Tag: planned

life is precious

Karla Lees

Nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Matthew 10:16

This is a hard one to write.

Because of the depths the enemy has swayed humanity to reach new levels of depravity.

This week, news spread that one of the major players in crusading for abortion hasnt been walking their talk.

You heard that right.

You can’t have it both ways, Planned Parenthood.

And God has known your secret from the beginning, and is now exposing it in all its ugly truthfulness.

You can’t convince people that the unborn aren’t of value, then profit from the sale of those same unborn’s parts, and think you can get away with it forever.

When the God of eternity shines His flashlight of truth upon your hidden places, the ugliness becomes displayed for all to see.

The One who planned parenthood from its inception is not standing idly by.

Reaping from abortion violates the sacredness of creation, and horrifies the heart of the Maker of us all with each heartbeat it mercilessly stops.

Make no mistake, abortion is murder.

Not because I say it is, but because He does.

The only hope humanity has is to stop making up rules for ourselves which allow us to do whatever we want, whenever we want to.

We need a standard that is solid, secure and unchanging to help counter the cultural shifting of opinions.

He reminds us He is this standard in His Word….

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Jeremiah 5:1

Psalm 139 reminds us that He not only knows all about us, He knit our very beings together:

For You formed my inward parts;
You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully & wonderfully made.
Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

God knows the plans He has for each person on this planet…and watching us murder His handiwork, especially when they are still being formed, wounds Him deeply.

Make no mistake, every life is precious to Him. 

All will be held accountable for their part in snuffing a life out, regardless of the circumstances.

What can we do?

Fall to our knees and humble ourselves before our Maker. Ask for His heart for His creation, His handiwork.  Increase our prayer that what the enemy does in secret to harm His people will be brought into the Light, and He will stir us up to act as He leads to make things right again.

Our hope through all of this is found in Him alone, because He never stops loving us, no matter what.

When all we can see is a large organization which has railroaded the unborn to death and doesn’t seem to be running out of steam, God sees it as a small gnat in comparison to Him.

I can tell you that abortion doesn’t just harm the unborn child.  It not only devastates the spirit of the mother, it often has a physical, emotional and mental impact which can take years to work through and overcome. A few who are close to me have ventured down this road.

Our wombs were designed & made to honor the treasure He blesses us with, not allow the enemy to plunder it.

It’s time we speak up about what really matters.  Sisters, your loved ones & friends may have hard choices ahead because of their actions, or the sin forced upon them. Encourage them to seek wise council. Go to a pregnancy center or church which can help support them. Remind them:
-all life is precious
-love can put the needs of another ahead of its own to bring new life into this world
-there are empty arms just longing for a child
-there are blessings which come for those who honor His ways
-they are not alone

For those who have already taken that step and chosen the harder path which has separated them from their child forever on this earth, He still waits to embrace & heal you with His love. Forgiveness, mercy and grace await you.

And one day in Heaven, there will be such a reunion of all these unborn children, fully whole & perfect, with their natural mothers who receive Him.

There will not be a dry eye in the place, especially His.

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Master-piece

Karla Lees

You choose to use me.
But more importantly than even that, You choose me.

You chose me before I even came into physical existence.
You knew me, and the plan for me, before You began to shape me into being.

You consider me Your masterpiece.

A piece made with care by the Master.

And as such, I am special to You.

A piece of Your heart, wrapped in the work of Your hands, on display for all to see.

Purposefully made, purposefully chosen, purposefully pursued & adored.

Wow.

My problem receiving that truth?

Me.

By choosing my own feelings over Yours, and by accepting my word as true above Yours, I undermine my own effectiveness in Your hands.

I become the stumbling block from all You have planned for me, the one You call Your masterpiece.

When I get out of my way, humble myself and allow You to be the One whose words I take to heart, whose truth I walk out, whose love I demonstrate, others can see the masterpiece You set out for me to be.

Only when the missing piece submits to the love of the Master can i become Your intended masterpiece.

I struggle with this some days more than others, usually when things have been especially stormy and I feel off kilter.

When I forget who I really am, I set myself up to me moved by the deceiver in the board of defeat he would have me believe is all there is for me.

No more.

After a few painful blows and bouts of tears, I drop to my knees and acknowledge the truth You have always known:

I am Yours, Lord.
I declare You Lord over every area of my life.

May I become as You intended when I leave myself in Your hands,
Your masterpiece,
for Your glory alone.

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3 squirrelly lessons learned

Karla Lees

“Squirrel!”

How many times have you seen a squirrel, and never noticed how interesting they are?

We have a poofy cute squirrel who lives in the tree in front of our neighbor’s yard. After spending quite a while observing him/her over the past several weeks, i realized there are a few good lessons we can learn from squirrels.

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image via freepetwallpapers.com

1. Keep your eyes on the task you have to complete.

Squirrels don’t just scamper around without a purpose. They know their to-do lists, and do them. Nothing else. They don’t pretend to be dogs, cats or birds but act like the squirrels they are.

2. Be aware of your surroundings.

Make sure you know where your place of safety is at all times. I have noticed that most squirrels don’t tend to roam a very big territory and are constantly on alert keeping an eye out for danger, always having an escape route should they need it. Ever notice when it feels threatened, a squirrel moves to the opposite side of the tree and then usually really high up its branches before it looks at you again? It trusts its instincts when they tell it to run.

3. Keep hidden things safe.

Not everybody needs to know all your business, such as where your nest is, or how much you have stockpiled for winter.

So what can we take away from these three squirrelly lessons?

1. Be who God made you to be, and follow His design for your life.

If you know that you know you are meant to do something, then don’t settle for less than what He has for you. Once you know what that is, keep focused on your goals. This devotional by Rick Warren may help you on that path of discovery:
God Made You for a Purpose

2. Always be aware of your surroundings.

When distractions try to lure you, or the enemy pursues you, know where to run for safety. God is our refuge 100%. At all times, everywhere we go, every day. Keeping close to Him helps us hear His guidance when we need to make a turn or avoid a pitfall. If He tells you to go, then do so.

God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need Him.

Psalm 46

Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. 

1 Peter 5:8

3. Be mindful of your business.

By business, I mean your personal life. Not everybody needs to know how so and so wounded you, or how many times your teenager comes home late…. Keep your need to know list appropriate for the situation. If you need help, reach out to wise and godly counsel for direction. Make sure you know your circles of support (ie. trusted friends, family, pastors, small group leaders, mentors or coworkers) and ask God for discernment about when & what to speak. If someone is not a believer, they may not be the best person to turn to for godly advice. They may actually cause harm to you and add more unnecessary stress to the situation. Keep your business as need to know, so not everybody knows.

Form your purpose by asking for counsel, then carry it out using all the help you can get.

Proverbs 20:18

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

Matthew 7:6

Final Thought:

Squirrels, and all of God’s creatures, have an innate sense of their purpose. When we lost our way in the Garden, we lost that ability to clearly hear God’s voice and walk with Him as we once did. Spending time with Him daily, reading His Word, listening to Spirit speak to us, and being obedient to follow as He leads are an important step to regaining our purpose. Allow God to birth His purpose for you, for: 

I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out — plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Jeremiah 29:11

wildflower

Karla Lees

Matthew 6:30-33: MSG  “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”

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As I have been walking outdoors this spring & summer, I have noticed the abundance of wild flowers that pop up and grow, in both obvious and more subtle locations….many of which most of us have never set eyes upon.

The Creator notices each one of them.

Field upon field, patches that grow through the cracks along the sidewalks and pathways. Hidden under low lying tree branches, behind thick bushes.

Year after year, these beauties slowly grow, bloom & blossom. Shine for the time they are given to do so before their fade, withering back down into the earth they burst forth from.

Whether they have ever been noticed or not.

I recently was introduced to a gifted artist, who exclusively paints flowers. He captures the beauty in their moments in the light in oils, these glimpses of natural wonder at their best, for all to see.

He is able to magnify the wonder of flowers because he took the time to stop and not just smell them, but closely look at them. Drawing close enough to see the dew drops, sunlight glinting from their petals, their exquisite coloring and composition.

How much more does God think of us?

We are more intricately created than the beautiful wildflowers.

God paid the highest price for us to be able to grasp just how precious He considers us.

In Matthew 6:30 He reminds us not to worry, as He will care and provide for us, as we are way more important to Him than the wildflowers. We are His pride & joy, in whom He delights.

God wants us not to worry about what might come or what we need.

He is our Provider.

God wants us to depend on Him with all that is concerning us.

He is Dependable.

God promises as we seek Him and His ways, we will never go without what is important.

He is Faithful.

The reality is…we are here because God created and made us. We are His initiative.

He notices us.

Why would the God who went to all the trouble to count every hair on our head and every tear we will ever shed not take pride in His handiwork, and care for it as any gifted artist would do?

He doesn’t want to hide it, but proudly display His handiwork to the world.

We are that precious handiwork in His sight.

The next time you see a patch of wildflowers, remember not only did God design them, He placed them exactly where He wanted them for His purpose, and gave them all they needed to live, bloom and grow.

You are of so much more value than these.

Remember to thank Him for that awesome love the next time you see a wildflower.

fashioned with care

Karla Lees

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We were fashioned with care.
Hand made by God.
Planned out.
On purpose.

Crafted in the secret place.
On display as His handiwork, for all to see.

We are each a walking creation, made in the image of our Creator.

God took what He wanted us to have from each of our contributing parents, added His sweet purposeful touches to the DNA- our talents, gifts, dreams- and with a spark we came to be in the secret place within our mothers.

But God didn’t leave it there.

We are not only made with care.
He cares for us.

Individually.

And with one seemingly reckless act, God paid the outstanding account, in the enemy’s log book of our wrong doings, with the spilled blood & the offered body of Jesus- the son of man & God.

Love with a passion we can barely comprehend, that such a God would wrap Himself in flesh, live among us and make a way for us to reconnect with God, and join His family, forever.

We are each His beloved.

Psalm 139 includes fascinating account of how you and I were fearfully & wonderfully made by God.

The rest of the bible is His love story, written for us, of how God cares for those He has handcrafted with such purpose and care.

Each and every one of us.
Who has ever been, is or ever will be on this earth, in all of history.

Take a look around you. The similarities and differences make each one of us unique yet stamped with the same Creator’s handiwork.

Made by the Master craftsman.

For His glory.

Wow.

May you start the day knowing you are here on purpose, made exquisitely with love by your Creator.

It is no accident you are alive.

Don’t miss the rest of your story by not knowing the Author.

ten things I like about you

Karla Lees

I really like ten things about you.
Even though i may not have met you yet.

That may sound strange, but as an observer of people, I have finally figured these things out.

And you probably need to know what these things are.

1. I like the fact that you aren’t me.
I spend more than enough time with myself, so I like that you are not me. I find our differences interesting. Think about how boring it would be if we were all alike.

2. You are here on purpose.
You were not an accident, no matter what anyone else had told you. God planned you, on purpose, from the spark that He first set off when He created you in your mother’s womb. You are handcrafted, and a one of a kind original. There will never be another one of you, ever. He designed you after Himself. He intentionally placed you in this place and time.

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Image from- http://cdn.theresurgence.com/files/2013/08/05/Wired_ResurgenceTemplate2.jpg

3. God has equipped you with talents and gifts.
Sometimes you need to be reminded that you are good at something. We all have strengths, and when we get to know each other, we begin to see these in one another. It may take a friend or coworker to point it out to you before you may begin to see it in yourself. You likely are good at a few things, not just the one you may be best at.

4. God cares for you.
Each and every person who ever has been, is or will be is important to God. So much so that Jesus died for each of us, to pave the way for us to draw close to Him. He is the closest friend you can ever have, will never leave you and always wants the best for you. He is in your corner no matter what.

5. You are here for a purpose.
You are meant to do wonderful things with your life. Bless people through your profession, invent something, raise your kids well, mentor or teach others, encourage and help others. God will reveal the things you are meant to do as you get to know Him, and yourself through His eyes.

6. You are worth being heard.
If no one has ever told you so…what you feel and think matters. You have a story worth telling, and it deserves to be told. And heard.

7. You look great when you smile!
That’s right, a smile makes you look your best. And when you smile, it increases the likelihood that those around you will smile back at you.

8. Things may be tough, but they will get better.
This world is just our temporary home, and it’s a hard life most of us are living through. But its not our final destination if you believe in Jesus, and place your hope in Him. Heaven will be your forever home. No more tears, sickness, disease, pain or loneliness.

9. You always have something to be thankful for.
As bad as things can get, take some comfort in the small things around you if you can’t see any big things to be grateful about. Being able to breathe, read, hear, walk. A roof over your head, food on the table, a job. A cloud in the sky, sun, rain puddles, flowers, cat purrs. Whatever you can find, remember to be thankful for having it.

10. Someone is thankful for having you in their life.
They are. Whether a family member, close friend, coworker or a stranger you helped out…someone has been blessed to have you in their life.

I hope we meet, whether virtually, here on earth or in heaven one day.

Until we do, remember these ten things that you need to know about yourself.

It took many years for me to reprogram the lies and believe these truths about myself. May you cast off what needs to go to make room for these truths you were meant to know about you.

I am glad you are here.