Poem: With Our God

With our God are all provisions

And the courage to make decisions;

To fulfill our purposes in life

And understanding to handle strife.

May we never cling to a victim’s view,

But being over-comers just as You.

Seeing the flower and not the thorn.

Having Christ’s glory us adorn.

We lay our inadequacies at Your feet.

Putting on Your armor we can defeat

Ghosts of the past, demons of the future

With love and compassion our world to nurture.

by Christina Morley

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The Blood – Part 3 of 3

The blood makes us acceptable to Father God. Every time we take communion, we remember the blood of Jesus and the price He paid. The wine, or juice if you prefer, represents His blood and the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus taught that whenever the believers shared a meal together, they were to partake of this communion. For the early church, it was a regular occurrence presented in a natural way.

I’m concerned that church traditions of today have stifled this privilege by over-spiritualizing and over-restricting when and how we should partake of communion. We must be careful that our sole purpose for keeping church regulations is not to offend those who implement them. God is not so easily offended. What offends God is when we step away from worshiping Him in Spirit and in truth.

I believe that children are also meant to take part. Children born to a believing parent are under that parent’s spiritual covering. A child’s participation can be even more whole-hearted than our own. Jesus said that we should let the little children come to Him. He also said that the only way to receive the kingdom of God was like a child (Mark 10:13-15). We can learn about untainted faith from a child. In light of this, we need to be careful that our church rules don’t limit the children in expressing their faith.

Through Jesus’ blood, we become part of God’s family. Jesus is the firstborn, which makes Him our big brother. We might not look the same and we might not talk the same, but our redemption through Christ’s blood is the same. We are, therefore, all of the same stock. God has sealed us and set us apart by His Spirit.

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Prayer is Powerful – Part 2 of 5

The best thing about prayer is that you can do it any time of the day. It’s like having a conversation with God. The moment you feel prompted to pray for someone or something, share it with God. Sometimes, when I’m driving and I see someone who looks like someone else I know, I think, “Hey, I wonder how so-and-so is doing?” Then I pray for that person. Even a quick prayer can be powerful.

At other times, I might be having a conversation with a friend and the conversation leads to the friend having a need. Perhaps she hasn’t asked for prayer specifically, but I recognize that if I offer to pray, she’d probably appreciate it. Depending on the situation, I might even offer to pray for her right there.

Your prayers don’t have to be done in “the closet.” The less you worry about having the right place and the right atmosphere, the more spontaneous and natural your prayer life will be. As long as you are praying to be heard by God and not by man, then pray without holding back. Don’t allow inhibitions to keep you from being utilized by God.

Of course, you don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to yourself, so decide when it’s more beneficial to pray silently rather than vocally. Things to take into consideration are: the purpose of your prayer, the situation, and the suitability of your environment. Even though it’s good to be aware of your environment, this should not primarily govern how you pray. As you flow with His Spirit and with His love, you’ll know how to respond appropriately in every situation.

One place where people pray out loud is when they are together in a group or with a prayer partner. It could be at a large prayer meeting or with just a few moms. God promises that where two or three gather together in His name, He hears and will answer (Matt. 18:19&20). This means that if people are genuinely gathered for Christ’s purposes then His Spirit will lead them to unity of thought and they can confidently pray, knowing what they have agreed on will be answered.

A safe place to practice praying out loud is when you’re alone at home. You could try walking through the house praying from room to room. As you reach your kids’ rooms, you could pray for their safety. You could pray that their spiritual, mental, and physical development will be healthy and balanced so they can reach their full potential. You could also pray for their unknown future spouses.

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Thankful in Times of Opposition – Part 4 of 4

God wants to use us to influence society if we’re willing to stand up and join the ranks. Our great purpose in life is not only to care for our families. We were not placed here on earth only to preserve our own little kingdoms. He wants to use us to see His kingdom come on earth in every area of life, as it is in heaven.

It’s easy for us to recognize that there is a lot of work to be done. The vast global needs can feel overwhelming. The opportunities and possibilities are endless. Do what God has called you to do, and He will work through others to do the rest. Much can be achieved by one faithful servant of Christ, but even more can be accomplished through unity. We need each other’s gifts, talents, and personalities working together and complementing one another. Where there is unity in the body of believers, God has said He will command a blessing.

The best place to begin is by making a difference in our own families. Imagine what our nations would be like if we raised spiritually mature children who loved obeying God. Raising a spiritually healthy next generation is the first step and probably the most crucial step in bringing valuable change. We need more Christians with high morals in areas like government, politics, television, education, the arts, and missions.

We were chosen for such a time as this. We can be thankful that God has a master plan for our lives and that it’s not meant to be boring. We can be thankful for the life experiences we’ve had that prepare us for our specific callings. This is not the time to hide who we are. Instead, this is the time to let our potential shine. Remember, if God is for us, who can be against us?

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Thankful in Times of Opposition – Part 3 of 4

Both Joshua and Caleb had the kind of faith where they were willing to be used by God to make a difference in their society. That’s because they never forgot their origins. They remembered that they were the chosen people of God and that their God was all-powerful. They also chose to remain faithful to God no matter what the cost. That included standing up to popular opinion. Everyone else, except for Moses, wanted to listen to the ten spies that had come back with a fearful report. Joshua and Caleb tried to persuade them differently, but to no avail. The discussion got so heated that the people threatened them with stoning.

How do you feel when others put you down or scorn your Christian faith? Do you wilt away, hoping that they won’t take notice of you in the future? Or do you stand up taller and smile brighter knowing that you’re an heir and a ruler in the family of God?

People will take notice of you, and they’ll want to know what your secret is if you’re willing to have the attitude of Joshua and Caleb. God created you with enormous potential. As you meditate on what God says about you in the scriptures, then you won’t have to worry about what others might think, say, or do.

Part of living out your faith includes having to go against the regular flow of society. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Most people are thermometers that record or register the temperature of majority opinion, not thermostats that transform and regulate the temperature of society.” We know that Dr. King stood for what he believed in despite all the threats and criticisms that he had to face.

You have to decide if you will be the thermostat and transform society or just another thermometer. Will you make yourself available to be used by God to make a difference in the lives of others around you? Do you believe that with God you have the potential to make your life and future a success?

Perhaps you’ve lost yourself in the daily grind of caring for your children, your husband, and your home, and you no longer know who you are. Or, maybe sin and fear are standing in the way of a joyous and faith-filled life.

The Israelites were offered their freedom and a blessed future if they would turn away from their idols and worship and obey God. Instead, they preferred their spiritual and even their physical slavery to God’s gift of freedom.

Don’t be a slave to your family, to sin, or to fear. If you’re going to be a slave, then be a slave to the Lord. The apostle Paul was a Roman citizen and therefore a free man, but he wrote that He was a slave of Christ Jesus. To be a slave of Jesus actually means to be free – free from the bondage of sin and death. The devil came to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus has come to give us life and to give it abundantly (John 10:10).

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Poem - Desert Flower

I’m walking on hard ground
I’m not wearing a frown
No matter the circumstances around

Like a desert flower
I’m blooming where planted
No matter if the ground’s hard and dry
Like a desert flower
Whose petals touch the sky
I’m reaching high
Won’t let this life pass me by

When I feel tired and worn
Can’t see the flower past the thorn
And my dreams feel tattered and torn

Then I remember…
It’s just a little while
And then I will smile
As things take a turn
For this I yearn

Like a desert flower
I’m blooming where planted
No matter if the ground’s hard and dry
Like a desert flower
Whose petals touch the sky
I’m reaching high
Won’t let this life pass me by

by Christina Morley

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Thankful in Times of Difficulty – Part 3 of 4

The Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land wasn’t as happy a one as God had intended it to be. They were supposed to travel only a few days in the wilderness, but it turned into forty years. Their stubborn and unthankful hearts caused them lots of misery along the way. The more they resisted God, the more He resisted them.

While they lived under the dictatorship of Pharaoh, they had to obey no matter what. Pharaoh cared only about building his empire on the backs of the Hebrew people. Unlike Pharaoh, God wasn’t a dictator. He also wasn’t running a democracy. He couldn’t be voted in one day and out the next, although the people certainly tried to do this. He refused to be just a passing fancy. They were stuck with Him whether they liked it or not.

You see, God had a plan for them - a plan meant for good and not for evil. That plan was to establish a new nation under Him, a theocracy. They were to experience His protection, demonstrate His love, and carry His name to the nations. What He wanted was their full devotion and loyalty as He was fully devoted and loyal to them. They would then be granted victory after victory over their enemies.

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Poem - There Once Was a Girl

There once was a girl on a sunny day
She was having fun in a carefree way
In a field of flowers with the honey bee
This is how life should always be

But growing up brought many hardships
As she jumped in and out of relationships
The flowers were exchanged for stolen kisses
Followed by the sting and shame she now nurses

She let life bounce like a ball at its own will
Each bounce a piece of heart would kill
Looking for love, but in the end she found none
Life without rules brought pain instead of fun

This is not how life should be
She was created with purpose and a destiny
Not to be left without direction or only to fate
For her to turn around now is not too late

Her heart may be torn into tiny shreds
And hope hanging merely by threads
But as she opens her heart to God’s ways
He’ll bring her back to sunshiny days

He is the Great Creator and Master Restorer
He can put anyone’s life back in order
Each person must follow His leading and call
And by Christ’s Spirit He’ll not let us fall

By Christina Morley

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Finding Balance - Part 2 of 3

When God designed us, He had a vision and purpose for our lives beyond that of caregiver. God made us unique individuals for a reason. He didn’t label us “Childbearing Females,” throw us all into one great big category marked “Homemaker” and leave us there. Yet, we easily get stuck and lost in the complexities of raising a family.

It’s easy to get sucked up into the whirlwind of working and raising kids only to get spat out at the other end as living zombies. We can go through the motions so that people think we’re still alive, but nothing is left of us inside. No one will ask us to stop slaving either. The fact is that most husbands and children don’t naturally want to help around the house. They like their comfort zones, and we too easily take up the slack, wanting to please everyone.

Actually, this cheats our families of having well-rounded mothers who teach their children how to live in the real world. If we do everything for them, they will not be empowered to live a healthy life. They will also miss the opportunity of getting to know their moms, not for what they do, but for who they are.

(I took this photo in 2010 of my daughter, Jessica, helping in the kitchen.)

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Happy Moms - Part 1

The previous blogs were about developing a healthy relationship with God. These next few blogs are about developing a healthy relationship with ourselves. Cultivating a healthy relationship with ourselves is not a new concept. However, it’s not about becoming self-absorbed. It’s about rediscovering what makes us unique and what our purpose is. It’s also about creating balance and boundaries.

Each of us has the ability to positively influence thousands through the people that cross our paths every day. Satan knows this will hurt his cause, so he undermines our self-worth and keeps us so busy with other things that we become ineffective. Insecurities and busyness also cause us to miss out on God’s best for our lives. That’s why we need to take timeout so that we can protect what God has entrusted to us by staying focused and centered.

One thing I’ve come to realize about us moms is that we are quick to take care of our kids and slow to take care of ourselves. It’s also possible to neglect our husbands when we’re so concerned about our children. We may think that if we sacrifice our own needs all the time that we’ll build a perfect home where everyone is blissfully happy. The truth is that until we get our priorities in the right order, we’ll all suffer for it.



I was a stay-at-home mom for about four years. It was hard being restricted to the house for most of the day. Raising demanding and crying tots almost full-time drove me crazy. I was stressed out of my mind and very unhappy.

I would recommend all moms to have at least one job or hobby outside of the home. If you’re feeling stuck, then you’re not in a happy frame of mind. Once I was able to get out of the home and focus on something other than the kids, I became much happier. The best part was that as my needs were being met, I was better able to meet my family’s needs.

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