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Archive for September, 2013

The Great Commission: A Message To The Church

Posted in From My Heart, tagged , , , , , on September 28, 2013| Leave a Comment »

the-church-has-left-the-building-logo

Mr. Good Intentions, so much I wanna do
My mouth just keeps on running, but I never follow through
I heard that true religion, is love with hands and feet
I wanna find my own way to reach a world in need
Yeah, I’ve been captured by the unimportant
Locked in, and now it’s time to break free

Chorus
There’s more to life
Open my eyes
Someone is needing You
So I gotta make a move
What good are words
When this world hurts
Real faith will come through
When I make a move

We don’t need permission, to go outside of these doors
And dream some crazy dream no one else has dreamed before
To show love and compassion
Whatever way it may be
To put faith into action, do more than just believe
We are hope to those who have been broken
We were made to make a difference

These are some of the Lyrics of “Make A Move” sung by Royal Tailor. This song is so much more than the catchy tune that makes you want to dance. God has used the message in this song to convict me. Am I acting as the hands and feet of Jesus? Am I putting faith into action? Am I making a difference?

Honestly, I don’t know if I am. I would like to think I am, but am I really? Am I any better than those “Sunday Christians” that show up to church on Sunday, making their weekly appearance and forgets God the rest of the week. I don’t want to be like that. I want to be so passionate about living my life for Jesus, that everything I do points to Jesus. I want to really SEE those who have been broken. Are my eyes open to those who have been hurt? Are my eyes open to those who are lost and need Jesus? Am I to busy trying to check off items on my to-do list to really be aware of those around me? Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone and “Make A Move”?

Matthew 28:19-20

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

As a member of the Church body, I have become concerned that we are not living up to our part of the Great Commission. Jesus said to, “go and make disciples of all nations” not “hide behind your church walls and wait for the broken and lost to come to you.” Jesus gave us a command to “go.”

According to http://www.thefreedictionary.com: Go means to move, travel or proceed. It is a verb, an action word. When Jesus tells us to “go,” it is a command that He expects us to obey.

We think it is good enough to sit behind our church walls and send a few missionaries out into the world. Don’t get me wrong, sending out missionaries is a good thing, but it can’t be all that we do. We are ALL to be missionaries in our own sphere’s of influence. We are ALL to GO and make disciples in our own communities, reaching the lost in our own families, neighborhoods, work places, and cities.

Some of us want so much to be missionaries, not realizing that we ARE missionaries. Every one of us that claims to be a follower of Christ is a missionary. It is our job to make disciples. Step out of your fear. Step out of your apathy. Step out of your busyness. Step out of your comfort zone. If we love Jesus, we will obey His command.

I don’t want to be locked in anymore. I want to break free!

Dearest Jesus,

Give me a heart for the broken. Give me a passion to reach the lost. I don’t want to be a “Sunday Christian.” I want to be able to step out of my comfort zone. I want to be a missionary in my own community. Give me that heart, that passion. Give me a heart that follows through. Give me a heart that only wants to obey the great commission. I love you, Jesus. I only want to do your will.

Amen

GO outside of the church walls and make disciples. Don’t hide. Follow Jesus. He never hid behind walls. He went out and He expects us to do the same.

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Mercy House Kenya: Phase 1

Posted in Social Justice Issues, tagged , , , , , on September 26, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Phase1-Van-DriveMercy

The Issue

  • Annually, 21,000 women are hospitalized from having an illegal, unsafe abortion in Kenya. (Center for Reproductive Rights)
  • Abortion is a volatile topic in Kenya.
  • 13,000 Kenyan girls are kicked out of school for being pregnant. (Center for Reproductive Rights)
  • 25% of pregnant women in Kenya are HIV positive (ObGyn in Kenya)
  • Every 30 minutes, a woman is raped in Kenya. (Nairobi Women’s Hospital)
  • Mothers often force their daughters into trading sex for food in the slums (CNN)
  • More than 20,000 children are sex trafficked in Kenya (Human Trafficking)
  • 1500 women die in childbirth every day across Africa (WHO)

The Vision

  • Provide a safe place-a guarded home with 12 maternity beds
  • Partner with local churches
  • Prenatal Care- checkups, medical assistance for healthy deliveries
  • Proper Nutrition-protein and regular healthy meals
  • Counseling-post abortion/prostitution, rape recovery
  • Ministry-prayer, Biblical teaching, regular devotions
  • Education-help catch girls up in school thru 8th grade, then continue on to high school, or vocational tract
  • Livelihood Skills-cooking, jewelry-making, art, sewing, etc
  • A nurturing environment in-which to give birth and breastfeed babies
  • A safe place to stay and learn and heal until they graduate
  • An account to start small business or go to school (from products they make and sell)

The Plan

Our residents are invited to stay in the program for a minimum of two to four years, but our desire is to support each mom and baby throughout their lives. Each girl earns money through our Sustainable Skills Program and it will be dispersed over a long-term period to continue their education and even start a business as a part of our Graduate Program. Since our residents are at-risk- abused and even orphaned, we will assist them for as long as needed. We want to be their forever family and will tailor our help to each girl’s situation. Our goal is quality, not quantity and total discipleship.

It is the desire of The Mercy House team to fulfill Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good: And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and love mercy, to walk humbly with your God.”

mercy house

The Girls

Mercy House is home to 12 teen moms and their babies.

mercy house girls

The Goal

The goal is to raise $74,000 by Christmas for a various projects that have been pinpointed to make life easier and more efficient for the girls and the staff.

In this first phase of fundraising, the goal is $8,750 for a new van. The van is needed to transport the 24 residents and 6 staff members and to doctors appointments, church and the market without making multiple trips. Consider giving a gift that will make the lives easier for these precious young women and their babies.

To contribute to phase 1 click here

The information for this blog post was taken from the Mercy House website.

 

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Teen Moms

Posted in Social Justice Issues, tagged , , , on September 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

teen pregnancy

 

According to http://www.Dr.Phil.com:

  • Teen pregnancy is the number one reason why teen girls drop out of school.
  • Only one-third of adolescent mothers will graduate high school, and only slightly over 1 percent of those will earn a college degree before they turn 30.
  • Eight out of ten fathers in cases of teen pregnancy don’t marry the mother of their child, and these absent fathers pay less than $800 annually for child support. Children who live apart from their fathers are also five times more likely to be poverty-stricken than children with both parents at home.

According to http://www.teenmotherchoices.org:

  • The United States has more teen mothers than any other country in the world!
  • 51% of all teen mothers will never finish high school!

Around 700,000 teen girls between the ages of 17 and 19 become pregnant each year! Of those, around 50% choose to keep their babies. Around 45% choose to have abortions. This statistic does not count the teen pregnancies of girls under 17.

This statistic makes me very sad for these girls. I chose to write this blog post because of the high rate of teen pregnancy in my own city. I watch these beautiful girls walk a path that will forever change their lives and it breaks my heart. They are lost girls. They have no idea what they want. Many believe that having a baby will make everything right with the boyfriend. This rarely happens.

These girls deal with identity issues. They deal with lack of self-esteem. They are looking everywhere for someone to love them. They are looking in the wrong places.

We, as the Church, are not doing enough to reach out to these girls. They need God. They need a support system. They need a loving family of Christians to guide them. We become isolated and hide behind our church walls, when there are girls in our communities needing what we have to offer: JESUS.

Why do we hide? Why do we expect these girls to come to us? Why do we sit back and say, “if they really wanted Jesus, they would find a church?”

They may not know what they need! They are running around trying to fill that empty hole in their hearts. If they do know that they need Jesus, they maybe afraid of walking in a church. They are afraid of being judged. They are afraid of being hurt.

WE need to step out of our comfort zones and meet these girls where they are. WE need to go to them. WE need to be that example of Jesus in their lives! The next time you see a teen mom or a pregnant teen, offer encouragement, offer to pick her up and take her to church, offer to mentor her, just love on her.

Reach out to these lost girls. They need God. We are NOT doing enough to make sure they find Him.

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Day 7: My Reflections on Jehovah (The Lord)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , on September 19, 2013| 1 Comment »

Jehovah

I have learned so much about who God is through writing this series of devotionals. Our God is truly EVERYTHING that we will ever need in this life. I am so grateful that we have a loving God that shares His names with us so we can call on Him in any situation, at any time. He has a name that we can call on for any circumstance that we may find ourselves in. I chose 6 for this devotional series, but there are so many more. He is all powerful, all knowing, everywhere at every moment. How GREAT is our God! How AWESOME is our God!

Some of the things that I learned from writing these devotionals:

Jehovah Jireh is the God of provision. As a single mom, there have been so many times when I didn’t know how the bills would get paid and how I would provide for 5 kids. I often called out to God to provide. Jehovah Jireh heard the cries of my heart and has ALWAYS provided.

Jehovah Nissi is my banner. It doesn’t matter what battles I face in life, God is my victory.

Jehovah Rapha is my healer.  He heals me physically, emotionally and spiritually. I had pneumonia for 6 weeks in 2006. I was caring for 5 children 13 and under. I struggled through work until the doctor told me to stay home or she would put me in the hospital. I didn’t have the energy to crawl through my day, much less take care of 5 kids. In my illness, I cried out to my healer and Jehovah Rapha answered.

Jehovah Shalom is my peace. In this chaotic world, we need a corner where we can find peace. God has been that peace for me. Jehovah Shalom, my peace in a messy world.

Jehovah Shammah is always there. It has been such a blessing to know that God is everywhere we go, knows everything we face and will never leave us to struggle alone.

Jehovah Sabaoth is the Lord of Hosts. I have faced battles in my life. Battles against other people and spiritual battles. I serve a God who is the commander in chief of not only heavenly armies, but also earthly armies. Nothing happens without His approval. When I cry out to Him in the midst of a battle, Jehovah Sabaoth answers and fights for me.

I pray that this devotional series has encouraged you. These are not the only names of God. I encourage you to research on your own, make a list of all the names of God, and use those names in prayer when faced with a tough situation.

I would also encourage you to use a journal to write down what each name of God means to you in your life.

This journey has drawn me so much closer to my Father. Praise His name! HE IS MY EVERYTHING!

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Day 6: Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , , , on September 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Jehovah Saboath

Exodus 15:2-3

2 “The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name.

The Lord of Hosts is our Warrior. He will protect, deliver and rescue us. As a single mom, I find this very reassuring. Our God is the Lord of armies and He is willing to fight for us when we need Him to. There have been many times in my life when I was faced with difficult situations and have felt that I was in the battle on my own. I felt that everyone was coming against me and no one was on my side. I never need to worry. God always has the back of His children.

Are you fighting a battle right now and feel that you are fighting alone? The Lord of angel armies is waiting for you to go to Him in your time of need. He is willing to fight for you. You just need to ask. Start with this prayer:

Jehovah Sabaoth,

I am fighting a battle with_________________ and I know I will never win this battle on my own. I need you! I need you to fight for me. I surrender this battle to you, Lord of Hosts. I know you have my back. I praise your name! I thank you for hearing the cries of your children. I thank you for coming to the rescue of your children. I need you now.

Amen

You are NOT in this fight alone! If you need me to pray with you or for you, use my contact page and I will get in touch with you. With God fighting for us, we need not worry. Nothing in heaven or on earth can ever overpower our Lord of Hosts!

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The Road Less Traveled

Posted in My Daily Life, tagged , , , , on September 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »

the road less traveled

Are you traveling on the road that will take you where you want to go? If not, Why? What is keeping you from making a U-turn and heading down the right street?

I have wasted to many years traveling down the wrong road. The main reason, for me, was because I simply didn’t know where I wanted to go. At the age of 43, I think I’ve finally figured it out! I have found the right road for me. It is a fairly deserted road. Every once in awhile, I bump into someone to share the journey with, but for now I’m traveling alone.

My road is all about living in community and sharing the Gospel with others. It is a road less traveled. I hesitated at the start. I could see all the pot holes, the ditches, the mud I might get stuck in when it rained, the isolation. It seemed so much easier to pick another road. A road that every other ministry leader was going down, the road of evangelism and modern day crusades that end up being all about the money. I could not travel that road. God was leading me elsewhere and I had to follow Him. I need to live in an intentional community like those of the early Church in the Book of Acts. Sharing our resources and serving the poorest of the poor. I am still searching for that community, but I will find it.

In my experience, I have found 6 reasons that we avoid the road that takes us where we want to go:

1. We don’t know where we want to go. It took me 43 years to figure this out! If you are struggling with this, take it to God. Ask Him where He wants you to go. What are you passionate about? What cause, people group, etc. has God given you a burden for? God usually gives us the talents and skills to match His purpose for us. What are your skills? What talent has He given you?

2. We are fearful. It is easy to look down the road, see the obstacles and become paralyzed with fear. I have been there. God never promised that our lives would always be obstacle free. Every road has it’s share of pot holes, ditches and mud. It will rain. God did promise that He would travel the road with us. He sees all. He knows all and He will guide us if we ask Him to.

3. We get distracted. This has been a big issue of mine. I start down a road and then I realize that this or that needs to be done. I start to question whether I really have time for this. If it’s a passion, if it gives me joy, if it fits into God’s will then we need to find the time. Get a planner and start scheduling time into your day to take steps down the road you have chosen. Even if it is baby steps and you don’t seem to get to far, get started. One day you will look back and be amazed at how far you really have gotten.

4. No support. It is hard to do something that people in your life don’t agree with. It is never easy to go against your loved ones. I understand this. Sometimes we have to follow our hearts, regardless of what others think. If God is leading, then we MUST follow. He is the only one that matters. Be respectful of the opinions of loved ones, but if you know you are in God’s will, then follow Him.

5. We can’t see the end of the road. I always like to know the end result. I like to know that what I am doing will be a success. Unfortunately, we won’t always know the end result. We won’t always know if what we are doing will succeed or fail. What matters is the journey. Knowing that we are in God’s will needs to be enough. He knows what the end result will be. If we walk with Him, more than likely we will succeed, but if we wander off the road, we will most likely fail. We have to trust God and simply obey.

6. We don’t want to travel alone. I completely understand this. It is hard to be the only one championing a cause or serving a people group. There are times when we may the only ones with the life experience or skill set that can do the job God wants us to do. We are never really alone. God is with us. He is all we really need.

Where is God leading you?

What are you afraid of?

What is distracting you?

Do you have the support of loved ones?

Can you see the end of the road?

Are you traveling alone?

Ask yourself the questions above and write down whatever is on your heart. Use these questions as a tool for communicating with God. Ask Him to show you His heart and He will.

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Day 5: Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , , , , on September 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

7-Jehovah-Shammah

 

 

Ezekiel 48:35

“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord Is There.”

When I first realized that my marriage was coming to an end, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of abandonment. I felt completely alone. I felt like no one cared about what happened to me. At that point in my life, I did not feel the presence of God. I felt like everyone had left me, including God.

I know that God never left me and never will. He is my Jehovah Shammah, always there in the midst of our heartache and pain. Life is full of loss. There is no way to get around it. At one time or another, we will ALL feel loss in our lives. In the midst of that heartache, our Lord IS there!

If you are dealing with a loss right now and feel like your heart is breaking into a million pieces. If you feel abandoned by those that you love, know that our heavenly Father is right there beside you. He will never abandon you. He will never leave you to handle your pain alone. Cry out to Him. Let Him know how hurt you are. He is waiting.

Jehovah Shammah,

Thank you for being The Lord Who Is There. I am feeling so hurt and abandoned right now. I don’t know how I will ever go on on my own, I feel paralyzed by fear and my heart has been broken. Help me, Jehovah Shammah, get through this pain that I feel. I am surrendering the hurt and the pain to you. I acknowledge that you are here with me. I am not alone. You ARE here. I praise you, Lord!

Amen

If you are feeling overwhelmed by loss and the broken heart of abandonment, please remember that you are NOT alone. Let me know how I can pray for you. You ARE special! God loves you and will NEVER abandon you!

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My Life As A Single Mom

Posted in For Single Moms, tagged , , , , on September 6, 2013| 3 Comments »

single mom hand

My life as a single mom began with the bang of the gavel, in a quiet courthouse room on August 9, 2000. My life has been anything but quiet since then!

We had 4 kids at that time. The kids and I stayed in our home until I was accepted for Section 8 through our local Housing Authority. We moved into our own home in March of 2001. I was going to school full-time, working part-time and taking care of 4 kids 7 and under. I received a shock that same month that I was pregnant! It shouldn’t have been a shock. I was still involved with my ex-husband and was struggling to let go. The announcement that we were having another child was the end of our intimate relationship. He moved on with another woman and I was left with anger, depression, bitterness, hatred, fear, etc. You name it, I felt it! We still remained friends and he has been the family and support group that I did not have otherwise. My family lives in California and we live in Indiana. I was terrified of being left alone with 5 children. My ex-husband has always been determined that we would remain family. I have been blessed in that respect. Our oldest had just turned 8 when our youngest was born.

There were several times when my fear and anger consumed me and I behaved in ways that I hope I wouldn’t have otherwise. I attacked this woman physically 4 or 5 different times. These are not times that I am proud of. I set a horrible example for my children and certainly was not the example of Jesus to the world that I want to be. Fortunately, these were the early years and I’ve grown up since then.

I remember times when I just wanted to crawl in bed and never come out. My loneliness caused me to find comfort and support from a married co-worker. It never progressed passed an emotional affair, but it was still an affair. I knew it and God convicted me of it. I finally found another job and cut ties with this man.

I worked 20 hours a week, went to school full-time, took care of the household duties, and raised 5 children. I lived in poverty. I struggled to make ends meet, but they did meet. I was on section 8 and food stamps, but we had shelter and food. I can’t say that I was always faithful about tithing, but I did my best and God blessed us. I very rarely had to buy new clothes for the kids. When one needed clothes, clothes would show up in the way of friends or simply sitting on the porch from an anonymous benefactor. I shared vehicles with my ex-husband, because we always had vehicles breaking down.

13 years later, I am still a single mom and grandma. I have lived with my ex-husband and his now wife (the same woman I had attacked; we are now best friends, believe it or not!) since 2008 when our rental was sold unexpectedly. This arrangement has provided security for the kids. They have 3 adults that love them and support them. I was able to attain my Associates Degree in Human Services. I have a job that I like and am moving forward in starting a ministry for single moms.

This arrangement has been beneficial for us. I am still a single mom though and am feeling the need to stretch my wings and get my own place with my 4 children that are still at home. I have a feeling that God is working on opening some doors for us and I am really excited to see what is around the corner.

Through it all, God has been there. He has been my provider, my healer, my protector, my peace. I would not be here if it was not for my heavenly husband. I rest in His arms and I know I am safe. If you are struggling as a single mom and don’t know where to turn, contact me. I would love to help you navigate the waters of single motherhood. God loves you single mom!

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Day 4: Jehovah Shalom (My Peace)

Posted in God Is: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , on September 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Jehovah Shalom

Judges 6:22-24

22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

When the Lord told Gideon that He was sending him to save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, Gideon replied, “Pardon me, my lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

Not only did the Lord save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites, He did it with only 300 men! Gideon must have thought God was crazy when He told Gideon his army was to large. He must have felt that he was crazy when he faced the Midianite army with only 300 men, but he obeyed God and God gave him the victory.

Gideon faced an overwhelming battle, but he walked in the peace of the Lord, knowing that God was with him. Gideon could have run in fear. No one would have blamed him. Instead he chose to trust God to fight the battle with him. He knew God’s peace.

In my life as a single mom, there have been many times when I have struggled to feel the peace of God. I have dealt with overwhelming anger, fear, bitterness, and the list goes on. Peace alluded me, until I found my Jehovah Shalom, my God of peace. My life still gets crazy and sometimes I do still feel overwhelmed, but I know I have a God of peace who is willing to walk this out with me.

If you are feeling overwhelmed in this season of life, know that we have a God of peace willing to give us the gift of peace. All we have to do is ask!

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The peace of our Lord and Savior will guard our hearts and minds! If you are feeling overwhelmed today and think that peace is something that you will never attain, I encourage you to say this prayer:

Jehovah Shalom,

My God of peace! I am feeling so overwhelmed right now. I feel chaos and stress around every corner. I hunger for the peace that surpasses ALL understanding. I want that peace in my life that comes only from you. I know that it is a gift and I only need to ask and open myself up to receive. I am surrendering everything in my life that is overwhelming me and keeping me from feeling your peace. I am letting go of that control that my circumstances have on my life and I open my heart and my mind up to receive that peace that only comes from you. I accept the gift of peace and I trust you to walk this out with me. Thank you Father for the gift of peace!

Amen

If I can pray for you, or guide you along the path to peace, please contact me! I am here!

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