Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness.
~Mother Theresa
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Wisdom of Mother Teresa
A clean heart is a free heart. A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love. Purity, chastity, and virginity created a special beauty in Mary that attracted God’s attention. He showed his great love for the world by giving Jesus to her.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Betty Baxter Story Part 2
Betty Baxter:
I was raised in a Christian home. The greatest miracle that ever took place in my life was not when Jesus healed my crippled, twisted, deformed body but when He saved my soul from sin. As long as I had Jesus in my heart, I could go to heaven even though I was crippled and deformed in my body. But not if I was not saved by the blood of Jesus. My mother loved Jesus with a great love. I believe she understood Jesus better than anyone I ever knew. She seemed to know how to make my faith in Him for Him to heal me someday. My darkest hour came while they were wheeling me down the hospital corridor on a stretcher. The doctor walked up, stopped the stretcher, looked down at me and said, "Betty, we have x-rayed your spine. Every vertebra is out of place, the bones are twisted and matted together. Also you need a new kidney, as long as the old kidney remains you will have pain." Dad said, "No, I am going to do everything in my power to make my child well again but never shall a knife tough my child." I have never had an operation except the one when Jesus did the operating and He doesn’t leave any scars. How wonderful it is when Jesus does something for us; it is always perfect and never leaves any bad effects. "Well, Mr. Baxter," the doctor said, "we can never hope to untangle that mass of bones in Betty’s body. Take her home and let her be as happy as possible." I was eleven years old at that time and had no idea that the doctor was sending me home to die. I looked at him, "Yes, Doctor, but someday God will heal my body. I will be well and strong then." I had faith then for Mom had read God’s Word to me and talked to me about Jesus so that my faith was strong. One of Mom’s favorite scriptures in those days was, "If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believes." Also, "Nothing is impossible with God." They took me home where the doctor said I would soon die. I grew worse. The pain I had suffered before was nothing compared to what I began to feel after I returned home. I would go blind and for weeks could not see; I would become deaf and could not hear; dumb and could not speak. My tongue would swell, then would be paralyzed. Then the blindness would leave, also the deafness and paralysis of the tongue. It seemed I was caught; some awful power was trying to destroy me. But each day Mom would pray with me and tell me God was able to heal my body.
I was raised in a Christian home. The greatest miracle that ever took place in my life was not when Jesus healed my crippled, twisted, deformed body but when He saved my soul from sin. As long as I had Jesus in my heart, I could go to heaven even though I was crippled and deformed in my body. But not if I was not saved by the blood of Jesus. My mother loved Jesus with a great love. I believe she understood Jesus better than anyone I ever knew. She seemed to know how to make my faith in Him for Him to heal me someday. My darkest hour came while they were wheeling me down the hospital corridor on a stretcher. The doctor walked up, stopped the stretcher, looked down at me and said, "Betty, we have x-rayed your spine. Every vertebra is out of place, the bones are twisted and matted together. Also you need a new kidney, as long as the old kidney remains you will have pain." Dad said, "No, I am going to do everything in my power to make my child well again but never shall a knife tough my child." I have never had an operation except the one when Jesus did the operating and He doesn’t leave any scars. How wonderful it is when Jesus does something for us; it is always perfect and never leaves any bad effects. "Well, Mr. Baxter," the doctor said, "we can never hope to untangle that mass of bones in Betty’s body. Take her home and let her be as happy as possible." I was eleven years old at that time and had no idea that the doctor was sending me home to die. I looked at him, "Yes, Doctor, but someday God will heal my body. I will be well and strong then." I had faith then for Mom had read God’s Word to me and talked to me about Jesus so that my faith was strong. One of Mom’s favorite scriptures in those days was, "If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believes." Also, "Nothing is impossible with God." They took me home where the doctor said I would soon die. I grew worse. The pain I had suffered before was nothing compared to what I began to feel after I returned home. I would go blind and for weeks could not see; I would become deaf and could not hear; dumb and could not speak. My tongue would swell, then would be paralyzed. Then the blindness would leave, also the deafness and paralysis of the tongue. It seemed I was caught; some awful power was trying to destroy me. But each day Mom would pray with me and tell me God was able to heal my body.
The Betty Baxter Story Part 1
I wasn't normal as many other boys and girls. My body was twisted and crippled and deformed. I was born with curve on my spine. Every vertebra was out of place, the bones were twisted and matted together. As I lay in the University hospital, I began to shake all over. It was a sort of trembling at first but soon I was shaking violently from head to toe. I shook out of my bed and fell on the floor. The doctors rushed in and put me back on the bed. They strapped my body to the bed. It didn't keep me from shaking, but it kept me from falling. Day and night, I was strapped to the bed. When the straps were removed my body would be raw and blistered. I know what it means to suffer and feel pain. The doctors kept me on dope so I could endure the pain. When I was born, my heart was not normal. Under the power of dope, it grew worse. Eventually I came to have a heart attack every week. My body would become so accustomed to the dope that it couldn't take full effect. I would bite my lips to keep from screaming because f the pain. Doctors finally took me off dope because it wasn't doing any good. I was only nine. Oh, how long then nights were as I lay racked with pain. Many times, I would twist in the bed struggling for a little relief and feel myself blacking out. Then for hours I would lay unconscious.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRIEND!!!
While in DC, I met someone from Israel. His name is Josef, really sweet! Today is his birthday and he's turning 20... Happy Birthday Josef! May God continue to strengthen you in this year and years to follow! Blessings
Monday, November 3, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Jesus Rejected
Isaiah 53:3- He was despised and rejected a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
Luke 11:52-54- And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.”
John 1:11- He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.
"Jesus’ life illustrates a simple truth: even if you’re perfect, you will still experience rejection." -Bob Sorge, from "Dealing with rejection and the Praise of Man"
I recommend you read this book! Its one of my faves!!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Praise Report!
FBI: 642 Arrested, 47 Kids Rescued in Child Prostitution Raids
Monday, October 27, 2008
WASHINGTON — The FBI says more than 600 people have been arrested and 47 children rescued in a three-day roundup targeting people who force children into prostitution.
The arrests by federal, state and local law enforcement took place in 29 cities as part of Operation Cross Country II.
At a news conference Monday, FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said the arrests were made possible by intelligence gathered during a similar series of raids in June.
The 47 rescued children ranged in age from 13 to 17. A total of 642 people were arrested. The FBI says they include 73 pimps and 518 adult prostitutes. The bureau said that it also dismantled a dozen large-scale prostitution operations that were run through call services, truck stops, casinos and Web sites.
Pray for God's peace and comfort on these rescued children!
Monday, October 27, 2008
WASHINGTON — The FBI says more than 600 people have been arrested and 47 children rescued in a three-day roundup targeting people who force children into prostitution.
The arrests by federal, state and local law enforcement took place in 29 cities as part of Operation Cross Country II.
At a news conference Monday, FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said the arrests were made possible by intelligence gathered during a similar series of raids in June.
The 47 rescued children ranged in age from 13 to 17. A total of 642 people were arrested. The FBI says they include 73 pimps and 518 adult prostitutes. The bureau said that it also dismantled a dozen large-scale prostitution operations that were run through call services, truck stops, casinos and Web sites.
Pray for God's peace and comfort on these rescued children!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Pray For Missionaries in India
This is a request for prayer for YWAM missionaries and their churches in Orissa , India . Please read and make this a matter of urgent prayer.
Dear beloved sponsors and friends of Good News India:
We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff imagined that they would see this kind of carnage…. And it seems to be totally under the radar of the Western Media …. Let me explain…. A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and ‘reconverting’ people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in Central Orissa last weekend. Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up…’Kill the Christians!’ And the horror began…. In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bear the name of Christ.
Night and day I have been in touch with our Good News India Directors spread across 14 Dream Centers in Orissa… they are right in the middle of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and ‘finish the job.’ Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. It has been a time of desperately calling on the Lord in prayer.
More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there, but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left. We had favor. The same thing happened in Balasore.
All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled inside and police outside. The fanatics are circling outside waiting for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in house and burned them to death. Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road…. even women and children. At another orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said: ‘We stay with our kids…. we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do.’ More than 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have fled into the jungles and are living i n great fear waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen.
This will continue for another 10 days…. supposedly the 14 day mourning period f or the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying times. Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved… that is our heart’s cry.
If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great Commission. What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second, pass this e-mail on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please pass it on and help us to get as many people to partner with us on this cutting edge effort to fulfill His mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations…. Prayer works!
Dear beloved sponsors and friends of Good News India:
We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff imagined that they would see this kind of carnage…. And it seems to be totally under the radar of the Western Media …. Let me explain…. A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and ‘reconverting’ people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in Central Orissa last weekend. Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up…’Kill the Christians!’ And the horror began…. In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribals have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bear the name of Christ.
Night and day I have been in touch with our Good News India Directors spread across 14 Dream Centers in Orissa… they are right in the middle of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and ‘finish the job.’ Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. It has been a time of desperately calling on the Lord in prayer.
More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there, but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left. We had favor. The same thing happened in Balasore.
All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled inside and police outside. The fanatics are circling outside waiting for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in house and burned them to death. Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road…. even women and children. At another orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said: ‘We stay with our kids…. we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do.’ More than 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have fled into the jungles and are living i n great fear waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen.
This will continue for another 10 days…. supposedly the 14 day mourning period f or the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying times. Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved… that is our heart’s cry.
If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great Commission. What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second, pass this e-mail on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please pass it on and help us to get as many people to partner with us on this cutting edge effort to fulfill His mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations…. Prayer works!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Just Hanging!!
Saturday night, the twins and I went to the Hard Bean Cafe to hear Tim York, John Hendrickson and Kevin Hanley play live!! We had fun!!!! It was worth my night!! I enjoyed listening to Tim and Kevin sing and John play drums!! I drank coffee and sat on a comfortable cushioned chair and just listened!
Pictures to come =)
Pictures to come =)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Prayer Request
Please keep Kevin Hardy and his family in your prayers. Kevin's mom and the kids Grandma just passed away yesterday, and they left this morning for Ohio. Pray for peace, comfort and the Lord's safety on them! Thanks
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