Love not Hate

Today, the United States Supreme Court reversed a law that resulted in the murder of millions of innocent babies for 50 years. I see the enemy in …
A Day to Rejoice & Arise

I am reposting this well said blog from Temi, founder of Christian Mommas, fellow Sister in Christ and fellow prayer warrior for life.

Life Choices-Longmont Pregnancy Medical Clinic was added to the list of terror hits post the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision from last week. It feels like an attack on all women, babies, and families. Early Saturday morning, Life Choices -Longmont was vandalized and has fire damage. It is under investigation by the FBI. It feels like a violation.

I had served as the Nurse Center Director of Life Choices and Advocate counselor for 5 plus years. We served clients and community with the love of Jesus, we watched and listened as women came in unplanned pregnancies or families in poverty came needing early prenatal help with ultrasounds, community resources such as clothing for kids and mom, diapers, formula, other necessities and a loving, listening ear to hear their hurts and love. If a women needed post-abortive counseling, it was provided, all services were free. Businesses, individuals, and churches financially supported this amazing clinic.

I was tearful at times hearing many life stories, there was never coercion. We loved these clients as a sister would, and shared community contacts, directed people to places for food, electricity vouchers, places to gather with other women, churches that loved like Jesus.( Yes, they are out there despite the loud voices who don’t believe it.)

I had forged amazing Sister relationships with clients who returned to share life. It was an amazing season in my life of giving without judgment women, and honoring families. It was and is a privilege to give all, heart, time, resources, and compassion.

My question: How is it possible that some feel trying to destroy Christ loving, serving, places of love is the right answer? When others destroy the places that serve the community it is not pro women, it is evil.

We each have an opportunity to help those in crisis pregnancies, families need to see Jesus in our actions not just words. Maybe now is the time to invest in time for those who need a hand. Where can you make a difference in love? You may save a life, mom, and child.

I just wanted to share a personal perspective. We are all broken sinners in need of a Savior who gives grace, mercy and love even if we don’t feel deserving. God is love not hate.

If you think about Life Choices or any other clinic that serves as Jesus today, lift up a moment of prayer, gratitude and know these places are around. As God wills they will survive.

Impossible?

photo by Emiliano Arano (Pexel.com)

God is the God of the impossible. Our human mind can’t fathom how our future can come together. We see the future through the eyes of the past, it jades our belief that God can do a mighty thing with our broken pieces. Our disappointments in people, circumstances, financial status and consequences for impulsive choices leave us looking down instead of up to Jesus.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 MSG [3-5] All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort-we get a full measure of that, too. [6-7] When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it.

The enemy is pleased when we stop our forward motion in walking with Jesus. He practically bets on the fact we will not succeed. He places rocks in the path of our future. When we look down we can’t see forward to the sun that is illuminating the path, we just see the rocks, the tree roots, and the boulders getting bigger. We may feel ready to drown in the overflowing waters of despair.

It seems like an impossible future. But who is talking that smack into your head? The Father of Lies, the devil, of course!

“Turn off that frequency, cover your ears, and turn on the new solid foundation of truth, the Word of God”, this is what He says, Jesus, the One who really knows the end from the beginning.

I was amazed as I read another daily devotion, from The Book of Mysteries, by Jonathan Cahn, yesterday. He described these Hebrew words: Olam: means everything you see, the creation, the universe, and Davar: means the Word ( God’s). The setting was the discipleship of teacher to student, “Which is greater, the Olam or the Davar?” The student initially replies, “the Olam because it’s the universe”, however, the student was shown the truth in scripture by his teacher. “Psalms tells us: For He spoke, and it came into existence, He commanded, and it was established. Hebrews and John 1 confirm the fact the Word came before the universe was formed”.

Psalm 33: 6 – 9 ⁶By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
    their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸Let all the earth fear the Lord;
    let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded, and it stood firm.

Hebrews 11: 1 – 3 also shares:

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. ²This is what the ancients were commended for. ³By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

The next scripture is from John 1, the Word came first and the world came second.

John 1: 1 – 5 1 In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning. ³Through him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Bible is the Word of God, it is truly over all things in the universe. I hope that encourages you to remember we are not to be led by circumstances and events in our life, the world changes but God’s Word never does. Despite what we see, we must stand on the Word.

Let the Davar direct your steps. Meditate on His Word, and drown out the lies that may be filling your mind. It takes time but you can do it with God’s help.

Here are a few of my favorite scriptures: Isaiah 40, Zephaniah 3:17 (He delights over you), Jeremiah 29:11, Deuteronomy 31:6, 8

Listen for a Miracle

Isaiah 30:18-23 NLT
[18] So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. [19] O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries. [20] Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. [21] Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. [22] Then you will destroy all your silver idols and your precious gold images. You will throw them out like filthy rags, saying to them, “Good riddance!” [23] Then the LORD will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock.

Maverick City has become one of my favorite worship bands. They talk about real life, praise in joyful times, remind me to trust God as I praise and remind me that there are a million different miracles, as the song, Million Little Miracles shares.

It is truly a road of bumps, valleys, mountains, and sunsets, I hope this song brings you a blessed reminder, Jesus is in the little things.

Million Little Miracles by Maverick City

Amazing, when we pause to consider how Jesus is moving behind the scenes of our life. The question is, are we listening for His encouragement or believing His plans will unfold? It’s a miracle you are here, count all the miracles in your life.

It can be hard to have faith when troubles seem to chase us. But we must believe what scripture tells us. Here is are few to ponder:

Luke 17:6 MSG
[6] But the Master said, “You don’t need more faith. There is no ‘more’ or ‘less’ in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, ‘Go jump in the lake,’ and it would do it.

Matthew 9:20-22 MSG
[20-22] Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can just put a finger on his robe, I’ll get well.” Jesus turned-caught her at it. Then he reassured her: “Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you’re well.” The woman was well from then on.

Have the courage to trust the source of all things, our Creator God? What have you got to lose, there is nothing greater than our God!!!

Hens and Chicks

It’s hard to believe I used to be a big city girl. As I sit watching the integration of our white adult leghorn hens and a new batch of chickens, should I say chicks, I am mesmerized.

There really is such a thing as the pecking order. Each particular group of chickens: one set of six adults and one set of seven varieties of chicks, has their own pecking order.

The fabulous 7 chicks and buff Orington photos by Mary Mesikapp

There’s a big white Leghorn chicken, the dominant one, and there are the rest that follow. It really is survival of the fittest. There’s always got to be the leader and the rest are followers. That’s what makes a good coop.

Just like in parenting or life, the leaders job is to protect and keep the group moving especially in times of predatory behavior. Yes, we have fox,coyotes, hawks, and, of course, the dreaded huge great horned owls. Spring into summertime can bring black bear.

In our lives, our homes, and society, there are leaders and there are followers. As a parent, I do my best to guide my chicks. I know one leader that doesn’t change though, his name is Jesus? His wisdom is solid and never changes in over 2000 years.

Scripture tells us Jesus grieved over Jerusalem as he watched their continual turning from his ways and from godly wisdom. He even described it as despair and wanting to gather together these chicks under his wings for protection. Watching my chickens makes me imagine Jesus must grieve over some current events, however, He wants people to make the free will choice to follow Him.

Matthew 23:37-39 NLT. [37] “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. [38] And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. [39] For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!'”

You see in those times Jesus came and they believed he would be their King and his people didn’t know him. The Pharisees were threatened by His presence, and their communication to the people spoke hate and Jesus was crucified. He came to lay down His life for us all, sinners.His description of hen to chicks is heartfelt.

John 3:16-21 NLT
[16] “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. [18] “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. [19] And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. [20] All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. [21] But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

The Jewish people at that time thought he was going to save them in a human way. Jesus will come again.

Revelation 1:4-8 NLT
[4] This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; [5] and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. [6] He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. [7] Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him- even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen! [8] “I am the Alpha and the Omega-the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come-the Almighty One.”

I know this is a serious blog post for serious times. Jesus knows the timeline of all things and what the future holds. Crazy times lead me to seek His wisdom through the book of Revelation. As parents, we must share what we learn from God so our children learn who to follow.

I am just a baby chick, however, I want to follow the lead Hen, the leader of my life, Jesus! Because I can’t imagine following anything else.

Persevere

Days can be hard. We have no idea what is going to happen next. The Texas shooting is so surreal, my heart and prayers are with the parents, families, town, and anyone who lost a loved one. Stories will be coming out. I imagine the teachers were heroes as human shields. Texas you are not alone, the entire country is with you.

I remember the Columbine high school shooting over 22 years ago, I was working at the Level 1 trauma center in Denver at that time. I was speaking at the other Littleton High school in the auditorium. It was the beginning of this mess. Children should feel safe and protected.

My words are few in this blog post except to say, We need Jesus! We need love, not rage. We need compassion, not destruction. But there is a hope to hold onto when days seem dark.

white petaled flowers on a sunny day — Photo by Guillaume Hankenne on Pexels.com

There will be brighter days, we must hold onto Jesus and believe He has the beginning and the ending figured out. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning and the end. We grieve with Texas as I believe the Father in heaven does.

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Matthew 11:28 ²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Here’s a song to encourage you, “Just As Good” by Chris Renzema and Ellie Holcomb. Be blessed and hug your family members a little tighter.

Communication in this Age

As I sit at the coffee shop, I see a class of teens being treated to an end of the year coffee / fruit drink. This teacher apparently comes every year and treats the students for a job well done. Now that’s a teacher who knows how to reach their students. She is being a reflection of love and God is love.

The whole class is polite, respectful and shows gratitude. This is the next generation of leaders. They are shown compassion and direction by this amazing teacher. It is refreshing, we can all reflect hope and love like this relationship.

Yes, they take out their cellphones for a bit of additional communication, however, they are in person carrying on conversation. There is laughter, smiles, and companionship.

There is hope!

They are valuing the most important thing, relationships in respect, love, common interests and they will likely succeed in the future as a result. This is the future!

Photo by Vj Apratama

Psalm 145:12-17 MSG
[12] Letting the world know of your power for good, the lavish splendor of your kingdom. [13] Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal; you never get voted out of office. GOD always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does. [14] GOD gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit. [15] All eyes are on you, expectant; you give them their meals on time. [16] Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures. [17] Everything GOD does is right- the trademark on all his works is love.

Where is your sphere of influence? Make a difference to encourage and love others it’s a trademark of God who loves and can impact generations.

Mother’s Day hard?

Psalm 145:3-4 MSG
[3] GOD is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. [4] Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts.

As a women of infertility, I understand the challenges of observing Mother’s Day. I have learned that God’s family is formed in many ways. Before I became a mom of adoption, He allowed me to feed into the lives of thousands of kids to teens as a nurse and public speaker for injury prevention. He also, gave me places to mentor foster kids as a big sister. There are other places the Lord can use your love and care beyond a biological child. You can make a difference to generations.

You are loved by Jesus Photo by Picjumbo.com (Pexels.com)

Mother’s Day is a day of multiple emotions; joy, peace, love, grief, loss, and regret. As a mom blessed through adoption, I think of the sacrifice of our birth families along with my love for our children. I think of their loss and willingness to place ( not abandon) their children to my husband and my arms. I know they each ponder, as Mary did in the Bible regarding Jesus, the life of their biological child. Yet their love for their child, according to their own hearts expressed to me and my husband, even in grief and loss, lead them to choose their forever parents. I have a tender heart that grieves with them even in my blessing every year at Mother’s Day.

I extend greetings on Mother’s Day and I receive communication that affirms, a mom never forgets their child and they have communicated appreciation for our loving care. We are the family of extended adoption. We are blessed. It is not easy. It can be emotionally hard for all in the adoption triad (child, birth and adoptive parents). However, spiritually we all must lean on Jesus for closing the holes in our hearts that only He can fill. I share with our children the same message, no mom or dad can fill the space in our hearts meant for Jesus!

It takes trust in God above all (even though in our human emotion it seems impossible). It is hope for our children’s future holding the hand of Jesus for wisdom. It is unfailing love for our children who are created in the image of God.

Psalm 145:8-21 MSG
[8] GOD is all mercy and grace- not quick to anger, is rich in love. [9] GOD is good to one and all; everything he does is suffused with grace. [10-11] Creation and creatures applaud you, GOD; your holy people bless you. They talk about the glories of your rule, they exclaim over your splendor, [12] Letting the world know of your power for good, the lavish splendor of your kingdom. [13] Your kingdom is a kingdom eternal; you never get voted out of office. GOD always does what he says, and is gracious in everything he does. [14] GOD gives a hand to those down on their luck, gives a fresh start to those ready to quit. [15] All eyes are on you, expectant; you give them their meals on time. [16] Generous to a fault, you lavish your favor on all creatures. [17] Everything GOD does is right- the trademark on all his works is love. [18] GOD’s there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it. [19] He does what’s best for those who fear him- hears them call out, and saves them. [20] GOD sticks by all who love him, but it’s all over for those who don’t. [21] My mouth is filled with GOD’s praise. Let everything living bless him, bless his holy name from now to eternity!

I love this Message version of scripture, Psalm 145. No matter who you are, a single person, a single mom or dad, married, divorced, God sticks by all who love Him, those who fear Him in respect, seek Him, repent from sins and believe He is Lord. Call to Him and feel His love extend to all, moms or not!

He is the Same God

The same God that freed captives in the Bible is the same God that can transform your life. He is filled with kindness, wisdom, and understanding. He knows you He wants to fill you up with His riches of grace, unfailing love, and joy.

Will you take a risk and reach out to Him? Past disappointments with a human father may give you fear or cause distrust of your Creator God. He is good and He is able to guide your life. Will you let Him?

He wants to adopt you into His family, but He gives you a free will choice. As a mom blessed through adoption, this amazing gift of adoption into the Lord’s family takes on another level of love and awe. He wants a relationship with you.

Ephesians 1:3-11 NLT [3] All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. [4] Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. [6] So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. [7] He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. [8] He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. [9] God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ-which is to fulfill his own good plan. [10] And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-everything in heaven and on earth. [11] Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

“Same God” is a wonderfully moving message of the unfailing love and commitment of God to His children. Elevation Worship and Jonsal Barrientes really bring this promise to a beautiful place. Listen to the lyrics. Be amazed at this amazing God.

May this song impact you as much as it did me. He is the same God from the beginning of time to now.

Holy Spirit Come

Every day is an exercise in endurance. Trusting in God with the uncertain future, with our relationships, and our emotions require thinking outside our own control.

There are moments I want to be a child again, putting adult decisions and responsibilities down. Guess what, we can put down our worries and concerns. We can give them to a God who extends His hand to us, saying come, my child! Jesus actually spoke these words in Matthew 11 as He spoke to people about seeking faith in God.

Matthew 11: 25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”

Matthew 11:28 - 30   (The Message) “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Holy Spirit Come by Patrick Mayberry

Patrick Mayberry sings of going to the Lord in our distressed times, singing, “Holy Spirit Come.” I love to play this song when I feel weary and burdened. I sing loud and feel the love of Jesus pour over me. Sweet moments of peace are there for the taking just sing or call Him. Come Holy Spirit and refresh your children.

God so loves

There was a time in my life when God was not the focus, instead, it was about a checklist. I felt I was a good person, not one to cause conflict, and did the Christmas and Easter church thing.

However, I felt an empty space in my heart. I had a solid career as a mentor emergency trauma nurse and trained paramedics. My husband and I joined the land of mortgages, a solid career I loved, our first dog, with an expectation of a baby.

Screech went the brakes for this standard list of western expectations. Infertility without a cause and I had no control of my barren body which drove me to seek Jesus.

I had my final infertility treatment and took a memorable trip out of state. After a near-death experience on a Colorado rafting trip, I saw life from a different vantage point. I wore a crash helmet and tightly zipped life vest as the guides gave instructions on body position should a tourist end up in the frigid, springtime, mountain river. I was thrown from the raft at a point in the river called Cardiac Corner ( Class 4 – 5 rapids).

As my body and head were crashing into boulders and trees skirting the river and I was stuck in the swells and sucking water, I cried out to the Lord. I felt as if I would drown, but almost as soon as I called out Jesus, help me! I felt a warmth surround my body, even though my hands especially my fingers were bluish and numb, I felt no pain. I felt the river was a metaphor for life. Would I trust God with the details and take a ride in the rapids or crash and die?

I chose to trust God, rest in what felt like the huge, warm hand of God, and lived. My husband and I relocated to Colorado within six months. My first Colorado friend took me to my first Bible Study. The book of Romans 5 showed me a new beginning and I learned after dedicating my life to Jesus that I will let Him drive my future plans.

One of my favorite scripture Romans 5: 1- 8 was an epiphany.

Romans 5:1-11 NLT
[1] Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. [2] Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

[3] We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. [4] And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. [5] And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. [6] When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. [7] Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. [8] But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

I no longer saw my infertility as a failure instead I saw the need to trust God with everything. After infertility procedures, giving myself shots, waiting on God while caring for children at work in illness and trauma, relocating, and subsequently, the unknown of adoption. I realized I wanted to be a mom and trust the Lord to orchestrate the details.

After a decade of marriage, our first child came to her forever home through adoption six weeks after I accepted Jesus. All three of our children are amazing gifts from God who know more about Jesus as children than I did.

“God so loves”, a song by We the Kingdom brings a vision of joy, and diversity of many beautiful children created in the Image of God. I hope you enjoy it as I did when I saw the band play it live.

I hope you are inspired to realize God so loves. That is the first step of faith in an unknown God. I had to flip out of a white water raft to come to this amazing realization. What will it take for you?

Are you weary? He will strengthen you. You may feel unworthy of His love, He knows but loves you anyway. Bring all your failures. He will direct your life journey. God so loves.