The Everyday Woman -Part 4

Transcript

Everyday Woman - Part 4

[00:00:00]

Rev. Michele Owes: Okay, we are back with the Teachable Woman Podcast. I am Reverend Michele Owes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And I am Reverend Diana P. Cherry.

Rev. Michele Owes: and we are Teachers of Good Things.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Amen.

Rev. Michele Owes: All right. We have been sharing with you from the Everyday Woman. We've talked about how wonderfully handcrafted we are. We have talked about the fact that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We've talked about how important it is to organize our lives. In this session, we're going to give you some tips that we have learned over the years and share them.

[00:01:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Okay, I have been charged to start first because she's in charge and I'm not. My tip number one is to all the beautiful women out there who are handcrafted by God. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to respect yourself. That means that you're to have high regard and esteem for yourself. In line with what we've been sharing, when we respect ourselves, oftentimes that'll keep us from wanting to do things, to try to enhance ourselves in a way that might not be best for us. So, respect yourself.

[00:02:00] You are who you are by the grace of God, and you don't have to change to please or satisfy any man. The second thing I want to share with you is always set a standard for yourself. Make sure that you know what you will do and what you will not do. I used to always teach the women at From the Heart Church Ministries, to know why you do what you do, but you should also know why you don't do what you don't do.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: If you're not set in why, you do the things you do, and why you don't do the things that you don't do, you will not be able to keep that hard firm course that you set for yourself. The third thing I want to remind you of or encourage you to do is don't compromise. Don't compromise, do not ever lower your standards to please or to appease. I think I’m going to stop right there with those three things respect yourself Set a standard and don't compromise.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Don't ever lower your standards to please or to appease. Take it away.

Rev. Michele Owes: Those are wonderful. I love the first one that you share.

[00:03:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Respect.

Rev. Michele Owes: Respect ourselves.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: And that means to have regard for ourselves.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Regard.

Rev. Michele Owes: Oftentimes we are so busy as women. We have so many things on our to-do list, whether we wrote it down or it's rolling around in our heads. There are so many things that we try to accomplish in each day or given time. We leave ourselves off the list oftentimes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: We are so busy with the service of others. Taking the time to respect me enough to care for me, taking the time to respect me enough to, if I'm alone, cook a nutritious meal for me. I would do it for someone else, why not respect me and the temple that has been entrusted to me enough to cook a nutritious meal for myself? And many people say, well, you know, I don't want to eat alone, or I don't want to go through all that just for me.

[00:04:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Why not?

Rev. Michele Owes: Right. That's what we said about China. I have some and during major holidays it gets washed, it comes out, and everybody's using it. We're using China, we're using the silverware, and the children are saying, no. Why do we have to do this?

Rev. Michele Owes: Because we have them.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah.

Rev. Michele Owes: We are maximizing what we have. We're not going to keep buying paper plates every time a major holiday comes because you don't want to wash dishes. Right? Okay. Same thing. Don't want to put the energy in for me. As we walk through this process of life, respecting ourselves comes on a lot of different levels, and taking care of ourselves must become a major priority.

[00:05:00] I will be the first one to say, I am guilty. Prioritizing so many other things and other people before myself. Working ridiculous hours, 12, 14 hours a day to the point that I can do very little to care for myself.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: It's a lack of regard for who God created me. He has trusted me. With this temple, I'm a steward over it whenever I disregard the stewardship, it's not going to be good.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right.

[00:06:00] Rev. Michele Owes: Whether it's mental, physical, emotional, or even if it's spiritual, the outcome is just not good. When I'm not a good steward the works of his hands, if you will. Respecting yourself comes on so many different levels. It's not just making sure that if someone offends you, you make sure you get the respect you deserve. You must respect you and regard you.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Well, thank you for that. My little definition here said respect yourself to regard with esteem. Because this is unscripted, we're going to be honest. That is the last thing I have been doing for myself. You just tore it down for me. Let me tell you something. Now, all of you out there who are listening, this is so unscripted.

[00:07:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: If you think I have regard for myself, when and if I do occasionally fix myself something to eat. I'm going to be honest with you. I heat it in one pan, and when it's heated, I take the pan to the table, and I eat out of the pan. As long as my belly is satisfied, I have shown no special attention to myself.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: No plate, not even a paper plate. You know, you took the number one thing that I put there and stomped me with it.

Rev. Michele Owes: It was not my intention, but I do thank you for sharing. Eat out of your pan. Whatever makes you happy.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: That is so funny.

Rev. Michele Owes: For joy.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: You know, I was such a Martha. Martha was the helper in the scripture, the worker, the domestic person.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I think I was such a mother for so many years serving my husband that now I'm just glad to heat it, eat it, and go to bed.

[00:08:00] Rev. Michele Owes: Heat it, eat it, and go to bed. Alright, okay, well free yourself. Whatever needs to be done. Listen, you did that for a lot of years.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah.

Rev. Michele Owes: You deserve a break today.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right, right, right.

Rev. Michele Owes: A break today, right?

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: That was so funny. You, you were talking, and I was just laughing, and laughing and laughing. I need to listen to this woman and do what she's telling me to do for me.

[00:09:00] Rev. Michele Owes: I remember when I signed up for a class that I wanted to take for me. And I remember getting my certificate for attending 100 classes in X number of months. I was excited, but it was just something for me. It was out of regard for me. It was a Pilates reformer class that I was taking. I was there at either five o'clock or six o'clock in the morning and I went six days a week.

Rev. Michele Owes: I did that for me. I tried all the other different kinds of workouts and things. And this was just, this was my speed, you know? But it was for me. I remember how interesting and different the feeling was to invest in me. I have been so used to investing in others.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: Investing in my marriage, the ministry, my family, my children, my church, and my organization. I was the last person on the list.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes, yes.

[00:10:00] Rev. Michele Owes: I remember some years ago; you and I talked about women. We often go on automatic. We are like a washing machine, just set the cycle and let it roll. But God wants us to be engaged, to be present, and to be accountable. Those moments that we kept pushing ourselves on the back burner, it's like we're not present. It's like we are not ourselves in the way that our Heavenly Father would want us to regard ourselves.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Okay, I had to share that. On a more serious note, respect yourself, and regard yourself with esteem. When I step outside of the environment where I'm living, when I'm at our winter abode, I always seek to carry myself in such a way that my very presence makes a difference.

[00:11:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I noticed when I went to our restaurant out where we live, where I live, I'm sorry, he's gone. When I go to the restaurant very seldom does anyone, who is like an associate, very seldom does anyone ever call me by my first name. That's because I keep those standards high.

[00:12:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I'm not your friend. I'm a neighbor. I'm living in this development where we're all living together, but I never want anybody to think that I'm so friendly that you can talk to me in any kind of casual way. I'm very thankful for how I carry myself. In that way, my self-respect is right on, but in terms of being home in this place by myself and preparing something for me, it's not so.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: But nobody knows, so don't tell anyone.

Rev. Michele Owes: You blew that one. You blew that one wide open. All your podcast listeners and everyone that they share it with will know, but it's good fun and it is okay. There's no condemnation in anything that we share. We are not judging one another. We are just sharing.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes,

Rev. Michele Owes: It is so important you beautiful women care for yourselves.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes, yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: Make time for yourself, relax in ways that enrich you.

[00:13:00] Rev. Michele Owes: Sometimes we say, I'm going on this trip to relax, but all that it took to get to the trip, and all the travel. Then you get there, and the itinerary is packed. You get back and you're exhausted and you didn't enrich yourself.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right,

Rev. Michele Owes: You had two experiences, but now you need a vacation from the vacation, so you can relax.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right.

Rev. Michele Owes: We can, we can find moments in each day that we can slow down, and we can focus on our creator.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes. Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: Take some time and become one again with Him. God, I acknowledge that I have been so busy about this day that I have not done my due diligence as your daughter. So Heavenly Father, your daughter is stopping right now. God, you deserve this time and so much more.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

[00:14:00] Rev. Michele Owes: I just want to fellowship with you. How do you want to lead, guide, and direct me today? What would you have me to do? What don't you want me to do? I'm still, and in this moment. Speak.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: You know, that is such a beautiful thing and such a wonderful way to fellowship with God and to talk to God. And that is very much how I talk to God. I pray. I get on my knees, and I pray, but I fellowship with God all day long in one way or the other. I take swimming classes every day, and aerobics, or water aerobics classes every day.

[00:15:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I'm listening to the instructor and all, but I'm communing with God. I'm looking up, I see a bird fly by, I see trees that are blooming. That's a quiet time for me. I'm in public with other people, but that's a quiet time for me. I think it’s good to let people know that you don't have to stay down on your knees for two hours a day, but I can communicate with God all day long.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And that is my primary way of fellowshipping with Him now. And it works. It works. Last week, I had some decisions to make. I didn't get down on my knees and say, God, please lead guide direct my path. I said, please lead guide, and direct my path while I was driving. Speak to my heart.

[00:16:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Lord, show me what you'd have me to do. May I glorify you in this? I don't want to do anything that's not pleasing to you. I think it's for us to know that there are other ways for us to keep that standard that we set. We keep it by being in constant communication with God and allowing him in those quiet times to talk back to us.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And He talks to us sometimes through scripture, through a song, through a preacher, and sometimes through an ungodly person that you think doesn't even know Him. They oftentimes say things that will bless you, and you know that God is speaking.

Rev. Michele Owes: That's true. That's very, very true. And what a beautiful way to help us to pray without ceasing.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: Be in constant communication. I can remember learning about that Scripture and thinking, how do you pray without ceasing? We got to go to work. We take care of children. We take care of our husbands. We have lives. How do you pray without ceasing? But you just explained exactly how it is. You're just in constant fellowship.

[00:17:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Acknowledging him in all our ways. Yeah. Acknowledging Him in all our ways and our ways means whatever we do, wherever we go, we acknowledge Him and He will direct our path.

Rev. Michele Owes: Excellent. That is wonderful. I cannot believe it, but we are at that mark again for the time. We did it. You've got 30 seconds of power. Let her rip.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Okay. Remember, respect yourself. That's number one. If you don't respect yourself, neither will anyone else. It's crucial to respect yourself. I made light of it by saying that I don't do a formal sit-down dinner and stuff like that, but I always respect myself. I will not let anyone demean me or treat me less than a woman of God. As a life giver set a standard and don't compromise that standard.

[00:18:00] Rev. Diana P. Cherry: You can do that. And that's so simple. Three easy things. Respect yourself, set a standard, and don't compromise. Don't lower your standard to please or to appease.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Thank you for that. And my 30 seconds are. Love God. And when you love God, that means you love His Son, Jesus, who saved you.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: To love God, you are willing to accept the Holy Spirit that He has given to cause us to keep His commandments. When you love God, then and only then, are you able to love yourself. When you love yourself the way God loves you, you're able to love the people that God created. You will love the lovable and the unlovable, the likable and the unlikable.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: You're able to do those things. So, love God first, and that means the entire Trinity. Love yourself. Make time for yourself and respect yourself. Care for you in the way that we often care for others.

[00:19:00] Rev. Michele Owes: We spend so much time caring for other people, and we leave ourselves on the back burner. It causes us to feel as though sometimes we are not appreciated as much as we should be. We poured so much into others, and we want to see someone pour into us. Well, that's your job.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: That's right.

Rev. Michele Owes: Pour into yourself. Love on you.

Rev. Michele Owes: So, love God, love yourself, and then love the people that God created. Amen.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Amen.

Rev. Michele Owes: That is all for this podcast. We thank you so much for listening. We are so excited. In our next session, we're going to talk more about our retreat, and what we want you to expect when you come. Get ready.

Rev. Michele Owes: We love you. Thank you.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: We love you. God bless you. Bye.

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