Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Today is the Day for Freedom {25 by my 35th challenge}


This is Tuesday. Yesterday a woman was rescued by my Search and Rescue Team (Bravo). I know because I get a message every time a slave is freed by the team I sponsor. Over the weekend she was being sold as a commodity of sex in India, a foreigner from Uganda, pregnant and trapped. Today - she has been given freedom. With this freedom she has chosen to press charges against her trafficker, and I am praying that she and her unborn child will choose the restoration found in Christ.

Because while we can fund rescue and investigators/police can perform raids and prosecutions, only One can offer freedom from her past of shame. But I've seen redemption before, and I'm confident that He who started this is faithful, and will bring all of this to a glorious completion of freedom (Phil. 1:6). This Ugandan woman and child within - they are worth it.

We are freedom fighters. Soldiers in Christ's Freedom Army.



But sometimes it's easy to forget that.

Sometimes it's easy to read the Bible or Church history and think, I'm nothing compared to that, what can I do? 
"All of those former heroes of the faith are dead. You are alive in your generation. A Bible proverb says that it is better to be a living dog than a dead lion. You may wish to be Abraham or Isaac or Jacob, but remember that they have been asleep for long centuries, and you are still around! You can witness for your Lord today. You can still pray. You can still give of your substance to help those in need. You can still encourage the depressed.
I hope you have not missed something good from God's hand because you felt you did not measure up to Gideon or Isaiah. In this your generation, give God all of your attention! Give Him all of your love! Give Him all of your devotion and faithful service! You do not know what holy, happy secret God may want to whisper to your responsive heart." -A. W. Tozer
I want something good for you, Dear Reader. I want true life for you. The same life I felt rushing through me when I got my S&R package in the mail from The Exodus Road. The same life I felt exploding in me when I read that a slave was rescued, her virginity kept as a choice for her future and hope. The very same life pulsing when I pray for my investigators to have victory over evil whenever I see my stickers and key-chain and magnets with these three words:



"My dear brothers and sisters, stay firmly planted—be unshakable—do many good works in the name of God, and know that all your labor is not for nothing when it is for God." - 1 Corinthians 15:58 (VOICE)

So here's my audacious goal, but feel free to blow me away, friends. 

I want 25 by my 35th.  

Twenty-five brave new partners by the day I turn 35 next month. It's just a few short weeks away, but I believe in God and His miraculous freedom and love for each one. For you, Sweet One. For the woman from Uganda and her baby. For the boy and the girl here on our streets. For humanity. Here's how.

Robyn's Challenge:

  1. Check out how Search and Rescue works, and decide which team you want to be on. Alpha and Delta are in SE Asia, Bravo is in India, and Charlie is here in the US. (Also, if you want to know how The Exodus Road manages the money we give, check this out.)
  2. Fill out the Donation Form, and use the resources God has blessed you with to fund rescue and freedom with The Exodus Road. For $35 a month (less than the cost of a new pair of jeans), you can hire a team of investigators and be a part of giving freedom to women, boys, and girls trapped in the clutches of their traffickers. These people bust brothels, pedophiles, and trafficking rings, and bring justice. For Real. Please don't forget! Under the portion where it says "Additional information/Select Operating Project" PLEASE type a bird in the box. This is my code for my project -25 by my 35th.  For real - rescue is what I want for my birthday. Twenty-five of my readers and friends - on board to change the world. Listen - if by next November you aren't addicted to sharing freedom in this way, by all means opt out. I'm asking you to try it for just a year, though. I think it's worth it. For real.
  3. Please don't skip this part! Drop your name in the comments below, and tell me why you decided to be a part of bringing freedom to slaves. I'm going to be drawing a number (1-25 of the first readers who partner with me) out of a hat for a giveaway of Laura Parker's book, The Exodus Road, as well as a hand-made journal and a stack of my greeting cards. This is just an extra incentive and thank-you to my amazing readers who make this nest a place of God's joy. I'll contact you after my birthday to let you know you won, and get your mailing address. 
  4. Like and share this post on Facebook/retweet on Twitter/share with your social network via email, because I'll bet your friends care about slaves too. (There are some handy buttons for you right down there, next to "# comments" link) Us bloggers love when you help us out like that.
"If we are dying of thirst, passively reading books about water quenches little; the only way to quench the parched mouth is to close the book and dip the hand into water and bring it to the lips. If we thirst, we'll have to drink." - Ann Voskamp

Our world is thirsting for freedom. Humanity pants for justice. Let us partake of the Fountain, and then be the vessel that quenches freedom's thirst. 

Today is the day of freedom, so why not make today the day you enlist yourself as a freedom fighter? Only 2 weeks left in my challenge ...

photo credit: Smithsonian Journey

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Sabbath Bread {He knows you}




"You have surrounded me on every side, behind me and before me,


    and You have placed Your hand gently on my shoulder.

It is the most amazing feeling to know how deeply You know me, inside

 and out; the realization of it is so great that I cannot comprehend it."

-Psalm 139:5-6 (VOICE)






Praying for you today, Dear One. That this day, the Lord's, will be one full and overflowing of His presence. This One who knows you - He also loves you and wants to be with you.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

a little bird told me {about Halloween, evil, and imitating evil}

I got this question a couple of weeks ago, and thought it relevant to re-post it and my response in light of this week's holiday. Irony: Holiday = Holy Day ... Hmm.


Dear Robyn,What are your thoughts on allowing kids to trick-or-treat? My kids go to a Christian school. They don't do Halloween at the school, but instead a "storybook character parade." The kids dress up as story characters and they have a little party. Similar to a "fall festival" that some churches have. The kids still get to dress up and have fun, but no mention of Halloween.
As a Christian parent, I don't want my kids to grow up thinking everyone who trick or treats is a demon, creepy and people to avoid. Some Christian families really forbid all trick or treat and I'm just not sure how I feel about it. We don't celebrate Satan or even acknowledge the "holiday" of Halloween in that sense. But since my kids are older now, they are interested in going door-to-door for some candy. In their minds, totally fun and harmless. Also, I've heard some Christians say that, by forbidding trick or treat, you're missing a good opportunity to meet your neighbors and be a light in the community, maybe invite people to church, etc. 
Obviously everyone has an opinion on this. I want yours! 
~Just Wishing Halloween Wasn't an Issue





Dear Just Wishing,

Thank you so much for asking. This is a sensitive topic this time of year, and I feel the tension around our community as well. Here's my take:

The reason I think it's important NOT to participate in Halloween is that the Bible says not to imitate evil (3 John 11), and I believe that is what the heart of Halloween is all about. While most people don't actually DO evil things on this holiday, we are glorifying the imitation of being evil if we dress up as monsters and devils and demonic characters that are the opposite of God. Mind you, SOME people DO evil things on Halloween, and I'll let you google that one to verify the truth. Vile, horrific things happen on October 31st, including sexualization and murder of children in satanic ritualistic seances. (By the way, did you also know Easter is a high time for these evils as well?) 

In addition, the Bible tells us to avoid all appearances of evil (2 Corinthians 7:1). Once again, I don't think dressing up like a monster and threatening to play a nasty trick on your neighbors so they'll bribe you off with candy falls into that category either. Just sayin. 

And while we've morphed it into things that are light-hearted and kid-friendly, we steer the ship in our homes as parents and we have the opportunity to teach our children that sometimes God's kids act differently than the rest of society, and this is a good, biblical, godly thing.

Okay, another beef to pick with Halloween: The Bible tells us over 365 times NOT TO FEAR. As in, here's My command: Don't be afraid. And if we instigate our own fear or the fear of others, how is that not disobedience to God's command? When people go to haunted houses they are going for the thrill of fear, which is in my mind, just as sinful as shooting up heroin because you're making fear your drug and your god. Not cool, I say!

Alright, now that I'm off that soapbox, how can we redeem this day of the year? 

The same way we redeem every day - by walking in Grace. Here are a few of my suggestions. The choice is yours, and should be made in response to prayer with your spouse and the Spirit's leading.

1. Attend a fall festival and invite your unsaved neighbors too. These events aren't just so you can go into your Christian bubble and be "safe", they're so you can be proactive in fighting against the evil. So don't just go, invite some other kids too, and hold it on the 31st if you dare - make it more fun than trick or treat so kids will want to come to church more than they want to imitate evil. This is counter-cultural, yes. Which is what we're supposed to be sometimes.

2. Pass out candy with church invitations, but not in a scary costume. Of course dressing up isn't evil in itself, so throw on a lion suit and let your kids have fun blessing the neighbors and inviting them to church with you. Don't be condescending or judgemental, and don't make people feel shame. Instead, love your neighbor by GIVING - candy and the Gospel if you can. Redeem the time!

3. Teach your kids. If they're getting older, then be sure to teach them age-appropriate reasons why you don't celebrate the same way as other kids do, and how we CAN honor God by not imitating evil or instigating our own fear. Turn off the porch light, grab a Bible and a bowl of candy, and have a family devotion about what is good and what is not, and how sometimes it's necessary to say NO to what everyone else says YES to. 

*added as an edit* : When it comes to trick or treating, I've always wanted to protect my children from unnecessary fear. One might even go so far as to say that ALL fear aside from fear of the Lord is unnecessary. When people go trick-or-treating how can they know that their kids won't be frightened by the monsters, demonic representations, and creepy things all around? Why push the envelope just because everyone else is doing it? For candy? Yeah - I'll let you decide if that's a good trade off. I go with no. But maybe that's just me.

"Brothers and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies, I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential worship. Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God finds good, pleasing, and complete." -Romans 12:1-2 (VOICE)

I hope that helps. Happy October!

In His Hand,

Robyn


In addition, I got this question to my reply:


In one of your replies to last week's questions, you wrote that we should stay away from imitating evil...
Please do not be upset or offended by the following question - I truly do not mean it to cause conflict - but I too am searching and wish to find the truth in what God is saying.
If you feel that we should not be imitating evil, why then do you have a tattoo, and how do you reconcile this with what you wrote about pulling away from the world and not imitating evil?
Thanks for your thoughtful and Christ-centered posts.
- Searching for Truth in All Things

And here was my reply (slightly edited as I thought over things this week):

Dear Searching for Truth in All Things,

Thanks for asking - I'm not offended or upset at all. I wish more people would ask me about my tattoo! Sometimes I think maybe they make assumptions instead of asking, and I'm super-glad you did.

First, I did not say "pulling away from the world." We do need to be in this world and not of it. But our influence needs to be going one way - Light dispelling the darkness. We are to be going into the world, not pulling away from it, so that we are able to bring the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them and bring them into increasing godliness. I go into very evil and dark places in order to win people to Christ. I am very proactive NOT to allow the darkness to infiltrate me. And I do not bring my children with me, as they are still learning how to be the light.

Second, I don't believe all tattoos are imitating evil, just as I don't believe all hair-cuts are imitating evil. 

Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
... or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord." - Leviticus 19:17-18


Some of the Levitical Laws, when they are filtered through the Cross of grace do not apply to us in our dispensation. "Do not fear or instigate fear in others" is a command that would still pass the "filter test" of the Law of Christ (Love God with all your heart, love others well).  See the books of Galatians and Colossians for more on our freedom from the Law through Grace. Also, God changed some of the food regulations in the New Testament too - See Acts 10. 

I believe that we have been released to cut the sides of our hair and have tattoos, as long as they are not of inappropriate things. Images of pornography or satanic symbols/idols shaved into the sides of your hair, or tattooed into your skin would be breaking the Law of Christ. Neither my tattoo nor your hair-cut is evil or imitating evil.

For those of you who do not know, I have a tattoo of the word Yahweh on my hand. I wanted to write His name on my hand as a sign of love and devotion, just as I believe He has my name tattooed on His hand as well for the same reasons.

"Can a mother forget the infant at her breast,
walk away from the baby she bore?
But even if mothers forget,
I’d never forget you—never.
Look, I’ve written your names on the backs of my hands." -Isaiah 49:15-16 (Msg)


Another translation says,
"Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me." [Amp]

Some tattoos are evil, yes. Some Halloween costumes are evil too. I don't think it's imitating evil to dress up in a princess costume. And I don't think it's inherently evil or imitating evil to have a tattoo. Subsequently it's not evil to cut the sides of your hair.

I hope that helps you understand more about tattoos, or at least my take on them. 

Keep Searching! He will indeed reveal His love and truth to you.

In His Hand,

-R

I'd like to extend my Saturday invitation to you, Sweet Reader. Have you ever wanted to ask a question about life, God, the Bible, relationships, people, church, or anything? (That last one is scary, but that's why I need the Holy Spirit to write through me.) Go ahead and ask me!  I'll do some research and write back to you next week here in the nest. My answers come from the Bible, revelation from God (as He generously gives - see James 1), and personal experience. And then, when it comes up in your conversations with others, you can always say, "Well, a little bird once told me ..." *wink*

Go ahead, courageous soul - type your question right down there in the comments box and keep it anonymous. I think it's also fun to sign it with a clever salutation, like "Drowning In Sorrow" or "Wishing Life Was Easy" or "Wondering What You Think"

I can't wait to read your questions!

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

I Hope This Disturbs You ... But That's Not Enough

As promised, I'm writing to you, Cherished Reader - to offer my pulsing heart on a platter in hopes that this love will land in you. By now it's no secret:

Precious people are being bought and sold like a commodity, and if our generation continues to turn apathetic eyes away, human trafficking will destroy us all.



I'm pretty sure you've heard the numbers already, but in case you haven't:


I found this article and video this morning, not by chance I'm convinced, about a navy-man-turned-activist who saw trafficking first-hand in the Philippines (my family origin) and then here in the United States. His video was so compelling that I can't help but share it here. Seriously - please watch it. It will be worth the nine and a half minutes of your life.




"You should feel a little outraged ... and upset about this. And that's great, but that's not good enough."

"We all drive demand. We all tolerate sex everywhere."

"It's really time to stop walking on by."

Are you ready? Here's my open door to you, Dear One - my tears running over, my heart in my hand, my world blurring into a vision of what could be - RESCUE.

I'm absolutely, truly, no-doubt-about-it convinced that God's people need to be about the business of freedom. It is for freedom that we have been set free, through His blood on the Cross. And some may say, "Great - I'm freed to be free." But what if that verse means, "You have been set free to spread this freedom and to make freedom for others?" It is for freedom ... Your freedom? Of course. But even more. Even greater things. Humanity's freedom.

Today I'm asking you to take a step and put your money where your faith is, on behalf of the slave next door and the slave around the world, because real rescue is possible today. 

I'll tell you a secret. Every day I wake up and wonder - will I get a text today? Will my team send me a message like this one: 
FREEDOM! 12 yr-old girl rescued early this morning! Her mom and pimp were selling her virginity for $2000 USD. BRAVO Team rescued her and arrested perpetrators.
And after that wonder, I pray. Oh, please God - I want rescue today.

I'm on a team of abolitionists and rescuers, supporting with others like Bravo Team in India, a group of investigators who work undercover with local authorities to Search and Rescue modern-day slaves, and bring them to restoration homes where they can be offered what we all need: freedom. 


Let's put the Word first, and let the love of Christ compel you, before I tell you how this is going to work.

"Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life." - 1 Timothy 6:18-19 (NLT)

I want true life for you. The same life I felt rushing through me when I got my S&R package in the mail from The Exodus Road. The same life I felt exploding in me when I read that a slave was rescued, her virginity kept as a choice for her future and hope. The very same life pulsing when I pray for my investigators to have victory over evil whenever I see my stickers and key-chain and magnets with these words:


So here's my audacious goal, but feel free to blow me away, friends. 

I want 25 by my 35th.  

Twenty-five brave partners by the day I turn 35 next month. It's just a few short weeks away, but I believe in God and His miraculous freedom and love for each one. For you, Sweet One. For her. For humanity. Here's how.

Robyn's Challenge:

  1. Check out how Search and Rescue works, and decide which team you want to be on. Alpha and Delta are in SE Asia, Bravo is in India, and Charlie is here in the US. (Also, if you want to know how TER manages the money we give, check this out.)
  2. Fill out the Donation Form, and use the resources God has blessed you with to fund rescue and freedom with The Exodus Road. For $35 a month (less than the cost of a new pair of jeans), you can hire a team of investigators and be a part of giving freedom to women and children trapped in the clutches of their traffickers. These people bust brothels, pedophiles, and trafficking rings, and bring justice. For Real. Please don't forget! Under the portion where it says "Additional information/Select Operating Project" PLEASE type a bird in the box. This is my code for my project -25 by my 35th.  For real - rescue is what I want for my birthday. Twenty-five of my readers and friends - on board to change the world. Listen - if by next November you aren't addicted to sharing freedom in this way, by all means opt out. I'm asking you to try it for just a year, though. I think it's worth it. For real.
  3. Please don't skip this part! Drop your name in the comments below, and tell me why you decided to be a part of bringing freedom to slaves. I'm going to be drawing a number (1-25 of the first readers who partner with me) out of a hat for a giveaway of Laura Parker's book, The Exodus Road, as well as a hand-made journal and a stack of my greeting cards. This is just an extra incentive and thank-you to my amazing readers who make this nest a place of God's joy. I'll contact you after my birthday to let you know you won, and get your mailing address. 
  4. Like and share this post on Facebook/retweet on Twitter/share with your social network via email, because I'll bet your friends care about slaves too. (There are some handy buttons for you right down there, next to the little pencil.)
"If we are dying of thirst, passively reading books about water quenches little; the only way to quench the parched mouth is to close the book and dip the hand into water and bring it to the lips. If we thirst, we'll have to drink." - Ann Voskamp

Our world is thirsting for freedom. Humanity pants for justice. Let us partake of the Fountain, and then be the vessel that quenches freedom's thirst. 

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Sabbath Bread {perfect peace}



You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
-Isaiah 26:3 (NLT)

Saturday, October 19, 2013

a little bird told me {from injustice to premarital sex}

Dear Sorrowful,

You ask a common, but very good question: 


"Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Many people have wondered this, one of the first a "good" man in the Bible named Job. Listen to his lament:

"What's the point of life when it doesn't make sense, when God blocks all the roads to meaning? ... And so I'm not keeping one bit of this quiet, I'm laying it all out on the table; my complaining to high heaven is bitter, but honest. ... Believe me, I'm blameless. I don't understand what's going on. I hate my life!"  - (Job 3:25, 7:11, and 9:21 - The Message)

You're right - it's not really fair, is it? I can tell by your question that you've been hurt by someone or something and it seemed unjust to you, like you can't figure out why you (or someone you love) had to go through that. Let me say this: God cares. And I don't say that as some trite, band-aid solution. I really mean it. Just like God cared for Job who suffered loss and disease and darkness; cared for Stephen who was stoned for proclaiming Christ; and cares for me when my life is unfair too, God does care about your sorrow. And He has a plan to minister healing and restoration.  Both in time, and in eternity. I realize it's hard to wait, but Justice will come. So, hold on and I'll hold on with you. We'll be holding onto Him together.

I don't really have an answer to your question that wraps nicely into a blog post. Honestly, if I did, it would be a hoax. But - I will say this. Bad things happen to good and bad people because we live in an imperfect, sin-filled (but also glory-filled) world, where for now the enemy, Satan, has been allowed a certain measure of influence over humans. God gave people a choice in Eden (the same choice we have today), and we've all chosen the wrong tree. We've sided with evil, all of us, and so none of us are truly good. Which was one of my points last week.

The hope I can offer is that one day all of this injustice will be righted. Our King is coming back for us (dead or alive) and He will bring us to a place where bad things don't happen to ANYONE who has chosen Him. So, Dear Soul - if you haven't already - I implore you to choose Jesus Christ as your God, Forgiver, and Leader. He is the Just One, the Eternal One, the Ancient of Days who will bring justice and fairness to us all, but only by means of His grace and His Cross.

I can't promise you roses here on earth, and even if you got them, you'd get the thorns too. Pain happens and life is tough. Once again I declare - Only God is Good.

I hope that helps, Dear Heart. Keep asking the tough questions - they are one of the best ways to draw you to His heart, as long as you keep your hands open.

I received so many questions last week, and answering them all in here would make this post far too long. Since I do want to honor your courage to ask, however, I will be posting my answers to the rest of your questions as replies to your comments. You can find the link back to that post here. [Give me a few minutes to type them all, my Lovelies!]


And now, I'd like to extend my Saturday invitation to you, Sweet Reader. Have you ever wanted to ask a question about life, God, the Bible, relationships, people, church, or anything? (That last one is scary, but that's why I need the Holy Spirit to write through me.) Go ahead and ask me!  I'll do some research and write back to you next week here in the nest. My answers come from the Bible, revelation from God (as He generously gives - see James 1), and personal experience. And then, when it comes up in your conversations with others, you can always say, "Well, a little bird once told me ..." *wink*

Go ahead, courageous soul - type your question right down there in the comments box and keep it anonymous. I think it's also fun to sign it with a clever salutation, like "Drowning In Sorrow" or "Wishing Life Was Easy" or "Wondering What You Think"

I can't wait to read your questions!

In His Hand,

Robyn

Friday, October 18, 2013

What really sets my anger off ... {freewrite Fridays}

Friday is a great day for writing. So let's get to it!


photo credit: Kaitlyn Deann

First, how about boosting our vocabulary? Painting with more colors is always a good idea - the more words we know and can use, the more effective we'll be at communicating just what we want to say. You can find more hues like this one at Word of the Day ...

Provenance n. The beginning of something’s existence; something’s origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. “An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance.”

And now for one of my favorite quotes about writing:

"We write to taste life twice." - Anais Nin

Next, your freewrite prompt: {Freewriting is unpolished, unedited - just your thoughts as they come and display themselves on the screen or page. Set a timer for 15 minutes, and see what you have. It doesn't have to be long or perfected - just you and the words coming together as you taste life again. Not so sure? Give it a shot, you just might enjoy yourself.}


It was the one thing that had always caused my anger explosions, 
and coming from someone I loved ... 

Go! [Feel free to change the pronouns in the prompt, if needed. Post your piece or a link to your blog (if you're writing there) in the comments section below.]

Finally, a verse to keep us:

 "This is the Message I’ve been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It’s also the cause of all this trouble I’m in. But I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end." 2 Timothy 1:11-12 (Msg)


Thursday, October 17, 2013

Thankful on Thursdays {my coping mechanism}

I've been thinking a lot lately about how one of the elements that sets us apart as humanity, our mind, can be so powerful - for evil or for God. Every once in a while it seems like a really bad idea to me that God would let us be in charge of our own thoughts and desires. Really, Jesus? Free will? You sure about that one?

His faithfulness and sovereignty reassure me again, through these doubts.

Love is only true if it's a choice.


I was reading some articles and blog posts the other night about mental illness. I attended a training for work about the spectrum of autism. And then I was pondering the effect hormones have on a person, from adolescence to menopause and every cycle in between. (Yes, I do work in a middle school and I have a few menopausal friends, too - all in the midst of my own monthly psychosis.) I'm wondering what grief and trauma and abuse and addiction have to do with our choices and effectiveness for Christ. Suddenly I don't really know what "sane" looks like.  

Deep breath. In. Out. 

We'll get through this. We can cope and still love each other. Still love God.

Because if there's one thing I know - gratitude is still good coping.

When the world around me spins and shifts; when people I love act completely out of character and I still can't figure out why they just keep on stabbing me; when I get off the phone with a church member and think what just happened?!; when children and adults thrash and crash ... one thing grounds me. One thought centers the chaos. One question I ask actually does have an answer.

What has He given me now?

So much. Why, just last night the answer to that question was water in my faucet. Did you know that technically, even our toilet water is potable here in America? If that brotherly love doesn't shock you, try living in Haiti.

"And I come, eager to offer a sacrifice of gratitude
    and call on the name of the Eternal." -Psalm 116:17 (VOICE)

While choosing gratitude won't solve all of my problems, or yours for that matter, it does help me cope. Keeps me going. Keeps my chin up. 

If He's still giving me gifts, He still loves me. And there's still hope.

Here again are a few of the graces I've counted recently. And yes, I do count them. I'm in the thousands now, though if I could write them all, I would be in the billions. Yes, He does love me that much. And that, Dear One, is the sanity I hold. I invite you to share a few of your thankful gifts in the comments below today, too. Thursdays we count together, but I hope you're counting every day, because it's the best coping I know in a crazy world this side of paradise. If you want help to know how to start, try this girl, who literally wrote the book on how to find joy in gratitude.

Lord, I'm thankful for:

- finding J reading on his own yesterday at the breakfast table. I really have waited a long time for him to love books.

- my finger, helpless against the urge to point out all these gorgeous trees turning their dresses into glorious golds and scarlets

- cozy socks in my boots

- giggles with my students

- three lovely ladies, all ready for growth in our life group that starts tonight

- pumpkin bagel for lunch

- a good book, and the strength to tune out the cacophony of chaos in the 6th grade cafeteria

- this quote: "We stay busy at work, while people all around us are ripe and ready to be harvested; we do not reap even one of them, but simply waste our Lord's time in over-energized activities and programs ... Our Lord calls us to no special work - He calls us to Himself. 'Pray the Lord of the Harvest' [Matt. 9:38], and He will engineer your circumstances to send you out as His laborer." - Oswald Chambers [emphasis added] ... and the desire You've placed in me to focus all this frenzy into prayer

- "Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Msg)


Your turn ...

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Human Trafficking: Why I'm still in the fight

My husband preaches about the beauty of a marriage bed's purity. Yes, God did create sex and sexuality for our delight and His. But only within the protected boundaries of marriage. People can argue against that, dance around it, or call it old-fashioned. Humans have been trying to usurp truth since the beginning, though. It has never worked for us.

Our family of four attends a home game of high school football, and during my favorite part, the halftime band performance, 15 year old girls in the band front dance as seductively as I've seen women dance on a pole at the strip club (where our church ladies visit to minister the Gospel to dancers and bouncers ... Yeah - you should ask me about the miracles God did there last week). Men ogle at at the girls on the field and a friend says she heard two of them behind her make creepy comments. My ten-year-old son watches this too.

In Brazil a seven-year-old girl is named carnival queen by her own father, the carnival president, who plans to parade her in front of lusting men for 80 minutes in the heat of Rio de Janiero. Thankfully, someone speaks up. 
It “would increase the treatment of children as sexual objects in Brazilian society,” said Carlos Nicodemos, director of the Rio de Janeiro state Council for the Defense of Children and Adolescents. “We can’t put a 7-year-old girl in a role that traditionally for Carnival has a very sexual focus.” (full article, though I don't recommend the page due to other racy ads around it)
An FBI sweep rescues over 100 minors from sexual slavery in the United States, and it is only scratching the surface of awareness. I thank God for 100 lives with a new chance at freedom, and I pray they will take it. Plead for them to receive restoration. Implore the Father for caring adults who will show these broken children a different Way. 

My Search and Rescue Team texts me updates from half a world away about raids, rescues, and investigations. Little girls with hopes and dreams, pigtails and ruffles on their dresses are raped and sold - their virginities auctioned off to the highest vile bidder. Some things the devil steals cannot be returned. But God can restore, and wants to use ordinary people like you and me to make it possible.


The gripping horror of what happens to women and children this very minute overwhelms me like a tidal wave and sometimes I wonder why I'm still fighting. I come back to the same answer every time I ask that same question. 

Because Jesus didn't give up on me. And I follow Him. So I can't give up either



This week I'd like you to pray about taking some ownership of the solution. Real rescue, real investigative teams. Your generous monthly gift, matched with mine and other readers of my musings in the nest - combined to fund the teams who bring hope and life to the darkest horror imaginable. For about a dollar a day, you can "Be the change you want to see." -Ghandi


"When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners." -Romans 5:6 (NLT)

He rescued us. Can we rescue them together, with His help? 

Think about it. Next Tuesday I'll tell you how to join up with my other readers for Robyn's Challenge to hire an investigator to rescue a slave. And maybe, like me, you'll get a text like this one:
"FREEDOM! 12 yr-old girl rescued early this morning! Her mom and pimp were selling her virginity for $2000 USD. BRAVO Team rescued her and arrested perpetrators."
Would you pray with me this week about whether God wants you to stay in the fight too?

Stay tuned, get me in your inbox, and join me next Tuesday for the challenge!

Oh yeah - one more reason I'm still in the fight? I know I'm on the winning team. 



Sunday, October 13, 2013

Sabbath Bread


"Great and amazing are Your works,
        Lord God, the All Powerful.
    Right and true are Your ways,
        King of all nations.

   


 Who will not fear You, Lord?
       
 Who will not glorify Your name?
    Because You alone are holy,
        all the nations will come
        and worship before You,
    For Your righteous judgments have been revealed."


-Revelation 15:4 (VOICE) 




Saturday, October 12, 2013

a little bird told me

Life is good.

God is Good



This paper hangs on my refrigerator. The top line is the printed heading of a grocery list/note paper. The second line is printed in my daughter's careful second-grade scrawl. I'm the one who put a line through the first good.  Because it's not always good. Sometimes it's really sad. Or rough. Harsh. Scary. Draining. Oh yes, sometimes it is so very good. 

But ...

"There is only one who is good." - Jesus (Matthew 19:17)

As in, only God is good always and in all things. Really and Truly Good.

This paper has been on my refrigerator for several years. Six words and a heart. Not even my own words, but words I need every single day. I'm still amazed at the way God proclaimed the truth through the chaos and tornado of my life through something so simple. Through my little girl. I still don't even know what she was thinking, but it is true revelation. Because He knew I'd need to live by it, remember it, treasure it, savor it. This truth. This bread. This rock.

Life is messy-good, blessing-good, happy-good, trial-filled-good, crazy-good. It's hard and painful and complicated and strange. It's confusing and it leaves us wanting more. 

I'm so glad. So thankful

Because He has more for us. True Good. Himself. Forever without these same earthly conditions on good. He is and has plain good in store for us. Today and every day it is found within His presence if we will come and enter. One Day - we will be delivered into only Good, always Good. This glorious hope for eternity in His Presence is what keeps me going when life is not good. At all. 

This too will pass. 



So, in light of all of that hope and good, and not so good ... I'd like to extend my Saturday invitation to you, Sweet Reader. Have you ever wanted to ask a question about life, God, the Bible, relationships, people, church, or anything? (That last one is scary, but that's why I need the Holy Spirit to write through me.) Go ahead and ask me!  I'll do some research and write back to you next week here in the nest. My answers come from the Bible, revelation from God (as He generously gives - see James 1), and personal experience. And then, when it comes up in your conversations with others, you can always say, "Well, a little bird once told me ..." *wink*

Go ahead, courageous soul - type your question right down there in the comments box and keep it anonymous. I think it's also fun to sign it with a clever salutation, like "Drowning In Sorrow" or "Wishing Life Was Easy" or "Wondering What You Think"

I can't wait to read your questions!

- Robyn