Words From The Heart

Apology For Zodiac Signs & Stuff

2008-01-11T12:07:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone! I just wanted to post an apology for the zodiac sign thingy the blog had on it. I wasn't aware that they automatically add these things when you sign up for a blog account and apparently, I unkowningly and unintentionally offended a few people. It was not my intent to do that so please, for give me for not catching this MUCH sooner. My attention is so focused on Just4LAdies and all of the wonderful people who are there and new ones writing in for help that I just haven't made the time to double check these things - my fault totally! Please forgive me. I really and truly do apologize. - Shell

Gettin' My Feet Wet...

2007-08-17T18:45:00.000-04:00

I'm starting to like the whole "BLOG" thingy. It's a good place to speak my mind without all the planning that goes into a newsletter. I sent a devotional out today that was based on Hebrews 11:1 and the promise of faith being the guarantee of things we hope for.

I had started writing about something else but the Lord inspired my heart to write about that particular scripture. Over the past 8 years I've come face-to-face with some situations that required me to "Just believe" but in all my humaness I struggled. Thank God He is faithful! He never went back on the promises He put on my heart even though I doubted Him!

I think the hardest part about having "blind faith" is living through the days when it looks like the situation is going backwards instead of forwards. I know some of you are dealing with that or have dealt with it. Why is it so hard to just believe that God is there and He's going to come through?

Let me share a story with you. As most of you know, my husband is a policeman. This week he's working nights which always makes for some pretty interesteing war stories. This morning when he got home he started telling me about some of his calls from last night and one call really touched my heart and made me feel so much sorrow for the person involved.

My husband works in the seedy side of town. You know, the part of town where drugs, gangs, prostitutes and the such are common. He stopped a gal that was obviously a prostitute and he told me that she was about 37 or 38 years old, fairly decent looking and not haggard like most of the street ladies he deals with. Although she did have two black eyes and a broken nose. I can only wonder how she got them.

This woman went on to tell him that she had 3 grown children, one who is about to start college and that every 6 or 8 months she eaves her moms home to come to this seedy part of town to prostitute herself to support her crack habit. She said her sons did not know what she did and had never seen her when she was binging. My heart went out to this complete stranger. What on earth could she possible see in this lifestyle that would pull her away from her children?

She isn't the only one. I hear stories like this every day that Mike works. I see it on Court TV and I am just amazed at how many women have sold themselves out for drugs or men that treat them badly. How could our world change so much in 30-years? How do we get through to women like this to help them see that there IS a better way... there is an end in sight and His name is Jesus.

Tonight I am praying for all of the women who survive by selling themselves and who are worshipping a god called crack or meth. I am praying for those who have sold their soul for the next fix, the ones who have abandon their children and their families and for the ones who really believe there is no other way.

My calling has been to minister to broken hearts. I believe these hearts are shattered; but they aren't irrepairable. What can we do to help?

What in The World???

2007-06-18T00:46:00.000-04:00

Good Evening Everyone...

I just happened to look up and noticed that it's almost 1 AM. Geesh the time flies. Whenever Mike works nights I tend to adapt to his hours and stay up most of the night working or writing. Tonight I decided to turn the television on and watch a little Court TV. I am just amazed at what people do to themselves. While watching COPS I took note of how many women were in domestic situations that involved abusive partners, neglected kids or kids that were witnessing the domestic situation that led to the police being called and a shocking number of women who are so caught up with drugs that my head started spinning.

Being the analyzer that I am I tried to notice as much detail about their lives and situations as possible and in every single case these women chose to live in sin with men that are abusive, drug abusers or violent. In one case, a woman was having a domestic dispute with her ex-husband (whom was more worried about the kids than anything) because his ex-wife met a guy on the Internet and decided that she was going to marry her Internet love, it was really no big deal that she had only met the man a week prior and she even went so far as to tell her kids that their father wasn't their daddy anymore...Holy Lord... this is crazy. How does she know this Internet guy isn't a pedophile preying on her to get at her kids?

Back to my analysis...

The common element in all of these situations is that these women are willing to sacrifice ANYTHING in the name of mislabeled love. Let me repeat M-I-S-L-A-B-L-E-D love. In all of these situations the required elements of true love were not present.

1. Respect
2. Trust
3. MUTUAL devotion
4. Self sacrifice

Oh, I've seen the women sacrifice everything from their children to their own self respect. When you have to sacrifice that, it isn't love.

I meet so many women through Just4Ladies every day that are in the same exact situation. They are willing to sacrifice everything for men that aren't willing to sacrifice anything. They'll stay with a man they believe they love so that they don't have to be alone. They're devoted to guys who will go through their relationship with a catchers mitt on both hands and are devoted to only their own agenda. And these gals believe that it's love. They give up their own self respect for this version of..."love".

Lately, I've been meeting a lot of women who are involved with married men. I truly feel for them because they really believe these men "love" them. In some cases, maybe they do but in the 9 years I've been in marriage ministry I have yet to see ONE success story that involves a situation like this. I'm not saying they don't happen, but when the praying wife asks God into the situation, it changes the composition of things. The problem is...the OW (other women) want prayers for the relationship too! I'm not God; but I don't believe He blesses a request that involves the destruction of family, the violation of the marriage vows, hurt and devastation and a relationship built on lust and deceit. Call me fanatical, but I'm only basing it on the relationships I've seen with my own eyes. I feel for the women involved in these situations because they really believe that these guys love them and when they don't honor their promise to leave their wives and start a new life with them, they hurt pretty bad too. A broken heart is a broken heart...they all hurt the same. It's what you do with the pieces of the broken heart that will determine the outcome of its healing and restoration.

Lemme get back to my point...

Ladies, you gotta love yourselves more than any man. Even if it means being alone while the perfect, God chosen partner arrives in your life. A short wait is better than the time it takes to heal a broken heart ANY DAY! And when you choose men that don't contribute the necessary components of love to the relationship, it's headed for heartbreak. How many of you have lived through this or are living through this? Put God front and center, in doing so, you'll find that you are worth more than a relationship that you carry alone.

I can tell you from experience, when the wait is over and He sends "the one" it is unlike ANYTHING you've ever experienced before! My husband and I have been together seven and a half years and I am still as madly in love with him today as I was in the beginning. I am still amazed that someone as wonderful as him hose someone like me and the best part about it is, he feels the same way about me!

As I close this, I wonder what some of you might be thinking about this topic...care to share your thoughts? Together, maybe we can help one woman find her way into the arms of that perfect man that will love and cherish her the way she deserves to be loved and cherished...maybe that woman is you... let's talk!

Love you all! - Shell

Welcome To My NEW Blog!

2007-06-06T17:49:00.001-04:00

Hello Everyone!

I finally found the time to set up my own blog. I appreciate the encouragement from all of you who "nagged" me to get it done. I'm hoping the blog will not only give me a place to share what's on my heart but to interact with all of you who are dealing with the devestating effects of heartbreak.

If you've been a member of Just4Ladies for any length of time then you know I like to stay involved with each and every one of you who come here seeking releif from the pain your feeling and solutions to the problems that accompany heartbreak. I've been there and know how hard it is and I want you to know that we're in this together!

As you may have noticed Just4Ladies is undergoing yet another "face lift". We've grown out of the old features and into lots of new ones which I hope you will enjoy. I'll update as often as I am able but as some of you know my newest book, written with my pastor, Tom Mooty, is making its debut at the CBA show in Atlanta on July 11th 2007. I AM SO EXCITED! The book, "Protecting Those You Love In An X-Rated World" is all about the harmful effects of pornography on our kids and our marriages. I've taken the experience I gained in my "pre-salvation" days as an adult web developer and shared some of the things that the industry uses to snare our kids and destroy our families. I pray the book will be a huge success and will expand my borders for The Lord!

Since this is my opening post and a welcome and RE welcome to all of you why don't you all drop me a post and introduce yourself, share your story, ask me questions, leave a comment or request and let's get to know each other. We'll start this new blog together! I love you all and am SO very honored you've come here. Please let me know if I can ever be of help. My personal e-mail address is BabyBlu809@aol.com - feel free to contact me anytime! - Love Shell