I met Tina Yeager through her leadership position in a local foster care organization.  As I got to know her, I was impressed by her warm, professional manner and passion for serving the community.  As it turns out, like most of FemmeFuel writers and followers, she does the balancing act—Business Owner, Committed Mom, Christian Leader and Writer.  She is absolutely qualified to be our very interesting woman for January 2011.  I hope you enjoy her candid thoughts on femininity, relationships and being a single mom.  Feel free to post your comments and ask questions—she will be with us all week!  – AbbyA

In case you missed it…click here to read Part 1 of Tina’s interview: What fuels the Godly woman?

Click here to read Part 2 of Tina’s interview: What is femininity?

Click here to read Part 3 of Tina’s interview: Words of wisdom for the single woman.

AbbyA: As a single working mom, describe how you balance your priorities.

 

Tina Yeager: Priorities…How does one begin? The laundry, homework, housework, social activities, the gym, time with the Lord, serving and yes, I have to work 40-60 hours per week to cover my expenses.  It can be a challenge and I won’t say that it isn’t a great struggle some days.  There are days I cry out to the Lord and say, “Lord, You said You wouldn’t give me more than I can handle, but I think You have me highly confused with somebody else! I feel so weak!!!” He quickly then reminds me that I can do all things with His strength.

I have been married my entire life and being a single mom was not in my life plan.  The lesson I learned very quickly is that I had to make a real effort to keep the week’s activities as balanced and routine as possible for my children.  When I first divorced, I busied myself with a ton of ministry and social activities and dragged my children around for most of it…I started to see them act out and hungry for my undivided attention.  I have now set a rule in my house: Mommy gets one night a week for me.  During the school week, we don’t plan a great deal.  It is enough with homework, sports activities and maintaining the house.  Friday nights are family night.  My kids look forward to Friday nights and the fun we have.  We don’t always do big things—sometimes it is just a bike ride and renting a $1.00 movie rental from the local rental box—but whatever we do, it is our time and they love it.  Time goes by so fast and I don’t want them to only remember me working and cleaning.

The other thing that has given us great balance at home has been our nightly devotional.  We lay in the bed, do our devotional (many times after tickle time and pillow fights) and we learn about Christ and how we can apply it to our lives.  We are doing the Children’s Bible in a year.  It has devotionals after each section.  The children enjoy this time and have really grown spiritually from it.  It has blessed our home tremendously.

The most important ministry I have is my children. My greatest desire is to be an example of a strong Godly woman, who uses God’s strength to get me through each day, has the wisdom to follow Him and the desire to help others grow in Him.  What greater value can I give my children?

I also recognize that like each of you, I fail my children at times. I still lose my temper or get frustrated when they have pushed my buttons one too many times.  I find that if I am consistent with consequences, they behave so much better and those times are less and less frequent. I also know the value of  forgiveness: it frees us up to let go of resentment and anger.  I have learned to ask my children to forgive me when I fail.  We are focusing on growing in Love, Forgiveness, Gratitude and Kindness in our home. With Christ’s love and strength, I believe my children will have amazing Godly lives and will pass it down for generations.

Jeremiah 29:11-14: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.^[b]

I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Tina Yeager has been an RN for 18 years and the CEO/owner of Ocean to Ocean Healthcare since 1995. She has been nominated for “Business Woman Of The Year” by the South Florida Business Journal. Tina is currently chair of the development council for 4Kids of South Florida, an organization committed to meeting the needs of foster care children. She is also active in a community outreach endeavor that benefits The Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. This endeavor is called “Dunn’s Run”. Tina sits as the chairperson for this annual community event where proceeds go directly to The Boys and Girls Club, and is also a corporate board member and chair of the volunteer committee.

I met Tina Yeager through her leadership position in a local foster care organization.  As I got to know her, I was impressed by her warm, professional manner and passion for serving the community.  As it turns out, like most of FemmeFuel writers and followers, she does the balancing act—Business Owner, Committed Mom, Christian Leader and Writer.  She is absolutely qualified to be our very interesting woman for January 2011.  I hope you enjoy her candid thoughts on femininity, relationships and being a single mom.  Feel free to post your comments and ask questions—she will be with us all week!  – AbbyA

In case you missed it…click here to read Part 1 of Tina’s interview: What fuels the Godly woman?

Click here to read Part 2 of Tina’s interview: What is femininity?

AbbyA: What are your words of wisdom for the single woman who wants a relationship?

Tina Yeager: Wait on the Lord, serve, grow closer to Him and guard your heart. 

Isaiah 30:18: Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him! 

So often, women act on feelings before they stop and wait on the Lord and listen.  A wise man told me once: get up before everyone else does, sit in the dark and just listen…Don’t pray; just listen for the Lord’s voice.  Once you hear it, you are free to pray and praise Him.  The Lord has been so good to speak to me during those times.  When we are serving and drawing close to Him, it makes it so much easier to be single.  Paul talks about taking advantage of being single because when we are married, things change drastically.  We all have the desire to be with “the one” and I believe God wants that for us, too.  However, we need to wait and let the men hear the Lord’s voice and pursue us—not the other way around.

We need spiritual leaders as husbands, and if we take on the role of spiritual leader from the beginning, it very likely may not change in the future.  I see, too, many women in our singles groups constantly pursuing the men because they simply don’t want to be alone.  We have to remember we are not alone and our worth is not based on whether a man is interested in us or not.  If you approach dating in that way, you realize that if a man isn’t interested in you, it is no reflection of your value—he is simply not the one the Lord has for you.  Let the Holy Spirit lead!

Tina Yeager has been an RN for 18 years and the CEO/owner of Ocean to Ocean Healthcare since 1995. She has been nominated for “Business Woman Of The Year” by the South Florida Business Journal. Tina is currently chair of the development council for 4Kids of South Florida, an organization committed to meeting the needs of foster care children. She is also active in a community outreach endeavor that benefits The Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. This endeavor is called “Dunn’s Run”. Tina sits as the chairperson for this annual community event where proceeds go directly to The Boys and Girls Club, and is also a corporate board member and chair of the volunteer committee.

I met Tina Yeager through her leadership position in a local foster care organization.  As I got to know her, I was impressed by her warm, professional manner and passion for serving the community.  As it turns out, like most of FemmeFuel writers and followers, she does the balancing act—Business Owner, Committed Mom, Christian Leader and Writer.  She is absolutely qualified to be our very interesting woman for January 2011.  I hope you enjoy her candid thoughts on femininity, relationships and being a single mom.  Feel free to post your comments and ask questions—she will be with us all week!  – AbbyA

In case you missed it…click here to read Part 1 of Tina’s interview: What fuels the Godly woman?

AbbyA: Describe femininity.

 

Tina Yeager: Femininity is the ability to be strong, yet loving, kind, generous and gentle.  Many women lose their femininity when they take on the role of men in business and don’t realize that they can be both loving/kind/gentle and strong/intelligent at the same time. I must say, we do a great job of competing with the men in the market place, however, it is so much sweeterwhen it is a feminine woman that also exudes strength and wisdom.

It excites me to see women who are successful and continue to be the loving, Godly women who Christ created them to be.  Keeping our feminine side is what sets us apart from so many.  What a testimony and example you are when you recognize that you don’t have to lose the feminine side of you to be a great pillar of strength!

AbbyA: What do you plan to accomplish in the New Year?

Tina Yeager: My goal for 2011 is completing my book:  “Smart Women, Bad Choices.”  The book is all about women living redemptive lives despite the struggles we may have gone through.  It is a story of a woman that came from an abusive childhood, a rebellious youth and felt unlovable and unworthy.  She made so many choices that reflected those feelings within her.  So many years of heartache and pain were not in vain, as God had a plan and a purpose for her life. Christ redeems her life and fills it with true peace, joy and comfort.  He uses all the hurt and pain for her to help others and glorify Him.  The book teaches and encourages women to draw closer to Him and to let go.  We are all works in progress.

Tina Yeager has been an RN for 18 years and the CEO/owner of Ocean to Ocean Healthcare since 1995. She has been nominated for “Business Woman Of The Year” by the South Florida Business Journal. Tina is currently chair of the development council for 4Kids of South Florida, an organization committed to meeting the needs of foster care children. She is also active in a community outreach endeavor that benefits The Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. This endeavor is called “Dunn’s Run”. Tina sits as the chairperson for this annual community event where proceeds go directly to The Boys and Girls Club, and is also a corporate board member and chair of the volunteer committee.

I met Tina Yeager through her leadership position in a local foster care organization.  As I got o know her, I was impressed by her warm, professional manner and passion for serving the community.  As it turns out, like most of FemmeFuel writers and followers, she does the balancing act—Business Owner, Committed Mom, Christian Leader and Writer.  She is absolutely qualified to be our very interesting woman for January 2011.  I hope you enjoy her candid thoughts on femininity, relationships and being a single mom.  Feel free to post your comments and ask questions—she will be with us all week!  – AbbyA

AbbyA: What fuels the Godly woman?

Tina Yeager: The Godly woman is fueled by a desire to please the Lord.  Instinctively, we dedicate our lives to nurturing those around us.  As mothers, we spend endless hours on homework, laundry and taking care of the daily basics such as homework, meals, baths, prayer and even discipline. As women, I feel giving back to the less fortunate and raising children who understand and walk in true relationship with Jesus is what the Lord is calling us to do.  Each day, as we grow closer to the Lord, we are able to make wiser and wiser decisions and avoid the self-gratifying and self-serving decisions which give us that instant gratification we so craved as non-Christian women.

I pray Psalm 51:10 frequently: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Even in my early days of serving the Lord, I struggled with allowing God to fuel my desires versus worldly desires guided by my own emotions.  I have made so many mistakes in the past because I didn’t understand spiritual warfare and the need for putting on the full armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:10-18.  Now what fuels me is knowing that I helped someone in need, seeing my friends come to Christ and even sharing my testimony with others so that they understand what redemption means and that Jesus loves us despite of ourselves.  Although my struggles were many, with God’s Grace, Love and Strength, I am able to live in victory—knowing that the women I share with, gain hope and strength from learning this about me, fuels me to continue on my mission.

What is my mission?  1) To help women and children overcome abuse, neglect and hardship;  2) To teach them that, if we surrender our hurts and pasts to the Lord, choose to let go of them, forgive others and press forward, anything is possible with Jesus in us.

We simply have to truly surrender and not let Satan control our thoughts, emotions or decisions in any way.  This comes not from just being a Christian, but from true relationship with God.  Many women do not understand what true relationship means because we were never shown what healthy relationships looked like as children.  True relationship means simply spending time with the Lord every day (sometimes minute-by-minute), talking, listening, reading His Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in all decisions.

When we make a decision, do we ask Jesus his opinion or do we simply make the decision and then pray that He will bless it?  See the difference?  I didn’t, for many years.  I am fueled and fired up for Jesus and sharing Him with others.   How about you?  What fuels you?

Tina Yeager has been an RN for 18 years and the CEO/owner of Ocean to Ocean Healthcare since 1995. She has been nominated for “Business Woman Of The Year” by the South Florida Business Journal. Tina is currently chair of the development council for 4Kids of South Florida, an organization committed to meeting the needs of foster care children. She is also active in a community outreach endeavor that benefits The Boys and Girls Club of Broward County. This endeavor is called “Dunn’s Run”. Tina sits as the chairperson for this annual community event where proceeds go directly to The Boys and Girls Club, and is also a corporate board member and chair of the volunteer committee.