Our Labor in the Lord is NOT in Vain

I was talking on the microphone yesterday at the busy abortion center, beseeching moms to let us help them so that they would choose to let their babies live when someone tapped me on my shoulder. It was one of the moms I have worked with for a year now who chose life at this very abortion center.

Now, with her precious baby alive and well, she wanted desperately to join me on the sidewalk, speaking on behalf of the babies. So she surprised me, and showed up! She was fearless, telling her story, calling out to the moms, telling them she knew exactly what they were going through, but they should not kill their child!

I counseled several couples carside, and "L" was right with me, sharing her story. When I offered the couples the incredible range of help Cities4Life could offer, L told them, "She's not kidding. She gave all of that to me."

"Well not me...our Cities4Life network, but yes. We can and want to help you!"


FOUR mamas chose life. One dad chose Jesus, asking Jesus to be His Lord and Savior. Our team was joined by three completely new women who wanted to pray and minister to those desperate moms walking a path of destruction. We were all overcome by the power of God and that He uses US. 

But there was an even great miracle that happened, that due to privacy issues, I cannot share.

WHICH IS KILLING ME!!!

However, I am sitting on my hands with my mouth taped shut and will share just this. Someone was at the abortion center who thought she was showing up to help a woman abort. Instead, through utterly impossible, miraculous shift of events, including me being able to offer her the truth and hope of Jesus, she ended up helping a mom choose life!!!!!!

One day, I will tell this story, but for now I cannot. What I can say is that when we open our lives to the power of God, He can and will use us in ways we simply cannot begin to imagine.

Try it. You'll see.

Later that evening, I was texting my friend L to thank her for standing with us on the sidewalks and being such a fearless advocate for LIFE. As is usual with most of my conversations, we ended up talking about God. L is used to this. I have shared the Gospel with her many times, and she has been closer and closer to making a decision for Christ, but not quite there. On the sidewalk yesterday, I saw something different about her.

So now, I pointblank asked her, "So, you beautiful messenger of God, have you actually asked Jesus to be Lord of your life yet? You know I am praying for you."
"Truthfully, I haven't."
"Do you want to?"
"I want to."

I had not thought yesterday could get any better...but at that moment, as I prayed with my sweet friend to accept Jesus' free gift of eternal life, acknowledging that His sacrificial death on the cross paid the penalty for her sins, the day became suffused with so much glory, all I could do was fall down in worship.

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If you want to see the miraculous power of God day in and day out lighting a place where the power of darkness resides, join us. Click on Cities4Life for information.

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Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 

1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

When You're At the End of Yourself Go To The Source

Monday is here. The day when God always reveals Himself in miraculous ways as my Cities4Life team and I stand on the sidewalks of NC's busiest abortion center speaking about the sacred value of life. All life, BTW. The life of the babies, of the mothers, of the fathers, of the workers there, and even of the abortionists. All life is precious to God and He has sent us to the sidewalks with a purpose.

I woke up in the worst state of mind to be going to minister to others. I was angry. I had spent hours on the phone with Microsoft trying to solve a computer issue, and it was the third day in four days I have spent hours trying to solve the issue to no avail.

I prayed last night and asked God to please help me out here. But it was not a prayer filled with hope and expectation. It was a prayer filled with despair and frustration. Nice attitude, huh?

This morning I awoke to an email. It was from the creator of the troublesome program. He supplied a link that said, "Try this to solve the issue."

I clicked on the link. Within thirty seconds the issue was solved.

What a glorious symbol of the difference between trying to brute force struggle our way through life on our own vs. trusting in God, the One who created us! What is impossible for us is possible with God. All things are possible with God. What a glorious message for me to prepare to be God's emissary to the wounded, deceived, and sorrowful people I will meet today!
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Isaiah 43:18-19

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Philippians 3:12-14 

but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ****************
My new book about facing struggles WITH God is now available HERE. Please read, review, share, and be encouraged! He is with you and nothing is impossible with God!

A Reluctant Servant

Baby alive today because Cities4Life Volunteers were on Abortion Center Sidewalks

 
Yesterday, I co-taught my first Cities4Life training class for potential new sidewalk counselors at one of the busiest abortion centers in the Southeast. Just like I approach every new challenge, I accepted this one with grace and confidence. NOT!

I actually tried heartily to get out of it. Now I had a good excuse...at least a rational excuse. I had little time to prepare because I had just returned from a month with my mom in NY when she fell and broke her hip and elbow. I had no time or emotional energy to do anything but care and advocate for my mom. And furthermore, I was terrified of speaking in front of groups of people. Surely God was not calling me to do something that made me tremble with fear.

However, our Cities4Life fearless leader, Daniel, pointed out to me that my concerns about being inadequate, poorly prepared, and maybe not gifted to speak in front of others were the same excuses I'd bandied about when I first was wrestling with the decision to become a sidewalk counselor.

He was right.

Shortly after he chatted with me to talk me down from the ledge, I got several texts with photos of Bella, a little baby who is alive today because my Cities4Life team and I were on the sidewalk pleading with her mama that day to let her baby live.

Sometimes, we are called by God to do something, and we leap for joy and run headlong into the challenge. Not me. I almost always trudge in reluctantly. And then I discover that when I listen to God, I am filled with joy and He really does equip me for whatever He has called me to do.

If you are like me, ignore your fear. Get past your reluctance. Stop your kicking and screaming. And email me or click HERE for information. We could really use some help on the sidewalks. Little babies like Bella pictured at the top of this blog are silently beseeching us.
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Hebrews 6:10
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 

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My new book about facing adversity the RIGHT way is available HERE. A great gift for anyone struggling with terrifying diagnosis. Inspiring, and encouraging. And funny. Laughter is great medicine.

Trying To Help the Heron Mothers (and other moms) With a Spiritual Lesson

Again, NOT A SOUL out on the river but me. I don't get it. Gorgeous day, sunny and warm, and the river was empty. Along the river, the herons were lined up in their nests, claiming their territory. Some sat in very large and lavish nests. Others sat in  nests that only contained a few measly twigs.

Maybe you can tell  the heron's nest on the left is huge. That heron will easily have room for a baby heron. The heron's nest on the right would not hold a squirrel, let alone a nesting heron and her baby.
So I gazed at the nests wondering why the heron on the right was just sitting there. Why was she not gathering sticks and building her nest????

And if we want to really examine some sociological truths...why wasn't the heron on the left (who clearly had more than enough nest than she needed) offering to help poor paltry-nested heron on the right?

I am reminded of two verses. First,

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.1 Timothy 6: 17-19
In other words, if we are blessed with the resources to have a HUGE nest, God who gave us every resource expects us to share.

On the other hand, God also doesn't want us to sit around waiting for our generous neighbor to hand us her nest. Look at this verse:

The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. Proverbs 21:25

I was up at 5 a.m. yesterday, as I am most days. I  pledged to write a chapter a day in my book-in-progress so my dad can read a new chapter each day to my mom while she is recuperating from her broken hip and arm. Consequently, I have been rising early and immediately working on my book. I write a few hours before the sun is above the tree tops. I am astounded by how quickly my new book is developing. In fact, I may well finish the last chapter today. (So if you haven't read the first two books in the Unlikely Friends series, you better start now. Book Three will be out soon.)

Anyway, I had already worked several hours before I even ate lunch, which gave me guiltless time to race out to the river and kayak. That is how I found myself contemplating the plight of the herons.
"Herons," I told them, "I wake up every day, and the first thing I do is work a little bit on my book since I promised my mom I would send her a chapter a day. And here I am, and in no time at all, my book is almost DONE. Take my advice, you heron on the right with the paltry nest. Don't just sit there thinking you have two months till nesting season so you can just sit on your few twigs and take it easy. If you do a little each day, that nest will grow and you will be ready."

The heron ignored me.

"And you," I said to the heron on the left, "All smug and proud because your nest is far more than you need while all your sister herons around you sit on skeleton nests. If you would lift a finger to help them since you have the time, all of you would develop a thriving heron colony together!"

That heron also ignored me.

Oh well. I did my part. The rest is up to God.

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Along the lines of the principles I outlined to the herons, I work with a wonderful mom who chose life over abortion. She is striving bravely to make the life for her children better and has a great job, and wonderful goals. However, she just lost her car through a fault not her own. If you have a car in working order that you really don't need, please contact me at vickychooseslife@yahoo.com  .
You could truly change the outcome for this little struggling family.

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If you want to join me in helping moms choose life on the sidewalks of busy abortion centers. now is your chance! Saturday, 10-1 will be our Cities4Life frontline training session and yours truly will be one of the leaders! Click HERE for details.
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And BTW, struggles are an integral part of life. My latest book about facing adversity with an attitude empowered by God is a great read for anyone enduring trials. Purchase HERE.

I Am My Sister's Keeper....

My sister Wendy got a bunch of air vouchers after several bumped flights recently. Guess what she is going to do with them? She is flying me to Seattle to go cross country skiing with her! I cross-country ski about once a year, when Charlotte gets its annual 3" snowfall. I ski on the unplowed streets to the golf course which is full of wonderful hills and lovely wide open areas. It is a little different than skiing in the Pacific Northwest wilderness, but beggars can't be choosy.

The photo above is from several years ago when I brought my daughter Asherel to Seattle to meet up with Wendy and teach Asherel how to cross-country ski.  We had a wonderful time. At one point, we were skiing alongside fresh cougar tracks. Gulp.

Wendy loves to travel and could have done all kinds of great things with the travel voucher. I am immensely touched that she called and told me she wanted to use it to bring me out to Seattle to ski. It has not been the easiest past year -- first breast cancer, and then a month of huddling in frozen NY to help my Mom recover from a broken hip and elbow. Wendy has been very kind throughout, checking on me, and sending notes and little gifts of encouragement.

So I want to publicly apologize for scratching her with my long fingernails when we were kids. She deserved it at the time, but she has made up for it.

And to all you siblings out there. Love your brothers and sisters. Stay in touch. Contact them often. Tell them you love them. If your family doesn't have your back, who will? Your family is a gift from God. Get over your petty squabbles. God put you where He put you for a purpose, and I bet it isn't to scratch them with long fingernails.

Love you, Wendy!

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1 Timothy 5:8 

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Not Exactly How I Thought I'd Spend My Golden Years

In preparing for this weekend's Cities4Life Front Line training session, I reviewed the stories and pictures of some of the moms I work with who have chosen life over abortion.  Looking back over the past year of babies who'd been slated for death that instead, I was privileged to cuddle in my arms filled me with joy. I would never have anticipated that I would be spending my 'golden years' on the sidewalks of an abortion center... and loving it.

Don't get me wrong. I HATE abortion, and the entire fallacy of the "pro-choice" movement. But I love seeing lives transform before my eyes as God grips womens' hearts and they not only choose to let their sweet baby live, but they choose God. To play any part in this miracle is an incredible blessing.

God's ways are completely unexpected nearly all the time. It never fails that when sorrow threatens to engulf me, I get a text from a mama telling me how blessed she is to have met us on the sidewalks and to have changed her mind about her unborn child.

Yesterday, I got a text with a couple of adorable pictures from one of the mamas I work with, and she thanked us for all the clothes she'd received at the baby shower thrown by Cities4Life.

"All I've had to worry about are diapers and wipes. Thank you for all those clothes! Just know that you guys change lives."

Wow.

We don't change lives of course...God does. But He uses us if we let Him. What an incredible privilege and delight.

Join us. I will be a co-leader at the training session this Saturday and I hear there will be free donuts. Please register HERE. If you feel like your life is a little aimless, God may be calling!
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In case you missed it, my new book about facing terrible adversity with a secret weapon is now available HERE. It has one five star review. Will yours (please) be #2?

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Deuteronomy 28:1-68 

“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ...

Divine Encounters -- The Sacred Duty Before God

"You're talking to the wrong person," the 'pro-choice' escort said.
"I never talk to the wrong person," I replied.
I believe every encounter is a divine appointment, especially on the sidewalks of the Southeast's busiest abortion center. In fact, I spent a long time talking with her. It was a civil discussion, and while she said I would never change her mind, she listened as I pointed out the illogical stance of the pro-choice movement. We also discussed common ground. Aging parents. Medical and health struggles. Love of animals.

"I couldn't even step on ants as a child," I told her. "See...I value ALL life."
She, who is an animal lover, paused. She knew the inconsistency I was pointing out as she stood on the sidewalk in support of the legal slaughter of babies in the womb.

Her pro-choice friend came to 'rescue' her then. She wore a pink hat that said, "Stand for women rights; stand for human rights."

I pointed at her cap. "Rights for all women...except the little unborn girl babies? Right? Rights for all humans...except the humans in the womb?"

The pro-choice woman turned away. "If I wanted a conversation with you, I would have initiated it," she snapped.
"Okay," I said.

Three mothers chose life yesterday despite the presence of ten pro-abortion protesters who became so aggressive that we called the police when one jostled one of our team members. The police did not think the protesters stuffing their signs over ours or standing inches from our face was illegal activity, nor did they feel blocking our speakers with foam pads in an attempt to absorb the sound was illegal.  We had legally obtained the sound permit, but the police did not think attempts to block our sound transmission was violating our permission to broadcast.They did suggest our team member could press charges against the woman who jostled her so aggressively.

In the midst of the fracas, I got a text from a mom I work with who chose life over abortion. She sent me the picture of that precious little baby posted at the top of this blog. The sweet little girl was born yesterday morning, and the mama wanted me to see her right away. Cities4Life has helped her quite a bit, and she is very grateful. She said that life the past few weeks had been very difficult, but "I'm in good spirits today. I feel amazing and joyous, and looking at her, I know we'll be ok."

Amen!

While speaking on the mic, I did something I don't often do. I broke down and cried. I don't really know why but sometimes, the horror of a nation that seeks to justify the killing of babies fills me with so much anguish that I cannot contain it. I spent some time speaking with the woman in the picture below. She knew abortion was wrong. She believed in God and knew He would not approve. She took my literature with my name and number, but told me she needed to go to her appointment in the center anyway.

It was really comforting to look at the picture on my phone of the new little baby girl who safely entered the world. Later, the woman I had spoken to at length who knew abortion was wrong left the center and told us she had decided not to abort.

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Cities4Life will be hosting a training session this Saturday for anyone who would like to know how to spread a culture of life in one of the darkest places in our city - the abortion center. Please click HERE for information and registration.

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The mama who chose life whose baby is pictured in the blog is in desperate need of a car. If you have one to donate, please contact me at vickychooseslife@yahoo.com . This mama is facing dire circumstances, but willing to follow God despite her struggles.
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Proverbs 31:8-9 –

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

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Adversity is always in abundant supply. My new book on facing it with courage, resilience, and even joy is available HERE. Please download, review, and share!

Christ is a GAME CHANGER

Flip Benham Baptizing Jane Roe (Norma McCorvey)

I snapped the  photo below at the end of my long kayak trip down the Catawba. Those are herons sitting in their nests at the top of the trees across from my launch site. I only photographed one small section. There were at least 7 or 8 nests with herons in them. I asked the Marina manager if there were babies in the nests.

"Oh no, not till April."

So currently the herons are just lined up in their nests contemplating motherhood. They all look so eager!

Today is my volunteer day at the abortion center sidewalk where I will counsel the mamas to choose life over abortion. It is supposed to be a spectacular day, sunny and very warm, mid 70s. A beautiful day, but one that will be forever scarred in their hearts if they follow through with the abortion.

Norma McCorvey who was "Jane Roe" of the landmark abortion case Roe V Wade died last week. The case that legalized abortion was based on a falsehood. Pro-abortion forces lied that Norma had been raped and wanted an abortion but was unable to legally get one. (She had not been raped but it made the pro-abortion case more compelling in their eyes.) The case went to the Supreme Court, and ultimately began the brutal life of legal abortion in America.

Norma was "pro-choice"...but never had an abortion. She came to know Flip Benham who was very active in the pro-life movement, and ultimately, through Flip's love and perseverance, she came to know Christ.

Christ was a GAME CHANGER for Norma, as He is to so many of us.

She renounced abortion rights as anything a civilized people should ever do, and fought the rest of her life to remove the stain of abortion attached to her name.

When she came to Christ, Flip baptized her. The photograph of that moment as Norma came out of the baptism waters is at the top of this blog. What a victorious moment for both of them!

I have the immense privilege of working with Flip on the sidewalks of the abortion center. He always goes on the microphone and preaches a powerful call to the women to abandon the life of sin that imprisons them and come to the only hope we can depend upon: Jesus.

Our Cities4Life team will be ready to offer the mamas a huge assortment of resources and services so that they can more easily face the obstacles that caused them to consider abortion in the first place. Nothing we offer is more important than the truth and peace of Jesus.

I pray every woman there today will experience the incredible conversion of Norma McCorvey. I pray they will line up like the herons I saw on my kayak journey, awaiting and embracing motherhood with joy.
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2 Corinthians 5:17 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Galatians 2:20 

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

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My new book is out! It is about how facing adversity with Christ is a GAME CHANGER. This book is a great gift for anyone confronting a terrible trial. It will encourage and inspire you. Click HERE to order. (And I would relish your sharing this post, reading, and reviewing the book!)

The Diverse Methods by Which God Speaks

It's February, only two weeks from when the groundhog declared we should expect six more weeks of winter. But look! Here I am on the lake kayaking! I am praising God for the beauty of His world and the mild weather in the South. I was discharged this week from Physical Therapy after six months of a terribly painful 'frozen shoulder'. The PT's instructions: "strengthen it now."

There is probably no better strengthening exercise for my shoulder than kayaking. I doubt there is a better strengthening exercise for my spirit either! Not another soul was on the lake. There was no wind, so it was completely silent. It was absolutely the peace and quiet I needed to have a long conversation with God. Several pressing issues are on my heart, and there is no place where I feel His presence more strongly than in the peace and quiet of nature.

Each stroke of the paddle and rhythmical splash of droplets of water cascading back to the lake chanted I am with you, I will never leave you, I will give you rest for your soul.

While kayaking, I kept a close watch on time. I didn't want to stress my shoulder and end up back on the disabled list, so I told myself I would do no more than an hour of paddling even if I still felt wonderful. It was hard to force myself to shore when my hour was up. My arms felt great, and the peace and utter silence save for the dip and splash of the paddles was immensely comforting.

As I pulled my kayak out of the water, a Kingfisher flew right by me. Ironically, there was a plaque right in front of me at the time with a picture and description of a Kingfisher. I paused and thought about that name: king * fisher.  Jesus is my king and He is always fishing for lost souls. I watched the Kingfisher skimming the water's surface, seeking fish.

When I came home, I wrote a few thousand more words on Book #3 of my Unlikely Friends series. This one is flowing out of me, and if I keep this pace up, should be done easily within a month. Usually life intervenes, and my writing gets tabled, but I have a clear plot and am totally enjoying submersing myself in this fictional world.

I have created a bizarre story, but some of the most engaging portions to write are those where the heroine, Leah, grapples with her nascent understanding of God. She asks questions that I realize I don't know the answers to. Then I pause in my writing to do a Bible study and research to find an answer for her. My own understanding of God is enriched by the struggles of my fictional character who is haltingly coming to faith.

I am always amazed at the methods by which God reveals Himself. On a quiet lake in the dips of a kayak paddle. In the musings of a novel's heroine. In a bird searching for fish who hide, attempting to elude him.

How blessed I am to hear His voice in so many wonderful ways!
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Job 12:7-10

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Psalm 145:5 

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

Psalm 96:11-12

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy **************

God speaks even in the terrible, desperate times of our lives. In fact, it is then that I heard Him most clearly. I wrote a book about my experiences with God through the devastation of cancer. It is a book filled with joy and even laughter. It is brand new, and could use some reviews. I have been told that it is an encouragement to many going through difficult trials. Please find it HERE, share, and review! I would be very grateful.

The Love of Christ

As a sidewalk counselor with Cities4Life at the Southeast's busiest abortion center, my team and I endure many struggles. One of the the more aggravating ones is a group of "pro-choice" protesters. They have become particularly aggressive in the past couple of months. They block our legally sanctioned sound system with foam blocks, they follow us with cowbells or whistles drowning out our calls and offers of help to the abortion minded women, or they chant loudly right on our heels to try to distract and confuse us.

One of the most vocal and antagonistic has decided to call it quits. She had been the cause of many police warnings, and even the abortion center had grown weary of her tactics. One of our group members noticed that this woman had started a "Go-fund-me" money raising campaign on Facebook so that she could afford to return home, to a state quite a distance from here.

I was flabbergasted as I saw the donations pour in...from my friends and fellow Christians. Not one of the comments that accompanied the donation was unkind. Each comment was filled with genuine concern and love for this woman who had made our lives on the sidewalk miserable, and had likely  thwarted some conflicted women from choosing life for their babies. Every donor's comment pointed this woman to Jesus, with a little testimony of how much Jesus had changed his or her own life.

As I read the comments, I cried. This is what the love of Jesus looks like. We are commanded to love our enemies, and by so doing "heap hot coals on their head." I believe that verse means that the conviction of God becomes a burning mass in the heart and soul of the enemy such that he can no longer ignore the reality, the truth of God. This is how you change the culture. Not with hate. Not with violence. Not with threats. You change it with the love of Christ.

I could not donate much, given our extreme financial struggle with cancer and recent events in my life, but I felt I had to donate some. This woman has done untold damage to countless abortion-minded women and their babies...but she still has a soul that is loved by God and that He longs to reclaim. God is love, and I am made in His image.
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Luke 6:27 

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

Matthew 5:44 

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

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My new book about dealing with adversity with joy and even laughter (possible ONLY with Christ) is now available in print and e-book HERE. One woman battling cancer told me it totally changed her perspective as she faced devastating news. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

Eating an Elephant the Biblical Way

My mom is one of my most ardent fans of my writing. She loved my Unlikely Friends series and couldn't wait for Book #3 to come out. Then she fell, broke her hip and her elbow, and is in a pretty tough battle regaining her ability to walk. I was with her in (freezing!) NY for a month, and my sequel (Unlikely Rescue) was put on hold. Too much to do helping her settle into life in the Rehab hospital and too little emotional reserve left over to write.

My other siblings rearranged their schedules and were able to spell me so I came home. Immediately, I resumed work on Unlikely Rescue. Then I had a new plan based on my experience with Mom. I reminded Mom that she will progress, but it will be hard and she will need to persevere and be diligent in the therapies every single day. Step by step, she will soon be walking out the door. (Remember that line from the classic Christmas cartoon?)

"How do you eat an elephant, Mom?" I asked her.
She cocked her head awaiting the answer.
"One bite at a time."

I decided that I would mimic that advice in my writing goals. I would try to write her a chapter a day of my new book, and send it to Dad to read to her. Together, our story will unfold. Dad has been printing the chapters as I send them and told me she is loving them. I don't know if my creative muse will keep up the pace, but I am determined to try.

It's interesting that I am now reading the Biblical account of the Israelites entering the Promised Land with a very similar message. The Israelites do not settle the land all at once, but must slowly fight and displace the enemies of God who worship Baal and idols. This theme of a progression to victory is throughout the Bible. God only gives enough Manna for one day at a time. The Lord's prayer says: Give us this day our daily bread.

We all want victory instantly. Particularly when our health, happiness, or comfort is involved, it is excruciating to wait or to acquire what we so desperately need so slowly!

Patience is one of God's greatest attributes. Were He to lose patience with us, we would all be lost for all eternity in our sin. Instead, He patiently waits for us to come to Him. He tarries that not one of us should perish. We are made in His image. We too should be patient, knowing that what is promised will be worth the wait.

Our story is being crafted one chapter at a time. The end will be glorious, particularly when we have sought it so diligently and it has been so long in coming.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
22The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.  Deuteronomy 7:22

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My latest book about persevering with joy through trials is now available HERE. This is a great book for anyone who is struggling with adversity in life...like ALL of us.

A Tiny Voice Piercing The Evil Noise

While I was in NY caring for my mom with a broken hip and elbow, the pro-life group I work with, Cities4Life, had a memorial service for all the babies who have died since the Roe V Wade Supreme Court case legalized abortion. One of the mamas I work with who chose life over abortion agreed to speak at the service. Her child has become the light of her life. She is so adamant about choosing life over abortion that she has ministered at the abortion center sidewalk alongside me twice now, and recently talked a friend of hers into keeping her baby rather than aborting. She even helped engineer getting this mama the baby shower supplies Cities4Life offers for the first two years of the baby's life.

I was sad I could not hear her speak at the memorial since I was in NY, but I did watch a video. She was open and eloquent and sincere. Her message was simple. The child in the womb is precious and she is so grateful she didn't let her circumstances determine the child's worth.

There were many "pro-choice" protesters there. Do you know what they did to demonstrate the beauty of  'choice'? They flanked my friend while she tried to speak, shouting over her, and making noise to silence and distract her.

My pro-life friends formed a silent, praying wall around her and moved with her, encircling her as she spoke whenever the 'pro-choice' folk moved near. I don't have a good photo of that. I wish I did. My friend is behind the music stand as the pro-life people stand around her. Behind them, the people holding signs are shouting, shaking cowbells, and waving their signs trying to silence her message. It is a powerful image of the spiritual battle those fighting abortion wage.

Yesterday, I got a text from another Mom I work with who chose life over abortion. She wanted to know how I was doing, and she told me she would like to come out on the sidewalk of the abortion center one day with me, to speak against abortion.

Discouragement and bitterness could grow easily. Victories are so small when considering how entrenched the culture of death is in our society. Still. One voice at a time lifted in appeal to the simple truth that life is precious storms the gates of Hell. Even the tiniest light can pierce the deepest darkness.

To join the light that dispels this terrible darkness, please consider joining us at our Sidewalk Counselor Training session in Charlotte, Saturday, February 25. Click HERE for information.
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John 1:5 

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Zechariah 4:10

For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice

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My new book about Jesus shining in the darkness of overwhelming adversity is now available. Click HERE to order. Great gift for friends facing terrible circumstances or illness.

Healing

If you follow my blog, you know I was in NY for almost a full month caring for my mom who fell and broke her hip and elbow. Consequently, I missed a month of Physical Therapy for my frozen shoulder. I did try to do my home exercises most days, but only the bare minimum. I was too busy to handle more than that. I worried a little about what would happen without therapy, but it didn't matter. My mom's needs were paramount.

Today, I went back to PT for the first time in a month.
"How's the shoulder?" my PT asked.
"Look." I showed her my strangely improved range of motion. Despite no PT, my arm has near miraculously been healing.
"Wow," the PT said. "Do you think you need me any more?"
"Not really," I said.
"I agree!"

And so I am finally discharged from PT. My range is not yet fully restored, but it is close. I have no more functional restrictions. I called my Mom to tell her.
"See Mom, therapy works. When I first started rehab, I was sure I would never again be able to move my arm fully and without pain. Now I am discharged with nearly full range and no pain! Do not give up!"

God has sent me this message in countless ways over the past year, most significantly with my cancer diagnosis. A friend who is reading my new book about that year of trial and tribulation posted this excerpt from my book on Facebook. I had forgotten I wrote that, but I think it is valuable advice to many of us who are struggling with severe trials.

1. If you have learned to trust God in the small things, you have all you need to trust God in the harder things. In fact, in some ways it is easier to trust God in the hard things because you have NO DOUBT you cannot do it on your own power.
2. When taking a path you would never have taken on your own, you learn you can do things you never thought you would, or could do. Sometimes being forced to walk a road you would rather not walk is the only way you learn you CAN.
3. Every new step taken in faith brings unexpected blessings. The less familiar the path you are urged to travel, the greater the trust required, and the greater assurance you are guided by something greater than yourself.
4. There is immense contentment and joy that you submitted to HIS will, not your will, because the promise of what awaits at the completion is so glorious. "

I am glad I wrote this, because I agree with it! If we must go through trials, and the Bible promises we must, then I would rather go through them with a Godly perspective. He doesn't always choose to heal us of our struggles without any effort on our part, but I am really glad He decided that freezing in the NY winter was as frozen as I needed to be, and freed my shoulder.
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1 Peter 5:10 

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

James 1:12 

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

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To purchase my new book with its encouraging message of going through trials with hope, please click HERE. I would be very grateful if you would download, review, and share this book info with your friends. It would make a great gift for someone struggling with life.

If Only Someone Had Warned Me....

Three women chose life for their babies at the busiest abortion center in the Southeast yesterday, but it was a woman who aborted forty years ago that I believe God wanted me most to speak with. I flagged down her car as she left the abortion center, knowing she had been in there only briefly and hoping she had chosen to save her baby. I was going to offer her a lavish baby shower.

I saw immediately she was far past child bearing age. Tears were streaming down her face as she stopped her car by my side.

"You are so burdened," I said, "Do you need to talk?"
"I am mourning," she cried. "I had four abortions before I was 21. The first was in 1974. No one counseled me. No one tried to talk to me like you people out here today. So I was driving by this clinic, and I stopped. I wanted to tell the women in there, Stop. You don't know the pain you will endure."

Now she sobbed in earnest. I told her that I understood her pain, and I also know that God uses the intensity of our pain sometimes to help others.

"I imagine you were crying when you spoke to them?" I asked.
She nodded, now unable to speak at all in her anguish.
"I've been doing this three years now," I told her. "The first woman I counseled, all I could do was cry. She left, and texted me later to tell me how much I had helped her. She kept her baby. God uses our tears and our pain."
"I have to hug you!" she said, "I needed to hear this so badly today."

I gave her my name and number so she could call if she needed to talk.
"I don't understand why we endure so much pain in life," I told her, "But I do not believe any of it is meaningless. God can use all of it. He can use your pain and transform it to help heal others."

Her message resonated with me as I spent the next several hours on the sidewalk calling out to the women on an appointment with death.

No one was there to counsel that poor lady I'd hugged, and her grief even forty years later overwhelms her. I will warn these women.

If you would like to join us, our wonderful pro-life ministry is hosting a training session Feb. 25 at 10:00.  In fact, I will be one of the leaders. I am not a speaker, but I have been urged to take this on, so despite my fear, I will be there.

Will you?

http://charlotte.cities4life.org/cities4life-frontline-training-101/

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Proverbs 31:8
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute

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I sent my new book to a Facebook friend who is facing cancer treatment. She just downloaded it and told me she read a good chunk of it before her doctor appointment. The news was not what she wanted to hear, but she said the message in my book helped her deal with the news with optimism. THAT is what God can do with our pain. He can use it, as He uses all things for the good of those who love the Lord, who have been called according to His purpose.

To purchase my new book or gift it to a struggling friend, click HERE.

(PS- the book is #18 right now...would love to see it hit #1 today...) Please share!

How Will You Respond in the Face of Adversity?

Charles Spurgeon said, The crucible of adversity is a less severe trial to the Christian than the refining pot of prosperity. Oh, what leanness of soul and neglect of spiritual things have been brought on through the very mercies and bounties of God! 

I get what he is saying, but oh, how I long for the crucible of adversity to be a little less adverse sometimes!

After almost an entire month of caring for my mom in NY after her terrible bone-breaking fall, I am home again. I stopped off en route home to see my dear son Matt and his very caring wife who pampered me with homemade manicotti. Then Sunday afternoon, I drove home and hit an awful traffic jam. I was exhausted, darkness descended, and traffic was at a near stand-still for an hour.

I cried out to God to clear the lane, let the traffic flow at 70 mph again. Let me go home. I literally shed tears, because the month of emotional stress had drained me to the core. I just wanted to be home, sleeping in my own bed.

Finally, the line of slowed cars crawled by the source of their inconvenience. A tractor trailer was upended in a ditch. Damaged cars were nearby. Dozens of police officers and firetrucks were there.

My focus shifted.
"Lord, forgive me. I pray for the drivers and passengers in those vehicles. I pray they are all okay."

This morning, despite a huge pile of work, laundry, unopened mail, and a month of neglected duties, I will head to the sidewalks of the abortion center to speak on behalf of the unborn babies. I have seen that our Cities4Life teams have faced nasty tactics from the "pro-choice" protesters. They have blocked our sound system, taunted us, and tried to drown us out and block our message.

It is not pleasant, but I know that God cannot be thwarted. Job 42:2 says: I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Isaiah 14:27 says: For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
Proverbs 19:21 reasserts: Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. 

We WILL face adversity, but that doesn't mean God has been derailed. God's purposes WILL prevail.  In the face of that truth, we have a choice. Adversity will come to all, whether we choose it or not. Ultimately, we can join God, despite the pain and struggle of life, or we can oppose Him. One will lead ultimately to abundant eternal life, the other to eternal despair.

I choose life.
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My new book about this very topic is available on Amazon in both print and ebook format! Click HERE to order your copy. Despite the serious subject, it is a funny book, and filled with encouragement to those who face serious trials. You could be the FIRST to provide a review! Please check it out and feel free to share far and wide.

Fighting for Those Who Can't Fight for Themselves

I awoke to six inches of snow in lovely Owego NY.  This little historic, charming village is even more beautiful in the snow, but it sure messes up my plans for the day. Mom is in a rehab facility where I have voiced multiple concerns. Since I am her advocate, I will speak up, despite knowing that the staff cringes when they see me coming. She is weak, traumatized, and hates to rock the boat -- a gentle woman who would just as soon suffer than make others do their job.

Not me. I am here for at least a month with the goal of transforming elderly care in this community. I have observed so many aides and workers walk in to my mom's room scowling, annoyed, and treating her as though she were a sack of potatoes rather than a lovely, sweet woman who deserves the dignity and respect every human being deserves.

So I am vocal. At one point, walking down the hall with my dad, I lamented how frequently we have voiced the same concerns to no avail. "I just don't think they are going to listen."

A cleaning woman overheard me. No doubt, she knows what goes on behind the scenes that many of the residents' families don't know.
"Yes they will," she told me, "You are your mom's advocate. Keep complaining until you find the right people to complain to. They WILL listen."

Buoyed by this vote of confidence, I did just that. I know the rehab center staff cannot stand the sight of me. I am a bulldog and will not let up. I have been up and down the hall to the nurses' station dozens of trips each day. Hate me...but don't hate my mom who cannot defend herself.

Yesterday, many of our concerns were clearly being addressed. Today I have a meeting with all the department heads so that a cohesive plan for my mom will be put in place. I intend to intercede not only for my mom, but for all the residents who don't have family with them to be their advocate. I am thrilled this is happening...except there is all this snow and a half hour drive between the facility and me.

As I wait for the snow to be cleared, I consider how similar this fight for my mom's care and safety mirrors the work I do as a sidewalk counselor at one of the busiest abortion centers in the Southeast. I speak up, along with the other members of our Cities4Life team for the rights of the unborn. We plead with the babies' parents that they would have mercy on their child. I read today of one of my fellow counselors who called out to a dad walking the mom in to the center where they would kill their child. Finally the counselor shouted, "Come beat me up. Hurt me instead of your baby!"

This is the cry of Jesus.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

In the end, my friend was surprised and delighted to see the young couple leave the abortion center. They stopped to tell him they did not abort.

Mom's aide came in smiling yesterday, saying, "Hello Sunshine!"  Her dour and clearly bored therapist was replaced with a compassionate and excellent one who encouraged my mom, and gave her enough assistance that Mom thought maybe she could do this.
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 Proverbs 31:8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

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My new book which parallels my skirmish with breast cancer with my work as a pro-life counselor on the sidewalks of the abortion center is out now in both print and ebook format. To purchase, click HERE.

Life is Sacred - the Beginning, the Middle, and the End

When I was not yet a believer in Christ and young, I thought abortion was a justifiable choice, old people were a hindrance, and trying to prolong life-curing expensive diseases was lunacy.

I came to know Christ and everything changed.

Now, I fight for the rights of the unborn on the sidewalks of the Southeast's busiest abortion center, am going on a month of staying with my mom and fighting for humane and kind treatment of all the elderly who are bewildered  and dehumanized in long-term nursing facilities, and endured my own battle with breast cancer costing almost $200,000 when all was done.

The Bible is clear. Human life is sacred. From the moment of conception to the moment of death, God leaves us no room to think otherwise. We are to revere and respect the aged. We are to honor all human life which alone is made in God's creation. We are to nurture and care for the innocent children in and out of the womb, given as a blessing of God. Circumstances should never dictate the clear value God places on human life.

This doesn't mean circumstances for the young, the middle, and the old are not unbearable at times. They are. However, after my own battle with cancer, I discovered the truth of God's presence in the midst of those unbearable times is more real than ever.

He who created us is the author of life, and it is to Him we should submit through the bright mornings, and the waning twilight of our earthly sojourn.
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I would be so grateful if you would check out my book on Amazon, which is available in print and ebook format. Please feel free to share, and write a review when you finish! It is a testament to the sacred value of life and the joy that God provides even along the darkest paths. Click HERE.
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Jeremiah 1:4-5 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Isaiah 49:1,5  Listen to me, O coastlands,  and give attention, you peoples  from afar.    The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name… And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him—for  I am honored in the eyes of the LORD,  and my God has become my strength.

Psalms 22:9-10 Yet you are he who  took me from the womb;  you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts.  On you was I cast from my birth, and from  my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Injustice is SO NOT FAIR

It is 74 degrees and sunny back home in Charlotte. Meanwhile, I face a freezing wintry mix of icy rain here in NY. I am here in the freezing icy rain on an errand of mercy. My poor Mom fell and broke her hip and elbow and is now going through some very arduous rehab. I am her cheerleader, and assistant, as well as advocate, making enemies of every incompetent aide that goes near her. I am not mean, trying always to exemplify my Lord, but I will not let them compromise the health, safety, or recovery of my Mom.

But that is not the point. Keep in mind the sunny image of where I would otherwise be abiding and now add this to the wintry mix. My car has been in the shop FOUR times since arriving here in frigid NY three weeks ago. The last visit two days ago was to clean the headlights inside and out that were nearly completely opaque due to gunk, tree-sap, and age. Now fast forward to my drive home at twilight last night, back to my brother's house where I am staying for this indeterminate length of time visiting Mom. A cop followed me, then turned on his flashing lights.

Surely he wasn't after me. I never speed, I drive carefully, and I abide by the spirit and letter of the law. Then he put on his siren. I pulled over. I kept my trembling hands on the wheel, knowing my hubby says never let your hands move out of the cop's sight.

He knocked on the window and I lowered it, carefully removing my hand from the wheel.
"License and registration," he said.
I was too scared to ask what on earth he was stopping me for. Instead, I fought back tears.
As I fumbled for my license, he told me, "You have a front headlight out."

I forgot my fear, and instead considered the injustice of the universe.

"You are kidding!" I cried, "I JUST had my car in to Precision Auto for work on the headlights. That's after my windshield washers froze twice, and my battery died, and I had to bring it in four times, all because I am here to care for my poor mother who fell and broke her hip and elbow three weeks ago."

I batted tears from spilling over. Surely this officer who upholds justice would recognize the injustice of writing me a ticket.

"I have to issue a ticket, Ma'am," he said, but it was with gentleness in his voice. "You just bring this to Precision Auto, have them fill it out, and fix your light, and then send it here" (he pointed to an address) "and there will be no fine and no points on your license."

I nodded, and thanked him.

The Bible tells us God is perfect in justice. Where is the justice in this? If this is all a reward for my love and care of my mother, I am missing something.

Now don't get your theological panties in a wad. There are some things I know to be true. God is perfect in all things, including justice. He gives us a deep sense of indignity when justice is NOT served here on Earth. (As I have personally felt to the utmost on this visit to this icy North.) But the Bible promises that there will be a day of reckoning. That is good. The bad news is every one of us will be found wanting when the heavenly scales are brought to the Pearly Gate of the Heavenly Courthouse. Every one of us deserves a "ticket" for our sins, and the penalty for sin is DEATH. So we who clamor for justice should keep this in mind.

Fortunately, God is not only perfect in justice, but also in mercy. He has provided perfect justice, where the full penalty of transgression is paid, and perfect mercy where we are not eternally in deep trouble. In His mercy, He gave us his Son, Jesus, who paid the penalty we owed. ALL we have to do is agree to hand Him our "ticket" which He will pay in full, and then dedicate our life to His control. Win/win.

1. Micah 6:8 He has made it clear to you, mortal man, what is good and what the LORD is requiring from you— to act with justice, to treasure the LORD’s gracious love, and to walk humbly in the company of your God.
2. Isaiah 56:1 This is what the LORD says: “Be just and fair to all. Do what is right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you and to display my righteousness among you.
3. Proverbs 18:5 It is not right to acquit the guilty or deny justice to the innocent.
4. Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
5. Proverbs 17:15 He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

Give Thanks in ALL Things??????

It was 4 degrees when I went on my morning run before heading to the rehab center Saturday to be with Mom. 4 degrees. Who chooses to live in a place where it is 4 degrees???? Notice the Susquehanna River behind me in the picture above is filled with ice floes. Who chooses to live in a place where the river freezes???

On the other hand, Mom's rehab room was toasty warm. So toasty warm that I was sweating a bit. Mom had a rough day on Friday. Her arm cast was removed, staples pulled out of both her hip and arm, and then a new splint put on the elbow. It was a long and very hard day, with a lot of pain involved. She was exhausted.

But Saturday dawned with a bright blue sky and sparkling sun, and despite being only 4 degrees, was a much better day for Mom. For the first time since the terrible fall and broken hip and elbow, she was able to shift her weight in the chair with minimal help from me. She could independently operate the TV, and the recliner with her non-dominant uninjured arm.

"Look at you!You are the captain of your fate; the master of your soul!" I exclaimed,  quoting the poem Invictus. Now I feel this is a dead wrong philosphy in direct contrast with the message of the Gospel, but I knew she would understand the reference and laugh. She did.

My sister sent her a copy of The Daily Bread, which surprisingly, Mom is allowing me to read to her each day. The scripture for Saturday's study was the following:

1 Thessalonians 5:18 

  ...in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

She listened but did not comment. I wondered how she would process this message in the midst of her very difficult circumstances. It is not easy for seasoned Christians to give thanks in the midst of terrible times, let alone someone who is not certain God even exists.

I asked her if she had ever read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. She had not. So I told her the premise of the story, how Corrie and her family had a secret room where they hid Jews escaping Hitler until the day the entire family was caught and arrested. Corrie lost all her relatives to the death camps. She survived. 

One of the chapters of her book exemplified 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Corrie's area of the camp was filled with fleas. There were so many fleas that even the guards rarely entered that portion of the terrible camp. This gave Corrie the ability to run Bible studies and bring the hope of Christ and eternity to the prisoners of that desperate place. She said she never thought she would thank God for a flea infestation, but she did. 

It is very hard to have an eternal perspective when we are in the midst of struggle, but without it, I know I could not survive the very rough patches in life. In fact, I wrote an entire book on this concept which is due out any day. My year of breast cancer diagnosis, surgery, and treatment was a big lesson in how to apply 1 Thessalonians 5:18 when circumstances are hardly what you could imagine ever thanking God for. 

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The Miracle of Friends To Encourage Us: We Do Not Face the Battle Alone

 

 

 

 

8The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

10So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. (Exodus 17: 8-13)

 

Today is "Friends Day" on Facebook. We are to celebrate friends. This is fitting for the situation both me and my mom find ourselves in. My Bible Study today was the above passage from Exodus. In summary, when the Israelites were entering the Promised Land, they had to fight to displace the idolatrous people who currently occupied the land. God promised to be with them, but this passage is very interesting.  He secured the victory through Moses holding up the staff of God with upraised arms. When Moses held his arms high so all could see the staff of God, the Israelites were winning.

Moses grew weary, and his arms drooped. Every time he lost strength, his army began to lose the battle. His friends, seeing poor Moses exhausted and unable to hold up his arms himself came to his side and held his arms up for him.

My mother stood and took her first real steps since breaking her arm and hip two weeks ago. She could not yet do it alone, but with the help of the therapists, she was able to walk again. As she sat back down exhausted, I asked, "How did that feel?"
"Gratifying," she said.

On my way to the rehab center yesterday, my car's windshield washers stopped working...again. This is the second time this trip to the frozen tundra of NY to help my mom that they have stopped working. With the salt/mud/dirty snow encrusted roads, a thin film of smeared mud soon obliterated all hope of seeing the road. I was driving nearly blind. This comes on the tail of my car battery going completely dead in the cold two days ago. I must admit, I was feeling discouraged.

Lord, is it not enough that I am here going on three weeks to help my folks? Must my car keep being a thorn in my side and a worry as well?

I made it to the rehab center, and my Dad insisted on taking my car to his trusty mechanic for a thorough overhaul. He would not have me endangered again, and wanted to be sure the old car who cannot stand the cold anymore than I can would be safe and fit for driving northern roads.

A poorly routed washer cable was rerouted so it will not fail me again, and newly cleaned lenses on the headlights will be scoured today. They were losing 70% of illumination. NO wonder I can't drive and see at night!

Mom has been receiving cards daily from friends and family. I get daily emails and texts from friends and family.  God could provide miracles of healing to mom and to my car. Instead just as He did for Moses, He provides the miracles of loving friends and family. 
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Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.