After three and a half years, and prayerful consideration I’ve come to the place where it’s time for me to step down from online ministry to better serve my family. Since it was also a good time for many of our writers to put down their pens, we decided to make this, July issue, our final.

I have been incredibly blessed with a team of faith-focussed writers who I pray will continue to minister to you as they walk on new paths.

I’ll leave our archived devotions online so that readers can continue to visit and dig through our articles for continual blessing and growth.

Along with our final farewell, I leave you this verse from Ecclesiastes:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Blessings,

Founder and Editor,
Christian Women Online Magazine
“Uniting Women of Faith”

Read my column—Live Well!
My blog: Darlene Schacht.com

]]> http://christianwomenonline.net/2009/07/01/letter-from-the-editor-8/feed/ 31 http://christianwomenonline.net/2009/07/01/how-faithfulness-makes-a-genius/ http://christianwomenonline.net/2009/07/01/how-faithfulness-makes-a-genius/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:28:48 +0000 Darlene Schacht http://www.christianwomenonline.net/issue/?p=1751

Ten thousand hours is a good benchmark—that’s one hour a day, five days a week, for forty years (with two weeks of vacation each year!). If every Christian decided to spend 10,000 hours developing their capacity in a single cultural domain (painting, stress fracture analysis, genomic sequencing, you name it) and also 10,000 hours on the spiritual disciplines that embody dependence on God (solitude, silence, fasting, study, prayer), in forty years we’d have a completely different world. How are you spending your 10,000 hours?”

How Faithfulness Makes a Genius

Dormant geniuses lie sleeping down the hall.

They eat across from us at the breakfast table, sit next to us in mini-vans taxiing to soccer fields, even look back at us from our bathroom mirrors. What if we realized that genius is simply an act of long faithfulness?  What if  genius is the normative intent of what God’ bestows and our own lack of faithful stewardship results in stunted, malnourished gifts?

László and Klara Polgár, parents of three daughters, understood exactly that. Homeschoolers in Hungary who were harrassed by armed police to enroll their daughters in public school, Klara and László believed that any child could be nurtured to flourish, and exceedingly. It was simply a matter of faithfulness. The Polgar’s were. Faithful hours of considered study and practice were invested.  By 2000, these home educated daughters were at least tri-lingual (one daughter could  speak seven languages), each had achieved top-10 ranking in the world of female chess players, and their youngest daughter, Judit, shattered the previous record for the youngest person, male or female, to earn the title of chess Grandmaster. She was 15 years old. While Susan would later be the number one female chess player in the world, Judit would be the first woman to be rank in the top ten chess players worldwide.  How did the Polgar’s raise three geniuses?

It wasn’t a function of I.Q. or genetics. (László concedes he was a mediocre chess player at best, being regularly beaten by his four-year-old daughter; Klara didn’t even know the rules when their daughters began playing).  It was simply the same way Mozart, Benjamin Franklin, Tiger Woods found their way.

By  faithful stewardship. By diligent, attentively focused use of the gifts God hands out liberally to more than a select few.  It’s dangerously tempting to think that geniuses are exceptional products of blazing, divine intervention. Because then we don’t have to closely examine how we are stewarding the gifts He’s given us. Are geniuses really only better stewards? Recent research suggests that very possibility.

Geniuses are stewards who:

Faithfully Practice

Geniuses make it look effortless only because they’ve faithfully practiced. Anders Ericsson, a professor of psychology at Florida State University, posits that  ”extended deliberate practice” is the ultimate key to successful use of a gift. “Nothing shows that innate factors are a necessary prerequisite for expert-level mastery in most fields,” he says. Ericsson’s interviews with 78 German pianists and violinists discovered that by age 20, the best musicians had spent an estimated 10,000 hours practicing, twice the average 5,000 hours  the less accomplished group practiced.

Genius is a long faithfulness.

So fingers stretch across ivories here, shoulders hunch over Latin, brows knit in mathematical quandary. Just two hours a day of concentrated practice over a decade stacks up to 7,000 hours of faithful stewarding. Why not tenderly unfurl a gift?

Geniuses are stewards who

Faithfully Pioneer

The flesh tugs towards the path of least resistance: to keep practicing what we already know. But geniuses steward the gift by faithfully pioneering into unknown territory. Committed stewards continually forge ahead by asking: what weaknesses need strengthening? what skills need extending? Faithful stewards fight the flesh and mind’s dastardly inclination to sloppily automate our gifts by deliberate, ongoing practice and a careful analyzing of the parts of the whole, which forces the brain’s internalization of an improved pattern of execution. Like Benjamin Franklin who would rewrite his favorite articles from memory, then closely compare it with the actual,  we too stretch minds and skills with challenge of new ground.  How can this gift be gently stretched?

Geniuses are stewards who

Faithfully Pursue

Geniuses steward the gift by pursuing a mentor, a faithful nurturer. A coach, a tutor, a teacher are necessary to flourish a gift, to grow it into pioneer territory. Pursuing a supportive environment is paramount for the fostering of a gift and family can offer critical encouragement. When Carol Dweck, professor of psychology at Stanford University, praised children for “how” they did a task—for undergoing the process successfully — most children wanted to take on a increasingly challenging tasks. Generally, such encouraged children’s performances improved, and when it didn’t, they still enjoyed the experience.

The stewarding

It appears that God’s far more generous in placing great gifts into our hands than we’ve ever realized. And it’s our hands that need be faithful stewards of the talents.

I reach out and squeeze the young hand next to me.

That in every human being lies the latent potential of child lies latent genius. ecause if God’s in the business of generously handing out the gift of genius, then that leaves us how do we account for   gives gifts to all,  sparingly hands out gifts, then any lack in aptitude is is  of  and genius is an act of stewarding the gifts. It’s  easier to think that geniuses are the products of divineGenius is an act of long faithfulness.

Talent is overrated highlights a growing body of research which shows that the top achievers in many fields are neither high-IQ geniuses nor former child prodigies turned professionals. In fact, many of these top performers are just reasonably bright people who showed a slight knack for something and then spent decades engaged in “deliberate practice,” which involves spending hours figuring out your weak spots, honing specific skills through constant feedback, and learning as much as possible about your field. The bad news is that such practice is “highly demanding mentally” and “isn’t much fun.”

It is a provocative thesis, which Colvin first put forth in a 2006 Fortune article that ignited a furious debate in the blogosphere. Like Malcolm Gladwell, who has also written a new book on top talent (Outliers), Colvin is deft at finding studies and anecdotes to back up his assertions. For example, he highlights one study which found that top violinists put in more than twice as many hours of solo practice as their lesser peers. And he describes how comedian Chris Rock hones his act at small clubs, so that by the time he plays larger venues he knows exactly how the audience will react to each joke.

You need a particular kind of practice—deliberate practice—to develop expertise. When most people practice, they focus on the things they already know how to do. Deliberate practice is different. It entails considerable, specific, and sustained efforts to do something you can’t do well—or even at all. Research across domains shows that it is only by working at what you can’t do that you turn into the expert you want to become.

Bear in mind that even Winston Churchill, one of the most charismatic figures of the twentieth century, practiced his oratory style in front of a mirror.

Then our young writer would find a mentor who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance from the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems — how do I get characters into a room — dozens and dozens of times. She is ingraining habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.

©2009, Ann Voskamp

Terri Blackstock hasn’t always written for the Lord. Just over a decade ago she was an award-winning secular novelist writing for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, and Silhouette. With thirty-two titles published and 3.5 million books in print, she found that she was miserable. The compromises she had made in her career had taken their toll on her spiritual life, and she yearned to renew her relationship with Christ.

Tune in to hear about her journey, what it’s like to write Godly fiction, and the story behind her new book, Double Minds.

What first attracted me to Rena’s blog was the text on her header which reads:

“Falling on my face is still forward motion and it helps me to remember that 3 steps forward with 2 steps back is still one step closer to where I want to be.”  I really liked the way she worded this on her header because even when we fall forwards we are indeed still closer to the finish line.  Rena has a 21 year old daughter and 19 year old son and has been married for 24 years to her husband.  She says about herself: ” I’m a follower of Jesus Christ and while somedays it feels like I’m shadowing Him from a distance, I know deep inside He is having His way in me. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”  You can visit Rena’s blog by click on her header image or her link above.

________________________

Blog Moderator, Sarah Lopez:

Sarah Lopez recently joined CWO as our new blog moderator, and will be searching through blogs each month to find just the right pick.

She is the mother to two small children and the wife to Jesse Lopez.  Both Sarah’s children were miracles of God.  Hannah, her oldest, was born too early weighing in at just 1 ½ pounds, and 2 yrs. later little Jesse was also born a preemie weighing in at 4 pounds.  Even during those worrisome days that she frequented the NICU, Sarah always placed her trust in The Lord, knowing that there is purpose for everything under Heaven. Both Sarah’s kids are now under elementary age and doing great; showing no signs of ever being premature to begin with.   She praises and thanks God for this daily.

She is just the average mom who has ups and downs like all of us, but sees these ‘roller coaster’ rides as lessons to learn and grow from; trusting that everything is always done through God’s permission only, and therefore she willingly accepts any challenges she may face, knowing that God will see her through them all.

Find out more about Sarah at her blog:

God’s Not Finished With Us Yet

Dad has graced my doorstep more times than I can count, clothed in denim overalls with a box of tools at his side. I still remember the old red box he carried way back when I was too tiny to lift it, but plenty big enough to pass him each tool. The words ‘Andy the Handyman’ were hand written across the top, in permanent marker. Whether Dad wrote it himself, or it was the work of a pen-happy child, I’m not sure, but the label fit him well.

When we needed our roof repaired, Dad climbed the ladder to fix the shingles; when we were moving, he was there to pack the truck; and when we were building a family room, he lent his hand to lay sheets of drywall. I’ve grown so accustomed to picking up the phone to ask for his help, that I can’t imagine living life without him.

Many things our life mirror the spiritual, and likewise the relationship with my dad mirrors that between my Heavenly Father and I. God is knocking on the door waiting for me to invite Him in—ready with His toolbox to fix my problems. He holds a light in one hand to show me the way, and a promise in the other to cleanse me from sin.

I count it a privilege to honor the God-given role of fatherhood, and a blessing to share that honor with you this month. In doing so, I’ve opened a new door at CWO which welcomes three fathers to our group of writers. John Cox, Mick Silva, and James Rubart will be giving us a male perspective on things in their monthly column, “Mail from Mars.” It’s not only a blessing–I also find it necessary to glean wisdom from men, as God has wired them in a completely different way than we women.

We also meet with Jennifer Rothschild, our cover girl this month. Jennifer connects with Sunny Shell in Sister 2 Sister to chat about her “gift” of blindness, and how it has strengthened her faith. Jennifer also talks about her book, and offers three incredible giveaways! Be sure to read her inspiring interview!

Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:22, NIV

Blessings,

Founder and Editor,
Christian Women Online Magazine
“Uniting Women of Faith”

Read my column—Live Well!
My blog: Darlene Schacht.com

Today I ate a 3 inch sub for lunch (which is a long way from the 12 inch subs I downed in former years), and for supper I ate a baked potato with the works—veggies on the side. That’s the way I’ve become accustomed to eating now: smaller portions, without skimping on the flavor.

But that’s not what I want to talk to you about this month, because God has laid something very different on my heart, which is the topic of taking every thought captive:

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, NIV

But since I write Live Well, which is mainly about diet, I got to wondering what the link between a healthy diet and captive thoughts would be. And why would God choose this particular portion of scripture for us this month?

Then I turned on my computer, and started to read Sunny’s interview with Jennifer Rothschild, our cover girl this month, who said, “God began to show me when I was in my twenties the damaging effect of what I was saying to my soul and that if I didn’t control my thoughts, my thoughts would control me. He showed me the best way to control my thoughts was to make them truthful. I went on a journey going from destructive self talk to constructive, life-giving soul talk! Once I learned how to recognize lies I was telling myself, I refused them into my “Thought Closet,” relabeled them with truth and I’ve repeated the habit for years now.” (Read the entire interview here)

That’s when the pieces started coming together, and I realized that self talk doesn’t only keep us obedient to Christ, which is foremost important in our lives, it can also demolish strongholds by tearing down the inner arguments we often support with negative self talk.

You might think that self talk is something other people do, but if you stop and think for a minute you may remember a little voice not only suggesting, but also encouraging you to drop your diet when temptation set in. I hear it all the time, and sometimes that self talk slips through my lips when I say, this is the last one, one more, or this is so delicious, I can’t stop! That’s all self talk, either encouraging or discouraging you along your journey.

Imagine the power we could have had if we strongly suggest persistence, and then continue to suggest it until we persuade ourselves that it is the best choice to make. That’s taking our thoughts captive.

Until we determine that turning back is not an option we’re destined to slip up. But when we run the race with unwavering determination we are guaranteed success.

Keep running the race ladies, and till next month, Live Well!

©2009, Darlene Schacht

Author of a dozen books, popular speaker, corporate educator and spokesperson, and mother of seven, Ellie Kay has walked her own financial talk and knows what it’s like to be strapped for cash and struggling. Within two and a half years, she went from being a new wife and stepmom to two children with $40,000 in consumer debt to being completely debt free-all on one military income! Within 15 years and while adding five more children to the family, Ellie and her husband were able to pay cash for their cars, buy and furnish two five-bedroom homes (one after selling the other), take wonderful vacations, dress fashionably, build a nest egg for retirement, send the kids to college loan-free, and give away more than $100,000 to nonprofit organizations around the world.

Ellie meets her audiences-mainstream Americans who earn between $40,000 and $100,000 annually-right where they are financially. She teaches them sound money habits that are do-able and will stretch their dollars for the lifestyle of their dreams. Her latest title, Living Rich for Less (Waterbook/Random House, January 2009), sets forth her 10/10/80  Rule – give away 10 percent of your income, save 10 percent, and spend the last 80 percent wisely – with hundreds of Cha-Ching Factor tips that show readers how to keep and put more than $30,000 in their pockets in just one year.

]]> http://christianwomenonline.net/2009/06/01/cwo-radio-interview-ellie-kay/feed/ 0 http://christianwomenonline.net/2009/06/01/as-simple-as-childs-play/ http://christianwomenonline.net/2009/06/01/as-simple-as-childs-play/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:12:39 +0000 Darlene Schacht http://www.christianwomenonline.net/issue/?p=1714

Light falls in the orchard, dappled among the gnarled limbs, and the apple blossoms fall too, a perfumed carpet for children’s bare toes. They’ve come, the children. Come to play under spring’s cloud of petals. They’ve come with teacups slid into great-grandma’s tapestry purse, a teddy bear stitched up for a long-ago birth, a blanket that once wrapped a newborn.

I string out laundry, wooden pegs between fingers.

The wind carries their voices with the blossom snow.

“You be Thelma and this is your tea set. The plastic one, remember?” Malakai’s smoothing out the pink gingham blanket with the eyelet trim, while Shalom, a swirl of tulle, carefully takes cups and saucers from her tapestry purse.  (It’s true, every woman, by matter of course, should carry a teacup in purse.)

“And I’ll be Frances.” Malakai’s  propping a bear before the teapot.  He’s come to afternoon tea in too-big cowboy boots, a sheepskin vest.  Tea can be a very manly affair. “And I want your tea set with the red flowers on it because you tell me that the china one with the blue flowers is very hard to find.”

I feel a quiet smile spreading.  They’re playing out one of our read-alouds from this morning, Hoban’s classic, A Bargain for Frances. The story on a page of two friendly badgers having tea is being replayed in our orchard by a teddy-bear toting cowboy and a teapot-in-my-purse princess.  Flat page story stands up into full-bodied life.

It strikes me that the eyelet-and-leather play in the orchard is cosmic, profound theology.  I am watching what our pastor says is the whole of Christianity, it’s ultimate essence, lived out. “You be… and I’ll be….”

As Shalom acts out the part of Thelma … and Malakai plays Frances…. So we daily re-enact the upending message of Christ.  It’s the story we’re fixated on, the one scene that so electrified our lives that we can’t help re-enacting it over and over again, in a thousand ways: You be a sinner like me… and I’ll be Jesus. When you act like I’ve acted — selfish and ugly, proud and stubborn — I’ll be like Jesus: sacrificial and loving,  righteous and faithful.

Child’s play is the Christian’s script.

(Is that why He said that “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”? [Mt. 18:3]).

We live out the kingdom of heaven when we represent the person of Christ in all of our encounters. Individually, collectively, we take his part, become His Body,  in this time and space.   Child, I’ll be Jesus to you today… and when you be me, with my tongue and my attitude, I’ll  say His words and I’ll forgive  you like He did me and  I’ll get  down to wash your dirty places …

Playing hard roles is the Christian’s script.

As I watch Shalom and Malakai re-enact a picture book story I see how it’s true: “children who re-enact stories are better at connecting and integrating events… than children only in a story reading group” (Saltz and Johnson, 1974). Isn’t it the same with the children of God? When we as Christians stand Scripture up and walk it off the page, we move from simply reading the story — knowing theology, knowing about Christ — to connecting The God-Man to our lives, integrating our daily events into a Jesus-perspective. Then we are  doing theology, being Christ.

Could spiritual formation really be as simple as the play formation of children? As simple as “You be… and I’ll be.”

Does the role-playing go something like this: “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” (Jn. 13:15).

Shalom fills cups  with dandelion wine.  Malakai leans over for another spot of tea, “Now you say…”

Now you say. You say Jesus’ lines. Live the lines of Gerard Manley Hopkins poem:

“Christ plays in 10,000 places
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his.”

The play unfolds in the orchard under limbs of blossom clouds. Could Christ come play in this place?

Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his.

©2009, Ann Voskamp

Each month we choose one blogger from our list of over 4,000 women to be CWO’s blog of the month. This month’s pick is ‘Getting Down With Jesus’.  I sincerely believe Jennifer possesses a genuine heart for Christ and expresses this in all of her posts.  She’s been through some hardships but with that she remains faithful and clings to the Lord consistently.  She is a very, very precious woman of God who is married to a wonderful man, has two girls and lives on a farm.

Jennifer writes a warm and inviting messaged on her blog:

“Welcome to Getting Down with Jesus, a place where we can share our gut-level thoughts on faith. My walk of faith has looked more like a series of stumbles, instead of a forward-march. Think, Scarecrow on The Wizard of Oz. He’s a little unsteady, often self-doubting, but always following a road to something bigger. I’m a long-time writer who has traveled a yellow-brick road from unbelief to faith in God. My intent here at Getting Down With Jesus is to get personal, honest and real with Him … and with myself. To get down to Truth. So whether your faith journey has followed a crooked, quirky path – or you’ve been walking the straight and narrow for a lifetime – you are welcome here.”

Visit Jennifer at: ‘Getting Down With Jesus’.

Hi, I need prayer. I want to move from where we live, and it’s just not God’s timing I guess.