This weekend I got to head home to participate in a special event for a cause near and dear to my heart.
Mercy Ministries is a biblically based treatment program for young women battling life-controlling issues such as addictions to drugs and alcohol, eating disorders, abuse, sexual sin, depression, self-harm, teenage pregnancy, suicidal thoughts, etc.
Mercy takes in every girl free of charge so that the girls know that no one is trying to make money off of their issues. In addition,
Mercy takes no government funding so that they are not limited by the state in their ability to share the transformational love of Jesus Christ. Lastly,
Mercy gives back 10% of everything they receive to other ministries.
Almost three years ago, I walked in the doors of Mercy Ministries—hopeless, broken, and dying. During my six months at Mercy, I fell in love with Jesus Christ and the Lord used Mercy to teach me that I had a choice—I could choose death or I could choose life. Mercy taught me how to choose life. Two years out of Mercy, I am so far from perfect and I face struggles in my life daily—but Mercy gave me the tools I need to live a life unto Christ, even in a fallen world.
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| My roomies and my daughter :) |
This weekend I got to head home to
St. Louis with my roommates and friends to participate in a 5K Run and Family Walk to benefit Mercy Ministries. This is actually my third year participating in this event, but this one was by far the sweetest for me. I got to share the story of God’s transforming power in my life. I have shared several times for Mercy events over the past several years, but this time—this time was different.
This time, it was the nearness to my utter depravity over the past several weeks that brought me to my knees—oh not my words, but His. It was the crowd cheering me on, the proclaiming of “Amens” to God’s faithful work in my life. It was looking out into the crowd and seeing so many faces that have remained close to my heart over the years. It was those brief moments of locking eyes with the ones I love—the ones who knew the darkness of my before as I stood, proclaiming the holy Light of my here and now.
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| My precious family all came to support Mercy! |
It was seeing my family, all there together—celebrating their love that brought me from that darkness into His glorious Light. It was seeing the tears of a battle fought and won etched across their faces. It was seeing the chains being loosed as the Truth pierced deeply. It was my legs trembling as the words I had barely rehearsed began to flow from somewhere far outside of my fallen flesh—with precision and sureness. It was the boldness with which the Words poured forth, like a fountain unafraid to overflow.
This time, it was not me speaking, but His words pouring forth through my lips. Oh, not in my strength, but by solely by the power of the Spirit of Truth. Purely beautiful.
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| Totally ran a 5K in boots!! |
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. -1 Corinthians 2:1-5
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| Here we go... |
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| Gotta get the hair just right... |
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| My beautiful sisters |
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| Roomies and Best Friends |
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| Good job brother!!! |
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| What a beauitful mama. |
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| precious Jakers...getting TOO big!!!! |
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| Love my family |
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