This will probably be a shorter post than most because I am currently busy preparing for our 17th year of homeschooling. Even though I have been doing this for many years, I still get a bit anxious at the beginning of every school year. Will I be able to meet the educational needs of each child? Have I chosen the curriculum for each of them that suits their learning style best? Is each child registered for enough extra curricular activities? And then there are the little ones to consider that I babysit in order to be able to contribute financially to our family (and because I need a baby fix every single day). Will I be able to give them the attention that they need? Do I have enough educational activities planned for them to keep them engaged while I am teaching my children? There’s so much to think about and plan!
I’ve noticed a similar anxiousness from many of my friends who have children in public or private school this year. With COVID-19 hovering over the entire world, we are all facing uncharted territory for us all. Parents are asking questions such as, “How will I work and help my children with their schoolwork all at the same time? Should I send my children to school or keep them home to do school online? How will my children fare as they are home day after day instead of at school with their friends? If I decide to send my child, will they catch covid?” There are just so many unknowns which have caused a sense of fear and unsettledness in many.
I was texting a friend last week and she was sharing with me her concerns for this next year. She works from home and has 4 children under the age of 7. When school starts back, she will be juggling the schoolwork of 2 school age children, her own work schedule, plus her 3 year old and baby. She was expressing how incredibly stressed she was as I was processing my own upcoming school year. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed for both of us when I came across a scripture that I have decided will be my Bible passage to focus on for the 2020-2021 school year. I think it’s one that every parent should keep in mind as we face this next year of uncertainty.
5 Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. 7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
~ Jeremiah 17:5-8
As usual, the Lord gave me exactly what I need to face this year through this scripture. He reminded me that if I try to rely on my own strength, I will fail. I will shrivel up and won’t have the strength to carry on. Life will remain overwhelming because I can’t make it on my own. WIthout trusting in Him, my mind and heart will be filled with trepidation.
But, when we trust in Him and read His Word daily, we are REFRESHED! We don’t have to fear the year ahead, even when we know ahead of time that the days are going to be TOUGH. We can rest in Him as we know for certain that He will daily give us what we need to make it through every single day. And notice that we won’t just barely make it through. The end of the last verse says, “for it does not cease to bear fruit.” That means this tree is not wilted and barely hanging on, but it is very much healthy and alive! So, not only will we survive, we will also continue to be productive, full of life and growth.
While writing this post, I was also reminded of the Children of Israel as they wandered through the desert. When they woke each morning, there was fresh manna on the ground to give them the strength for that day. But, they couldn’t hoard it and save it until the next or it would spoil and be filled with worms. They had to simply trust God to give them the new manna that they needed each and every morning. Right now it’s easy to look and wonder if we will have what we need for each day that we are about to face. When we climb into bed each night we can easily be weary from all that we’ve just had to juggle and wonder how we will make it through the next 24 hours. But, when we go to Him each morning, He will give us new strength for that upcoming day. And we can’t just read His Word occasionally and expect it to hold us over. Remember, when the Israelites tried to use the manna from previous days, it wasn’t possible. Thus, we have to draw from Him daily.
One of my absolute favorite places to sit in Smoky Mountain National Park
Don’t fret about tomorrow. Or next week. Or the next year. Trusting in yourself or man will cause you to be anxious and fear this coming year that we are facing. Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Instead, put your roots down in Him. Drink daily from the water that only He can give and you will never thirst again (John 4:14). You can trust in Him knowing that just as He gave the Israelites the manna that they needed each morning, He will give you exactly what you need to face each day. Decide today to trust Him. And whatever you do, DON’T WAIT!
Have you ever had a time in life when you thought you heard God’s voice? Perhaps you were in the middle of making a life changing decision and you felt peace about going in a particular direction. Or maybe you were struggling with a difficult relationship and you came across a scripture that instructed you on how to handle the situation. God can use many different means in which to speak to us. Sometimes He may use the Godly wisdom of a friend through a conversation or He may use the lyrics to a song to encourage you.
One of the most comforting aspects of following Christ is the fact that He sees us, knows what we’re facing, and speaks to us. He cares about every area of our lives and wants to guide us through each circumstance that we face. His words offer comfort, correction, guidance, reassurance, instruction, encouragement, and confirmation.
In my last post found HERE I blogged about my earthly father’s love as well as the love of our Heavenly Father. I told you about my dad’s extraordinary final days of life, but my life obviously didn’t stop there. Shortly after he passed away, my mom married a man who raised me and loved me as his own. To avoid confusion, I will be referring to him as Papa. I always have referred to him as my dad, but that gets confusing as I have had two dads. This seems the best way to differentiate between the two.
Mom and Papa’s wedding day in 1984
Papa and I had an incredibly deep connection. As adults, we both battled depression and anxiety, so I knew he really understood me. If I was having a rough day where I couldn’t shut my mind off, I knew he got it. If he was having a hard time getting started in the morning, I understood. We talked daily on the phone and I knew that if I needed him at any time of the day, he was going to answer his phone. There were even times that I would call him while he was in the middle of running a meeting at work and he would still answer. Once he knew I was ok, he would say, “Honey, I’m in the middle of a meeting. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.” He was a constant, steady force in my life.
Our last family in 2007, the summer before Papa passed away.
In July of 2008, I received some of the worst news of my life. While at a wedding rehearsal where I was to be a bridesmaid the very next day, my husband walked in and with just one look at his face, I knew something was wrong. As I walked toward him down the aisle, I began to tremble because I strongly sensed a major blow was coming. Did something happen to one of our kids? He took my hand and said, “It’s your dad. He’s dead.” As I crumbled into his arms, my mind began to race. I couldn’t even begin to form a complete thought. This was my worst fear come true. The only thing that made me feel better about losing my first father was the fact that God had brought Papa into my life. And now he was gone too.
Within a few minutes, my mind cleared enough to think of my mom. How was she? When she answered the phone, I’ll never forget the sheer horror in her voice. She had been the one to find him and her attempts at CPR were unsuccessful. As she struggled to talk to me, she was hyperventilating, so I could barely understand her. I don’t think we had much of a conversation due to the shock that we were both experiencing and the lack of focus that we had.
As Earl drove me home, questions were bombarding my mind. My children. Did they know? DId they realize that their Papa would no longer be able to buy them donuts or send them money when they were saving for a new toy? Oh, and when was the last time I had talked to him? Had we spoken at all that week? Did he know how much I loved him? I eventually remembered that we had spoken on the phone twice that morning. He had said that he hadn’t slept well, but he gave no indication that anything at all was wrong. How could this be?
The news had come late in the day, so we decided to wait until the next morning to make the 10 hour trip to my mom’s. That night remains a blur. I couldn’t eat because I was sure I would vomit the minute anything hit my stomach. I tried to pack for the kids and myself, but my thoughts were all over the place. I couldn’t sleep because my mind wouldn’t shut off. My husband and children slept with me in our den that night – I couldn’t bear to be alone. The heaviness and darkness made the night seem even longer as I laid awake, staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t wait for the sun to rise so that we could make the long drive to my parent’s home.
The sun did indeed rise, but my world didn’t brighten. Everything remained dark and heavy and a constant fog followed me. We made it safely to my mom’s in record time and I had been warned by my sister-in-law that my parent’s house was swarming with people who wanted to show our family love and support. She was right. As we pulled in, the house literally seemed to be crawling with people. There were friends and loved ones on the porch as well as packed inside the house. My husband parked in such a way that gave me some time alone with my mom and brothers as we embraced in a tearful hug.
The remainder of the day was filled with confusion and a flood of tears. As each family member and friend came and went, my world remained gray and my thoughts swirled in my head. I was in such a dark place mentally that I had a hard time recalling names of certain people and their relationship to my family. There was an absolute storm raging in my mind.
But, then Jesus stepped in.
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mark 4:39
That night, I went to bed and attempted to sleep. The nausea was overwhelming and the emotional pain was unbearable. I remember getting about 15 minutes of sleep, and the remainder of the night was spent staring at the tv, but hearing nothing that was said.
Saying our goodbyes. Photo credit: Lara Stovall
When the sun began to peak over the horizon the next day, I sat up on the edge of the bed. I remember staring at the knob on the dresser wondering if I had the strength to stand up. And that’s when I began to hear some gentle, calm words in my thoughts. “That was enough. That was enough. That was enough. That was enough.” Where was it coming from? Why were those words playing over and over in my head?
And then I knew.
You see, the last several years of my dad’s life were spent in agony. About 7 or 8 years before he passed away, he shared a secret with our family that he had been carrying since he was a young child. From the ages of 9-13, while he was an altar boy at church, he had been sexually abused by not just one, but several catholic priests. He attended the church’s school and was called out of class on a regular basis for the local priest’s enjoyment. And when priests visiting from other churches or towns were in, they would join the sick perversion that Papa had to endure.
At the time of his death, he was pursuing a court case against the Catholic diocese for the years of abuse that he had endured. He was working with his attorney on the details of his case and his testimony. The memories of being victimized were having to be revisited again and again as he was going through extensive therapy. Nightmares of the abuse occurred multiple times a week. That was actually the reason that he had not slept well the night before he passed away. So, after years of mental anguish, God looked down on him as he was napping on the family room floor, showed great mercy, and said, “That’s enough.”
Papa had suffered enough. No more nightmares. No more torment. No more therapy or visits with his attorney. He was finally able to rest in God’s peace with a sound mind as he went to his heavenly, eternal home. I had a dream about a year after he died that gave me a glimpse into heaven. He was standing in the midst of a choir and he looked absolutely flawless. The cares of the world were no longer showing on his face. Instead, he had the most peaceful look – the type of look that we have never seen here on earth. The tension and wrinkles on his face were gone and his complexion was as smooth as silk. I truly believe that he is in heaven now waiting with my first dad and will welcome me when I finish this race that I am stumbling on.
When I finally realized that the words “That’s enough” were the words that God spoke over my dad just before he stopped his heart, a sense of peace washed over me. The grief and sadness didn’t disappear, but when God reminded me that every day of my dad’s life was written in His book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16), I was able to feel a small bit of peace.
Giving my eulogy at his funeral
This reminds me of something that I heard a few years ago while at a small group meeting with our church:
“During a recent conflict in the Middle East, Ron and Joke Jones, who serve with the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Israel, wrote in their prayer letter:
The result of the fighting and killing has left a profound sense of discouragement that hovers over the country. Several times we have come into closer contact with this conflict than our comfort zone allowed. Yesterday a friend said she was watching a shepherd caring for his flock near the area where guns are fired. Every time the shots rang out, the sheep scattered in fright. The shepherd touched each of them with his staff and spoke calmly to them, and the sheep settled down because they trusted the shepherd. Then another shot sounded, and the same routine happened. Each time, the sheep needed the shepherd to orient them again and to reassure them they were safe. We are like those sheep. When we are frightened, our Shepherd reaches out and touches us with his staff, speaking words of calm and comfort.” —Greg Asimakoupoulos, Mercer Island, Washington
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” ~ John 10:27
This is exactly what had happened that morning at my parent’s house. My Shepherd had touched me with His staff and spoken softly to me which calmed me for a bit. Just like these sheep, other shots were fired at me. The grief continued, the questions consumed me, bitterness and anger crept in, but it was always the words of God that would reorient me and remind me that He was with me.
Have YOU ever had a time in life when God spoke to you? Or do you need to hear from Him now? He’s there! He wants to have a relationship with you. He longs to offer you comfort and desires to be your Shepherd. Reach out to Him. Ask him to speak to you and then listen. He tells us that if we seek Him, we will find Him, so speak to Him today. And whatever you do, DON’T WAIT!!!
For the first 7 years of my life, I was blessed with an exemplary father. He loved Jesus with all of his heart and it showed in all that he did. Some of my earliest memories of him are of all the hours that he would spend studying God’s Word. He would sit with his Bible open, pen in hand, as he would jot down note after note about what he was reading that day.
1979 – Taken right around the time Dad was diagnosed with melanoma.
As he put the time into learning more and more about Jesus, Christ’s love poured out of my father. He was an Education Specialist at a medium-security Federal prison in our town and he openly shared the hope that he had found with the inmates that he came into contact with. Not only did he talk about his faith to the men he had in the classes that he taught, but he also had a prison ministry where he led a Bible study one night a week for the prisoners right there at the facility. And then every Sunday morning he would pick up a car full of inmates and would take them to church with us. My father reached out to “the least of these” just as Jesus told the righteous to do in Matthew 25:35-38.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
My dad was also great at modeling Christ’s love for our family. I never saw him angry or impatient. On the contrary, he was always loving, gentle, and kind. When he came in from work every day, we would eat dinner, and then the rest of his evening was devoted to us. We would take family bike rides or perhaps play a game such as UNO. If work had to be done, we’d do it together. We could often be found doing yard work together (I was a pro at pulling weeds by the age of 5) and if dad was in the garage building something, I was right beside him with my own tool belt, hammer, nails, and piece of wood.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. ~Ephesians 6:4
During the times that my brother and I needed correction, dad would not scream or talk down to us. Instead, he would get down to our level on one knee and would talk softly to us. We never felt shamed or unloved through his discipline. You see, my dad loved God first with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength and as a result, he was able to love us the way Jesus did. He demonstrated well for me the way in which God my Father loves me.
When I was 3 years old and Dad was just 33, he was diagnosed with cancer. A mole that had been removed on his hand showed back up 6 months later, shortly followed by a tumor on his elbow. Throughout Dad’s entire illness, his study time with Jesus continued. The fruit of that was supernatural strength to face gut-wrenching days. My mom has often told me the story of the day they received the news that the cancer had spread to his liver. There was nothing more that the doctor could do, so as you can imagine, the devastating news could have destroyed them both. They had an hour and a half drive back home after receiving the news, and she said the entire drive was filled with laughter. They weren’t distraught, fearful, or hopeless, but were actually the opposite. The only explanation is that God’s joy and peace were at work that day.
Near the end of my dad’s life, his pain began to increase. His doctor called in a prescription for Dilaudid, which is a high powered opioid pain medication. After having to drive to 3 pharmacies before finding one that had it in stock, my mom gave my dad his first dose. The medication knocked him out for several hours and when he woke up, he did not like the way he felt. This is where God’s unbelievable strength once again came into play. He told my mom to get rid of the medication because he never wanted to take another pill. He told her that he did not want to live his remaining days groggy and sleeping, so he would just do without. His desire was to spend as many days as possible with my mom, brother, and me with a clear mind no matter how bad the pain got.
My dad NEVER took another pain pill after that day. I didn’t go into our den very many times where his hospital bed was during those last days, but I remember at one point seeing how far the cancer had spread. He had blue knots all under the surface of his skin under his arms as well as protruding tumors all over his head and back. He was completely eaten up with cancer. I know this is detailed and a bit hard to read, but I simply want to paint a clear picture of the way my father was able to love us until the very end. I don’t think there is any denying that the only way Dad was able to do that was because of God’s strength. I don’t know that it would have been humanly possible without it.
Let me make it clear that I in no way think that pain meds are bad. They are very necessary and needed typically. I am simply sharing the way God taught me about love. I have never in my life wondered if my dad loved us. From my very first memory of him until my very last, I knew his love for us ran DEEP. He demonstrated this by putting others (us) above himself. My dad sacrificed his comfort in order to spend every possible moment with us until Jesus took him home.
A few months ago, I was reading in the book of Mark and came across a verse about another Man who did something very similar.
“And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.”~ Mark 15:23
I had read this passage about the final day of Jesus’ life numerous times before, but I had never noticed this. As I began to research “wine mixed with myrrh,” I learned that when a person was crucified, they were offered this concoction which had a numbing effect. It was used to lessen the pain of the process, making it a bit more bearable. But, notice what this verse says. “…he did not take it.” My Savior did not take it. He did that for me. And He did it for YOU. He loved us so much that He wanted to experience the full brunt of our sins as He hung on the cross. He didn’t want the pain lessened. He wanted to feel every whip, every thorn, every sword, and every nail as He was beaten and bruised and sacrificed His life for us.
These are the things that a father’s love will do. Our Heavenly Father bore the full weight of God’s wrath in exchange for our salvation with nothing to dull the pain. And as an earthly father spends time with Jesus, he will become more and more like Him. As a result, He will live his life in a way that will teach his children exactly who God is. They will recognize that God is a God of love and compassion, not a God filled with wrath and fury. He will not provoke his child to anger but will discipline in love. He will demonstrate for his children how to reach out to the “least of these” just as Jesus instructs us to do. And he will make sacrifices that are beyond human comprehension all because of the strength that only God can give. Even his death will glorify God. Please notice that I said that it was God’s strength that enabled my father to live the life that he lived. It was not of his own strength.
I pray that you will not wait to spend time daily with our Lord. Living a life that glorifies Him is impossible without studying His life. Take the time to examine and understand every word that He has given us. Ask Him to help you to love Him first so that you can love others the way that He does. You can’t do it without Him. Take the time now and ask Him for his help. And whatever you do, DON’T WAIT!
In my last post found HERE, we looked at Colossians 3:12 where we are told to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience just as Jesus did. This is especially vital during this day and age where there is such division in our country. Today we will move on and look at Colossians 3:13 and the necessity of forgiveness.
“…bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
Unforgiveness is something that I battled for ages. If someone offended me or treated me unfairly, I would hold onto the hurt and live as a victim. I kept myself in bondage unnecessarily, but thankfully the Lord wanted me to be free from this. He has had to work in me over the years and I’ve found that the journey of correction is often tough. I’d love to share the story of one such lesson that he taught me many years ago.
Several years ago, my husband worked for an organization that was Christian based. Our entire family was heavily involved in his work and much of our social circle was comprised of people involved in this particular organization. His job was our life. Unfortunately, things went sour and my husband was let go. It was determined that he was not a good fit for the position. After a few days, the shock wore off and bitterness and anger began creeping in.
How could this happen to our family? This decision did not just affect my husband. It affected our entire family. We had to give up friendships and a huge part of our lives. We had put so much time and energy in and sacrificed countless hours, only to be let go.
My reaction in this situation was anything but Christlike. I distanced myself from all Christians and “took a break” from church. I stewed in my resentment for several months but hated the way I felt. I began asking the Lord to help me to forgive because I was tired of feeling heavy and angry. I slowly began going back to church and on one particular Sunday, our pastor spoke on forgiveness. I was to the point in the process that I couldn’t even figure out how to move forward. I felt stuck. During the sermon, I began to realize what I needed to do.
The next day, I contacted the leader of the organization as well as a few others and we met for a chat. The only agenda for the meeting was for me to apologize for the way I handled things. I wasn’t there to point fingers or rehash any of the details. I was simply there with a repentant heart to confess my wrongdoing and to ask for forgiveness for my attitude. To be honest, they didn’t even know that I had held onto things as long as I had. Yet, I knew that I had to apologize.
That night, the Lord completely healed my heart. The hurt and bitterness were gone and I was able to look at the situation with a completely different perspective. I knew that the leader of this organization as well as everyone else involved (including us) were humans. We’re all broken people and none of us are perfect. The situation was two-sided and both sides no doubt contributed to the issue. We all learned valuable lessons from the situation as a whole and God has brought restoration to the relationships. As a matter of fact, I ran into a few of them within the last year and was able to hug them with genuine love and talk to them without one ounce of ill feelings.
Have any of you ever struggled with this? Is there anyone in your life that you need to forgive? How easy it is to get our feelings hurt and hold onto the grievances that we feel. We get upset when our Facebook friends don’t agree with us and then we hang onto our negative feelings. Or if receive hate just because of the color of our skin (and I am talking to all races here), we let that fester and influence our relationships. But, we are called to forgive!
St. Augustine said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” 9 times out of 10 when you are carrying around bitterness, anger, and resentment, the other person has gone on living their life without a thought of you. Carrying this baggage around hurts no one except you. When my husband was let go of his job, I put myself in prison. His employer went on living while I sat feeling sorry for my husband and our family. That was so much time wasted!
We are often so quick to judge others without looking at ourselves first and realizing that we are no better. Nor do we look at the consequences of our judgment. Jesus gave us a clear illustration of this in Matthew 7:1-5. The first 2 verses say this:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
These verses get me every time I read them. The way I judge others is the way I will be judged. I don’t know about you, but I have no desire to be judged harshly. If I want to be shown mercy, I must first show mercy to others. I remind my children all the time that when someone lashes out at them it’s important to look at the entire situation. More than likely, the person who has hurt them has been hurt by someone else. Or maybe they have reacted out of fear. It’s easy to see that the social unrest and division that our country is experiencing stems largely from fear and pain. Many are terrified of COVID, so they are angry when they see people unmasked or not following guidelines. There are those who have been hurt by other races, so they are projecting their pain onto others. And then there are individuals who are anxious about the upcoming election results. They can’t understand why anyone would be a Trump or Biden supporter. They are terrified of the direction our country is heading, so they loudly voice their opinions. Grace should be shown in each of these situations.
And then Jesus uses a hyperbole to further drive home His point:
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
The first time I read these verses I was somewhere around middle school age. I remember how strongly these words affected me. Could Jesus have made this any clearer? It’s easy to look at the little speck in the eyes of those around us without looking at ourselves first. Just a quick glance at ourselves will allow us to see the large, splintery plank hanging out of our own eye. So, we have a choice. We can judge others and let bitterness and resentment consume us in our day to day interactions, or we can offer unmerited grace just as Jesus offers to each of us and forgive those who have wronged us (or those with whom we do not agree).
Colossians 3:14, the last verse of the passage that this 2 part post began with, ties all of this up beautifully.
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Christ’s love is what will bind all of us together, no matter our differences. Without love, we cannot exhibit compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience which were discussed in my previous post. And without love, we cannot forgive.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
It’s easy to see that the qualities of love are the opposite of unforgiveness. We need to be patient and kind to each other, even when we disagree. Let’s work to honor others and put them above ourselves even when they hurt us. Fight against being easily angered and resist keeping a record of wrongs even when we feel our family has been treated unjustly. Instead, let’s make every effort to protect each other and persevere through our differences and disagreements. It’s what Jesus calls us to do. And always remember, DON’T WAIT!
Back in June, my husband encouraged me to take a 2-week social media break because I was so burdened by the things I was consistently reading. My anxiety was through the roof as I continuously felt as though I had an elephant sitting on my chest and that I had been kicked in the stomach. It’s common for me to carry other people’s burdens around even though that is not my job. I am so bothered by all that is going on around us, but not for the reason that you may think. I do not fear the election results or the direction our country is headed in because I know God is at the helm. I am not even fearful of the virus. I may get it. I may even die. But, that doesn’t bother me. I know Who holds my future and He has written every day He has for me in His book. Instead, I am grieved by the response of all humanity, especially the Church, to all that is going on. The racial division, the political disputes, the nasty comments and posts, the bickering back and forth, and the lack of compassion are disheartening.
4 weeks later, I am still on my 2-week social media break 😉 and I’m definitely feeling better. I’ve had to make a conscious effort to focus on God’s truth instead of the bitter vitriol that is being spewed among strangers, neighbors, friends, and even family.
It is vital, especially during these times in which we are living, for us to exhibit the very essence of who Jesus is. Truth has been so distorted that people no longer know which way is up. So many have lost their way and are consumed with self and what makes them feel good. Fear has gripped the hearts and minds of many throughout the entire world. The only answer to all of the turmoil going on around us is Jesus, so we must show them who He is by both our actions as well as our reactions.
As I was praying through all of this, I came across Colossians 3:12-14. These verses hold so much truth and I think we all need to dig deep into what they say. Let’s start with verse 12:
Put on then as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Let’s break this verse down. First, we are to put on compassion. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that compassion is the sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Wow! So, we aren’t supposed to just feel sympathy, but we are to have a desire to alleviate their distress. This makes me think of the racial division we are currently witnessing in our society. So, how can we show compassion? Perhaps with hearts to serve one another and by trying to understand one another. Let’s look for ways to alleviate the distress of our brothers and sisters (no matter the color of their skin) by serving them.
Next is kindness. Consider the kindness of Jesus. He touched the untouchable and healed the lepers. There was also the woman with an issue of blood who had a hemorrhage for 12 years and was legally deemed unclean. When she reached out just to touch the hem of His garment so that no one knew she was around, He not only healed her, but He stopped to acknowledge her. Jesus showed kindness to the unlovable. We are surrounded by many these days who feel unlovable, especially when they loudly voice their opinions that do not line up with ours. It’s easy to turn our backs and write them off because they are unreachable in our minds. But, perhaps showing kindness will soften their hearts. If they see anger from us instead of kindness, they will want no part of Jesus and all He has to offer.
Humility. I can think of no one as humble as Jesus. I cannot fathom being the creator of the universe, the savior of the world, and taking the form of a servant here on earth. Yet, He did. Just prior to His death, Jesus humbled Himself and washed the feet of His disciples. Their feet were no doubt caked in dirt and manure since roads were made of dirt and they wore sandals back in those times. What a symbol of love and humility! Even Judas who would betray Him, Peter who would deny Him not just once but 3 times, and Thomas who would doubt Him received this loving gesture.
And then there is meekness, which I believe is often misunderstood. This does not mean that we become timid doormats who let others walk all over us. The article “Who are the Meek? Why did Jesus say “Blessed are the Meek”? says this, “Meekness is not weakness. Sometimes we confuse the two. But the difference between a meek person and a weak person is this: a weak person can’t do anything. A meek person, on the other hand, can do something but chooses not to.” I love this so much! Jesus demonstrated this perfectly in Matthew 27:12-14 as He was brought before Pilate just hours before His crucifixion. “12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?’ 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.” If I am on social media or talking in person to someone that I do not agree with, I can show restraint. This doesn’t show weakness. It actually shows that I recognize that voicing my opinion can just cause more division. It’s ok if others don’t agree with me. I don’t have to always prove my point and I don’t need to defend my stand on the latest hot topic.
Lastly, we have patience. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15-16 that even though he was the “foremost” sinner, he was shown “perfect patience” by Jesus. Paul (formerly known as Saul before his conversion) was “ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3). Even with this extreme persecution of Christians, Jesus chose to convert Saul. He didn’t lose His patience or write him off. He didn’t punish him or strike him down permanently. Instead, He showed Saul great mercy and chose him to carry His name. Paul went on to write 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. Even those around us who are tearing down our faith and ridiculing us for our beliefs should be shown patience.
In my next post, we will move on to the next verse(s) in this passage. Until then, let’s really focus on striving to be like Jesus. When we see friends arguing over political matters or Christians vehemently disagreeing with each other, fight hard against participating in the division and instead show compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Showing these virtues may just be what pulls someone from the grip of fear that has them bound. Let’s show them the hope that can come from Jesus and Jesus alone. And whatever you do, Don’t Wait!
From the time I had my first child, I had heard so many horror stories about the teen years. “Just wait until he’s a teenager. You think she has an attitude now? Wait until she’s 16! Parenting only gets harder as they become teens.” I’m sure every parent has heard these same types of remarks from fellow parents. I have to say, though, that I disagree with this assessment of teenagers. As the mom of 4 children ages 21, 17, 15, and 10, I can honestly say that teenhood has been one of my favorite stages. It’s incredibly exciting and rewarding to watch as your children begin to form their own opinions and decide the path they want to take in life. You can begin to enjoy the fruits of your labor as your children mature into young men and women. I’m not at all saying that this phase of your child’s life will be easy to navigate. It can be HARD (is there anything in life that isn’t difficult at times?), but with lots of prayers, love, laughter, tears, attention, and hard work, these can be some of the best years of your life.
Teach them while they’re young
Preparing for the teen years starts when your child is small. If you’re new to your faith and didn’t begin when your children were young, it isn’t too late. God will redeem all of those years. Here are some verses that my husband and I try to live by that will prepare both your child as well as you for the young adult years. Or if your child is already a teenager, these verses are equally as important.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (emphasis mine)
Teaching our children to love God with their whole heart (which is the greatest commandment) can only be taught by living it out. Talk about it at home, when you’re driving to soccer practice, in the morning, at night, and all throughout the day. It’s a lifestyle. These lessons need to be at the forefront of our minds as we go about our days with our children. This will set the foundation for them as they grow older and become more independent.
I am absolutely in NO WAY a perfect parent. I am so far from it. And my children are not perfect. We were all born with a sin nature and we are struggling to reach the finish line. I have made so, so many mistakes along the way, but I’ve learned a lot, too. The purpose of this blog is to share with you some things that I’ve learned about parenting teenagers so that perhaps you will learn from my experiences and mistakes.
Things I’ve learned from being a parent to teens:
Enjoy these years with them! You’ve heard the saying, “The days are long, but the years are short,” and that’s so true. My 21-year-old is less than 2 months from moving into his own apartment. I look back at his life and I swear it’s a blur, although we went through tough times that seemed to last forever along the way.
Learn when to speak up and when to just sit back and pray. This is something you will use for the rest of their lives and needs to be woven into the very fabric of your parenting. It isn’t always necessary to give your opinion on matters. Often learning lessons for themselves and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach them is going to go way further than nagging.
Allow them to form their own opinions. It’s unhealthy to expect your child’s viewpoints to line up exactly with yours. The Lord has reminded me through the years that I am not training robots and programming them to think and believe exactly the way I want them to. Instead, I’m rearing living, breathing human beings that should believe and think independently for themselves. Consider this – do you 100% agree with your parents when it comes to politics and religion? I’m sure you don’t. The case will be the same for your kids. All we can do is guide them and pray they come to conclusions that line up with God’s Word. And we can’t shame them for their opinions. Instead, we need to provide a safe place where they can talk through issues without feeling guilty for the way they feel. You may see them waver as they are trying to decide what they think about certain issues. I have found this to be perfectly normal.
Take time with them. Learn about the things that they enjoy even if you don’t “get it.” My kids love to save videos for me on their phones (typically on the app “Tik-Tok”). They usually save several that they think I will enjoy, and often after dinner, we will view the videos together. I have to admit, half of the time I don’t even understand the humor in the videos. Also, their timing is not always super convenient. But, I remind myself that one day they will be gone and I’ll only WISH they were around to show me Tik-Toks. So, I’ll find the time and try my best to understand what they’re showing me which often ends with fits of laughter on their end as they try to explain to me what I’ve just seen. Also, I try to find the time to take one kid out at a time, even if it’s just to run errands. This enables me to hear what’s going on in their world and in their heart without any interruptions.
Give them permission to decide what they believe spiritually and why they believe it. Doubts are TOTALLY acceptable in our house and often lead to great conversations. If my children do not know why they believe in Jesus, the world is going to eat them up. They will easily be swayed and may ultimately turn their back on God. They can’t believe just because dad and mom said so. Our kids have all had periods where they didn’t know if they believed the same as we do. They’ve asked questions such as, “How do we know that God is real?” They’ve said things like, “How do we know Christianity is the right religion? Don’t you think every person believes that their personal religion is the correct one? What if they are right and we are wrong?” These are HARD questions! We always answer them as best we can and then we have to allow them to dig deeper. As a parent, that can be a scary place to be. But, as each child has gone through their periods of doubt, we’ve had to release them to God, trusting that He would reveal HImself to them. Without fail, He has done just that every single time.
Get to know their friends. Be the house that is a safe, fun place to hang-out. The best way to stay connected with your teen is to know what’s going on in their world, and their social life is always a huge part of that. Getting to know who is influencing them and who they are spending time with gives you great insight into their lives. We also always try to get to know their friends’ parents so that when they hang out at their house, we know a bit about their family.
Help them find their strengths and passions. I’ve noticed one of the most difficult phases of life is deciding which career path our children would like to start on. My husband and I think a little differently than some on this and we don’t expect our kids to know at 18 what they want to do with the rest of their lives. I still don’t even know what I want to do with the rest of my life and I’m 44! So instead, we help them to find their strengths and passions. What is it that really excites them? What are they really good at? What are their weaknesses? How can they use their strengths most effectively? What did God create them to be? And then we encourage them to find ways to utilize their strong suits as stepping stones as they continue to discover who they are (which is ultimately a lifelong process).
Recognize that they are of a different generation and will see and do things differently than you. I remember being a teenager myself and thinking my parents didn’t really understand me. I think every teenager feels the same. They feel that way because it’s absolutely the truth. Yes, I was a teenager once and can identify with my children, but I grew up in a completely different period of time. Kids in our current world see and know things that we didn’t know at their age, mainly because of the internet. TImes are just totally different. I can’t expect them to do things and think the same way I did back in the late eighties and early nineties because the world was different back then.
Don’t try to parent the way others do. It’s so easy to look and compare ourselves to other parents. But, this is such a dangerous place to be in. Just because Suzie gets an iPhone at 13 doesn’t mean your child should. Or don’t feel guilty if Johnny’s parents seem to always know how to handle every situation. Instead of looking to other parents for parenting wisdom, look to the One who entrusted you with your children. He knows them better than anyone and can give you the exact wisdom you need.
Don’t compare your child to other teenagers. This goes for siblings as well as friends. Saying things like, “You don’t work as hard as your brother/sister,” will only cause damage. Each child is going to learn, grow, and mature at different rates. Allow your child to develop at a rate that’s appropriate for them all while praying for wisdom on when to give them a little push and when to be quiet and allow them to learn for themselves.
Keep the dialogue open. The best way to know what’s going on in your child’s mind is to not only talk to them but also to listen as well. As tempting as it may be, there’s no reason to criticize everything they say. Like I mentioned earlier, they are trying to figure out their views. If you knock everything that they say or turn every conversation into a life lesson, you will turn them off and the lines of communication will be broken. Sometimes they just need someone to listen without unsolicited advice.
Be a soft place for them to land where they can make mistakes. Oftentimes, making mistakes is the best way to learn. Sometimes teens need to see things for themselves in order for lessons to really sink in. God has taught me the importance of showing grace to my children, though I didn’t start out that way. I was pretty tough on my first child as I’ve shared in previous posts. I was a perfectionist within myself and that bled over some into my parenting. Fortunately, God gently reminded me early on of the amount of grace and mercy that He’s shown me over the years. He has often withheld punishment from me that I no doubt deserved and instead, He simply showed grace and love. The world is going to be tough enough when my kids go out. They need a safe, peaceful place to come home to where it’s ok to mess up. When mistakes are made, they often hear me say, “Chalk it up as an experience. Did you learn from it? Will you do it again? God forgives you, I forgive you, now you need to forgive yourself and move on.”
Trust them! If I crowd my teens and micromanage everything that they do, they’ll never learn to make good choices in life. Through Christ, we have managed to build a trusting bond with our children, but at times I’ve wondered if I’m too trusting. They’ve never given me a reason NOT to trust them, so I don’t check my teens’ phones every night as some parents do. I don’t keep a close eye on what they listen to or watch (especially our older teens). Rather, I trust them to make good choices. So many times I’ve wondered if that will come back to haunt me. But, my three oldest kids have started telling me something really interesting. They’ve told me that since we trust them as much as we do, that makes them want to make good decisions because they don’t want to disappoint us and break that trust. I’ve found that if they mess up, they come to us and tell us instead of hiding it. And that’s when guidance comes into play. If there is a show or YouTuber who brings on weird thoughts or feelings, we talk about how that’s probably not a great thing to watch because what we put into our minds truly affects who we are. They have always willingly made the change on their own. We’ve also had a few instances of anxiety during the last few months due to the excessive fear-mongering by the media. We’ve had conversations about taking a break from social media which they have easily agreed to. I know that it is totally due to God and His wisdom that we’ve been able to build this trust.
Don’t Wait to enjoy these days
I pray that these words bring peace to your heart as a parent. Remember that apart from Christ, you can do NOTHING. You must be in His Word every single day asking for wisdom. I have no clue how things will turn out with my children. I pray that they all will walk with the Lord all the days of their life, but I have no guarantees. All I can do is keep myself anchored to the feet of Jesus as I plead for His wisdom. I can teach my children through my own life and words and trust that they will see Christ in me.
If you have teenagers, DON’T WAIT to enjoy them! Spend time with them. Love them. Cherish them. Trust them. Guide them. Talk to them. And allow them to make mistakes. Show them grace and mercy and remember that one day they will be gone and your refrigerator will stay full longer and your house will be quiet. So, make the most of these days because they are quickly fleeting. And whatever you do, DON’T WAIT!
Epidemic – a disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population, or region.
Within just a few days of George Floyd’s death, I felt God leading me to write a post concerning the epidemic of racism that we have within our society. Yes, I feel it’s an epidemic, but it’s not been a sudden outbreak like some diseases. This malady has affected a large number of people throughout history. As with any epidemic, you may be a carrier and not even realize it. You may be asymptomatic and unaware that you have biases and prejudices which will further spread the disease. You may be unknowingly perpetuating the spread. Or perhaps you know you have this disease, but don’t care who you infect in the process. You choose not to attempt to stop the spread simply out of denial or selfishness. But, if the epidemic of racism is going to be eradicated, it has to be a group effort. We all have to do our part in each of our small corners of the world in order to promote healing.
I admit I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed right now. Social media is absolutely bombarding us with so much information that it’s hard to process it all. Up until this point, I’ve been silent because I’ve been researching, reading, listening, and asking questions, yet I still have no idea where this post is going to take us. I’m just praying that these will be GOD’S words, not mine. I fully admit I’m nervous because, as a white woman, I have no clue how to tackle this subject. I don’t know that I’ll be able to do it justice, but I promised God when I started this blog that I would follow His leading no matter how scary it may seem.
I don’t know what it is like to be an African American nor will I ever be able to know. I’ve never been scared that just because of the color of my skin I may be accused of a crime I did not commit. I’ve never felt frightened at the sight of a cop. I think every mother worries about their children through the years, but I’ve never worried about mine because of their race. I don’t understand that fear, nor will I ever be able to. There is a quote from one of my all-time favorite books “To Kill a Mockingbird” that I feel speaks perfectly to this. As Atticus Finch, one of the main characters, is talking to his daughter about the importance of not judging others, he says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” I’ll never be able to climb inside of my African American friends’ skin, so I’ll never know what they face every day. But, this is what I do know – the African American community has expressed that they often feel unsupported and misunderstood and the white community often wants to respond, but we don’t know how (or at least I often don’t). I want to respond to my black friends in a way that brings peace and comfort, not more pain. So, I’ve been asking around and I hope to convey some of that information through this post.
Racism obviously still exists in our society. This was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt on February 23 by the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Arbery, a 25-year-old African American man of Brunswick, Georgia, was out for a jog when a white father and son duo, Greg and Travis McMichael, assumed he was a burglary suspect. The McMichaels felt they needed to apprehend him, so they began to chase Arbery down through the neighborhood in their truck. It was reported that as he was being chased, there were times that Arbery had to run in the ditch to avoid the truck that was pursuing him. He was even hit at one point but continued to run, no doubt due to fear. Arbery was eventually cornered and when he refused to lay down and surrender to this “citizen’s arrest” he was shot 3 times and died. According to THIS article by NBC News, evidence has been released in the last few days that Travis McMichael used the “n-word” multiple times in social media posts prior to the murder of Arbery. It has also been stated that after the shooting, he was heard saying, “F***ing n-word” as Arbery lay on the ground. The murder was clearly motivated by racism. It’s hard to fathom that there are people with such malice.
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
In the last 2 and a half weeks since the death of George Floyd, I’ve listened to radio shows, watched Zoom calls, read articles and blogs, listened to pastors, watched videos, and talked to friends, both black and white, about this issue. I’ve heard many different views and sides of this that I’ve thought through in preparation for this post. I’ve talked to African Americans who feel very angry about the treatment of their family and friends through the years. They are outraged that racism still exists. I’ve talked to black people who see things through a different lens and are very frustrated with the current reaction of their black friends and family. They believe incredible progress has been made over the last 60 years and they feel racism is rare. I’ve heard from white people who feel their eyes have been opened and they are very repentant that they have not realized how prevalent white privilege is. They are sorry that they have not shown more compassion and empathy to African American people during their lifetimes, so they’re looking for ways to change. I’ve also been made aware of white people who are frustrated because they feel they are being lumped in with racists when they are far from that themselves. I pray that through this post, God will touch the heart of each person, no matter where they stand on this issue.
I accidentally stumbled on the videos of both Arbery and Floyd. If I had known what I was about to watch, I may not have clicked the thumbnails simply because watching a murder is obviously disturbing. But I’m glad I did. Actually watching the events take place had such an impact on me. I hate that it took physically seeing something with my own eyes for me to begin to really see that racism is still an issue. I mean, I had seen it before numerous times. I was raised in a small town in VA that is close to 50% white with an African American population of almost 40%. Many of my friends, teachers, and classmates were black. I saw the racial tension frequently at school as well as out in the community. I heard white people who would use the n-word and throw out racial slurs like it was no big deal. Perhaps they were taught that simply because of the color of their skin they were superior. Maybe their parents didn’t teach them that we are all equal, no matter our race. I also heard black students who would throw their pain back onto white students. Maybe at some point that had experienced run-ins with racist white people, or possibly they were taught that all white people were racist. I think I became immune to it from both sides because I thought that’s just the way things always were. Now, I see that there really needs to be a dialogue of all races instead of throwing painful words and actions back and forth. Lashing out will get us nowhere.
I can’t even put into words how I felt when I first saw the video that 17-year-old Darnella Frazier captured of George Floyd’s death. The aloofness of the cops, the blank stare on the officer’s face, the number of people standing around trying to help…it was all extremely repulsive. How someone can sit quietly with their hands in their pockets and a nonchalant look on their face while kneeling on someone’s neck until they take their last breath is way beyond me. It’s evil and sick.
I’ve read Facebook post after Facebook post written by friends who have black or inter-racial husbands and children that have described the fear they feel when their loved ones leave the house. I’ve talked to and read about countless African American men and every single one has a very similar story. They’ve been stopped by cops because they fit the description of a criminal that the officers were in search of. Majority of the time the only feature they matched was the fact that they were black. One friend was sitting in his car in a predominantly white neighborhood waiting for a friend to come out. A neighbor saw him sitting there and called the cops because he looked “suspicious.” I firmly believe if this guy had been white, no one would have given him a second thought. And yet another friend mentioned the humiliation he suffered while in high school when a fellow student brought a noose to class, put it around his neck, and joked about hanging him because he was black. To make matters worse, the teacher and students simply laughed.
And then there’s Kyle, a 19 year old African American Security Forces Airman from my church. When I asked him what it’s like to be a black man living in America, his answer was heart-wrenching. “Being a black man in America is hard. Since a child I’ve always felt out of place. It hurts not feeling loved and cared for because the color of my skin. I’ve been wrongfully detained 3 times in my life. The first incident was back in 2012. I was walking to the corner store to get some snacks for my family and I when two white police officers snatched me and grabbed my ID without letting me know why. I was 12.” Let’s stop there for a moment. He was only 12 when this first incident happened. TWELVE. Let that sink in for a minute. Kyle went on to say, “I was scared for my life. Soon after they realized I wasn’t the person they were looking for they let me go and told me, ‘You matched our description of a suspect we’re looking for.’ I was wearing a red hoodie that day. It was raining. Soon after I came home and told my mom. Shaking with fear. Crying uncontrollably. I’ll never forget that day. Still to this day I’m scared for my life that someday it might end simply because I am an African American.”
As I was researching this topic, the biggest thing I kept hearing from African Americans is that the best way to support them when a death such as George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery’s occurs is to acknowledge their pain. My friend Andrea said to me, “Grieve with us just as you celebrate with us. We recognize it is uncomfortable and that’s ok. Just don’t let that discomfort push you into silence.” Wow. This really hit home with me. It reminded me of when my dad died when I was 7 years old, I went back to school after his funeral and one classmate acknowledged his death. All she said was, “Do you miss your daddy?” I will never forget her words as long as I live simply because she recognized my pain. Then, when my stepdad died in 2009, I’ll always remember the first Sunday I went back to church. My world was still so dark and gray and I could barely think straight. Most people didn’t know what to say, so they simply said nothing. That was so hurtful. I wanted to talk about him. I wanted to share my loss with my church family, but I didn’t want to burden anyone. I know it wasn’t intentional. They didn’t want to hurt me, but they let their discomfort push them into silence. So, for our black brothers and sisters, one way to show Christ’s love is to acknowledge their pain. Our silence causes more of a divide.
So now, for all of us, no matter our race, we should pray for how we can help in our communities. Are there laws that need to be changed? For example, Georgia does not have a hate crime law. This needs to change and is vital for the trial of the McMichael’s in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Are there programs in your area that can be implemented? Ministries that you can become involved with? Ways that we can unite the black and white communities? Ask your friends questions. “How can I support you the best? How do you feel?” There is something that touches deep when we’re asked, “How can I help you?” And when you ask, really listen. Don’t just give the pat answer, “I’m praying for you.” Brainstorm with both your black and white friends and families ways that you can create change. Ask God to show you any racist ways that you have within yourself. The definition of racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.” If you find yourself feeling that your race is superior to another, it’s time to really evaluate yourself. I think we all need to do this. Ask the Lord to show you if you have any malice or bitterness towards people outside of your race. Whatever you do, DON’T WAIT to ask Him to heal that within you and bring unity to all people.
It seems that the solution to this needs to begin at home. White parents, be sure your children know about the history of black Americans. We can never forget that just 60 years ago, they were unable to attend the same school as white children. They couldn’t drink out of the same water fountains as white people, interracial marriage was against the law, they could not visit white libraries, and they had to sit in the back of a bus and give up their seat if a white person couldn’t find a seat. Teach your children about the bravery of Rosa Parks who stood up for the rights of all black Americans and refused to give up her seat. Teach them about Ruby Bridges, Martin Luther King, Jr, slavery, the Underground railroad, racism, and the Civil rights movement. Teach them that we are all equal and the color of their skin makes no difference.
White pastors, these conversations must take place within the walls of our churches. While listening to a radio show on my local Christian radio station recently entitled, “Neil Boron Live: The Church’s Response to the Death of George Floyd,” Pastor Elijah Shamenda touched on this a bit. He said imagine if the cop who killed Floyd attended a church where the pastor spoke the truth about racism. Things may have turned out very differently that day. We know that God’s Word changes hearts, so let’s speak this to our church members.
African American parents and pastors, you can be assured that not all white people are racists. There are many of us who look at you no differently than anyone else. Every single one of you has experienced racism in some form or fashion, but we aren’t all like that. Let your children know that there are white children who just want to be friends, no matter what color your child’s skin may be. Tell the members of your congregation that many of us would love to worship beside you. A good portion of us already do life with African American friends and we love them just the same.
And now, here are some reminders from God’s Word that we should all use, no matter our race.
We must teach our children that healing can only come from God. Psalm 147:3 tells us, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” The best way to teach this is to model it within your own life. Let your children see you down on your knees asking God for healing and wisdom. Let them watch as your heart begins to heal, whether you’re a white person who has taught your child racism (no matter how subtle it is) or if you’re an African American who has been hurt by the white community or were taught that all white people are racist. Only God can fully heal hearts.
Teach your child that we were all created in God’s image. This means that we are image-bearers and should reflect who He is. He is not full of hate, rage, and anger. He is full of love, compassion, grace, and mercy. Psalm 145:8-9 – “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he made.” We should all strive to reflect these attributes of God.
God is fair and just. He doesn’t favor one of us over the other. He tells us in Ephesians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” We can add to this that there is neither black nor white. God sees us all the same.
This post was an extremely difficult one to write. I pray that I’ve said things as God has directed and that you know that my desire is to share God’s peace and unity, not more division. I pray that if racism has ever been detected from me, that you will feel free to share that with me. I pray that every African American that I cross paths with will only feel love, support, and acceptance. Let’s work to end this epidemic. Please DON’T WAIT to reach out to others outside of your race. It’s what Christ asks us to do. I’d like to share one last verse as I close this out.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” ~ Revelation 21:4
I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to this day. Just think. He will wipe every tear from our eyes. We will no longer feel mental or physical pain and anguish. We won’t feel fear. We will all live together in unity and worship HIM with no thought of our color. We will bow down before Him in a sea of beautiful diverse skin tones as the cares of this world vanish. The old order of things will be gone and no one will feel superior or inferior, only accepted and full of thanksgiving. If you don’t have this assurance, please reach out to me on Facebook and I can walk you through it. It’ll be the best decision you’ve ever made. Jesus can transform your mind and bring healing to your heart and allow you to show grace and mercy instead of hate and pain. All you have to do is ask Him to help. And whatever you do, DON’T WAIT!
What do you do when you receive bad news? Do you call a friend? Do you get angry? Do you try to fix the problem yourself? Or do you immediately talk to God?
God has been gently nudging me lately and reminding me that I need to pray more. Not just quick little prayers throughout the day, though those are important, too. Rather, He’s been reminding me to really get down on my knees and commune with Him. Let’s think about this: how do we stay connected to our spouse or significant other? We share our innermost thoughts and feelings and the particulars of our day. Shouldn’t this be even more so the case with our Savior? It is vital that we take time out of our busy day to talk to Him. Nothing in life should be more important or pressing than this. And when life knocks us off our feet, we should immediately hit our knees before talking to anyone else or looking for a solution within ourselves.
Jesus Himself even prayed while on the earth. He was God in flesh, yet He still talked to the Father regularly. Luke 5:16 (NIV) says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Notice that He prayed OFTEN. He didn’t just occasionally pray. This was His way of life. If we strive to be more like Christ, then we must emulate this discipline that He lived out. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all mention Jesus going to a mountain alone to pray. So, not only did Jesus pray regularly, He would go off on His own to pray in solitude, no doubt to drown out the distractions in life. We must set this time aside during our day. It was a regular part of his day, and it should be for us, too.
I was recently challenged by the first several chapters in Nehemiah. At the beginning of the first chapter, Nehemiah received the news that the wall of Jerusalem was destroyed and its gates were burned. He was devastated by this report. It’s what he did next that really got my attention. Instead of feeling sorry for himself or getting bitter and angry, Nehemiah said, “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” He went straight to God before doing anything else. How often do we neglect doing this? If you’re like me, it’s pretty common that I try to figure things out on my own first before going to God.
The results of Nehemiah’s prayers speak to God’s faithfulness and show us the benefits of a healthy prayer life. After praying, fasting, repenting, and mourning, Nehemiah (who was the king’s cupbearer) went to the king to ask for permission to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. Not only was he given permission to go, but he was given letters for the governors of the areas he would pass through with permission to travel. He was also given a letter to the keeper of the king’s forest which gave him permission to use timber in order to rebuild the walls. But, that wasn’t all. Once the construction began, Nehemiah began to meet opposition. There were groups in Judah (which Jerusalem was a part of) who were opposed to the project, so they schemed to come together to fight against Jerusalem. Nehemiah, yet again, did not cave to the bad news. Instead, he once again went straight to God. “And we prayed to our God and set a guard as protection against them day and night,” (Nehemiah 4:9). With half of his men building the wall and the other half guarding, Nehemiah was successful. As the wall was completed, Nehemiah said, “And when all of our enemies heard it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.” Our ultimate goal in life should be to let God’s glory be seen. Nehemiah’s prayers and faith allowed just that to happen.
So, what do we do when we receive bad news? We should go straight to Jesus in prayer. That’s what He wants! He longs to commune with us. He desires an intimate relationship with us. My husband and I have been getting better at living this out. There are many times that I’ll bring an issue up to him and he’ll say, “Let’s pray.” Just recently we were discussing an issue that one of our children was facing. After a few minutes of talking about a solution, I said, “Let’s pray.” And that’s exactly what we did. The issue is still there, but we have peace knowing that God will work even this for our child’s good.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12
When we find out that our child is facing a huge mountain, we don’t have to fear. It’s easy as a parent to jump straight in and nervously try to fix things for them. But, that is the wrong tactic. I’m not saying we say a quick prayer and then ignore the problem with a flippant, “Oh, God will handle it.” Instead, we should immediately get on our knees and ask for wisdom. Don’t try to handle things on your own. Don’t lay awake night after night in fear and worry. It’s hard to believe that anyone else could know our children better than we do, but God does. He knows what’s best for each and every individual child that we have.
When we find out we’ve lost a job, we shouldn’t become bitter and angry and question God. We saw from Nehemiah’s example that it’s ok to cry and mourn. But, along with that we should pray immediately as we are joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Let’s give God a chance to let His glory be seen and known. Our lives should forever be a reflection of His.
When you receive bad news from your doctor about that medical test that you just had run, God saw it coming. When you are shocked to find out your spouse is unhappy and wants out of the marriage, God is not surprised by the news. When you get the call that a family member has been in a bad accident, God sees and is grieving with you. In Psalm 139:16, we are told that every single day that God ordained for us was written in His book before one of them even came to be. Shouldn’t we WANT to talk to Him since he knows every intimate detail as well as the solution to our problems? There is no human on earth that has the answers that He has.
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Notice that each of these three verses mention thankfulness. How often do we thank God and simply praise Him for who He is and what He’s done? It’s so easy to only go to God and ask, ask, ask, or complain, complain, complain. How selfish we are! He’s reminded me lately that not only do I need to go to Him immediately in prayer as each new circumstance in life arises, but I also need to simply recognize who He is and praise Him! Our prayers should open with praises and prayers of thanksgiving instead of looking at God as a genie. He desires intimate conversation and praise.
As life throws you curveballs or as it weighs you down, Don’t Wait to go to God in prayer. If you do this, you will experience peace, hope, and joy instead of fear, worry, bitterness, and hopelessness. As I’ve begun practicing this lately, I’ve seen firsthand the effects of this type of living. My nervousness dissipates, my confidence in Him grows, and I see Him work. He is near to all who call Him (Psalm 145:18) and wants to be near to you. Open your day with prayer and call on Him immediately instead of spinning your wheels trying to solve problems on your own. He is waiting for you. So, whatever you do, Don’t Wait!
21 years ago today you gave me one of the greatest gifts you could have possibly given me – I had my first child and became a mom. As you know, my journey into motherhood was not an easy one. Even though I knew you, I had yet to realize that my worth was in you. Instead, it was wrapped up in the need to be perfect. I was more worried about controlling every detail of my existence and how my life looked rather than letting you be in charge. So, I stayed on edge making sure everything was perfect. I strived to be the model mom and spent crazy amounts of time making sure everything was flawless for Solomon. He was bathed nightly and slathered in baby lotion (I had to make sure he smelled good). His clothes were washed in Dreft and Downy, matched perfectly, and could have absolutely no stains. He had to be seen as a “good baby,” so I did all I could to make him happy. I felt proud when people asked if he ever cried since he was always so content, and my self-worth was boosted when people were impressed with how well he listened as he got older. Being my first, I was pretty hard on him because I had this vision of how I wanted him to behave (typical of a first-time parent, I know). My perfectionism bled into every area of mothering. I put up a facade so that I appeared to have it all together, but I was falling apart on the inside.
I looked put together on the outside, but was falling apart on the inside.
A few months into motherhood, I began to crash. I began to have off the wall, irrational fears and panic attacks consumed me. I had chronic pain in my side from constantly staying so uptight and I seriously thought I was dying of cancer. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, and could barely function. My body began to react to the incredible amount of stress I had placed on myself. Yet, true to your word, you used every bit of the ashes of my life and worked it for my good. At the time, you felt a million miles away. My prayers and cries for help felt like they left my lips and went absolutely nowhere. But, even in spite of myself and my flaws, you gave me a son that has turned into an amazing young man. You took my perfectionism, unrealistic expectations, and all-consuming fears and turned them into something beautiful. How is it that such an amazing human can come from a fragile shell of a woman even with my sinfulness and weaknesses? He isn’t perfect, but I’m amazed by him when I think back over the last 21 years. Lord, I pray that our story shared through this prayer will help other parents see that your hand is on our children, even in our humanness and with our frailties.
I am grateful that even though I hit such an insanely low point in my life at the beginning of my motherhood journey, you blessed me with a husband who stuck with me. He has been so much fun to parent with and he is a joy to make decisions with as we parent our children. Thank you that we balance each other out perfectly and that when I’m fearful, he can teach them to be brave and that when he is too brave (like allowing them to try crazy stunts), I can reign him in. There is no one I’d rather have as the father of my children.
Earl holding it all together while I was falling apart
I am thankful that even though I can be lazy at times, you gave us a son that is an insanely diligent worker. You wired him to work hard from the time he was tiny. Bear with me as I take a walk down Memory Lane. At the age of 18 months, his favorite activity was vacuuming. He would ask for the “dat-tu,” so we eventually bought him a toy one of his own. When we sold our first house and cleaned it for the final time, he vacuumed more of the house than I did (he was only almost 2). When we arrived at our new home a few hours later with the moving truck full of our furniture, he carried just as many items as the men did into our house. It was that day that I realized how driven he was. From the age of 4, he would push the lawnmower with his dad and help cut the lawn. Earl would give him sunglasses to protect his eyes and put Solomon in front of him. He would hold onto the lowest bar while his dad would patiently push mow the yard as Solomon helped for the duration of the time. When he was around the age of 8, we had a face cord and a half of wood delivered in preparation for the coming winter. He told me that afternoon that he was going to go out and start stacking it and in no time he had stacked every piece. By the age of 10, he was completely cutting the yard on his own and loved every minute of it. Around the same age, he started dabbling in making videos, and over the course of the next few years, I watched as he grew a YouTube channel from the ground up. He worked for hours a day figuring out what kind of content people enjoy, how to edit the videos, the best time of day to upload them, how to make money, and so on. By the age of 15, he had a very successful channel with 33,000 subscribers and was bringing in money monthly. When he told me at 16 that he was ready to let YouTube go and get a real job, my heart sank. Was he prepared for that? He had been homeschooled his entire life. Had I done all I could to prepare him to hold down a job? And then you gently reminded me that preparing him was not MY job. It was yours. Sure enough, he landed the first job he applied for. On the day I drove him to his interview, I was more nervous than he was. His response to me was, “Mom, why are you nervous? If this job is God’s will for my life, they’ll hire me. If not, there’s something better for me.” He was hired on the spot. During the 4.5 years he worked there, I was told countless times by many different managers that he was one of the hardest workers they had. I pray that the work ethic you’ve blessed him with will always support him and his future wife and children and that whatever he does he will do it with all of his heart as though he’s working for you and not man (Colossians 3:23).
Mowing the lawn at a year
Mowing the lawn at 10
Toy vacuum
Thank you that even though I do not always set a Christlike example, you have made yourself real to him. When he accepted you at the age of 8, I could tell that he truly understood the decision he was making. We had stopped at church that day and decided to sneak quickly into the back of a room where a youth rally was ending. The plan of salvation was laid out and we didn’t realize how intently he was listening. When the teens were asked who had invited Christ into their life, we were shocked when Solomon raised his hand. When he looked up at me with tears streaming down his face, I knew he fully understood who you are and the gift you had given him. As the years went on and his childhood years turned to teenage years, he began to struggle with his faith. We encouraged him to ask all of the questions he needed to and do all the research necessary. He can’t make it to heaven on our coattails, so he had to know why he believed what he believed. Without this crucial step in his faith journey, he would be eaten up by the world. We had to trust that you would once again show yourself to him. On Christmas evening when he was sixteen, he was literally within minutes of completely renouncing his faith because there were so many things he just could not understand about you. True to who you are, you came down and met him in our basement and made yourself known to him in a way that none of our family could ever deny. When we seek you, we find you (Luke 11:9). Thank you that he has never looked back.
Thank you that even though I can be very selfish and inward-focused, you have given him a heart for people. When he sees a homeless person out on the street, he always passes them a few bucks. He develops relationships with these people and knows the details of their lives, though most (including myself, ashamedly) will walk right past them. He checks on them when he sees them and always shares the truth about you. He keeps a few bibles in his glove compartment and passes your word on when given the chance. And he somehow does all of this with grace and in a way that isn’t pushy. He simply develops a relationship and loves the way you do. Last year he was waiting for some scary test results to come in. His grandfather (my father) died at the age of 37 from melanoma, so when a suspicious mole was found on Solomon’s foot, it was a bit worrisome for all of us. After a day of fear, he came to me and said, “Mom, I’m not going to live in fear. Instead, I’m going to reach out to other people and focus on them instead of myself.” He then invited our elderly neighbor over for dinner and cooked the entire meal himself. How could someone so young have so much wisdom? The answer is you.
This is one of my all time favorite pictures of him. Instead of living in fear of the future, he was serving our elderly neighbor by making a spaghetti dinner.
Even though I have not always been the greatest example of a guide as his mom, thank you that Solomon is a natural-born leader. Raising a leader is not always easy. They typically have strong opinions and extreme determination. Allowing a child who is a leader to develop these skills while also teaching them to respect authority can be tricky at times. Yet you were always faithful in giving us wisdom as we fostered leadership skills. Thank you for every creative idea you’ve planted in his mind, for every shelf he built, every instrument he made, and every plan he carried through. He came to me sometime around his 11th birthday with an idea that he wanted to carry out. Memorial Day was about a week away and he wanted to organize a neighborhood Memorial Day celebration. His plan was to have as many neighbors as possible to display an American flag as a way to show their thanks to those who gave their lives for our freedom. As his idea came together, he gave me his supply list. He then drafted a flier for the neighbors and made a sign for our front yard. All I could think while his siblings and I walked with him as he went door-to-door passing out fliers and asking neighbors to join his cause was, “Thank you, Lord, for this kid who wants to honor fallen Americans, even at only 11 years of age.”
Our front yard
Although I fail miserably at always showing kindness and love, thank you that he has still become an amazing big brother. He wasn’t super crazy about the idea of having a younger sibling initially. “I don’t want to be a big brother! I want to stay Solomon!” he told us when we asked if he wanted a “Big Brother” t-shirt. We realized that he was afraid his identity would change, so we offered to have an “I Love My Baby Sister” shirt made instead. He agreed that it was a good idea. He quickly grew into his role and has adored each and every sibling. He has always been a protector and has loved spending time with his 2 sisters and brother. As he’s grown older, his influence in their lives has grown also. His walks with them to 7-11 for a Slurpee have turned into drives to Tim Horton’s for a soda and walks around Canalside. He is also intentional about spending time with each one individually. Movies, concerts, shows, and road trips make each sister and brother feel special and valued. “I want to spend time with each one because I know one day I will be on my own,” he has told me. The memories he has made with each one are pretty amazing. This is all you, Lord. Thank you for the relationship he has with each sibling.
“I do not want to be a big brother. I want to stay Solomon.”
Telling his sister he was proud of her dancing
Playing with his brother in the rain because that’s one of his favorite childhood memories
A road trip with his sister
Road trip with his sister
Walking out a dance recital
Digging the biggest hole possible with his brother
Walking out of another dance recital
This is our table every evening – sharing videos they’ve found for each other throughout the day.
At the movies with his brother
Another movie with his brother
Taking his sister to a show
Off to see AJR in concert
Excited that his sister got her learner’s permit
Checking out said learner’s permit
Comforting his sad little brother
Sibling walk to 7-11 for a Slurpee
Ride to Tim Horton’s for a soda
Off to see Imagine Dragons
Though I make foolish decisions at times, thank you that Solomon is wise. When he was first born, I began praying that he would have wisdom. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would help him to grasp spiritual things that most others can’t. I told Solomon a few years ago that I’m not even sure where that prayer came from. His response was, “Mom, the Holy Spirit helps us to pray. So, that must have been the prayer for me that He wanted you to pray.” See what I mean? Such wisdom that comes from you.
Thank you that even though I have not always been faithful to you, he still runs hard after you. I am grateful that he recognizes his need for you. That he studies and knows your Word. That he prays through each decision that he has to make and that he trusts you even when things are uncertain. I pray that following after you would always be his number one desire because that is all that matters in this world. His social status, career path, type of car he drives, and size of house he lives in means nothing. All that matters is his relationship with you.
I will forever be thankful for all of the people who have poured into Solomon’s life to help shape him into the man he is becoming. Brian and Amy Parker spent hours upon hours teaching him about you from approximately the ages of 6 to 13. They sacrificed their time for a group of boys to impart their spiritual wisdom into their lives. I know that they played a HUGE role in the spiritual foundation that was laid when Solomon was a child. Thank you for Andy Toukatley who was Solomon’s middle school small group leader. He showed him that even young, cool people should follow you and that being a believer can be fun. Thank you for Orin Helfrich who was his small group leader in high school and to this day continues to meet with the guys in the group on occasion. Thank you for Corey Coogan who has been a great example to Solomon in the last 2-3 years. He has given him opportunities to lead and has taught him how to be a great leader. He has given Solomon freedom to learn even if mistakes are made. I will forever be grateful for these friends who have loved my boy.
And now, Jesus, as he is getting older and the dynamic of our relationship is changing, please Don’t Wait to give me wisdom. Show me when to speak and when to just pray for him as he navigates his life. I pray that our relationship will always be close, but that it will be easy to step aside when he meets his future wife. I’ve witnessed too many mothers and daughters-in-law who struggle because mom is overbearing. Guide my words. Guide my actions. And bring that special girl into his life when the time is right. Thank you for blessing his faithfulness with his new job. We know that it is a gift from you. As he prepares to move out in a few months, keep him safe. I pray that he always knows that our house is his house and the door is always open.
Last summer, I was having breakfast with a friend and she said something that really caught my attention. She said something along the lines of, “As believers, shouldn’t everyone we come into contact with notice that there is something different about us? Shouldn’t they see something in us that they want, too?” Her question really got my attention because there is such truth to it.
We are called to be like Jesus. Ephesians 5:1-2 tells us that we are to be imitators of God and walk in love as Christ loved us. Let’s think about Jesus’ life here on earth. Once His ministry began and people began to realize that the long-awaited Messiah had indeed come, they began to seek Him out. They wanted just a glimpse, just a touch of His robe. Jesus spent His time on earth walking in love among the dregs of the earth with grace and mercy. At times, he had masses of people following Him for days at a time. There was just something about Him that attracted people. There was something different. Something magnetizing. Something that people wanted to learn more about. His love drew people in.
This has made me question myself. Do I walk in a way that attracts people? Do they see something in me that they desire? Of course, this has nothing to do with me. It is CHRIST that I long for them to see. 1 John 2:6 says,”Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” So, what should that look like?
If we want to walk as Christ did, we must love one another. John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” I feel like in this age of social media, this is where we SERIOUSLY FAIL!!! If we are arguing with each other, posting condescending articles, and spewing hate, no one will want any part of Jesus. We are the ones that give Him a bad name. About 15 years ago, I heard a quote by Gandhi that grabbed my attention. He said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Let that sink in for a minute. There is much truth to that statement. We have to do better!
Paul urges us to in Ephesians 4:1-2: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Let’s break this down a bit. As we go about our day to day lives, whether that be at work, in our neighborhoods, or on social media, we are called to strive to walk in humility. Christ demonstrated this for us in the most unbelievable way. He is the Creator of the universe and Savior of the world, yet He wasn’t born to a rich King who lived in a palace. He didn’t live a life filled with riches and wealth. Instead, He came down to earth, was born in a stable, lived among the people, hung out with the outcasts and sinners, and was a servant. He couldn’t have been more humble.
Paul also encourages us to walk “with gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” This is not an easy task! If you notice, all 3 of these (gentleness, patience, and love) are Fruits of the Spirit. A good way to tell if you exemplify these qualities is to insert your name with each fruit. Kendra shows love. Kendra is joyful. Kendra is peaceful. Kendra is patient. Kendra is kind. Kendra shows goodness. Kendra is faithful. Kendra is gentle. Kendra exercises self-control. Talk about humbling!!! Oh, how I often miss the mark! We all do. But, as we grow in our relationship with Christ and prayerfully become more like Him, these should become more and more evident in our lives. I pray that these attributes will point others to Christ as they recognize their need for Him.
This brings me to the same conclusion that I will always come to. In order to become more like Christ and for others to see that He is all that will satisfy them, it is essential to be in His Word every single day. I know I sound like a broken record, but this is the most crucial piece of advice I can give. We must KNOW His word. We must study it. We must meditate on it. We must memorize it. That means every single day, even when we’re tired and worn out from a late-night with our newborn or sick child. Or when life’s troubles are pressing in on us. And especially when the entire world is shut down due to a pandemic. It’s an absolute must and is a prerequisite for learning to walk as He did. We have what the world needs. They just need to see it.
Our lives are flipped upside down right now. People are fearful and we are more divided than ever. Let’s pray that the lost will see Jesus in us. Pray that they see that we have something that they desperately need. Let’s reach out to our neighbors with gentleness and patience. Let’s be imitators of God and love the way Jesus loves us. Let’s show humility as we put others before ourselves and reach out to those whom many won’t. And whatever you do, Don’t Wait!!!
Recent Comments