The Rule of Love

The Rule of Love

" The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you Love your neighbor: act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the greatest secrets. when you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less."

C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

Jesus said in Mark 12:29-31 The first of all commandments is 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Mom, I'm Exhausted... but I'm Alive...

Yesterday my thirteen year old daughter went to skid row - Skid row is an area in downtown Los Angeles that is home to many homeless - food kitchens - homeless shelters - crime, and sadness.. She volunteered with her youth group to work in a homeless shelter - She spent nine (9) hours playing with the many children there - holding them - loving them - reading to them - and just listening to them - a friendly face - a beautiful face - a loving face - that is my daughter...

She served a Thanksgiving dinner to the families that stay there - not knowing that 150 more hungry souls were going to come in from the cold - 150 more mouths to feed than expected.... I asked her - "Did everyone get to eat?" She said "yes" I asked her "What do you think about that?" She said "I have no idea how we did it - we even had a little left over..." My first thought and I am sure you are thinking the same.... Jesus fed 4000- 5000 with five (5) small loaves of bread and two (2) fish - I know He can handle 150 more mouths to feed...

Through out the day - I received updates via text - First one - "Mom - I am at the shelter u should c the kids they're so cute! I'm in charge of games".. Next text - "There are a lot of hungry people here" Next text - "Mom - thank you" - Next text - "Mom, I'm Exhausted...but I'm alive" - Next text - "Going to In N Out on the way home Love you" Next text "I'm 10 minutes away.. come get me"

When I picked her up at the church - the first thing she did was apologize - She apologized for getting angry at the thought of her sister getting something that she wanted (she thought I was buying an IPOD touch for her sister - I wasn't it) - she apologized for acting greedy at times... She said that she saw a bunch of kids - younger than her and others her age that had nothing... and they were happy.... She learned that true happiness isn't from what she gets under the Christmas tree but what she feels in her heart..... love from her family and friends and a Lord and Savior that died on the cross so that she can live forever.....

My Christmas List

I was driving in the car yesterday running errands and I turned the radio on and out came Christmas music! It's not Thanksgiving yet but somehow we are already in the "Holiday Season" Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas music - I love celebrating Jesus' Birthday.. I do not love the "retail" side - I do not believe the Christmas music is on the radio today because of birth of Christ but to make people get antsy to shop..... Christmas music gets us in the mood - I can vouch for that I just spent a truck load of money at Best Buy..

Today my kids gave me their Christmas want lists... they want everything from a IPod touch to IPod docks to skinny jeans to make up and the lists go on and on and on.... It amazes me how the radio and TV can help create our want lists... I know that I am a victim, my kids are victims, and I am sure most of you are victims... So I was in my car thinking about "our" want lists and the song - My grown up Christmas List came on... and I had to smile...

Pregnancy Crisis Center Under Attack....

Last year my husband took my eldest to a father/daughter dance. This was a special time for both of them. They were able to spend some "grown up" time together and make some great memories. Horizon Pregnancy Center was the sponsor of this night out. They were raising money for an ultrasound for their center and the medical personnel to operate it. In the past year, I have come to learn a great deal about this center.

Horizon Pregnancy Center is a place that women can go to when they are in a crisis pregnancy and they can get a free pregnancy test... It's a place a woman can go to hear about alternatives to abortion... It's a place where women who have had abortions can go to help the healing process... I personally know an incredible woman who has gone through this process - after aborting her child over 20 years ago - there is pain that needs to be forgiven by oneself.... I also personally know women who have aborted 10/15/20/25 years ago and the pain is real - especially when they look at the children they did give birth too..... It's a place that teaches parenting.... A place that shows love and concern for the birth mom and the baby... A place that helps to give baby supplies.

Today - I heard that the Feminist Majority Association has come to this center to protest. They believe that the Horizon Pregnancy Center is misleading because they call an abortion what it is... an abortion. HPC does not use scare tactics... HPC does not lie or mislead. They don't tell women they are not pregnant when they are so that they can delay the pregnancy.... The HPC respects the rights of the mother and they believe like I do - that a pregnancy is a baby and not tissue (Planned Parenthood's term) that needs to removed... But one thing must be understood -HPC discusses alternatives to abortion and they discuss it with honesty.. without judgment.... without anger.. and if the mother does choose to abort - HPC is there if the mother chooses to come back for loving support..... Please explain to me - "What is wrong with that?"

The Feminist Majority Association is misleading in their accusations.. They accuse ALL pregnancy crisis centers as liars..... deceivers... over the top religious.... Basically, The Feminist Majority Association is a group of women and men that believe a woman should abort their child when it's not convenient... They believe it's okay to take a life.. and they are angry that everyone does not agree with them... They are angry that others are questioning their right to kill... Their right to call a baby a piece of tissue...

What do you think? Government should fund an abortion... But not Pro-Life Centers?

Our Reality: A Look at Crisis Pregnancy Centers from RH Reality Check on Vimeo.

Christmas Tree..... Holiday Tree....

There's a poll going around facebook about President Obama calling the White House Christmas Tree a Holiday tree. The poll invites readers to vote if President Obama should call the tree a Holiday tree or a Christmas tree... This is a subject that gets many Christians worked up.... Quick to believe this to be true... Quick to vote against the tree being called a Holiday tree.... This claim is pure nonsense. The White House tree will continue to be called a Christmas Tree.... The White House will continue to celebrate Christmas - Christmas is an American Tradition regardless if Christ is in the mix or not.....

Let's say the rumor was true... Would you be surprised? Christ has been taken out of the schools... out of the government.... out of many homes..... To be a follower of Christ today is not popular.... The Bible told us this would happen..... The Bible tells us that we as followers will have to defend our faith - hold tight to our faith in Him.... We will be mocked and criticized for worshiping Him...

During this Christmas season- we need to show the true meaning of Christmas not only by our words but by our actions... We are to not get angry when a cashier tells us Happy Holidays... but use it as an invitation to say Merry Christmas back - kindly and with a smile.... We need to show love and grace - We need to knock that Christian chip off our shoulder when we hear "Happy Holidays".. Our Christian pride can be a dangerous thing.... because in that pride we are not glorifying Him.... and after all it's Christmas not Kellymas....

When Is It Cheating?

One of my favorite movies is Fireproof - as many of you may know - 'The Love Dare' in that movie saved my marriage.... seriously it did... I posted my 40 day journey into 'happily ever after' on my blog I've Become My Mother.... One of the things that the movie showed is how easy an innocent relationship can turn into a possible affair.... One of the many things that the Bible teaches us is that we are to bring honor to our husbands... wives.. We are to love... cherish..... We are to stay away from temptation... We are to put our spouses above all others....

"Have you not read that He who made them in the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?' So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." Matthew 19:4-6.

In today's world - divorce is common - being remarried over and over again is common - having kids without marriage is common.... Staying married and adultery free is uncommon - isn't it strange how much the world has changed?

So my question to you is this... What would you consider inappropriate behavior... ? What do you consider cheating? When I asked this question to a few of my friends the other day - we were all surprised on how different our answers were.... It made for a great conversation..... and a lot of laughs....

Is it cheating to accept an old girlfriend or boyfriend as a friend on Facebook?
Is it cheating to look at a beautiful woman or man?
Is it cheating to have lunch with a co-worker? a client?
Is it cheating to see an old flame (innocently) and not tell your spouse?
Is it cheating to watch porn?

It kind of makes you think doesn't it??? Where do you draw the line? Or do you draw one? I'm curious - send me a comment - What do you think?

What this clip - it says it all..

If Courage Could Be Mine

If Courage Could Be Mine

I asked you one day Father
If courage could be mine
You told me to be patient
All Virtues come with time.

I looked for her in trials
I looked for her in pain
For it was hard to see her
When comfort came again.

Never did I notice
Until the years went by
That courage had been watching
When tears did cloud my eyes.

She came upon a whisper
And held my hand in hers
Slowly she did lift me
To take away my fears.

She woke my heart up slowly
Or I would turn away
Too frightened by the picture
Of the love God gave away.

I felt my spirit growing
No fear or shadows fell
Courage was beneath me
My faith the deepest well.

I asked you one day Father
If courage could be mine
You said that it was with me
And had been for all time.
author Anne Peters.