Mother’s Day
This past Mother’s Day, I was at a total loss as to what to give my mother. I didn’t want to give her just any knick knack, so I gave her flowers and a knick knack with meaning.
My photography is very personal to me. If I ever gift anyone an image I have taken, you can believe I have agonized over the perfect image to gift and how to perfectly frame that image.
I finally picked out a beautiful flower image. I wanted to add scripture to the photograph, but I just couldn’t find THE PERFECT one for my mom. After a while, this is what I created:
My mom has truly been a gift to me and my family in many countless ways. Her heart is huge, she gives without expecting, she loves to talk about the Lord, she is a phone call away and I love the way she loves my son. Just like Jesus, she has been an example of a person who loves unconditionally.
I love you, Momma! Happy Mother’s Day!!
Worthlessness Comes First
I have met many girls/women who feel totally worthless after having an abortion. There are intense feelings of shame, guilt, unforgiveness, regret, grief, sadness . . . the negative feelings are endless. At some point, you really would rather die than to feel the pain. Coping mechanisms begin to weave in and out of every part of your life in order to “deal” with the abortion and move on with life. But even though you may move on, you still have the sense that something is wrong. As much as you try to deny these feelings, they always surface in one way or another no matter how much you try to control them.
Control. That’s the key word. We don’t want to let go because we feel we may go crazy with all of these negative feelings inside. What if I said that letting go is a key answer?
I can’t explain it any better than God. He says this in James 4:7, “So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Yes, this means give up the control, give up the negative thoughts that the enemy keeps feeding you . . . lay it all down and reach for God. Guess what happens then?
James 4:8, “And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you.”
God will ALWAYS come to you when you ask Him. God is just that way. When you come to Him, ask for forgiveness so you are good with God (just as when you say you are sorry to a friend and they respond in a positive way and then you are good friends again). BUT with God’s forgiveness, your heart is filled with HIM – which makes your heart pure and true to God. I know this because it explains this in the rest of James 4:8.
Then James 9 goes on to explain, “Let there be tears for the wrong things you have done. Let there be sorrow and sincere grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.”
This part of the scripture really bums me out because it’s all of the negative feelings just weighing me down and making me feel bad. In truth, though, I am choosing to carry these feelings because of how I feel about myself. But God is a great God and here is the answer:
James 10, “Then when you realize your worthlessness before the Lord, he will lift you up, encourage and help you.”
So when you give up control and realize you can’t do it yourself and God CAN, reach out to Him. He will NEVER NOT grab your hand to help you and lift you out of your shame, guilt, or fill in the blank!
Sometimes we are so deep into our shame (or whatever) we think God will not answer. Or we think we have done the unforgivable. Many post abortion women believe this. The Truth is NOTHING can separate us from God. He is just waiting for you to reach out to Him.
If you haven’t reached out to God about your abortion (or anything thing else), please do your heart and life good and do so right now. Just pray and talk with God. You don’t have to have a fancy prayer – just be you in saying a sincere from-your-heart sorry, asking for forgiveness. God will fill your heart with Him – which is all good. I promise you will then feel His Peace, His Joy and His never-ending love.
Cute little sheep, do you recognize the Shepherd’s voice?
Imagine you are a sheep. Yup. A cute little, fluffy white sheep. What if the young (King-to-be) David was your shepherd? THE handsome, strong, brave, man of God, David.
2 David Bible facts:
As a shepherd, tending his father’s flock, when a lion or bear would come after his sheep, David would go after it with a club and take the lamb from its mouth. If the lion or bear turned on him, David would catch it by the jaw and club it to death (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
David conquered the Philistine giant with a sling and a stone (1 Samuel 17:50).
If you are one of David’s sheep, do you know how much he cares for you, defends you, fights for you . . . loves you? Do you know the value of his leadership and how he would leave the flock and look for you because you decided to be a rebel sheep one day and wonder off and try to do you own thing? Do you hear his voice when he sees you are in danger or don’t know which way to go? Do you even recognize his voice?
I want to be able to recognize my Shepherd’s voice in the middle of a busy square – even if He spoke just one word.
When I’m able to recognize the Lord’s voice, that means I have spent so much time with Him I will recognize His words to me in an instant. When He directs me, I will know Him so well, I will know which direction to go. It would mean no matter what was happening, I will be at peace knowing He is watching out for me and protecting me. I won’t have to worry about where to go because He already knows where I’m supposed to be. I am then able to love freely, be me freely, give freely – just be free! All because I trust and know He is always there. Wow.
Like a bodyguard. Or a fierce loving mom who always has one eye on her child and would beat senseless anyone who even looks at their child weird.
But so much more than all of that, my Shepherd is the Creator of the universe, the One who was crucified over my sins so one day I could be in heaven with Him. My Shepherd is Peace, Restorer, Goodness, Protector, Comforter, Defender and He blesses me. He is all I ever need.
Here is a Psalm by the shepherd boy, David:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows (Psalm 23:1-6).
John 10:14 says this in behalf of God, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.”
So, cute little sheep, God knows you . . . do you know God?