A Father's Love

Last week God did an amazing thing for me. The Maker of the Universe spoke to me through a woman I’ve never met that lives in Kampala, Uganda. This is what happened.

On Thursday I received a private message on FaceBook that said, “Hi sweetheart. Was praying before going to bed and as I started lifting you up in prayer, the Lord kept showing me Isaiah 49:1-end. I read it thru after praying and am asking that you read that whole chapter and claim every promise that is there and ask Him to show u a deeper revelation of what He is saying.”

I began to meditate on this Scripture and one of the verses spoke to me deeply, I have been praying for the salvation of my adult son. The New Living Translation says in Verse 25, “But the Lord says, “The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children.”

That leapt off the paper at me! When I read it I began praying for my son and asking God anew for his salvation. I felt a new hope well up inside me. I began to claim the promises and asking for more revelation regarding this message.

I’ve heard many people say that these promises are not for us today, that they were for the Israelites only and in the Old Testament. I have faith however that God can do anything and He can use any verse of Scripture to speak into our lives and they can come from anywhere in the world! Even if we don’t really know them well or they don’t know us well.

Sunday morning my son went to the altar to pray. He accepted Jesus as His Savior! I’ve been praying for this for a LONG time! God knew He was going to be moving on my son’s heart this week and He also knew I was becoming discouraged with praying for him so Our Father reached down into my life to encourage me. Now I'm rejoicing that my son has given his life to a the only One who can save him, the One who gave His life and died for him and me. What a loving Father! What a loving Savior! Thank you Jesus †

Dress Rehearsal

This year, as most years, our Church is having an Easter Drama/Musical and it requires a lot of time. I accepted Jesus as my Savior on January 1, 1998 and the very first thing I ever participated in was an Easter Program. I was captivated! I loved working on the backgrounds with Mr. Rex, our Director’s father, I loved the music, and I loved the time spent with other Christians but most of all I loved pouring myself into something that would glorify Jesus and bring His time on this earth to life before people today and hopefully draw them into a relationship with Him. My first year Mr. Rex told me that there would be a lot of time spent in rehearsal. I had no idea the amount of time we would spend in rehearsal! The week before the performance we were there every night until 11 or 12 but then came the performances. They made it all worthwhile! Lives were changed, people were saved, Jesus was lifted up and His Word was brought to life before my eyes! “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto me.” John 12:32

As we have been rehearsing for our program this year, music since January and drama for a few weeks, I was thinking about how much it can take out of a person if they don’t have a passion for it. The motivation behind the rehearsal, if it is to glorify ourselves we will weaken quickly. This is much like life. We are so easily worn down when we do things in our own strength but when we wait on the Lord we will rise up on wings like eagles!

The Dictionary defines Rehearsal as:

1.      To practice something before performing such as a play, speech or piece of music before performing it for the public.

2.      To train somebody for performance someone who is practicing before doing something especially before giving a public performance.

3.      To go over a list of items often reasons, complaints or troubles.

4.      To say something or repeat something such as a story.

Have you ever thought that perhaps we are rehearsing every day, not for a play that runs three days and then is over until next year; but for eternity? What we do here matters! When we rehearse love, peace, kindness and forgiveness then we are rehearsing something that is worthy of a public performance. Conversely we can rehearse hate, prejudice, pride and lies, these things belong on another stage altogether.

Let’s be very careful that we aren’t rehearsing definition number three (making excuses or giving reasons why we can’t do something). Monkey used to be my excuse for not doing things, “Oh, I can’t go there, I have Monkey today, I can’t do that because I have Monkey” but God has brought me to the place that I comprehended if I make excuses I will never do anything. I am fully aware that I have used her as an excuse in the past but no more! The time is coming quickly for the performance; each of us will appear on the stage soon! Considering the magnitude of the actual occasion we are preparing for, eternity, I know that I’ll be more attentive to what I’m allowing myself to imagine and perform in my life. After all, when we imagine our futures according to God’s possibilities and not our human limitations there is nothing that God is unable to do! "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 KJV

The Bible tells us to guard our minds and to be careful what we think about, as a matter of fact there is a passage in Philippians that gives us the perfect thing to “rehearse”. If it doesn’t meet these criteria, it shouldn’t be in our dress rehearsal.  “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9

“Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.” Proverbs 4:23 CEV

Now let’s get out there and break a leg!

Try a Little Kindness

I’m facing a situation in my life that has forced me to consider the difference between being kind and being nice. I don’t like being the “bad guy”. I don’t like having to do the things that are difficult but I can, I have and I will. I just don’t like to. Does this mean I’m unkind? No. I’m so thankful that God prepared me for this. I’ve fought for rights before, I fought for Monkey with medical treatments, insurance payments, all kinds of things, then came the education issues, I took on the school board and thank God for Him being on my side when we won alternate placement without an attorney! Unheard of in our county, at the time I felt like I was being the bad guy but now I see I was just being an advocate for the special child who God entrusted to me, the voice she doesn’t have. As I mentioned earlier, I’m facing a situation and it’s forcing me to be that advocate again. Here is what I’ve been meditating on. I am asking for you, my readers, to please pray for me to have the law of kindness on my tongue as I deal with the issue at hand.

Last year I went to a Beth Moore Simulcast and I have thinking about that this during my quiet time, what little time there isof it. Monkey has been home all week! Woo Hoo. Anyway, here is what I recall about what she spoke on, the law of kindness. I need desperately for the law of kindness to be on my tongue! I have been struggling with wanting to give someone “a piece of my mind”! I’m afraid if I do that I might have very little left for myself…J

So I am striving for kindness. Proverbs 31:26, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.”

1) Kindness is not a weakness. She talked about the difference between kindness and being nice, and went to the Latin definition of nice, which is “nescius” or ignorant. She made the point that being nice does just not really know where in kindness we are aware and chose to be kind. She pointed out that kindness is perfectly capable of speaking a hard word. (Those of you who know me know that I have no problem doing that but I try to make it last resort. You know, truth in love…)

2) Kindness is not an action. It is a disposition. “Kind” means that it is profitable; fit for any use, useful towards others, good-natured. You can fake being nice, but kindness you can’t fake. It is the grace which pervades the whole nature. (I really want to be fit for any use, don’t you?)

3) Kindness wears down when we do. She explained that one of the works of the spirit of the enemy is to wear us down. She said, “We all have someone we need to feel differently toward. When we are worn down, we need to be built up by the body of Christ.” (Could this be why Monkey has been home all week? Thank you my Sisters for building me up! I have been so worn down and your kind words have been exactly what I needed to build me up and strengthen me!)

4) Kindness looks pain in the face! She referenced Job 6:28 where Job says, “Be so kind as to look at me.” And she said not to have face blindness. Be willing to hear more than just “Fine” when you ask someone how they are doing. In the conference this broke me to pieces. I’ve had so many people look past my pain and accept the “I’m Fine”, how I’ve longed for kindness that looked my pain in the face. Finally, I’ve found it among my friends whom I’ve never met and a few who I have…

5) Kindness is a Savior. Kindness took on flesh and dwelled among us. Jesus not only saved me from the pits of hell, but also from MYSELF! From my own sin and bondages! What a revelation! That is awesome!

6) Kindness has a good memory. Psalm 106:7 says, “They didn’t remember Your many kindnesses and they rebelled.” Remember that God has been good to you! Remember the ways! When we’re busy being thankful we aren’t being rebellious!

7) Kindness craves an outlet. When we know God has been kind to us, we want to share it with someone else. For me this blog is an outlet for kindness, I have a desire to share what God has done for me and this is one outlet, I pray for more as Jabez prayed, oh Lord, enlarge my borders!

8.) Kindness leaves a legacy. In Acts 28:1-2, we read that the “islanders were showed unusual kindness.” In a study, Beth Moore recently found that on the island of Malta (the same one referenced here in Acts), still some 83% of people are involved in some charitable giving! Oh how I long to leave a legacy, I want to pass on to the next generation the love of Jesus Christ.

We all need to experience kindness. We all need to express kindness. When we’ve experienced the kindness of the Savior we must pass it on, we must seek a channel to pass the kindness on through. If you have experienced the kindness I speak of you understand exactly what I mean, you can never be content to sit in a pew and listen, and you must find someone outside those walls of the Church who God will use you to show His kindness through.

If you haven’t met Jesus Christ as your Savior but would like to know Him and experience His kindness I encourage you to pray this prayer and get involved with a local church that teaches from the Bible.

“Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me of my sins, and help me to avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ came to Earth, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

The Shadow of the Alamo

I grew up in the shadow of the Alamo. Born in San Antonio, TX, I never fully understood how that would impact the rest of my days. The Alamo, a home to missionaries and their converts for nearly 70 years, it ended with a huge battle where much blood was spilled.

It was in the shadow of the Alamo that I was first introduced to Jesus Christos, at the age of only 3 years old, on the wall of the Rodriguez dining room, hanging on a cross. Prior to that, I had never heard or seen anything remotely resembling what I beheld that day. I had been playing with the Rodriguez boys, the only kids in our neighborhood who were young enough to have a 3yo tag along. They were only 4 and 5. They didn’t mind the little white haired girl who asked questions and wanted to know why all the time. I didn’t mind playing with dirt, bugs or climbing trees. I could run fast and find good hiding places. These things mattered.

On the day we went in the dining room and I noticed the painting; we were there for a quick snack and then back to playing but I couldn’t take my eyes off of this man in the painting. There was something about Him that made me feel funny, and not ha ha funny either. For some reason, I knew deep down I wanted to be just like Him. I didn’t know who He was, I didn’t know why He was nailed up on that cross and I didn’t know much, but I did know this, He was up there for me, because He LOVED me. By the time we washed up and snacks were served I had devised a plan in my little 3yo brain. By my estimation and by the questions I’d asked in between bites it should be relatively simple to be just like this man who they told me was the Son of God; and to be not just like Him but to be with Him too. Understand though, Mrs. Rodriguez spoke English about as well as I spoke Spanish, so that may be where the lines got crossed.

And here is how it all went down, so to speak. I convinced David and Jose that if they would just nail me to the mesquite tree that surely that would be good enough. I could stand on a milk crate and after they nailed me they could kick the crate out from under me. Voila, as my momma always said, problem solved. They had some objections. You can imagine. But from a practical standpoint though, I really did have it all figured out. There were nails down the alley behind the bar on Hotwells Blvd we could go get (we weren’t supposed to go down the alley but I had convinced them and myself that God would understand because it was for Him, the nails were rusty but that was okay, I didn’t mind because I really wanted to meet Jesus Christos face to face) and my daddy had a hammer. After a few hours of convincing, I talked them into it, I can be persuasive I suppose.

If it hadn’t been for my sister I would probably have tetanus and nail scarred hands. She was a well known eavesdropper in our neighborhood and I’m thankful now for it! She went and told my mom who came running out of our house, apron flying, flour billowing off it, screaming something about me being the death of her and Catholics…I don’t know, I was preparing to meet Jesus Christos. Long story short…I was no longer allowed to play with the Rodriguez boys.

I don’t know if having my roots so deeply planted in the blood soaked soil so close to the Alamo actually influenced my passion for missions. Perhaps it did, but I do know that Jesus Christ made sure I was born in the shadow of the Alamo, that I would first see Him on the wall of a tiny house on Pyle Rd and that I would forever fall in love with Him because He loved me first.

As a 3yo child I didn't understand that Jesus Christ came to die on a cross so I wouldn't have to. I thought that to be with Him I had to physically die on a cross as well, but it's so much simpler than that. Confess my sins to Him, repent from my sins, ask forgiveness, accept Him as the Lord and Savior of my life and then pick up my cross and follow Him. I pray you'll make the same decision I did...

Mary Magdalene

I heard a sermon yesterday (a very good sermon by the way) that was entitled, Dead or Alive. It was an excellent sermon on apologetics and defending your faith, I know that, however, what I brought away from the sermon was something a bit different. The Pastor made a point that you know the Bible is true because when Jesus arose in all four Gospels the account of the resurrection tells that Jesus first appeared to a woman. He then went on to explain (no offense to the women) that a woman’s testimony in that day was completely worthless. So for all four authors’ of the Gospel’s to include this fact wouldn’t really be a desirable thing. It would have been far more believable if He’d chosen to appear to a man, then the testimony would have been more accepted.  Wow!

I sat there letting that soak in for a bit. Jesus chose who He would appear to, He knew in advance exactly not only that He would appear to a woman but which woman it would be. Mary Magdalene, the demoniac who had been set free by Jesus and she loved Him so much she left all behind and followed Him. She was a devoted disciple. Yes, she was a disciple. Jesus drove seven demons from her. The number of demons driven from her was important. Seven represents completeness, totality. She was in complete and total darkness and depravity. So she knew what darkness was. Plain and simple, she knew her state. Her self-perception was clear, she knew where she stood before God and she knew what the Son of God had done for her and she owed Him EVERYTHING!

We know she was a committed disciple. She left her home and devoted her whole life to Jesus and His ministry. Matthew 27:55-56 says, “And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.” She left it all and supplied the needs of Jesus and His followers. Her gratitude prompted her to follow Jesus wherever He went, even to a garden tomb one morning to anoint the body of the one who had set her free.

She went and bought spices to anoint Jesus after the Sabbath ended and she arrived early the first morning after the Sabbath. I love John 20. The whole chapter and I hope you’ll check it out. When Mary is standing outside the tomb weeping and Jesus appears to her and asks, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answers, “Because they have taken away my Lord…”  MY Lord. He was hers and she was His. Not in a sexual way but in a way that is so much deeper.  She was yielded to Jesus because she called Him Lord, He was her Master. She bowed down to His authority. And she got to be an eyewitness to the resurrection of the Risen Savior of the World, Jesus Christ! Imagine that! What an honor and a privilege.

And what about Jesus appearing to a woman? That shows the compassion and love of our Savior. A God who loves so completely that He is willing to send His only Son to die for murderers, liars, and thieves. ”But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

 A God who loves the unlovely and the outcast so much that He would die a horrific death for me, for you, is worthy of all we have to give. This God, this Jesus, I call Him Lord, I surrender all my will to Him and no matter what He asks of me I say yes because He set me free. Have you been set free or are you still in darkness. If you haven’t met the Man who Mary Magdalene met in the garden on the third morning but you’re ready to make Him your Lord here is a prayer you can pray…

“Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to fill me and help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

Welcome to the Jungle

When you poke a wound, the wounded animal will eat you. Even if you’re poking it to discern the level of the pain to come up with a medical plan to heal the animal. Pain will always override and the animal will eat you, or at least wound you.

This is why Jesus tells us to forgive. He knew that while we were going around in His Name bringing the wounded to be healed and set free that sometimes they would turn on us. Not only that, Jesus knew that even after we were converted that there would be lingering sin in our lives that would be painful for us to live with and when confronted about it we would lash out at those who come to help us. Again, this is why forgiveness is so important. In the Gospels, Jesus taught extensively about forgiveness. He did this because He knew how key forgiveness is to living a life that is pleasing to God.

When you do something that offends someone, which reminds me about someone I need to ask forgiveness from, (did it, hope she forgives me…) as soon as you think of it. And when someone offends you then you have the choice to hold an offense against them or forgive them. Holding an offense does nothing to the person who you hold it against. It’s like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. But to forgive, it frees you from bitterness that would otherwise take root. I’ll tell you a little story.

When I was a little girl I had a man in my life who was older and he hurt me in ways that some older men hurt little girls. And he told me that it was my fault because after all, I let him do it so I must have liked it, and since I liked it that made me a bad girl. Since I was a bad girl he didn’t really want to tell my mom and dad but he would if I “made him”. You get the picture. He was a well loved member of our family who was trusted and I believed him when I was a little girl. But then I grew up and when I met Jesus Christ, He told me all about who I really am in Him, a princess, pure and whole, reserved for Him but there was a requirement from me. I had to forgive. Took me a while, but you know what? I would have never been able to write about this before I forgave him. There was too much pain. I couldn’t even speak of it without tears that flowed freely and anger that would burn in my chest. Now I feel badly for that man. He wasted his life, ruined God only knows how many children and unless he comes to know Jesus Christ he will burn in Hell. I pray he meets Jesus and finds forgiveness.  

Jesus knew that the only antidote to the pain that will eat us alive is forgiveness. That is the lesson I learned in the jungle of my childhood. I pray you never have to walk in the jungle I survived as a child, but if you find yourself in a jungle of your own remember this, forgiveness is the antidote to the pain.

The Woman at the Well

I have been studying "The Woman at the Well" (John 4:4-42) since I met Jesus in 1998. This story can be related to most of our lives in some fashion. I remember the first time that our choir director asked me to portray this woman in our Easter Program long ago how deeply I connected to her. She didn’t know that, she didn’t know my history. If you are unfamiliar with this story I encourage you to read it. It is very powerful. I believe the story is trying to teach us to forgive, love, and respect each other regardless of circumstance or status. I would like to know what others think about this topic and how you can relate it to your own life. I would sincerely appreciate your comments on this.

In OUR portrayal of her life she comes to the well during the hot midday and meets Jesus, realizes He’s the Christ, her life is changed and she runs back to the town meeting the women who had scorned her singing to them, “You’ll never find my story in a fairy tale, I wasn’t like the other women at the well, my life was full of pain, hurt, rejection. My loneliness I didn’t want to show, but Jesus saw the desert in my soul. Drink from this water, drink from this water, and you will never, you’ll never thirst again. Drink from this water. Drink from Living Water and you never, you’ll never thirst again.” Then suddenly the ladies who had scorned her accepted her and followed her back to Jesus and everything turns out lovely. It is a role I am honored to have been asked to play and am thankful that God has allowed me to bring her to life but really, there is only so much you can do in 4-5 minutes during a musical/drama. Let’s take a more realistic look at her life and her interaction with Jesus.

This was a socially unacceptable encounter that had occurred! Not only was she a woman, she was a Samaritan woman AND she was a LOOSE Samaritan woman! Being a woman was considered a curse back then and being a Samaritan woman was a double curse. My heart breaks for her. She made such a mess of her life. I relate to her. I’ve made many of those same choices she did. Living with a man whom she wasn’t married to, I've done that. Married more than once. I've done that. I’m every bit as bad as this Samaritan woman. I just happen to live in a different time period where it’s not as socially unacceptable. But it’s still unacceptable to God.

So, back to our woman at the well, Jews avoided Samaritans and treated them as half breeds, unclean, to be avoided at all costs, yet Jesus went out of His way to meet her at the place of her need. He knew she would be there at the hottest time of the day to avoid the condemnation of the other women in her community who drew water in the cool of the morning. He engaged her in conversation which was unheard of! A Jewish man speaking to a Samaritan woman shows that this Jewish man was more than just a Jewish man; He is the Christ revealing Himself to the lowest of society. What compassion He has. What love He felt toward this woman who was doing her best to mask her shame. Jesus had a conversation with this woman that was amazing. He asked her for a drink of water and then proceeded to give her a lesson on Living Water. Then He asked her about her husband, she answered she had no husband, He answered that she had answered well because she had not one but five husbands and the one she was with was not her even her husband. This brings me to an important point. In those days a man could divorce a woman for any reason he desired (burned the rice to birthed the wrong sex child) and she had no recourse, no resources, and no way to support herself. This could explain why she had so many men. Could it have not been her choice? Does this shine a new light on her? My point is this, she lived a very hard life whether it was by her own choices or the choices of others and how amazing it was that this God Man Jesus didn’t just come to the Jews, He came to her. He understood. He took the time to sit and talk to her when others avoided her and not only that, He offered her Living Water, eternal water. He handpicked this woman out of all the women to have this conversation with and I thank Him to this day for it!

Then Jesus taught her about worshiping in spirit and truth through the power of God’s Spirit. I’m not certain but I don’t think He had even shared that lesson with the disciples at that point. She told Jesus that one day the Messiah would come and tell them all thing and Jesus revealed to her, “I who speak to you am He.” WOW! I imagine she must have been blown away! But then the disciples came back and I imagine although no one said anything about Jesus talking to this Samaritan woman that they didn’t make her feel very welcome (they were Jews after all and in their defense they weren’t God in the flesh).

At this point she left her water pot and RAN in the midday heat back to the city to tell the men she had seen the Messiah! That’s right, the men. Because I imagine the women wouldn’t have listened to her even then. (Any woman who lived a life like hers was not only scorned but seen as a threat.) But the men, well, they knew all about her and when she came running into the town yelling, “I just met a man who told me EVERYTHING I ever did!”,  it probably got their attention since it likely included things they’d done as well.

The conversation recorded with the woman at the well was a long conversation, and not only was it long, it changed the course of history. The woman at the well was the first woman evangelist! She was commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself. In John 4:34-38 Jesus told the disciples that His food is to do the will of His Father who sent Him and of the fields being white for harvest. Many Samaritans believed because of the woman’s testimony. She took them to Jesus and they compelled Him to stay and many more believed because of Jesus’ own word. He is the Christ, the Savior of the world!

So, really, isn’t the story of the Woman at the Well really the expression of evangelism as it should be. The seed sower, Jesus, didn’t care about the social status of the soil He sowed the seed in, He looked upon the heart. He looked for the need, He came for the sinner, praise God because that’s ME! He commands us to sow seeds as well. We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, regardless of their situation.  We are to ALL be evangelists! Every single one of us who knows Jesus Christ should be an evangelist regardless of whether we are Jew or Gentile, Man or Woman. We should sow the seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ into every heart whether the person has influence and can tithe or is homeless and will need to be supported.

The Samaritan Woman said it all with her sense of urgency when she RAN in the midday heat to tell those who had rejected and scorned her that the Messiah had come! Let’s reach as many people as we can! Let’s stop splitting hairs about preferences and details. Who can and can’t go and tell, who is and who isn’t “worthy” to spread the good news. Truth is, none of us are worthy. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26 NKJV

The Samaritan Woman was one of the very first that Jesus revealed Himself  to as Messiah beyond the Jewish people and she represents the very heart of ministry. Run to the hurting, tell them about Jesus, bring them to Him and let Him bind their wounds.

Did I ever tell you about the time I picked up a prostitute?

It was a rainy day, the kind of rainy day where it’s coming down in buckets and no one should be outside walking on the side of the road.  So I’m driving on Route 40 in Aberdeen MD in the early 90’s with my son in the back seat of my station wagon when I see her, she is walking on the side of the road near a motel (I totally missed this fact in my concern for her safety) and she looked to be about my age, 20’s. I stopped the car and leaned over, opened the door and hollered, “Get in!” She did.

She seemed very confused to be in my little station wagon; she was stick thin and soaked to the skin. She was beautiful but looked hopeless.  I felt such compassion for her. I thought she was walking to work. She mentioned she wasn’t usually into women but whatever and then my wonderful little boy in the back seat said, “Hi. Why ya walking in the rain?” She hadn’t noticed him until then. I asked where she was headed and then she told me she was a working girl. I being naïve told her I was too, I worked at the VA.  She said, “No, I mean a (speaking slowly) w-o-r-k-i-n-g girl. But thank you for not just assuming that.”

That day I took a young girl, someone’s daughter and perhaps a sister, to a nearby diner to have a warm bite to eat and hopefully she felt stronger afterward. What I wanted to do was offer her hope but I didn’t know Jesus then. All I could do was offer her a warm meal and a dry ride back to her hopelessness. I think back on that day and the only regret I have about picking up a prostitute was that I didn’t know Jesus to share true HOPE with her. I pray for that girl, no longer a girl but a woman, and I pray that someone else came along who was interested in the beauty in her heart and not just her face and body, someone who shared the Good News with her.

So I challenge you to remember exactly why Jesus came. He came to offer hope to the hopeless, to heal the sick, to forgive the unforgiveable, to offer Living Water! Here’s the challenge, with Valentine’s Day we often think of those we love but what about those who have no one who love them. The hurting, the broken, those in need of the Good News? Share the only Love that is lasting today! For Valentine’s Day this year introduce someone to the Man who will love them unconditionally and forgive their sins. The Man Jesus who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless, perfect life, died for our sins and on the 3^rd day rose from the grave! He conquered sin and Hell so we could come to be with Him.

No one is too far gone, there is no sin too evil, no secret too dark, nothing that Jesus cannot shine His Light on and offer forgiveness and a new life. I’m living proof. He did this for me.

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior all you have to do is repent from your sins, believe in Him and accept the gift of salvation. Wearing nice clothes won’t save you, neither will driving a nice car or living in the better section of town, going to church won’t save you either, only accepting Jesus Christ can save us. Surrender to Him today.

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

Trusting, No Matter What…

I have a story to tell. It is a true story. It happened to my family and changed us forever. Here is a small part of that story…

On March 11th 2006, I put my Monkey upstairs for a nap. She had slept for about an hour when my sweet husband said I should go check on her. It wasn’t unusual for her to nap for 1 ½ to 2 hours but he said he had a bad feeling so I went up. I’ll never forget opening her door and seeing her lying with her feet tangled in the blanket on the bed, head on the floor in a pool of blood, she was gray. Who knows how long it had been going on, she was having a seizure. I called out for Tommy to dial 911; it took 45 minutes for them to get to our home. She was in what is called status epilepticus for 10 hours. She bit the tip of her tongue off and the sides were badly chewed. (To this day Monkey has what she calls a BobBob tongue ‘cause the tip is square.) When she finally woke up the following day she didn’t know who I was. She was unable to move her right arm or leg. She couldn’t speak. After the doctors had gotten her out of status during her weeklong stay in the hospital one of the MRI’s showed a mass in the left side of her brain. We received the worst news any parent could ever hear, cancer, inoperable and terminal. This didn’t sound right to me, didn’t sit well in my spirit. I couldn’t believe it; they had to be wrong…

During this time I begged the Lord to spare Monkey’s life. My husband was not a Christian so I felt very alone in my pleas to the Lord. He would sit with me as I prayed but would not join me. I felt led by the Lord to take her from that hospital, a world renowned children’s hospital, so we made an appointment with a neurologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute for a second opinion.

I took Monkey to our pastor and the elders and requested prayer. They anointed her with oil and prayed over her with the entire congregation. During the prayer I heard God speak into my spirit “I will heal her and I will be glorified.” I knew that God would heal my daughter, although at the time I had no idea the path we would walk or the way He would chose to heal her. He is sovereign! He is always good, even when we hurt and the path is filled with tears, Jesus is with us always…

The neurologist at Kennedy Krieger told me that the “cancer” the first hospital diagnosed was not cancer. It was a mass, which either caused the seizure or was the result of it. This was music to my ears! NOT CANCER! An answer I had asked for so we began trying to control the seizures with medication. She failed every drug they gave her. She would respond during a brief “honeymoon” period but it never lasted long. By August 2006 our neurologist referred us to Johns Hopkins Pediatric Epilepsy Center because she failed to respond to medication and the seizures increased in frequency and intensity. She was hospitalized in the PICU 4 times during this time when her rescue meds didn’t work either. I found myself turning to the God and His Word more than ever.

Now I remind you here…God TOLD me He would heal her! He spoke it and I’m as sure of that as I am that I live on planet earth. But sometimes our answers don’t come instantly. I believe we live in a “microwave society” where everything we want is expected when we want it…or else! When the answer doesn’t come quickly and the situation is dire what do you do? Have trust and faith. Lean on Jesus and the people He sends into your life to help you through. He sent us people during that time. People, who prayed for us, came to the hospital, drove us to appointments, fixed us meals, took care of our other children, helped us with medication and hospital bills, nurses who showed us extraordinary kindness, doctors who treated more than the condition…they treated the whole child, friends who sat in our living room and watched me fall to pieces because I felt utterly shattered by this monster of epilepsy that ravaged my Monkey. Weeping and experiencing pain over a situation doesn’t mean you don’t trust, it just means you’re human. I thank God everyday for His mercies which are new each morning, I thank Him for giving me that Word of assurance that He would heal her to hold on to, it was an anchor and without it I believe I might have drowned in my sorrow. He knew exactly what we needed to get through the situation but more than that He knew we needed the situation to grow my faith, to bring us to repentance, my husband to salvation and Monkey to wholeness.

This story is not an uncommon one. According to the Epilepsy Foundation 200,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed each year.  This is a testimony. Not my testimony, not Monkey’s either; it is a testimony of the healing power and love of a Savior.

If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, below is a prayer you can pray to receive Him as your Lord. If you pray this prayer please let me know, confess Jesus with your mouth and tell others what He did for you!

“Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

A Divine Appointment...

Have you ever had a divine appointment? I’ve been noticing them a lot more lately, perhaps because I’ve been asking for my spiritual eyes to be opened to allow me to view how God is moving in my life. I’m so glad I did! Amazing how differently I can see things now. Let me share with you a couple of the things He has done in the past 24hours.

Last evening my husband, daughter and I piled into the car and plugged an address into the GPS, I like to check out places before the day I have to actually be there since I’m directionally challenged. We will be attending a conference and I had no clue where this church was so off we go. It was a beautiful drive through the country where the roads have no shoulder and the trees meet above the road. It reminded me of the area where I grew up down South, sweet memories flooded back and I drove slowly, enjoying the scenery and winding roads. We arrived at the place which was set so far back in the woods you couldn’t see the building from the road, just a sign and a long lane. I drove past before I even realized it. My husband suggested turning around and going down the drive to make sure it was indeed where we needed to be. One U turn later I was sitting there waiting for another car to turn down that lane, hmmm? I wasn’t expecting anyone to be there. I put down the window and asked for a little information about the congregation and was invited into the building for some brochures to take home. Perhaps 5 minutes into our conversation this woman said something that echoed what God had spoken to me last weekend! Coincidence? I don’t think so…I didn’t say anything about it and we finished our conversation and I turned to leave when she said it again but this time she also said, “I believe this was a God incident. We are so pleased you stopped by today. God will lead you to exactly what you are looking for.” And indeed I believe He will!

On to my second divine appointment. This morning at work I was asking God to send me someone to talk to about Him, someone who needed a word of encouragement. Just use me, use me up. I seriously mean that. So I wasn’t surprised when I went upstairs I had to wait to use the ladies room. The woman who came out seemed distraught. I asked if she was okay and she told me, boy did she tell me. I got the whole enchilada! She told me about how she’d been assaulted and her children called 911 only to have a rookie officer accuse her of assault and slammed her into the parking lot face first. She showed me pictures of her in the hospital with busted lips and gums, bruised and battered, looking so distraught. She asked, “What do I do? I make too much for a public defender but not enough to hire a lawyer.” What a dilemma! What a story to pour out to a woman you don’t even know. Seriously, she didn’t even know my name, nor I hers. So I said this…Romans 8:28…”And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” So the question is, are you called according to His purpose? Have you had a time where you cried out to Jesus Christ that you are a sinner and can’t save yourself, that you need Him to save you and asked Jesus into your heart?” With this she began to cry. She had done exactly that after being discharged from the hospital! A woman who is currently assisting her with transportation had spoken to her about this and helped her to ask Jesus to save her! I asked her if I could pray for her and we did. She asked for God to help her forgive the man who had abused her in front of her children and not only that, but to bless him and help him to be a blessing to others!

I surely needed to hear this encouragement!  I love to see how God moves and works within the lives of all man. I needed to see how He’s working and answering not only my prayers but others as well! Perhaps she’ll join our little lunchtime prayer group…I hope so.

My question to you is simple. Have you had a divine appointment? Have you met Jesus Christ? If not, here is a prayer you can pray to ask Jesus into your heart. If you pray this prayer please let me know, confess Jesus with your mouth and tell others what He did for you!

“Father, I know that I have broken Your laws and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”

A Divine Perspective...

Divine Perspective…
If you have lived on this earth for more than a bit then you know the feeling that comes when you are faced with a dilemma that has no way out. No matter how you look at it you can’t see your way past the difficulty and before you know it things seem hopeless. Its times like this we need divine perspective.
This divine perspective can come from the most unlikely source. A friend, a news article, or perhaps even Christ Himself whispers words of encouragement to you through His Holy Spirit.
This morning I had the distinct honor to be someone’s divine perspective. She was all alone, miserable and heartbroken over the circumstances that had occurred in her life over the weekend. Long story short…she now feels homeless. She was staying with a family member who for unknown reasons kicked her out and now she is moving home…moving back into the home she grew up in when she was a child.
I knew the story. I’ve lived the story…so from my vantage point, this was actually a very good thing that had happened to her. But good things can sometimes be agonizing things all at the same time. This was an answer to many prayers for this young lady who we all worried was headed on a path to destruction.
Her parents have welcomed her home like the sweet little prodigal daughter she is and she is overwhelmed by the whole situation. Her parents are not acting like they did when she left…they don’t seem the same. Could it be that God used these circumstances to grow them both spiritually and they aren’t the same?
When I told her that this was actually an answer to many prayers she seemed a bit put off that I’d prayed in such a way but I didn’t ask for this, I asked for God to work all things out for her good. This is a promise that we can all claim, if we belong to Him and are called according to His purpose.
I recall the way God spoke His divine perspective to me one night in a hospital room, not long after the doctors came in and told me that if the next procedure didn’t work we might need to look into making arrangements for my sweet daughter. Romans 8:28 took on a new meaning to me right before her brain surgery.
“And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
I’d read it many times but that one night it brought me to my knees on a cold, hard floor beside a bed in the PICU at John’s Hopkins. It became a part of who I am, God illuminated those words to me in such a clear and meaningful way I had no choice but surrender everything to Him, the only One who was strong enough to handle the situation. Jesus flooded me with peace…
Between my daughters’s brain surgery 2 and 3 my husband received salvation and is now a new creature in Christ. Jesus really did work ALL things to the good.
In this world there are unfair and mean things that happen; the death of a loved one, losing your home or job, illness of a child, a molester who abuses you or children, war and hunger, the list goes on. There are bad things out there, but in the light of Romans 8:28 I can see an eternal perspective on most all the things that have happened in my life and the lives of others…
If you can’t see how God is working all things to the your good, if you have never cried out to Jesus to save you then it’s time to fully surrender to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.  Let this difficult time be used for your good…if you have never done so this is a prayer that you can pray to ask Jesus into your heart.
“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward You. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. Jesus, please come into my heart and forgive my sins, cover me with Your blood and wash me clean,  become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”