INSPIRATIONAL AMERICAN WOMEN - Thomas …...INSPIRATIONAL AMERICAN WOMEN This 7-day Bible reading...

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Transcript of INSPIRATIONAL AMERICAN WOMEN - Thomas …...INSPIRATIONAL AMERICAN WOMEN This 7-day Bible reading...

Page 1: INSPIRATIONAL AMERICAN WOMEN - Thomas …...INSPIRATIONAL AMERICAN WOMEN This 7-day Bible reading plan features inspirational biographies of women in American history who lived out
Page 2: INSPIRATIONAL AMERICAN WOMEN - Thomas …...INSPIRATIONAL AMERICAN WOMEN This 7-day Bible reading plan features inspirational biographies of women in American history who lived out

INSPIRATION A L A M ERIC A N WOMENThis 7-day Bible reading plan features inspirational biographies of women in

American history who lived out their faith in the face of disappointments and

sometimes overwhelming life obstacles. Topics include courage, faith, honor,

mercy, and more. Articles are excerpted from the American Woman’s Bible.

DAY 1: Honor–Ruth Bell Graham 1920–2007

DAY 2: Thankfulness–Laura Ingalls Wilder 1867–1957

DAY 3: Hope–Ada Blackjack 1898–1983

DAY 4: Generosity–Nettie Fowler McCormick 1835–1923

DAY 5: Victory–Elisabeth Elliot 1926–2015

DAY 6: Perseverance–Catherine Marshall 1914–1983

DAY 7: Trust–Annie Johnson Flint 1866–1932

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Day 1

The daughter of missionaries, Ruth Bell was born and raised in China. At that time, the political climate in China was very unstable, and Ruth grew up accustomed to constant danger. Her parents set the example of fearless trust in God and Ruth’s adolescent faith was strongly influenced by their serene confidence. Even in those perilous days of her childhood, she dreamed of becoming a missionary to Tibet and living alone in the remotest and most unreachable areas.

However, God had other plans. As dangers increased, Ruth was sent back to the United States, where she attended Wheaton College. There she met a young man named Billy Graham. Ruth was immediately attracted to him and particularly impressed by the sincerity and reality of his prayers.

At first, Ruth hoped to influence Billy to go to Tibet, but it soon became clear that Billy Graham was already certain of his own calling to preach. Ruth realized that she could not and should not change him; God was leading her in a new direction. The two were married in 1943, and a short time later, Tibet closed its doors and all missionaries were forced to leave.

Ruth believed that her primary calling was to be a helper to her husband, honoring his passion for evangelism. This soon became her passion as well.

Initially, Ruth traveled with Billy on the evangelistic crusades. She quickly realized the greatest service she could provide her husband and children was a safe, loving, and relaxing home.

Although Ruth Graham’s mission field did not turn out as she had expected, when she spoke of her life’s work she said, “No higher calling could have been given to me. At the same time, it has been loads of fun. . . . I feel I have had the best of both worlds.”

As we watch the family come under attack in today’s world, Ruth Graham stands as a model for our generation. Her determination to minister to her family greatly honored her Lord and her husband. Much as Aaron held Moses’ arms as the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, Ruth held down the fort and enabled the greatest evangelist of our day to reach millions. Such is the power of giving honor where honor is due.

Honor–Ruth Bell Graham: 1920–2007

And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Genesis 2:1

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Day 2

Through her autobiographical Little House books, Laura Ingalls Wilder has become almost the definition of “pioneer girl” to the countless children and adults who have loved her books. Beginning with the publication of Little House in the Big Woods in 1932, the series has enjoyed continued popularity. Throughout the books, like a unifying thread, are the hymns, songs, and Scripture verses that were a constant source of strength and encouragement to Laura and her family as they struggled to make a home in a wild new land.

Born near Pepin, Wisconsin, Laura was the second of Charles and Caroline Ingalls’ five children. The Ingalls family moved frequently during Laura’s Childhood. In 1879, they settled permanently in South Dakota.

Laura’s faith in God began when she was a child. While living in Minnesota, she won a competition at church by memorizing one hundred verses of Scripture. The Bible became Laura’s source of strength in times of fear, anxiety, and struggle. The family struggled to survive harsh winters. Grasshoppers ruined her family’s crops. Laura’s brother, Freddie, died when he was nine months old. No matter the circumstance, poor or prosperous, Laura remained faithful to God and trusted in Him to provide her strength.

Mary, Laura’s older sister, caught scarlet fever and was left blinded. To contribute to the cost of her sister’s schooling, fifteen-year-old Laura began teaching at Bouchie School, a one-room schoolhouse twelve miles from her home. It was here that she met Almanzo Wilder.

Laura could only return home on weekends and Almanzo became her uncomplaining escort. After spending time together, the two married on August 25, 1885. Their first child, Rose, was born on December 5, 1886; a son, born in 1889, died before they could name him.

Around 1911, Laura began writing for the Missouri Ruralist, mainly to contribute financially to her family’s needs. After years of writing a column, Laura wrote down her childhood memories of living on the American frontier for fear such experiences might not be remembered. She composed a book, Pioneer Girl, which began as an autobiography, but became a novel, Little House in the Big Woods, based on her life. The book was published in 1932 and was the beginning of the Little House series.

Through Laura’s books and the television series, Americans have witnessed the importance of family values, perseverance, trials, and triumphs.

Thankfulness–Laura Ingalls Wilder: 1867–1957

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name

Psalm 100:4

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Day 3

Ada Blackjack was born in Alaska in 1898, the same year as the Alaskan Gold Rush. At age sixteen, Ada married Jack Blackjack, a hunter and dogsled driver. He was a cruel husband and Ada’s was a brutal life. After losing two children in infancy and suffering further heartbreak when it was discovered the surviving son, Bennett, had tuberculosis, Jack abandoned his family.

Ada desperately needed money for Bennett’s treatment, so she joined four men on an Arctic expedition as seamstress and cook. The expedition departed to the far north of the Arctic Sea in September of 1921.

The group landed, set up camp, and began preparations to survive the frigid winter. Ada was desperately afraid of the many polar bears and the lengthening darkness in the Arctic.

All of the explorers were anxious to leave for home as soon as the supply boat arrived the following summer; to their horror, ice enclosed the island and the boat never appeared.

Inadequately prepared for their second winter in the Arctic, three of the men decided to hike across the ice to Siberia and bring back food. Ada was left behind to care for Lorne Knight who suffered from severe scurvy. The supply party left in mid-January and were never seen again.

Fearful, lonely, and desperate for food, Ada taught herself to hunt. She figured out how to set the traps and became proficient with a gun. Early on in the expedition, Knight had loaned Ada a Bible; she began to spend most of her time reading it. She came to realize she could do nothing but trust in God and live according to His Word. She began to care for Knight with the same care she longed to give her sickly little son. Despite her best efforts, Knight died on June 23, 1923.

In her diary, she thanked God for her survival, asked Him to forgive her sins, and thanked Jesus for His goodness to her. Uncertain whether or not a rescue boat would arrive, she prepared for another winter on the island. On August 20, 1923, a boat finally arrived.

Throughout our nation’s history, women like Ada have held to hope when all seemed lost. Their trust in the Lord has infused the very fiber of our nation with a hope that leads us onward as “one nation under God.”

Hope–Ada Blackjack: 1898–1983

‘The LORD is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I hope in Him!”

Lamentations 3:24

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Day 4

The heart and soul of Nettie Fowler McCormick is revealed in this well-known quote: “Usefulness is the great thing in life—to do something for others leaves a sweeter odor than a life of pleasure.”

Born in Brownville, New York, Nettie was seven when her parents died and she went to live with her grandmother. A serious child with a determined, strong character, her parents’ death taught her that life was short, and she wanted to make her life count for God.

When Nettie was twenty-one, she was introduced to Cyrus McCormick, the wealthy inventor of the McCormick grain reaper. Despite the difference in their ages—he was twenty-five years older—the couple married in 1858. Nettie and Cyrus had seven children, two of whom died in childhood.

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company’s factory. Cyrus had already made a fortune and he considered not rebuilding and simply retiring. When Nettie disagreed, Cyrus allowed her to make the decision, as he realized she and the children would be there long after he was gone.

Nettie oversaw the construction of a larger factory, which opened less than eighteen months after the fire. Nettie assisted Cyrus in running the plant and later, when their son took over

the family business, advised him. Her correspondence with her son included legal issues, strikes, business and investments, and the problems that arose when they consolidated to form the International Harvester Company.

Nettie believed that their money was a sacred trust to be used for good. She became a generous and dedicated Christian philanthropist. She gave large sums for colleges and hospitals in foreign lands, donated to American colleges and helped found at least forty-six schools. One of the family’s favorite projects was the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, giving over four million dollars into this project.

Nettie helped improve the Southern mountain schools, introducing courses in domestic science and manual training. She was instrumental in setting up churches in the area and started Sunday school classes. She also performed “small kindnesses,” such as paying for a young man’s dental work or arranging for the care of a minister’s sick wife.

To a friend, she remarked, “Yes, money is power, as you have said, but I have always tried not to trust in it, but rather to use it for the glory of my Master.”

Generosity–Nettie Fowler McCormick: 1835–1923

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

Luke 6:38

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Day 5

Elisabeth Howard grew up in a happy Christian home, where they entertained guests from all over the world. When she went to Wheaton College, she met Jim Elliot, who wanted be a missionary. They fell in love, but Jim was committed to remaining single; he felt a single man could do things and go places that would be difficult with a wife. Jim and Elisabeth chose to lay their future relationship before the Lord and obey His leading.

The young couple married five years later in 1953. A little more than two years later, Jim, Elisabeth, their daughter, Valerie, and four other missionaries traveled to Ecuador. Jim and the four missionaries continued to the east to make contact with the Auca Indians (a people group known for being hostile and fierce—no one had ever made contact and lived). The isolated Auca, interpreting the arrival of the men and their strange helicopter as a hostile invasion, attacked. All five missionaries were speared to death.

The tragedy caught the eye and heart of the world. When Elisabeth wrote a detailed account of the five men and their venture, countless young people joined missions “to fill the gap.”

Rather than returning to the States, Elisabeth and her ten-month-old daughter stayed in Ecuador seven more years. Two

Auca women befriended Elisabeth; this relationship opened the door for Elisabeth to begin work translating the Bible into the Auca language.

The fact that the wife of a man they had killed would come to help them had an enormous impact on the Huaorani; most of them accepted Jesus as their Savior. Nine years after the death of the five missionaries, the Gospel of Mark was published in the Auca language.

When Elisabeth and Valerie returned to the United States in 1963, Elisabeth became a well-known writer and in-demand speaker. When she spoke about love and marriage, mothering, loneliness, and the hard questions of life, she could speak with authority because she had lived those experiences.

Faced with tragedy, Elisabeth had turned steadfastly to the Lord to bear her up, get her through, and give her understanding when the trials of life overwhelmed her.

Elisabeth’s trials became her credentials. She wrote twenty-eight books with tenderness, sympathy, and humor, and countless thousands have been spurred on to obedience and acceptance because of her encouragement.

Victory–Elisabeth Elliot: 1926–2015

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Romans 8:38

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Day 6

One of America’s most beloved writers, Catherine Marshall’s books inspired millions of people. Yet her life had great struggles and heartache, which would challenge and later strengthen her faith.

Catherine Wood was born in Tennessee in 1914. From an early age, Catherine dreamed of going to college, becoming an author, teaching, and hopefully marrying a “wonderful man.” She and her mother prayed for the Lord to provide the funds for college and He answered in ways that made it clear to Catherine that He had indeed provided for her.

While in college, she met a popular young Scottish preacher, Peter Marshall. Catherine was attracted to him, and regularly went to hear him preach at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. By her senior year they were engaged, and after her graduation in 1936, they married.

The next year, they moved to Washington, D.C., where Peter became the pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. Eventually he became chaplain of the U.S. Senate.

In 1943, when their son Peter John was only three, Catherine was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The illness left her bedridden for over two years. Although her parents had not raised her

to look for miracles, she prayed for the Lord to heal her. One evening while studying the Bible, she received a strong sense of Christ’s presence and the message: “There is nothing wrong with you that I can’t take care of.” After this, her health gradually improved until she was finally able to care for her son and join in her husband’s work again.

In 1949, Peter suffered a massive heart attack and died at age forty-six. Even in her grief, Catherine felt a strong message from the Lord, from Psalm 23: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life.”

Peter’s death left thirty-four-year-old Catherine a widow and mother with limited income. The publishing house Fleming H. Revell Company contacted Catherine about the possibility of publishing some of her husband’s sermons. Her compilation entitled Mr. Jones, Meet the Master became a best seller, and Catherine went on to write many more books, including her best known work, Christy.

Catherine’s conviction that goodness and mercy would eventually follow even the hardest circumstances was still there to comfort her through the loss of two grandchildren and into her own old age.

Perseverance–Catherine Marshall: 1914–1983

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9

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Day 7

Through pain and hardship, Annie Johnson Flint learned to trust God and bless others.

Annie was born to Eldon and Jean Johnson on Christmas Eve, 1866, in Vineland, New Jersey. Her mother died three years later giving birth to Annie’s younger sister. Her father, suffering with an incurable illness, arranged for his daughters to be adopted by a Christian couple, the Flints.

The Flints were kind and loving and taught the two young girls about the Lord. When Annie was eight, she accepted Jesus as her Savior. Her faith in Him never wavered throughout her life.

As a young girl, Annie was cheerful, friendly, and outgoing. She was an avid reader and loved writing poetry. After finishing her own education, she trained to become a teacher and accepted a position in her hometown. Shortly after, Annie was struck with crippling arthritis; she continued teaching, but after three years, the pain forced her to resign.

Doctors were unable to give Annie any hope for improvement; she faced life as an invalid. Her adoptive parents had died and her sister also struggled with health issues. Without anyone to care for them—and with little money in the bank—the sisters faced a desperate situation.

The debilitating arthritis made it difficult for Annie to do much of anything, let alone earn a living, but her sense of responsibility barred her from accepting help. Then a friend reminded her of Jesus’ teaching about the blessing awaiting those who give. Her friend posed this question: “If no one receives from others, how can anyone be blessed by giving?” Annie’s common sense and good humor opened her eyes to the truth of her friend’s statement and she accepted the help offered.

Her poems provided comfort to Annie; she created hand-decorated greeting cards using Bible verses. A publishing house heard about them and published collections of her poems.

For forty years, Annie suffered from arthritis; thirty-seven of those years she was wheelchair bound. Through her weakness, she learned to trust God to make her strong. Through her poetry, Annie ministered to others.

Annie Flint modeled the strength available when we but trust in God. Her words of power still rise in praise; her life of confident reliance still teaches the faithful of our nation to draw upon the strength that only trust in God provides.

Trust–Annie Johnson Flint: 1866–1932

I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10