Linked Together: Think Local

For your weekend reading, two posts with a similar theme.

Where You Are Standing
“Christian woman, look where you are standing. Is there someone who needs you? Is there a way you can contribute to your local church? Is there a gift you are not using there, but you’ll use it elsewhere?  … The strength of the church world wide begins with the strength of each individual church, whether in a big city, or a small town like mine.” —Kim Shay in Look Where You Are Standing

Where You Are Planted
“God has   uniquely created each of us  for His own purposes.   I hope you’re  content with   where  He has put  you.    Christian women should be  finding  joy  and  purpose   by  simply  walking with Christ  in every day life.

“As the old saying goes,  ‘Bloom where you’re planted!.’” —Diane Bucknell in The Everyday Christian Woman

So Shall We Ever

I’ve written at Out of the Ordinary about what happens to believers after we die.

Christians call [the] heavenly fellowship with Christ experienced by the souls of believers who have died the intermediate state, because this is where the believer lives between their death and their resurrection.

…[D]espite all the popular so-called “heaven tourism” books, scripture is our only source of true information about the intermediate state. What scripture does say is that being a soul in heaven is better than being a body and soul united together in this fallen world (Philippians 1: 21-23), because in heaven we will be “at home” with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:1-8). We will be with Jesus in a way that’s nearer and better than the way he is with us now. What’s more, at death, our souls are “made perfect” (Hebrews 12:23). There is no more struggle with sin, for God makes us completely holy intermediate state.

This is the sixteenth post—the very last one—in the series I’m calling Sixteen Things Every Christian Woman Should Know. The whole list of things to know is below.

1. God Has Spoken (posted at the True Woman Blog) 
2. God Is Three and God Is One
3. God Is Who He Is
4. God Had a Plan
5. God Created the Universe
6. We Are Made in God’s Image
7. We Are All Sinners
8. God Saves
9. The Son Came
10. Jesus Lived and Died
11. Jesus Is Risen
12. Jesus Is Lord
13. We Must Believe
14. Believers Have New Life
15. Believers Belong
16. Believers Will Live With Jesus Forever

Thankful Thursday

This week I’ve been thankful for 

• fresh snow and a son to shovel some of it for me. We got lots—eight or so inches at my house—and it’s not as light and fluffy as typical Yukon snow. But it is beautiful.
• a walk in the woods with my granddaughters in the middle of yesterday’s snowstorm. Everything is more fun when you experience it with a couple of little ones. 
• winter tires and traction control. Because otherwise, I’d be going nowhere. It’ll be a few days or more before they plow my street.
• a little January quiet time to read and study.
• Jesus’s promise that we will be with him forever.

Also thankful today:

• Kim Shay
• Persis

What are you thankful for?