Fifty Shades of Red

Confession: As a tween I was introduced to romance novels. I am talking about Julia Garwood, Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts and the like. Books very similar to the daytime soap operas on the standard channels. No where near appropriate for a 10-13 year old to read. I was a ferocious reader (still am to a degree) and could read 3 to 4 a week.

Now, romance novels were not the only books I read, I read Little Women, Jane Eyre, Edgar Allen Poe, and many others. So a varied assortment, but should I have read the romance novels? As an adult, looking back, the answer is absolutely no. The books I read very easily effected my perspective on romance, sex, and relationships. The books, with their fictional story lines, some highly improbable, with unrealistic outcomes changed how I viewed life. Will I allow my daughter to read such books while she is in my house? No, not at all. 

2011, the year that the first book of the Fifty Shades trilogy came out. My husband and I were married. I remember the book came out while I was in the midst of a ladies bible study group at church. The book came up after our main session while we were split into small groups. Amongst my group of varied ladies (backgrounds, education, age, stage of life) not a single one of us wanted to read the book, and in fact many of us were appalled. 

Were we being prudes? Maybe. But what had us appalled was the number of God fearing women we knew who were fanning over the book. Mothers, Bible study leaders, women we respected -  were excited about this book trilogy. A trilogy based on debased sexual perversions, that glorifies sexual/mental abuse, and highlights an ungodly/immoral relationship.

Many of us asked amongst our selves, and to the ladies who were excited about the books this question: what is the difference between the trilogy and porn? To those we asked, many thought we were being overly dramatic, that there was no connection. Porn they said was degrading to women, and nasty men watched it. They got very defensive and deflective. But there is no difference. Both porn and that trilogy degrade women, make light of the foundation God implemented for sex, and changes how the individual partaking in its message views romance/sex/life.

As with our culture, if a book goes against God, glorifies an "alternative lifestyle" and is successful monetarily, movies are made! Just recently the third movie was released and has been a roaring success according to the media news outlets. It has had a $33 million launch and is a box office success. 

What does this say about our society? That fact that these books and movies are so successful does not speak well about the moral temperature of our culture and society. 

Ladies if you have read this trilogy and seen these movies, I HOPE and PRAY that the Holy Spirit convicts you and you become Fifty Shades of RED! Be embarrassed. God created sex, He knows what is best and how it works best: within a marriage, built on the foundation of faith. God knows how love works, He created it and defined it!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails

And also remember this, God's plan for marriage:
Ephesians 5: 22-33 (Marriage Like Christ and the Church)

22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.


25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Ladies, we are the moral lighthouse of our homes. We have a heavy influence on our children and their upbringing. Our children see what we do, and what we do is what they will do. Let that sink in on every level - how you dress, how you eat, how you serve, how you spend your leisure time. Women with daughters, I feel this is even more so relevant to us. Our daughters want to be us (at least my 5 year old does a this point). She wants to dress like me, do her hair like me, she asks to wear my lip stain - she wants to be my mini me. How I act in front of her, what activities I partake in, she is soaking in like a sponge. Our sons are influenced by us also, but their father will be the bigger influence in their actions and ambitions. Women usually are the glue that holds their families together, or tears it apart. 

Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands

Let us all be the wise woman.

Praying for a Hard Person in the Call for Life

Do you know this woman? Do you know who she is? What her profession is?

Cecile Richards

If you are apart of the pro-life movement, or even follow it remotely, you know who she is. 
Cecile Richards. Since 2006 she has been the president of Planned Parenthood. Later this year she plans to step down from that position. Now that does sound like a reason to celebrate, especially if it meant that Planned Parenthood was finally shut down. But alas, no she is stepping down to further her ambitions as a writer. Her book, "Make Trouble," has the tag line of, "Standing Up, Speaking Out, and Finding the Courage to Lead."

I do not like who this woman is or what she "stands" for. I believe it is an absolute sign of the depravity and fallenness of this world when a woman leads an organization known for murdering millions of babies before birth. Thirteen months ago my husband and I lost a child, just weeks after finding out we had conceived. That time was hard. We cried, I yelled, I begged, I prayed, I pleaded with God - save Charli. It was not to be. Barely 3 weeks after discovering we were pregant with #3, we lost our sweet baby. And we have mourned - not always the prettiest or even the nicest, but thirteen months later, we have come out stronger together. As much as I could, I fought to save that life, that baby.

If you are friends with me personally, or follow the Facebook page for this blog (link), you know that a week ago, my husband and I found out that once again we are expecting #4. I am just barely 5 1/2 weeks pregnant, but pregnant is pregnant. Something my OB noted on the medical portal has irked me, "Very early pregnant." Maybe the hormones (which are doubling like they need to) have me sensitive, but "early" pregnant? That seems like double speak to me. I am sorry, but you are either pregnant or you are not. Not just a little pregnant or a lot pregnant. Pregnancy is an absolute. Yes you are. Or no you are not.

The woman above, she thinks, no, believes to her core, that I have every right to get rid of this child if:

• it is not convenient to have a baby right now
• to call my baby a lump of cells if the notion of aborting a "baby"is offensive
• if there is something "genetically" wrong with my fetus, by all means get rid of it
• that what I am carrying inside me isn't a baby, it is a lump of cells, or at most a fetus, but not a human being worth the dignity of having someone fight for it.

She is a mother and that baffles me to the core. How can a woman who has children fight for women to murder their own? 

I digress. I am not here to judge her, that is God's job. My job and your job is to pray for her. But not only her. She is stepping down from the butcher shop. She is going to be replaced. People have been selected to head the committee to replace her. My conviction is that her replacement will be more depraved, more inhuman than she could even imagine. Evil doesn't tame its self, evil doesn't dilute it's poison, it ramps it up. Evil spreads like cockroaches. 

Since Roe v. Wade (1973) over 50 million babies have been murdered. The blood of our land has been polluted by the murder of our young. They are crying for justice, and some day soon God will avenge them. Until then, until the Rapture, you and I need to pray. But not just for our friends, community, pastor's, loved one's. We need to pray for people like Cecile Richards and those like her. 

Matthew 5:43-48  (NASB)
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

If you are pro-life, a defender of God's creation, Satan and his ilk, those he uses for his wickedness will persecute you. Mrs. Richards was recently reported as saying, in response to President Trump wanting protections for Christians apposed to abortion who are in the medical field, she wants them to not have any protection, but be forced to give the abortions.

Brothers and Sisters, join me in prayer. We need to pray for the unborn, for the women who are at risk of manipulation of murdering their own child, pray for the individuals who are on the committee to replace Mrs. Richards, pray for her. Let heart's be changed, lives be saved. I leave you with some verses to pray for the situation at hand.

• 1 John 4:4 Dear children, you belong to God. So you have won the victory over these people, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 
• 2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen
• Proverbs 1:33-34 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
• Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life; one will sleep at night without danger. you and guard you from the evil one.
• Proverbs 12:21 No harm comes to the godly, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
• Ecclesiastes 8:5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.
• Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
• Psalm 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
• Psalm 9:9-10 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.
• Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Something about a Daughter

Us after Sunday rest 2/4/2018

My daughter is 5 years old, going on 30. It is scary, let me tell you. Raising a girl in this generation has my heart skipping beats quite often. Her life is so much different than what mine was at her age. She has more security, a better foundation in faith, a solid home life, and a plethora of family and friends that are pouring into her.

She has friends, so many friends, boys and girls. She is a delight. Life with her is not dull. She is into dolls, princesses, bugs, coloring, and reading. She is a delight. And headstrong too! Molding her into the godly woman Christ intends for her to be is trying at times. It is not a simple one prayer and done. It is a constant molding. She is clay on a potters wheel, and my husbands hands and I are shaping her the best we can. I am glad I am not at this alone. That her teachers, our friends, our family, our community are working together, praying together to help her. I am proud of who she is becoming. I really am.



She said, "Mommy I drew you."




New Year, New Chapters

Wow, how are already in February. This year is going by quickly, as each year seems to do.

This year has brought about more changes for our family. My wonderful husband graduated from the Police Academy a little over a week and a half ago. A year long process, application to graduation is complete. Now he is pursuing a career that God steered him to. He is still in a training phase, but it is hands on, on the job. He is suited up and serving. To say we are proud of him, is an understatement.