“The Joys of Motherhood” (Poetry)

From this corner office my mind drifts away,
To a beautiful, sun-soaked, summer day.
This was the day when my daughter first smiled,
And tears filled my eyes as I held my child.
And when she smiled, how my heart erupted;
Those blue eyes twinkled, oh how I loved it!

Then comes the thought of my daughter’s first step,
Just one step, then she fell, but my heart leapt!
With loving arms, I scooped up my baby,
Twirled around the room with my little lady.
Her steps had numbered a million shortly,
But the first was the best, at least for me.

And bittersweet was her first day of school.
I was so worried that she would be cool.
I thought she would have one or the other-
Either excitement or tears for her mother.
Somehow both she was able to manage,
As through the tears she had such courage.

In her wedding gown as she walked the aisle,
And lighted the church with her lovely smile-
She looked through tears to his eyes, said, “I do,”
And, “to you, my love, I’ll always be true.”
This day is better than all of the rest,
Her wedding day is the one I love best!

I thought that giving birth would my life end,
But I’ve been haunted by what might have been.
I traded real life for another sort,
Joy for regret when I chose to abort.
My life ended along with hers it seems,
These joys of motherhood are only dreams.

O what a wretched choice I made that day,
I would undo it if there were a way.
If I could go back, to term I would carry,
So my baby could smile, walk, learn, and marry.
In singleness and career, there is no good
That could compare to the joys of motherhood.

Jesus in Hosea

Have you ever seen those “Where’s Waldo” books? Each two-page spread is a scene with a lot of people, and the objective is to find the funny-looking little man, Waldo, in his red and white striped shirt and hat.

A few weeks ago I did something of this sort, except with a different book and the objective of finding a different Man. Instead of a “Where’s Waldo” book, I had the Bible- specifically the book of Hosea. And instead of looking for a funny little man in red and white, I was looking for the risen King of the universe- who walked among us as a humble peasant and son of a carpenter; who died and yet lives. I was looking for Jesus in the book of Hosea. Here is what I found:

There are multiple parallels between the lives of Hosea and Jesus. As Hosea was called to go and take a wife of adultery (Hosea 1:2), so was Jesus (Ephesians 5:25-33; James 4:4). As Hosea paid the price demanded to redeem a slave for his unfaithful bride (Hosea 3:2), so did Jesus (Leviticus 17:11/Hebrews 9:22). And just as the amazing, adultery-forgiving love of God portrayed in Hosea was available to Gomer if she only turned away from her adultery and went to Hosea (Hosea 3:3), so it is that the amazing, adultery-forgiving love of God in Christ is available to us if we only turn away from our adultery and go to Jesus (John 3:16; Luke 5:32; 13:1-5; 15:1-10; 17:3-4; 24:44-49).

In addition to these parallels, there are some specific references that point to Jesus. Hosea 3:5 says that the children of Israel, as was portrayed between Hosea and Gomer, will “return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king.” King David had long been dead in Hosea’s day, so this is clearly a reference to the Messiah, of whom it was promised that He would be in the line of David and that He will reign forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13). We now know that the long-awaited Messiah has come, and that the Messiah is Jesus (John 1:41-42)!

The numerous references to Judah (Hosea 1:7, 11; 5:5, 10, 12, 14; 6-4, 11; 8:14; 10:11; 11:12; and 12:2), as well as the references to a lion in Hosea 13:7-8, call to mind another Messianic prophecy, namely, the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:8-12).

Then there is Hosea 11:1, where God says, “out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2:15 tells us that this was fulfilled when, after Mary, Joseph, and Jesus had fled to Egypt, God sent an angel to call His Son, Jesus, out of Egypt (Matthew 2:19-20).

Last, but certainly not least, we have Hosea 1:7. Here, God promises through His prophet that He would save His people by the Lord their God- not by bow, sword, war, horses, or horsemen. This prophecy has been fulfilled, and God has saved His people by the Lord their God. Just as those to whom Gomer was enslaved demanded a price, so our sins demanded blood and death (Leviticus 17:11, Hebrews 9:22, and Romans 6:23). God has saved His people by the Lord our God by coming to dwell among us, shedding His blood, and dying to pay the penalty of our sins and remove them from us as far as the east is from the west!

“Brother, You’re Like a Six”

Great article on Christian dating: http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001371.cfm

A Great Article on Abortion

I had a front row seat to a manifestation of the mercy of God yesterday!  A couple from somewhere outside Cincinnati drove down to Louisville to get an abortion, but they changed their minds and said that they are “definitely” keeping the baby!  Hallelujah, what great news!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

I received a great article from the crisis pregnancy center yesterday, and would like to share.  I am not sure who the author is. The article quotes another article and gives its source, but I am not sure of the source for this one.  Anyway, here it is:

(All of the following is directly quoted from the article- DH)

“Profile of a Woman with an Unplanned Pregnancy”

Recently there has been research done on the psychology of pro-choice women. I quote here extensively from an article called “Abortion: A Failure to Communicate” by Paul Swope. Mr. Swope is the Northeast Project Director of the Caring Foundation and President of LifeNet Services, Inc. In the article Mr. Swope details the findings of the research and then links it to the media communication that the Caring Foundation has been conducting in various states. You may obtain a complete copy of this article by writing to the Caring Foundation, 10 Park Avenue, Derry, NH 03038-2114

The information outlined in this article challenges us in the Pregnancy Center ministry with information that may be new to some, yet confirm for others what we have been learning all along as we have ministered to women over the last two decades. Before we believe we have anything to say to a woman, we must know who she is and the forces, thoughts, and pressures that are behind her decision-making processes, especially if we hope to continue to reach out to abortion-vulnerable women and affect the abortion rate in this country.

For twenty-five years the pro-life movement has stood up to defend perhaps the most crucial principle in any civilized society, namely, the sanctity and value of every human life. However, neither the profundity and scale of the cause, nor the integrity of those who work to support it, necessarily translates into effective action. Recent research on the psychology of pro-choice women offers insight into why the pro-life movement has not been as effective as it might have been in persuading women to choose life; it also offers opportunities to improve dramatically the scope and influence of the pro-life message, particularly among women of childbearing age.

This research suggests that modern American women of childbearing age do not view the abortion issue within the same moral framework as those of us who are pro-life activists. Our message is not being well-received by this audience because we have made the error of assuming that women, especially those facing the trauma of an unplanned pregnancy, will respond to principles we see as self-evident within our own moral framework, and we have presented our arguments accordingly. This is a miscalculation that has fatally handicapped the pro-life cause. While we may not agree with how women currently evaluate this issue, the importance of our mission and the imperative to be effective demands that we listen, that we understand, and that we respond to the actual concerns of women who are most likely to choose abortion…

One objection of the research was to answer a question that has baffled pro-life activists for some time. How can women and the public in general, be comfortable with being against abortion personally but in favor of keeping it legal? Because pro-lifers find it morally obvious that one cannot simultaneously hold that “abortion is killing” and “abortion should be legal,” they have tended to assume that people only need to be shown more clearly that the fetus is a baby. They assume that if the humanity of the unborn is understood, the consequent moral imperative, “killing a baby is wrong,” will naturally follow, and women will choose life for their unborn children. This orientation has framed much of the argument by pro-lifers for over two decades, with frustratingly little impact.

The new research shows why the traditional approach has had so little effect, and what can be done to change things.

The summary report of the study bears the intriguing title: “Abortion: The Least of Three Evils – Understanding the Psychological Dynamics of How Women Feel About Abortion.” The report suggests that women do not see any “good” resulting from an unplanned pregnancy. Instead they must weigh what they perceive as three “evils,” namely, motherhood, adoption, and abortion.

Unplanned motherhood, according to the study, represents a threat so great to modern women that it is perceived as equivalent to a “death of self.” While the woman may rationally understand this is not her own literal death, her emotional, subconscious reaction to carrying the child to term is that her life will be “over.” This is because many young women of today have developed a self-identity that simply does not include being a mother. It may include going through college, getting a degree, obtaining a good job, even getting married someday; but the sudden intrusion of motherhood is perceived as a complete loss of control over their present and future selves. It shatters their sense of who they are and will become, and thereby paralyzes their ability to think more rationally or realistically.

When these women evaluate the abortion decision, therefore, they do not, as a pro-lifer might, formulate the problem with the radically distinct options of either “I must endure an embarrassing pregnancy” or “I must destroy the life of an innocent child.” Instead, their perception of the choice is either “my life is over” or “the life of this new child is over.” Given this perspective, the choice of abortion becomes one of self-preservation, a much more defensible position, both to the woman deciding to abort and to those supporting her decision.

(This is about half of the article, I will post the rest later- DH)

“I Heard the Voice” – a hymn by Horatius Bonar

“I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘Come unto Me and rest.
Lay down, oh weary one lay down
Your head upon my breast.’

I came to Jesus as I was
Weary, worn, and sad.
And I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘Come unto Me and drink
The living water, thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live.’

I came to Jesus and I drank
From that life-giving stream.
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
‘I am this dark world’s light.
Look unto me, your morn’ shall rise,
And all your days be bright.’

I looked to Jesus and I found
In Him my star, my sun.
And in that light of life I’ll walk,
‘Til traveling days are done.”

“My Treacherous Heart” (Poetry)

My treacherous heart, some friend you have been;
Like Brutus and Judas through thick and thin.
Rejoicing in small things, complacent in great;
You’d have me in hell if you held my fate.

I once got free tickets in the second row,
To watch the Houston Rockets put on a show.
I told all my coworkers this good news,
But failed to tell them of the King of the Jews.

I once met the loveliest young lady,
Whose allure, charm, and beauty constrained me.
If Helen’s face launched a thousand ships, then
The face of this maiden could launch a million.

Nothing’s wrong with sports or lovely young ladies,
But the sin for which I deserve Hades
Is rejoicing in good things, although small,
While oft failing to in the greatest of all.

Blessed am I, for my sins are forgiven;
Greater still, eternal life I’m given.
If I but look to Christ, He’ll do the rest,
And save me from this traitor in my chest.

My heart overflows for tickets and a girl,
But not for Him who created the world.
If only my heart would give Christ His due,
This treacherous heart would forever be true.

Our Backwards World.

I went to an abortion clinic with some fellow Christians Saturday to try to prevent abortions. It was intense, and it definitely makes abortion more real to see the faces of the women, and to watch them pass through doors of death for the helpless, defenseless life in their wombs.

One thing that I learned Saturday was that the murderers cannot perform an abortion unless they can find a heartbeat.

What a backwards, messed up world we live in!

“Come Lord Jesus!” -Revelation 22:20

What Have They Done?

What have unborn, precious, living babies done to deserve death? More than that, a painful and torturous death?

Yesterday I was thinking about the fact that the crucifixion of Jesus was the most evil event in history. As I thought about this, I wondered what other evils could be compared with the cross of Christ.

While Christians should see the supremacy of Christ in this discussion, there are other evils for which some might argue. While genocide in general or particular could vie for second most evil, I would argue that abortion, both in general and every single murder of an innocent child in particular, occupies that spot.

What makes Jesus Christ and Him crucified the greatest evil ever is that He did not deserve to die, much less to be publically shamed and brutally murdered as He was. Likewise, aborted babies do not deserve to die. If you think of abortion as a clean, cut and dry process, YouTube Gianna Jessen and listen to her talk passionately about saline abortions, one of which was supposed to end her life before she left her mother’s womb. As she says, saline abortions are intended to burn the unborn human being both inside and out and thereby end his or her life.

I love animals, but it is tragic that there are probably people who advocate protecting animals with one breath and support the burning alive of unborn humans with the next.

It is more tragic that millions of Americans view abortion as nothing more than an issue, while millions upon millions upon millions of innocent little bundles of blood and guts and brains and nerves and arms and legs and fingers and toes and potential are murdered, deprived of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by parents and voters and legislators who are supposed to defend the defenseless. To the tune that the man who fails on this issue worse than any candidate before him could be given the highest elected office in the world.

While abortion and genocide victims share the undeserved aspect with the evil of the murder of the Messiah, there was far more evil in the death of Jesus. This is because, in addition to not deserving to die, Jesus also deserved to live more than anyone else ever has or ever will. More than anyone else, He deserved to be honored and thanked and praised and cherised and loved.

Yet He was shamed and cursed and despised and rejected and crucified. Praise God that Christ Jesus our Lord “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8) “for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), and that He appeared to more than five hundred men (1 Corinthians 15:6), and He ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven until His enemies are subdued under His feet (Psalm 110:1)..

Hosea part 1

Why did God tell Hosea to take a wife of adultery and children of unfaithfulness?

God told Hosea to take a wife of adultery and children of unfaithfulness because Hosea was to be a living example of the relationship between God and His people. God sees sin as spiritual adultery. In Numbers 15:37-41, the Lord gives instructions through Moses that the people were to wear tassels on the corners of their garments. Verse 39 says, “and it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the Lord, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.” So when we follow after our own heart and our own eyes, instead of remembering and doing all the commandments of the Lord, God calls that “whoring.” Also, James 4:4 says, “You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” God sees our relationship with Him as something like marriage, and when we are unfaithful to Him- by pursuing the desires of our hearts and eyes and the sins of the world- He considers that whoredom and adultery. So in the life of Hosea, and in his love for his adultrous wife, we see something of God’s love for us. Even though we are all guilty of “whoring after” the desires of our hearts and eyes, and we are all guilty of “friendship with the world,” God still pursues us with His amazing love like Hosea pursued Gomer. And just as Hosea paid dearly to free Gomer, God has paid dearly to free us. He gave His only Son, that each and every one of us adulteresses who believes in Jesus will not perish, but will have etenal life!

More importantly, Hosea’s instuctions, life, and writings were intended to point forward to the Seed of woman, the Offspring of Abraham, the Lion of the tribe of of Judah, the heir of David who is enthroned forever, the Messiah, Christ Jesus.

Imagine God speaking these words, not to His prophet Hosea, but to His only Son before He took on flesh and walked among us.

“Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry.”

For the apostle Paul described Christ as the prototypical Husband, leading and laying down His life for His bride, the church. Imagine these words from the Father, not to Hosea after his wife had left him, but to His Son when He had pleaded thrice that the cup of the cross would pass.

“Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress.”

What amazing love! A man will hardly die for a good woman, but this is the love of God, in that while we were yet adulteresses, Christ died for us! If we will but turn from the filth of our sins, look to the Son of man who has been lifted up for the salvation of sinners, and believe in Him, then this amazing, adultery-forgiving love of almighty God will be ours!