Valerie is a 42-year-old, single, Reformed Christian lady who lives in Baltimore. She doesn't remember a time
before she knew and loved Jesus, but she does remember accepting John Calvin into her heart in March of 2000.
Valerie is a member of Christ Reformed Evangelical Church in Annapolis.
Though her career aspiration is to be a housewife, Valerie has not yet found anyone suitable who wishes to hire
her for employment in that field (or, more properly, anyone suitable has not found her), so in the meantime she
earns her daily bread working in communications -- editing, writing, print design and website management.
The Snare Has Broken, and We Have Escaped
Sometimes I feel like a twist on an old Army recruitment ad: "We sin more before breakfast than most people sin all day!" My morning started out disastrously with one wrong thought, word or deed after another 'til I almost thought I should just go back to bed and not inflict myself on the world outside my front door. But of course responsibilities called, so I did manage to leave the house, and with lots of prayer and good music (thanks, Jamie!) along the way, by the time I got to the office the Lord had transformed my demeanor from despair over sin to gratitude for forgiveness and from anger over petty annoyances to rejoicing in glorious blessings.
"If it had not been the LORD who was on our side," Let Israel now say-- "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, When men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us; Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul."
Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
