The Power of Life Giving Words

"You is kind. You is smart. You is important",

were the words spoken to the precious child entrusted to the maid in the movie The Help. Unlike the mother, the housekeeper/nannie knew the potential of the child and spoke truth to her daily. Although the grammar may be bad, the power of speaking life into another  human being can be an enormous change factor.

In First John 2:7-14, the apostle as well speaks life affirming words to the believers. In verse 12, the address begins:

"I write to you, dear children, 

because your sins have been forgiven 

on account of His name.

I write you, fathers,

because you have known him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men (women),

because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, dear children,

because you have known the Father.

I write to you fathers,

because you have known him who is from

the beginning.

I write to you, young men (women),

because you are strong,

and the word of God lives in you,

and you have overcome the evil one."

The more time I spend with the Lord, I am convinced He desires for me to walk victoriously regardless of my circumstances because I have overcome the evil one and am strong because the word of God...a person...Jesus Christ lives in me. (In the beginning was the word. The word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John1:1-2)

I'm not thinking He wants me to push Jesus down anyones throat because He has kindly revealed Himself to me. Yet, I do believe He is looking for me to walk in quiet, confident trust and dependency because He has shown me the truth, even when my emotions have me riding a roller coaster. Fatigue and grief are two that attack me regularly.

What areas might the Father be asking you as well to depend on Him for?

How do the truths of these life giving words in this passage empower you to walk through your present difficulties?

I would love to hear from you!

Love, 

Pam

Who Needs An Advocate In The New Year

I know I will mess up alot this year. Hopefully less than last year. But what encourages me the most about the new year is the following truth:

I have an advocate, someone pleading in my behalf.

As believers, we all have Christ as our advocate.

In 1 John chapter 2, John writes, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

I believe John wants us to know sin is not a necessary component of the Christ life. Yet, because we live in a broken world and struggle daily here, he knows we will. So his very next sentence, gently reminds us,

"Hey, even though you don't have to sin, I know it will happen. But here's the good news: Christ is already pleading on your behalf....that sin is already taken care of by me...Christ."

Furthermore, as a woman of God, I believe the apostle John is telling me, just like Christ told the woman at the well, now because you have experienced me.... go and sin no more.

I am blown away personally by how God wants me to know Him. How available He is to speak to me intimately at any time I quiet my soul and seek Him through His word.

Will 2013 be a time when you get to know God more..

experience Him advocating for you

and respond to Him as advocate by going and

sinning no more

Sin is a hard word to write about. No one likes to be called out on their sin. In my world, as well as the apostle John's, belief was paramount to experiencing God. In other words, might our lack of experiencing God be a result of some form of unbelief, known also as sin.

Even today I wrestled with unbelief regarding living my single mom life. 

Gently, the Father reminded me that although my life may be filled with good deeds and righteous acts, I struggle with belief that He will give me the desires of my heart regarding a mate.  The struggle to believe that He really is big enough to solve the dilemma of a single mom with five children is ongoing.

 Yeah, I know, it even sounds kinda lame here as I write. I mean He did part the Red Sea.

But I do struggle and my unbelief is sin. 

The beautiful reality though is that He has that sin covered and pleads on my behalf as my advocate in spite of my unbelief.

 He loves me enough to show me my sin, allowing me to confess and experience Him more fully.

My prayer  is that 2013 will be full of such times for you as well as me. And I would love to hear about them here.

Love,

Pam

The Danger of Comparison

The use of comparison can be helpful often when making big decisions....like purchasing a car, deciding on a college, or even what stereo system you want for Christmas.

However, as women, I know we often use comparison of ourselves to other women to measure how we are doing? This is especially true if someone comes upon some success. It is easy to wonder, "what am I doing wrong?"

Or on the other end of the spectrum, we see someone struggling and in comparison end up feeling pretty puffed up about ourselves who are making it fine in that arena.

I heard this advice once about comparing ourselves to others:

"When we compare ourselves to others we either end up with feelings of inadequacy or an air of superiority."

Here at Christmas we talk and hear about Jesus being the light of the world.

In 1 John 1:5-10, we find a healthy comparison of light and darkness, which indicates who God is.

Light

God is light...

when we walk in light we have fellowship with God

and we have fellowship with one another

and the blood of Jesus cleanses me from sin

Darkness

God is not darkness

When we walk in darkness we have no fellowship with God or one another

and we are in deception

and His word is not in this person

and we are in denial of sin

 we say they have no sin so truth is not in them

Won't you this Christmas season realize who God is..That truly He is the light of the world. 

And should you find yourself in a comparison mindset this holiday season, make sure you are comparing those things that make an eternal diference.

Blessings,

Pam

Complete Joy...How to have it!

The disciple John was passionate for those around him to walk in truth. We share that same passion. In the wake of a time when senseless tragedy occurs, we ask the question "why?"

I believe I will finish my life with the answer, "because someone did not the truth." This is not a post about Friday's tragedy, or mental illness, or guns, but about sharing the truth with others.

I do have opinions about all three areas, but I want to remain intentional about the truth of God's word.

I have found that knowing the nature and character of God as revealed through His word equips me to remain steady in the wake of tragedy or simply a hard place in life.

 In 1st John, chapter one, the disciple Jesus loved went even further to say, knowing truth would yield

COMPLETE JOY

Isn't that what we all want? Joy?

From verses 1-4 of chapter one:

As the disciples walked and learned from Jesus by spending time with Him and determining the truth...he is the WORD OF LIFE, we too can know Him better by spending time with Him.

As the disciples proclaimed Christ to others, we too can proclaim Christ to others.

Then the equation presents itself from the passage:

Spending time in God's word + Proclaiming God = 

Complete Joy

Tonight we will celebrate at Lacey's Spring United Methodist Church in Lacey's Spring, Alabama the giving out of God's word and the proclaiming of God through a sweet Christmas story and song.

I suspect we will all have complete joy by the time the night is over.

Each week Mom Heart Lacey meets to equip moms and children to know God through biblical storytelling, great children's literature, and practical life skills.

It is the desire of Mom Heart that no mother or child in our community ever feel alone or not know the truth of God's love.

Our gift tonight to the church is a way of saying "thank you" for opening your doors to our families for the giving out of truth each week.

If your life lacks joy, what changes will you make to spend more time with God and to proclaim Him through the gifts and abilities He has already given you.

Rather than wait for a New Year's resolution, decide to today to have more joy and take the steps to find complete joy.

Struggling with apathy, grace to you...ask God for a willingness to know Him more.

He has a wonderful way of coming to us as we are...come Lord Jesus.

Love and JOY,

Pam

Christ...the Model for Inspiration

Today, I have the opportunity to share online with hundreds or maybe thousands of mommas. I get to pass along who and what inspires me in my life. Find more at www.momheart.org about one of the many blessings of my recent trip to Uganda.

Would you consider today whom it is that inspires you. When you leave this person's presence you feel encouraged, refreshed, equipped, and finally inspired to go and do great things yourself.

If you do not have anyone presently inspiring you to greatness, would you ask the Father today to send someone your way to love and inspire you.

Then steady yourself because your world just might be turned upside down!

Love, Pam

For when you've done all you know to do and it still hurts

I know when I am under the weather, everything emotional is magnified. So I am trying to keep things in perspective.

However, today is a grief filled day. Not sure if it's because rain and leaves are falling. The trees are dying to winter. Could be because it's Veteran's Day. Although, my Grandfather's service is way before my time, I am mature enough to take in that countless lives have been given so I can write today in freedom.

I have done all I know to do to combat the grief. I have spent last night and this morning subduing my home....that is bringing it to productivity. I have moved furniture, swept, dusted....some...put away and thrown away.

Both last night and this morning I cooked home goodness for my boys, sweet neighbor Debbie, and John's friends who stayed overnight. Last night we had Santa Fe Soup and this morning scrambled eggs, pork chops, oven baked potatoes mixed with sweet peppers, and cinnamon sugar toast.

I even remembered to return the redbox movie.

I purposefully DID NOT listen to sad music, run the six month movie in my head of my once in a lifetime love, or dredge up memories of our last day or his sudden death.

Yet in spite of my best intentions, my body is filled with loss this day.

All I know is that what I cling to today is:

Come to me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my  yoke is easy and my burden is light.

I need a lighter burden......

A true story of poverty with a happy ending!

Sally and I in Raleigh in 2011

Today is my monthly time to share at www.momheart.org. I am sharing the spotlight with  my dear friend and mentor Sally Clarkson as she continues with "Mentoring Mondays". I am happy to say my story about "What Keeps Me Up At Nights" following Sally's post has a beautiful theme of redemption as our life group delivers beds and more this evening to this sweet family in need.

Thank you Melanie for finding the furniture on Craigslist...the calls, texts, etc...TIME

Thank you Jason and Doc for driving half an hour and loading up the furniture.

Thank you Jason Page and Jason Yepma for delivering and setting up the furniture.

Thank you Amanda and Sigrid for contributing sheets, blankets.

Thank you to the missionary on furlough who chooses to remain anonymous for hearing about this need and generously contributing toward this cause. What a pleasure it was to meet you.

Thank you God for the power of redemption and the sweetness to participate in your work.

Love, Pam