How do you expect to stay clean if you keep playing in the mud?

I was sent a video this morning and he made a statement " you'll never get clean by walking through mud" my re-write is:  " how do you expect to stay clean if you keep playing in the mud".

It went right along with some marinating thoughts I have been having this past couple of weeks.

As I  have been on Facebook, posts from women and young girls have been catching my attention as I have been asking God to show me what it is that breaks His heart.  These girls seem to think vulgar language, having sex with this guy or that guy, going to this party or that party is what life is all about.  Then they show off pictures of their new outfits, that look like they were actually bought for their child. They go on to say how awesome last night was... then 2 days later "how dare they? Oh No they didn't! Just wait til.....

My question is when will they be sick and tired of being sick and tired.  When will they want a life that has meaning not just in the moment but next year or the year after that or heck... 50 years from now?

What will it be that shows them that there is more to life than just the next night of sex or getting drunk?

When will they stop to look long enough in the mirror and ask: What legacy am I leaving for my children?

When will they stop long enough to say "I am worth more than a night of whatever passion, with whoever just to fulfill that empty feeling".

That empty feeling that will then be fulfilled for 9 months while they are carrying the child to term.  But with no regard to the life that will be relying on you for the next 18 years, they still continue in their lifestyle and they'll worry about it when the time comes. And for some the time has come and they still don't seem care.  They are still trying to figure out how to find love.

And the life they brought into this world unfortunately will not be seen as a burden.

That life will not bring you the happiness you are looking for, nor will the guy who helped create it. If you are lucky he will pay child support, but he didn't stay around for the other children he has running around why will he stay for you?  What makes you any different?  You gave him what he wanted now you get to live with.... well if you are lucky all you get out of the deal is a child.

When will enough be enough.  Why do you think a weekend fling will be the difference this time for you to find love and fulfillment?

If you want someone to truly respect and love you....then you first need to love and respect yourself.  

I don't care just love me

There was something about her that made me gravitate towards her.  Maybe it was the way she walked into the room: earbuds in trying not to care that she was different on the inside, or so she thought.

She had been thrown our like the trash by her mom and a return to sender label stuck to her forehead.

No one loves me- no one cares about me. I can't wait til I'm 18 and I can do what I want.

As the class bell rang; introductions were made, I started to speak.  For the next 45 minutes I spoke of my childhood, my low self- esteem, the meeting of my husband and how he became the person in my life that showed me how to make life happen instead of letting life happen.

The bell rang and the class got up to leave except for one.

The tears that were brimming threatening to break down the Dam, had now been open by the Army Corp of Engineers and the tears were flowing freely.

The low self-esteem with the need to be loved was a recipe for disaster. As she spoke, I realized the earbuds and "I am tough, don't care" attitude she came in with was just a wall of protection to get through the day. 

The bad part for me: I can only show her Gods kindness, love through actions.

I can't tell her that that emptiness, that void can only be filled by God.

We all want to be loved, needed, respected, fulfilled.

The problem is if our self- esteem and or self- confidence are low we will take whatever comes our way.

It's the old parenting adage, even negative attention is better than no attention at all.

God reminded me of this today:  if you are a believer in Christ....show love, you don't always have to have a scripture to back it up.

Preach the Gospel at all times, use words if necessary.

  --  Saint Francis of Assisi 

Shame on....

People who are Christians use pat answers, take scripture out of context to make their point.  But they also use scripture to shame you.

I wasn't a bad kid or a bad teen mom, but it just seemed that I was constantly given the label " not good enough".

The shame that came from being looked at differently from church people when they did the math in their heads and realized I was pregnant on the day of our wedding, ( I'll save you the suspense, I was 5 months along). 

Now, not being a bad person: but yet it always seemed church people were saying" well you know the bible says, you're not supposed to have sex before marriage, you're not supposed to do this or that".

I think it's funny that I never heard this part of the scripture:

1 Corinthians 5:9-11

When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.  But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer  yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.

So my charge to you today is to re-look  at your life ( if you call yourself a Christian)with the backdrop of 1 Corinthians before you shame a non- believer for the things they do.