I. Am. There.

Every once in a while - it all just HITS me again. 

How someone, someones, can just stop dead - turn around and walk out of your life like they never even knew you - and never look back?

I simply can not even fathom it.

My head is spinning and my chest feels like it is about to explode.

I can not breathe.

Lord - I see the bridge. Just say the word.

I. am. there.

Just one word from you.

Is all it would take.

I would leave this world behind without a second thought.

This crushing pain.

This sin that abounds.

My soul is vexed within me.

Just one word  form you -  is all it would take.

A soul at peace in eternity.

No more heart ache - for heaven's sake.

Just say the word.

I. Am.There.

I. Am. Waiting.

Tonight I realized I could travel through time

Wow. 

I will say it again, wow.

 I will say it backwards, wow.

Can I just be really, really transparent here? Do you mind? 

 Once again I found myself in one of those contemplative seasons. It's probably the same one I have been in since last week actually. I just can't seem to shake it. In fact rather than it lessening with time it just seems to get more and more intense as I try to ignore it. So I have decided to deal with it another way. The other way being - face it head on.

Last night I started by going through my "special box" -  and that little exercise turned out to be, well, special. Stirring up all kinds of emotions I had thought were otherwise done and gone. Long since buried. No longer an issue. (I think you get the point) In the end it was a good thing. 

Tonight, (being day two of facing this contemplative season  in my life head on) - I was drawn to my private brief case. The one I have tucked away. Way in the back of my closet where even  I can't see it. Unless I make a point to dig it out. The one containing my ever so private journals from years gone bye. 

I am talking  from 1976 and forward. 

Amazing stuff. Some of it is hand written and some is typed on this crinkle typing paper. 

I spent the better portion of the latter part of the afternoon reading through my journals. I can honestly say I was stunned to silence in the presence of  God while at the same time having tears streaming down my cheeks. All from reading the writing of a 17 year old girl. I had no idea how prophetic my prayers and writings were. Not then, any way. Now I see. Literally  when I read those prayers tonight, my mouth dropped open and I think I stopped breathing for a moment in time. God not only heard my prayers back then 37 years ago. He set the answers into motion and never took a break at bringing into manifestation the answers to my prayers. Even when I stepped out of His perfect will for  my life. The Lord was patient, loving and kind. Long suffering and in the end. Completely gracious and forgiving. Picking up where He left off to continue the good work He began in me. Making sure to see that HE would see it through to it's completion. Also to see that  I will be ready on the day of our Lord's appearance. In fact, not only did God pick up where He left off,  but God, my Heavenly Father took everything, good, bad and indifferent, and used it - turned it around and used for my good!  

By His Holy Spirit, to this day, God is enabling me to do, to will and to act according to HIS good pleasure.

Such revelation. 

All from reading these writings of mine from years gone by. 

Prayers. Songs. Journal entries of happy and sad, very, very, very sad times.

One thing for sure...the Lord was with me. He was with me through it all. Just as he is now.

I have always known that.

 It's just now, looking back through the stroke of my pen...I see so much more back then - NOW.

And NOW, I love so much more those I knew then -  that I ever thought I could. 

I am able to forgive when I thought I would never be able to. 

I am so glad I am here.

Although I have suffered pain. I have suffered so much pain. Emotional pain, spiritual pain..relational pain. Through abandonment, betrayal, abuse, neglect, self hate. I would never wish it on my worst enemy. 

Still, what I have lived through, every single incident. Every single tear. Every single sleepless, lonely night.  Was worth  it - because it has made me who I am today. It has created me. Molded me. Shaped me. Lead me to the feet of my Savior ...my Lord ....my Master and teacher. My best friend. My counselor. My Papa god. My one and only. 

I would gladly live through everything all over again

If it was necessary for me to "know" my creator like I do.

He is everything to me. I can not love anything or anyone without my Lord  in my life. 

This writing is a prayer I prayed when I was just 23years old. I was married to John at the time, the father of my precious three sons Joshua, Jeremy and Jacob. I had no idea what was ahead in my life. Apparently, I had no idea the power behind my prayers either (at that time). It is truly amazing how God has shown me ahead of time everything that was going to happen. I truly believe in order to prepare me and to let me know HE IS HERE WITH ME.

This is a prayer I found in my journal  from 1984. 

Complete Surrender

I asked the Lord what surrender meant and how to make it complete

He said, "It means Love and pain and that one must die to make it complete."

He said, "As I love my Father- you must also love me."

"As I bore the pain of your sin -you must also suffer like me."

Complete surrender

Because I love you with all that I am

Complete surrender

Because I want to please you in every way I can

Complete surrender

Because I long to be just like you

Make your love complete

In my pain I seek

Complete surrender

The Lord then asked me - How much did I love Him.

Was I willing to let love cover a multitude of sin?

He said that it would pain my flesh. If I chose the sacrifice of love.

But if I lost my life for Him - my spirit would live eternally above.

Complete surrender - Lord let there be 

Complete surrender - living inside of me

When all that I've given is all that I have

When my heart is broken in two

When I think I don't have anymore to give

Lord help me give more to you

Love - Forgiveness - Reconciliation - A spontaneous prayer

5 a.m.
Today.
Freezing cold outside.
So thankful to have the warmth  of my blanket to cover me.
Laying still in my bed, awake, needing to get up, not wanting to.

Thoughts racing through my mind.
Why?
Why?
I can't seem to reconcile why some would rather cling so tightly to that which is untrue.
That which causes so much pain. That which has caused death, even death.
Why?
I feel my chest tighten. My breath taken away from me. I cough. I cough again. I simply can not breath.

Oh Lord. I love you. I forgive them. I pray for them. Please have mercy.
Do not hold against them what they have done. Surely now, even themselves have fallen into the pit they have dug themselves. They themselves have have fallen prey to the roaring lion who has sought them out. Seeking to devour their very lives. Deceiving them. Making them think non truths ~ "There will be no love - if you confess to truth." 
Dear Lord bring healing. Dear Lord, bring deliverance. Holy Father bring reconciliation - complete restoration in spirit, in truth, with all heart, with all soul and all mind. That through all the generations to come your blessings would be passed down not the curses of sin and death.

I have lived through the valley of the shadow of death. I have walked through deepest and darkest times. I am faced even now with yet a deeper valley with yet darker crevices  You have seen me through and you will see me through yet again. I have no doubt! Your rod and your staff they have comforted me. They have protected me. You alone have been my guide.

Blinded by swollen eye lids from endless hours of weeping. Unable to open even a sliver to see, you have picked me up and carried me while streams, steady streams - like rain - fell from my eyes down my face across yours as you carried me - you never let go. You let me cry and cry and cry. Until the reservoir to my sadden and broken heart was dry. Gently placing me down on the lush green grass beside the still flowing, crystal water. There I refreshed myself. Completely at rest. Unafraid I slept. Unafraid I took time to heal. Knowing my Shepherd took care to watch over me in the valley.

Lord......I love you. Please, with all that is within me. I pray for this peace to be a part of those who have caused me such pain. I know you see. I know you know who they are. Have mercy. My heart desires nothing but forgiveness, love and mercy for them. 

You Lord know better than I how long until I will be called to leave this place. You know the desire of my heart. For you oh Lord are the one who gave me this desire. You oh Lord died for the same reason. If it possible, let it be done in my life time. Your will be done.

I couldn't have said it better myself!

After a week of trials and tribs!

The world reminding me just how human I really am!

Take this WORLD!

Love - Forgiveness - The Measure of Love - WHY are you asking ME???

I had someone ask me for some advice. 
I mean, I guess it was more like they asked me for some Godly wisdom on a life situation. 
Being that I am not God, I did not have it to give and immediately had to re-categorize the request as advice.  Which, by the way, I do not like to give at all, like ever, unless I give my major *see note "Jim Driscoll disclosure" and even then I don't like to but will if absolutely necessary and then only after praying about it and after being prodded and begged.

*note Jim Driscoll is my pops. He has since left this world and gone home to be with my Mum and the Lord and good number of other lucky, wonderful ol' souls in heaven. I learned by example (mostly) not to just dole out advice to whom ever - when ever.  Even I am asked for it. My parents were the two most un-intrusive parent's and in-laws any one could ever have. I truly do miss them! They were very wise.

So back to the "advice". 
Yeah, normally it would not  be that big of a deal. I wouldn't actually take  note of it, remember it, after the fact. This time it was different. Much different. I suppose it was the subject matter. That and the question that was asked.  It was as if they were asking the very question that I had asked God myself about my own life. About the very life issue I was going through at this very same time. Like they were in my head and in my heart. 

I know they were being real. I hadn't shared with anyone what I was feeling or thinking. No one. No one but the Lord. 
These are the questions. (as close to verbatim as I can get)

"What does one do in this circumstance?"

"How do I deal with this as a believer?"

"What is God expecting of me?"

"Why is this happening to me?.....I don't understand. Is God angry with me?"

    and this one

"I keep praying and praying. Nothing is happening."

Seriously -these are  so much the questions I have been asking in my alone time with the Lord. 
Day in and day out. For months and months and months. Followed by tearful, prayers of intercession. Hours of prayers  for  reconciliation. 

Then something happened. One day.  I just got so tired. 
Between being beaten down in body by sickness and disease and facing the enemy in the faces of my own beloved sons. I just gave up.  

Questions still unanswered.  Yet -  still inside of me.  I just filed them away. In order to handle the pain.   In order to go on living and take care of those God has given me charge over. I suppose I learned to subsequently accept the un-authorized, illegal flaming arrows the enemy shot into my heart, while continuing on with my daily routine. I had no choice. I was dying from the inside out.

Then, out of nowhere. While I was doing what God had asked of me. Ministering to the broken hearted.
I was forced to answer the very questions I had buried so deep down inside my own soul.
As I spoke the answers out to someone else I received the answers myself. 
I actually took one more step closer in the healing process. 

"What does one do in this circumstance?"

  No matter what the circumstance. If the Lord is your God love and forgive. Both are verbs. Hold no grudges under every circumstance. Do not expect anything from anyone as stipulation to forgive. BE forgiveness. BE love. BE light. BE hope. BE Yeshua in the Flesh. Be ye perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect. Always know that you are not alone. The Holy Spirit of God is IN you. 

"How do I deal with this as a believer?"
Live like your Master, Yeshua. A life of Grace. Full of love and Mercy. Truth and humility. 

"What is God expecting of me?"
To love HIM excellently. To love your neighbor (everyone) as yourself. 

"Why is this happening to me?.....I don't understand. Is God angry with me?"
Do not focus on why. Seek truth. (Yeshua) be free. No God is not angry with you. 

and this one

"I keep praying and praying. Nothing is happening."
Do not listen to the voice of doubt. Live by faith. In the Word of God. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. When we pray according to the will of the Father IT IS DONE! It IS HIS WILL to have total reconciliation. 

Also  I thought I would post this. A quote from Mother Teresa. So very true.

“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. 

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” 

Today I decided - I will decide tomorrow

I don't know about you but I do NOT like to make decisions. I never have. Given the choice to let someone else make a decision I would gladly oblige. It is a genetic thing. I have few children who feel the same way.

Face it some of us are born decision makers and some are shaped into the role through life curves an turns and one way roads.

 That is where I am finding myself right now. I am faced with making a decision. A life changing decision. One I can not just allow someone else to make for me. No, this one I have to make for myself. Thing is, in making this decision, what I decide ultimately affects everyone else in my life. So, yeah it's kinda serious.

Honestly, I never thought I would be tasked with making such a decision...but then  again I never thought I would have experienced allot of the things in life I have so far.

I kinda wish I were sleeping right now and this was a bad dream. 

*OuCh* Nope, no dream. (I pinched myself) I am absolutely awake.

Yep, I'm awake.

So I suppose this means I need to decide....

Tomorrow

Today - it hit me

So I was sitting here in my chair, just sitting here relaxing after a very long day.

 I was  listening to a video coming from my husbands computer from across the room. 

Maybe not so much listening to it as much as hearing it. 

At any rate, suddenly, it just hit me. 

Like a tornado - -out of nowhere it hit me.

I don't know why or how or what it was specifically that made me have this incredible epiphany

 but I had it

 They. Are. Gone. 

All. My. Love. All. Dan's. Love. All. My. Support. All. Dan's. Support. 

Everything. 

It's.  All.  Gone. 

 The.  Nights.  The.  Days.  Every.  Meal.   Every.  Family night.  Every. Snow ball fight.  Every.  Uno game.

 Every.  Scrapped knee.  Every. Sibling fight. Every.  Good day. Every. Bad day.  Every.  Holiday. 

Every.  Phone call.  Every. Package.  Every.  Card. 

School concerts.  Birthdays.  Holidays. 

Through.  All. The. Joy.  Through. All. The. Tears.

Every.  Road trip.  Every.  Plane ride.  Every.  Sacrifice. We ever made. Through.All.The. Years.

Still.   They.  Left.

and

It's. Gone.

They're gone.

 Just.  Like.  That. 

Every.  Memory.  Each.  And.  Every.  One.

From.  Then.  Until.  Now.

Caught.  Up.  In .  A.  Tornado.

Facing.  Swirling.  Past.

Why?

  I.  Ask.

 I.   Don't.  Know. 

Today.  It. Just.  Hit.  Me.

 They. Are.  Gone.

Today I saw myself

There I was. Off in the distance, arms stretched out towards the sky. Swaying back and forth ever so gently to the rhythm of the music. So beautiful. Worshiping the King. 

Then again, as I glanced in the opposite direction, right in front of me. I see myself once more. Long curly light brown hair, draped over my face. I can hear can hear a love song. A love song to Jesus. 

My two most beautiful daughter's. I am so blessed!

I couldn't stop looking at the two of them for what seemed to be for - forever! I knew the Lord was up to something....I knew a lesson was coming!

Then - I felt it. The deep - holy - hush. Like a blanket, it came on me. I could n't even sing anymore. I had to be on my knees....ever so still before the Lord.

There I was. Eyes closed. I enter into the Holy presence of the Lord. I knelt and waited. Not saying a word. He knows what is on my heart. Better than I could ever explain.  With my eyes closed and my heart open. The Lord began to show me secrets and mysteries. I am filled to over flowing. The Glory of God is more than anyone can handle in this life and my natural self begins to shake and tears explode from within. The Holiness of  God and His grace to dwell among us, is more than amazing. 

One touch and I am at instant shalom. No more shaking. Pure unadulterated, unconditional love envelops me. Right where I am. The all consuming fire has taken the sinful nature - for now. While I am in His presence.  I do not want to leave this place where I am. Yet, I must for it is for this reason and purpose that He has shown me that I must. He has shown me who I am. He has shown me who I need to become.

Incredible encounter as always!

I am not all that I should be. Not yet. Though I will be, by his grace.

The one thing I did take from my time with the Lord today was how I see myself.

The Lord caused me to see myself in a completely different light.

Today I saw myself - in the life around me.

In my husband.

In my beautiful daughter's.

In the life of my precious and dearest friends.

In my brother's and sister's in Yeshua.

In the live's of my neighbor. 

In the live's of anyone I come in contact with through out my day.

My life  is the life of those I touch....be it....good or bad....they are my life.

Today I saw myself and I was beautiful.

Do you need a window washing?

Dirty Laundry

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.
The following morning while they are eating breakfast,
the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

"That laundry is not very clean",  she said.
"She doesn't know how to wash correctly.
Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry,
the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a
nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband,

"Look, she has learned how to wash correctly.
I wonder who taught her this."

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and
cleaned our  windows."

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others
depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

Author unknown

Batter up!

Memories - they are the darnedest things! Aren't they?

One minute you can be getting ready to walk out your door, grocery list in hand whistling a happy tune.

The very next moment you are on the floor tears streaming down your face, crying like a little baby.

How does this keep happening?

Well, this time I will graciously blame it on the Louisville Sluggers!

Honestly, I don't know if this post belongs on this blog "My Life in Pictures" or if it's better shared on

"The Fire Within"  blog....so I will probably post it on both.

So back to the Bat

As the story goes, there was this Mum you see. She was picking her son up from the airport She was oh so very excited to see him!! She was traveling,  not to very far from her home to the airport as he was flying in from far away. So she needed to drive from Cincinnati, Ohio to Indianapolis, Indiana. 

So off she goes!

Well, the Mum got to the airport without too terribly much ado. I mean, I only  freaked out two or three times, she only had to call her hubby two or three times for help, but it all worked out okay. 

After finally arriving at the airport, which actually turned out to work for the best because her son's plane ended up being a few minutes behind anyway so she didn't have to pay for parking. Yay! 

 So, Mum met up with her son at the curb side. They greeted with a happy hug. Packed the car and were off! Back to Cincinnati where the rest of the family eagerly awaited the arrival of their most awesome brother!

So one would think the ride home would be easy peasy, right?

I mean I already got lost should know my way this Mum had experience maneuvering the expressway around the airport now.

Ummmmmm, yeah...not so much.

As the saga continued.......Mum was so happy to see her son that she just chatted and chatted away as I so often, I mean as she so often does and well she missed the turn off to the correct interstate off ramp. 

Of course not realizing this  until about 60 minutes later.

Yeah. That's what I said. No typo. Sixty minutes.

At which point  I pretend I knew what I was doing   she realized they had gone too far to turn around . So instead seeing THE KENTUCKY BORDER STRAIGHT AHEAD decided to make a fun day of it and continued on to Louisville!

That's when they ended up at the Louisville Slugger Museum.

They had lunch.

They got bats - Mum got a tiny bat. (Apparently Mum likes tiny things.) and her son got a reg size Slugger!

We  They walked around.

It was fun.

Then they headed home to Cincinnati.

Home of the Reds.

Ha!

So, there you have it.

A wonderful memory- had by Mum and her son.

So why the crying you may ask.
It started because I was in my closet looking for something and I came across this little bat.
I picked it up.
I looked at it - and - boom.
The memories came flowing in.
Now here I am. Should be at the grocery store.
Instead, I am shaking my head right now. That memory was about 15 years ago.

Since then times have changed, allot. I do not understand why.
I do know.

Mum is counting her days and her son lives far away in miles and in heart.

and I wish I could do it all over again. Get lost on my way to the airport.
I miss you so.

Yeah....sniff.

Today I lost count -updated

Of just how many times

 I heard the Lord tell me,

" I"

"you.!"

It started so early in the day. Before the sun was even awake. 

As I opened my eyes. I knew my Lord was there.

I could tell, because there was such a sweet, peaceful presence that filled the room.

 I woke with a smile.

"Good morning Lord!"

There it was. Before I could say another word. His small, still, but very clear and recognizable voice,

"Good morning my dear. I love you."

Then as I got ready for the day, began with the reading of  His Word. Then a bit of worship. 

There was such a sweet and sure anointing.

As if I had been captured up in a blanket of grace.

Such love that I could not keep the stream of tears from falling down my cheeks.

Again I heard His voice, "I love you my AmyColleen."

This time when I heard Him, I chuckled, "I love you too Lord."

Out the door and in my car - Off to work I go!

Praying along the way.

It wasn't 3 minutes and without a word. Not even a whisper. No small still voice.

Still, it was loud and crisp as could be in my spirit.

Those words. I heard those words - again,

"Amy?"

"Yes, Lord?

"I love you."

Oh my goodness! - It hadn't been but two hours since I woke up. I had heard the Lord tell me at least three times "I love you." I was beginning to think I was the one speaking to myself!

So, naturally, I did what any sane person would do at this point. 

I ignored that small, still, but very clear and recognizable voice.

lol

Only to be met, yet again, with another, "I love you. "

Which again, I chose to pretend I did not hear. lol

This went on for a litter while.

Kinda like a ping pong game. 

Until the Lord keep the ball in His court.

and began a little teaching session.

He asked me why I suddenly doubted His voice.

I did not have satisfactory answer. I simply did not know.

So, that's when the Lord told me why I was doubting Him.

He also told me how to check the voice I am hearing is truly His, when I am concerned it might not be.

At first I felt this overwhelming feeling - as if I had sorely disappointed my Lord. 

Of course - the Lord immediately put my mind and heart and spirit to rest.

The Lord was so gracious in explaining to me.

Making very sure I understood the He was not disappointed in me. 

Pointing out that He (Jesus) cannot be disappointed in us. 

I, of course being the curious type, asked, "Why not?"

His answer?
Well, in short-and in my words close as I can get to his-

Because He KNOWS.

 He knows everything about us - already. 
We can't surprise our creator. 
So there are no expectation's on His (the Lord's) side.
Still, (knowing it all) he chose to come to earth and give up His life. As a living sacrifice. Then lay down His life, as a sacrifice of death.  Even death on a cross. To atone for our short comings. To wipe away all our sin. 
Once for all. 

Unlike us as humans. We do not have the capacity in and of ourselves to love like that.

  All of us to some degree love conditionally. Set some kind of expectation on each other. We also do not know the future or what it may hold, for ourselves or for  others. Thus, for the most part, setting ourselves up for disappointment.  Because rarely do we or do those we have expectations for, live up to those expectations!

And when expectations are not lived up to,
that's when disappointments sets in.

So, now it was starting to make sense to me.
It was my own expectation I had placed on myself. 
Still

Why was I was finding it hard to  accept and receive all the "I love yous." from the Lord.

I never have a problem with the , "Amy Colleen you need to_______"

Now I can handle a rebuke no problem!

But when it comes down to - Pap God calling me to jump up on His lap for no other reason but to tell me He loves me so. Or. Jesus showing up in my spiritual eye sight a bazzion times a day just tell me, "I love you."  This I find a hard pill to swallow.

Well, the Lord revealed to me in His infinite grace something I thought I had already known. lol
(Perhaps someone out there reading this will find this information useful as well.)
My expectation of myself is a common one. I have seen it in others as I have ministered through out the years. This is an expectation I found the majority of Christ followers have for themselves the longer they have been walking close to God. And, in fact, should have to some degree - but- in the balance. What I mean is - striving ...."to be perfect therefore as our heavenly Father is perfect." Mathew 5:48.
(Its funny how we sometimes don't recognize how hard we are on our ourselves.)
However, for many reasons, which I will not go into here and now, the Lord opened my eyes to show me my how expectation for myself was set unrealistically. Also how I felt I had to be perfect to obtain and retain His favor.  Of course I am not, perfect, this being the reason I felt unworthy of the "I love you's" from the the Lord. More specifically - I was feeling "guilt and shame".
Which (this is good here!)
Which were not mine to feel!
The enemy, Satan, he was taking advantage of my situation.
Instructing his minions to shoot flaming arrows of "guilt" and "shame" into my heart.

Beloved ~ guilt and shame do not belong in the life of a believer! 
Honestly I did not feel guilt nor did I feel shame. I only knew this because I was feeling uncomfortable receiving all the "I love you's" for the Lord. Which is not like me, at all. None the less the guilt and shame were there and were keeping me from receiving the Lord's love in its fullest and keeping me from enjoying sweet fellowship with my creator.

I know this. I knew this. I thought I out-grew this.

Apparently not.

That's okay because Jesus has got me covered. He is working on this one for me and with me.

Today was a day full of I love you's

I saw, heard and experienced them every where and all day. From morning to night.

So very many in fact that, 

Today I lost count.

P.S. I Love you too Lord!

    1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Romans 8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Life is full of surprises

"We do not fully understand joy until we have faced sorrow.

  Nor faith until it is tested. 

Peace until we are faced with conflict.

Love, until it is lost. 

Nor hope until confronted with doubts."  

  

So let us continue down this road called life

Embrassing all it brings our way

Knowing that what we are going through now is nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us later.

Romans 8:18

The Latest Addition...

...to our online family

click on the link below to visit the newest blog where I will be sharing, as well as other's, prophetic dreams,  words and songs in these last days. 

For the edification and encouragement of the body of Christ

In the Last Days, says the Lord...

Paintings by: Janice Van Cronkhite

Letter from Hobby Lobby:

A Letter from Hobby Lobby Stores CEO
By David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we
were working out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature picture frames. Our first retail store wasn't much bigger than most people's living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived and worked according to God's word. From there,Hobby Lobby has become one of the nation's largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500 locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine business leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby together, as a family.

We're Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I've always said that the first two goals of our business are (1) to run our business in harmony with God's laws, and (2) to focus on people more than money. And that's what we've tried to do. We close early so our employees can see their families at night. We keep our stores closed on Sundays, one of the week's biggest shopping days, so that our workers and their families can enjoy a day of rest. We believe that it is by God's grace that Hobby Lobby has endured, and he has blessed us and our employees. We've not only added jobs in a weak economy, we've raised wages for the past four years in a row. Our full-time employees start at 80% above minimum wage.

But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new government health care mandate says that our family business MUST provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance. Being Christians, we don't pay for drugs that might cause abortions, which means that we don't cover emergency contraception, the morning-after pill or the week-after pill. We believe doing so might end a life after the moment of conception, something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes against the Biblical principles on which we have run this company since day one. If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million PER DAY in government fines.

Our government threatens to fine job creators in a bad economy. Our government threatens to fine a company that's raised wages four years running. Our government threatens to fine a family for running its business according to its beliefs. It's not right. I know people will say we ought to follow the rules; that it's the same for everybody. But that's not true. The government has exempted thousands of companies from this mandate, for reasons of convenience or cost. But it won't exempt them for reasons of religious belief.

So, Hobby Lobby � and my family � are forced to make a choice. With great reluctance, we filed a lawsuit today, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop this mandate before it hurts our business. We don't like to go running into court, but we no longer have a choice. We believe people are more important than the bottom line and that honoring God is more important than turning a profit.

My family has lived the American dream. We want to continue growing our company and providing great jobs for thousands of employees, but the government is going to make that much more difficult. The government is forcing us to choose between following our faith and following the law. I say that's a choice no American � and no American business � should have to make.
The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of companies but will not except Christian organizations including the Catholic church.

Since you will not see this covered in any of the liberal media, pass this on to all your contacts.
Sincerely,
David Green, CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.


( persecution, 1776, religious freedom, dictator )