Lori Ghiata Bowser: An Invitation for God's Presence

Monday, July 5, 2010

An Invitation for God's Presence

When I purposefully chose to give thanks in everything during the past few weeks, God answered with an obvious "Yes!" to my invitation to bless me with His presence. The Bible tells me so.

"In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
- 1 Thessalonians 5: 18

Lately, I've spent a bit of time in quiet introspection regarding every single word in that verse. But, I've made an even more deliberate decision to focus on the word "in."

I'll paraphrase ...

What God desires of me, is to give Him thanks IN every situation - whether disappointment or excitement, heartbreak or contentment, grief or relief. IN so doing, I have INvited His presence IN every circumstance. ("In", not "for.")

That's not at all to say I'm going to do handsprings no matter what comes my way. But, I know that IN the end, His plan and His timing will prove to be perfect.

Then, I'll do the handsprings!

What makes me 'me.'

Who I am:

Born Again Christian.
Pediatric Registered Nurse.
Honey to Joe.

Mom to Danny, Shannon & Shelby.

Lori to Kids-in-Law ~ Susan, Granseur, Travis

Grandma to Lindsey, Audrey, Samuel , Anderson

(Lindsey lives in Heaven now. I'll see her again someday.)
Voice for the Speechless.

Restorer of Hope to Unwed Teen Moms.

One who loves hard, and hurts deep.

Passions:

Sharing the Love of Jesus Christ.

Sharing the Message of Salvation through Jesus Christ.

Family Gatherings.

Writing for Pleasure.

Reading for Relaxation.

Talking with Jesus.

Personal Pleasures: (not necessarily in this order)

Leisurely evening walks with Joe.
Kayaking with Joe.
Listening to Mom & Dad reminisce about the good old days.

Hanging out with my kids.
Hanging out with my grandkids.

Coffee and conversation with my girlfriends.

Old movies.

Old spooky movies.
Long, slow walks with my dog,Hope.

Laughing. Out loud. A lot.

Walking barefoot.

Rocking on the front porch ~ with a good book.

Rocking on the front porch ~ with a good friend.

My personal favorite Bible verses

And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. - Ephesians 4: 32
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is a reward. - Psalm 127: 3
Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. - 1 Timothy 4: 12
Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. - Proverbs 31: 8
Before I formed you in the womb, I new you. - Jeremiah 1: 5
Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. - Song of Solomon 8 :7

YoungLives

Sharing Jesus' love and building bridges of genuine friendship with pregnant and parenting teen moms. Our first Club meeting in Winston-Salem (Forsyth County), North Carolina was held on Monday, October 8, 2012. Pregnant and parenting teen moms and their children are invited to join us for an evening of food, fun, and fellowship monthly in Winston-Salem. A free nursery is provided with volunteers who lovingly care for your baby. Teen moms who make a commitment to a personal relationship with Jesus also meet monthly with their mentors for Bible studies. If you're a pregnant or parenting teen mom, we'd love to have you join us. Check us out on FaceBook: YoungLivesForsythCounty, Contact us at focoyounglives@gmail.com.

PREGNANT AT 16

PREGNANT AT 16 is my first book. Its a deeply personal and impassioned reflection of my decision to go forward with an unplanned, teenage pregnancy in 1974. It is a story straight from the horse's mouth, and a window into the soul of one who has "been there."

Though legalized abortion was brand new, I did not have an abortion. I carried my baby to full term, and learned parenting skills from my parents, Don and Thais Ghiata, who lovingly helped me raise Danny for the first three years; after which, I met and married a Christian gentleman who adopted Danny as his own, and together we raised him to adulthood.

During my teen pregnancy, I turned my life back over to Jesus Christ. But self-imposed guilt and shame caused me to lock my "teenage skeleton" up tight in my "closet" for the greater part of the past 35 years ... until now.

Now, I am speaking loud and clear about God's mercy, forgiveness, and grace.

My prayer is that PREGNANT AT 16 will open eyes, enlighten minds, and enlarge hearts regarding unwed, pregnant teenagers and their precious unborn children.

Through my story, I determinedly intend to prove that life is the only right, honorable, and moral choice when faced with an unexpected/out-of-wedlock pregnancy, even in the midst of anxiety, turmoil, and negative whispers from outsiders.

As an insider, I pray my story will soften hardened hearts, save countless babies' lives, and restore hope to unwed mothers everywhere - whatever their ages.

My defensive stand for life is genuine and heartfelt.

Deep gratitude is extended to my husband, Joe, for causing me to believe that my dream of reaching out to others with my story can be a dream come true. He understands my passion for speaking up for the unborn, and my unwavering pledge to be their voice.

Joe's soft reminders of God's still, small voice deepened my passion to challenge others to show compassion toward teenage unwed mothers. His gentle nudges encouraged me to throw caution to the wind and follow my dreams wherever they may lead.

Danny (my son from my teen pregnancy) is both my inspiration and my undeserved blessing. I'm so thankful for the fine man he has become, and it is my honor to be his Mom.

My three children - Danny, Shannon, and Shelby - have all blessed me beyond my dreams. Recent journaling of my teen pregnancy began simply as a story for the three of them, their children, and their children's children.

In May, 2010, PREGNANT AT 16 was published by WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers (a Christian publishing company), and is now available for purchase. Currently, it is available at online bookstores, including but not limited to http://www.westbowpress.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, www.shop.cbn.com (the Christian Broadcasting Network website bookstore), as well as KINDLE and NOOK.

Editor's Review: Pregnant at 16

Lori, an unwed pregnant teenager in 1974, chose life for her son, Danny. For the first three years of Danny's life, he and Lori lived with her parents, who were gracious emotional and spiritual uplifters. Lori married a Christian gentleman three years later, who adopted Danny as his own.

Pregnant at 16 is a deeply personal, informative and impassioned reflection on the outcome of the author's life as a result of her choice to carry and keep her baby when she became pregnant as a teenager, in 1974.

Lori's conversational style of writing eases the reader into her story effortlessly. Her narrative voice is friendly and charming, allowing the reader to develop a sense of personal rapport with the author.

Her passion and understanding for the pressures of teenage life are evident in her writing, and she creates a vivid portrait of the teenage social climate that rings true even today. She handles difficult topics - teenage pregnancy and abortion - with tact, and her experience in the medical field brings interesting insight to an often-veiled issue. (Lori is a Pediatric Registered Nurse.)

Lori's genuine, heart-felt prayer is that 'Pregnant at 16' will soften hardened hearts toward young, unwed teenagers and their precious unborn children, and ultimately rescue the unborn from destruction by abortion.

Thirty-five years after her personal experience with teen pregnancy, Lori is now "Honey" to one, "Momma" to three, "Gramma" to four, and remains her Daddy's "Little Papoochnick."

Lori and her husband, Joe, enjoy easy river kayaking, mountain hikes, casual evening walks, and entertaining as many guests as they can possibly squeeze into their home.

Purposeful Authoring of Book: Pregnant at 16

'Pregnant at 16' was written purposefully and lovingly to encourage folks to consider that an unexpected, out-of-wedlock pregnancy is not the end of the world.

My prayer is that my book will open eyes, enlighten minds, and enlarge hearts regarding unwed pregnant teenagers and their precious unborn children.

Through my story, I determinedly intend to prove that choosing life is the only right, honorable, and moral choice when faced with an unexpected pregnancy ... even in the midst of anxiety, turmoil, and negative whispers from outsiders.

As an insider, I pray my story will soften hardened hearts, save countless babies' lives, and restore hope to unwed mothers.

My defensive stand for life for the unborn, and restoration of hope for their mothers comes genuinely from the bottom of my heart.

Lovingly,
and Speaking for the Speechless,
Lori

Lori Ghiata Bowser

From my heart ...

Monday, July 5, 2010

An Invitation for God's Presence

Outta Control

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