A Persistent Mother

Have you ever wanted something so bad you begged God for it? Did begging work?

How many of us give up after three prayers? Or after praying for three days? Hannah prayed for years and didn’t give up.

Persistence is a terrific character trait to have, although sometimes we wish we didn’t have to prove that we have that trait in our arsenal.

Join me at Seek God With Me as I show the faithful persistence of Hannah. She wanted a son, but she didn't beg. Begging is different than persistence. Come see what I mean at Seek God With Me.

Too Hot To Handle, 1938

Clark Gable is Chris Hunter, a newsreel photographer. His competition at another newsreel company is Bill Dennis, played by Walter Pidgeon. Gable and Pidgeon aren’t getting the shots they need, and neither one is above faking the shot the boss wants to see.

Myrna Loy is Alma Harding, the female pilot who is determined to find her brother who is lost in South America. Gable wants to help Loy, but he also thinks he can do it on company pay – with lots of unique shots of the rescue. Pidgeon and Loy were together before Gable came along and messed things up. Now the love triangle is more like a 3 ring circus.

I enjoyed Myrna Loy’s gutsy character. She showed heart and determination when other women would’ve gone home and given up. The ending made me smile.

A Bold Leader

This month, I’m focusing on women who have been a positive influence in the lives of others. These women are bold, strong, and brave. They know what they have to do, and they’re not afraid to do it. And they act out of love.

Today, it’s Deborah’s turn.

Deborah helped Barak, the military leader, move the armies of Israel against the Canaanites, who had been oppressing the Israelites for 20 yrs. Judges 4:4 describes her as a prophet, a wife, and a leader of Israel. Talk about a busy schedule!

Join me at Seek God With Me for more on this courageous woman. She used the same time-tested ladder to success that we can use today.

The Mad Miss Manton, 1938

Millionairess Manton finds a dead body. A pack of young ladies find clues they hope will lead them to the killer. Newspaper editor Peter Ames falls in love with a million dollars worth of trouble while trying to get the scoop on this case. She’s in trouble with the law, the newspaper editor, and a killer. How close will she get to the truth before she becomes the next victim?

Barbara Stanwyck takes on the title role in this loveable, funny mystery. Henry Fonda is in this and two later films with Stanwyck, all comedies. They worked well together. Hattie McDaniel is the maid, Hilda, who is far from invisible like some movie maids.

Since it’s a comedy, you know her girlfriends won’t all be shot to death, and you know the heroine won’t be shot to death. But there were plenty of opportunities for the bad guy to get away with murder.

A Powerful Female Merchant

How many of us have had the boldness to push the boundaries of what was normal? Have we stepped out and challenged people to act according to their faith?

When a friend asked me to pray for her healing, I saw it as a challenge. I’d prayed for others, but this was a new opportunity for me. I’d never prayed for a pastor’s wife before. Not with her standing there waiting on me to start praying. Was my faith big enough for that?

I remembered that God was the one being challenged, not me. I wasn’t able to heal anyone, but God heals people all the time. My friend’s boldness caused me to confirm to her that God’s love is big enough and powerful enough even through my prayers. He is enough.

In the Bible, a woman named Lydia issued a challenge which caused people to take a look at their faith. She was a seller of purple cloth, and knew how to push the boundaries.

Join me at Seek God With Me for more about Lydia, the bold merchant who loved God. If you like shaking things up a bit, you’ll love Lydia.

Reckless, 1935

Ned Riley, played by William Powell, has taken a two-bit dancer and made her a star. Now that she has the attention of a millionaire, will she jump at the chance to live in real luxury?

Jean Harlow, who plays Mona Leslie, had some great scenes with Rosiland Russell, who plays Jo Mercer, Harrison’s ex-fiance. Franchot Tone plays wealthy Bob Harrison so well, I didn’t see the ending coming.

I enjoyed the performances. I believed Harlow’s performance of a good-hearted woman in love with a reckless millionaire. I believed her pain and tenacity afterward.

It was interesting to see the inimitable Mickey Rooney playing Eddie, a little boy who helps Riley out. Of course, I always love William Powell’s characters. He makes them real and gives them a sense of humor.

Victor Fleming, who directed Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, also directed this film.

A Powerful Mom

A mother’s persistent love can overcome many obstacles. Matthew 15:21-28 shows the example of a mother who never gave up. Her daughter was suffering terribly, and she knew Jesus was able to heal her. She was basically told – by Jesus, himself – that she wasn’t important enough for him to stop and listen to her.

Did she get offended? No. It took a special “mother’s boldness” for her to continue pressing Jesus for his healing touch for her daughter.

Many moms pray for their children, but sometimes God gives us a chance to push in closer to Him and use our faith a little more than we normally do. If we accept God’s invitation to a deeper relationship with Him, we can reap great rewards.

Today on Seek God With Me, I’m taking a look at the mother with a sick child and how our persistence with God is a good thing. Join me.

Imitation of Life, 1934

Claudette Colbert plays a widowed mother carrying on her husband’s business of selling maple syrup. She is helped by Louise Beavers as Delilah, the maid who becomes the face of Aunt Delilah’s Pancake Flour. Colbert’s Bea Pullman uses her maid’s secret recipe to become a self-made millionaire. She makes sure Delilah gets her part of the profits, but she can’t help her with her parenting problems.

This important film takes Delilah out of the stereotypical maid role and makes her three dimensional with parenting conflicts. Delilah’s daughter is very light-skinned and wants to pass for white, but her mother won’t let her get away with the deception.

Beavers should have gotten an Oscar for her performance. She gave the role truckloads of emotion. How could anyone watch the ending and not cry?

I recognized Warren William and Ned Sparks from the 1933 film Lady for a Day. They worked well together in both films.

Claudette Colbert showed some “girl power” and took the role of businesswoman to a graceful height.