Choose Love

Consider the case of an unwed, teenaged girl - we'll call her Sally - who finds herself pregnant. Her mother, friends and her boyfriend all advise her to get rid of "it." Doing that may seem the better way out as it will cause minimal interruption to her life. Still, Sally feels confused. Afraid.

What can she do?

Embrace Grace is a nation wide organization that is bringing hope and encouragement to girls like Sally. With the Love in a Box initiative, Sally can choose to keep her baby and at the same time get plugged in to a local church for spiritual, emotional and physical support through an Embrace Grace group.

Here's how it works. Boxes  containing a Fearless journal, a pen, a necklace, baby onesie, a Brave Girl letter and other items are distributed to pregnancy centers nation wide and given to young, single pregnant women.

The outside of the journal states, "You are Strong, you are Brave, you are Loved. The inside of the journal begins with a Brave Girl letter, and throughout the pages you are encouraged to write about your fear.When you face your fear you are on your way to overcoming it.

You also get to write about your strengths and weaknesses as well as your prayers for yourself and your child. If you have ever wanted to start journaling and didn't know how to start, this Fearless Journal is just what you need. Scriptures and inspiring quotations at the bottom of every page remind you of God's love and will give you the confidence to face the future.

There's also a necklace with the words pro-love engraved on the pendant to remind you that you are choosing love. It can also be a conversation starter with other girls.

To enter this giveaway just go to http://blessedfreebies.com/embrace-grace.html

All women can bring hope to a young girl by partnering with Embrace Grace around the world. Here's what you can do:
Start an Embrace Grace at your local church so young women with unplanned pregnancies can have a support group.
Partner with the national organization through prayer and support at www.EmbraceGraceco.com
Download and print our Brave Girl  letter (http://egrace.co/brave) and mail to the address below for us to place inside a Love in a Box.

Mail your letter to:
Embrace Grace Inc.,
Attn: Love in a Box
700 W Bedford, Eueless Rd. Ste G
Hurst, TX 76053

Finish What You Start

Have you ever found yourself taking on a number of projects, at home or at work and becoming so overwhelmed you don't really complete all of them? As a writer, it has happened to me, and I feel very guilty about it. There's just not enough time, I tell myself. So for this year, I'm going to make every effort to finish what I start.

A new year has just begun, and you may be thinking it's not yet time to talk about finishing anything. Isn't a new year about new beginnings? Maybe for some people, but for most of us, the new year is just another date on the calendar. Last year I wrote this post:  Just Do It  I hope some of you followed my advice and took that bold step to give your life to Christ. If you did, I'm happy for you, and the angels are rejoicing. If you didn't, don't put it off too long.

For those of you who gave your heart to Christ, I would like to encourage you to develop a habit of daily prayer and Bible reading. Yes, daily. It doesn't have to be an hour every day. You don't need a lot of time to connect with your Lord and Savior. He is always with you, and a few minutes a day may be all you need to acknowledge His presence and thank Him for it. Reading the Word helps you to hear from Him and get His direction for your life. Just as my morning walk energizes me for the day, so my Bible reading lifts my spirits and helps to set the tone for my day.

The other step is becoming a church member. Going to church doesn't save you, but saved people go to church. More about this in another post. Once you become a member, try to get involved in some of the various ministries. Many churches have activities for different ages, so it should be no difficulty fitting in. You don't have to be in everything. Church activity should never be a chore or a duty, but something you do because you want to give of your time to the Lord and fellowship with other believers.

If you do these things, you will grow in the Christian faith and enjoy being part of the family of God.

To help you get started on reading and understanding the Bible, I would like to recommend Know Your Bible by Paul Kent. If you are a woman, you may also enjoy Women For All Seasons written by me. These books do not replace the Bible; they are only companion literature to give you a deeper understanding of the Bible. If you do get any or both of these resources, I receive a small commission.

If you enjoyed this post, I would like to invite you to sign up for my monthly newsletter where you can get news and views about the Christian life, as well as giveaways.