More than a Choice

I feel that some things need to be said and while the words may never be heard by the ones I have on my heart as I write them, but they need to be laid out just the same. Maybe it can help someone. Anyone.

Young people all around are hurting and my heart is heavy with their pain.

Every day we, as people, make hundreds of choices.

 Sometimes you don't realize you are even making them. Other times it seems as though you agonize for a long time over what to choose. Many times, you make choices that don't seem to affect the rest of your days, weeks, months or even years. It was just another one of many choices. No big deal.

But there are times when we see the immediate effect of that choice- good or bad. And you deal with what is left afterwards.

And sometimes you feel as though the choices you have made are going to pull you under completely.

One after another.

The effects are on going and not for the way you had hoped.

Your world seems hopeless and you don't want to face another day.

You fear you have hurt those close to you one too many times and that they don't want to deal with your problems anymore.
You fear you can't go home.
Why would they want you there anyways?

Friends have desserted you.
Mocked you.
Shamed you.

The whispers as you walk into a room.
The knowing looks from those who you pass.

You hear the names.

Failure.
Loser.
Slut.
Addict.
Worthless.


Words that cut. Words that hurt. Words that cannot define you. Words that you were never meant to carry the way you do.

You are not those words.

You are not the choices you have made.

You are not a mistake.

Failure. Chosen

Loser. Loved
Slut. Pure
Addict. Free
Worthless. Cherished

I know that to your hearts it sounds cliche, but you really are chosen, cherished, loved by God. And by so many around you. If you look, you will see more people who love you then scoffers. They are just a few.

God didn't make a mistake.
He really does love you so much that he sent his Son to take over your debts.

Yes. YOU.

It can get better. It WILL get better. This is just one moment in time.



Today, I know so many are hurting. It is my prayer that you can see that YOU are loved and cherished. And YES! YOU! are worth dying for.

And if someone you love is hurting... tell them you love them. No matter what.

Joining Michelle and Jen today....

God is SO GOOD!

I was going to update on my Lent journey today, (I don't really want to discuss that not shopping thing anyways.) but I just can't let this opportunity to show just how awesome our God is go by.

This weekend our little neck of the woods was in for some serious weather. We tucked our kids into the basement for the night and watched the news unfold. It was chaotic in the newsrooms and hard to follow at times. Tornadoes kept popping up all around. Thankfully for us, they were no closer than 45 miles or more.
That didn't ease our worries for those towns that we were hearing about.

Mapleton, IA was hit with a tornado. Schelswig, Earley, Storm Lake, Cherokee... all being hit with either tornadoes or baseball sized hail.

Despite all of the building destruction, the homes lost, the trees uprooted... no one was killed. No one has serious injuries. The worst they have reported is a broken leg.
Honestly, hearing that the other night, all I could do is shout at my TV "GOD IS SO GOOD!"

The storms went good. My daugther prayed that 2 years ago and I still think of it everytime we tuck them into the basement on stormy nights. God weathers the storm with us. And the storms go good.







If you wouldn't mind, would you stop and say a prayer for those in Iowa who are without a home and now picking up the pieces?