Monthly Archives: April 2019

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PRAYER FOR HURTING CHILDREN

April 30, 2019 6:42 pm , 2 Comments ,

Jesus deeply loves children. I learned about His love for children when I was a little girl. There is a song we sang at church in my childhood years that touched my spirit.

In my Sunday school class, we would sing these words: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world…red and yellow, black and white. They are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

In the Bible, we see that Jesus had very strong feelings about the importance and care of children.

Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:14).”

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6).”

Christ’s love for the children is the reason we are beckoned to pray for and care for the needs of the hurting kids around the world. One of our true purposes as followers of Christ is to partner with the Lord and help meet the needs of children who are suffering.

There are wonderful ministries we can partner with to help hurting children. “One Million Home” is a ministry that is helping orphanages around the world to shift their model and they are helping reunite many children with their families. This ministry provides grants (finances) to orphanages and helps to place orphaned children in loving homes. I truly believe Christ is using this ministry to help eliminate the suffering of children and we are at the cusp of seeing a tremendous breakthrough in the orphan crisis.

You can view the video about the vision of One Million Home at the end of this post and you can visit their website: https://1millionhome.com/orphanages/.

Let’s pray for the protection of children in our world every day.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Touch every hurting child with Your healing hands and heal the broken places in their hearts. Bind up their wounds and let their spirits soar again. Surround these children with a legion of angels and protect them from abusive people. Use the body of Christ to bring an end to child hunger and bring a breakthrough for the orphan crisis in our world. Bring freedom to every child in bondage and raise up more adoptive parents for the children who need a loving home. Release every child from harmful situations and shield them with Your love today and forever. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

 

Grace and peace to you,

Amy

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Posted in: Making a Difference, Prayers , Tagged: , ,

THE BEAUTY OF MARRIAGE

April 27, 2019 6:07 pm , 4 Comments ,

Over three decades ago, while standing in front of approximately a hundred and fifty people on April 27, I looked into Michael’s eyes and said, “I do.” I was a young nineteen-year-old girl, without a clue of what those two simple words really meant. The most important thing to me at the time was the passionate love I had for the one who had swept me off my feet. I couldn’t imagine my life without Michael. With a simplistic attitude, I made a commitment to love my husband as long as we both live.

The first few months as husband and wife were very much like a honeymoon vacation. We were inseparable and giddy as we began our new life together, but as the months grew into years, challenges began to arise. Job losses after our children were born and other real life issues came to test our love; and we approached seasons in our marriage that seemed impossible to overcome.

At one point when our children were very young, we lived separately for a few weeks to figure out how to mend our broken relationship. Even with the challenges, neither of us ever completely gave up.

At the lowest point, we both agreed to place our marriage in God’s hands and asked Him to teach us how to really love each other. We each began to look to Christ, and step by step things began to change in our marriage. We learned to embrace the differences in our personalities. We learned that where one of us is weak, the other is strong. We learned that there is a divine purpose for our opposite strengths and weaknesses.

We learned that genuine love is built on the ability to accept the other individual with flaws and all. Once we learned those lessons, then the real beauty of marriage began to grow in our relationship. All masks came down and a mutual trust developed that is indescribable.

As a couple that did not give up during our younger years, Michael and I learned that love isn’t a fleeting emotion based on feelings. In reality, real love is a selfless commitment and it’s most evident when we face trials.

Looking back, I can remember a time when I had a horrible flu virus and Michael’s love for me was so strong. I was probably the sickest I’ve ever felt in my life. My head was pounding with pain and my body ached terribly. As he patiently spooned chicken soup into my mouth to help me gain strength, Michael’s tenderness and gentleness spoke volumes of his love for me.

Along with my recollection of Michael caring for me during sickness, there are countless stories laced with joy woven into the past thirty-four years where love has shown itself as the powerful force in our relationship.

While looking through some of our photos, I saw a picture taken on the front porch of our friends’  vacation home in North Carolina. The picture struck me instantly and served as the perfect analogy for the way our marriage has grown so beautiful and comfortable.

 

With Christ’s help, our love has become like relaxing on the front porch of a cozy home as we experience the exhilarating beauty that brings rest to the soul. The thing that brings us rest in our souls—unconditional love—happens to be the very same thing that brings out the most awesome beauty of marriage.

Hallelujah.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

1 John 4:7-8

 

 

Posted in: Marriage, Stories of Faith , Tagged: , , ,

CELEBRATING THE GLORIOUS POWER OF THE CROSS

April 21, 2019 12:43 am , 2 Comments ,

With every year of life, I grow more grateful for what Christ did for mankind. He died an agonizing death to redeem us and give us eternal life. Jesus paid it all and took the penalty for our sins. This is good news that ought to be shouted joyfully to the world. Jesus said, “It is finished.” We do not ever have to agonize over our failures or mistakes again. There is nothing more awesome about life than Christ’s magnificent gift of the cross.

The resurrection of Christ is the only hope for our world. Christ redeems our lives and restores all that’s broken as we trust Him.

This morning, I received a new picture of a precious little girl we began sponsoring through a ministry (mercyandgracecharity.com) in Andhra Pradesh, India at the end of 2018. This picture is another beautiful reminder to me of Christ’s redeeming love.

Years ago, we were in a season when we barely had enough food to eat. It was about nine years ago when Christ rescued our family out of a difficult season of lack. While we were very financially broke, I hung onto the hope found in a relationship with Christ and marched around my house enthusiastically declaring, “I will help orphans!” Because of Christ’s redemptive love, my longtime dream of helping orphans in Africa and other parts of the world came to fruition after the Lord led my husband to a new career in 2010.

The risen Christ is our redeemer. He saves us and then transforms the most difficult circumstances into something incredibly beautiful as we live by faith. All these years after I declared my desire to help orphans, I am celebrating the amazing gift of the cross and the beauty He creates in the lives of the ones surrendered to Him.

Beloved Jesus,

You are beautiful. You are amazing. You are incredible. Thank You for the glorious gift You have given mankind by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Thank You for bearing the indescribable pain so that we can live eternally. Thank You for Your love that allows us to live freely and fully alive. Thank You for coming into the world and offering us salvation and letting us live in Your love for all eternity. Lord, we know we could never repay You for what You have done for us, but we choose to come to You with humility and sit at Your feet. We worship and adore You for all that You are. Your love lifts our countenance. Your love gives us hope. Your love heals our broken hearts. Your love allows us to give to the ones in need, to share the good news with the lost ones, and to forgive the ones who have hurt us. Your love conquers all of the darkness and awakens our souls. We will be eternally grateful for You. We love You with all of our hearts and pray in Your name, Christ. Amen.

Have a blessed Easter and rejoice in all Christ has done for you.

Amy

 

Posted in: Holidays , Tagged: , , , ,