Purpose Archives - Cheri Strange, She Yearns, Christian Speaker & Author

Join The Strange Readers Cafe: Discover Your True Identity in Christ

30 September 2023

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Purpose

Discover Your True Identity in Christ

Are you longing for a sense of belonging and love in a world that often makes you feel unseen, overlooked, or left out? Do you yearn for authentic connections, but find yourself struggling to navigate through life’s challenges? If so, I invite you to embark on a transformative journey with me through my latest book, Can You See Me, Now? Good News for the Lonely, Left Out, and Less Than in The Strange Readers Cafe.

I’m thrilled to introduce you to our FREE private Facebook group, The Strange Readers Cafe, where we will come together as a community of like-minded women to explore the profound truths of my book. In this seven-week journey, we will delve into the heart of God’s purpose for us as women, uncovering the beauty and significance of our existence in His eyes.

Uncover Your True Identity

In a world that often diminishes our worth and encourages conformity, Can You See Me, Now? offers a biblically based approach to help you discover your true identity in Christ. Through practical insights and captivating stories, we will explore how we were handpicked by God to express love, thrive in community, and enhance the world around us.

Cultivate Courage and Authentic Connections

Throughout this journey, we will learn how to cultivate the courage to connect with others authentically. You’ll discover the joy of finding people who fill your heart rather than drain your soul. Say goodbye to the old tendencies of blending into the wallpaper and embrace the vibrant woman God created you to be.

Overcome Feelings of Loneliness and Invisibility

Have you ever battled feelings of loneliness and invisibility? You’re not alone in your struggles. In The Strange Readers Cafe, you’ll meet other women who share similar wallflower tendencies and have faced the same challenges of never feeling like enough. Together, we’ll support one another and find the strength to overcome these obstacles.

Join the Journey

Our journey begins on Monday, October 2, and concludes on November 17, just before the holiday season begins. It’s the perfect opportunity to start a new chapter in your life and leave invisible you behind. Inside the group, you’ll discover:

A daily reading plan to guide you through the book.
Accountability and encouragement from fellow participants.
Access to live Q&A sessions and additional enriching content.
Free resources that will enhance your experience.

How to Get Started

To get ready for this exciting adventure, follow these simple steps:

Join The Strange Readers Cafe Facebook group USING THIS LINK.
Secure your copy of “Can You See Me, Now?” in either paperback or e-book format. You can purchase it from Amazon or through The Stirring Faith Company.

I can’t express how eager I am to meet you in the group and embark on this life-changing journey together. Together, we will find our true identity in Christ, overcome loneliness, and discover the depth of God’s love for us. Let’s free ourselves before the holiday season and step into the abundant life God has designed for us.

Check out the book trailer

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to belong and be loved. Join The Strange Readers Café today, and let’s start this incredible journey together.

Embracing the Role: 5 Bible Verses for Encouraging Dads as Spiritual Leaders

16 June 2023

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Spiritual Growth

In a world where fatherhood is often portrayed as secondary or diminished, let us be women who celebrate and encourage the role of dads as spiritual leaders within their families. The impact of a father’s faith and guidance cannot be overstated. It can make a permanent imprint today and leave a legacy that reaches generations. As we reflect on the significant influence fathers have in nurturing and strengthening their families this week, let us delve into five inspiring Bible verses that offer encouragement and wisdom for dads in their role as spiritual leaders. As women, we carry more influence than we might realize. Our encouragement, especially when coming from a Biblically sound perspective, can be a great blessing. God can use us to help the dads in our lives embrace the role God has given them.

Encouraging Dads as Spiritual Leaders with Joshua 24:15

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

Joshua reminds us of the critical role fathers play in setting the spiritual tone within their homes. Dads have the privilege and responsibility to lead our families in pursuing a relationship with God. By prioritizing faith, demonstrating a heart devoted to the Lord, and actively participating in spiritual practices, they have the power to create an environment that encourages us and our children to embrace their own faith journeys.

It is worth encouraging the dads in your life with Joshua 24:15, that their commitment to serving the Lord can have a lasting impact on future generations. In fact, studies show that fathers who lead by simply taking their families to church significantly impact whether the next generation will continue following God in the next generation.

Encouraging Dads as Spiritual Leaders with Ephesians 6:4

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)

This verse from the book of Ephesians highlights the importance of fathers in providing spiritual guidance to their children. A dad’s role goes beyond physical provision; it extends to nurturing the family’s spiritual growth. By creating a safe and loving environment, actively teaching biblical principles, and exemplifying Christ-like character, he empowers sons and daughters to develop a strong foundation in their faith. His words and actions serve as a roadmap, leading them closer to God. Offering encouragement by helping him feel valued and capable as a nurturer is a powerful gift of encouragement we can give.

Encouraging Dads as Spiritual Leaders with Proverbs 22:6

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

This timeless proverb speaks directly to the hearts of fathers, emphasizing the profound impact they have on their children’s spiritual journeys. God makes it ever so clear, that investment in their spiritual development will yield fruitful results in the years to come. By being intentional in imparting biblical truths, demonstrating the importance of prayer, and consistently leading by example, dads lay a solid foundation for their daughters and sons to build upon. We can encourage him, that efforts, no matter how small, will shape their lives and draw them closer to God.

Encouraging Dads as Spiritual Leaders with Colossians 3:21

“Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” Colossians 3:21 (NIV)

In this verse, the apostle Paul reminds fathers of the significance of their words and actions in shaping their children’s lives. A dad’s influence can either uplift or discourage. By embracing his role as a spiritual leader, he has the opportunity to cultivate an atmosphere of love, acceptance, and encouragement within his family. Encourage him to let your daughters and sons know that they are valued, cherished, and supported in their spiritual journeys. By offering gentle correction, modeling forgiveness, and fostering open communication, dads carry great influence. The have the power, by God’s design, to create an environment where your family can thrive in faith. He may not feel the power of his words and actions within the home. Your words can liberate and embolden him to flourish in this arena.

Encouraging Dads as Spiritual Leaders with Proverbs 20:7

“The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.” Proverbs 20:7 (NIV)

This verse underscores the profound blessing that fathers bring to their families through their commitment to righteous living. A dad’s pursuit of godliness and integrity not only impacts his own relationship with God but also sets a powerful example for his children. Simply stated, a dad seeking the Lord’s will and living out his faith influences and inspires those around him. His obedience and faithfulness serve as a guiding light for his family. By example, he can instill a desire within them to walk in righteousness.

Encouraging Dads as Spiritual Leaders to Embrace the Role

Here is a special BONUS! I am including a note you can utilize that expresses the biblical charge through encouragement to the dads in your life. Feel free to download and use it as needed. I pray it helps dads far and wide to cherish their God-given responsibilities and to be faithful in their calling.

Dear dads, as daughters and wives, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the role you play as spiritual leaders within our families. Your commitment to faith, your love, and your guidance shape our lives in immeasurable ways. May you find renewed inspiration to embrace your role through the Word of God, knowing that the impact of your spiritual leadership is invaluable. May you continue to walk with strength and wisdom, leading us toward a deeper relationship with God.

XOXOXO

Before you Go

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received Cheri’s FREE gift to you? For a limited time, get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical help for living out what really matters. (Hurry because this gift is going away soon.)

DOWNLOAD NOW

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – Cheri has created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than today.

Buy the Book

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Pray for Focus

6 January 2023

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Prayer

Pray for Focus

Welcome to a new year. I pray your season of celebration has been a good one. By now, I suspect you have moved past the Christmas decor and empty fudge tins to concentrating on what the next twelve months might bring. How does one prepare for what we hope will be better than the past? Pray. Pray for God to lead you and me toward who He wants us to become and what He has planned for us to do. In essence, we pray for focus.

It’s not just a good idea, it’s a perceptive pursuit. Solomon, the man known to us as the wisest in human history, made this suggestion:

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Proverbs 4:25

What does Solomon mean by calling us to look straight ahead?

According to biblical scholars, Solomon is referring to that which is straight in front of us, the right things, possessing a simplicity of aim, or singleness of motive. In other words, the king writes of the importance of setting God and His ways directly before us as our solitary focus. Fixing your gaze directly before you directs us to make seeking Him, knowing Him, and following Him our sole aim and primary ambition.

In everyday life, meeting this goal begins with prayer.

Maybe you feel like this is never going to work for you. Suppose you have tried but your thoughts run wild before the clock has moved forward ten minutes. How can you and I work toward placing God before us and looking straight ahead to right things? We start by praying for the focus we need.

Pray for what to focus upon. Often that is found in Scripture.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Psalm 1:1-5

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

I encourage you to pray these elements over your own life. Spurgeon once wrote, No one meanders into the kingdom of God. Neither does a person make God her aim without being intentional.

Once what you are to focus upon becomes more clear, pray for the ability to stay the course, with your eyes, heart, and mind gazing straight ahead. Friend, allow me to pray for focus in your life today.

A Prayer for Focus

Lord Jesus,

I pray for my friend to make You her sole aim this year. I thank You for Your word which makes the right way to take clear. Today, I ask that You give my friend insights into Who You are and what You want her to be about. Help her to make time. Make Yourself clear. Give her insights she could not know whithout spending time with You, Also, make her aware of that which tugs at her thoughts and desires to move her off course. Give her Your strength and Your courage to keep steady her gaze on You. Make her aware of Your presence and activity in her very life. Help her know You love her and desire to be the delight of her life.

In the Name of Jesus,

Amen

XOXOXO

Before you Go

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received Cheri’s FREE gift to you? For a limited time, get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical helps for living out what really matters. (Hurry because this gift is going away soon.)

DOWNLOAD NOW

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – Cheri has created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than today.

Buy the Book

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

Knowing God’s Will

11 November 2022

Cheri Strange

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Categories: Prayer

Knowing God’s will for your life can seem elusive. At times it feels as if there is some magical formula or secret code hidden from the woman who wants to know what to do or how to do it. But it’s not really like that in reality. The Word of God is instructive, guiding the reader to understand and make spiritual progress in the will of God for her life.

Sometimes Knowing God’s Will is a Straight-Up Answer

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:40

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 1 Thessalonians 4:3

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 2 Peter 2:15

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:3-4

This is just a sampling of what the Bible says using the words will of God. There are many other passages that assume it by giving a directive or using other similar language. The point is that God’s will for our lives is not as distant or cagey as it seems.

Problems Discerning and Knowing God’s will

One problem is that we, as a population, are not familiar enough with the Word of God to know this reality. The latest statistics (from the Barna Group) tell us about one out of every six adults reads the Bible most days. That leaves a lot of people who read a few times per year. One certainly can’t expect to know God’s will without being in God’s Word. Unless you and I are deep in the Old Testament, and thoroughly in the New, will miss what He clearly intends us to know and embrace for our lives.

Another issue often rises to the surface. There exists a duel between our desires for what we want God’s will to be in our lives and God’s actual will. It’s as if we approach Him as someone we can manipulate into doing what we want. Maybe it’s a good thing. It may even be a godly endeavor. But neither of these qualifiers enables us to bend the will of God to our own. He remains sovereign even over the details of our lives.

Thank goodness.

The Gift for Knowing God’s will from Paul

One approach you and I can take in knowing God’s will for our lives comes from Paul. In his letter to the church at Colossi, he wrote to them about what he was praying over them and why.

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:9-12

When I read that the Apostle Paul was praying for those with whom he ministered, I believe it is there for a reason. And that reason is you and me and every other reader before us and hereafter. God saw fit to place these specific prayers in the Bible so that we might benefit. I am not wise enough or Christlike enough to know how to pray for myself or others. What a gift to preserve these specific needs for us as well as the purpose in relying on God to meet them.

No matter what the specifics are in your quandaries about the purpose and direction for your life, we share this same desired end: to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. Therefore, we, too, should ask to be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Today, this is the very thing I aim to do, my friend, over you.

A Prayer for Knowing God’s Will

Lord,

Thank you for Your Word. I pray that my friend reads it, desires it, and learns from it more tomorrow than she did today. Open her mind and heart to what You might say to her. And tender her to Your desires for her life, over her own. Fill her with the knowledge of Your will for her in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Show her how much You care for her. Then draw her to Yourself more and more as You reveal who You are to her and what Your purposes are for her life.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Did You Know?

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – Cheri has created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than and join the Strange Readers Café. We will be going through the book together beginning Oct. 3 until December 16 – just in time for Christmas.

Buy the Book

Join the Group

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received my FREE gift to you? Get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical helps for living out what really matters.

DOWNLOAD NOW

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

Did you know Cheri has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from? Just click on the images below to check them out:

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this:

The Purpose of Prayer

10 November 2022

Cheri Strange

No comments

Categories: Prayer

What is the purpose of prayer? Whether we realize it or not, the truth is that prayer isn’t a tool to make God do what we want. Rather, it’s an aligning of our hearts to His will instead of our own. It is through this use and purpose of prayer we ought to grow, firmly believing and embracing His plans for our lives.

Jesus left nothing to chance when it comes to prayer, leaving us a model.

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10, KJV).

More than a model, he left us his personal example. Even just before his crucifixion, He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane pleading,

“My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39, ESV).

Remembering the Purpose of Prayer

One of the most trying times that caused me to embrace the real purpose of prayer was weeks after finding out my husband and I were truly pregnant. It all happened earlier this year. And I say truly, because late last year, after having faint positive pregnancy tests, the blood tests turned out negative, and the ultrasounds were empty. The doctor explained, “You weren’t really pregnant.” But come March 2022, my new set of positive pregnancy tests was confirmed by the doctor during our first ultrasound. She then explained that we had to recheck the baby’s heartbeat after two weeks because it was below the average that is expected of its gestational age.

It was time to wait.

That period of waiting was in stark contrast with how I initially reacted in our previous challenging circumstances. Why? This time, I realized that my heart was indeed prepared and pruned by the Lord to remember the true purpose of prayer.

Before, though I knew that I had to submit to God’s will, deep in my heart as I prayed, I longed for God to miraculously give me a positive blood serum test or let an embryo show up in my ultrasound. Honestly, I was desperately hoping I could “manipulate” God into granting me my heart’s desire. But our two-week wait became a period of humbling ourselves before God, interceding that our hearts will embrace His perfect will for us.

Practicing the Purpose of Prayer

My husband and I soaked ourselves in the truth of His Word and recited them in our prayers. These verses ultimately pointed us to who God is. He is all-powerful and all-knowing, God is the One who has done wondrous works and bestows good gifts (Psa. 65:5-7; 71:5-6; 83:18; and 84:11). But we didn’t demand that His might and goodness meant that our child’s heartbeat and very life will be sustained.

Instead, we prayed for God to teach us to believe that He is good if our child’s heartbeat will normalize, and the baby will continue growing healthily in my womb. And even if we lose this chance of successfully conceiving again, He remains good, wise, and sovereign (Job 1:21). God was abundantly gracious to make our hearts aim not for a change in our circumstances, but a transformation of our hearts – one that has solidified trust and reliance on His unchanging goodness and steadfast love, for this is the purpose of prayer.

When it was finally my turn for the ultrasound, the doctor happily told me that our baby was healthy and had a good fetal heart rate.

A Lasting Testimony of Practicing the Purpose of Prayer

Today I am near giving birth to our firstborn. This journey in experiencing the right purpose of prayer in my own life is a testimony that keeps us in awe. No. it’s not because of the favorable answer to our prayers, but how He, by His grace and doing, has transformed and grown us through the humble surrender of our will (Phil 2:13).

How about you? What have you been praying for lately? Take a moment today to let God search your heart and mind. Ask Him to humble you so that you will embrace His will. In prayer, behold and declare who He is. Know that whatever He has ordained to grant you is always rooted in His perfect love and goodness.

In Christ,
Abbie Hilario

Welcome Abbie!

Abbie is a teacher by profession and a writer at heart. By grace alone, she seeks to draw her students and readers closer to Jesus. She is a Filipina and a blessed wife, pursued by and in pursuit of her Greatest Love.

God has graciously led her to start a blog that encourages people to know the truth of the Gospel and treasure Christ above all. Here is her Instagram account, and you can also connect with the Back to the Cross community here.

Did You Know?

For the one who feels invisible, largely passed over, and insignificant – Cheri has created a resource for you. Grab your copy of Can You See Me, Now? Good news for the lonely, left out, and less than and join the Strange Readers Café. We will be going through the book together beginning Oct. 3 until December 16 – just in time for Christmas.

Buy the Book

Join the Group

Don’t forget to check out the latest FREE reading plan available from YouVersion!

Have you received my FREE gift to you? Get 3 resources to help you experience more of God in your everyday life. It’s filled with practical helps for living out what really matters.

DOWNLOAD NOW

WAIT! THERE’S MORE.

If you would like to become a part of the private FB group, She Prays, we would love to have you. Click the image to join.

Did you know Cheri has over TWENTY different reading plans for you to choose from? Just click on the images below to check them out:

You can meet Cheri on the She Yearns blog for more truth-saturated, Gospel-centered encouragement like this: