ForeverLOVEd

"I am  the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."  John 10:11 Have you ever been lost? My mom always recalls this story from her childhood when she wandered off from the uncle who was supposed to be watching her. She eventually made her way to safety when she ran into her grandma's friend, but that does not disregard the fact that for a period of time she was missing!  The story she recalls in her mind is a funny childhood memory. She never mentions being afraid or confused. And the experience for her was just a good story. For my grandparents who lost her, the memory I can imagine, is a little different. Panicked, horrified, frantic; I assume these are the emotions they remember when they think of this scenario. They see the part of the story that called for a speedy search. And the joy they felt when they were finally reunited with their sweet, red haired child.  More often than not, I think we can relate to the ones on the search. How m

And Jesus said to him,  “‘If You can?’  All things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 23:9 We have all seen them. In a crowded shopping mall, out walking on the street, in the middle of an amusement park on a hot summer day; parents who have their kids on leashes. I will not sugar coat by belief, leashes for kids may have been one of the world's worst inventions. Every time I see a parent, walking with their child as some sort of pet, I cringe.  I do not know when or where this strange concept became popular, but I am thankful to my parents who never found it necessary to keep me on a leash as a child. I have a problem with these leashes for one reason, they completely inhibit the growth of the child. For the most part, I think parents invest in and use them because they are too lazy to actually teach their child. The kid leash is a way of forcing your child to remain by your side without explaining to them why this is important or letting them explore the world around them. Y

Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Matthew 6:31-32 A stream of light flooded into the parking lot from the opened church door. After a busy day we were sweating, tired, and ready to head home to prepare for the week ahead. But this door caught our attention. In the midst of the chaos, we had forgotten to close up the church. We wearily made our way over the pavement and headed for the door. As the door began to hinge forward we saw, there in the back corner of the church, a man.  Alone. Dirt streaming down his face. Ratted hair. Piles of all he had on the pew next to him. This man, whether faithful or not, had found refuge there in the corner of our church. My friend gathered a bag of food for the man and passed it off gently. He was gracious. And we knew God had placed him so lovingly o

"It is right  for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart  and, whether I am in chains  or defending  and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." Philippians 1:7 People. They change us. Some make us stronger. Some makes us free. Some bring out the good in us. Some bring out our worse. But regardless of who they are or how we know them, people change us. On the eve of my 27th birthday, I cannot help but reminisce about all the people who I have encountered over the years. 27 years makes for a large amount of people. And I suppose it would be possible to recall only the people who had happy impacts on my life. I could simply remember those who made me smile or showed me love. But, as thankful as I am for those beautiful and special people, it turns out that one thing I have learned in all my many years of living is that regardless of how they change us, ALL people have an impact on our hearts.  No matter who they are or how lo

and as  the women  were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground,  the men  said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?" Luke 24:5  Pretty in pink. Bows. Dresses. And all that glitter. Unfortunately, the life of a girl is never that simple. Amidst the sweltering sun and Monster High dolls, I was reminded of the very harsh reality of life as a female.  What does it take to survive in this mean world of girlhood?  There were only four of the blue tinted Barbie-like dolls, and five girls at the table. As they all called dibs on which doll they would be, it was inevitable that someone would be left out. But what broke my heart was how MEAN the girls all became as they singled out one girl for not being a part of the group. They taunted her. Told her mean things. And even as she tried to join in with another doll, they teased her about how ugly it looked. They were six and seven year olds and had already learned a harsh reality of life, one that I hated that they