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.