Praying For Haiti 2018

Praying For Haiti 2018

Praying for Haiti 2018

It’s been just over a week and 1⁄2 since the destructive 5.9 magnitude earthquake erupted in Haiti.

Did you hear about it?

The last thing you want to see is an email addressed to you from Compassion International with the dreaded words in all caps:  “EMERGENCY.”

We were so involved with other things going on at our house that I failed to check one of our email addresses until just the other day.

My heart sank as I read the news that our sponsor child is in danger. His community is miles away from where the epicenter of the quake occurred. The aftershock the next day only made things worse.

We continue to pray for all who were in the path of this monster earthquake and anxiously await news about our precious little second grader who loves to sing and play soccer.

His birthday and Christmas gifts were already in the mail, and now comes this heartbreaking news.

How quickly life can change in an instant.

When we get word of our little man, I will post an update.

*Happy update!

We are so grateful to hear the news that our sponsor child is fine..

Praying For Everyone Affected

Hurricane Matthew 2018

Sad headlines are coming out of many places.

The residents of Panama City, Florida and its neighboring towns are also grieving. Sadly, Hurricane Michael cut a dangerous path through the popular beach location. It tracked across four states killing 30 people.

The beautiful Texas Hill Country is currently facing devastating flood damage.

And, the Carolinas are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Florence in September.

With all of the natural disasters going on in the world, you’d think more people would get on their knees and pray.

Please, pray!

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Gifts Of God

The Ultimate Gift of God’s Grace

We are blessed.

Truly blessed by an immeasurable gift from God.

The skeptic says,

“What gift?

What has God ever done for Me?”

He has given every single one of us access to His Grace – a grace that only He can give.

How can people not see what a blessing that is?

This is life-saving, transcendent grace.

It’s the type of grace that we can’t even fully understand the magnitude of it until, as Christians, we enter into eternity to be with Jesus in Heaven.

I am sad over how easily a growing number of people will reject His offer.

Can we honestly look at the beautiful creation all around us and reduce its grandeur to an imperfect, godless theory full of holes invented by man?

The Giver of all Blessings

Because of His infinite grace, our Creator God sent His beloved Son Jesus to reach the lost here on earth.

Jesus is coming back someday, and every knee will bow.

In the meantime, we have glimpses of God’s perfection in His breathtaking creation and we celebrate the One who created it.

Thankful for the Gifts of God

A fellow Christian writer, Stephen Wong, wrote a beautiful poem “Gifts of God” I thought you might enjoy.

Evidence of God’s majesty is everywhere.

Gifts of God

Gifts of God

by Stephen Wong
07/04/13

The gifts of God are in the green of our gardens,
the triumph of the mountains reaching
for the skies,
reflection in our awestruck eyes,
a thousand candle lights, dancing
in a night sky,
while roaring seas
rest upon their soft yellow bed.

The gifts of God are in a delicious afternoon tea,
a warm steaming beverage,
the mesmerizing smells
of chocolate sweets
drifting,
as a blanket of bread
spreads out fresh
from the oven.

The gifts of God are found in our hearts,
every kiss, every warm embrace,
every sparkle of kindness,
affection,
every costly sacrifice
says the words “I love you”.

The gifts of God we breathe in deep,
the sun smiling,
the wind greeting our faces,
sounds of dancing,
echoes of laughter announcing
we are still alive.

Then come times of great tribulations,
dark storms
tossing us off
life’s comfy sofa,
temptation
lurking at every corner,
urging us to give up
all hope.

Yet when we feel lost in misery,
weary
from daily struggles
falling down,
the tears flooding,
on our knees begging,
we should remember,
that from life’s grueling tests,
we learn invaluable lessons that are also
the gifts of God.

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*Poem shared, courtesy of Stephen Wong, from article url: https://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=185177

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A Parent’s Mission Field

A Mission Field For Busy Parents

a parent's mission field

For the moms and dads who feel guilty about not going on church mission trips – please don’t beat yourself up.

If you’re able to take your vacation time to go overseas for mission work – what a rewarding and memorable experience it will be.

But what if you can’t afford to take that time off yet? Some Christian parents are working two jobs just to make ends meet.

Although the U.S. economy is improving, it’s a longer recovery period for some hard-working parents.

Mission Field At Home

God sees your life and He knows your heart. He also knows how busy you are trying to feed your family.

If a mission trip isn’t doable right now, will God be mad?

No – your salvation is not dependent on how many mission trips you go on.

An encouraging thing to remember as a busy parent, is that you also have a mission field right in your own home.

You can have a huge impact on the culture by starting with your own kids and family.

Your youngsters are going to grow up and be the next ambassadors for Christ.

Perhaps you are a stay-at-home parent, who thinks, I could never influence the culture. But God has given you influence over your children. In the Old Testament, Hannah faithfully taught her son Samuel the fear of the Lord, and Samuel became a great prophet. Did Hannah influence her culture? You bet she did. – *Dr. Robert Jeffress, Pathway Magazine.

Married or single, if you can’t make it to the mission field in another country – it just may be that God is calling you to a mission field right in your own home, or neighborhood, or during your lunch hour at work.

We can pray for those opportunities.

We live in a world in desperate need of the Lord.

Not just today, or tomorrow, but every day.

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*Quotation from Dr. Robert Jeffress, Bible teacher, pastor, and author. Taken from Pathway Magazine, “Choosing the Extraordinary Life.” Accessed September 25, 2018. Page 16 of Impact Your Culture For God.”

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The “R” Words

The Most Significant “R” Words

R words

What are the most important words you can think of that begin with an “R”?

If you ask some of the people being interviewed by the mainstream media these days, you’d get answers like:

Resist

Rebel

Rise Up

In this contentious world we live in, it’s obvious that people have taken their eyes off God.

Sometimes the news comes on, and I.just.can’t.watch.

Focus On God

As a Bible-believing Christian, and a sinner in need of God’s grace, these are the most significant  “R” words I know:

Resurrection

Repentance

Redemption

In the ultimate scheme of things, what matters most is Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross – the affirmation of our faith.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins, and through His death and resurrection, and our repentance, we can have an eternity with Him in Heaven.

Doesn’t it sadden you that there are people out there, even people you know, who think this life is all that there is?

Life Eternal

We can spend our eternity in Heaven with our Savior!

eternal happiness and joy

So how do we respond to what Christ did for us on the Cross?

Do we just go to church Sunday, help the less-fortunate, and then check those items off our good works list?

Or, do we also “repent” of our sins, and tell a lost world the whole truth – that Yes, there’s a Heaven and there’s a Hell.

I’m frustrated that, in some Christian circles, there’s an ongoing movement away from salvation messages, and that we should only speak about Love. They don’t even want you to mention that there’s a Hell.

We are to share the love of Christ with a lost world.

But, please, tell them the “whole” truth.

We are all sinners in need of the Savior

Unrepented sin has consequences.

Unfortunately, some churches shy away from talking about Sin and the need for salvation because it might turn off people and affect church growth.

That to me, shows a lack of trust in God.

Are clever marketing, great singing, and talking about soft topics more important than preaching all of God’s Word and how to obtain salvation through His Son?

What Jesus Christ did for us on the cross is the biggest, most extraordinary, expression of love that there is.

Withhold no part of the precious truth, but speak what you know and declare what you have seen. Do not allow the toil or darkness or possible unbelief of your friends to dissuade you. Let us rise and march to the place of duty, and there declare what great things God has shown to our soul. – *Alistair Begg, Christian pastor, Truth For Life Teaching Ministry, and Author.

 

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*Alistair Begg quotation, as quoted from Christian quotes.info

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Music That Speaks To Your Soul

Alison Krauss Music

It’s no secret I‘m a huge Alison Krauss fan.

My husband and I have been to two of her concerts and, each time, she has blown us away with her incredible voice and mastery of any instrument she plays.

With Alison Krauss, you don’t have to worry if you’re sitting in the “cheap seats” at a venue.

Her crystal-clear voice reaches all the way up to the rafters and it’s hard not to get goosebumps when she sings.

God-given talent, for sure.

Music That Speaks To Your Soul*Photo by Earl McGehee

It’s been said that I sound just like her.

Okay, I was the one who said it. 

Music That Speaks To Your Soul

Alison Krauss has won so many awards it’s hard to keep count. While many musicians let that kind of fame go to their heads, her humility and graciousness on stage are like a breath of fresh air.

I guess you could call me a “super fan.”

That being said, I do have my favorites of all the songs she sings.

One of the most beautiful, in my humble opinion, is “Away Down The River.”

It’s a track on an older album, “A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection” (2007). 

Once I heard it and the unforgettable lyrics, it left an indelible mark on me.

Are you hurting over the loss of someone you love?

I hope this song brings you comfort as it has me over the years.

 God bless!

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*Photo source: “Alison Krauss playing at Austin City Limits Music Festival 2011,” by “Earl McGehee”. Uploaded on September 24, 2011. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC-BY2.0). Accessed 19 September 2018. https://flic.kr/p/aq6eQu

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