Power to Change » single-parents

Finding Peace with God

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:51:59 +0000

I would like to tell you about my spiritual journey.

There was an emptiness in my heart that could not be filled.

I grew up knowing God but had no real connection to Him. Growing up was different for me than most other children because I never knew my earthly father. My family always did the very best they could for me, but they could never fill the emptiness I felt in my heart.

I led a good life and strived for perfection in everything. I thought by trying to do everything perfectly, there would never be a reason for anyone to pass unfavorable judgment on me. On the outside it looked like I had everything, but on the inside I was bitter and empty.

When I met my father for the first time it filled the void in my heart but it also created a new longing.

In 1997, God gave me the one thing I had always desired: I met my dad for the first time. Meeting him not only filled the void I felt in my heart, but it also caused me to seek a personal relationship with Jesus. I had never really paid a lot of attention to God before other than to get down on my knees with a wish list.

Through an advertisement in the newspaper, I learned about and started attending a ladies’ church group. One day while reading my Bible, I recognized I owed everything to God and prayed to receive Jesus into my life. After this I didn’t immediately feel like a changed person, so I thought I had done something wrong.

A banner advertising a website caught my attention and began a surprising series of events.

In January 2001, I noticed the “Power to Change” banners on some of the churches around our neighborhood and I connected with Power to Change online.

When I logged on to their Christian chat line, the chat hostess engaged me in a conversation. We talked about my spiritual life and I told her I wasn’t sure that I was even a Christian because I hadn’t been going to church. The hostess responded by walking me through the process of how to receive Christ, which I indicated I had already done.

So she began sharing with me how to be filled with the Holy Spirit. That’s when I came to realize that even though I had accepted Jesus into my life, I was still living the life of a defeated Christian. I prayed to give control of my life to God. I believe the Lord made a divine appointment that night on the chat session and the very goodness of God is what led me there.

The next week, I returned to the chat room. Amazingly, I learned that the hostess and I lived in the same town! She referred me to a local church where I got involved in the ALPHA discipleship program.

Since then my life has been completely transformed. I am now truly at peace with God.

That is not to say nothing ever goes wrong, but now I draw on the power of the Holy Spirit. There is now purpose in everything I do. God has been so good and I am thankful for the incredible work He has done in my heart.

Now, today, I’m back in the Christian Women Today chat room, but this time, I’m serving as a volunteer hostess. I get to encourage women like I once was—searching the Internet for spiritual answers.

A verse that is particularly meaningful for me is: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Is this the life for me?

Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

Living with hope

If you are looking for peace, there is a way to balance your life. No one can be perfect, or have a perfect life. But every one of us has the opportunity to experience perfect grace through a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here’s a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? You can pray it right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life, just as He promised. Is this the life for you?

If you invited Christ into your life, thank God often that He is in your life, that He will never leave you and that you have eternal life. As you learn more about your relationship with God, and how much He loves you, you’ll experience life to the fullest.

My Son’s Involved With a Bad Crowd

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:02:36 +0000

Our son has gotten in with a bad crowd since our divorce. His grades are dropping and he has started going to drinking parties. My ex is basically out of the picture, so I’m on my own with this issue. How can I help my son get back on the right track?

Single Mom with Teenage Sons

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:53:33 +0000

I am a single mom with 3 boys. I am sensitive to the fact that I am the sole woman in a household of young men. I’m concerned about teaching them about sex, body functions, and self control in sexuality. When they were little boys, I was comfortable with explaining some of the preliminary facts, but as they approach the preteen years, I feel totally out of my element. How can I guide them through these challenging subjects? Is it even appropriate for a woman to train her teenage sons about sexuality?

Lonely Single Parent

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:38:49 +0000

I am a single parent and I feel so alone, what can I do?

Unrealistic Demands

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 23:50:42 +0000

Whose life is it anyway? There’s so much to do, and everyone wants it done at the same time! Throw in a career, or two, and a child, or two, and things get pretty hectic. How can you properly communicate your needs?

Too Independent?

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 23:33:57 +0000

A unity candle is lit at some weddings as a visual reminder that that two people are now in making a life together. It is said “that two shall be come one”.

For some couples this co-mingling of lives seems to happen fairly easily. This is especially true for couples that come from very similar backgrounds. For other couples the need for individuality is strong. A desire not to “lose oneself” can become so strong that it causes issues in the relationship. How can you build a life toegether without leaving yourself in the dust?

Disrespect and Judgment

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 23:15:53 +0000

Judgment is defined in part as “the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing”. What happens in a relationship when what we perceived to be the situation, isn’t really the situation? What if our judgement is incorrect? What happens when one partner jumps to conclusions and completely mis-reads the intent of his or her mate or the reality of the situation itself?

Lies, Lies and more Lies!

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 22:07:38 +0000

A little, white lie, a truth misrepresented — it doesn’t take much before you may hear your spouse say, “I’m not sure I can completely trust you.” A lack of trust is a very challenging atmosphere in any relationship. A pattern of lies undermines the whole communication process. How can you talk about anything important if you can’t quite believe what he or she says?

Habits that Irritate

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:55:16 +0000

At some point we probably thought they were cute, but over time habits can drive us to distraction. Some habits can be destructive, such as drugs, others are just there annoyingly in the background. Habits are part of who we are. Often we don’t even realize we are doing them. Whether we try to ignore them or not, habits can start to drive a wedge between partners.

Exploding Anger

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:40:20 +0000

In a moment of anger it all boils over. Words and feelings we don’t even want to admit we have just slip out. And once they’re out there, like toothpaste, they’re impossible to put back. Disagreements and stress are going to happen in any relationship. How you deal with them can make all the difference.