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1999 by Mimi Wilson & Shelly Volkhardt
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from NavPress, P.O. Box 35001, Colorado Springs, CO 80935.
www.navpress.com
Wilson, Marilyn S. 1946
Holy Habits : a womans guide to intentional living / Mimi Wilson and Shelly Cook Volkhardt.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical refrences.
ISBN 1-57683-115-9
1. Christian womenReligious life. I. Volkhardt, Shelly Cook.
II. Title.
BV4527.W555 1999
248.843dc21
99-41452
CIP
NAVPRESS and the NAVPRESS logo are registered trademarks of NavPress. Absence of in connection with marks of NavPress or other parties does not indicate an absence of registration of those marks.
ISBN 978-1-57683-115-1
Cover Designer: Dan Jamison
Photo by Bruce Forster/Tony Stone Images
Some of the anecdotal illustrations in this book are true to life and are included with the permission of the persons involved. All other illustrations are composites of real situations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is coincidental.
Unless otherwise identified, all Scripture quotations in this publication are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Other versions used include: the New American Standard Bible (NASB), The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977; The Message: New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs (MSG) by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group; and the New King James Version (NKJV), copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Printed in the United States of America
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 / 13 12 11 10 09
From Mimi:
To Calvin, my husband, who has
called me to spiritual excellence.
To Kurt and Lori Wilson, Tom Trinidad and Kyndra
Wilson, and Kevin, my children by flesh and by
marriage, who have been fellow travelers in the
journey toward a deeper knowledge of God.
To my grandchildren, whom I pray
may join the others in a deep thirst for God.
From Shelly:
For my beloved husband, Glen, and our boys,
Carl and Culver. I need you and love you always;
may we continue to grow together in our Lord.
For Norm and Muriel Cook, my dad and mom.
You set me on the path toward Him; my love and
admiration for you knows no bounds.
A cknowledgments
To LIZ HEANEY, our editor, we express our deep thanks and gratitude for helping us solidify the direction of this book. We also thank many others who have aided and encouraged us in many different ways: Hope Anderson; the Bible study group in Vail: Marge Black, Margie Stephens, Angie Stevens, Susan Sisti, and Judy Phillips; Mrs. Carter, Linda Dillow, KathyJo Estes, Carolyn Eumurian, Wendy Graumann, Andy and Kathy Howell, Barbara Odom, Cherith Rydbeck, Karen Schmidt, Miriam Schoenig, Becky Sims, Kay Talbot, Alice Tate, Bentley Tate, Mr. Tokatloglou, Denise Vezey, Kent Wilson, Julie Witt, and Milei Yardley.
D ear R eader
I write this in the wee hours of the morning. My family is still tucked in their beds, sleeping soundly. Ive poured a cup of coffee, lit the candles, and spent some time in prayer. I knelt at the same couch, in the same place where Mimi and I have prayed countless times over the years. We have seen God move the hearts of kings and paupers for His kingdom as weve knelt before Him. God has answered powerfully. Weve seen babies born, entire ministries come forth, land provided, and sickness healed. The list of answers is unending. We have watched the mystery of the change that took place in our own lives as a result of spending so much time with our God.
Our friendship began over thirteen years ago. Mimi had come to Ecuador with her husband, Cal, and their three children to serve as missionaries. My husband, Glen, and I had the key to the house where they were to live for the first six months. It didnt take long for Mimi and me to realize that we were, in the words of Anne of Green Gables, kindred spirits. Sometimes when we talked about the way we felt, the other would nod her head in astonishment. (We are both quite unique and, apart from members of our families, we had never met anybody with such similar reactions!)
We soon learned that we had other things in common. Mimi is a third-generation missionary. She grew up in Africa where her parents and grandparents served for many years. I am also a third generation missionary; I was born in Taiwan where my parents were missionaries and my grandparents before them served God in China. We both love being wives and mothers. We use our homes as a platform for ministry. We each have a tremendous capacity for enjoyment and a good laugh, and we love to have our lives spiced up by wonderful adventures, and even mishaps.
But what drew us to each other, above all else, was our passion for ministry and our deep desire to know God. Mimi taught a large group of English-speaking women and started four different projects to help meet the needs of the many handicapped children in Ecuador. I was involved in a large program of teaching the Scriptures to upper-class Spanish-speaking women. We began to pray together on a weekly basis, and as we met, we spoon fed one another. Mimi and I shared with each other the riches that God was teaching us as we prepared to minister to the women in our worlds. The truths we learned during those hours took firm hold within our hearts.
Mimi had already coauthored Once-A-Month Cooking when she came to Ecuador. Ill never forget the day we began to talk about the project that resulted in this book, Holy Habits. Mimi had struggled with dyslexia all her life, but she never let it stop her. In fact, what was thought of as a weakness became a strength. She learned to rely on others to help her in that area. One day, I offered to be her teammate in writing the truths found in the following pages.
Mimi and I are two of the most nontechnical people alive, but we are grateful for the technology that has allowed us to communicate and to write this book together even though Mimi and her husband have returned to Colorado. Weve learned to send e-mails and talk via the Internet. Most of what weve accomplished has been done long-distance, but despite the miles, together we have met at the throne of our Lord, seeking His direction for what you hold in your hands.
Much of what you will read came out of our times of feeding one another. In order to avoid confusion, I have written everything in Mimis voice, weaving both of our experiences and lessons from God into the fabric of the text. It gives me great pleasure to give my friend voice in this way.
Flowing throughout these pages is the living, moving, loving character of God, who calls each one of us to Himself. Section one explores who God is and how we can develop holy habits that will help us look on the character of God, fall in love with Him, and keep Him as our focus. Section two explores how, as we learn to look to God, He transforms us deep in the secret part of our souls by His grace, and gives us the power to do those things that are unnatural to us. As we make God our focus, He transforms our minds, our hearts, and our souls; He changes us from the inside out.
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