Love’s Compassion Magazine
Getting To Know Us Mission Statement: Restoring souls, not just through God but also through God’s soldiers, gifted and anointed. Hello, my name is Tashara Gilyard. I am the CEO and Founder of Love’s Compassion Magazine. As a young person growing in Christ I came to learn it’s not always easy to dedicate yourself to this walk of life. There are a number of reasons for this: the fear of the unknown, having to let go of things we believe we enjoy, trust issues caused by past hurt, observing hypocrisy amongst those in the church, feeling like you’re too young… let’s face it, the list could go on forever. I came to learn it is very difficult to be busy for God and the enemy at the same time. “No one can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other,” sound familiar? Matthew 6:24. I have made up my mind to be busy for God.
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We all have gifts and talents of some sort. There are some things we learn and things the Lord just blesses us with for His purpose. My gift from God is words. He has given me the ability to take someone’s life’s journey and bring it to life on paper. I am able to listen to someone’s cries of pain and joy and pour those feelings into a poem or spoken word piece for another to hear and relate to. This ability combined with the compassion God placed in me has given me a vision to start a ministry where souls can be restored and hearts can be mended. What better way to do this then by sharing ourselves for the kingdom of God. There are many that refuse to step foot into a church today for a number of reasons and it’s not always because they don’t believe in God. There has been so much hurt caused in and by the “Church.” People decide they would rather take their chances in the street getting hurt than going into the church where we are supposed to receive healing, but instead receive spiritual homicide. They are often judged, ostracized and made to feel as though they are counted out. I don’t know about you, but if I walk into a hospital blind, lost and wounded; I would expect assistance, guidance and a great effort in meeting my needs. Anything less would most likely discourage me from ever returning to this hospital or even seeking any assistance from anyone affiliated with it. The vision God has given me is an open line of communication between God’s children, both lost and “found.” It is time to take back all that the enemy has tried 2
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to destroy. It is time to get the beam out our own eye, time to remember we did not come out of our mother’s womb carrying a bible, speaking in tongues and walking upright with Jesus. We too were once dirty, broken, battered, abused or abusing others. Had it not been for an obedient vessel being used for the glory of God and the building of His kingdom, we would still be the mess we were before we began ministering the message to others. This magazine is creating an opportunity to see where the “Church” has gone wrong and rectify the situation. What have we done to discourage God’s children from coming to visit Him in His house? We are creating an opportunity to hear the broken hearts cry out, allowing them to release their pain instead of living a selfdestructing life. Be an example and share our testimonies. Allow them to see they aren’t in this alone and that our God is still in the business of healing. Provide them with spiritual food so that they no longer have to starve. Provide them with help and prayer to come out of their situation. Reach out to them with non-judgmental arms and embrace them with a warm and open heart. Love them the way God loves us, unconditionally. Remember how you felt the first time God embraced you, wiped your tears, and showed you were loved. Do everything in your power to help them feel that same way. Most importantly this is the opportunity to assist those who don’t have a relationship with their heavenly father and encourage and teach them how to. God
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loves us with compassion and now it’s time for us to love our neighbors the same way.
Founder/CEO: Tashara Gilyard
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The Blame Game The word blame means to find fault or place responsibility on someone else. As human beings, we are good at blaming others for our mistakes. This is nothing new; we have been blaming others since the beginning of time. Let us take a look at Adam, the first man that God created. Adam was made in the image of God, he had a close relationship with God, but like us he was disobedient to God. When Eve ate the forbidden fruit and gave it to Adam to eat, instead of Adam refusing the fruit and reprimanding Eve, he ate it. And when God scolded Adam for his disobedience, he blamed God for the woman He gave him. Here we see a sinful man blaming a perfect God for his faults. Unfortunately this bad habit still runs in our blood. We love to blame God for every mishap in our lives. We seem to forget that God gave us free will and we tend to take our free will for granted. All too often, God is blamed for our actions. We cry out to God about the father of our children, how he is a bum, who doesn’t take care of his children, and how we are stuck raising the children by ourselves. But we forget that this was not the man God intended for us to have. We forgot to spend time in prayer, asking God to reveal the right man for us. We chose to lay with this man because we allowed our flesh to take control. As the Apostle Paul states in Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” This tells us that our flesh is bad; we fight against our flesh daily. All because he 5
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looked so fine, we just had to have him, now we are left bitter and blaming God for our struggle. “God, why won’t you bless me? I am struggling with my bills, I am drowning and you won’t help me.” It’s funny how we as Christians blame God for the outcome of our wrong doings and then, to top it off, we have the nerve to quote scriptures to Him, like He doesn’t know what He said. “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Yes, God will supply our need, but we have to be obedient to His word. For example, we don’t pay our tithes and offerings. We buy Jordans, Coach Bags, and continue to live beyond our means using the money God has blessed us wiith. Now we know God did not tell us to go blow all your money on foolishness. We did not need that BMW 7 series; the Honda was good enough to serve the same purpose. Now we can’t pay our car note, our car will be repossessed and now we are embarrassed. Instead of saying, “Jesus I am sorry for being foolish,” we blame Him for our downfall. It is time for us to make a change in our lives, get on our knees and repent. To be truly sorry for the decisions we have made in our lives and confess that we made those bad decisions, not God. Tell God that it was our flesh that was weak and we refused to ask God for His help. Our Heavenly Father is so merciful and forgiving He is just waiting for us to make the right choice. Jesus has His arms out waiting for us.
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Love’s Compassion Magazine
Blame Game First, let's ask, what is meant by the phrase "the blame game?" No, it's not an actual game but most, if not all, of us have done it. The blame game is enacted when you blame someone else for circumstances that have happened to you, for your actions, or a situation you got yourself into by your sole decision. You don't want to realize it was your mistake so you blame someone else for it. You blame others for the way your future turned out. You blame others for your personality. You blame any and everyone else but yourself. Blaming someone for the mistakes you made is an everyday practice. It is a game easily played by many. Does this sound familiar? "My father wasn't around, so I didn't have anyone to teach me about being a man." "My Momma stayed drunk all the time, that's why I don't know how to love." "My best friend talked me into stealing that car, that's why I got a record." "The Government keeps me down, that's why I'm on welfare." How about, "My Dad used to hit on my Mom, that's why I sometimes flip out on you." We have all at one time experienced something dramatic or even tragic growing up. Yes, those situations do affect us mentally and sometimes physically. As a victim of circumstance, I can say “with the will to keep going, you can overcome.” We were all given the gift of choice. The choices you make in your life determines 7
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your outcome. You can decide not to strike when you get angry. You can choose your battles. You can choose to overcome poverty. You can accept love without being scared. Once you realize where to place your blame, you can start to realize the decisions you made, where you went wrong and what is needed to correct the mistake(s) you made. I know a young lady who has chosen to never have sex with another man, in her life. Why? “Because my stepfather would sneak into my room for many years and have sex with me since I was a young girl, she said.” She felt so dirty when thinking about being with a man, it made her sick. So I asked her, "Do you like sex?" "Yes, but I like it with a woman." I asked her, “Do you believe in God?” "No. Where was God when this man who is in his image, He allowed to do those things to me?" I responded, “He saw.” She asked if He saw, why didn't He do anything to stop him? I asked, “Well what did you do? Did you report it to any one?” "No. I was ashamed. I didn't think anyone would believe me. He also threatened the family if I said anything." I told her he has his judgment to face. He will have to answer for what he did. Put your trust in God. Your stepfather may believe he got away with what he did to you, but he will pay. You are blaming your stepfather for what he did to you, thus hindering yourself from experiencing the love of a true God-fearing man, the way God intended you to. Another instance is with a young 26 year old, who 8
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recently got out of jail and was having trouble finding a job. He did not lie on the job application about being incarcerated. Time after time, he was denied. Eventually, he went back to the easiest way for him to make money. His mother asked him why he keeps going back to the same situation he just left. He responded, "If it wasn't for society, I would not have to live a life of crime. I grew up without a father to teach me about life. The streets are my daddy!" He decided to give up on his search for a respectful job. He did not have the faith he needed to keep going, to keep knocking on doors knowing one of them will open up and let him in. He blamed society. He blamed his father for not being there to help him. He blamed his mother for having a baby she could not afford to take care of. He blamed his teachers for not giving him the knowledge he needed to start a career. He blamed the top drug dealers for providing him with the ability to sell drugs and poison his own neighborhood. One night, he sat near a church. He stared at the church but never went in. He could hear the Preacher giving the sermon. He could hear the choir singing out to the Lord. He said to himself, “Why me?” Suddenly, thoughts took him back to where he first made the decision to take the drugs from the dealer in the black Hummer. He just wanted a pair of Nike shoes. His mother told him to get a job and pay for them himself. She's not paying over $100 for a pair of shoes. As he was offered the package that night, he thought maybe just enough to pay for the shoes and quit. He made that decision. No one put a gun to his head. No one ever threatened his life. Because of that 9
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decision, he now has to make it through his life with a felony record next to his name. It wasn't his Mother's fault. It wasn't the drug dealer's fault. He can't even blame the police officer that arrested him. No matter what the situation is, think about what the consequences are before you make a drastic decision. You were given the gift of choice. Make the right decisions before taking action. You can't blame anyone but yourself.
By: Angela Taylor
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Love’s Compassion Magazine
He Was The One Most women when dating a man envision him in a threepiece suit, along with rings, vows, and starting a family. It is often the picture of perfection, the image we think God has intended for us to seek. True love is what the heart and soul of a woman desires. This woman has found the onethe one and only man that has captured her heart and soul. He was everything she could possibly dream of: tall and handsome with an athletic body build; kind and fun with an outgoing personality. The event occurred when she was barely legal and he was not far into his twenties. The two began to date, not knowing what the future would hold, only knowing of their attraction to one another. Giving him her all, the young woman spent her time trying to be the perfect girlfriend for him in hopes that he would pick her for his wife. Over time, she had learned and kept in memory his favorite songs, meals, places to go, and even his future goals. When the couple went out on dates, they usually went to places he was familiar with. Being that this was her first experience with dating, she never objected to his choices. In fact, she liked the feeling of being surprised when they went out. Everything was going well until seven months into their relationship. They were out for lunch when he decided to order an appetizer that she was highly allergic to. Too ashamed and saddened to speak up in front of the waiter, the young woman kindly said "no thank you" when the appetizer arrived. She could not understand how something this important could have slipped his mind. She 11
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began to think that maybe his interest in her was fading. At that point, she decided to tell him that she loved him. He in turn gave a shocked facial expression and said, "I didn't expect you to love me." After she confessed her love for him, the relationship started to drift apart. Things continued this way for a while the woman noticed the little things she thought mattered to him became the major issues they argued about. The couple argued so much that he decided to move on because in his eyes the relationship was no longer salvageable. The hurt woman quickly decided that the best way to get over the loss of her first love was to date again. Not long after making her decision, she met a new interest. With this one, she decided to put less effort into building a relationship in fear that he would turn out to be like her first love. She put up an emotional block, which prevented her new love interest from penetrating her heart. She spoke of her first love continuously while the new love interest (who was interested in loving her) listened and consoled her. At one point, she even admitted to wanting a second chance with whom she believed was "the one." She confessed that the relationship she and her first love shared ended without closure. Yes, they argued but where did the love go? After having this conversation with the man she was dating at the time, she decided to break things off with him against his wishes and perhaps find closure or maybe even a second chance with the man she had given her heart to. Confused and frustrated, the young woman chose to email her lost love confessing her feelings. Her email was ignored along with texts and phone calls. Leaving no other 12
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option, she decided to contact a mutual friend to gain knowledge of her loves whereabouts. She was hit with the discouraging news that he was now engaged to be married. Devastated, angry, and hurt, the woman started to selfmedicate by drinking, partying, and spending money on unnecessary items in order to keep her mind off of him. Every morning, she would wake up to a quiet emptiness that nothing seemed to fill. She began to notice that "their friends" were now "his" friends and she was just the ex. She unknowingly became heartless to guys that she met. Yes, she flirted and dated but never did she let another man close enough to hurt her again. Since then, a few years have gone by and this single woman has placed blame on "the one" for forgetting that she was supposed to be his one and only. She blamed him for her drinking, her disconnection from friends, the church and her failure to find love again. Feeling old and perhaps too late for love, she decided to go back to church hoping things would turn around. Coincidentally, the sermon was on the topic of forgiveness. After the sermon was read, the pastor asked for anyone with a heavy heart to come to the altar for prayer. The woman felt as though the entire sermon was about her so without hesitation she stood at the altar and received prayer. The most powerful Spirit overcame the woman. This feeling was greater than anything she had ever dreamed of feeling. This was when she realized that God was ‘the one’ all along ... God IS the one! By: Anonymous 13
Love’s Compassion Magazine
Q: Who determines what’s deemed right from wrong? (When dealing with laws)
A:
Laws have been established to handle disputes, problems and poor judgment. In society, altercations can break down a healthy structure. The laws are in place to attempt to guarantee rights to each member of society. Through the power of the vote, the people who determine what’s right from wrong when dealing with laws are the “Law Enforcement Agencies” that we as a society have put in place. Even when we don’t totally agree with the choices that these agencies make, they do govern the law of the land. (Mark 12:17)
Q: How do I know religion is right? A:
Though the choice is made based on each individual, the bible leads us into a life that is pleasing to God. How do we choose? Would you rather live a life pleasing to God as a Born again Christian or would you rather live now without God (religion), only to die and find out that He is real? THE CHOICE IS YOURS (John 3:16) 14
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Q: (I blame God for my lifestyle). Why would God allow me to live as a woman? All my life, although I am a male, I’ve been attracted to men and felt like a woman?
A:
We cannot blame or point the finger at God for the choices that we make. God is real, and because He is not a tyrant we are afforded the option to make choices in our lives. God created mankind in His image and likeness (Gen 1:27), but because of mankind's initial fall into a state of sin, we have lost the ability of will to do spiritual good outside of salvation. The unregenerate or unsaved person’s nature always leans towards sin and is not able to understand the things of God. (Ps 58:3; Rom 8:7; Eph 4:18-24) It sounds like the choice has already been made if you are born a male who lives as a woman and feels like a woman. My question would be are you sure you know what it really feels like to be a woman and if you think you do, who placed the thought in your mind? (2 Cor 10:5) God loves us and he has given us a way of escape through Jesus Christ (Jn 3:16). Through salvation, the nature of man is changed (Jn 3:7). Man is given a new nature able to respond to worship and respond to God (2 Cor 5:17).
Q: Why do good people pay for bad people’s mistakes?
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A:
We all live in this world together (Mat 5:45). No man is an island unto himself. So whatever each one of us does whether negative or positive, it has an effect on someone else.
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Dear Listener: At what point is it respected that I was just dealt a bad hand? I’m not blaming anyone; I’m simply the product of MY reality, an absentee father, an abusive mother, raised in the hood. All I saw is what I know and all I know is what I saw. This isn’t a blame game, this is simply my life.
Response: What is a good hand? Why do you feel it’s bad? The truth is you have looked at someone else’s life & desired what they have. It was planned for you not to have a dad around. Some people did have a dad, but they didn’t like them. At some point in our lives we're going to have experiences where we feel we were wrongfully dealt with. We may not have had a dad or an abusive mom. We may not have had all of the things our friends or the people we see on TV have, but that is all from choices people made. You weren’t dealt a bad hand; we are all a product of people’s choices.. There’s no getting dealt a bad hand. People don’t realize that the choices they make not only affect them, but they also affect the people around them. Have you ever made a decision that affected you and the people around you? Before we ask one to respect the fact that you feel you’ve been dealt a bad hand, how about we ask, “What do you think my purpose is?” When we know our purpose, we expect the unexpected; and we know that life is not always going to be what we want it to be. For example, if I’m 17
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going to be a teacher, I know that the children in school may be verbally and even physically abusive so I’m ready for that. I won’t feel I’ve been mishandled because I know it comes with the territory. I will feel like I’m there for a purpose and maybe my purpose is to help them with whatever issues they may have. Such is life. You come into this world with a purpose. Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” What did God put you on this earth for? God ordained Jeremiah for greatness, but as we read about the Prophet, we realize he was treated terribly by his family, the king, and the people he had to speak to. God knew what was going to happen to you once you got here and to say that God does anything bad would not be giving him the honor He so richly deserves. Whatever happens in your life, know that God is watching every step of the way that you are being neglected, rejected, abused, abandoned, and oppressed. But He said in Jer. 29:11, “I know the thoughts I have for you, thoughts of peace and not evil, to bring you to an expected end.” I believe everyone could feel that they have been dealt a bad hand because everyone is going to suffer some things in life, whether it’s an abusive mother or one who hangs out a lot; an active father, who dies (what we may call prematurely) or an absent father; the experience of having no food or just being tired of eating the same thing every day; or whether it’s growing up with two parents who are argumentative or one parent who's loving (when you 18
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wanted two loving parents). Then there are those growing up with none at all. There will always be something that we think is a bad deal, but God said in Jeremiah 29:12 “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.” When Christ came to this earth, He knew His purpose at a very young age. He knew He would suffer for the people’s sake because the truth is that they were making very bad choices. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus might have felt like He was dealt a bad hand when He said, “Father, take this cup away from me.” But then He said, “nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”
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“The Church” As I walked in the church I never felt so cold From all the pointing and mocking, from my story never told You see they mocked and laughed before they even met me And this is where I’m supposed to get delivered and freed Cold glances and judgmental looks rudely awaited me As a chill ran down my spine, my past was all I could see They’re no different from out there… Who are they to judge me At least when I see a broken heart, I know it’s compassion that they need When they fall down from all the abuse, it’s an embrace that I offer Not further ridicule and torment from the heart of a mocker Father I want to come into your house and serve and receive my healing But I can’t take that god awful fakeness and the painful feeling Can You please remind them in there, that He died for me too And when they treat me this way, as I cry, so do You By: Tashara Gilyard
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To: The Hearts Of The Streets: I’ve asked many people of all ages, “Why don’t you go to church?” The answers never change. There ain’t nothing but a bunch of hypocrites in the church. The church is just a business that wants your money. The people in the church ain’t no different from us out here, they lie, they cheat and they steal. What am I going in there for, I could deal with that out here. While I hear you, I must say I don’t agree with you completely. Yes, it’s true that we have what we experience in the streets right in the house of God. But the church is made up of people from the world; and if we were doing these things in the world, you can guess that until we’re delivered we’re going to do them in the church as well. It’s our nature. We were born in sin, so our nature in sinful. It takes being born again (John 3:3-8). Now for those of you who say, “I don’t have to go to church to meet or talk to God; I could do that at home.” While this statement does ring true, my questions to you are: Do you? If you do, how often is it? Is it just when you need Him or when you’re in trouble? In addition, I often tell my listeners to think of the house of God as your father or mother’s house. For those of you who don’t like those examples, let’s add your significant other’s house. While you may not always like the people your parents or significant other has over, will you allow that to stop you from visiting their house to show them how much you love them? When you allow the enemy to keep in the fore front of your mind the hypocrites or wrong doers in the church, who just simply haven’t been delivered yet, you’re 21
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allowing that someone to tell you that you shouldn’t show your love by visiting your loved one and showering them with your heart felt tears of joy and gratitude. Think about that for a moment if you would. Who on this earth has or will you give the power to keep you from visiting your mom or father or loved one? Who has the authority to tell you you don’t need to come to their house and love on them? No one, I bet. Sure we can love God just walking down the street or in the privacy of our own homes, but how dare we want Him to come to the hospitals and our homes to do for us when we can’t or refuse even to go visit Him at His home. How selfish are we for that. If you won’t let anyone on the earth stop you from visiting your loved one(s), don’t let anyone on this earth stop you from visiting your Father God’s house. So what there are hypocrites in the church, so what people in the church do wrong; you are not there for them and you are not perfect either. Boldly walk into your Father’s house and say, “Daddy I know I call you up and tell you I love you, but today I wanted to stop by and show you in person.” Then take a seat and Listen to what He has to say to you. To: The Church: (Matt. 7:1-5 NIV) “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your 22
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own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (I Corinthians 1:26-30 NIV) “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were noble of birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the things of the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV) “The Lord appeared to us in the past saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” The second greatest commandment given to us was to Love our neighbor as we would ourselves (Matt. 22:39). We forget that we were instructed to love one another as Christ has loved us (John 15:12-13). One of my absolute favorite scriptures in the bible defines Love. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (I Corinthians 13:4-8a) I bet right now most, if not a whole lot of us, have just been exposed for NOT REALLY loving or the way we say we do. Now if we look at the definition of love in Corinthians and the example of love in the life of Christ down on earth (written in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), we should notice that we have been missing the mark. God’s house is supposed to be the place where we come to be healed, a place to come and worship. It shouldn’t be a place where we find gossipers, fighting and discord. We are the church. (After all, no one ever hated their own body, 23
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just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:29-30). We are supposed to look different from the world, (Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12: 1-2 NIV). When the world looks at us they shouldn’t find fault in us. (Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22). This is not to say we are or will be perfect, but we are supposed to be a reflection of God (So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them Genesis 1:27 NIV). While no man is perfect, let your imperfections be something you work out with God, not your excuse for committing sin. By this I mean, when you know you are weak in certain areas, look to God for your help. (2 Corinthians 12:9, His strength is made perfect in our weakness), as opposed to be willing to sin, do wrong, not caring who’s watching, who’s soul you’re hindering (Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister, Romans 14: 13b) and using the excuses; “I’m not perfect, God ain’t through with me yet; or our favorite, God knows my heart.” Everyone is looking for a role model. We may not say it or want to believe it, but we all are. As Christians, Christ was and is our role model; to the unsaved, we are to be role model material. (Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in the word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 24
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Timothy 4:12) We can’t be that if we keep doing things our own way as oppose to the bible way. Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV) says; “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” We need to stop acting like we were born righteous. We were once walking around with a profane tongue, our flesh on display and ready to teach a lesson our own personal way. It wasn’t until after we met God for ourselves that we learned to put those things away; it took time it wasn’t done overnight. Stop being the vessel used to keep God’s children out of their Father’s house before you exempt yourselves from your seat in heaven.
By: Tashara Gilyard
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You have read Love’s Compassion Magazine issue “The Blame Game.” There are plenty of examples given that I’m sure many could relate to from the issues we go through, to choosing our own mate (baby daddy/baby mama), to our careless decision making with finances and looking to God in the outcome. We see a young lady decide not to have sex with men due to being raped. Many of us have probably found ourselves questioning God: “What kind of God would…? Why would God allow…? Or as my heart broke this past summer when my eight year old niece asked me, as I broke the news to her that her mother was killed, Where was God then?” God is everywhere at all times. The same way it hurts us to see or experience these things we do in life, it hurts Him. It hurts God to see His children make decisions that will only end up hurting themselves or others. God gave each and every one of us free will, just as our writer Angela Taylor and our Listener has already shared with us. He is not going to take that back. So unfortunately, there will always be the option of doing things that can lead to us or others getting hurt. It is up to us, mankind, to choose to do what is right. How could we if we don’t get to know righteousness and God? Blaming others for our decision-making is something that has been around since the beginning of time. The very first book of the bible shows us this when Adam blames God for the woman He gave him… But just like Adam had a choice, we too have a choice. The word of God says man has a way that seems right to him but in the end leads to death. We, as man, do what is right to us based on what someone taught us or what we see or by what feels right. Our decisions are all results from something or 26
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someone influential. Instead of being like our parents or trying to be better than our parents, instead of us watching our peers and making decisions based on them, let us be “Christ like” As opposed to looking at the things we experience in life as a bad hand, let us be Christ-like and learn the purpose, OUR purpose. Our Listener has expressed that we make decisions which affect others and others make decisions that affect us. It is our job to get to know our Creator. Before contesting this, think for a moment. As we grow in life from the womb, we are learning. We learn to recognize the voices we heard while in the womb and whom they belong to, to learning our body parts and their purposes, all the way through our academic education. We are constantly learning, but for what reason? Christ knew why He was here, the reasons He had to do and experience all of what He had to. How did He know? The Creator told Him. The word of God says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” The scriptures are here to guide us and teach us: “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16- NIV) Instead of us pointing the finger at everyone for the things done, said or the absence of things done and said; instead of us pointing the finger at God for things we go through or were born into; do as Christ did and know your purpose. Then you will understand why you were chosen to be fatherless, abused, betrayed, unappreciated, etc.… As you get to know your Creator and His will for your life, you’ll get an understanding as to why you were deemed worthy to bare 27
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your cross. It isn’t until then that you will be able to help your brothers and sisters carry theirs. Thank you for reading our work. If you found yourself in any of what you’ve read, we would love to hear from you. We are here for prayer if you want it. Don’t feel shy or uncomfortable reaching out to us here at LCM. There are NO judges here. If you want to reach out to us anonymously, feel free. All are welcomed. ***If you have not yet accepted the Lord as your personal Savior and want to change that, why wait another moment? The word of God says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10: 9-10-NIV)*** May God Bless You All
LCM Contact info lovescompassion@gmail.com (347) 866-0370 www.lovescompassion.org
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CEO: Ify Onwualu Office: 917-933-1797 E-mail: madisongems@gmail.com Website: www.madisongems.com 30
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In Loving Memory of Vernecia S. Woodard A.K.A
Neci
March 8, 1988
August 22, 2014