The LORD will fight for you, you need only to be still.

Photo by: Allyson Wall- church pew in Uganda

I stumbled across Exodus 14:14 the other day:

The LORD will fight for you, 

you need only to be still. 

I know I've heard this verse before, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't taking it out of context before I got too excited about the peace this verse brings just reading it. Sure enough this verse is AWESOME! I came across the commentary below and thought it was so great. (From www.enduringword.com)

 Exodus 14:13-14 Moses responds with great courage.

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

a. Do not be afraid: At this point, Moses had no idea how God would help them in the situation. All he knew was God certainly would help. In a sense, Moses knew he was in such a bad situation that God had to come through.

i. When we see that our only help is God, we are more likely to trust Him. Sometimes it is the little things - the things we think we can do in our own strength - that get us down, not the big things that we know only God can do.

b. Stand still: Moses told the people of Israel to stop. This is often the Lord’s direction to the believer in a time of crisis. Despair will cast you down, keeping you from standing. Fear will tell you to retreat. Impatience will tell you to do something now. Presumption will tell you to jump into the Red Sea before it is parted. Yet as God told Israel He often tells us to simply stand still and hold your peace as He reveals His plan.

c. See the salvation of the Lord: Moses didn’t know what God would do. Yet he knew what the result would be. He knew that God would save His people and that the enemies of the Lord would be destroyed. He could say to Israel, “the Lord will fight for you.”

I Married the Right One!

I walked out of the bathroom the night we got married and saw my new husband on his knees by the bed praying. 

My instant thought...I married the right one.

The first day on our honeymoon Ryan asked me if I'd like to go through the book Song of Solomon together and listen to a podcast each day that Tommy Nelson did on each chapter. At night we would read a chapter together and in the morning have our coffee and listen to the sermon. By the end of our honeymoon, week one of being married, we had read a book of the Bible together. 

I know...I married the right one.

Each morning Ryan reminds me that he loves me, that he thinks I am beautiful, and is so grateful I am his wife. I feel loved from the minute I wake up. 

I know...I married the right one.

The night before Ryan was leaving for his first work trip since we've been married, he went out to get us ice cream and came home with that AND a bouquet of flowers that I can have to look at while he is gone. He has brought me flowers consistently every month since he started pursuing me over a year ago. It still surprises me and makes me feel special. 
I know...I married the right one.

As I sat with the girls in my community group last night and gave them a brief update on life I realized, and shared with them, that we've been married less than three weeks and I have read 3 books in the Bible. That's a book a week, and more than I've read in the past each week. This has happened because I watch Ryan daily get into the Word. Waking up to your husband at his desk reading his Bible, and in free time he'll go and get into the Word is so awesome! Seeing him lead out in this has encouraged me and helped me to be more diligent in my time with the Lord. 

I know...I married the right one.

I know we are in our "honeymoon phase", but I love being Ryan's wife, and the way the Lord is growing me already. I thank God that I put the crosshairs on godliness and ended up marrying the right one. He makes me fall more in love with him and Jesus.

Crosshairs on Godliness Blog Post

"The Product of Rape"

Whenever abortion comes up people always say, "What about if a girl gets raped?" This is a great question and I can't pretend to imagine what being in that tragic situation would be like, but my sweet friend Carly was and she wanted to share her story...

"This face is truly the face of pro-life. He is a gift from our Heavenly Father, but he is also the product of a rape. Yes, my rape was a date rape. Some guy didn't hijack me in my car and rape me. I sometimes feel that it was worse. I trusted this person enough to go out on a date with him. Do I wish it wouldn't have happened? Sometimes, but am I glad that I chose the right decision? Yes! 

Max Noah, my son, has been the hardest and easiest decision I have ever made. In one way, I had to face what happened to me and give up the lifestyle I thought I "needed" to be happy. My decision was also very easy. His life was an innocent life. He didn't choose to be conceived in the way he was. I had an amazing pregnancy due to the fact that I forgave his father, from afar, and surrounded myself with beautiful believers who poured Truth into my life. Yes, abortion would have been the "easy" fix to bandage up my broken, Godless life, but instead, I shallowed my pride, exposed my sin and came to Christ. I, not only, saved Max's life but he saved mine. I don't look at Max and think about that horrible night. I look into my sweet boy's eyes and see hope and future. God wanted this miracle on this earth. Yes, every rape and situation is different, but there are other options. Kissing my son to sleep at night, teaching him how to speak, taking him to the park are all things I wouldn't have had the pleasure to do if I would have picked the "easy" way out. 

I want to apologize to Max and to The Lord daily for allowing abortion to cross my mind. Being a single mom is hard. I wish our circumstances were different, but God knows what we need and blesses us daily. This plan wasn't ideal, but God never forsakes us and we are never alone. 

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)"

*Note: Less than 2% of abortions are from rape situations. Carly is one of a few friends I know who have chosen life when finding out they were pregnant after being raped. I am so proud of these beautiful women and that they chose life going through such a heartbreaking time. Their children are beautiful and I've witnessed how, although it's been hard, they truly see their child as a gift. 
I've also met women who chose abortion from rape and have shared with me that they now see how the abortion didn't help fix or heal anything, but only put them into further depression, guilt, and shame. They have told me that the rape was someone doing something terrible to them, but that the abortion was them doing something terrible to their child. I praise God that his grace and love abounds and that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, and like Carly shared, that our God never leaves us nor forsakes us. 
I am praying that women who have been raped and chosen either life or abortion would find healing, love, and hope. Our church has an incredible ministry called Shelter from the Storm if rape is apart of your story, and also has a ministry called Someone Cares if abortion is. I pray that women wouldn't feel like they have to keep these things secret and "deal with it on their own", but be surrounded by other women who have been in the same situation and can help one another. Here are links to these ministries:

Shelter from the Storm
Someone Cares

Thank you Carly for sharing your story. I love that our God can take something so tragic and make something beautiful- YOU and precious Max Noah.