Be Willing

Be willing...........................

            To do it GOD's way............

And let your actions prove your heart.

~CLS

What Can I Do? Part 1

We are heading into our Fall Sunday School Campaign.
It is titled What Can I Do?

When Jesus was missing and Mary and Joseph found Him in the temple, He asked them, "wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" I want to be about my Heavenly Father's business and so do many of the children in our Sunday School.  So I am looking forward to the next 7 Super Sundays.

Wk 1
As I prepared for Sunday's lesson, I was reminded of Mark 12:30 that I learned when I was 21 and newly saved.  I remember sitting at the kitchen table and God opening my eyes to the truth of that verse.  I always thought the golden rule was the greatest commandment.  Thought the LORD does what us to treat others how we want to be treated, Mark 12:30 is even more important.
  
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

So the first and most important way to be about my Father's business is to invest all of me into my relationship with HIM.  Time spent in prayer greatly develops this relationship as I pour my heart out to Him and He pours His heart into mine.  Spending time with godly people also nurtures this relationship as they encourage me in my relationship with the LORD.  And I need to be teachable in my relationship with the LORD because He has many things to teach me, but I must have a heart that is willing to learn and adjust to what He says.

A week ago I spent much time in prayer for my preacher and others who were going through a difficult trial.  Many times I hit my knees praying and weeping,  and many times I rose up still burdened to pray.  Finally God gave me peace, peace that my preacher was going to be okay, peace that HE heard and HE was working on it.  Then I felt it was time to get up and trust.  Trust HIM to work in this trial, trust HIM to heal, trust HIM to make it be okay like HE said HE would.  Sometimes it can be a battle to trust, especially if the enemy has us tricked into believing lies.  But I know my God loves my preacher and knows what is best for him.  And God told me it was going to be okay and He has never lied to me.  So I trusted and prayed for his family to feel the same blanket of peace.  God was true to HIS word; everything is okay, preacher is healing from his surgery, and through all that praying my heart was drawn even closer to my LORD. 

God is Sovereign

Today is one of those days when I have been allowed to see God's perfect timing displayed before my eyes. Often we don't understand why we seemed delayed at one place or that God impresses on our heart to do this or that, but when you find yourself exactly where God planned for you to be to be used of HIM, it is an awesome thing.  My God is Sovereign.  He has a plan.  Many times I run too far ahead of Him and I miss it.  But today wasn't one of those days.  Today was a day when the enemy kept seeking to prevail and God kept limiting him.  Today was a day when I tried to discern more dilegently the LORD's leading.  Today was a day that was spent in much prayer and sometimes seeing discouragement around me.  But today was also a day when GOD said, "Let me show you just a glimpse of what I am up to in the lives of others. "  Wow! 

Camps and School Begins

Where has the time gone!!!

It has been a looooooooong time since I posted:
July was full of preparing for and participating in church camps. Camp was just amazing and I will have to try to put the experience into words.  For now here are the snapshots: a lot of prayer, very little sleep, many tears, great closeness with God, many got saved, great joy of seeing someone receive Christ, over much too soon.......
July was also final school prep for me.

August we started our school year.  We have had a fun year so far with three fieldtrips so far
and we are on our third week of bookwork.   We are studying our state this year and are enjoying putting our notebooks together.

I am typing this on break between classes and break is almost up.
So write more later.

Silent but God is Very Busy

I have been silent on this blog for over 6wks but God has been very busy.
We finished up our homeschooling year and have been busy with yard work, house work, time with extended family, ministries, and various other things.

But just like when God seems silent, He is still busy;
when this blog is silent, God is still busy.
He has answered so many prayers this past several weeks. 
And I just stand in awe of His work in my family and the lives of others.

One of my goals this year is to study the fruit of the spirit more closely. In June I focused on LOVE.
The verse that stood out the most to me was "Charity is longsuffering and kind..." In application to my heart this was Love suffers long and is still kind. It isn't easy to be kind when God has allowedyou to suffer, but we can do all things through Christ.

Snipp has decided to work in the Bus Ministry as well as be a helper at Kids' Camp.
I love to hear him pray; and he's read through the Bible twice this year.  He is heading into 8th grade and is looking me in the eyes these days. He goes to youth camp soon and I look forward to the work the LORD will do there.


Snapp has battled mono this spring and we rejoice in God's healing. We saw a lot of wildlife in our own backyard and I love to see how Snapp reconizes God at work.  He is looking forward to camp and has such a tender heart to the Holy Spirit. I love hearing him sing to the LORD.

Snurr is tender one moment and rambuncious the next. Just this last Sunday after a sermon on the Christian home, speaking mostly on the roles of the husband and wife, Snipp rubs my back during invitation and says, "I think this sermon is good for widows too."  Then as tears start to come to my eyes, he looks at my face and says he's sorry for the way he's been disrespecting me.  Here I thought he was getting nothing out of the sermon. Just precious and the tears flowed down my face and dropped on my shoes.

There is much more I could write about but this is a snap shot of what God has been busy doing in my silence on this blog.

Have a Happy Independence Day!

 

      And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
   If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. John 8:32,36

 

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5:1

Prison Letter

Jim's dad recently shared with me a letter he wrote and gave me permission to post it:

It was gray half-light as Paul began to wake up. He knew it was day because the rats and mice scurrying to find a day time hiding place, was probably what woke him up. It wasn't really day light, he never saw any; there were no windows in his prison. As he became more alert, he immediately went to prayer.

God had protected him through the night, and had given him another day to worship and praise Him and he did so.  Paul's prayer list was even longer than his worship and praise time, for he prayed faithfully for all the churches the Lord had used him to start, then he prayed for the individual helpers and close friends he had. Then he had to relieve himself, he went to the corner that he used for that and took care of nature, he had no bathroom, and he didn't worry about washing up, he had no water to do so.  He had no bed, so he didn't have to make it.  He did kick some straw that had scattered back up on to the small, low pile he had, and that started the rats and mice scurrying again. He slept on the pile at night and they hid in it by day, there was no place else. The filthy dirt floors and the forlorn straw pile were the things in the room.

With his prayer and praise time accomplished, Paul felt renewed and somewhat refreshed. He turned to his most precious possessions a few books of the Bible and some parchment epistles. He had read them so many times yet they comforted him and god seemed especially close when he read the Word.  He had no way of knowing what time it was, but the jailer had been by a couple of times making his rounds so Paul thought it must be getting late afternoon.

As he surveyed his cell he noticed a centipede wiggling in a spider web. He was thankful for the spiders for they kept the flies down, and there were certainly were lots of flies, Paul realized that this whole prison had such a stench that it almost made your eyes water, and he realized he was a part of the stench.  He had not bathed in also many months that he was not sure when his last bath was, nor had his clothes been changed or washed, he only had the ones on his back.

Paul was starting to feel hunger, he had not eaten in two days, but maybe today he would have a visitor who would bring his food, the only time he got to eat was when that happened, the prison fed nobody.  Usually the jailer would bring around water a couple of times a day, if he felt like it.

Today was Paul's special blessing day for late in the evening a fellow believer came to visit and brought an ample bowl of food.  Paul savored every bite, and ate till it was all gone, because he had no way or place to keep leftovers, only those rats would get them.  The thing that made Paul the most joyful was this friend had brought pen, ink, and some parchment. Paul wrote, "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:11-13

 

Written by J.M.S.

The God Who Answers Prayers

The last 8 days have been full of prayer.  Many prayers were need about many different things from praying the flickering yard light would turn on and stay lit to prayers about graduations and a wedding. 32 prayers, I recorded in my prayer journal.  The Almighty God answered 30 of those with yes, 1 was a no, and one more I feel He is working on yet.

30/32=94% answered positively in 8 days!

I know the LORD doesn't always answer prayers so quickly and in such positive ways. 
Sometimes we forget how much the LORD loves to tell us yes, when we ask unselfishly and with faith.  Some people talk about prayer as moving the hand of God.  The most wonderful thing about prayer to me is seeing how the LORD answers them.  I never get tired of seeing His mighty hand at work. Makes me stand in awe and reverance.....

I will admit I was disappointed with the one that was answered no. But when I look back at all He has done, I am content to realize the LORD had a plan different than I did.  He knows people's hearts more than I do and what is needed.

I just remembered 5 other prayers the LORD is working on that He allowed me to see a glimpse of what He is doing..............I know these will take time, but it encouraged my heart to see the Lord moving in people's lives.

To all my readers, Never Doubt the power of prayer; the LORD is listening.  Ask Him for eyes to see His hand at work.

I Want That Mountain Finale

So the last mountain is Apathy or simply "I don't care!"

Most often people get this attitude from having a hard heart.
Hard hearts are caused most often by fear and pain.
It can be easy to put up walls to keep people out and to not let ourselves care.
We need to ask God to break our hearts for the things He cares about.

1 Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Not a dramatic end to the campaign.  But I know in the busyness of May if I don't type something now, I'll leave it hanging again.

I Want That Mountain Part 3

Being that yesterday was Resurrection Sunday, the lesson was on salvation.
But before I shared the good news, I had a sober talk with the girls about hell.
Many of them have grown up coming to church.  It is easy to get complacent.
It is easy to just have a mental knowledge and never a heart knowledge of Christ.
I was like that for years. 
Then I shared the good news and God's plan of salvation.
I also shared my testimony with them.
Here is it:

"God is real!

Going to Sunday School, church, and VBS were some of my earliest memories.  Easter dresses and Christmas candle light services.  But as I grew I didn’t understand how personal God is.  I doubted He cared about the details of my life or that He was even real.  I mean if He cared why did He let bad things happen to me? And so maybe He wasn’t even real.  I listened to these lies of the enemy. And so like the prodigal son, I journeyed far from my Heavenly Father, from church, and from what I knew was right.  I wasted my knowledge of God, was a horrible testimony, was immoral, cussed, and spit in the face of the heritage God had given me.  I wanted what I wanted.  So I did what I wanted. Sin feels like freedom, for a season.  But then it becomes a harsh master and a destroyer.  So one day I realized I didn’t like me, so I tried to fix things.  I got out of a bad 3 ½ year relationship, got a new haircut, new make-up, new clothes, began walking to lose pounds……I felt better, but hallow, incomplete.  One cool day on my walk I was in the back part of the park when I heard my name on the wind.  I looked around; there was no one. My heart trembled and tears began to flow.  My heart knew.  It was God whispering my name.  He saw me, He cared for me, even after all I had done against Him, even when I didn’t like myself. I sat down on a park bench and wept.  

I don’t know how far the prodigal son had to journey back, but I know my journey back to God was rough with many rocks, hills, and traps from the enemy. But that longing for something more kept growing.  One day, I overheard two elderly ladies talking.  The old widow stated, “Oh, I don’t live alone.  My best friend Jesus is with me.”  She really meant it. Wow, I wanted that!  I was dating Jim at the time and he’d talked about his mom reading the Bible to him and his siblings each night.  I wanted to be that kind of mom.  But I knew I couldn’t give something to my future children that I didn’t have myself. 

In July of 1998, I finally made the decision to go to church on a hot Sunday morning.  It is a long story. So the nutshell version is that I had car trouble and I ended up walking all the way to the church.  I was so weary that I felt if the doors were shut I wouldn’t have strength to open them.  They were open.  I slid into the back pew as the Pastor was preaching a sermon on “Doubting Thomas” and I kept thinking, “That’s me.”  I don’t remember the closing song but again it pierced my heart that “that is me.”  I was the first person to the pastor and through my tears tried to shared how I had car trouble and hadn’t been to church for a long time.  He directed me to a room and his wife came in.  We talked together and prayed together.  I felt the Lord embrace my heart that day. 

A few weeks later, I was curled up in Jim’s favorite chair. The house was quiet as I read my new book, Experiencing God. It said I must have a personal relationship with the Lord or I wouldn’t be able to completely understand the book.  I was hungry to personally experience God in my life, so I read carefully what it said:

Romans 3:23-All have sinned.

Romans 6:23 Eternal life is a free gift of God.

Romans 5:8 Because of love, Jesus paid the death penalty for your sins.

Romans 10:9-10 Confess Jesus as Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead.

Romans 10:13 Ask God to save you and He will

 

To place your faith in Jesus and receive His gift of eternal life you must:

-Recognize that God created you for a love relationship with Him.  He wants you to love Him with all your being.

-Recognize that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself.

-Believe that Jesus paid a death penalty for your sin by His death on the cross and rose from the dead in victory over death.

-Confess (agree with God about) your sins that separate you from Him.

-Repent of your sins (turn from sin to God)

-Ask Jesus to save you by His grace (undeserved favor).

I read through each line, looking up each scripture,  and making sure I believed it in my heart, not just in my mind because I want to experience God in my life like they described in that book.  Then I read the last line, “Turn over the rule in your life to Jesus. Let Him be your Lord.”

My heart felt pricked. And I realized that He was to be the center of my universe and I revolve around Him, not the other way around. As my brother-in-Christ said recently, “This life is not about us, it is about God and glorifying Him.”   Christ was to be first in my heart. I prayed that moment to Jesus and made sure He was my Lord, my Master. That He could be in charge of my life.  
And my life has never been the same. 

 

God is real, and God is very personal.  He sees you right where you are.  He knows your thoughts and your deepest pain.  He doesn’t demand you take a bath before He embraces you.  He embraces you and clothes you like the prodigal’s father did.  He loves you.  Jeremiah 31:3   The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." 

I Want That Mountain Part 2

So last weeks lesson was on conquering the mountain of Attitude.
Oh, wow, did God prepare me for this one.
From having a day were everything seemed to go wrong and me having a bad attitude about it, to kids with attitudes, to students with attitudes right before I began the lesson, I am thoroughly convinced attitude is something we work on constantly to keep in right.

I heard John Bishop speak and he said, "God is always good; God is always right."  There is truth to that statement.  Psalm 119:68 Thou art good and doest good....

So to keep a good attitude we need to remember God will make everything work out for good. 


This week's lesson is on conquering anger.
After eating humble pie last week, I thought this week would be easier.
But God has a way of making sure I learn the lesson before I teach it.
Anger is probably one of the biggest mountains to conquer.
And I know I am not alone when I say, I struggle with this.
Other people don't met our expectations and we get angry.
That isn't right.  But what is just as serious is many of us are walking around
angry at God and we don't admit it.
Pain happens in this life; this life never promised to be fair.
But we have expectations and we have our idea of how things should be.
When God orchestrates different, we get angry.

It took me a long time to admit I was angry at God for allowing my husband to not live longer on this earth.  I was angry that he wasn't here for me and the children.  I was angry that God took Jim sooner than I was willing to let him go. I remember the day before our third son was born.  I was an emotional mess.  I woke up having contractions and told my midwife stubbornly that I didn't want to have this child without Jim. Then we discovered I had a lot of water in my basement.  I stormed upstairs. My bewildered parents and sister-in-law stared at me as I shouted, "I'm going to talk to my dead husband!!" I hurried down the steps and headed to his grave.  And there I sobbed and sobbed saying, "You are suppose to be here for this!!!!"  I was so angry Jim wasn't here.  After a lot of tears, I went back inside and told everyone I was ok.  My dad dealt with the basement and my contractions stop.  My poor body probably decided it wasn't safe for the little fellow to be born yet.  Everything turned out ok.  My dad got the water pumped out and after I got the other boys asleep, I talked to the LORD once again.  "Ok, if we are going to do this, let's do it" In the early morning hours, my third son was born.  And I exited the black hole of grief, and entered a different chapter of single mom with three boys.  But emotionally I was kicking and screaming about it  on the inside as loudly as my newborn was on the outside.  I felt cheated.

Many, many difficult things have happened since then.  And God spoke to my heart twice on this.
Once was on my first birthday without Jim.  He simply told me this was best and he loved me and my boys more than I will ever understand.  The other time was in more recent years, when I said once again, "Jim is suppose to be here for this."  And God simply whispered to my heart, "No, he isn't."
Smack!  God's 2x4 cushioned with love smacked my heart and mind.  That is true.  God's plan was for Jim to not be here; it is what is best.  God is all wise and all loving.  He has a plan.  Not just a good plan, but the best plan.

So anger is a big mountain to conquer.  It requires focusing on God and who He is and letting go of what I think I am entitled to.  It is letting go of expectations and trust God to do what is best for me and mine.

Day of Delight

We had cold wind and snow flurries yesterday, today had sunshine and thought still breezy, had warmer weather.

The part to fix the washing machine came early!  We fixed it in record time!

We celebrated with icecream.

Everyone finished school very timely and had extra time to play outside.

We took a little country drive as we ate our icecream.

The power is on so we could continue to pump water out of our basement.
It is finally looking like we are getting somewhere!

The dryer works, so I am finally getting caught up on laundry.

We had money to make hotel reservations for our annual trip before Easter.

We have only garder snakes and not poisonous snakes in our yard, so the boys feel like tough guys and I don't have to fret at the same time.

We live in the country with millions of things to do and explore.  No hearing the words, "I'm bored!"

The snow is all melted!

The breeze is refreshing and whispers, " Another winter is passed"  Amen!

All the boys are healthy and happy.

I am doing good also.

Many, many blessings, some just can't be put into words.

Now several nights ago it seemed like one of those were everything was going wrong!
We've all been there.

I needed to remember that today was one of those days, though not perfect, is full of things that went right.

I Want That Mountain Update 1

So we kicked off our campaign and I dressed up like a hiker with a visor, backpack, and a walking stick the boys cut and worked on for me.  I chose an ibex as our mascot as they are fearless, surefooted and agile.

Our first week was Promises and Mountains:

• God promised Caleb that land. What has God promised you? Our job is to believe God will give it to us and remind Him you are trusting in Him for it.
• Mountains are hard! There are difficult areas in our lives we need to conquer.
• Mountains are big; so we will turn to God and not try to do it in our own strength.
• Mountains are protected; our problems seem tough.  God puts people in our life who have conquered mountains to help us have courage.
• Caleb had to be patient; we need to be patient too.  Trust God and wait on God.

As a friend had a medical emergency, I reminded God of His promise to me, that her health issues would not be unto death.  God was faithful and she got the help she needed.

Our second week was The Mountain of Rejection:

• Mountains either hold us in or we can conquer them and control them.
• The fear of rejection is a common mountain in many of our lives
• A person doesn't fully mature until they learn to give over to God their desire to gain the approval of their parents, friends, and family.
• We commonly respond to rejection by getting anger and bitter. We say we don't care, when we really care deeply. We also run.
• We can overcome rejection when we stop seeking approval of others, and instead seek God's approval.
• We need to choose to believe Christ accepts me, not by what I've done, but because of what Christ says about me after He covered my sins with His blood.
• Why does God allow rejection? So we come to turn to Him, find approval in Him, and let God make you into somebody that is needed and valued.

I have seem multiple examples of people reacting wrongly to rejection. 
Please pray for us as we seek to respond correctly to any kind of rejection.

Our third week is The Mountain of Selfishness:

• Being selfish isn't only about caring only about yourself.  It is also caring for others, BUT caring for what you want and what's best for us above everyone else.
• We need to live for God. Live for eternity and not today!
• We need to seek to make others happy.  But don't compromise Biblical values.
• Serve others.  God puts extremely selfish people in a place where they always have to serve another.
• Give to meet the needs of others. The giving person can be the most unselfish person. 

God gave me the opportunity to give this week.  To give my time to another, to give my prayers, to give my tears of understanding, to give financially, to give a listening ear, to give encouragement, to give a helping hand. I still have much to learn to conquer this mountain completely though.

God's Little Pocket Watch

I have a new nephew.
The boys are excited, another boy!!!!

My nickname for this little guy is God's Little Pocketwatch.
From conception to birth was all God's timing.
A lot of things happened while my sister-in-law was pregnant with him.
And many times she wondered about God's timing in this all.

But he's a precious bundle!
His big brother before him, Prayer Boy, taught us all more about prayer.
His big sister, Little Cup of Grace, was a reminder of God's grace for each moment.
And now God's Little Pocketwatch joins them.

And now my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's quiver is as full as mine.
Three precious souls to nurture and raise up as warriors in the LORD's army.
"A threefold cord is not quickly broken."

God bless you, God's Little Pocketwatch
Many prayers, Aunt Christine

"I Want That Mountain"

Spring is coming and so is our spring Sunday School campaign.
Last fall God did such amazing things, and I missed recording them all.
So I am hoping to do a better job this time.

Caleb said in Joshua 14:7-14
Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.

Our theme is "I Want That Mountain" quoting the words to a hymn.

"I Want That Mountain"

Words and Music by Bill Harvey

 

I saw the giant of Prayerlessness upon the mountain high;
He laughed so hard at my unbended knee.
No longer in the wilderness I'll stay, and so I cry;
I want that mountain, It belongs to me!

 

Chorus
I want that mountain! I want that mountain!
Where the milk and honey flow,
Where the grapes of Eshcol grow,
I want that mountain! I want that mountain!
The mountain that my Lord has given me.

 

There was a giant of Laziness who said I wouldn't go,
And witness for the One who set me free.
I'll come from out the wilderness, I'll witness now I know;
I want that mountain, It belongs to me!

 

Chorus

 

One faithless giant upon the crest of Hebron's lofty height,
Has vowed that he's the one to make me flee.
I'll climb from out the wilderness! and trust Jehovah's might!
I want that mountain, It belongs to me!

 

Chorus

 

Let ev'ry giant of distress and unbelief and sin,
Get ready now to vacate, for you see;
I've come from out the wilderness! I know I'm going to win!
I want that mountain, It belongs to me!

 

Chorus

 

The Story before Joshua 14

Numbers 13:23-33 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Numbers 14:6-10 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.  If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.  But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

Purity vs Virginity

Recently I have had several different girls ask me if someone is still a virgin if they were molested or raped. I know I usually don't write on this stuff here but it is on my heart so I must write.

Personally I think purity is more important than virginity.
Why?
Well, let's see.....
There are many "technical virgins" who have never gone "all the way" but who have kissed handfuls of boys and made out with them and don't see any problem with it. They defile their minds with romance books and give their hearts away to boys they text or Facebook.

Then there is the girl who was raped as a young girl.  She is told she isn't a virgin anymore.
She feels defiled and has a choice to make.

She can choose to dedicate her body back to Christ and ask Him to make her pure again.
And ask Him to help her stay pure in body, mind, and heart.

OR she can choose to stay feeling defiled and listen to satan's lies that she can never be pure. She will abuse her body and let others use her body.  She will let her mind be polluted by lies and she will give her heart away to those who don't cherish it. 

Another thing about virginity.
Why is it some boys think they can just walk up to a girl and ask her if she is a virgin.
That is a very private question.  That is a question that a man who decides to court a young lady should ask.  If her virginity was stolen from her, she can then tell him and the choices she made afterwards.

Sadly the statistics are very alarming. Last I knew the reports said 1 out of every 4 girls has been violated  sexually before they are 18. And that is only those that report it.  I think it is more likely a lot higher.  So when we talk about virginity, I think we need to stress PURITY.  These girls that are statistics need to know there is hope that they can be pure no matter what has been taken from them.

Superhero

As has been my routine for the last year,
I went and picked up some girls to bring to church tonight.
One of the girls' little sister is almost four and I just never know what she is going to say.

Tonight she said, "I am a superhero, just like you, Mrs. Christine!" She gave me a hug when we got to church. I told her, "I love you."
She responded with "I love you too. And I love Jesus also." Amen!!!

She made my night:)

Her big sista texted me tonight about some prayer needs and stated " (my sister) is right, you are a superhero"

Now, folks, I don't see myself this way.
But I remember the day I first met these two sisters.
And they have grown to love Jesus so much.

I don't think I have any super powers, but I know the GOD who does!
And HE has allowed me to see HIS power at work in the lives of these two girls.
What a blessing!

Peace

After the grief waves, come peace........................

A sweet peace that is impossible to put into words.

It is like having your heart wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket fresh from the dryer.

Storms still crash around, troubles lay unsolved, children still demand attention and patience....

But within is a peace that passes all understanding.......

  Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
 Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Clinging

That's how I feel right now.

"Be not afraid, only believe"  the LORD said in Mark 5:36

Grief swirls around me along with many other emotions.

Many things are happening in the lives of others around me.

I feel overwhelmed.

So I cling..........

To the only ONE who can hold me through it all

Christ Jesus