Sanctity of Life Revelation

Sanctity of life week was the week of Jan. 23, 2010.

Renee, my first and one of the most precious gifts from God. She is my oldest daughter.

I was young, only 17 years old. It was first time I was knowingly faced with a life-changing decision.

Another life changing decision I unknowingly made at that same age was one that I didn't realize would change my life. It was to become a mother.

All of that part of my life was recently brought so clearly to mind during a visit to a local Christian book store. That's when I was asked to sponsor an unknown Teen Mom by purchasing a bible for her.

By the end of that brief encounter with the store clerk making the request, I couldn't even see where to sign my name, but for the tears clouding my vision. It all came back to me. We spent some time sharing stories of that time in our lives. The store clerk made the decision to end the life of her unborn child. Two strangers finding that we are both still coping with those self-inflicted circumstances of our youth.

Dreams lost.

Regret.

Loneliness.

Guilt.

Shame.

What the store clerk and I have both learned since that very confusing time, a time when we made our own decisions without relying on God's help, is that He forgives. Over and over, He forgives. The most important gift to us, His precious gift, the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross was for the forgiveness of our sins. We are forgiven, Praise God for that!

I read the following verses at the wedding of my youngest daughter because they were so pertinent to the marriage of she and her husband, but that's a story for another time. When I first discovered Psalm 139, it was my Renee that came to mind.

Psalm 139 (New International Version, ©2011)
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

He knew what I would do because all the days ordained for me were written in [His] book before one of them came to be (ref vs. 16). He new that Renee would be given to me. He trusted me with her life.

What if I had thrown that trust away? Thank God for parents who supported me in everything, with the one exception. When I, in a frantic fit of desperation at 17 and pregnant, decided that abortion might be a way out, my very kind father put just put his arms around me. He said that it was not an option, that he and my mother would support any other option. That we could, would, and did get through as a family. They were another of God's gifts to me, not every young mother-to-be is as fortunate.

It took a long time to realize that with Jesus, there is no regret, no longer loneliness, no guilt or shame, and the dreams I had at the time have all be fulfilled.

I've since had three other children, almost all are grown up. They are all my most precious gifts from God.

Renee was, and is, very special to me. We grew up together. She was my experiment. I didn't know what I was doing but seemed to muddle through it all. For that I hope she forgives me, because I know I made many mistakes along the way. She has grown into a beautiful woman and wonderful mother of two of my grandchildren, and I thank God for her every day.

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

This is the Christmas story; the real one. The real gift we all received that day. All anyone has to do to enjoy the gift is to accept His love, which He gives freely to us all. The gift we can give in return is to share His love with others.

Luke 1:26-35 (NIV)
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

God is Amazing!

God is truly amazing! Just look at what He's done for you.

Sometimes we don't recognize what He's done for us, instead we focus on what He didn't do for us. Stop. Think. He made the ultimate sacrifice. He gave up is Son for us, for our forgiveness. All we have to do is accept that fact. Right? So what stops us from completely trusting in Him?

We sometimes don't realize that every action has a consequence, some good and some not so good, both of which can be lasting. Decisions made early in life have can have consequences lasting a lifetime. For example, if I decide that college isn't for me, then the statistics tell me that my income will be significantly lower over the course of my work-life than one who holds a college degree. We don't always consider the consequences. Here's another example; my dad decided to start smoking at an early age and kept smoking for 40 years. The consequences presented themselves almost 20 years after he finally did quit. They came in the form of throat cancer and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Decease). When he quit, he thought it was the right choice, and it was, but it was already too late.

These are may be dramatic examples, that illustrate the dilemma. We don't consider the long term consequences of every choice. I don't think it's possible, I know that I'm just not that smart.

Here's the amazing part--God loves us, no matter what our choices are. He loves us and wants to have an intimate personal relationship with us. We are already forgiven by His sacrifice. Friends, this is the true grace of God. We don't deserve His love, His forgiveness, or His peace but we can have it anyway.

God is truly amazing!

When your in the battle. . .

As a follow-up from the previous piece -

Since the Lord helped me identify what the problem is, that my procrastination, distraction, and anxiety were the result of spiritual attack, the Lord has provided (as He always does) ways for me to be victorious in battle. Here are a few of the scriptures He's given me. With God's word and the support that my sisters at church unknowingly provide, I am more aware of the enemy and his methods. I am not only aware, but I'm also relieved and free. Yes, to some this may sound crazy, but if one believes in God, why wouldn't they also believe that there is an enemy? We just don't have to allow him to have a stronghold in our lives. For that, we have Jesus.

All are from the New American Standard Bible:

Ephesians 6:13
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.


Psalm 37:3-4  Security of Those Who Trust in the LORD, and Insecurity of the Wicked.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.

Matthew 6:25, 33 The Cure for Anxiety
25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Psalm 91:2-3a Security of the One Who Trusts in the LORD.
2I  will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!"

3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper.

Am I under Attack?

I haven't posted anything since June 29th. Why?

Distraction is how the Enemy attacks. Why do we always have something pressing, something that must be done, something that just can't wait?

Procrastination is how the Enemy attacks. How is it that I could find anything more important than obeying God immediately?

Doubt is how the Enemy attacks. Why do I doubt myself, my ability, my worth when God has made me with all the competence I'll ever need to do what He has planned for my life?

Anxiety is how the Enemy attacks. Why do I have the tight, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach?

God has been working on me for months to get back to writing.  I enjoy it very much and it's helped lead me to have open discussions about Christ with others. So, why haven't I obeyed?

I didn't really recognize what was happening until that sinking feeling began. Only for a minute or two, once in a while. I didn't connect the dots until I started a Bible Class at Church a few weeks ago. All of this time, I was being attacked.

I began to realized that I got distracted with the Summer routine when we are away most weekends. I stayed in the Word, but not as much. The study group I was attending on Monday nights dissolved, and other activities took its place. Because I was away a lot, I lost touch with my Church family; I wasn't there on Sunday to attend church. That's distraction.

I thought of great topics to write about. I had God things happening in my life and wanted to write about them, but... My computer crashed, so without that my office became a storage room so much that I couldn't even get to the desk. I had to take care of my garden and, oh how I love my garden. That's procrastination.

Some people at work asked about my blog and I invited them to visit it, but then began to be guarded in what I wrote. I though, am I worthy of writing about God, about my Christian walk. Am I truly a good example of how a Christian should behave. I didn't want to sound like I knew it, because I don't. That's doubt.

The Bible study I'm attending in on Philippians and Colossians. At the second class one of the ladies said our Church must be doing something right because a lot of our members are under attack. We have many with new health, financial issues. These events seem to be occurring in the midst of a renewal our Church is experiencing. WOW! That made my whole perspective change. I finally connected the dots.

That sinking, anxious feeling started right around the time school started. That's when our weekend excursions start winding down. We're in town and back at church. Then I joined the Bible study, which requires the purchase of an inexpensive study guide. The first week found me putting off that purchase until I really had no time to adequately prepare for the second class. Then she said it, a lot of us are under attack, we must be doing something right. 

The Enemy attacks to come between us and God. He doesn't want us to build that all important relationship with Him. He attacks our health, finances, and emotions. He's been working on me in all areas. My finances were first a few years ago, but we've over come that. My health recently, and that is under control. Now, my emotions in the form of this anxious feeling.

I recognized it because it wasn't the first time.  I had experienced it about two years ago, when I joined the study group that met on Mondays, I mentioned earlier. It was very strong then, but with my team members, my Pastor, and focus on the Word the feeling quickly went away.

I must be doing something right. My relationship with God is growing and the Enemy doesn't like it. Well, that's OK, because I'm not fighting this battle alone, and neither are you. God is always on our side.