BENT BUT NOT BROKEN

Have you every stood in a dark valley knowing that there is an opening ahead that will lead you out, but fearing the walk that you have to make to get to that opening?  

You stumble, stump your toes, step on some nails, but in order to get out you must keep on going, because if you stop, you will never get out to experience the light of the day.  

Well this is exactly how I am feeling at the moment as I write this post.

A few days ago my 28 year old son when to bed, and slept off into glory. He had just left my house after watching a basketball game.  This wonderful gift from God was one of the best things that He could have blessed me with, I watched him grow up, graduate from college, buy himself a home, get a good job, fall in love and just being so very happy I forgot he was on loan to me from God and that I was just his steward. So when the unexpected happened my world collapsed around me, sending me into a dark valley.  I sat in the valley stunned, afraid to even move, just simple groping around, but then I heard that sweet small voice as it whispered these scriptures in my ears.  

Psalm 23:4- Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Isaiah 43: 2-When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Job 13:15.  Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Job 19:2.  For I know [that] my redeemer liveth, and [that] he shall stand at the latter [day] upon the earth:

I am wobbly but I believe every word of every one of these verses He keeps whispering in my ears.  Satan thought He had me.  He forgot I was not alone but had beside me a great big wonderful God. I do not pretend to understand all that is happening at the moment, but know that God is getting ready to use this for His Glory.

So if you are at this moment going through a dark valley as I am, don’t stop.  Keep going, knowing that He will be there with you as He is presently with me.

In His Service

Vilma

Our Heritage- The Nation's Future

I cannot over emphasize the importance of consistently praying for our children.  

Praying for our children is something that we can do anytime, and anywhere.  We can do so whether we are rich, poor, black, white or Hispanic.  We can do this in any language we speak – English, Spanish, French, German, Jamaican.  

Prayer is the universal key that as mothers we have available to us.  

 It is the key that we can use to unlock doors that may seem impossible to access- big doors, small doors, old fashioned doors, fashionable doors, metal or wood doors.  This is a key that you do not have to get made at a Home Depot or Lowes or any other hardwood store.  It is a key that we can carry around with us any and everywhere we go.

Praying for our children is one sure way that we can defeat the enemy.  Our children are the trailblazers for tomorrow, and the enemy will try everything that he can to make sure that this does not come to pass.  Remember his mission is to steal them from us, and after he steels them he kills them and he does not leave them there he then destroys what he has killed, trying to remove every trace of what was and what is to become.

He has been at this job for ages, He tried this with Joseph but God took him from the pit to the palace.  We see him trying to use pharaoh to destroy all the Hebrew babies- but Moses’ mother rose to the occasion and hid Moses by the river, she did not give up.  Moses had a future to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt.  Herod tried to destroy Jesus  he told the wise men to come back to him after they had found the Christ Child so that He may also go to worship Him, of course he was lying, but God revealed this to the wise men and they did not go back to tell Herod- JESUS the Savior of the WORLD.

We must rise to the occasion, we do not know exactly what God created hem to become but we can agree with Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Who will we pass the baton to if we allow Satan to bind our children to steal their vision and dreams?  Think about it.  Can you feel my passion?  It is not just about your child, it is much bigger than that it’s about our nation’s children.  LET’S  P.U.S.H. !!!

In His service,

Vilma

Let me hear your Comments? 

Being a Mother without having had a Mother

This is something I have always thought about myself and as I pondered it God revealed some things that I will share with you.  My mother passed away when I was 34 years old already married and with at the time a 4 year old and a 1 year old.  I remembered how angry and hurt I was.  As I started to talk about my children not having their grandmother around and my not being able to call my mother for advice as I use to, it suddenly dawned on me that my husband who was comforting me lost his mother when he was only 12 years old.  Although the pain was still there I started to thank God that I had the opportunity to have her for 34 years, when as in the case of my husband some had theirs for only 12 years, some for maybe 5 years and then some who never had the opportunity of knowing their mother. 

There are those of you who may not have had their birth mother, but were blessed with a mother figure who tried to fill that gap, whether a grandmother, adopted parent, foster mother, a big sister or other relative.  Then there may be a few who as painful as it may have been literally raised themselves, with those daily struggles for survival.

Now here you are looking back at the child you raised, or the child that you are still raising, you no doubt have many questions as to the job you did, or the one you are doing. Was it right or is it right?

Let us rethink this- first start to thank God that he chose your womb in spite of everything else to place the gift of life.  If He did be assured that you are capable of being that mother that God desires.  Remember that God is the only one that gives life- God does not make any mistakes.  He did not create this life within you and then said oops, I made a mistake, she can’t manage.  There is no oops in God!!  Next thank God for the people who helped you and tried to be a mother to you.  Then forgive your mother who may have abandoned you and ask God’s forgiveness for whatever anger and bitterness that you may have if you lost your mother at a critical period in your life.  You may not even realize how angry you have been.  This certainly is a hindrance to your relationship with God and subsequently a hindrance to being the mother He has called you to be.

 Not having a mother or a good mother figure around is difficult, but remember that the manual for child rearing is the word of God and that word stands forever.  You can seek advice or counsel, get parenting classes, but always make sure that the advice you are given is in agreement with what the word of God is saying.

 Some of you reading this blog may have had mothers around all your life, but you never see them pray or read the word of God and in turn they never taught you how to pray and read the word of God.  So you find it hard to read the word and pray as I have been encouraging you to do.

The fact that you are reading this means that it is not too late to start doing what is right.  Break this generational pattern and start to earnestly pray and seek God’s guidance. Tell yourself the BUCK stops with you.  The moment you make an effort God steps in.  God did not part the red sea until the Israelites stepped in.

In His Service,

Vilma

What are you Believing God For Concerning Your Children?

What are you believing God for concerning your Children?  As you look at them, think about them, speak with them, what is that burning desire that keeps clutching at your heart?  Is it for their salvation, their obedience, their health, the choices, they make?  Is it about their finances, their lifestyle or even the way they raise their own children?  As you zero in on it, get yourself a note book and write it down.  Next go to the scriptures and search for every promise concerning “that thing”.  Start to speak these promises every day until you are able to say it from memory.  Remember words are powerful and when mixed with faith they are even more powerful.

Speaking God's Word is powerful!  It is more powerful than a two-edged sword!  One edge of the sword is God’s word, and it becomes double-edged when we speak the word of God- that’s the other edge.  We must synchronize; we cannot go in opposite directions and expect to get good results.  We must be on one accord.  So as God speaks I agree.  When we agree with someone or something we support it- right.  How do we support what God is saying?  By believing it and acting like it is so.

 Having said this I also would like to say that along with claiming the promises of God we need to remember that there are certain conditions surrounding these promises and we have to acknowledge these “ifs” and but’s and operate accordingly so that our “thens” can materialize.

In His Service,

Vilma