Friday Tidings

January can be a dark month. One particularly gloomy day, the rain was relentless. Rather than enjoy the warmth of the wood stove, it was easier for me to sulk as I thought about all the work I needed to do. Later, as I washed the dinner dishes, I did something I hardly ever do. I chipped a plate. Sigh. It was exactly how I felt, chipped in spirit. I held the piece in my hand. While trying to glue it back in place the shard cut my finger. Why not feel worse? The next day my personal clouds lifted. But the newly chipped plate bore its wound poorly—thanks to my pathetic glue job. I stuck the plate at the bottom of the stack, so I wouldn’t have to see it often, but today, I was on my last plate, and there it was, ugly chip and all.  I smiled at my wounded plate, because it reminds me that while dark, rainy January days will come, they don’t last—and neither do the moods that go with them. 2 Samuel 23:4 "

Like the pink hats of last year, women are now wearing black to show their strength and solidarity in the midst of all of the #MeToo sexual improprieties. Black is my favorite color, so I’m in. The new hashtag: #TimesUp. But, here’s where I’ll show my age: if we want to have real power, let’s consider our image. What are we accomplishing for womanhood with sexually explicit clothing? Men are visually hardwired. So why use our bodies as bait? Is it to attract a mate? Pastor and author, John Piper tells women desiring to attract men through their skimpy fashions, “ The guy you are attracting by sexiness is not the guy you want to marry. Jesus is telling the "guy you want to marry" to pluck out his own eye rather than looking at you when you dress to be "sexy".” Apparently, the best guys aren’t the ones who chase skirts. Historically, women weren’t always treated like sexual objects. From 1607-1968 women in America were treated bette