A Circle of Three

And A Little Child Should Lead Her...

My heart is filled with gratitude for those in my church family who were willing to dig deep into their wallets yesterday to help keep our "Marie" in rehab for an additional 3 weeks. I went to visit her on Saturday in the place that she now calls home and I was so blessed to be able to sit and talk to her for a little bit. She is still struggling, but more at peace than I have ever seen her.

When I knocked on the door I could hear the excitement in her voice as she announced to the house mother who was coming to the door "it's company for me." Who would have ever thought that I would enjoy being in the company of this young woman who has lived a life of shame, of prostitution, and of drug addictions? The God who created both of us knew long before we ever laid eyes on each other that we would become sisters of the heart. I love this woman and feel her pain and want to do all that I can to make the road a little easier for her.

She was happy to have more mail to read...cards and letters pour in for another "Marie" and we share the blessings with her...we share the Scripture verses and she feels loved and feels encouraged to continue on even when it is so very painful. Her eyes tear up as she holds all the mail and she begins to sob..."these are so wonderful...so many people cheering me on." I can only imagine what this mail means to a young woman who has been beaten and robbed of so much in her life. We want her to feel special...to understand that in God's eyes she and all of the others who struggle with addictions are precious in His eyes and in ours as well.

The house mother tells me one of the things that she loves about "Marie is that she is very humble and always wants to help out. They are trying to find her a part-time job so she can begin the long journey of one day having a new story to tell. Marie tells me that she is worried as she only has one week left before her financial support runs out. I tell her not to worry that we will do what we can for her...she needs to do her part and continue getting well and we will try to come up with the money. I reassure her that God knows exactly what she needs and I believe that He will provide.

Marie never really asks for anything for herself, that is the one thing I have noticed as I have befriended her and she is so very appreciative of anything that we give her. I brought her mail and a bag of "goodies" ...things I thought she might enjoy along with a few good books. She looks in the bag and smiles, thanking me for thinking of her. And then she asks for one thing...a picture of the sweet child that she gave up for adoption a little over two years ago. A picture the only tangible evidence that she has that once this child grew in her womb.

This precious little girl was adopted by a young Christian couple who love her so very much. They tell her that she was adopted from "Marie" the woman who gave her birth. Anna, this two year-old calls "Marie" Mommy Birthday and so today I put together a little collage of pictures (with permission of the adoptive Mom) and took it over to "Marie."

When I arrived as always she was so happy to see me...I gave her the mail, some clothing items for her to share with the other girls who live there and toilitries for all of them. Then, I hand her the picture frame with her "Anna's" pictures and she cries tears of happiness. She shared on Saturday that her daughter is the reason that she wants to get better. She wants to be able to visit her one day and tell her that she loves her...that she loved her enough to give her up to a young couple who would teach her about Jesus and protect her. She wants to be able to tell her that once I was "sick" but now Jesus has healed me.

It is my wish for all the "Marie's" who struggle with addictions. I hate what it does to them...to those who love them and most of all to the God who created them. What a blessing it was to be able to give the house mother money to pay for an additional 3 weeks...and for "Marie" to know that God does provide. My prayer is that one day "Marie" will be able to tell her story...to tell others about God's redeeming love and that all of the broken pieces of her life will become a vessel that God will use in a mighty way.

Please continue to pray for "Marie" and "Marie Monday" whose baby is due in the next 5 weeks. If you feel led to donate money to help pay for additional weeks for "Marie" in rehab please send me a private message. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

"do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests but also for the interests of others." -Philippians 2: 3-4

 

 

 

Will You Step Up?

This morning I had the pleasure of going with my Director, Andrea to Friends Church in Orlando to listen to her deliver a message to their congregation on the sanctity of life. As I sat and listened to Andrea this morning reminding the congregation that the unborn have no voice...the choice is their mother's and thousands of babies are killed every day in our country yet, sea turtles eggs are protected. Sea turtle babies have rights, but human babies do not.

For years I struggled with the comment my own mother made to me when I was ten years old. In a fit of anger one day because I was unable to swallow an antinbiotic she screamed at me "I hate you...I wish that you had never been born...I wanted to have an abortion, but I couldn't. I was the albatross around her neck is how I looked at myself. I was also the reason she had gone back to my father after leaving him. When she left she had not known that she was pregnant, but when she found out she chose not to be a single mother.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

The Bible tells us that God created us...He knit us together. I had grown up believing that I was an accident...that my mother hated me, but lacked the courage to have an abortion and that thought pained me for many years. It colored how I thought about myself for a long time...until, one day I read Psalm 139 and realized that to my mother I had been an accident, but to the God who created me I was fearfully and wonderfully made. He had ordained my days and I am thankful that He continues to do so.

When our daughter was in her early teens we took her to a local Opthamologist as she was having some problems with her vision. I remember that day sitting in the exam room and when he finished he looked at me and said, "your daughter is a carrier for occular albinism." My husband, one of his uncles, one of his cousins, and his brother all had the condition so we had always known that it was genetic, but up until that moment we had not realized that our daughter was a carrier. He went on to explain that it was only passed mother to son so when she got older and if she got pregnant and we found out that she was having a boy then she could abort the fetus.

I remember sitting there just dumbfounded that he would even suggest this. I looked at him and said, "Really, I don't think that is even a possibility because you see it as a genetic defect...you see it as a child who would be less than perfect, but I see it as a child of God. I understand what this child would be capable of even if he was "legally blind." What if when my mother-in-law had become pregnant with my husband back in 1947 she had been offered that option? And then again in 1951 when she gave birth to a second son with occular albinism? My husband grew up to become a husband, a wonderful Dad, a computer Programmer and most importantly a follower of Jesus Christ. His brother, grew up to be a husband, a wonderful father, the President of an engineering firm and also a devoted follower of Jesus. What would our families have missed out on?

If our daughter had believed that abortion was her option we would have all missed out on the blessing of our grandsons Blake and Mark who have both brought us love, laughter, and so much more. I look at Blake who is 11 and an excellent student, a great golfer and a whiz on the Computer and a heart that loves Jesus and Marky who is 5 who provides us with new ancedotes daily...excels in his kindergarten class and oozes self-confidence and I am thankful to my daughter who chose to believe that in God's eyes they were not an accident.

Society has taught us that everyone needs to look and act perfect...no flaws allowed, but God in His infinite wisdom sees us through different eyes. Yes, my husband may not see or hear as well as another man, but I would not trade his heart for anything. The Bible tells us that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at our hearts. We see someone with Alzheimer's as just an "empty shell" but God sees the value in that person. Who are we to play God?

I ask you this question...a teenage girl is pregnant and she realizes that her fiancee is not the father of her baby and at first, he is very upset...would you have recommended an abortion? If you said, yes, then you would have killed Jesus Christ. See, that is my point...none of us know what these children would or could grow up to be, but the God who created their souls, who knit them togther does and He has a plan for their lives. Who are we to interfere with that plan?

Since that ill fated day when Roe vs. Wade passed over 54 million babies have been aborted. Babies would had no voice and may have grown up to be the next Steve Jobs, Billy Graham, Mother Teresa...or just maybe a Mom or Dad themselves who would pass on the love of Jesus to a new generation.

Please pray for those who have aborted babies because they felt that they had no voice. Remind them that we serve a God who died on the Cross so that their sins could be forgiven. He offers them freedom from the pain and the shame. Pray for those who are pregnant and wrestling with the decision that they will choose life for their unborn child. And lastly if you believe in the sanctity of life get involved and make a difference.

We are in the planning stage of planting another Crisis Pregnancy Center in Oviedo and your generous support would be a huge blessing. We need men and women who want to partner with us to protect those who have no voice and to love the mothers who need us to minister to them.

How awesome our God truly is. I am so blessed to be able to get up every day and work at something I am passionate about ...helping and encouraging women. Last night I was given the gift of a ticket to Dinner Conversations with Linda Werner. The teaching last night was on personal growth and so I really enjoyed it.

One of my favorite quotes from the evening was this one: "God is not so much offended that we want too much as by the fact that we are satisfied with so little." Once upon a time that was my mentality, but as my walk with Christ deepened so did growth in the areas of my life that needed to be stretched. As we pray, dig deeper into His Word and then listen for gentle nudgings we begin to see His greatness and His power at work in our lives. When we work from our passions and our giftedness we will see His light shine through us.

The enemy wants us to stay "stuck" because then there really is no hope in our stories. When we do not use the gifts that God has given us the enemy wins. Every morning as I spend time with the Lord I am reminded that becoming "great" is a choice I have to make. Linda Werner reminded all of us last night to begin our day asking God what He needs from us this day. Somemtimes, we have to lay aside other things that are clammering for our attention to do that what God calls us to do so that we can live His best for our lives.

Psalm 1: 2-3 says: "But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law does he meditate day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." I have watched God at work in my life over the last year and as we prepare to open a Crisis Pregnancy Center in Oviedo I am excited to know that His light will shine and give Hope to more women who are in a crisis situation. I am blessed to know that this is what He has called me to do and I pray that He will continue to use me to spread His love and His story.

 

 

Going Deep...Becoming A Person of Influence

I really enjoyed this book as our own church is in a time of transition and it was quite inspiring. The author,Gordon MacDonald uses a fictional church and town to portray what it might look like if a church decided to intentionally cultivate "deep people." These people would be hand-picked by the Pastor and Elders with the goal being that they would be able to move a church forward in the future. The book is a work of fiction and that is indicated in the preface with the only genuine characters being Gordon MacDonald and his wife Gail.

I think that the underlying theme was that Gordon is getting ready to retire and is being challenged to think about what his legacy will be to his church family. His desire is to leave this church healthy and vibrant and to have other church members on board who desire to go deeper in their walk with God. Based on his interaction with several individuals, notably his next door neighbor, MacDonald, begins to develop what is known as the "big idea" at first and this later becomes known as CDP, Cultivating Deep People. Cultivating Deep People becomes a year-long small group mentoring program. I loved how he gave the reader weekly updates and helped you to see growth in the individuals who were participating.

My son is a Pastor and it is definitely a book I will pass on to him as I believe it has lots of good points. I think that it could be a good tool for cultivating discipleship training and encouraging others to grow deeper.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for writing an unbiased, authentic review. I was not required to write a positive review. The ideas and thoughts are my own.

What Does God Hate?

The other evening I had a mini discussion with someone who had gone to a wedding and was kind of surprised when the Pastor said that "God hates divorce." I will admit that I was a bit surprised as well but after I thought about it I remembered that most of the time the vows also say, "what God has joined together let no man put assunder and until death do us part." So, really we should all see that marriage is indeed a covenant relationship and that God intends for us to stay married.

The person that I was discussing this was said:"God does not hate anything." Well, no that is not true and I am going to blog about two places in the Bible where we see that God does indeed hate. In Malachi 2:16 it says: "I hate divorce says the God of Israel." In this chapter of the Bible the people were being unfaithful. They were not openly saying that they rejected God, but they were choosing to live their lives as though He did not exist. Don't we sometimes live that way as well? Men were marrying pagan women who worshipped idols and divorce was common. People felt that they could live life as they pleased without any retribution. God refused to accept their offerings and He would not bless them. I believe that this is a reminder to us who are followers of Christ that we cannot seperate our dealings with God from the rest of our lives. He needs to be Lord over every area of our lives.

The second place in Scripture where we see that God hates (and there are others) is in Proverbs 6: 16-19: "There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil. a false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers."

As I spent some time studying this is what I have found on this passage that best explained it to me...hope that it in some way helps someone else. First, we need to ask ourselves, why does God hate these things? I believe that through my research it is because of what these things do to us. What happens when the things mentioned above enter our lives? James T. Draper said:"The heart of God hurts when there is a perversion of what He intended for man. When man experiences what God did not plan for him, it hurts God. It is agony to Him."

We want to believe that God looks at our actions and shuts His eyes to our sinful nature and that He forgives because He just doesn't want to be anything but a loving God. God is love and does love us, but the bottom line is "He hates sin." He made us to have fellowship with Him, He created us in His image and we are commanded to love God with all of our hearts, minds and souls.

1) Haughty eyes...refers to those who feel that all they have accomplished they have done on their own. We give God no credit for the good that happens in our lives and that can quickly develop into pride and pride causes many to turn away from God. Pride is sin and usually is the cause of most rebellion and disobedience. The Bible tells us in James 4:6 "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

2) A lying tongue...91% of people say they regularly lie; 75% say they lie to their best friends; 86% of teenagers say they lie to their parents; 31% admit they lie to their spouses and have been unfaithful; 32% say they don't report all their income to the IRS; 76% say they consistently exceed the speed limit and 58% have called in sick to get a day off from work.

Again, this is going against what God desires for us. Our lips were created to bring praises to our King so again it is why he hates lying. The list of broken hearts, homes, and churches as well that are the so often result of deceit is tragic. 1 Corinthians 13:6 says: "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth."

3) Hands that shed innocent blood...This to me is why I do what I do...nearly 1 in 4 pregnancies in the United States alone ends in abortion. Over 1.7 million abortions are done annually, with nearly 1/8 of them during the second or third trimester. 94% of the time it is not because the mother's life is threatened, a rape or incest, or even because the baby has severe birth defects...it is because it is inconvenient. Abortionists shed innocent blood every day.

4) A heart that devises wicked schemes...when drug dealers take young girls and keep them in the bondage of an addiction...God hates it. When people plan schemes that harm innocent people, tear families apart, etc...God hates it. When people have ulterior motives for what they say and do, God hates it.

5) Feet that are quick to rush into evil...Think of the tragedies at our colleges and high schools where often a lone gunman bursts into a classroom and kills innocent people. Married men who seek out prostitutes and hurt not only the women who are being exploited, but the wives they return home to.

6) a False Witness who pours out lies...I think of insurance fraud that goes on so that doctors are over compensated for services they did not perform. People who offer "get rich" quick schemes, or weight loss products that guarantee you to lose ___________number of pounds in 2 weeks. Our world tells us that it is alright to pour out untruth, but God hates it. A lie is a lie no matter how we package it!

7) A man who stirs up dissension among brothers...those who choose to carry tales, slandering others in order to make themselves look good, jealousy, competetion. I once read this story in a book by Chuck Swindoll: "He compared the human race to a bunch of porcupines who huddle together on a cold winter night. Swindoll said, "the colder it got outside the more they huddled together for warmth; but the closer they got to one another, the more they hurt one another with their sharp quills. And so in the lonely night of winter eventually they began to drift apart and wander out on their own and they froze to death in their loneliness." Christ has given us a better way...we are to forgive one another for the pokes we receive...that often allows us to stay together and keep warm.

Finally, I believe we are to show compassion for others and to hate these things in ourselves...our lives need to be transformed and we can do that through: a) prayer b) examination of our own lives c) repentance and d) commitment to knwoing God's Word and living by His grace.

A Little Fun in My Morning

Last night I slept fitfully as I had read a book that for me sparked some creativity...that always translates into a sleepless night. My daughter had recommended the book "Life is a Verb" by Patty Digh...here is a link to her blog: http://www.37days.com/. I had just finished a book on my Kindle so I downloaded this one and began reading at 11:30 PM last night. At 1:00 Am I shut the light...and at 3:30 PM gave up and read a bit more.

This morning my intention was to come home and clean up the house, but instead I took a detour and went to Books-A-Million to browse through some of the quilting/craft books and then to Joann's which just happens to be right next door. My one word for this year is surrender so my idea is to somehow incorporate this into a project and use some form of art to showcase what I am surrendering over the next 353 days. I bought some art supplies and am looking forward to a bit of play time this afternoon after I finish cleaning house.

One of my very favorite blogs is: www.aholyexperience.com the blog home of Ann Voscamp who wrote the beautful book "One Thousand Gifts." Today, her post was about the women in her family, young and old who get together to sew blankets. The pictures of little girls standing by the shoulder of their gray haired elderly grandmother really spoke to my heart as I read her sweet post.

I did not grow up with a grandmother who sewed, but my Vavo loved to crochet. As a little girl I loved going there...her feather bed was heavenly to sleep in, she was the best cook in the whole world, her house smelled of all things good and I always knew that she loved me and chose to spend time with me. Some of my best memories are of sitting by her as she was crocheting...me with my own cotton that she had ripped from old clothing all tucked neatly into a ball with crochet hook in hand.

I could never do much more than a simple chain stitch, but I remember just the peace I felt sitting there making a single crochet chain that seemed endless and then she would turn it into something useful for me. The act of just being together...of talking about things that were on my mind and hers...sharing life...special memories that will I pray never be forgotten.

Ann Voscamp shared these words this morning:

The Lord our God is One and in Him, all the fragments of life are woven into one piece. In Christ, we’re aren’t ever torn. In Him, all brokenness is made whole, all moments are made holy, all pieces are made one. There is profound rest in this."

He is the Master Weaver. Creativity is placed in our hearts and souls by the great Creator of the Universe. If we place our complete trust in Him and lay down our lives before Him...we can be whole. My prayer is that my life over this next year will be tightly woven in my Master's hands. That all that I do will be because I have kept my heart pure before a holy God and I have kept my eyes fixed on the One who has promised He will help me finish the race He sets before me. And step by step He will lead me...

 

This morning as I sat and had my breakfast I read our hometown newspaper and glanced over at the obituaries I noticed that a man who had once been a friend of my brother's had died. I will refer to him as Jack. Jack, his sister and mother lived next door to us when we were growing up.

His mom was divorced, his father had left when the children were all young and she worked hard to provide for her family. I remember her as a sweet woman who loved her family and always had time to listen to all of us who came to their home. I loved going over to their house and Jack's sister Donna and I became good friends as well.

Jack married when I was in High School and he and his wife had two children. They would call me to babysit and I loved going over there as there were always wonderful snacks and their children were so well behaved. My mother had remarried by this time and I did not have a good relationship with my step-father and so it was always good to get out of the house and I never refused a baby sitting job.

My step-father however, would take any money that I did make and so this young couple never paid me in cash...they bought me clothing instead. How blessed I was to have friends that understood that a teenage girl wanted to look nice. I always looked forward to spending time with them as peace just permeated their home.

As I sat and read his obituary this morning sweet memories flooded my soul. I learned that he had received his Doctorate in Theology and that He loved God and His Word. I have not seen him or his family in years, but how blessed I am to know that one day I will see him again.

 

The Lost are Saved...

One of the girls that I have written about before "Natalie" has been in jail for drug possession for the past 3 months and was released last Thursday. She went to a local rehab facility but was told that they did not have a vacancy at this time and would put her name on a waiting list. Waiting is a very dangerous word when it comes to someone who has a drug addiction. Natalie stayed "clean" for all of 6 hours and then was back into her addiction.

I had been told that she might come to my church this past Sunday as one of our members is a Chaplain at the local jail...but knowing that she was back on the streets I had pretty much given up any hope that she would be at church, but to my amazement she was in church yesterday. How wonderful it was to see her in my church and to know that God didn't allow her to totally slip back into the bondage that has ensnared her for the past ten years.

I introduced her to my husband, to my grandsons and some other friends and then we all went inside the sanctuary as the service was about to begin. Natalie sat with the couple that had brought her...a few rows back on the opposite side of the church, but I could her here voice singing the praise songs and praying in agreement with our Pastor. Our church is pretty conservative and I have to admit that I was very concerned as I saw people turning to stare at her, but I believe that Natalie was oblivious to most of it as she was intent on worshipping God.

Our Pastor preached from Mark 1: 14-45 and the message I prayed spoke to Natalie's heart. He reminded us that Jesus was tempted for 40 days and that we will have temptations in life as well. The greater our commitment to Jesus, the easier it will be to walk with Him. He spoke about how we all carry scars and we should not be ashamed of them and that Jesus can heal us. And once again reminded us that our security rests in Him and not in the things of the world.

Our closing song was "Your Great Name" and as I looked at Natalie she was singing her heart out to Jesus with tears streaming down her face...I felt so incredibly blessed. The lyrics to this song are:

Lost are saved; find their way; at the sound of Your great name
All condemned; feel no shame, at the sound of Your great name
Every fear; has no place; at the sound of Your great name
The enemy; he has to leave; at the sound of Your great name

[Chorus:]
Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name

[Verse 2:]
All the weak; find their strength; at the sound of Your great name
Hungry souls; receive grace; at the sound of Your great name
The fatherless; they find their rest; at the sound of Your great name
Sick are healed; and the dead are raised; at the sound of Your great name

[Chorus:]
Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name

[Bridge:]
Redeemer, My Healer, Lord Almighty
My savior, Defender, You are My King

[Chorus:]
Jesus, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up; and all the world will praise Your great name

Natalie has Hope...we all have Hope. We are all lost and in need of a Savior and His name is Jesus. The world and others may condemn us, but His Word tells us that He keeps no record of wrongs. Healing...Natalie needs to be healed from her addiction...but we all need healing some of us in our bodies and others of us in our spirits.

After the service I went over to give Natalie a hug and reassured her that I would be praying for her as she would be enteering rehab that afternoon at a local facility. She told me that that song was her theme song...she loved it and knew that God could save her from her addicitons. I had asked her if she wanted the elders of our church to pray over her and she did, so they took her in one of the rooms and prayed over her. Natalie wants to be free and I pray that God will indeed deliver her from the life she has led and create in her a desire for Him alone. She told me yesterday that she wants to get well so that she can help her "sisters" break free as well. Wouldn't that be wonderful? What a testimony to God's glory this could be.

Natalie began her treatment today...for 30 days she will not be allowed visitors and will be immersed in God's Word and healing. Please join me in praying for Natalie and those who are ministering to her. Praying that she would be delivered from the hands of her enemies and that God's victory would become Natalie's victory.

Today was our first day back at work at the Crisis Pregnancy Center that I work at. One of our clients is a 23 year-old woman that I have written about before. We are calling her Marie in order to respect her privacy. Marie is 28.5 weeks pregnant with a baby girl but is a crack cocaine addict. She has not taken care of herself at all during this pregnancy, but she and her baby girl are being bathed in prayer daily.

There is someone who wants to adopt this precious child and has been ministering to Marie as have a host of other women. The woman who wants to adopt this child is Lisa Harper and she has asked all of her many friends to send cards and letters encouraging Marie in hopes that she might feel God's love. Today, at the Center where I work 35 cards and letters came in from all over the country for Marie. As I sat and read the letters I was once again reminded of God's great faithfulness. Prayer warriors abound!

God is in all of our moments...and He wants to transform Marie's heart and the hearts of so many who are bound up in addictions. He created her and He loves her no matter what her past or her present hold...the promise is real she can have a better future, but she has to make that choice.

Why am I blogging about this? Why should I care so deeply about a girl who is addicted to drugs and refuses to stop even when it might be damaging an unborn child who has no voice? For one, I know what it is like to live with an addiction. For years I struggled with the demon of anorexia and over exercised. I hated that I lived in bondage to a scale and to the image that I perceived that I saw in the mirror...I could have died, but I wouldn't let go. I would try for a couple of days to eat a few more bites or cut back on the exercise, but then I would give in and revert back to what has become all too familiar. My mood was dictated by the number on the scale and the amount of exercise I was able to fit in.

I wish with all of my heart that I could Tivo those years...I wasn't the wife or mother that my family needed at that time and I hate that I lived in bondage for so long. I thought that I looked good, but in reality I looked horrible and I had no freedom. The scale and pounding the pavement owned me. Marie's addiction is a dangerous one...many people are being wounded in the process, but all addictions are dangerous and they are straught from the pit of hell. Marie gave up crack for 3 days last week, but the voices in her head convinced her that she needed the drugs once again.

As we begin a New Year I have seen lots of FB posts, Twitter posts, blog posts, newspaper articles about setting new goals and making resolutions for the new year. If the truth be told many people make resolutions and 30 days later they have long been forgotten.

I am not saying that change is not important. We all need to make changes in our lives from time to time. We also have to have the real desire to change...to realize that something is no longer working and want to change it. Change is always a process...it cannot happen overnight and I believe it cannot happen unless we realize that we need God's help in order to make lasting change in our lives. I read the following this afternoon and wanted to share:

Personal heart and life change is always a process. And where does that process take place? It takes place where you and I live everyday. And where do we live? Well, we all have the same address. Our lives don't careen from big moment to big moment. No, we all live in the utterly mundane.

Most of us won't be written up in history books. Most of us only make three or four momentous decisions in our lives, and several decades after we die, the people we leave behind will struggle to remember the event of our lives. You and I live in little moments, and if God doesn't rule our little moments and doesn't work to recreate us in the middle of them, then there is no hope for us, because that is where you and I live.

Those little moments of life are important because we live in those little moments and that is what shapes our lives. Most of us do not place enough value on the little moments in our lives and because we don't we fail to see God's grace in those moments. He extends His grace to us...to Marie...to all of those who feel like they don't measure up, but we have to want it. We have to want His freedom more than we desire anything else.

The Bible tells us that we are made in the image of God. His desire is to rescue us from our past and transform us into His likeness. His desire is for each of us to take back the moments that we are missing and begin the process of "taking off the old" and "putting on the new." Our bodies are the temple of the living God...how can we best honor Him?

As I sit here tonight I pray that as Marie reads these heartfelt cards and letters that she will be willing to accept not only God's mercy and grace, but the rehabilitation that is being offered to her as well. I am so grateful that God used a close up picture that a friend took of me to change the path of self-destruction that I was on. I wouldn't be here today writing this had I not really looked at that photo and been willing to change. The biggest blessing of it all was it brought me to the Cross...it made me hold onto Jesus like I never had and that has changed my life and given me the freedom that I never had and for that I will be forever grateful.

Luke 10: 38-42 (MSG) tells us: "As they continued their travel, jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed Him and made Him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master hanging on every word He said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand." The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing is essential, and Mary has chosen it- it's the main course, and won't be taken from her."

I had read this passage many times and heard it preached on I'm sure a few times as well...Mary, she hung on Jesus' every word while Martha was the original Martha Stewart scurrying around the kitchen preparing just the right meal. I can remember reading it many years ago and thinking well, Martha must be the older sister who feels that she is the one who has to do it all...no, Mary truly did know what was most important.

So often we are not in the moments...people are talking to us and we are thinking of the next item we need to finish so we can cross it off our endless "to do" list. I see it with families who go out to dinner together, but no one is really talking or listening to one another, they all have their heads in a piece of technology. We need to invest ourselves in what is truly important if we want to experience God's best for our lives not only here, but for all of eternity.

As I have sat back this morning reflecting on this new year that God has blessed us with I am reminded once again of the importance of surrender. It is only when I lay down my life in total surrender before the Lord that I will truly see what is important. The Bible says: "Many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand." Proverbs 19:21 My plans...my life...my relationships...my work...every area of my life needs to be surrendered to the God who wants to lavish His love and blessings upon me.

I see that today... I see that now...I see that when I don't surrender how situations have turned out ...and I know His ways are indeed the best ways. I have let the wants and needs of others dictate my life for far too many years, but this year I will with God's help live out my life purposefully, with a desire to go deeper still with my God and to use the talents and gifts that He has blessed me with to bring Him honor. I want to be like Mary...to truly sit at the feet of Jesus...being a part of His grander plan and knowing that many things have been taken from me in my lifetime, but God's love for me can never be taken.

Surrender...it is my word for this wonderful year unfolding before us.