to assist you, which will minimize time, financial and space issues.

Entrepreneurship can be an awesome journey! Three tips - analyzing time, finance, and space challenges help you plan ahead, and avoid potential conflicts between parenting responsibilities and business start-up will be minimized. Enjoy the adventure!

Laurie Newman teaches others how to make their journey of working from home an easier one. Laurie has worked from home for over five years and savors the freedom and flexibility, plus the purpose it has added to her life.

Come Unto Me

Sometimes it feels like I’m carrying the world on my shoulders. And no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to unload the heaviness of my heart. Sometimes all I know to do is just rest in his arms.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

 

 

Jesus is my strength. When I don't know what to say - I just don't say a thing. That's what is so wonderful about my relationship with Him. He will always take me just as I am. He will always be here for me - Always.

 

 

Biblical Principles of Economics & Government

 Is God a Republican or Democrat? Is he a Free-Market Economist or a Closet-Socialist? The Lord has strong ideals and commands about how government and the economy should function. We cannot push Him into our boxes, but must submit our plans and beliefs to the authoritive Word of God. His Truth is more important than all of our ideas.

We are going to look at 7 Biblical Principles that apply to both government and economics in the next few columns. I realize that this will take several months, but I think this time will be valuable. I want to talk about government too because in our times, the governnment affects and directs the economy in numerous ways.

I would ask you to examine your heart in this area. Are you loyal to a party or to human wisdom. Ask the Lord to renew your mind with His Truth. Once you know what our Heavenly Father has to say, I challenge you to vote according to His principles. Please use your money and run your business according to biblical principles also.

Reflections on 9/11: Moving Forward

On two poignant occasions, I have come to remember that no matter what happens, life continues to move forward.  That even in the midst of my grief, the world still turned and somehow did not stop for me.  These experiences were when I was en route to the cemetery for the burial of my grandmother and my mother, respectively, several years apart.  How on Earth could those children be playing in their yard so happily like that?  How could that couple be holding hands and strolling along?  How could all of those cars drive to and fro, going about their business as though nothing had happened?  It was a very strange sensation each time.  Something felt as though it was coming directly from the universe – perhaps simply coming from the way that God has created things.

 

There is a time designated for everything – to mourn, to rejoice, to live, to die.  But the beauty rests in that ultimately, life moves forward.

 

During this 10^th anniversary year of September 11^th, it has become apparent to me, that from my perspective, the world as we knew it before that fateful, terrible day, was forever changed – however, with varying degrees of firm definition.  We remain in the midst of struggles regarding troops in Afghanistan and have a terror threat alert system, but few people know what to do with it.  We, as Americans, live knowing, in the backs of our minds – that a terror attack can certainly occur here on our own soil and not just thousands of miles away, on television. Some first responders to the disaster on 9/11 seem to have to struggle for medical care for ailments stemming from their heroic acts.  And perhaps the greatest overt change of all - air travel security.  These, in addition to many other ways things have changed.