Mama's Got a Fake I.D.

Part 1 Identify the Current Issue

This study works best if you have read the book Mama’s Got a Fake I.D. , by Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira.

Whether on Oprah, in magazines, or at a local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group, you’ll hear a similar theme from today’s moms (and you know this if you are one!): they wrestle with a sense of having lost who they are in the mix of love and responsibility that comes with being a mom. As much as they love their kids and they love being moms, this loss of identity leaves many women feeling lonely, anonymous, and frustrated. This particularly frustrates Christian moms, who feel the additional sting of wondering what God has in store for them now that they are moms—especially if their gifts don’t match their new mom role. While they may once have felt solid in their God-given gifts and purpose, motherhood can reduce many women to feeling unable to do anything right—or well—and wondering if God didn’t make a mistake in the way he gifted them, or even by giving them children.

While churches do a great job of supporting the mom role in general, many moms feel they don’t do a good job supporting women who deal with these issues. In fact, Rivadeneira contends that many Christians push the idea that once you become a mom, God’s only use for you is to raise godly kids and help out in the church nursery. In the beginning of chapter 4 (“Why God Cares About Who You Are”), Rivadeneira writes that this is the reason why “being a mom who wants to be used by God in a wide variety of ways can feel so selfish even when we know it’s not. But because there are so many well-meaning Christians who really do think moms should be happy to invest everything they have in their children, I think we moms need to explore the will of God for women whom he has blessed with children. God cares about us as people, not just as mothers” (p. 53).

Discussion Starters:

[Q] In what ways have you felt a loss of identity in your role as a mom? Where or when do you feel this most acutely?

[Q] How has your sense of purpose or giftedness changed since you became a mom? Do
you now feel that God expects something different from you, or that he wants you to
“shelve” some of your gifts and abilities for a while?

[Q] What’s been your experience at church regarding your role as mom versus you as a more well-rounded woman? Are you made to feel selfish, as Rivadeneira writes, for wanting to be used by God in a variety of ways and not just in your mom role?

©2009 Christianity Today International ChristianBibleStudies.com

Make Stress Work for You Part 2

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Inteview with Author and Poet Tiffany Easley

Author and Poetess Tiffany Easley is one of the forty women featured in the new release Victorious Living for Women. Worth More than Rubies had the pleasure of interviewing Tiffany. She will also be featured on Worth More than Rubies Radio Saturday, January 9, 2010, at 3:00pm CST. Log on to Blog Talk Radio and listen to her interview or call in to 646-595-3716. Enjoy!

Where are you from?

I am originally from Lexington, TN and currently reside in Nashville, TN.

Tell us how long you’ve been writing and what made you get into the literary field?

I have been writing since the age of 9. God blessed me with the gift to write poetry and from poetry I have began to write devotionals.

What was your inspiration for participating in Victorious Living for Women?

In 2006, God spoke to me and told me to share my story! Victorious Living for Women has provided me the platform to do so.

Tell us about your book?

This book is a collaborative work of 40 women from 18 states sharing their personal testimony of Victorious Living. My Chapter is entitled Refreshing Wind In the Midst of Your Storm. The chapter is intended to :

1- How to stand in the midst of the storm, knowing that God is the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2) and how to let He who began a good work finish it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

2- How to grow and mature from the experience of the storm, seeking from God His fresh-new revelation each day.

3- How to give forth (exhale) to others by sharing your experience as a vital part of spiritual transformation and maturation.

What other books have you authored? Tell us about them.

Psalms of my Spirit is a collection of poetry which shares the message of love for God, self, and others, written in 2004.

Are you working on new material? If so, tell us about what you are currently working on and when we can expect to see it on the market?

I am working on a few projects:

1- Victorious Living for Mothers, a Suber-Pullins collaborative work due to be released in May 2010.

2-A reflective devotional due to be released in Dec. 2010. I will not disclose the name of it at this time, because it is a special project dear to me that will be dedicated to a close friend who lost her battle with cancer in December of 2009.

How can others reach you?

Facebook-Tiffany Easley
Website:Pursuing Victory
e-mail:blessedpoetess@yahoo.com

GotQuestions.org - Question of the Week

GotQuestions.org - Question of the Week

Body Soul Spirit Conference

And a Child Shall Lead Them

John 6:8-9 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Seeing life through the eyes of a child can teach each of us a thing or two about standing on God's promises.

In this story Andrew obviously thought that the child's lunch was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But Jesus took what was offered and performed a miracle.

Children have a special way of viewing life. They always tend to see the glass half full rather than half empty. Their outlook is always unlimited and free. We can learn alot from our children and their view of life.

They teach us that even a small gift when placed in God's hands can be multipled into something more than we could ever imagine.
Learn more about Cheryl Lacey Donovan at www.peaceinthestormpublishing.com

Cheryl Donovan Nominated for Award

As an author, it is a wonderful feeling to have your body of work recognized and nominated for an award. It truly makes everything worthwhile! The Ministry of Motherhood is my testimony to God's faithfulness in my life. And now, I am so very excited to announce my nomination for an African American Literary Award in the category of Non-Ficiton. In addition, my label mates Lorraine Elzia, Jackie Moore, Ebonee Monique, and S.D. Denny along with Peace in the Storm Publishing have also been nominated. We would like to congratulate all the nominees.

Finally, we would like to ask for your support. Please visit http://www.literaryawardshow.com/voting.html and vote for each of us in our respective categories. You may vote as often as you like.

Thank you so much for your support as we try to bring you the best that African American literature has to offer.

God bless.