Laced With Grace

January, 2008 “H” decided to extend Christmas vacation.  It was just a joke she said, but the school, local law enforcement, the State Bureau of Investigation and Home Land Security didn’t think so.  They don’t take bomb threats lightly.  She was expelled from school for 1 year and her parents were given a choice, send her to a juvenile detention center or have a parent or a court approved adult with her 24/7.

And that’s how I met “H”.  Her parents did not want here just sitting around the house or at work with them, they wanted her to still go to school and receive help.   Since I’m a court approved advocate/mentor it was recommended they call me.  For 9 months we worked at fever pitch.  During that time, many folks were skeptical that it would pay off.  But, by the grace of God she received Christ as her Savior and began to transform into a different person.  The judge cut 2 months off her sentence and told her she could go back to public school.  The school reluctantly agreed.  When her national standardized tests revealed she was now 2 years ahead of her grade level and her psychological examine came back there had been a change as well, she was admitted back into the school system in mid October.  Presently, “H” is active in her church, mischief and drug free.  In her own words,

“I’m living a life of true freedom.  I thought I was free before, but really, I was chained to my addictions and wild, uncontrolled behavior.  I now have hopes and dreams for a successful future.  Thank you, Ms. Marsha!   Thank You, Jesus!”

Today, there are 4 other “H’s” in our program.  Girls whose lives have been touched by drugs, alcohol, home violence, rape, promiscuity, abortion, and even cancer, walk through the doors of our Learning Center.  Some are cocky, some manipulative, some boisterous, some quiet, but they all have the same look of despair written across their faces.  Eyes that say, “I just want someone to love me.  I just want to be free from the pain that permeates my very being.  I want answers to the ‘why’ questions in my life.  Are you listening to my heart’s cry?  Can you tell me how to be set free from my private hell?”   I give them each a warm, reassuring smile and let them know I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does.

Their first day in the program I share my testimony, of how God redeemed my life from the pit.  How He crowned my head with lovingkindness and compassion.  I tell them that God is good, that He loves each of us unconditionally and that He can be trusted.  I tell them my past doesn’t haunt me anymore.   That all those past lies I believed and failures have been replaced by the Truth and I am forever free and they can be also.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul…who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”   Psalm 103:1a,4,5

What lies are you believing today?  Are you tempted to believe he doesn’t love you or know what’s best for you? Are you feeling ugly or fat? Rejected?  Consumed by your own desires? Anxious about life?   Believe the truth….He loves you unconditionally and desires the best for you.  You are fearfully and wonderfully made.  You are accepted in Christ.  He is enough and can supply all your needs. He can be trusted.

Identify the area of bondage you are chained to and it’s sinful behavior. Identify the lie that is at the root of that bondage and then replace the lie with the TRUTH.   Breaking free from bondage usually doesn’t happen overnight.  But I can tell you from experience in my own life and the lives of others that have followed these principles, it does work.   The chains will be gone and you will be free!

Father, I come before you today and thank You for setting me free.  Your Word is true.  Your love has captured my soul and I am free! Lord, for those women who read this today, make Yourself known to them in a special way today so they will know You love them unconditionally.

Your Humbly Grateful Daughter,

http://marshahmusings.blogspot.com and her ministry site is http://snowbirdteamministries.blogspot.com

“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ” ~ Romans 5:7-9 (ESV)

How often do you use the word ‘Love’ in your daily conversations? I have to admit, I do use it a lot. As I was working on a digital layout the other day, I thought about the diversity of love. The word love does have a lot of different meanings. Let me share some of them with you I found in a dictionary:

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
2. .A feeling of warm personal attachment of deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend
3. sexual passion or desire.

One of my favorite definitions thought is this one:

“The benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due from them to God.”

Oh, yes, His affection for all mankind is just mind-boggling. Well at least for me. You see, I don’t have a high opinion about myself. Actually, in my mind, I put myself down a lot. When these ungodly thoughts enter my mind, God reminds me through either an email from my beloved, or a friend, that I am worth a lot more that I think I am.

This upcoming Wednesday is Ash Wednesday; the start of the Lenten season. This year I am not giving up anything, but I am humbly asking the Lord to keep my eyes focused on the perfect love He displayed on the way to Calvary. He didn’t have to die for me, but He did anyway. I am certain that the road was not easy…How can someone travel a road of incredible suffering without a perfect Love? It truly is a heavenly love.

“Lord of Heaven and Earth. You know my heart. You know my thoughts. You know my future. Lord, you are the only One who perfectly loves. Lord, help me this Lenten season to remember that You loved me so much that You took the nails in my place. Lord, I am trusting that You will keep me in Your grace until Life everlasting. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.”

Blessings on your day…

February is the official month of LOVE! We tend to make an effort this particular time of year to express our love in someway to those around us that we love and adore.

Love is not something you feel. It’s something you do.
–David Wilkerson

What would you think if someone told you that they loved you but never did anything that expressed this feeling? It would not take long before you realized that the “feeling” of love was merely empty words or just a fleeting moment of emotion.

Love is not just an emotional feeling. Real love is something that is lived out.

ROMANS 5:8 “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

God was not content to just tell us that He loved us – He showed  His love in a powerful way!

• Love was shown when Jesus Christ came to earth and became one of us;
• love was shown when He touched and healed many people;
• love was shown when He pointed to the sin in our lives that would destroy us.

But the ultimate expression of love came from God when Jesus Christ gave His life on Calvary for people who did not even care about Him. He died for those who seemed uncaring, unwilling and unloving.

Our natural tendency is to love only those who love us, certainly to be asked to love someone who is unlovable would be asking a lot. But look at what Jesus said…

 “I am giving you a new commandment, Love each other.” JOHN 13:34

Love is a choice.

It is simply our choice to love others.

Choosing to love is going after the heart of God.

MARK 12:30 -31 “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love others as yourself.”

While on the cross, Christ showed us exactly what it really means to love without limits, expecting nothing in return. He showed us that real love sometimes cost something.

Loving someone who seems unlovable may cost you something. It may cost you time, money, or even a change of heart. Loving our enemies or those that appear unlovable is a commandment from Christ…

“We are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us.” LUKE 6:27

Jesus has given us the perfect example to follow when it comes to loving others. If we want to love, we need to be prepared to demonstrate our love in a selfless action.

WHO HAVE YOU NEGLECTED TO LOVE?

~a co-worker?

~a neighbor?

~the check out clerk at Walmart?

~your rude, obnoxious and unsaved uncle?

Don’t let this month of LOVE go by without reaching out to those who are “unlovable” in your life.

They need love.

It is your choice.

Dear Lord, help me to express my love to all those around me, especially those that seem to agitate me, irritate me and who seem totally unlovable. Give me a sensitive heart towards my enemies, remind me to pray for them and show care and concern for them just as You have done for me, even though I did not deserve it! Thank you for choosing to love me and enable me to choose love today. AMEN.

Visit me on my personal blog daily…

http://womentakingastand.blogspot.com/