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Michelle DeRusha

Every Day Faith. Faith Every Day.

#MyFaithHeroine

Keep Praying and Believing {My Faith Heroine series}

December 18, 2014 By Michelle

We call her the Internet Pastor because she loves us, lifts us up, mentors us, prays for us and encourages us, all online in various communities – from her own blog, Just Wondering, to A Deeper Church and lots of places in between. I had the privilege and pleasure of meeting Diana Trautwein a couple of times over the years, and she is even better in person. So full of life and love, her blue eyes sparkle and her face lights up every time she sees you.

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Story and Photo by Diana Trautwein

Life was hard and uncertain when she was growing up. One of four siblings, barely a year apart, with parents who both worked, a father who drank hard and gambled hard, always losing. Then there were “the aunts,” she told me. The three older cousins who never married and who loved all those kids to bits, providing protection on occasion, but most of all, bringing fun and merriment into their days.

Though their mother had grown up in the church, after she married their dad, neither of them ever darkened a church door again. But they agreed that their kids could go.

So every Sunday, they dropped all four kids at the curb and left them to fend for themselves in downtown Los Angeles at that old brownstone building. For my heroine and her sister, it stuck. For their two brothers, it took a lot longer. The sisters loved to go to that place, where they met friends their own age and were sheltered and loved by lots of adults, as well.

One of those older women saw potential in the bigger of the girls, and when she was in junior high school, almost into high school, she arranged for a scholarship to a nearby training seminar. A Christian leadership seminar. And my heroine bloomed, learning to love the Bible, church music and a wide circle of friends, many of whom remained close to one another throughout their lives.

Eventually, she married one of the church musicians, a talented pianist with a bent for mathematics, and they began to build a home and a family. A girl was born, then two years later, a boy and about ten years after that, another boy.

All during those early years, the family continued to attend the downtown church where the parents had met, and they contributed faithfully, both musically and financially. Eventually, they moved too far out into the suburbs and switched to a larger church closer to home. Within a few years, that old church was razed and a used car lot took its place.

Their new church provided wonderful activities and teaching for her children and some powerful teaching during the adult Sunday morning hour for her and her husband. Professors from a nearby seminary came and built small congregations within the larger one. Once again, this woman bloomed and grew, stretching toward the light, exercising her good mind, asking probing questions, reading widely.

The "Double Delight" rose, her faith heroine's favorite

The “Double Delight” rose, her faith heroine’s favorite

She always worried that she didn’t have a degree from college, but then, she never really needed it. Her own reading regimen (everything C.S. Lewis ever wrote, plus a lot of Paul Tillich, George Ladd, Eldon Trueblood, Peter and Catherine Marshall), her willingness to ask hard questions and her fearlessness about seeking answers provided a priceless education, as well as forming her more and more into the likeness of Jesus.

She taught eleventh grade Sunday school (girls only, in those days) for about a dozen years, providing wisdom, grace and breakfast out for every one of them sometime during the year. Each week, she worked hard on those lessons, getting up before the rest of the family to rough out ideas and read scripture. And to pray. She prayed for each student in her classes, regularly, faithfully.

By God’s grace and her own commitment to growing, both spiritually and psychologically, she overcame the difficulties of her upbringing, remaining close to her entire extended family until they each died. She is the only one left now, and that is hard — for her and for those who love her.

She dealt with a lot of insecurities and fears her whole life, but always, there was a joyful sense of humor, a warm and welcoming hospitality, and an immense reservoir of creativity. She decorated her home, her children and herself on a tight budget, and encouraged each of her children to get a good education and build a good marriage. And she loved her husband fiercely, even when he was old and frail and sometimes demanding.

This woman modeled for me what it means to follow hard after Jesus, to commit yourself to learning, asking questions, reading widely, and serving others. She wasn’t perfect — and she knew it! — but she was good. Even in her old age, she hangs onto her faith with all of her diminishing energies.

I visited her over the weekend, in the dementia unit where she now lives. She was sick, with a very sore throat and a nasty cough, all of which makes the dementia worse and exhausts her. I helped her change her clothes and sit in her recliner chair for an afternoon nap and then went across the room to bring her large, whiteboard calendar up-to-date after several months of neglect.

As I worked in the semi-darkness of her small entry way, I could hear her muttering in her chair. I thought perhaps she had drifted off to sleep and was dreaming. But then I began to pick out a few words, and my heart soared and broke, all at the same moment.

“Oh, Lord,” she said. “Please help Diana to be well, to be strong. She is such a beautiful daughter and I love her so much.”

Before I left I kissed her on the forehead and she smiled up at me and said, “The Lord’s been good. We’ll just keep praying and believing.”

“Yes, Mom,” I said. “That is exactly what we’ll do.”

 

DianaTrautweinMarried to her college sweetheart for nearly 50 years, Diana answers to Mom from their three adult kids and spouses and to Nana from their 8 grandkids, ranging in age from 4 to 23. For 17 years, after a mid-life call to ministry, she answered to Pastor Diana in two churches where she served as Associate Pastor. Since retiring at the end of 2010, she spends her time working as a spiritual director and writes on her blog, Just Wondering. For as long as she can remember, Jesus has been central to her story and the church an extension of her family.

This post is part of the My Faith Heroine Series in conjunction with the release of 50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith. Click here to read other posts in the #MyFaithHeroine series. 

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Filed Under: #50Women, #MyFaithHeroine, guest posts Tagged With: #50Women, #MyFaithHeroine, Diana Trautwein

It Takes a Village {My Faith Heroine Series}

December 12, 2014 By Michelle

Today’s post come from Bible study author and teacher Donna Pyle. You will not find a more encouraging woman than Donna, and I mean that. Every time I receive an email or a Facebook message from her, it exudes encouragement, love and joy. I always feel lighter after talking with Donna, and I know that’s exactly how you’ll feel after reading her post. Be sure to visit Donna at her website, Hydrated Living, and check out her latest release, Quenched: Christ’s Living Water for a Thirsty Soul.

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Post by Donna Pyle

There is eternal truth in the ancient African proverb, “It takes a village.” Though sometimes we desire to be an island, that’s not how God created us.

Michelle’s blog series has revealed many incredible women who introduced us to their faith heroines. But what if it took a whole village, like me? I wasn’t raised going to church regularly, and willfully tossed my curls and walked away as a teenager.

At 23, a friend invited me to church. What I didn’t know then, what I couldn’t see, what I didn’t care about, was that those women would become my Jesus village. In various stages of life, God gave me these beautiful women to increase my faith and bless me in countless ways. Picking one just did not seem right. Their mentoring and friendship carry equal, precious weight in my soul.

I lacked confidence and spiritual wisdom, so God gave me Kathy Graumann. Her gentle patience erased my fear of fitting into the church crowd. With twinkling eyes, earnest words, and the heart of a pastor’s wife, she made me feel comfortable in my own skin, even when I didn’t. I have never heard a harsh or negative word pass her lips. She encouraged me to study Scripture every single day, a gift that thankfully stuck. She introduced me to a group of mission-minded ladies whose blessings in my life prompted me to begin a Bible-teaching ministry.

I lacked leadership and balance for ministry so God gave me Eloise Kuhlmann. Her words carry immeasurable wisdom both from Scripture and experience. Her words are carefully filtered through Christ’s love and a heart of encouragement. Her easy smile, witty humor and intelligence make her a natural leader whom I eagerly follow. Her love for cooking inspired me to balance work and home life in an age when working women focused solely on climbing the corporate ladder.

I lacked experience to handle spiritual warfare and the storms of life, so God gave me Pat Bokenkamp. Through trials I could never imagine, including cancer, Pat demonstrates a faith that penetrates skin, bone, marrow and soul. God used her to strengthen my faith to handle the storm of divorce with Jesus at the center.

I lacked gentleness and discernment, so God gave me Luanne Walling. Where sarcasm easily slips off my tongue, her words never fail to encourage, build up, and give confidence. Her love and devotion to Jesus plunge to the depths of her soul, continually pointing people Christ. Who doesn’t need someone who tirelessly points you to the One who loves you most?

When it comes of faith heroines, my cup runneth over. For decades, God has used these women powerfully in my life, along with many others. I was a stubborn nut to crack, so God used a Jesus village.

My prayer is that He has given you a Jesus village of faith heroines, too. Whether they reside in your church, home or circle of friends, villages keep us in relationship with each other and with Christ. God never intended us to travel our faith journeys as an island. We need a village, because together we can accomplish much for His good purposes.

DonnaPyle2Author of the recently released Quenched: Christ’s Living Water for a Thirsty Soul, Donna Pyle lives amidst beautiful countryside in Texas. She is founder of Artesian Ministries, where she has authored 23 Bible studies and travels regularly to teach God’s Word. She blogs at Hydrated Living, and you can connect with Donna on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

This post is part of the My Faith Heroine Series in conjunction with the release of 50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith. Click here to read other posts in the #MyFaithHeroine series. 

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Filed Under: #50Women, #MyFaithHeroine, guest posts Tagged With: #MyFaithHeroine, 50 Women Every Christian Should Know, Donna Pyle, Learning from Heroines of the Faith

She Made Proverbs 31 Look Easy {My Faith Heroine Series}

December 5, 2014 By Michelle

One of the things I learned in writing 50 Women Every Christian Should Know is that we are not all called to do big, dramatic things for God and for his kingdom here on earth. Some of us are called to serve right where we are — in our kitchens, around our dining room tables, in our own neighborhoods and workplaces. Today I welcome my South Dakota neighbor Sheila Dailie, who writes about her faith heroine, a woman who served quietly and faithfully in small but important ways.

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Every Sunday evening, before the church service, Mabel led a program for elementary students. Before we could enter to sing, we recited the Bible memory verse of the week to an adult stationed outside the door.

By the time I was old enough to start “Juniors,” her children had children of their own or were off at college. Though several of her sons and daughters attended college, Mabel had never completed high school. When she was a young woman, teen-aged girls were hired out to a family with a new baby, a failing family member, or sometimes because it was less expensive to hire “household help” rather than pay a farm laborer.

Mabel made it look easy to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

She had a large garden, a flock of chickens kept for eggs as well as butchering, cookies for the men’s lunches in the afternoon and coffee cake for the morning break. Often during harvest time, she would also do the feeding and calf chores to help shorten her farmer- husband’s day.

I know this because my mom stopped nearly every week to buy fresh eggs from her. And while those visits included the sharing of recipes, cleaning tips, and news of the community, they always ended with a short prayer for personal needs.

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Her life was one of integrity. What I saw when we’d drop in was the same person that lead our children’s program.

On my tenth birthday slumber party, the evening activity was to go to an evangelistic crusade. The music was cool, with guitars, string bass and drums as the accompaniment, a new trend in the 1960’s.

But the message was convicting, and though I had asked Jesus to forgive my sins at age six, I needed to be positive. Even with my party guests there, the pressure to go forward had me going down the aisle.

Waiting at the front were men and women of the community who volunteered to council and pray with those that responded. Mabel greeted me, showed me verses that affirmed my salvation, and prayed with me. Then she went further and helped me see that Christ wanted to be part of my everyday life. And every so often, she’d find a way to encourage my walk with God.

I wanted what she had in Christ.

She was confident in her faith.

She prayed like she conversed with God every day.

Even when bad things happened to her children or grandchildren, or they made choices that were less than Christ-like, she still loved them and offered support to them. And no matter what, her faith was unshakable.

Once, when I had children of my own attending “Juniors,” she called me to apologize for saying something hurtful that I didn’t even remember. But I was humbled, and strangely honored that she lived by the standard of the Bible of going to the one wronged and ask forgiveness.

Each time I had a new baby, she sent food and a card with a handwritten note about God’s view of the blessing of children.

In the later years of her life, her oldest son and her husband allowed some church decisions to distance their relationship. Though it must have pained her, she continued to maintain a relationship with her son without upsetting her husband.

When my sister-in-law had a miscarriage, I learned that Mabel had also experienced that heart-wrenching loss as a young woman. Reaching out to young women in that painful time, when she had learned to grieve alone, was another part of her ministry.

A few months later, I discovered that I was unexpectedly pregnant. Since I’d been a full-time mom for twelve years, I was looking forward to some private time when our youngest began school. It was Mabel who shared the difficult time in accepting her last pregnancy when her older children were already in high school. Her transparency helped me find joy in those weeks of prenatal growth and development.

Observing her life for nearly forty years, from the perspective of a child through teen years, and then as a young mother myself, her life continued to glow with a love life with God.

Mabel’s name may be forgotten, but for me her transparent and faithful life continues as a model of how a Godly woman lives.

Her faith investment in her family, forty years of children’s ministry, and her personal investment in my life may not be applauded by men, but by God’s measurement of worth. Mabel loved Him and all those who He brought into her life.

SheilaDaileSheila Dailie and her husband Kenne continue to live on his family farm where they raised four daughters and now enjoy two granddaughters. They also had a dairy herd for about 15 years.  Sheila plays piano and has taught students for over 25 years. Learning to live out the faith she has always cherished is like climbing a spiral stairway: relearning lessons on deeper levels.

 

This post is part of the My Faith Heroine Series in conjunction with the release of 50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith. Click here to read other posts in the #MyFaithHeroine series. 

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Filed Under: #50Women, #MyFaithHeroine, guest posts Tagged With: #MyFaithHeroine, 50 Women Every Christian Should Know

Wonder Woman {My Faith Heroine Series}

November 28, 2014 By Michelle

PlaydateswithGodcoverIf you don’t know Laura Boggess yet, make haste to her blog. She is one of the most beautiful, lyrical, deep writers I know out here in the blogosphere…and in print! Reading Laura’s recently published book, Playdates with God, was an exercise in contemplation and serenity for me. I lost myself in her mesmerizing prose, and I know it’s a book I will return to time and time again. Today, Laura graces us with a story about her mother, her faith heroine. This one gave me a lump in my throat, friends – it’s a beautiful testament to the power of faith and prayer. Join me in welcoming Laura today (and for further reading, don’t miss this guest post she wrote here just a month or so ago).

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Text by Laura Boggess

When I was six or seven years old, I had a girl-crush on Wonder Woman, aka Lynda Carter. I waited eagerly each week for a new episode of her adventures, pretending in the meantime that I could repel bullets with my cool gold bracelets or make my brother tell the truth with my magic lasso.

It seemed to me that a heroine was someone larger than life, who had special powers and fought off evil at every turn. And maybe looked good in tights. I didn’t have a lot of real-life heroines. There weren’t many people in my young life that saw much worth investing in. But my mother prayed with my siblings and me every night. She did the hard work of taking four young children to church three times a week. By herself.

However, not long after my infatuation with Wonder Woman my parents divorced and our church family turned their backs on us. Life changed drastically and we became unmoored, drifting. I was angry with God. I was angry with my mother. It felt like she wasn’t protecting us. It felt like evil was winning. No dodging these bullets.

But my mother still prayed.

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It’s taken me a long time to understand what kind of courage it takes to maintain faith in the midst of the hard places in life. To hold on to the thin wisp of belief when our human frailty rises up within us and we make mistakes—this takes strength. To bend low and let grace cover the past; to truly believe that God made us for new beginnings … I’ve seen my mother do this with the purest humility.

As I read through 50 Women Every Christian Should Know, I was brought low by the stories of the not so shiny faith journeys these women lived. The doubt, the struggling, the angular paths they walked—these bits of story about real women living real lives illuminated God’s faithfulness to use the tattered bits of our lives for his glory.

We don’t have to be perfect. We don’t have to be larger than life. We don’t have to be these things because God is. And though my mother and I still disagree on many things when it comes to faith, she lived this lesson for me and demonstrated how a heart can hold on through incredible darkness.

That’s why my mother is my faith heroine. Not because she is larger than life or has demonstrated superpowers. But because she has been unafraid to offer her broken self to a loving God, over and over again. That’s the kind of heart I want. That’s the kind of faith I need.

Though I still wouldn’t mind having one of those magic lassos.

LauraBoggessAuthor of the recently released Playdates with God: Having a Childlike Faith in a Grown-up World, Laura Boggess lives in a little valley in West Virginia with her husband and two sons. She is a content editor for TheHighCalling.org and blogs at lauraboggess.com. You can connect with Laura on Facebook andTwitter.

This post is part of the My Faith Heroine Series in conjunction with the release of 50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith. Click here to read other posts in the #MyFaithHeroine series. 

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Filed Under: #MyFaithHeroine, guest posts Tagged With: #MyFaithHeroine, Laura Boggess

She Let the Light Shine Through {#MyFaithHeroine Series}

November 14, 2014 By Michelle

The My Faith Heroine Series continues today with Asheritah, who tells the incredible story of her modern day faith heroine, Silvia Tarniceriu. Prepare to be impressed…and blessed. And be sure to stop by Asheritah’s place to introduce yourself and say hello. She’s preparing a special Advent devotional especially for you that you won’t want to miss. Stay tuned for details on her blog. 

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Story by Asheritah

Her radiance was simply irresistible.

Moving through the crowd of people, her smile reached the crow’s feet at the corners of her twinkling eyes as she greeted each person with a kind word.

I sighed in the corner, content to watch her interactions with the mob surrounding her.

“Oh Asheritah,” she exclaimed as she walked up to me. “I didn’t see you there! How happy I am to see you!” She wrapped me in an embrace before I could even say “hello,” and instantly a light was kindled in my heart. Just a few moments with this dear woman felt like being in the presence of Jesus.

You may not have heard of her, but to me and many other Romanian young women, Silvia Tarniceriu is a modern hero of the faith.

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The Fellowship of His Sufferings

Silvia had grown up in communist Romania and defied government orders when she continued to teach her Sunday School children about Jesus. Imprisoned for her faith, she was humiliated and tortured, urged day after day to forget her God.

Silvia refused to budge. And the torment increased.

In her memoir, God Knows My Size, she writes how the systematic brainwashing led to a dullness of mind. For months she wasn’t able to remember a single Bible verse or worship song. Despair set in as she fought to keep her dignity and memory.

After she was forced to clean human waste with her bare hands, she tells how she lay on a straw cot and begged desperately for a word from God. And after months of silence, the Word came: “Love your enemies.” Silvia initially fought the command; she begged for a word of encouragement or comfort instead. Yet when no other word came, she obeyed and showed kindness to the prison guards who mocked her.

Instantly, out of nowhere, she heard the words, “He restoreth my soul.” In that moment, the promises of God poured into her heart and lifted her soul soul with an inexplicable lightness. Though she was still behind prison walls, she had been set free.

The Power of His Resurrection

Silvia was eventually released, and she escaped to the United States.

Rather than settle into a comfortable life, Silvia Tarniceriu became a spokesperson for the persecuted church and traveled the world, tirelessly advocating for those who were suffering for the Gospel.

Wherever she went she left a “sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ.” This was a woman whose daily devotions were no chore but rather a way of life. She spoke fondly of her conversations with her Lord, hand over heart and gaze upward as she retold what her Beloved had shared with her that day.

silviaSilvia’s joy was not quenched by the breast cancer or pancreatic cancer that plagued her body. Year after year she battled one illness after another, continuing to shine the light of Jesus everywhere she went, writing and speaking, urging listeners to receive the grace of Jesus and walk with Him every day.

Joy in Suffering

In the Fall of 2013, Silvia’s health took a turn for the worse. During the last church service she attended, her brothers carried her to the front of the little sanctuary so she could share a few last words with her local congregation.

Tears stung my eyes as I watched this frail woman, wracked with physical agony, beam as she spoke of the joy of the presence of the Lord. She looked lovingly at the congregation torn by frivolous disputes and urged us to be filled with the Spirit, to allow Him to seep into our lives and flow over into love and compassion toward one another.

Even a few days away from death, this dear woman radiated the glory of God. In that musty prison cell years ago, her choice to obey led to the light of heaven flooding her heart, and that experience transformed the rest of her life.

For Silvia, to live was to walk with Christ, and to die was a great gain because she could finally see her Savior face to face and rejoice in His presence.

A Sweet Aroma & Shining Light

Silvia was a shining light not because she was anything special but because she let The Light shine through her, from the way she made a new acquaintance feel at ease, to the way she hosted travelers in her home, to the way she prepared a simple dinner.

And, like her, those who belong to Jesus have His Light in us.

Those who are used most powerfully by God are the women and men who place themselves at His disposal and allow Him to fill them to overflowing.

I learned from Silvia that Jesus invites us to partake of both the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering–and He gives abundant joy in each experience.

Silvia is now worshiping her sweet Jesus unencumbered by physical ailments or vicious prison guards. And she’s part of the great cloud of witnesses urging us to run with perseverance the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus. For the joy set before us.

(If you would like to know more about Silvia’s life story, I highly recommend you read her biography God Knows My Size. I had the privilege of working with her on several writing projects, but this book is by far the best rendition of her story. Silvia’s engaging storytelling will make you laugh out loud and weep alongside her as she discovers that the God of the universe cares about her.)

Asheritah profile120Asheritah is a writer, speaker, and blogger at OneThingAlone.com. There she helps overwhelmed women find joy in Jesus through devotionals, videos, and Scripture art. She’s also the author of the upcoming Advent devotional, “Unwrapping the Names of Jesus: Finding Joy in the Gift.” She’d love for you to join her at OneThingAlone.com to share a streusel blueberry muffin and hear your story of faith. [Photo Credit here.]

This post is part of the My Faith Heroine Series in conjunction with the release of
50 Women Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Heroines of the Faith.
Click here to read other posts in the #MyFaithHeroine series. 

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Thinking about writing a book but have absolutely no idea where to begin? Join Chad Allen, Editorial Director of Baker Books, and me for “How to Get Published” – a series of three teleconferences that will cover how to create a strong book concept, how to build your platform and how to write a book proposal. The first session launches Monday, November 17. Click here for details and registration information.

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Filed Under: #50Women, #MyFaithHeroine Tagged With: #MyFaithHeroine, 50 Women, Asheritah Ciuciu, Silvia Tarniceriu

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a Triple Type A, “make it happen” (my dad’s favorite mantra) striver and achiever (I’m a 3 on the Enneagram, which tells you everything you need to know), but these days my striving looks more like sitting in silence on a park bench, my dog at my feet, as I slowly learn to let go of the false selves that have formed my identity for decades and lean toward uncovering who God created me to be.

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