Love Test- Real Love

One of my dear friends has saying "It's just a love test" I have always agreed and been influenced by the way she loves as women of God. I want to choose to always love you and others. I need love myself.

 What is REAL LOVE?  Love in fullness-complete 

How does it behave?
Psalm 119:41-48
Let your love, GOD, shape my life with salvation, exactly as you promised; Then I’ll be able to stand up to mockery because I trusted your Word. Don’t ever deprive me of truth, not ever— your commandments are what I depend on. Oh, I’ll guard with my life what you’ve revealed to me, guard it now, guard it ever; And I’ll stride freely through wide open spaces as I look for your truth and your wisdom; Then I’ll tell the world what I find, speak out boldly in public, unembarrassed. I cherish your commandments—oh, how I love them!— relishing every fragment of your counsel.

Psalm 85:10-13
Love and Truth meet in the street, Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss! Truth sprouts green from the ground, Right Living pours down from the skies! Oh yes! GOD gives Goodness and Beauty; our land responds with Bounty and Blessing. Right Living strides out before him, and clears a path for his passage.

What Does it Look like? 
Colossians 3:12-14
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

In his love- he died- suffering for us an unimaginable death. It was sacrificial, painful, perfect love, planned out in advance. This was a response to an ultimate plan for salvation.
RESPONSE- What is our response to his love for us and yet to love others.We need love.  
Love works-Love heals- Love delivers- Love set's free- Love meets up truth and justice.
It's received by us and we should in response give it out. 

Perfect-complete-Love was the greatest story ever. Our salvation story. Let's watch for our Love test this day and prayerfully respond to love one another thru the hard times. Believing that Love will heal and do it's perfect work.

A Promise for us, our children, for all

^{Listen closely to the words of the Peter in this passage~ Jesus was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands. YET death was no match for him.}

^{We can know and walk in the circumstance's that come our way with a complete joy. 
When in the hour/day of hurt, betrayal, confusion, challenge, hardship, loss, setback, or trial.}

^{Be reminded that: We are not hopeless- He does not reject or abandon
 We are secure- He is mighty to save-  We do not have to doubt-}  

 ^{Acts 2: 25-28} 

 For David says in regard to Him, I saw the Lord constantly before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken or overthrown or cast down [from my secure and happy state]. 

Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly; moreover, my flesh also will dwell in hope [will encamp, pitch its tent, and dwell in hope in anticipation of the resurrection].

For You will not abandon my soul, leaving it helpless in Hades (the state of departed spirits), nor let Your Holy One know decay or see destruction [of the body after death].

You have made known to me the ways of life; You will enrapture me [diffusing my soul with joy] with and in Your presence.

Mothering a special needs child- A Unique Journey

I have been mothering for Thirteen almost Fourteen years now. Tommy came along and has brought great challenge and learning to our family and my mothering. He was born with a genetic disease called Russell Silver's Syndrome. Several years ago I found myself in fetal position on the floor tears flowing for hours. I did not know how to do this- There was no manual for navigating (at the time) No-one understood or could help me with this tiny little boy that was not growing. Navigating the health doctor's, school, disability needs, relationships all alone had run my normally outgoing self to a weak, depleted puddle on the floor. Crushed- weak- alone- exhausted.

There I was alone, fearful, exhausted, and wandering "Does anyone understand this pain".......
A familiar Psalm came to me in this state,  I grabbed my bible and asked Jesus to touch my broken heart.  Mom's of these wonderful children with unique challenges that come with rare disease and the many syndromes have a custom made journey.  It is isolating, hard, unique, completely different mothering adventure. (my oldest is 13, our middle is 12, and Tommy is 7)

Later in the day- A renegade special needs mom came along to dust me off- Understanding the pain
Within a week another renegade mom hand wrote me a letter that sits in my bible for bad days. It is the only hand written letter I have gotten in 7 years.  She too understands the hard days. We need one another in life and on our journey. The shared life reminds of his life and the hope we have in him. Personal- Love extended- Real- Painful- and Sacrifice.  My very personal relationship with Jesus and the one's called to help me in hard hours give me hope that we can win the fight and he is with us.  He knows what we need and if we open our hearts to him- He knows and understands- and there are others to life our arms and cheer us on. 

In our pain:
Psalm 73:16
But when I considered how to understand this, it was too great an effort for me and too painful
Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].

We can trust him

 Praise the Lord, O my soul! Psalm 146

 While I live will I praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have any being.

 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help.

 When his breath leaves him, he returns to his earth; in that very day his [previous] thoughts, plans, and purposes perish.

 Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is he who has the God of [special revelation to] Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God,

 Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,

 Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets free the prisoners,

 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those upright in heart and in right standing with Him).

The Lord protects and preserves the strangers and temporary residents, He upholds the fatherless and the widow and sets them upright, but the way of the wicked He makes crooked (turns upside down and brings to ruin).

 The Lord shall reign forever, even Your God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Our God lifts us on the fallen days. Plants hope in the place of disappointment. Strengthens our hearts and hands. Sends a word in season to say "This is my Salvation way walk in it" He sees all wronged and puts a stop to dishonest ways and speech. He upholds us, puts a song in our heart to KEEP us. Trustworthy, secure, all loving, steadfast, all knowing, and faithful to each of us. Don't give up~
Lissa+

Partnering in the Growing

I am listening to  Beth singing in the shower in our hotel room. She is singing a worship song- Then she just switched to her solo for tomorrow. She turns 13 next week. I have many emotions and thoughts stirring as we pull away this weekend to compete. As she continues to "find herself" - this mom has pride and awe as she navigates.Yes, we have our frustrated moments also as she "changes".

As we drove here I chatted with her favorite teacher who runs the Junior Thespian group after school out of commitment. The program used to be a class and much larger and year after year it has faced it's cuts. I was glad for the chance to connect with her as I was super impressed with her passion and commitment. There was something about her soft, gentle, creative spirit. I was not surprised when I found out she attends BUMC
and is going on her first mission trip in July.
We have many common people who cross over our lives.

I want Beth to thrive as she sings, I want her to glorify God with the gifts he has given her. When she steps on the stage something comes alive in her. I have spent many a nights praying for her to fear, honor God, and be confident in who she is in Christ as she grows into who she is called to be. The teenage years are rough. The conformity and peer pressure is very real and daily a battle for our kids. I ma grateful for our  OPEN and HONEST love, respect and relationship. Today I saw who she is observing and gleaming from the people around her. (Mrs Richards) and others. Gretchen, Tiffany, Val, Heather, Kathleen, Aunt Sarah.I am grateful for these people partnering with us.

I am a proud mom. I want my kids to be celebrated in all they do. Life is short and everything they do is steps in growing them on their journey. So tomorrow as they all perform... I pray that my girl shines his love, his gifts, and grows in this new season of her finding herself in these years. Pray for her to shine for him. Hugs XXXooo Mama Lissa