#HeartForTheWord

The first time God says, “Fear not,” in the Bible, He says it to Abram. Abram must have felt some discomfort about being taken care of because God’s calming comments were threefold. “Do not be afraid…”, “I am your shield,” and “[I am] your exceedingly great reward” Genesis 15:1 (NKJ). In those three remarks, God covers, for Abram and for us, the most central issues with which we as His children deal every day. We question our plans, our protection, and our payment.

“Do not be afraid.” I heard that there are 365 times when the Bible says, “Fear not;” that’s a “fear not” for every day of the year. As I started to investigate this claim, I read God’s utterances of this phrase in the rest of the book of Genesis. He says:

• Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. (21:17)
• Fear not, for I am with thee (26:24)
• Fear not; thou shalt have this son also (35:17)
• Fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation (46:3)
• Fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones (50:21)

When our plans are at stake—be they dealing with His presence, our children, our care, our future, or our understanding of what to do with a vision He’s given us—He speaks a  “fear not” that accompanies His plan to take care us our situation.

“I am your shield.” Sometimes we wonder whether or not we’ll be okay when we face opposition. Whenever we need protection, God is there for us. God goes before us, He’s our rearguard, a shield about us, the Rock on which we can stand, and our covering.

“[I am] your exceedingly great reward.” We don’t live for money, but it takes money to live. We don’t serve God to gain His favor, but He showers us with His favor as we serve Him. When it comes to our payment in any area of our lives, God lets us know that He Himself is our payment: our reward.

So as we face the day, know that God continually assuages all our concerns. Worship Him for being the Fear Destroyer.

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©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children

available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

 at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk

Also still available:

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame

from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

#HeartForTheWord

Aside from the occasion of blatant disrespect and belittling by an employer, there’s nothing worse than an employee who continually insists on repeating, “That’s not in my job description.” Nowadays, it’s a tremendous blessing just to have a job in the first place, so reaching beyond our written contract and helping out for the good of the company or for the relief of a colleague doesn’t have to be an instance for complaint. In fact, common sense and common decency dictate that some things are just expected of our position and don’t need to be expressly written out before we’ll submit to performing them.

So it is with prayer and our Christian lives. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus approached it as a foregone conclusion that we pray (“And when you pray…” v. 5), but realized we needed instruction on how to get prayer right.

First, pray on your own. Jesus tells us not to pray like the hypocrites do, all loud and with the intention of being seen. Instead, He says, “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place…” Matthew 6:6a (NKJ). God actually desires alone time with us, without distractions, and in a place where we can focus on Him (He is already constantly focused on us).

Second, be original. Jesus says, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do…” Matthew 6:7a (NKJ). We shouldn’t plagiarize in prayer. We’re to talk to God about our personal issues, concerns, and desires rather than simply repeating what we’ve heard others say. God’s concerned about what’s really on our hearts. We can be honest with Him when we pray.

Third, be organized. Even though we’re not to use vain repetitions, in Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gives us a model on which to hang our prayer thoughts so that we approach it in the right way.

• He says, “In this manner, therefore, pray…” In other words, we follow this pattern as we elaborate with our own heart’s cries. How can we be organized and original at the same time? Here are some suggestions using the prayer Jesus taught.
• “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” Take time to express adoration of God. Speak to Him of who He is. Bless Him for His attributes.
• “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Ask for understanding of what God’s will is concerning the different things about which you are praying. Find Scriptures that relate to those issues.
• “Give us this day our daily bread.” Talk to God about your specific needs for the day you are facing and express your trust in Him to meet those needs.
• “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Speak with God about areas of sinfulness in your life. Ask for His forgiveness and for His instruction and help in turning from those sinful ways. Also speak to God about those to whom you need to extend forgiveness.
• “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Be honest with God about the things that tempt you. Ask Him how to avoid those temptations and pray for deliverance from the enemy of your soul who ever seeks to bring you down.
• “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Close your prayer times reiterating your trust in God and your reliance on His power in and through your life.

Well, what are you waiting for – go somewhere and pray! Worship God for being the Prayer Teacher.

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©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children

available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

 at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk

Also still available:

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame

from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

#HeartForTheWord

Significant positive and negative happenings have a way of burning themselves into our remembrance. I remember where I was and what I was doing upon hearing the news that President Kennedy and Dr. King were assassinated, Princess Diana died, planes flew into the World Trade Center on 9-11, and Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Besides sad world and personal events, I also fondly recall when my brother returned from Viet Nam, my children’s births, and the first time my husband told me, “I love you.” Sometimes, we may commemorate our special events by reading the journal entry we made, lighting a candle, placing flowers, or even throwing a party. These memorial observances serve both to define our lives and mark our growth.

Abram found an important way to memorialize his meetings with God. Genesis 12:7 tells us, “Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him” (NKJ). God appeared and spoke to Abram, so Abram built an altar to Him. Abram did something to force himself to remember both Who had spoken to him and what God had said. The message defined His life (he’d have the land), and marked his growth (he’d have descendants).

Abram’s habit is a good idea for us. When God speaks, we too ought to build an altar to Him. Nowadays we wouldn’t build altars from actual stones. Instead, our altars can be within our hearts. “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” Romans 2:28-29.

So the next time God appears and speaks to you, build an altar to Him. Revisit your altar frequently to remember both the One who appeared and spoke, and the message He delivered. Let God’s words define your life and mark your growth. Worship Him today as the One who shows up, and as the One who speaks.

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©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children

available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

 at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk

Also still available:

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame

from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

#HeartForTheWord

One of the most comforting parts of my childhood was bedtime. Each night, my mom or dad would send me put to on my pajamas and get under the covers. Then one of them would read me a story. When I was really small, I used to fall asleep before the end of the story. As I grew older, I could last through a short book (yeah Dr. Seuss and little golden books) and even participate in the reading.

Next to the last thing we’d do together at bedtime was pray. I changed the disturbing end of the common children’s prayer so that my words to God were:

• Now I lay me down to sleep
• I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
• Thy love please guard me through the night
• And wake me with the morning light. (I wanted no part of “dying before I woke up!)

Finally, in my nightly routine with my parents, we’d kiss each other’s cheeks (Daddy always scratched my face with his slight day’s worth of stubble), and I’d drift off into peaceful slumber.

For most of us, it’s probably been a long time since we were put to bed, but Psalm 3:5 is reminiscent of this special time. It says, “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me” (NKJ). Psalm 127:2 says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.” My parents’ regular nighttime routine with me can help us understand the tender care and loving protection God shows us every night. No matter what the day has dished out, we can be assured that God will be there to tuck us in, share with us His special story, allow us to participate in our evening talk, kiss us with His comfort, and settle us into restful sleep.

Worship God today as the Sleep-Giver.

____________________________

©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children

available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

 at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk

Also still available:

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame

from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

#HeartForTheWord

I want to be known as a woman of my word. When I had my children, one of the things that was especially important to me was to pass on to them the importance of truth, so I was careful to make promises only when I was reasonably sure I could keep them. When they asked for something, like if we could go to the park or if they could have ice cream later on, I would usually answer, “We’ll see.” That way, if situations occurred that would stop me from taking them to the park or getting ice cream cones, I wouldn’t be breaking a promise. Mark, my youngest, picked up on my habit, and realizing that I was steering clear of turning his request into a promise remarked, “‘We’ll see’ means ‘no’.”

I couldn’t always make a promise—a covenant—with my boys because I could not be absolutely sure of its fulfillment. God is not like that. When He makes a promise, He will make it happen, no doubt about it. After the Flood, God made a promise to Noah and his descendants (that includes us, by the way). Genesis 9:11 quotes God and says, “Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (NKJ). This was not a “we’ll see” comment. God even invented a special reminder for Himself. “The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth… This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth” Genesis 9:16-17.

In my case, sometimes “we’ll see” did mean the request couldn’t be filled at that time because I couldn’t see the future. However, when I could see clear to get it done, then I’d say, “I promise.” By operating this way, I could emulate for my children what God’s word was like. His word can always be believed. I wanted my boys to understand that they could always trust that the fulfillment of God’s promises is a sure thing. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen” Second Corinthians 1:20 (NKJ).

When it comes to any promise in God’s word, there’s no doubt about it. Worship God today for being the Promise Keeper.

____________________________

©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children

available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

 at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk

Also still available:

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame

from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

#HeartForTheWord

I am often tasked with writing college recommendations for my students. Each time I write one, I have to sit and think about that student’s characteristics, what makes him or her special, and why that college should accept him or her. Usually, it’s easy to write glowing comments, but sometimes I have to dig down deep to say favorable things while still telling the truth about the student’s past academic prowess (or lack thereof). The university is looking for qualified applicants, and my words must convince the acceptance committee that this particular student is exactly who them want.

When God needed a helmsman for the ark, He looked for a qualified person as well. We know Noah wasn’t flawless; no human being is. But God found some tendencies and a mindset in Noah that He could applaud. In Genesis 6:8-9; 7:1; and 7:5, God says Noah:

• Found grace in His eyes
• Was a just man
• Was perfect in his generations
• Walked with Him
• Was righteous before Him
• Did according to all He commanded him to do

If God took a look are our tendencies and our mindset, and wrote out our qualifications for service, would He see anything in us that He could use? Would God recommend us for any particular task He might have in mind? Are we not taking grace for granted, realizing that grace is not cheap, and living as best we can as just, perfect, and righteous children of the King? Are we walking closely enough to Him to hear what He wants us to do, and then moving to do it without hesitation?

Let’s stop falling back on the old adage that there is nothing good within us. As an unsaved sinner, that’s true; but as a blood-bought, baptized, Holy Ghost filled saint, God’s Spirit is within us empowering us. That’s very good and makes us qualified for use.

Worship God today for being the gracious One—the Qualifier—who uses us in his service.

____________________________

©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children

available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

 at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk

Also still available:

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame

from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

#HeartForTheWord

It took just six short chapters for the story of the wonderful creation of earth, the animals, and man, to take a turn for the worse. God switched from looking at His handiwork and seeing that everything He made was very good, to looking at it and seeing “that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” Genesis 6:5 (NKJ). Things were so bad that God was actually sorry He had even made man in the first place and He decided to wipe everything out. But as He looked around, His eyes rested on Noah who “found grace in the eyes of the Lord… was a just man, perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God” Genesis 6:8-9.

The difference that set Noah apart from those around him caused God to reevaluate His original plan. At first, God had said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them” Genesis 6:7.  But upon considering Noah, on one of their walks, God told him:

• The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch… And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life… But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. (Genesis 6:13-19)

We can look around us today and it seems as though God’s words could have been ripped straight from the headlines: the wickedness of man is great in the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually. But fear not. Just as God looked around and was able to find Noah in the chaos, He sees us. God can still tell the difference between those who practice wickedness and those who walk with Him. And like Noah, the existence of our witness can serve to keep others alive.

Worship God today as the Discerner. Take regular walks with Him.

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©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children

available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

 at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk

Also still available:

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame

from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

#HeartForTheWord

The first question in the Bible is asked by the serpent. “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1, NKJ) Through this reptilian creature, Satan introduces himself and his character. He’s crafty, and the cunningly devised query was formulated to twist and cast doubt upon God’s clearly revealed word. God had said “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat” Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJ). Satan’s question moved Eve to focus on the one thing she could not do; God’s command had focused on all that she could do. Satan’s question and subsequent conversation took Eve’s eyes off of God’s abundant provision and placed them only on His one restriction. That restriction was meant for her protection, but Satan simply failed to point that part out to her. The rest of Genesis chapter three reveals the sad outcome of Eve’s attention to Satan’s question.

Just as we can learn from that Garden incident that Satan’s questions are designed to defeat us, we can learn from what follows that God’s questions are designed to direct us. Just a few verses after Satan’s first question, God asks His first questions. “Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?… Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?’… And the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’” (Genesis 3:9, 11, and 13)

God’s questions directed Adam and Eve in four ways:

• Question #1, “Where are You?” directed their attention to His attention. They realized that God was paying attention to them and He cared about their activities.
• Question #2, “Who told you that you were naked?” directed their attention to the fact that God was aware that there were other voices besides His to which they could possibly listen.
• Question #3: “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” directed their attention to the fact that He already knew what they had done.
• Question #4: “What is this you have done?” directed their attention to the seriousness of their mistake.

God’s questions to Adam and Eve serve as directive guidance for us as well. First, realize that God cares. Our whereabouts matter to Him and we need to be mindful of where we are as His children. Second, be careful about the voices we allow to penetrate our minds and hearts. Not every voice is echoing God’s. Third, know that there is no use hiding from God. We may as well be straight up with Him about our failures. The sooner we acknowledge our faults, the sooner He can start fixing us and our situation. And fourth, understand the seriousness of sin. We must get out of the habit of taking sin so lightly and realize that sin hurts the heart of God, separates us from Him, and “sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” James 1:15b (NKJ).

Worship God today for being the Question-asker. Let’s allow His questions to permeate our hearts so we can stand right before Him.

____________________________

©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children

available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

 at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk

Also still available:

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame

from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

#HeartForTheWord

I enjoy meeting new people and making new friends. Two of my newest friends are the coolest people ever. One lady and I crossed paths when we were both speakers at a women’s retreat. We connected so immediately that we sat up in the lobby of the hotel for half the night talking, sharing life stories, and being amazed about what God was doing in our lives. The other lady has a daughter my age who lives out of town, but we’ve connected as friends rather than as a substitute mother/daughter duo. If I could introduce you to these women, I’d do so with excitement because they are special to me already and I’m learning wonderful things about them each day our relationship grows.

With the same enthusiasm, I’m excited to introduce you to my God. After all the years I’ve known Him, I thought I understood Him pretty well; however, a few months ago, the realization hit me that there is always more to be learned about God since He’s infinite. So as we embark upon this year of delving into worship, we are obliged to hype His worth as who we know Him to be. So, may I introduce you to God in the way He introduces Himself in the first verses of His book, the Bible. Genesis 1:1-5 says:

• In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. (NKJ)

Did you get His introduction? Let me help you see the eight characteristics by which God introduces Himself here.

1. “In the beginning God” – Meet God, the Uncaused Cause, the Ever-existent One.
2. “God created the heavens and the earth” – Meet God, the Creator.
3. “And the Spirit of God was hovering” – Meet God, the Examiner, the One who hovers, thinking deeply about and watching over all He does.
4. “Then God said” – Meet God, the Speaker, the One whose Word causes nothingness to turn into something-ness.
5. “And God saw” – Meet God, the Observer of all He brings into being.
6. “And God saw… it was good” – Meet God, the Judge who evaluates the value of any and everything; the One who knows what’s good when He sees it.
7. “And God divided the light from the darkness” – Meet God, the Divider of light and dark.
8. “God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night” – Meet God, the Designator. He calls things by their name, using His omniscience to describe each thing’s character.

So it’s my pleasure to introduce you to God: the Uncaused Cause, the Creator, Examiner, Speaker, Observer, Judge, Divider, and Designator. Worship Him today for being all He is just here in the first five verses of the Bible.

____________________________

©2014 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children

available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

 at bookstores, and on all major online book buying sites.

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk

Also still available:

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame

from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)