Connecting Hearts Vol.1, Issue 2

Special Holiday Edition

Connecting Hearts Volume 1, Issue 2

Israel Tour

By Carrie Rothones

The Difference Between Shame & Guilt

By Carey Scott

Thanksgiving Soup

By Misty Fantauzzo

CONTENTS 22

17

6 10 Contributors: Misty Fantauzzo Suzanne Golden Jen Lawrence, MS, MFTC Phillip Rhoads, MD Carrie Rothones Carey Scott Kathryn Stevens

4 LISTENING SKILLS

By Jen Lawrence, MS, MFTC 6 TEACHING KIDS EMPATHY

By Phillip Rhoads, MD 10 THANKSGIVING SOUP

By Misty Fantauzzo

Publisher: Melissa Rhoads Editor: Gail Hoffman Photo Credits: Misty Fantauzzo (Cover) Amy Freeman

12 ADVENT

By Kathryn Stevens 14 TABLE INTERVIEWS – DONNA WOODS

By Misty Fantauzzo 17 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHAME & GUILT

By Carey Scott 20 WOMEN OF FOUNDATIONS NEWSLETTER 22 DON’T TRY NOT TO COMPLAIN

By Suzanne Golden 24 ISRAEL TOUR/WIDOW’S MITE

By Carrie Rothones

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Co n

Women of Foundations

Israe l

By C Tour arrie Ro

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ing Hea rts Volu me 1, Issue

2

es

Connecting Hearts Magazine The D Betw ifferenc e e Sham en e &G

By C arey uilt Scott

Than k

By M sgiving S isty Fant oup auzz o

Dear Readers, We are so excited about this issue of Women of Foundations Connecting Hearts Magazine. As you browse the articles, interviews and art in this issue, take note of the links that appear. You can mouse-over and click links to follow them directly to content in the magazine, as well as links to contributor’s websites and blogs.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions.

In Jesus, Melissa and Gail

Article submissions to: Melissa.a.rhoads@gmail.com Subject line: Connecting Hearts article submission Photo Submissions to: Melissa.a.rhoads@gmail.com Subject line: Connecting Hearts photo submission

Connecting Hearts Nov/Dec 3

By Jen Lawrence, MS, MFTC

Listening is a tool most therapists use almost without thinking in our careers. It is a powerful way to connect with our clients. We teach our clients how to listen to their close friends/family to improve their relationships. Yet, listening can be difficult because our culture encourages us to move quickly towards fixing what we perceive the problem to be. I have found in my private practice that jumping into “fix-it mode� is very common with my male clients.

Our culture has taught them that to be successful as a male, they have to keep things running smoothly by solving problems. This becomes a stumbling block because moving

Even though we seem to be wired for problem solving, learning to listen well, even in response to the most emotional speaker, is well within our abilities.

4 Connecting Hearts Nov/Dec

into a solution stance versus a listening stance can invalidate the speaker’s struggle.

Not only is the problem solving approach a result of culture but it also can be a defense mechanism. If a speaker is sharing something emotional, that emotion can trigger the listener into a desire to resolve rather than be present with the emotion because emotion can be disturbing. Most parents can relate to this occurrence. When a child is upset, the common response is to rush in, find out what is wrong, and resolve the problem.

Even though we seem to be wired for problem solving, learning to listen well, even in response to a very emotional speaker, is well within our abilities. There are three key pieces to listening well with an optional fourth piece depending on the relationship between speaker and listener.

First, slow yourself down. Take a beat to remember that the speaker needs to be heard so you need to be in a listening mindset, not a problem solving mind-set. Literally take a deep breath through your nose and let it go slowly through your mouth as you begin to listen to the other person. This will help you slow the physiological responses that move you toward action (problem solving) and away from calm listening.

Second, be present. You may have a hundred other things on your mind but when you decide to listen to someone, give him/her your full attention. Look directly into his/her eyes. Notice facial expressions. Observe hand motions as well as posture. Just give yourself a few moments to really notice what the speaker is trying to tell you through nonverbal language.

Third, reflect back to the speaker what you hear. When I tell clients this, I sometimes get strange looks or comments like, “Why tell them what they already know?” Handing his/her own words back to someone can be powerfully validating. It tells the speaker that you were paying attention and care. This is the goal of good listening and can help calm an upset person much more quickly than trying to solve the problem. Use statements like, “That sounds so hard/scary/irritating!” or “I can’t imagine what that must be like!”

You can also ask in a gentle, caring voice, “That sounds rough. How can I help?”

Extending an offer of help without specifically giving suggestions offers support without dismissing the feelings, which is what happens when you move rapidly to problem solving.

Fourth, and optional, is touching the speaker.

Touch is a powerful non-verbal communication tool but should only be used if it is something with which you are both comfortable. If it is, reach out, put a hand on a shoulder or a hand, or hug the person. If you are unsure but feel like you want to offer some physical reassurance, ask if a hug or a handhold would help.

The beauty of good listening is that it can be used with anyone and in any circumstance; with sad or angry children (even those teenagers for which we often think nothing can help!), a friend struggling with grief or disappointment, or one wrestling with a secret. The power of good listening comes from the very fact that it is only listening, not problem solving. The listener does not need to own the speaker’s issue. In fact, the steps outlined previously specifically aim to keep the listener from owning the other person’s struggle. We tend to take on so much in this world. How nice to actually help another by not taking on a thing!♥

Jen Lawrence is a couple and family therapist in Loveland and is an ambassador for Foundations Church. She works with several other professional therapists in the Hope for the Journey Counseling Center in Loveland. This counseling center is a community of professional therapists who are committed to serving Jesus Christ and providing quality, clinical counseling through authentic, caring relationships with clients. The center provides individual, couple, and family therapy for all ages of clients. Location: 1401 S. Taft Ave, Ste. 206 Loveland, CO 80537. Phone: 970 541-9066. http://www.hope4thejourneyloveland.com/

Connecting Hearts Nov/Dec 5

Teaching Kids Empathy

By Phillip Rhoads, MD

We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.�

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison

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How do we teach empathy to our children? How do we instill a spirt of kindness and compassion, and how do we grow in them the ability to Love your

neighbor ?

Photo Credit: Freeman Photography

Connecting Hearts Nov/Dec 7

♼

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Connecting Hearts Nov/Dec 9

When I was a newlywed, I would spend hours looking at House Beautiful magazine and would set my VCR to record Martha Stewart’s Holiday Special in hopes of creating holiday perfection. Now, 20 years later, as stores push Christmas merchandise well before Halloween arrives and the meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas have become so distorted, I long for simplicity. Focusing on God’s message of fellowship and love will help us rethink the holiday mayhem. I still enjoy setting a pretty table and spending time making my favorite recipes, but what my heart longs for is peace in a busy schedule and time with those I love. Thanksgiving Soup is a recipe I created several years ago as a way to use up my leftovers and it has become my day after tradition. My hope for you this season is that you will be reminded of those traditions that knit you closer to the real meaning of this special season.♥ “When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which he has given you.”

Deuteronomy 8:10

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Thanksgiving Soup Save your Thanksgiving Day leftovers to make this simple and nourishing soup.

This recipe is meant to be followed loosely. Make it work for you and the Thanksgiving Day leftovers you have. My family always has leftover carrots, mashed potatoes and wild rice. But the soup would be delicious with leftover green beans instead or without the rice if that’s not on your menu. You can also use leftover roasted chicken any time of the year.

Ingredients

Instructions

6 Tablespoons butter

Make the soup:

3 stalks of celery, diced

Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a stockpot over

leftover carrots or other veggie, diced (approx. 1 cup) 1 small onion, diced 4 cups chicken broth 1/2-3/4 cups cooked rice 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes (or more) left over turkey or roasted chicken

medium heat. Add onions and celery and saute about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, rice, and precooked leftover carrots or other vegetable, mashed potatoes and turkey.

Bring to a boil: then lower heat and simmer for 40 minutes.

1 tsp. poultry seasoning or mix of sage & thyme

Make the cream sauce:

5 Tablespoons flour

While soup is simmering, melt the remaining 4

1 cup half and half (you can always use cream or milk instead - it will just be more or less creamy if you do)

tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Mix the flour and seasonings together and stir into the butter for 1 minute. Stir in half and half and mix well with whisk until thickened (just a few minutes).

Stir into soup and serve.

Connecting Hearts Nov/Dec 11

Advent

12

By Kathryn Stevens

13

Donna Woods and her husband Bill are such an inspiration to me and a wonderful example of living out your faith actively.

They have been married 58 years and have 4 children. They served in the mission field in Africa and have been involved in several ministries stateside.

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Donna over a cup of tea and visiting with her about her holiday traditions and her thoughts on modern day holiday celebrations. She had such good stories to tell and some great advice to share. I’m sure I could fill a book with her experiences and wisdom! Here are some excerpts from my interview with her.

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Misty: “So, tell me about your childhood and your family’s Christmas traditions.”

Donna: “I grew up on an Iowa farm. We had a small farmhouse and there was no electricity.

There were 8 children in my family. Christmas was probably the neatest time of year for all of us. There is something about Christmas that is so special to me. I have a birthday on the 22nd, so when I was little, it seemed like they were decorating just for me!

My family has Norwegian ancestry and some of the things we had were lutefisk; that is cod that is soaked in lye and when you would go to the shops they would take it out of barrels.

We served it with mashed potatoes and peas and a lot of baked things. My mother made the most beautiful Christmas bread with dried fruits in it. Oh it was just delicious!

The tradition was to have oyster stew on Christmas Eve and go to the church service.

With such a big family there wasn’t room for us to go in the car, so often my dad would put benches in the back of the farm truck and cover it with a tarp and 10 of us would load in and go to church. It was just beautiful with the candles and the singing!”

Donna, teaching her grand-daughters, Sarah and Kayley, to make traditional Norwegian Lefsa - A crispy flat bread that is soaked in hot water then spread with butter and sugar and rolled up.

Misty: “Talk to me about your time in Kenya and how you celebrated Christmas there.”

Donna: “Well, the biggest difference was that there was no snow. It was hot and we were on the equator. The kids said ‘Mom, where will we get a Christmas tree?’ So we asked other people who had been there a while and they invited us to come with them. Well, what we brought home was just a branch from a big pine tree. We still have pictures of it. We had some friends who had a Haflinger, which is like a Land Rover but like a military vehicle, and here we all were, piled in that with our Christmas branches!”

Connecting Hearts Nov/Dec 15

Misty: “I remember several years ago in our small group, I was complaining about my small kitchen and you said ‘It’s a 1 butt-kitchen!’ I have always remembered you saying that and when things get a little chaotic in my kitchen I laugh about it. I think there must be a story behind that phrase.”

Donna: “The 1 butt kitchen story comes from our time in Kenya also. We lived in a maisonette. They are like 4 units connected and they were very small. The kitchen was like a galley kitchen. My neighbor, Stephanie, would come over and we would be talking and doing things in this galley kitchen and we decided it just wasn’t big enough for 2 of us and so we called it a 1 butt kitchen. And now we use that phrase often.”

Misty: “What advice would you have for young families today, thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas in today’s culture?’

Donna: “What I see the most is that they are so involved with so many other people. They should really just center on their own families. Make your own family feel SO special. You can have all kinds of company and get so stressed out with preparations and all the things you think you have to be doing.”

Misty: “I love that advice, and it fits so well with a discussion I had recently in my Bible study group. We talked about how busy everyone is and there are so many good things to be involved in. It can be so easy to get caught up in all the worthy things, but we do too many and it takes away from our families. If idols are things that draw our attention from God, then a modern day idol can be busyness. It is easy to identify the ‘bad’ things we need to cut from our lives but not so easy to think about giving up ‘worthy’ things for the sake of Christ.”

Donna: “This is so true. We just need to just do things as they come. It’s not all going to go as you planned or end up like you think it will. Just enjoy your time.” ♥

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The Difference Between

Shame and Guilt

By Carey Scott

Shame surprised me.

I was in the middle of writing Untangled and I typed the word SHAME. I stopped and stared at the screen.

Wait. What?

God does that sometimes. I may be writing in one direction, and all of a sudden words flow out of me I didn’t intend to type. God talks to me a lot that way.

So as I stared at that word – I asked God, “Do I have… shame?”

I had always thought shame and guilt were the same thing. And since I didn’t really struggle with guilt, I

assumed I didn’t struggle with shame. As I looked up the definitions of each, tears began to spill out of my eyes.

Because I was dead wrong. They weren’t the same thing at all. Not even a little.

unable to break the cycle. Shame happens when our inadequacies are exposed, and we think others are negatively judging us. We become overly sensitive or fearful of rejection and criticism, and so we withdraw; certain we’re the problem.

Guilt is feeling bad about something you’ve done. I screamed at my kids.

I betrayed a friend. I lied to my husband.

It might show up as anger or embarrassment when our not good enough shows, or look like pride when we act is if nothing bothers

“

Guilt is feeling bad about something you’ve done. But shame is feeling bad about who you are.

But shame is feeling bad about who you are. I’m worthless. I’m a failure. I’m either too much or too little. I’ll never measure up.

And all of a sudden, that 5-letter word felt like more of a 4-letter word. Because I realized I was covered in shame.

This emotion surfaces when we’re in situations that embarrass, dishonor, disgrace, or humiliate us.

We feel it when we continue to sin,

”

us. We might become fearful of situations that would highlight an inadequacy, so we avoid them altogether. But under it all, we feel that something is fundamentally wrong with who we are. And that shame affects how we feel about ourselves at the deepest level.

But girls, shame isn’t from God. He doesn’t speak that language. His voice will never make us feel worthless. And so if you’re hearing that message… let it be a red flag.

It’s not God. It’s the Enemy.

~ You belong (Ephesians 2:13)

Truth is, the Enemy’s whole plan is to make you feel insignificant and unimportant. And he will use other people, crunchy situations and old wounds to tangle our selfworth in a knot of shame.

~ In God’s eyes, you’re perfect (Genesis 1:27)

So what can you do? You can chose to see yourself like God sees you. ~ You are unique (Psalm 139:13-16) ~ You’re the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8) ~ You are worth knowing (Matthew 10:30) ~ You are accepted (1 Peter 2:9-10) ~ What you need matters (Phil 4:19)

Every day, you have to decide to believe these truths. It’s not a “believe-it-once-and-it-lastsforever” deal. It’s something you have to cling to when people and situations threaten to tighten the tangle of shame.

I’m learning that Jesus is our only hope. He wants us to secure our worth in Him, instead of trying to please the world and measure up to their standards.

Choose to believe you are who God says you are… no matter what.♥

Carey Scott is an author, speaker, and life coach, honest about her walk with the Lord… stumbles, fumbles and all. Her passion is reminding women of their immeasurable worth, something the world is quick to discount. She speaks to women’s groups and writes about the issues that matter most to the heart of a woman.

You can learn more by visiting her website and blog at www.CareyScottTalks.com, or by tracking her down at the closest Starbucks.

Connecting Hearts In God’s Grace

Calendar Calendar Thurs., Dec. 3: Women’s Christmas Celebration “Star Light, Star Bright” 6:00 - 8:30pm Tues., Dec. 8: 2nd Annual Cookie Exchange 6:30 - 8:30pm

Welcome We want every woman of every age at Foundations Church to feel welcomed and connected to her sisters in Christ. It’s God’s intent that we live in community; supporting, encouraging, and challenging each other to grow in faith and knowledge of who He created us to be.

“I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Colossians 2:2-3

Fri. Jan. 22: BUNCO Night! 6:30 - 8:30pm Mon., Jan 25: Chocolate Book Club “The Friends of Jesus” 1:00 - 3:00pm

Tues., Jan. 26: Chocolate Book Club “The Friends of Jesus” 6:30 - 8:30pm Sat., Feb. 6: Dress a Girl Sewing Day 9:00am - 2:00pm Friday, Feb 19—Pinterest Night Check back for details soon!

Star Light, Star Bright Women’s Christmas Celebration Thursday, December 3 6:00 - 8:30 pm Our annual Christmas Celebration has proven to be the highlight of the year for Women’s Ministry and we are doubly excited to celebrate this year in our own building!

Come join us for an evening of worship, warm fellowship, a delicious Italian dinner, and light-hearted entertainment by comedienne, Stacy Pederson. This is a great opportunity to invite that friend or neighbor you’ve always wanted to bring to church!

Grocery Card Fundraiser Cards Available at Women’s Table every week

Tickets are $20, and are available at the Women’s Table, or online: (www.foundationschurch.org/women)

Help us fund the childcare provided during MOPS and Bible Study. Purchase $5 King Soopers gift cards at our table, go to your local store to add $$ to the card, use the card to purchase your groceries and gas!

There is no additional cost to you! Full details available at the Women’s Table.

Because of our contract with the caterer, the absolute deadline to purchase tickets is Sunday, November 29 NO exceptions, so please don’t wait until the last minute.

Pictures, Announcements, Videos, Tidbits & More on... www.foundationschurch.org and Women of Foundations Church Facebook Page www.foundationschurch.org (970) ONE ROCK

Christmas Cookie Exchange Tuesday, December 8 6:30 pm

Join us here in the Foundations Lobby to share your favorite Christmas Cookies and take home some of everyone else’s favorites. Please bring 4 dozen cookies/treats. One dozen will be for snacking on that night, and you’ll take home 3 dozen of the goodies that others bring. We will also be donating cookies to local organizations, so feel free to bring an extra dozen or so to donate if you wish.

In keeping with the theme we will also be making a cute cookie cutter ornament that evening. Tickets are $5.

Chocolate Book Club Read a thought-provoking book at home, then get together to discuss it over delicious chocolate treats!

Our newest selection is The Friends of Jesus by Karen Kingsbury. Fictionalized accounts of the lives of 6 very real people who were friends of Jesus that will help you appreciate the Bible and understand how it applies to your relationships with the most important people in your life.

Join us for dessert and discussion on either Monday, Jan. 25th, 1:00 - 3:00pm or Tuesday, Jan. 26th, 6:30 - 8:30pm.

Stop by our table in the Lobby to pick up your book ($10), or email us at women@foundationschurch.org to let us know you’ll be joining the discussion.

Dress A Girl Our Foundations ladies have sewn hundreds of adorable dresses that have been delivered to little girls all over the world. We would love to have you join us for our next sewing day on Saturday, February 6th from 9:00am - 2:00pm . Bring your sewing machine, scissors and pins, and we’ll have the kits and trim cut and ready for you to sew. If you don’t sew, we always need help attaching buttons, making yo-yos, and ironing. Come for a couple hours or stay all day - bring a sack lunch from home or grab a sandwich across the street. It’s always a great day of fellowship and service!

Spring Bible Study In early 2016 we will begin our spring Bible Study semester with Priscilla Shirer’s The Armor of God. All day, every day, an invisible war rages around you.

A devoted, devilish enemy seeks to wreak havoc on everything that matters to you. The Enemy always fails miserably when he meets a woman dressed for the occasion. The Armor of God, more than merely a biblical description of the believer's inventory, is an action plan for putting it on and developing a personalized strategy to secure victory.

Enrollment for our spring Bible study session will begin soon.

Connecting Hearts Women’s Ministry E-zine If you have “Liked” our Women’s Ministry Facebook page, or have an email address on file with Women’s Ministry, you’ve heard about our newest outreach, Connecting Hearts. It’s an online magazine with articles on parenting, relationships, missions, and Bible study. If you’ve missed the first edition, you can find the link on our Facebook page, or send an email to women@foundationschurch.org, and we’ll connect you.

www.foundationschurch.org (970) ONE ROCK

BUNCO Our next Bunco night is Friday, January 22nd from 6:30 - 8:30pm and our theme for the evening is Winter Delight. Tickets are $5.00 we supply the prizes, cold drinks, & fun. Don’t worry if you’ve never played before, Bunco is so easy we’ll have you rolling those dice like a pro in no time!

We will also continue our book exchange program.

Bring a (Christian) book that you’ve read and are ready to pass along. Bring one/Take one!

DON’T TRY

NOT TO COMPLAIN

By Suzanne Golden

Grumbling. Murmuring.

We know it's bad, but do we really understand how bad? In the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 10, we are given examples of how not to follow in the steps of the children of Israel: idolatry, sexual immorality, putting the Lord to the test, and in verse 10: "nor grumble, as some

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of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer." My study Bible links me to check Numbers 14. Oh my, grumbling is apparently pretty serious in the eyes of the Lord God. And yes, they had fatal results. Read Numbers 13 and 14 for the whole chilling account.

I am not a scholar, but I like the interlinear feature of my

NO VACANCY TO EVERYTHING OPPOSED TO HIS LORDSHIP

blueletterbible.com (or the app) for word studies. As it turns out, the Hebrew word for grumbling is 'luwn' and interestingly, it is used also for lodging.

Like he spent the night at hotel such and such - hmmmm.

What is the relation between grumbling and lodging or harboring? Scanning the handy list of Old Testament uses in BLB, I came to Jeremiah 4:14. The prophet here makes that bridge for us saying: "Oh Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil that you may be saved. How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you?" in ESV. And in NLT, "How long will you harbor your evil thoughts?"

The word picture is vivid.

So, I ask myself: are evil thoughts lodging within me? Like what? I came right up with a few pretty quickly, being so familiar with them: I should not have to put up with this inconvenience. I don't need this hardship. I can't take this trial. I should not be treated this way. Circumstances that irritate, that bring me dismay.

Discontent. Thoughts like these that stem from pride and from me being the “captain of my soul” are evil because they are not true and reflect me as the center of things. So, when that thought or wrong belief knocks on my front door, will it be refused entry? Or will I say, "come on in, here is your room. I hope you find it comfortable."

If so, it won't be long until the evil thought that I have lodged within me breaks out into a conscience thought

and my lips express my discontent-thus murmuring. Aha! The grumbling is coming from my heart.

However, the Lord is my Lord, my Master, my Shepherd. The one who has authority over heaven and earth. The one who directs my way with His good plan. The one who loves me with an everlasting love. And the Good Word, planted inside my heart, grows conscious thoughts and decisions to praise, to trust, to throw myself on His mercy for deliverance from this hard trial, or for the strength to walk through it, as He sees fit. To be truly content because of the good thoughts that are within my heart.

And so, the path to living a life where I am content, I am grateful, and gently joyful starts with planting the good thoughts, choosing to think on those and continually placing a sentry at the door saying "No vacancy" to everything opposed to His Lordship and the kingdom of God within me. So, on the days where I hear grumbling and murmuring come out of my mouth it should jolt my system like the painful screech of a smoke alarm going off in my house. It's not the signal to clamp my lips shut and try not to complain. It's the signal that I have something harboring in my heart that is evil. And the heart, my friends, is what God looks upon. Happily for us, who come poor in spirit, He will cleanse our hearts, scrubbing them fresh and making them new all over again. And for that, I am grateful.♥

Connecting Hearts Nov/Dec 23

Foundations Israel Tour 2015

By Carrie Rothones From October 12th to the 23rd a group of 49 people from Foundations Church went to Israel. Carl and Vicki Sutter, Carole Andersen, Dee Feldman and I led this tour to the land where Jesus walked and taught, lived and died and ultimately rose again.

This was my third trip and it was no less exciting than the first. There is nothing like seeing the places where Jesus lived. Before I visited the Holy Land, I had only a vague idea what it looked like, but once I went, the Bible came more alive for me. Now I can see the Sea of Galilee when I read about Jesus walking on the water. I can hear the sounds of His voice as I sit on the Mount of Beatitudes and imagine Him teaching, His voice naturally enhanced by the perfect acoustics He created on the hillside.

My visits to Israel also sparked a love of and for Israel. I grew to love the Hebrew people God chose so long ago to bless the world with the Son of God, a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I longed to understand more and more of what Jesus was like and this started with seeing Him as a Jew. Now as I read the Scriptures I can see that His Jewishness influenced His teachings. Understanding the Jewishness of Jesus and seeing the Word from this angle has helped me as I read and study.

It is through the Jewishness of Jesus that I hope to help others see the parables, passages and stories in God’s Word in a whole new and fascinating light. The first story I’d like to share is found in Mark 12:41-44.

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THE WIDOW’S MITE Mark 12:41-44: “Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money.

Many rich people put in large amounts.

Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making

Court of Israel, where the women had no access. This was the one place that women could pray but it was also the area where people would congregate and it was often the place where Jesus would teach.

contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.’”

It was also where new mothers brought their purification offerings after the birth of their children. Standing at the inner gate of the Court of Women, they could look across and see the altar on which their offering was sacrificed on their behalf.

Jesus was standing with His disciples in the area of the temple known as the “Court of Women” which is the area of the temple complex closed to Gentiles but open to Jewish women. Jewish men could congregate there, but they were free to move on to the

This widow didn’t know that Jesus was watching her as she gave her two coins to God. The Lamb of God was watching her sacrifice and would soon become her true sacrifice to make us all right with God. Jesus knew that these two small pieces of change were the sum of this poor widow’s assets. Therefore, it is significant that she gave both of them, holding back nothing for herself. Unlike the wealthier people who were giving bags of coins, this poor woman was giving everything she had.

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Jesus took the opportunity to point out the marked difference between the two. It wasn’t the amount of the gift but the motive behind the gift. Jesus knew the heart of the givers and this woman’s heart touched Him. Her gift was a true sacrifice, one that God honors. Jesus knew that, if a woman is reduced even to ten coins, the loss of a single one of them was a matter of considerable concern.

Giving her all for God, this widow thus becomes a symbol of Christ Himself, who laid down his life to advance God’s cause of making mankind right with Him. He gave His all so that we may have eternal life.

This little coin is a reminder to us to give all we have, not just out of our abundance or lack thereof. As the Lord observes us in our giving today, just as He did that day at the Court of Women so long ago, He observes the condition of our hearts as

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we give thanks, honor and offerings to Him. Don’t worry if you think your gift is too small, just give out of your thanksgiving for the love God has shown you through the gift of His Son. During this time of Thanksgiving, we can use the image of the widow giving all she had to the God she served, to measure our gifts to God. Are we giving all we have to His honor and glory? Does your thanksgiving reflect the enormity of His gifts to you?

Many women on the tour bought an actual “lepta” or “widow’s mite” to wear as a necklace. We called ourselves the “Miteee Women” who give all they have to Jesus. We got to stand on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem while we were there.

The temple is no longer there but I could just imagine the scene as Jesus watched this woman give her two coins in the Court of Women. Just knowing that this very mountain was the place where the temple was and where the new Jerusalem will be set up when Jesus returns is a great feeling.

I hope to share more examples from our trip with you in the months ahead. Thank you for taking the time to read this little article. Shalom! (Peace)♥