For You

In a few weeks, my journey to Iowa will begin. This will be more than just a trip across a few states. I'm anticipating many hard, yet rewarding experiences. Nine weeks of my summer will be spent serving on a Ranch working with abused and at-risk children and youth. In preparing to serve in ways I never have before, I wrote the following lines.
This is dedicated to anyone who has ever experienced the horrible pain of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse.


For you who are being robbed of your innocence - I will fight
For you who are trapped in a wold of pain - I will fight
For you who have lost hope - I will fight
For you who have been used then rejected - I will fight
For you who are weak - I will fight
For you who have lost the desire to fight - I will fight

I will fight against the powers of darkness
I will fight the temptation to ignore your pain
I will fight so that you may find hope and healing

For you who have been silenced - I will be a voice
For you who cannot love or even understand love - I will show love
For you who can no longer trust - I will be faithful

I will fight; for you who were once victims can be made into victors.
Not through strength of my own will I fight
Because Christ has fought for me - I will fight for you

The Heart of Beauty

I have been challenge and blessed by the ministry of Eric and Leslie Ludy. And once again was blessed by this short video, so thought I would share it with you all! 

True beauty is not found in color of our hair, eyes or skin;

neither is it found in makeup or curls and bows.

Beauty is not found in the cloths we wear,

or in the weight shown when we step on the scale.

We search for beauty in so many things;

but true beauty is found in CHRIST ALONE. 

"The only true beauty comes from a life fully surrendered to Jesus Christ." -Leslie Ludy

Musings of a Counselor: Part 1

As I've now been volunteering as a peer counselor at a Crisis Pregnancy Center for several months, I've begun pondering on the approach many "pro-lifer's" have taken.

Most of us have seen or have at least heard about the "pro-lifer's" who picket around the abortion clinics with graph pictures of aborted babies, and bluntly telling the women that they are murdering there babies. Yes, biblically abortion is considered murder, and I am completely apposed to it. But is this that the most effective approach to take?

Many of the women who walk into those abortion clinics are already hurting, angry, and confused. Is using "guilt-tactics" the best way for Christians to reach out to them? Is there a better way to show them the Love of Christ? I believe that there is a better way.

A large portion of the women who choose to have an abortion realize that it is a life they are ending. The lie of it just being a "blob of tissue" has been exposed. Most abortions are chosen being aware that it truly is a living baby in their womb; yet they choose to have the abortion anyway. Why is that? "Pro-lifer's" have thought if they could just get people to realize that it is a living baby, less people would support abortion. I am sure that has been a factor in some choosing not to support abortion, but there are still a HUGE number of abortions being preformed every year.

Abortion rates are on the decline, but around 1 million abortions are still being preformed every year. So, a large number of women are still choosing abortion, in spite of the efforts to stop abortion.

What happens if we take our focus off trying to "save" the baby (which we really can't do anyway), and instead focus on the needs of mother's of these babies?
I will share more of my thoughts on this subject in an upcoming post!

Please feel free to comment, I would love to hear your thoughts!
God Bless!

Random Wednesday: 2

This week most of my family is out of town camping, so it has just been one of my brothers and I at home.We've had a good time with just the two of us, although we both wish we didn't have as much school this week, so we could have done more things together. We need another whole weekend! We got in the Ultimate Frisbee, but didn't have time for the Repelling that we wanted to do. Oh well, his Spring Break is next week. :)

I drove a manual for the first time this week, and well let's just say we made it home and so did the car.
Probably need a little more practice with that one. ;)

The Piano Guys are currently my favorite study music, so they've been on replay while I've been writing papers. This one always makes me smile. Charlie Brown Medley


Made these for dinner the other night. Mhmm so good, and easy too! Definitely going to make them again!


Did some observations at the Women's Center today! Things from all the training are coming together, and I'm starting to see the "flow" of things. I still have more training/observing to do before I will be in the counseling room by myself, but it's coming together!

I have some super exciting news but......(wait for it)




.....I can't share it yet. So, you'll just have to look back. I promise, I will be sharing it soon! ;)

Credit  

So yeah, thus ends this random post. Take care y'all!

UPdate

I know some of you have been wanting to hear how my training for the Crisis Pregnancy Center has been going, so I'll give you a little update.
I have almost completed the classroom part of my training, which is supposed to be about 20 hours worth. I would actually be done, but one of the sessions was canceled due to winter weather. But anyway...I'll be done next Saturday!

After that I will have 5 weeks of orientation. I'm not sure what all that evolves yet, but I believe I will be sitting in on some of the counseling sessions, finding which of the programs I, or rather God wants to focus on, and just learning how things run at the center.

Then after the 5 weeks or orientation.....I should be able to start counseling!!!!

I can already see that volunteering is going to be a huge growing (and yes, sometimes uncomfortable) experience! I have been so blessed by seeing how God has brought together for His work, different people from various backgrounds/family dynamics. Although we may not all be from the same denomination, I see such a love a passion for Christ and for serving Him! It's such a blessing and excites me, to see people get excited about serving Jesus!

One prayer request that I have, is that God would open the door and lead me into the program that He wants me to be involved in. And by "program" I mean, they have different counseling programs for different needs. For instance, there is post-abortion, abstinence, child care training, ect.

I'll leave you with this little tidbit I heard in training:

"Our lives must first go up, before they go out."

"I Have a Dream"

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day: 

Do not be silent, but let your voice be heard for what truly matters!

Let God give you a dream, and let Him work that dream out, through your life!

Stepping Out

I'm really excited about how God has been leading me recently, so I wanted to share it with you all! God has been working in me and leading me, which has brought about a change in my plans - surprise right? Through different circumstances, I've been feeling that God has been leading me to get involved in the ministry of Biblical Counseling - specifically ministering to girls and young women.

For awhile I've thought about volunteering at my local crisis pregnancy center. And because God has been leading me to get involved in counseling, I figured that would be somewhere I would be able to get some more experience. So, several weeks ago I submitted  a volunteer application; with the prayer that if volunteering there was the Lord's will, that He would open the door for me. Several weeks went by without hearing anything - until two days ago.

Basically, I was told, that once my references get their paperwork in, I will have an interview scheduled. If the interview goes well, then I can begin training in January.

While I have met with some challenges, it has been a huge blessing that I have received much encouragement as I follow God's leading. I am excited about how God has been leading me, but I also feel like He is stretching me. While they may be baby-steps, I feel like I am beginning to step out of my "comfort zone" and follow Christ.

Credit

Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to follow Christ's leading!

Blessings!
Marie