Living as a Christian woman is challenging in this day and age — and getting more complicated all the time.
The stress of our lives is growing daily, and in the midst of dirty diapers, interpersonal conflict, and societal upheaval, we are yet aware that we are called to something higher than the daily grind — to a life that glorifies God, the Creator of this world we live in and of ourselves.
Do you ever feel like you just can’t do it all? You can’t be the woman, wife, or mom that God is expecting of you, especially with all the craziness that happens on this planet and in your own little corner of it.
It seems like at every turn there is struggle, and stress, and sin — either yours or someone else’s.
You just want to be happy. You just want to feel good about yourself. Is that too much to ask?
I don’t think so.
I believe it’s possible to become the woman you want to be, to feel fulfilled and joyful, in spite of all the noise and frustration.
Hi, I’m Ann Karako.
For years I was trying to do all the right things to satisfy the people around me, in order to avoid the pain of feeling unloved and unhappy.
And it wasn’t working.
I was outwardly obeying God, but inside I was easily offended, unforgiving, and resentful. I was angry and frustrated most of the time, feeling undervalued and taken advantage of. I was often anxious about circumstances, afraid of more unhappiness.
Though I tried to stuff them down, these emotions would often erupt in the form of biting comments, arguments, and meltdowns.
Until I realized the problem: I was looking to others and to circumstances to fill my emotional needs, rather than looking to God.
And I discovered something very important: Renewing my mind with God’s Word — studying, memorizing, meditating — is the only way to develop the stability I was craving, to find that sense of purpose and fulfillment that I was looking for in all the wrong places.
Now, while I am still very much a work in progress, still living the same messy life — no rainbows and unicorns here! — the Bible is where I go for mental and emotional strength. In Scripture I find wisdom to walk through each day’s challenges and disappointments, courage to face life’s curveballs without fear — and a good kick in the pants when I need one. God’s Word is renewing my mind, and in it I am finding the path to becoming the woman I’ve always wanted to be.
When we neglect dependence on the Word, we forfeit the most important tool that the Holy Spirit uses to help us glorify God and become the women we’ve been trying to be all along.
A friend has told me, “It’s not about doing, it’s about BEING.” Are you BEING a “wordful” woman — a woman who is saturated with Scripture?
There is no shortcut to godly living, although many will try to make it seem like there is. The world — even much of the Christian culture — wants us to forego the Bible in favor of entertainment and self-gratification.
Join me on the journey of becoming wordful, of wholly relying on and renewing our minds (and hearts) with the truth of God’s Word, so that our lives will reflect His purposes. THIS is the pathway to fulfillment and joy, no matter what craziness is going on around us.
You may be wondering who I am.
To be honest, I’m nobody special. I don’t have letters after my name — and my undergrad is in math education, not Bible — nor do I have tons of experience teaching or counseling.
(I do have another website which has been going strong for over seven years; it’s called NotThatHardtoHomeschool.com and is about homeschooling in general and homeschooling high school in particular. If you’re a homeschooler, feel free to take a look, but if not, no worries.)
But plain and simple, I love the Word of God. I have spent most of a lifetime reading it, memorizing it, praying over it, meditating on it, and seeking to conform to it — all with varying levels of success and failure, LOL. When I wander from the Word — notice the “when” — I am always brought back to it as the only absolutely reliable source for wisdom and growth.
I have also been greatly influenced in my spiritual life by the writings of Elisabeth Elliot, Charles Spurgeon, John MacArthur, and John Piper, as well as the doctrines of Reformed Theology.
After raising five kids and seeing them started on their adult pathways, I have reached the age where I have the dubious honor of being called an older woman. I could be bummin’ — or I can get to work. The Bible gives me an important task, as described in Titus 2, and I feel compelled to do something about it. Hence this website!
I like cats and dogs, pretty flowers, and comfortable clothes, and I need a half-cup of coffee in the morning to wake up — but if I drink any more, then I’m up at night. I love reading fictional fluff, watching movies in the theater, and enjoying music of all kinds.
But the most important thing about me is that I am a child of the Most High God, who loves me, who made me in His image, whose Son died for me so that my sin might be atoned for, who has forgiven me and saved me and justified me, and who wants me to be sanctified and to do the good works that He has prepared for me. Living for Him is my highest endeavor. Though I falter and fail, I keep putting on my big girl pants to try again.
God loves you, too. He made you in His image. He sent His Son to die for your sin. Embrace Him, rejoice in Him, serve Him.
Let’s do that together! Sign up for my newsletter so we can encourage one another along the journey of being saturated with and renewed by Scripture, thereby becoming joyful, fulfilled — and wordful! — women of God!