Tag Archives: Women of the Bible: A Study

A is for Allelujah and Aaron/Airyn

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I was just reminded of this blog hop today. Usually I’m better prepared but this year has been a roller coaster so far and the ride is not ending any time soon. So this month you will get a mixed bag of posts. I will try and do two mini posts for each letter, one inspirational as has been my April posts, but I am also in the process of gearing up for the release of the first book in my YA Christian Fantasy trilogy on April 26 so I will include a fact about my book in each of my daily posts.

So here we go April 1: A is for Allelujah

How exciting that April 1 is the day after Easter this year. Allelujah: He is Risen. Jesus has set us free.

 

A is for Aaron/Airyn

Aaron/Airyn is one of the main characters in my trilogy. Although he doesn’t appear till the end of the second book Palace of Three Crosses, this young man paid a pivotal role in the beginning of the writing process for the trilogy. Part of Aaron’s story was written first, and a small book Aaron’s Revenge was even self published first. As I finished writing this excerpt from Aaron’s life I realized there was so much more story to tell, like how that young man got to the point where that story started. These thoughts gave birth to the Palace of the Twelve Pillars trilogy. With that realization Aaron’s father, uncle and a whole slew of other characters took center stage to contribute to the saga. You will hear more about them in the coming month. Just remember that Aaron/Airyn started it all.

I guess I should quickly explain the two spellings. He started out as Aaron, but as I got into the third book found the need for him to have two names yet only one name, so to some of the characters he became known as Aaron, while to others he became known as Airyn.

To get anymore details than that you will have to read the books.

Palace of the Twelve Pillars: Book One Release Date April 26 2013

Palace of Three Crosses: Book Two Release Date September 2013

Sanctuary of Nine Dragons: Book Three Release Date TBD

 

A Little Epiphany

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Check out my latest post along with the writing of a few other talented writers at http://newevangelizers.com/

 

A Little Epiphany

Christina Weigand

Over the years as I’ve studied the Bible, I along with others in Bible Study group have queried the idea, “Why didn’t the Israelites of the Old Testament get it? And if they had where would be be today?” Recently I had an epiphany. However along with the realization came more questions and more epiphanies.

One of the questions that arose: Just who were and are the Israelites? It’s pretty clear cut in the Bible, although when they became the Jewish people it starts to get a little fuzzy. As we look at contemporary times the question becomes are they the people living in Israel; are they just Jews or do Christians qualify too?

One of my epiphanies based on my studies and queries: Israel is more than a place on some human map. Each and every one of us is Israel, an Israelite; one of God’s chosen people. Not that the place on the map isn’t important, but what we each hold in our hearts is what’s most important. That outranks a strip of land in God’s eyes any day.

That brings us back to my original question: Why didn’t they get it and what if they had? Just like us, the Israelites of old were humans with free will. What we see in retrospect is a reflection of ourselves. Because even with modern technology and knowledge, even with Christ dying for our sins we still don’t get it. We still reject God, try to do things on our own, think we can do it all and don’t need God.

Funny thing, while we are considering ourselves so much better than the Israelites, we don’t see, don’t realize that while we push God away, try to do it all on our own, God doesn’t leave. He refuses to be pushed away. Instead He patiently waits, giving little nudges along with second, third and even hundredth and beyond chances. He waits for us to have that epiphany, to open our eyes and hearts and let Him in. When we admit, we are weak and He is strong. When we feel alone, we are not, for He is closer than any one. When we feel unloved, we are loved by Him more than we can ever imagine.

We may not be different from the Israelites, but we don’t have to remain distant from God. We have a choice. We can choose to continue on our path holding God at arm’s length and trying to do it on our own. Or we can choose to let God in, let Him do His will in our lives. I think I like the second choice.

Even though Epiphany is past we should still embrace the revelation of Christ to the world. Thanks to ChurchYear.net here is a prayer that I want to share and plan to pray as I continue my journey with Christ throughout the year:

O God, Who by the guidance of a star didst this day reveal Thine only begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may be so led as to behold with our eyes the beauty of Thy majesty. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, would without end. Amen.

Parents Do You Know

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Please go to http://newevangelizers.com/blog/2012/12/18/parents-do-you-know/  to check out my Advent thoughts along with that of others of God’s talented writers.

Parents, Do You Know?

There is a Christmas song I’ve heard a few times entitled “Mary Did You Know?”  It asks Mary, the Mother of Jesus if she knew who her Son was and what his life meant to the world and to her.

This song got me thinking about parents, mostly myself, and how much we know about our children: the people they become and the people they will affect.

None of us will be the parents of the next Jesus, but we are parents of someone made in God’s image.  If you look closely in your child’s eyes you can see God.  You could be holding the next John the Baptist, or Gandhi, or the nice person with the kind words and the warm blanket helping in the neighborhood soup kitchen.

As this child’s parent, you’ll experience many of the same pains and the same joys that Mary experienced.  We can’t stop their trials and as parents we will feel every little nail in their path just as Mary felt every hammer blow as they nailed her son to the cross.  We will share their every joy as Mary felt the joy when her son rose from the dead.

Mary is the model of parenting.  She knew what her son was destined to be and yet she did nothing to stop it. In fact she did everything she could to ensure he was on God’s path.  She risked shame and humiliation to do God’s work and give birth to his son.  Then she watched as her son was persecuted by the people he was sent to save.

Like Mary, we can’t stop our children’s trials.  We must watch as they stumble and fall on the path and trust that God will lift them up to continue on their paths.  As parents we must have faith that God will care for our children.  God will gird our children in the armor of faith and carry them through their trials.

Mary placed herself and her son in God’s loving hands.  She knew that she had to let her son do God’s work.  The gift that God had given her she had to return to God as a gift of thanks and praise.

God has given us an awesome responsibility with his gift, but with God’s help we are up to the task.  We will feel Mary’s pain and we will feel her joy and like her we must never lose our faith.

Because of her faith, Mary, kissed the face of God and because of Mary, as parents we also kiss the face of God each time we kiss our child.  Every time we hold them in our arms or wipe their tears away, we are doing it for God.

Our children are ours for only a short time, yet they are God’s forever.  As Mary so lovingly did, so must we by returning our gifts of children to God as gifts of love and praise.

Our children are made in the image of God as Jesus was.  God knew Jesus’ destiny and knows the destiny of each of our children.  We should raise them as God’s children, just as Mary raised Jesus as God’s child.  Then we have given and received the ultimate Christmas gift, God’s Children.

Blessed Christmas to you all,

 

Christina Weigand

Two Callings: One God

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Christina (Helgerman) Weigand & Cheryl Helgerman

Please check out this article and many others at   http://newevangelizers.com/

 

Two Callings: One God

Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Recently I have been researching St. Andrew, St. Peter’s younger brother and the first apostle Jesus called. As I did my research on September 21, another pair of siblings crept into my mind. They were my sister Cheryl and I.

Twenty-three years ago on September 20 my younger sister died.

I was the oldest. In spite of that, she always seemed to be more suited to be the oldest. If you look at those studies showing traits associated with birth order, she had all the firstborn traits, even bordering on only child. I, on the other hand, placed lower on the birth order chart.

She did many things first as we grew up: she was the first to get a bra, the first to get a driver’s license, the first to date my husband, the first to go to college, the first travel the world, and the first to go home to God.

I felt for a long time that she was my parent’s favorite. I was envious of all that she accomplished that I was afraid to even try.

We grew up, and I got married and had a family. Cheryl joined the Air National Guard (much to Dad’s joy) and traveled the world.

We stayed in touch, but didn’t have that day-to-day, “I know what’s going on in your life” connection. It looked as if she had it all.

At her funeral in the small town of Mars, Pennsylvania, the line of cars from St. Kilian Church to the cemetery was several blocks long.

Cheryl knew many people and touched many lives. I don’t know for sure how she touched those lives. I vaguely remember hearing about a church connection in Alaska, where she was living when she died.

Whatever those connections, God believed she fulfilled her mission on earth and called her home that fateful day in 1989.

Meanwhile I traveled nowhere, married, had a home and children, and overall led a boring, complacent life. Or at least I thought so.

While Cheryl was in the foreground fulfilling God’s purpose, and I’m sure He had some purpose even if I don’t know what, I was in the background being prepared for mine.

Like Peter and Andrew, Cheryl and I had very distinct and different personalities. God chose each one of us because of those traits and in His time and His way has used them to further His message on earth.

Cheryl, like Peter, was a bright, shining billboard, with some rough edges that, when smoothed and polished, drew people to her and then to God. Both Cheryl and Peter made mistakes and stumbled, but drove straight ahead not fearing the risks, becoming bright stars for God.

I, like Andrew, am more cautious, pulling back and contemplating before I dive in. My light is slower to shine and sometimes may even be missed. But when it is realized, it shines as brightly for God.

God chooses all of us, whether a bright flash-in-the-pan or a slow starter He is molding you, working through you to achieve His glorious ends.

P.S. I didn’t mention in the article but my sister’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. So from my sister Cheryl and my family may you have a blessed Thanksgiving and a faith filled Advent as we anticipate the birth and life of our Lord Jesus.

All For the Glory of God

Christina Weigand

God Has Plans For Us

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God's PlansHere is my newest article at New Evangelizers. Please go to the website at http://newevangelizers.com/ to check it out along with lots of other articles about our faith and what God expects of us.

That the blessed and only ruler will make manifest at the proper time, the King of kings and Lord of lords. (1 Timothy 6:15)

 

Recently I saw a post on Facebook. At first it angered me. Not that someone posted it, but what the post was. For a passing moment I thought about blocking the poster. I have seen other posts by this person that have upset me in the past. Then I realized they are entitled to their own opinion even when it disagrees with mine, so I didn’t block or unfriend her. During the process of coming to this conclusion, I had time to contemplate her post and formulate my own answers to her post.

Her question (I don’t remember the exact words) was if God has plans for us, why not sit back and let the plans unfold? This wasn’t the point in the post that angered me, but this isn’t about what angered me, but about searching for my own answers to the question.

Many of us have asked this question. The poster used it for evidence that God doesn’t really exist, because we humans continue to follow our own paths.

Let’s put this in human perspective. How many times have plans been made and outcomes all but assured? Then someone who was part of the plan didn’t follow the plan. They chose to exercise their free-choice and go their own way. Now your ending is changed, delayed.

This is how our relationship with God is. He has plans for us, but because He gave us free choice—free will, we chose not to follow His path. Instead we go our own way, disrupting and changing His plans.

Why doesn’t God just force his plans through? Why does He tolerate human interference if He is all-powerful, all-knowing? Because in spite of all our human failings, our missteps, He is more than that…Benevolent comes to mind. He loves us. He waits for us to come to Him. He gives us numerous second chances. He is patient.

God wants to work with us and through us to achieve His plans. So again the question arises, why don’t we just sit back and let God have His way? As I previously mentioned; He wants to work with us and through us. He wants an active partnership with His children.

Humankind was not created to be slaves and fulfill a cruel taskmasters needs. Instead we have been created in God’s image to be active participants in the world He created for us. Notice, I said Active. He doesn’t want us to sit back and wait for His plans to unfold. Instead He looks to us to actively participate in the plan. Only when we prayerfully and full of faith embrace and participate in the plan will we find peace and satisfaction. When we go against His plan with our own or the world’s plan we only find discouragement and despair.

I may not have answered the blog question to the satisfaction of the poster, but in my heart and soul with God’s guidance, I have answered it for myself. When I live my answer I am screaming to the fallen world, there is an alternate plan with God. His plan may hurt for a time and it may seem as if the answers are not the ones I want. But at the end of my life on Earth He will be waiting with open arms to welcome me into eternity.

 

All for the glory of God,

Christina Weigand