I recently read a blog of a young lady that I have admired for years. She is the example of life I’d love to be.  Yesterday,  I was blessed to read another of her inspiring stories:

“The strongest women I have ever known. My mothers. I am so proud to be their daughter. So blessed to be their child. For me, these women forgot their inhibitions, forgot their own egos, forgot themselves, and gave me what my soul most needed to flourish - BOTH of them.” –Natalie Garro

She is speaking of her insight on her own adoption. There is no greater wisdom one gains than when we are the ones to have experienced the events.

I was a young mother who once made a decision to choose adoption for my unborn child. It may very well have been the most difficult decision in my life. There is nothing like carrying a baby in your body during pregnancy; feeling every kick, hearing a strong heart beat, feeling every hiccup and talking to a life that slowly grows inside you.

I wish my life circumstances had been different. I wish I had believed myself to be more than I did back in those young teenage years. But abuse had taken its toll, evil’s words had firmly planted themselves in my mind as fear and doubt filled the intimate places where strength, a growing self esteem and hope should have been.

I already had my son when I found myself pregnant again. In my heart, I always knew it was a girl. In my soul, I knew what I had to do. I didn’t want to face the inevitable, I didn’t want to be that disappointment again and I certainly didn’t want to be judged. So for eight months, I told no one I was pregnant, and for some reason beyond me, no one asked, guessed or noticed. For months, I knew, I cried, I loved and in one day, when it came to light for everyone else, I had a plan to meet with an adoption agency.

Why did I choose adoption? Was it because I knew I wasn’t prepared to be a mom of two? Yes. Was it because I wasn’t financially able to care for two? Yes. Above all, I wanted this little girl to be safe. While my heart had always said girl, one never knows until that baby comes out, just what the sex is. (ok, sometimes those ultrasounds are VERY obvious) If I had a girl, she needed to be safe. Forever safe. Away from abuse, away from the fear I had known since I was just seven years old. I knew to the very core of my being that my decision was the correct one.

I’ve endured the ridicule, the words of shame. “I would never do that!” I’ve heard the attempt at support, combined with the words of guilt, “I don’t believe in adoption, but you do what you have to do.” I’ve heard the praise, with the undertone of ‘stupid teenager, stop getting pregnant’, as well as, “What a wonderful thing you did,”  (eye roll, shake of the head). I then also heard the condescending remarks of the sarcastic people, “Did you figure out what causes that.”

And with the grace that God blesses me with daily, I smiled, and politely shook my head. I haven’t talked much about it with many people, only a select few, and only in depth with those I truly trust, that I know never judge me or would ridicule a young lady that was, at the time, lost, mentally and emotionally broken and had given up on life.

Adoption is about love. Love for a child. Adoption is also about trust, trust of the family you are giving your most precious gift to. Adoption is about life and believing that one life is more important than self.

 “Lisa gave me Sharon. Sharon gave me Lisa. They are the two gifts more precious than anything else in the world to me. And, for me, they were the first, most noble acts of true love to ever touch my life.” –Miss Natalie Garro

Natalie is a remarkable young woman. Filled with love! She loves people, nature, animals and activity. She loves life!  I am the Lisa she is speaking of, Sharon was the woman I watched carry my little baby girl out of a hospital one day, with her wonderful and incredible husband, George, beaming with fatherly love!  We are the plan that God willed and miraculously put together for Natalie, for Sharon, George and for me.

This adoption story is about one young woman’s dream and last shred of hope and another woman’s dream with an abundance of hope. More than that, it’s about the life of one child and the commitment to see that child know one thing- that she is wanted and loved.

 If you'd like to continue reading the full blog from Natalie, please click the link below:

Day 18: I was born to strong women

Isaiah 40:29

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

I don't know about you, but August brings a crazy busy schedule as a mother. Back to school-supplies, registration, athletics, meet teachers, have lunch ready, clothes, doctors, work, etc etc. It is truly an overwhelming month. In our household, this has included dad leaving on July 30th, to travel for work for six months. Yep, right when the busiest time of the year hit, I became a single mom, again!

 Oh, did I mention, I've been struck with pneumonia for the last two weeks?

I am certainly tired, weak, exhausted, drained, overwhelmed and yes, weakened.
However, I'm not concerned with any of it. For I know my God has my back.
I know God provides me the strength I need and increases my power in my weakness, through Him.
The remaining verses in Isaiah confirm everyone grows weak, even the strongest man! We all stumble. Yet, when we trust in the Lord, we renew our strength, and we will soar on wings like eagles! When we stand firm in hoping in our Father, we will be taken care of!  

Our lives may be chaos, but His love is everlasting peace.

I don't know what your chaos is today, but I can assure you that if you trust and hope in the Lord, He will provide you the strength to get through it, and His power will be made perfect as it manifests itself in your life! Your burdens have no chance against our Almighty! So give it to Him, and rest in His loving embrace.

God Bless you, until next time...
Lisa

Psalm 139:13-15-For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Mirrors aren’t quite as fun as they used to be these days. I see wrinkles roaring loudly in my reflection, gray hair would be my crown, if it weren’t for clever highlights and coloring. Gone are the days of flat tummies, toned muscles and glowing skin. While we are so busy dissecting our flaws, God is watching and wondering, “When will you know that you are the most beautiful thing to me? When will you accept that you are exquisite and priceless to me?”  We are made by His hands, lovingly and wonderfully made.

Still, in the vast expanse of plasticized beauty, we might feel somewhat less than the ‘beauty’ we’re created as. How can we be blamed? Victoria no longer has any secrets, as we get to see it displayed on our T.V. screens daily! Commercial television, internet ads, and magazine covers glare at us at every turn. Unless you are made of millions, you have no choice but to watch the aging process take hold, and pull you in every direction as it fights the draw of sheer gravity.

You, my friend, are fearfully and wonderfully made. Read those words with confidence, with your shoulders held high and your chin slightly tilted upward. Nothing, no nothing will ever take that away. While we certainly don’t want to put our worth into vanity, we struggle with the concept of accepting our beauty as a much bigger plan, His plan. You were wonderfully made- all of you, from your mind, your heart to the mane of beautiful graying hair, or the marks of a life well lived that fall across our bodies over time. Every part of you is wonderfully made.

 God knows us intimately. He has enjoyed an active role in our lives the moment he created us. He knows our plan. You were wonderfully made the moment you came to be, and then when you took your first breath, and your first step. The day you went on your first date. Your beauty isn’t something that can ever descend into oblivion, for you are of God’s wonderful works, and does anything of His wonder ever disappear?

We’ve all heard these words in a women’s study before- not sure about men, but we women know it well. I ask you to join me, in truly trusting God that you are this creature of wonder, that He, himself knit in your mother’s womb. Join me in saying these words and believing them for your life, living them out loud. You are amazing; a delight in the eyes of our Lord, and a gift to all those around you. Whether they know it, express it or understand it, YOU must be the one to own it. Trust it, Live it, and Share the message with every woman you know! Boldly repeat, “ I AM WONDERFULLY MADE!”

-Lisa Marie

Part One-

A few weeks ago the church I attend began a new “summer” outreach for the congregation- to be in community in our neighborhoods through hosting a neighborhood barbeque.  I cringed as soon as I heard the words. I lowered my head, and said to the Lord, “you know why I can’t do this.” I was ashamed, saddened and frustrated at what I felt. It literally brought pain to my heart, as I knew it was wrong and I needed to get past it.

What could bring me to be so against fellowship with my neighbors? Well, a home invasion that completely disrupted our lives would bring me to this point. It’s the fear of not having answers as to who committed the crime, the assault, the pain that nearly ripped a family apart. It was by far the most love blocking thing that has ever happened in my life. Most of the issues I’ve personally encountered were very personal, and I’ve been able to forgive those who caused me pain. This issue is different.  I have no  face before me, no police report to finalize the situation, no jury, no trial, no nothing. Everyone I see around the block is a representation of the unknown. Satan hides in the unknown. He laughs at us as we strive to move beyond those barriers. Only cowards enjoy this type of torture. And in me, is Jesus Christ- the very opposite of a coward!

So, today, I made the choice to begin tackling those barriers. I’ve prayed for weeks on how to best approach this freeing opportunity, and I have taken the first step to healing. While the pain of what happened in my house, at the hands of Satan, hasn’t been forgotten, nor has it been fully overcome, this step will help ensure that the journey to forgive has begun. I am a masterpiece of Christ, a beloved of the Great I Am. I can walk with certainty that He will overcome, that He has already instigated the right conversations, that prayer has begun, and that my words will be heard by those in authority to help me through.

Evil is so hard for us to comprehend, even more so when we are the victims of such evil, or our child is the victim of evil. Revenge, anger and pain seem justifiable at times, even expected. This is not who Jesus is. Our God is a God of love and compassion, forgiveness and mercy. He has laid the example on how we are to respond when evil rears itself unexpectedly in our lives. There is no limit to forgiveness, no matter how gruesome or painful it is. There is no limit on love. I know we find it easy to say those words- Jesus came to love the unlovely- how easy is it for us to love when the unlovely is a murderer, a rapist, or a terrorist? Can we come to forgive, to love our neighbors as Christ loves us? I believe we can, and I believe I will.

I’ve lived in fear of men my entire life, with good reason. I had overcome that fear, and while what holds me bondage today isn’t quite the same as what the fear of my past once did, it is still holding me. I plan to continue this series over time, as I find just how to proceed, whole heartedly and without holding anything back. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that while we face many trials and struggles, He has overcome the world. We are blessed with the Holy Spirit inside us. He manifests His strength and power within our hearts and throughout our entire being.  We are well equipped for situations like this. Equipped to forgive, to let go and to love.

 I pray you will stay tuned…in the meantime, pray.  That’s all I ask.

Trusting Christ, Living Christ, Sharing Christ!

To maintain an active relationship with the Lord through Trusting His Word, Living His Word and Sharing His Word with the world!

I thoroughly enjoy being part of social media!  As a matter of fact, I am a very active user of those speedy updates on our lives!  We often see where people eat, who they hang out with, where they vacation, what their kids are up to, and often what they’re greatest interests are in life.

For me, I use them for all of the above! My current “picture” on facebook- a box of truffles from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory! Yes, that is me- lil miss chocolate extraordinaire.  Often, you will find pictures of “my apples” (or my grandkids in normal talk). Whatever you find me sharing, you will find me doing it often.

While many debates are created about what is and what is not acceptable to ‘post’ on social media- food pictures to your favorite music lists, to sharing that you are going shopping to buy toilet paper! We all strive to maintain social media etiquette. We get it right sometimes, and we get it wrong sometimes.  I wonder, if Jesus was sitting next to us as we posts our ideas, opinions, pictures and updates- would the content look different?  Does God’s word say anything at all about sharing, posting, tweeting or status updates?

As a matter of fact, it does.

Mark 16:15- He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

I now have social media friends from around the world. India, Mexico, Africa, England- and this is very exciting!  I would never have the opportunity at this point in my life, to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation- or share God’s word with so many! How exciting to be able to share my Jesus and all He did with a world in desperate need!  I encourage you today to realize that this new age conversational platform we call ‘social media’ is your platform to follow through with Mark 16:15, and the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ- let your next status update be filled with the good news in His Great Name! Of all things we choose to ‘share’, this should be our priority and the most exciting news people hear from us.