Breaking Glass Ceilings

1
Breaking Glass Ceilings

• Merry Christmas!

2
Just For Us
Many women do noble things, but you
surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty
is fleeting but a woman who fears the
Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31 29-30 (NIV)
3
What do you mean?

• Noble - Chayil
• You are capable
• You are strong
• You are efficient
• You do everything in excellence
• Charm - Chen
• Adornment
• Gracefulness
• Beauty - Yophiy

• Think about this. . .
• Many women are capable. Many women are strong,
  efficient, and demonstrate excellence.
• What is on the inside? What are her motivations?
  These are outward appearances that can be very
  deceptive and self-serving.

4
A Paradigm Shift

• Women have broken through the glass ceiling and
  pried open doors that were once closed.
• We can enter whatever career field we choose.
• We can have the family and the career if we
  choose.
• We can be the traditional housewife and mother if
  we so choose.

5
Yet . . .

• There is a mindset still that exists in some
  places and some homes.
• Women are seen as no more than a mans personal
  property.
• Women who have found a suitable mate or have
  chosen to not marry or have children are often
  times still seen as old maids.
• Domestic Violence still exists women in these
  situations are convinced they have no rights or
  privileges.

6
Imagine . . .

• Being a woman of color in the wrong era.
• The steep price that women have paid to
  reposition themselves
• In the workplace
• In the political arena
• In the financial sector
• In their marriages
• In their churches

7
Equal Opportunity Faith

• Education and opportunity are the great
  emancipators in the fight for equality.
  Education and economic empowerment free more than
  our checkbook they open the mind and heart and
  change the way we process truth. It is true that
  when people know better, they do better. This is
  why it is imperative for us to continue to fight
  to educate people rather than to just evangelize
  them.
• p. 189

8
What is our responsibility?

• True Salvation of a society
• Economics
• Ethics
• Education
• Strong sense of Gods creative plan for all His
  beings.
• We cannot change what we do not understand.

9
Divine Intervention

• The Daughters of Zolophehad (Num. 271-11)
• Denied their birthright because they were women.
• Moses was even uncomfortable giving them their
  honor.
• God intervened spoke directly to Moses.

• The Woman About to be Stoned for Adultery
• They had drug her in the street to stone her for
  what they were probably all guilty of
• Jesus intervened.

10
Double Standards

• Humanity has contaminated Gods plan for
  wholeness with cultural biases and scriptural
  misinterpretations.
• Too often institutions, love principles more than
  people, ceremony more than service, condemnation
  more than comfort, and the results are
  catastrophic!

• The religious world has often controlled women
• 1 Cor. 1113-16
• Judge for yourselves Is it proper for a woman
  to pray to God with her head uncovered?
• Does not the very nature of things teach you that
  if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
  but that if a woman has long hair, it is her
  glory? For long hair is given to her as a
  covering.
• If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we
  have no other practice--nor do the churches of
  God.

It is difficult to find your voice when you stand
alone on an issue and so many respected people
oppose you.
11
Whole Lot of Shaking Going On

• It is important that you remain upwardly mobile
  without becoming infected with cynicism.
• Bitterness is a great deterrent to creativity and
  can linger like poison in the system of a heart
  that is bruised by a grievous blow to the soul.

12
Warm Up Exercises

• Women need to plan on being financially
  independent.
• Give yourself the freedom and flexibility of
  thought to change careers.
• Do the research to ensure that you receive the
  respect you deserve where you shop.
• Develop hobbies that put you in the company of
  the people with whom you want to be associated.

• Dont wait until the crisis and wonder why you
  arent sheltered from the storms. Look ahead and
  prepare a safe harbor where you can recover if
  you ever falter physically or emotionally.
• There is nothing wrong with holding to
  traditional values that are important to you.
• Learn and teach decisiveness, negotiation, sound
  ethical business principles and business
  expertise.