DO.

Today at chapel, we had a guest speaker who grew up as a missionaries’ kid in Liberia and now runs missions to the people there by providing practical needs, like shoes, and showing the love of Christ. He talked about the importance of doing something and being active to make a difference for the poor, the orphans, and other underprivileged. What he said was just tearing my heart out, and I wanted to scream, because meanwhile I was sitting on my rear in a newly refurbished gym at an expensive private university—I was wearing shoes and clothes with plenty of wear in them, I had a nutritious meal in my lunch bag, and I was going home to a functional family, a roof, several hundred dollars worth of electronics, and WHAT AM I DOING ABOUT POVERTY? A little. I do a little. But it’s not on the forefront of my mind, especially since school started. And I know that every one of us college students got out of our plastic folding chairs and went about our business, and probably most of us will not make any life changes based on that sermon.

I am just getting really sick of doing things for the kingdom, but focusing primarily on myself. I am getting really sick of complaining about eating yams instead of tacos. And I am getting sick of our society as a whole. Opulence disgusts me. There is more to life than this. There is more to life than self.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS?

Becoming Like Francis

Today I am inspired by Francis of Assisi. I used to see St. Francis as the chubby monk statue that my grandma has in her garden… a man poor by choice who loved animals. That might be true, but there is so much more to him!

     I recently read a Catholic book on the Crusades, called  The Crusaders  by Regine Pernoud, that my friend loaned to me. It was interesting because it was told from a very different perspective than secular and even Protestant history books. The Crusades surely is a multi-faceted subject filled with heroes and villains on both sides. It is so confusing and I really don’t know what stance to take on the subject! I came to a chapter on Francis of Assisi. In the middle of a bloody war against the Muslims, this brave man walked unarmed across Christian borders and into Muslim territory. He asked to be taken to the Sultan of Egypt. He was. This is a miracle for two reasons: firstly, because he was not killed on the spot, and secondly, because he was actually allowed to see the sultan. He witnessed to the Sultan, and the Sultan actually said that he would like to become a Christian, yet could not because of politics and fear of assassination (oh, how our human affairs cloud out the glow of eternity! It is tragic).  In the darkness of warfare and bloodshed, St Francis was a shining example of how God wants us to deal with our enemies; with love and concern. This man risked his life to bring Christianity to the Muslims, while many of his fellow Christians were only interested in killing and fighting them over a single city.

     Application: What in your life seems so important that you neglect what really is important? Are you fighting a personal “crusade” over your “Jerusalem?” In other words, are you so focused on something (even if it is something good) that you neglect to fulfill the Great Commission? Be a Francis of Assisi and not a Richard Coeur de Leon!

A Fire Kindled Inside

I have a wonderful missionary friend who told me all about the years she spent with her husband ministering to the people of Thailand. A few months ago, she told me about her time in Asia and allowed me to write about it! I learned a lot from the interview. She also has godly wisdom to impart as someone who has walked with the Lord for many decades. Click to read "A Fire Kindled Inside."

It's a Thaiger!

Saint Paddy's Day

Happy Saint Paddy’s Day to ya! I be hopin’ that she finds ya in good healt and that ta luck o’ ta Irish be on ya.

As you probably know, Saint Patrick was the first missionary to the Irish. I want to take this chance to tell you modern day mission to the Irish.

 Ireland has the lowest percentage of evangelical Christians of all the English-speaking countries in the world! Only 30,000 (that’s less than 1%) are evangelical Christians. For every believer, there are 133 unbelievers! That's a ratio of 133:1

Ireland ranks in the top of the European lists in reference to teenage suicide, drinking alcohol and unwed mother rates. Cocaine and heroin use is rapidly on the rise amongst all socio-economic levels. Divorce (previously illegal until 1997) is a new difficulty for families, with a 70% increase over just four years.

Many evangelical churches today in Ireland consist of just 20 people, most of which meet in homes.

Please pray for Cross Ireland Ministries!

http://www.crossirelandministries.com/

And just because I’m a fan of Ireland, here are a few links to Irish music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWTYt_-jafg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpSZefCKC6U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpMGWOAAKs4

An Irish Blessing for You :)

May the blessing of Light be on you -

light without and light within,

May the blessed sunlight shine on you

and warm your heart till it glows like

a great peat fire, so that the stranger

may come and warm himself at it, and

also a friend.

And may the light shine out of the two

eyes of you, like a candle set in two

windows of a house, bidding the wanderer

to come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of the Rain be on you -
the soft sweet rain. May it fall upon your
spirit so that all the little flowers may
spring up, and shed their sweetness on the air.
And may the blessing of the Great Rains be on
you, may they beat upon your spirit and wash
it fair and clean, and leave there many a
shining pool where the blue of heaven shines,
and sometimes a star.

And may the blessing of the Earth be on you -
the great round earth; may you ever have a
kindly greeting for them you pass as you're
going along the roads.
May the earth be soft under you when you
rest upon it, tired at the end of the day, and may
it rest easy over you when, at the last, you lay
out under it;
May it rest so lightly over you, that your soul
may be out from under it quickly, and up, and
off, and on its way to God.

6-19-10 "Pray for Gao"

Supporters around the world were shocked on March 27, 2010, when Gao Zhisheng spoke with his family for the first time since he was abducted on February 4 last year. Media buzzed with news of his reappearance, as Gao Zhisheng connected with friends, family, reporters and colleagues. But even this brief reprieve from silence was not free.

"Gao was being held under tight security during the time he spoke with his family," says President of ChinaAid Bob Fu. "When I spoke with him on the phone in March, he was being closely monitored, not at liberty to give details about his location or condition."

On April 15 and 16, Gao Zhisheng visited his in-laws in Xinjiang, telling them he would be flying home to Beijing at 10 AM on April 20. Gao never arrived home at his apartment, and has not been seen or heard from in more than 8 weeks. See the media reports on Gao Zhisheng's forced "Re-Disappearance."

Now that he has disappeared again, it is clear that Gao's life is in danger as long as he is in the custody of the Chinese government. During this complex and difficult time, efforts are already in progress to push for Gao's release from China and for a safe reunion with his family in the United States.

"We continue to denounce the Chinese Government's brutal and unjust treatment of Gao Zhisheng!" says Bob Fu. "We will not rest until Gao is released and allowed to reunite with his wife and children in peace."

Please urge more of your friends to Sign the Petition and let the Chinese Government know that Gao Zhisheng is not forgotten. We must show them that the world will not allow this defender of truth and justice to fade from our hearts and minds. We will not rest until he is united with his family.

ChinaAid also humbly asks for your continued financial support. Long-term projects like Gao's case can be costly, and we cannot afford to lose momentum now. Please help Free Gao with a financial contribution today.

Share the Petition.

Donate Now.

www.FreeGao.com

(Taken from Voice of the Martyrs newsletter)

6-14-10 "YOU Can Dress a Girl Around the World"

Dress a Girl Around the World is a sub-organization of Hope4Kids International. Dress a Girl’s purpose is to provide impoverished girls with dresses, and thus give them more dignity. The dresses are made by people in the United States, Canada, Uganda and Malawi and are sent to a variety of countries across the world. The dresses are easy to make- the simple pattern, which uses a pillowcase, is easily and quickly created.
Yesterday I made my first dresses for Dress a Girl! Here they are:





They were “sew” easy, too! If you know how to stitch a straight seam, you are ready to go. And, as I pointed out to my friend a few days ago, I am not exactly Miss Sewing Queen of America, so if I say it’s easy……

It is.
So why don’t you make a couple, too? Here’s the link to the website: http://dressagirlaroundtheworld.webs.com/

I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Matthew 25:36-40

PS if you join the site, send me a message! I’m Becoming Godly Maidens :)

5-29-10 "When I was Naked, You Clothed Me, When I was Hungry, You Gave Me Food..."

Hello! J

 I’ve joined “Dress A Girl Around the World.” This organization is a sub-organization of  Hope 4 Kids International, an missions organization which helps Americans sponsor the education of foreign impoverished children. Dress A Girl is an organization which sends home sewn pillowcase dresses to impoverished girls in other countries. If you like to sew (or can sew J ) and if you’d like to help a girl in need, get involved! You don’t have to join the site to help out, but if you do join, look BGM up.

Happy stitching :)

1-18-10 "Our Brothers in Asia"

As Christians, we must expect to face some level of persecution. Jesus himself said that we would. I’m sure you’ve encountered a bit of this or at least have seen it happen- maybe someone you know ridicules you for following Christ. Maybe your friend or brother got a bad grade on his English class in college because the professor was angry at the way he spoke openly about his faith. However, there are very few cases in the US where persecution has risen to level that we can see in other countries. Persecution is particularly bad in northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Here is the story of one event:

Before dawn on Sunday, September 13, 2009, a band of 400 government officials, police and hired ruffians launched an attack on Linfen-Fushan Church in Shanxi. With no warning, members who were sleeping at the church construction site were mercilessly beaten, with more than 30 left in critical condition. Bulldozers razed the factory and church building to the ground, and the mob looted any valuables and smashed the remaining property. Following the brutal attack, the Fushan governing officials arrested more than ten Linfen church leaders.

Esther, the daughter of two Linfen pastors, called home frantically in October, after learning about the attack on Fushan Church over the internet. The phone rang and rang, but no one answered. She later learned from a relative that her father and mother had been arrested in a sweeping backlash against house church leaders on October 11, 2009.

In the trial held on November 25th, Esther's father Yang Xuan was convicted of "unlawfully occupying agricultural land" and sentenced to 3 1/2 years with a 20,000 Yuan fine. Her Aunt Yang Rongli received a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison and 30,000 Yuan fine, and her Uncle Wang Xiaoguang received 3 years in prison with a 10,000 Yuan fine. Esther's mother, Yang Caizhen, was arbitrarily sentenced to two years Re-education through Labor in the brutal Laogai (labor-camp) system. Already fearing for their safety and health, Esther learned in December that her mother had been severely beaten in prison.

 Thank the Lord for religious freedom in North America and Europe! Let us fight to keep that liberty and defend it above all other rights.

But let’s not forget the persecuted. This is a huge problem! How can YOU help? You can donate, and it will be a great help. But the most important thing for you to do is PRAY! Here are a couple of sites to keep you informed as to what the greatest prayer needs are:

Persecution blog from Voice of the Martyrs

China Aid- the site from which the above story is taken

 

1-15-50 "Haiti"

I'm sure you've all heard about the Haiti earthquake and the havoc wreaked on that island. There are tons of orphaned, widowed, and injured people in Haiti right now who need your help- you could SAVE A LIFE by donating a few dollars. Literally, you could feed a child for a month by giving $5. That's as much as a footlong at Subway costs. So, give up one lunch out and feed a kid for a month! Maybe you could feed a few people. Do you really need another t-shirt or a new soccer ball? Do you need it more than these people need to live? 

Couple of sites:

https://www.fmsc.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=416

http://www.fh.org/