Before You Were Formed (part 2)

After posting “Before You Were Formed (part1)”, one of my email subscribers contacted me. She mentioned that abortion can be a lifesaving measure for a woman. Although I never mentioned abortion in my post, and don’t recall thinking about it while writing it, I’m glad it was brought up to me.

My main purpose in writing, “Before You Were Formed”, was to encourage those who perhaps feel their lives are insignificant, because of the circumstances surrounding their birth. It was also meant to let people know in general that God knows them, loves them, and has a divine purpose for their life. God values every human life, and that will never change.

According to scripture, God knew us before we were even formed in our mother’s womb:

Jeremiah 1:5 NIV, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…

The truth is, God knows every child, even the ones who have been aborted. Reasons for getting abortions, especially medical reasons like the person who emailed me mentioned, are between the person getting the abortion and God.

I only know what the Word of God has shown me. I believe that God placed it in my heart that abortion is not an option for me, so that is what I must live up to.

Growing up my mother always told me that if I became pregnant, not to be afraid. I could let her know. I realize everyone has a different situation, but I’m thankful for the grace of God that is powerful enough to cover every situation. God knew I would later NEED those words from my mother, so He allowed me to hear them at a young age.

When I became pregnant with my daughter, I was 20 years old and in the Army. I can clearly remember the day my platoon sergeant said to me that, “You are young and you don’t have to keep the baby if you don’t want to”. He meant well I assume.

Although I was afraid because of some of the circumstances surrounding my situation, I felt peace remembering what my mother had told me years before. I could hear her voice in my head assuring me that everything would work out. Little did I know that my daughter who is now 22 going on 23, would be my last opportunity to have a child. She’s a gift from God. In my case, I’m thankful I didn’t take my platoon sergeant’s advice.

He is a just God who knows all and sees all. In this world, we all have choices we will have to make. However we must ask ourselves repeatedly as we go through life, “Is this choice I am about to make right in God’s eyes according to His Word?” If this question is ignored, and we decide to live for ourselves, then we will be left to deal with the consequences of the choices we make. However we can instead choose to let God’s Word be our standard. As Dr. Charles Stanley always says, “Obey God and leave the consequences to Him.”

God’s love for us is steadfast, even as we navigate through the complexities of life. Trying to understand God’s will for our individual circumstances will not always be easy. We will at times make wrong choices, but through it all, God’s love and forgiveness, His Word and His grace, and His mercy and compassion for us will always remain the same.

Dear Father,

Thank you for life. You are the Giver of life and our times are in your hands (Psalm 31:15). We don’t always understand every dilemma we face, but we thank you for your Word and Your Spirit that will guide us into truth. Help us to make walking in love a priority, because we don’t always understand the details of every persons life. We pray for those who are struggling with tough decisions they must make. Please give them wisdom to choose what is best. Teach us to seek Your face, and to acknowledge You in all of our ways.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Before You Were Formed (part 1)

Jeremiah 1:5 NIV, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Before Jeremiah was born, God knew him and had already established a purpose for him.

It blows my mind that God has always known us. Even before we were being carried in our mothers womb, He carried us in His heart. There are no unplanned pregnancies in God’s eyes. He has patiently waited, and still patiently waits day by day to see His plans for us come to past.

Even before the womb, He knew you.

I have had times when I have asked myself, “Is God Waiting On Me?” God knows that we are less than perfect and that our understanding is limited. He knows that we struggle with insecurities and fears, so He patiently waits with compassion. He knows that as He waits, we are becoming who He created us to be.

Isaiah 30:18 NIV, “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.”

There should be a longing in our hearts for God. We should want to know Him more because the more we know Him, the more we will love Him. The more we love Him, the more we will want to serve Him. Serving God wholeheartedly, while using the gifts He has given us is what will make our lives meaningful. We are blessed when we long for God.

Live Up To What You’ve Attained

Philippians 3:16 NIV, “Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”

Do you sometimes feel as if you are not making enough progress in your walk with Christ? Well if so, this verse is a beacon of hope. It reminds us to only live up to what we have already attained or achieved. The things that we have learned about, are the things that God holds us responsible for.

Growing in Christ is a process that will be ongoing from now, until the day we go to be with Him in eternity. We won’t reach perfection on this side of heaven. So when we can look back and see how far we have come, it is a reason to be thankful and rejoice! I know when I look back even one year ago, I can see the changes the Holy Spirit has made in me.

Every Christian is in a different stage in their walk with God. The key is to live up to what you already know. Doing this honors God, helps to keep our lives free from the deadly grip of sin, and inspires those around us.

Of course it’s crucial to continuously put forth effort to keep learning more about God’s Word. If we are not intentional about our growth, we will become stagnant and begin to go backwards.

Don’t allow the “ways of the world” to sabotage your progress. Stay connected to God’s Word and like minded Christians. Pray without ceasing. At times we will fall short, but as long as we repent and ask for God’s help to do better, we will continue to make progress.

KEEP GOING! KEEP GROWING!

Wait Patiently for the Lord

Psalm 27:14 NLT, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”

Patiently waiting on God takes courage. Deciding to put ourselves in His hands and trust Him is a very brave thing for us to do. Waiting patiently is not something that the world encourages us to do, but it’s worth it.

God knows what is best for us. Waiting allows Him to work in our hearts so we can learn, grow, and become more like Christ. It also allows Him to work in our situation to bring about what is best for everyone involved.

Waiting can be especially difficult when we are dealing with difficult people, who are making life miserable for us. But keep praying! I’ve seen God bring about change many times as a result of diligent prayers. I’ve seen Him move wrong people out, move right people in, and grant favor to His children!

Be brave. Be courageous. Wait patiently for our Mighty God. He hasn’t forgotten about you or your situation. He is working all things together for your good when you love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

While you wait, just keep doing the things that you are able to do. Remain thankful and prayerful. Listen for God’s voice, and trust Him to move on your behalf to bring the needed changes in His time and His way.

Bring God glory while you wait!

Jesus, The Light Of The World

John 8:12 NIV, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Light of Jesus will always shine no matter how dark the world becomes. As long as we follow Him, we will never be overcome by the darkness because He will always be the Light that gives us Life. Even when we ourselves are going through a dark time, we can trust in Jesus to shine the light of His love and truth into our situation. He will empower us to persevere through the obstacles that we face.

When we feel like giving up, we must remind ourselves that if we do give up, we’ll never get to do the things God has called us to do. We’ll never get to help the people He wants us to help. We’ll never become the people He wants us to be. During a time when I was feeling discouraged, God spoke to my heart and said, “I need you to be strong and you can be strong because I am your strength.”

God needs us to be strong, so we must rely on Him to be our strength (Philippians 4:13). Don’t give up. Keep shining for Jesus. You are a reflection of His Light in this dark world. There are people out there who need what God has called YOU to give them. Stay focused on the truth of Jesus, The Light of the World.

Riverbends Park, Shelby Twp, Michigan – 2015

Mom’s Making A Difference Award

Thank you Matt at Jesusluvsall Blog for creating and nominating me for the Mom’s Making A Difference Award. I feel very thankful and honored to have the privilege to share my thoughts with others on motherhood.

I invite anyone reading this post to visit Matt’s blog at: Jesusluvsall Blog

Although Matt struggles with chronic illness, it’s always inspiring to see how he keeps on pursuing Christ. He is answering God’s call on his life to help and encourage people from different cultures. You’ll be blessed by his writings!

My daughter Shalenah is 22, and a recent college graduate. I’m in awe at how fast the years have flown by. She has blossomed into a beautiful and intelligent young lady. I am very blessed and proud to be her mom.

Graduation Day May 2019

Although I have been a single parent for most of her life, I have never felt alone in my parenting. My mom has been with us every step of the way loving us, supporting us and diligently praying for us. We have also had the love, support and prayers of many other family members and friends.

Shalenah and my Mom

One of the greatest lessons I have learned about being a mom, is the importance of prayer. I know that may seem obvious, but with the busyness of life, it can be easy to neglect to pray. I also know that as moms, we tend to try and fix everything ourselves, but we don’t have to. We can just place the challenges of parenting safely in God’s hands. He knows the exact purpose He has for our kids.

Through every stage of our children’s lives we must learn to trust God. I’ve enjoyed being a college mom for the last four years, but now I have to transition into another phase. I have to trust God to guide my daughters steps as she pursues her “after college” adult life.

When my daughter was about 11, I signed up for a parenting class at church called, “Growing Kids God’s Way”. One week in particular we learned about a concept called, “Couch Time”. The purpose of Couch Time for the married couples in the class, was to remind the children that the priority relationship in the home was the one between Mom and Dad. During the fifteen minutes of Couch Time, the children were to play or work on whatever activity their parents gave them. While the kids were occupied, Mom and Dad had to spend uninterrupted time together talking on the couch where the kids could see them. This small but important routine assured kids that everything would be alright, because everything was alright between Mom and Dad.

For myself and the other single parent in the class, we had to spend our time on the couch with God while reading our Bible. It always seemed my daughter had so much joy during this time. She would occasionally glance over at the couch, to ensure that I was still there spending time with God. Couch Time was so powerful for me because it taught me that God was the head of my home. He is my Husband (Isaiah 54:5). In my heart, it reinforced that God was faithfully watching over my daughter and I and providing for us.

That Couch Time lesson was years ago, but God’s grace has remained the same. He has taken good care of me and my daughter, and loved us unconditionally. Although she is a young adult now and entering a new phase of her life, I can look back and see how God has directed our paths. This gives me strength to keep trusting Him in the future. I’m so thankful for His presence in our lives.

I nominate the following Moms for the Mom’s Making A Difference Award:

Deandra at: Imago Dei

Crystal at: Devotions of Grace

Renee at: Heart Tokens

Rules:

1- Please share a post about being a mom.

2- Please pass it on to another mom or other moms.

Shalenah & I

One Day at a Time

Matthew 6:34 NIV, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

My mom always uses the phrase, “one day at a time”. Thanks to her, it’s one of my favorite phrases too. According to this verse in Matthew, “one day at a time” is all we really can handle. God didn’t intend for us to carry tomorrow’s troubles today.

I remember when the Israelites tried to hoard the manna/bread, after the Lord instructed them to only gather what they needed for the day (Exodus 16). The extra manna/bread they kept spoiled and smelled really bad.

This reminds me of how it is when we carry tomorrow’s worries today. The extra stress will cause us to be less effective, drained and unhappy. It will spoil our outlook if we let it. We’d like to know the details of tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year! However we must be content with God’s provision for today.

We must take one day at a time and trust God to give us our daily bread. I pray God will give you peace of mind, strength and hope for today.