Anyone Up For "Swapping" This Weekend?

The Lord has put the hungry, orphaned and widowed on my heart recently and I have begun attempting to mold my life into a more Christ-centered existence. I've started visiting Tom Davis's blog (link in our blog roll), and he has this interesting post about the weekend: Click HERE for the post.

I'm swapping. How about you?

Tim Checks In With a Report After Attending the 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon...

I received this message from Tim just after the Pentagon 9/11 memorial service:

Well, it's midnight and I just got back about 20 min ago. It was incredible. Very solemn; a very humbling & at times emotionally wrenching experience. I wish I had you there with me. I got there late so I missed the Navy band's performance, but there were still a ton of people there. In a way, it was as if I was given the opportunity to go back in time to right after the attacks happened and was able to witness the heartache of the victim's families firsthand. There were many of them gathered at their loved one's personal memorial, some sharing stories of the life they once had, and some just sitting there collapsed upon the memorial, crying their eyes out. I saw one lady sitting quietly, all alone in front a memorial with just the most heartbreaking expression on her face, as she just stared at the name plate of her... son? husband? brother?

I think the hardest part was toward the end of my time there when I was exiting the memorial area. At the entrance to the field of 184 memorial units, stands the first unit which is dedicated to the youngest victim, a three-year-old little girl named Dana Falkenberg. There is a plate listing her Mom, Dad and older sister and showing the locations of their memorial units. They all died together; they were on board American Airlines Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon. It was pretty hard to hold back the tears. Especially when I looked around and a good half of the people around you have tears in their eyes. I'm sure there were perfect strangers hugging each other tonight.

The one thing that was foremost on my mind, was the fact that if these people and the other NYTC victims hadn't died that day, I most likely wouldn't be here tonight, or in the Air Force at all. It is strange how the lives and deaths of others can effect so many people who didn't even know them personally, even change the course of their lives.

I hate it when I hear people say, "Oh, who wants to remember that day anymore" or "We shouldn't think about that day & all those people who died". I think I agree more with the words carved on the Memorial Gateway Stone, "We will never forget" & "These lives will never be forgotten". That's the reason we built this memorial, to honor their lives and their sacrifice and to honor the families they left behind.

Safely Home and Shunning Apathy

I'm sitting here at my desk tapping my fingertips against my chin as I try to think where to start. When a gal encounters something that changes her life, it's hard to summarize that in a short post.

First, I read Red Letters by Tom Davis. Step one of an unknown number away from the life I've known.

Second, I read It's Not About Me by Max Lucado. Step 2.

Third, reading through blogs and websites about orphaned children, African and Russian AIDS victims, I sensed a sad shame coming to me over the Western Church's mostly apathetic response.

Fourth, Lora suggested the book Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. I read about it on the internet and then bought it on eBay. I spent approximately a quarter of the book crying. It opened my eyes to the suffering of the Christians in China and how the Church is flourishing under heavy persecution. As for the writing, I was relieved to find it's not dry and flat like too many Christian authors' books. I've only ever completed a handful of Christian novels because I usually put them down in frustration after little more than a chapter. Alcorn kept my attention with ease.

I know the enemy of my soul would rather I not think about anything beyond my own trivial problems. He must spend loads of energy on keeping Christians apathetic and I think that the only reason my eyes have been opened is by a direct moving of the Holy Spirit in my life. He doesn't move in vain and I'm interested in what the future holds. What might an American homemaker living in England do to change the world and challenge the church? Only The Lord can say.

If you don't feel a tugging in your spirit to look into the suffering of the Church and the millions of poor and dying around the world, I challenge you to pray for God to reveal it to you. Read Red Letters and Safely Home, spend some time on websites such as Eternal Perspective Ministries, Children's HopeChest, 5 for 50, Prisoner Alert, Tom Davis' blog, Randy Alcorn's blog, Compassion International, the Bags for Darfur blog, Voice of the Martyrs (and their volumes of resources) and Bibles Unbound (I'm very excited to check that one out!). I'm sure there are many, many more resources available as well. While you educate yourself, pray that God lights a fire in your heart for the suffering.

Certainly, the most effective and obvious thing anyone of us can do is pray.

Bless you.

Persecution and Martyrdom Around the World

I came across this offer of a free arm band to serve as a reminder to pray for China during the upcoming Olympic Games. I happen to be reading Safely Home by Randy Alcorn, which is a novel that highlights the persecution of the Church in China. It's been a very eye-opening and informative book. I didn't know that there are actually government sanctioned churches in China, but that they aren't allowed to preach certain things, such as that Jesus (Yesu) is the savior of the world. It is illegal to educate anyone under 18 about religion. Many Christians who participate in home churches are persecuted and martyred, though the government is very careful to hide these things from the watching world.

When I followed the link to the Voice of the Martyrs website I saw the program to write and encourage those who have been imprisoned for their faith. There is a newsletter to subscribe to and other available resources. If you want more information on that, click here.

What a blessing it would be to the global Body of Christ if Western Christians became more aware and much more involved in the plight of our fellow brothers and sisters. There are those living in extreme restriction and even losing their lives for the sake of Christ while most of us go about our lives without a true care. Please consider what God would have you do to ease the burden of these courageous Christians.

China

My heart is breaking for the people of China. It staggers my imagination that 12,000 people are reported dead with many more expected. The loss is too big for me to grasp.

I would like to donate money to help the victims, but I'm not sure which agency to give to. Mercy Corps came up in my search. Does anyone know anything about them, or have any other ideas of how to help?

I urge all to pray for the Chinese people, as well as for the Burmese who have just experienced the devastating cyclone. I can't be there in person, but my God can.

~Reese