Our Life, God's Way

I set myself a goal of updating at least once a week and it looks like I already broke that.  I’ve had time to update but I guess I didn’t want to. In the week or two since I last wrote I made the decision to leave my job.  Now, if you’re reading this then you probably know how I feel about children, and particularly orphans and poverty.  With that being said, giving up my job was a very difficult decision.  I wanted to be able to do my job, but my level of stress became a clear indicator that it wasn’t for me.  At first I was afraid that I had somehow failed myself or God, but after some deep prayer conversations with Him I realized that I wasn’t a failure and He already had everything figured out so I had better move on with my life. 

I’ve been unemployed for almost two weeks now and I don’t like it.  I’m the kind of person who likes to have a plan and stick with it.  Now everything is up in the air and it makes life uncomfortable.  I’m sure you’ve felt this way too.  As humans, we think no job = no money, no money = no bills paid, no bills paid = I lose my car, etc. etc.   Worry is a natural tendency.   A little bit of worry in these situations is ok I guess, but I find that when I give my worry to God and replace it with faith things start looking a lot more like Honolulu and a lot less like Mexico City.  With God in control we can realize that God must have something else in mind for us. 

Perhaps it’s a better job or a job where we will have more chances to witness to those around us.  Remember, we are called to be witnesses both near and far and more often than not our workplace is our mission field.  Like Jesus told the apostles in Acts, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts1:8).  Two things stick out to me in this verse, first, the three cities mentioned.  One is so near to the apostles that it could be considered home, and then the verse ends with to the ends of the earth.  We have A TON of space to cover.  So if you’re the only Christian in your workplace and you’re miserable, stop pouting and start witnessing!  Secondly, I notice how the phrase, ‘you will’ is used two in the verse.  ‘You will’ receive power and ‘you will’ be MY witness.  Jesus is very clear about what is expected of us and thankfully lets us know that we will have the Holy Spirit with us at all times. 

Now, realizing that God has a plan, already knows our needs, is with us at all times, and loves us with a greater love than we could ever possibly fathom, things don’t look so bad do they?

As always, if any of you need a little extra prayer or someone to talk to this week email/text/call me and I’ll pray for you!  As for me, pray that God’s will, will be done in my life.  I’ve filled out tons of applications and an interview today for a job that would be totally awesome.  But if it’s not where God wants me then I pray I have the wisdom not to take the job and continue seeking His will.

I think a great way to end the night would be by reading John 16:17-33.  Make sure you pay special attention to the last verse!

God's Love Letter

Sometime over the past year I came across this letter that is a love letter from God.  Essentially it takes Bible verses and summarizes them into letter form.  I think it's one of the most beautiful things I have ever read and it's much better than anything I could have written.  Then again the author is God so course it's awesome!  Anyway, I thought I would share

My Child,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.
Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.
Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you.
1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is…
Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32

Love,Almighty God

Amazing right?  Well here's my idea for this letter. Print it out and hang it up by your bed or somewhere where you will see it everyday.  Then, when your feeling unloved or just having a bad day take a look at it.  It's pretty hard to be grumpy when your reading about all the wonderful things God has in mind for you!

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The Child We Couldn't Save and the Ones We Can

After a great long weekend in Ohio I came home today to find everything exactly how I left it.  I said hi to a few friends and checked my mail.  Then I unpacked, which doesn’t take very long if your one person living in one small room.  I noticed it was a little rainy outside so I figured I should check the weather.  I was so busy with the Holiday and all that I hadn’t checked the news in days.  And boy was I surprised by what I saw.  I’m sure all know what I am talking about, but in case you been on a news hiatus like me, the Casey Anthony murder trial ended today.  She was found not guilty of murder and everyone in the United States is in an uproar.  No one can believe that someone could get away with murder.  Everyone is crying out for justice for that little girl. 

I didn’t watch any of the trial nor did I read the articles online. I’ve worked with too many neglected and abused children to endure watching a trial like that one.  But none-the-less I’ve heard about the case and am somewhat informed about the details of it.  When I heard the decision I was upset like everyone else.  How could someone get away with murder?  Where is the justice? 

When I was 7, two children from down the road, my childhood friends, where killed in fire.  It was Halloween night, and there are a lot of things that just didn’t seem to make sense.  At the time, I didn’t understand any of what was going on, but now that I’m grown I know that the fire probably wasn’t an accident and someone got away with it.  Where is the justice for my friend?

Like I said, I have a hard time dealing with things where children become victims so I sat and thought about Caylee for a while, I went for a walk and I ate some dinner.  When the time felt right I opened my Bible to see what God might have to say about all of this mess.  These are just a few of my findings.  God loves his children and Caylee is with him tonight.  God is almighty and just; He will judge the guilty and He wants me to worry about myself, not others.  Lastly, I can’t do anything to bring my friends or Caylee back, but I can do something to make sure it doesn’t happen again. 

One of my very favorite illustrations from the Bible is that of the Sparrow.  Matthew 10:29-31 says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?  Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  Surely God sees every child that falls.  God knows everything that happened to Caylee and he has taken her to Heaven where she rests safely in the arms of God.  Nothing will ever hurt her again. 

A lot of people want revenge.  I have to admit that I’m not too fond of that mother right now either, but I know that it is not my place to judge.  Jesus died for my sins, your sins, and even Casey Anthony’s sins.  Luke 6:41-42 tells us, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  All of us our sinners and in the end the extent of your sin doesn’t matter.  NO SIN, whether it’s lying to your family member, or murder gets into Heaven.  However, one microscopic drop of Jesus’ blood is enough to pay our way.  If God chooses to have grace on Casey Anthony and she chooses to have faith in Jesus Christ, then she can still go to Heaven.  Who am I to judge the system that God has put in place.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m not ok with someone getting away with murder and I don’t think I would like Casey Anthony if I met her, but I have to at least try to forgive her because that’s what God has commanded of me (Luke 6:37).  Let’s take a look at 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10.

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10

I feel like everything is summed up in verse 6, God is just.  He gives both blessings and punishments and in His perfect time he will bring justice to Caylee.  When this world as we know it comes to an end God will hand out judgment to all who have sinned against Him.  He will know every detail of every trial and will do a better job judging than the Supreme courts ever could. 

Now let’s look at Jude 14-16.

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[a] 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. Jude 14-16.

When God comes he will judge everyone, me and you included. We are not exempt.  So yes, justice now would be nice, but sometimes God wants us to wait.  I don’t know why but we have to trust Him anyway. 
Murders will come to justice and there’s nothing to be done about them now.  But there is something we can do.  Don’t let yourself be deceived into thinking that Caylee was the only child out there who was in danger.  There are many others out there and they are crying out for help.  We must listen to them.  I feel like I have an advantage in some ways because I’ve seen just how cruel the world can be.  When I was in the Philippines I saw children starving on the street.  At the children’s home I work at now there are kids who have been through things that are just unimaginable.  I hate knowing these things, but am glad I do because I can’t forget how much need there is in the world. 
As Christians, I believe God is calling us to be the ones who cannot speak for themselves.  Just look at what He tells us in His Holy Word.

In you the orphan finds mercy.  Hosea 14:3

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy. God places the lonely in families. Psalms 68:5-6

When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the LORD your God will bless you in all you do. Deuteronomy 24:19

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. Proverbs 31:8-9

And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. Matthew 18:5

I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me! Matthew 25:40

If you need more proof about God calling us to help others just open your Bible.  It shouldn’t take you long to find something. 

So, we want justice for Caylee, but we aren’t going to get it now.  We can’t change the court’s decision or do anything to make the situation better, but we can take the anger that we feel and make it something useful.  Get involved.  If you suspect a child is being neglected or abused get involved.  Make it your business to help every child that you can.  There are Children’s Homes all across the country full of kids who need a hug or someone to teach them how to play catch.  If you can help in that way do it.  There are thousands of kids who need foster parents who will love them, take them in and love them if you can.  There are children sitting in Sunday School who need their questions answered, teach them.  Human Trafficking has become the 2^nd largest illegal business in the world, making 10 billion dollars a year.  How can you fight this form of modern day slavery.  There is much to be done to remain silent.  If you need help getting started let me know, I’ll do my best to help you. 

Martin Luther King Jr. said’ “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.”  Life.  To me that’s what matters.

A few places to help you get involved or learn more about getting involved:
http://www.compassion.com/children-and-poverty.htm - Children in poverty
http://www.rescueandrestoreky.org/ -Human trafficking in Kentucky
www.persecusion.com  - Voice of the Martyrs foundation
http://www.centralohiorescueandrestore.org/ - Human trafficking in Ohio
http://childrensrightsportal.org/?gclid=CLy3_cfU66kCFYrJKgodNSLevA –Children’s Rights
www.unicef.org – The United Nations Children’s Fund