For You From The Word
Let love be genuine. (Romans 12:9, RSV)
For You To Think About
Juliette and Janine Turner
Actress Janine Turner was nominated for Emmy and Golden Globe awards for her role as Maggie O’Connell on the 1990s CBS’s hit show Northern Exposure. Today she hosts a radio talk show and is founder of Constituting America , an educational outreach. Yet Janine’s most-cherished role is that of single mother to Juliette, born in 1997.
Though she did not plan on becoming a single parent, “Life presented itself to me in this way,” says Janine. “I have never, for one moment, doubted that God designed Juliette to be born, no matter the circumstances. God wanted Juliette to be here. He sees eternity in perspective.”
Janine’s fervent belief (that 90% of single mothers fill a role they never intended) led her to not just stand for life, but speak out to support women who choose life and raise children on their own. She sought out and recorded stories of single mothers throughout history in her book, Holding Her Head High (Thomas Nelson, 2008). These women lived with dignity, faith, and compassion, leaving an indelible legacy – a legacy Janine believes all single mothers and birth mothers can experience, too.
A woman who choses life should not be left to walk alone, pelted with grim statistics, or condemned. “The blatant disregard for the life of the woman who chooses life, and for the life of her child, is duplicitous,” says Janine. She believes there is another way. If we encourage women to choose life, says Janine, we must support them concretely, emotionally, and personally as they raise their children. To do otherwise is wrong.
For You To Pray
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your unconditional love and acceptance! Help us to reflect that same kind of love to women who face an unplanned pregnancy. Let our love be genuine. Help these women know they are valued and cherished. Let that unconditional love begin with me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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