Lately I've had something on my heart. And the best way I knew how to convey my message was through a story.
Now think of it this way. What if, when the King came to the beggar with the ring, the beggar threw it at His feet and yelled THAT'S NOT THE ONE I WANTED!!
Could you imagine? The King was offering a gift to this man. Blessings. A home beyond anything the beggar could imagine. And for nothing in return. The price was paid.
I was reading an article the other day. It was horrible. It was discussing China's one child policy. Here's a link to the article but BE WARNED the photo is heart wrenching. It's nothing I wanted to see. But sometimes we need to see to wake us up. Here's the link http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/report-chinese-woman-forcibly-aborted-at-seven-months-warning-extremely-gra.
It told of how a pregnant lady was kidnapped from a fair. Taken against her will to a facility and forcibly held down to be given a vaccination to induce her labor. This lady was 7 months pregnant. This child could have survived. But instead this little one's life was snuffed out shortly after it's first cry.
That's just China though. Right?
Wrong. Here in the good old US of A abortions happen every day. On one search I found a facility that would either do or give a referral for an abortion for up to 36 weeks. People, 40 weeks is full term!!! My twin brothers were born at 36 weeks!!! What has happened to our conscious?!? Where is our conviction?!?
I created this blog to be a voice for the children.
Our children are our future. They are a GIFT FROM GOD!! (Psalm 127:3) When abortions happen we are no different than the beggar throwing the ring back at our King saying THIS IS NOT WHAT I WANTED!
Now I understand I have embarked on a very controversial issue. But I also understand that this IS a matter of life and death. Everyday. So in order to do what I have set out to do I must speak up. I must be a voice for the children. Especially the ones who will never be given an opportunity to speak.
Abortion is wrong. There's no light way to put it. There is always another way. There are even places and people willing to cover all medical costs for an expecting woman.
My plea, and hope behind this blog post is not to condemn anyone. Not at all. We all have fallen short and I am no exception. But the message I want to convey is simple. Be a voice. Do something to make life possible for someone who would otherwise not have that opportunity. Adopt maybe or if you have a friend who is expecting a child and is contemplating an abortion be there for her. Stand in the gap. Let's all do something to save lives. Our children are our future. Let's protect them.
Friday, June 22, 2012
A Gift - Part One
There once was a beggar who lived near the gates of a kingdom. From where he lived he could see inside the gates, but was never able to go inside. This kingdom was the most magnificent the beggar had ever seen, or even imagined. It was beautiful. When he looked through the gate, the kingdom stretched as far as his eyes could see. There was a sea as clear as crystal. There were people everywhere all seeming to be happier than the beggar had ever been.
One day the beggar was walking home from the city. His feet were stained red from the dusty roads. When he got close to the city gate he seen something he had never seen before. THE KING!! And he was walking toward the gate.
The beggar was unsure what to do. The King could have the poor beggar killed just for sleeping near the kingdom gates. But fear wasn't in the beggars heart for long. As the King, in all his majesty, approached the gate he smiled at the beggar. You see, the king knew the beggar was living outside of the gates of His kingdom. And He wanted more for this poor man.
Opening the tall, strong, gate door the King came outside of the kingdom. He came to the poor beggars home. All that was there was a box the beggar had used for shelter and a few rags. The beggar was embarrassed and humbled to the point of tears. Then something amazing happened.
The King reached out his hand to the beggar. But something was in it. From what the beggar could tell it was a gift. Something small and shining. With a most humble spirit the beggar reached out and accepted the gift from the king. It was a ring. But not just any ring. It was the King's ring. This meant that when the beggar went to the city he would not have to beg anymore! Just by presenting the King's ring to a vendor the beggar could have his choice of anything for free. His food, his clothes, the materials to build shelter with, anything he desired, would be free to him. Having the King's ring meant having the King's wealth. This gift would change the beggar's life FOREVER!!!
But that wasn't the end of the king's gift! Along with the ring the King offered the beggar a room in his palace. To live in the kingdom, to be a part of the royal family, it was more that the beggar had ever dreamed!!! To belong somewhere, to have friends, to never be alone again, it was more than the poor man could handle. He burst into tears! Thankful beyond words, humbled to his core. Life for this man would never be the same!
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Part two will be up a little later!! You will not want to miss it!!!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Giving credit where it is due!
So yesterday was a normal day.
I usually go to church about an hour early on Wednesday nights to fulfill a commitment to the nursery. Well let me back up a minute so you get a grasp on the full miracle!
Some people live paycheck to paycheck. For now, my family would most likely be listed in that category of people. So on Tuesday we were counting change to make sure there was gas for my husband to go to work. As you can imagine there is only so much change just laying around the house (lol). So when Wednesday came, I was almost sure we had gathered every penny. However, when I went back to my purse there was 38 more cents. (I am almost definite I had gotten every penny out the day before.)
Now I'm not telling this story for sympathy. AT ALL!! But I have to tell it so everybody know's that my Jesus is alive and he does truly meet all our needs. He gets all the glory here!!
So once we gathered every penny we could find we counted it and we had reached a whopping $1.35. In that amount there was 5 dimes and the rest were, you guessed it, pennies.
I was on the phone a little earlier that day with a teenager who likes to ride with my family to church. I had to make a decision. I had enough gas to get to church and back. That was it! So I called her and told her to see if she could ride with another family. That I was sorry, but if I came and picked her up we all would be walking. She would have to carry my oldest and I would be carrying the baby.
Since that wasn't very appealing, she said she was call someone else. We hung up and I got my kids packed in the car with the $1.35 and my husbands work phone, just in case.
I went to the closest gas station. Locked all my doors, (my children were in the car) and walked the 10 feet to the door to go in.
I walked in, keeping an ever constant eye on my kids, and told the teller, "First of all I don't hate you." I had said this as I was dumping the mountain of change in his hand.
He told me it was fine. I explained to him that I kept looking out the door because my kids were in the car and I didn't like leaving them (although they were 10 feet away, with all the doors locked, and I live in a pretty small town)
The conversation lasted all of 2 minutes and I went back outside to the pumps.
I was hanging the pump back up when the teller came over to where I was and told me, "Pump some more."
Ummmm. ok. So once the moment of shock wore off enough for me to gather myself I pumped $2.00. Very confused I went back in the store with a smile and asked, "Exactly, .... how much ..... more?"
He told me $5.00. So I went back outside pumped the other $3.00 and headed back in to thank the guy. I was so excited to watch God move! When I got back in the car I called my husband and told him the story! We both were so excited. God provided just enough to meet our need, because after all, at our meals we pray, give us Lord our DAILY bread.
Remember the teenager? I now had enough gas to pick her up, share this story with her, and get to church on time for the kids. You CAN NOT tell me God does not meet our needs. And you CAN NOT tell me he doesn't give us the pure desires of our heart.
You can't have that many coincidences at one time. That's Jesus my friend. Working right here in this small town. In every day life.
I usually go to church about an hour early on Wednesday nights to fulfill a commitment to the nursery. Well let me back up a minute so you get a grasp on the full miracle!
Some people live paycheck to paycheck. For now, my family would most likely be listed in that category of people. So on Tuesday we were counting change to make sure there was gas for my husband to go to work. As you can imagine there is only so much change just laying around the house (lol). So when Wednesday came, I was almost sure we had gathered every penny. However, when I went back to my purse there was 38 more cents. (I am almost definite I had gotten every penny out the day before.)
Now I'm not telling this story for sympathy. AT ALL!! But I have to tell it so everybody know's that my Jesus is alive and he does truly meet all our needs. He gets all the glory here!!
So once we gathered every penny we could find we counted it and we had reached a whopping $1.35. In that amount there was 5 dimes and the rest were, you guessed it, pennies.
I was on the phone a little earlier that day with a teenager who likes to ride with my family to church. I had to make a decision. I had enough gas to get to church and back. That was it! So I called her and told her to see if she could ride with another family. That I was sorry, but if I came and picked her up we all would be walking. She would have to carry my oldest and I would be carrying the baby.
Since that wasn't very appealing, she said she was call someone else. We hung up and I got my kids packed in the car with the $1.35 and my husbands work phone, just in case.
I went to the closest gas station. Locked all my doors, (my children were in the car) and walked the 10 feet to the door to go in.
I walked in, keeping an ever constant eye on my kids, and told the teller, "First of all I don't hate you." I had said this as I was dumping the mountain of change in his hand.
He told me it was fine. I explained to him that I kept looking out the door because my kids were in the car and I didn't like leaving them (although they were 10 feet away, with all the doors locked, and I live in a pretty small town)
The conversation lasted all of 2 minutes and I went back outside to the pumps.
I was hanging the pump back up when the teller came over to where I was and told me, "Pump some more."
Ummmm. ok. So once the moment of shock wore off enough for me to gather myself I pumped $2.00. Very confused I went back in the store with a smile and asked, "Exactly, .... how much ..... more?"
He told me $5.00. So I went back outside pumped the other $3.00 and headed back in to thank the guy. I was so excited to watch God move! When I got back in the car I called my husband and told him the story! We both were so excited. God provided just enough to meet our need, because after all, at our meals we pray, give us Lord our DAILY bread.
Remember the teenager? I now had enough gas to pick her up, share this story with her, and get to church on time for the kids. You CAN NOT tell me God does not meet our needs. And you CAN NOT tell me he doesn't give us the pure desires of our heart.
You can't have that many coincidences at one time. That's Jesus my friend. Working right here in this small town. In every day life.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Homecoming!!!!!
This is an amazing video! Cudos to Rebecca Harris for catching such a precious time on tape!! Here, see for yourself. The homecoming of Joseph and Samuel Rhodes!!!
Praise God!! There free at last!! With God ALL THINGS are possible!!! Welcome home boys :)
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