songbird says stuff...

halloween.

Posted by christin joy | | 10/29/2009 06:21:00 PM

Halloween is a very touchy subject within the church. "What should we do? Do we boycott it?" There is no doubt that Halloween's origins can be traced to pagan beliefs and rituals, or that some Satanic groups see it as a special holiday. Many Christians differ on their views of whether or not believers should have any participation in Halloween celebrations, because they see it as potentially dangerous from a spiritual perspective. Christians certainly should not participate in the "dark side" of Halloween, approve of the Satanic, or the focus on paganism and evil.

The reality of Halloween participation for believers and unbelievers alike is that of dressing up in costumes and having fun trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. To many, this is all of what Halloween is about, without any connection to occult or pagan practices. As a comparison, from a Christian standpoint, Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ and the beginning of His life on earth. Would we naively say that ALL people celebrating Christmas are Christians rejoicing at the birth of Christ? Not at all! The same goes for Halloween—not EVERYONE participating in Halloween events are rejoicing over pagan rituals.

The difference is in the heart of the people that are celebrating. When I have children, I plan to let them go trick-or-treating, but I will have explained my convictions to them in ways they will understand to make sure they have the right heart. I don't mean to be dogmatic on this topic as I know people's convictions are different, but I will say that we should do all things properly in the eyes of the Lord, providing insight and truth when the question comes up. Whatever conviction you hold about participating in Halloween, live it out for God’s glory!

i need you...

Posted by christin joy | | 10/26/2009 02:02:00 AM

i want to take a brisk walk in the cool night air. the streets are dark with only a few street lamps to guide the way. my mind is wandering. my mind is desiring. my heart is yearning for things that are not within my reach. the memories are what keep me sane and the hopes for new life keep me pushing along this dry land. unfortunately - the more i wait and long for the future, the more i feel i am just trudging along a muddy embankment, a soil so soggy it holds on to my feet trying to drag me down. i know where my hope comes from and i know that the light in me is seeking to be let out. however - there are times when the overwhelming flood of emotions and frustrations come and i do feel like i'm going down with them.

Lord you are my strength and refuge, an ever present help in times of need. please bring me out of this place. remind me that you've taken me from the miry clay, that you've cleansed me with your purifying water, that you're refining me in your fire and have brought me to life and life abundant. help me to hold on to your promises, to cling to your very word and trust in your saving grace. i'm struggling with frustrations, with anticipation, with desires and with pain. ONLY YOU can provide the insight, provide the patience, provide the sustenance and provide the healing that i require. help me Lord. teach me to trust. teach me to pray. pray for me Holy Spirit, sing for me oh Lord. please, use my voice to do your bidding, use my singing to spread the Gospel. use me Lord, use my gift that only YOU have given to me.

------

i want to remember what its like to be under a sky full of stars and feel oh so small. i want to stand in the sand with waves rushing over my feet and feel myself being pulled out slowly by the strong currents. oh how easy it was to drive without caring where you were going and to stop and take pictures of anything, on a whim. to stay out late at night, driving with no other headlights on the dark streets. blaring loud music, windows down with the heat up high. what a sensation. the sound of crunching leaves on the ground and the smell of winter air creeping in, the smell of snow in the sky. i'm dressed to go and ready to run. lets take it on as it comes. weary and exhausted, i'm ready to lay my head down. trusting the Lord in my vulnerable state of mind. the time is now to trust in Him and i do, i do trust in you, Jesus.

home... where is it?

Posted by christin joy | | 5/18/2009 12:36:00 AM

i have not written in a personal blog in so long, i've forgotten how therapeutic it is. just writing as i think, the feelings i'm experiencing showing up on paper or on a computer screen. my artistic side can have a chance to come out a bit, my emotional side can come out, my heart can be read like an open book - and while on a public forum, anyone can read what i'm thinking and how i'm feeling - it doesn't bother me. when i write, i can be myself. when i write, i can unveil the things that are behind these eyes and the sentiments they long to speak but cannot properly convey. so where to start, where to divulge and how to do so in a way that will be satisfactory.

my heart aches to be back in hot, humid, overwhelmingly busy hong kong. each day i am away the more my old desires fade. i used to want the nice house with a patio and a white picket fence, 2 kids and pets with a big back yard and a garden. i used to cry at the thought of living the american dream. but the more i think about them, the more i see how selfish i was for desiring and demanding them for my life. i'm not insinuating that if you want those things for your life or if you have those things in your life, you're selfish and/or sinful. i just know that God has other things in store, even if my heart at one point in time desired it heavily. i know my life of 25 years has been a bit extraordinary and that my future holds similar events. life has never been "typical", it has always been a rollercoaster, full of loops and turns and lots of activity. the only reason i can see why the Lord let me go through the things i've gone through and exeperienced the things i've experienced, was for preparation of an exceptional future.

bud and i have been wondering where we will be in the next few years. we are in a transitional period of our life, paying off debt as quickly as possible, living with his parents and trying to save a little money too. we know that there are options, the question has been thrown around "which one is the one God would have for us." i know that i have work to do in two separate countries and i'm trying to see how God would have us balance that in our lives. i know i need to follow my husband in the ministries God has put on His heart, but i know that as we are one, we both seek the Lord and know that the Lord will guide us in the right direction. what we're feeling and praying about is being in hong kong the majority of the year and when we're not visiting our families back in the states, we'll be in france working alongside our dear friends, the oppenheims.

bud is going to be finishing his B.A. over the next year or 2, so we'll be restricted to just trips to hong kong or france, for short periods of time. that will be hard but i'm asking the Lord for his peace and contentment while we wait. the interesting thing about all of this, is the strange feeling i have about moving. bud and i throw out ideas of moving to different areas of the country where we could live a bit more financially stable life. we throw out the idea of moving to maryland to be near my family, we think about moving to pennsylvania for seminary, we think about moving to colorado to be near the pattarozzi's and the whole time - i'm eager to move to one of those places just so we can move to hong kong sooner. i don't know how to explain it other than hong kong is home for me. nothing moves me like the thoughts of life in hong kong.

not only do i want to do the work we did this past winter but i also want to expand and join in on the many opportunites. i want to help the homeless, i want to get involved with an orphanage (one of the 2 in all of HK) and learn beside people and grow and be stretched. i want to learn the language (FLUENTLY) and be able to talk to people in their native language, to show them i hold the utmost respect for them. i want to do all these things for the Glory of God, not for myself. i want to fulfill the things the Lord told His children to do, to go and help the orphans and widows, to feed those in need of feeding, to show them Christ and to live as Christ. Lord, please give me patience but please keep me on task toward the goal. to life in hong kong once again. agape.

my mind is wandering...

Posted by christin joy | | 11/28/2008 10:56:00 PM

just thought i'd write a bit. its been a while since i was inspired to write and i don't know why but a certain movie always throws me into the mood to write, to indulge my thoughts and listen to beautiful music. although i'm here, able to write as i doubt anyone reads my thoughts or takes any notice, there is a bit of apprehension. what i'm feeling may come across as though i'm horribly unhappy or that i'm discontent. when in all honesty, i'm blessed beyond comprehension. i have the best family surrounding me everyday, i have an amazing husband who loves me, i have the best pets ever - yet there is something in me that is missing. some of it i know is the longing to be back home, in hong kong. some of it is the lack of luck i've had getting a job. another bit of this feeling is the anguish i feel over the current state of the church and their general lack of generosity, propriety and care for those surrounding them. but their is more to this feeling that i have that i cannot put my finger on it. memories are dawning again as i'm but a week away from a bitter anniversary. but still, i am not confident enough to know if this is the crux of it all. but i'll concede to this feeling for right now, until i can further articulate that which i'm feeling. agape.

updates...

Posted by christin joy | | 11/13/2008 05:46:00 PM

Hello all, Liz asked me to write another blog for you all to capture whats going on so far with the trip. We are actually winding down for our departure this Tuesday. It is bitter sweet because I feel like I could do so much out here but I am SO excited to get back home to be with my lovely husband, my animals and Liz's family. For the past week or so we've been working hard in a room upstairs. I guess its going to be Liz's daughter Sabrina's room. Linnea and I were painting and Liz and Amber were putting mud and plaster on the walls. We have all suffered a bit from the dust and other particles flying all over the place, landing in our beds, clothes and such. But nonetheless, God has been faithful to keep us all in pretty good health considering the mess we've been making! Unfortunately, I did not take any before pictures and have yet to take an after picture of the room - but I will try to do that before we head out.

When we aren't working in the house putting more "drip drops" into the bathtub, we've been having a blast with our neighbors and friends we've made so far. A sweet couple, Claude and Isabelle came over for dinner and we were able to spend a good amount of time with them. They were delighted although shocked when we gave them their basket of goodies. They don't eat many sweets, so I think they said they will send the candy to some family! Claude has lived all over the world for his jobs and he has a lot of interesting stories to tell. Having them over was so fun. Amber and I got the chance to sing and practice our songs we'll be singing at the Retirement Home tomorrow with Claude and Isabelle as an audience! They enjoyed it very much from what I could tell. It was also very helpful as we will be singing one song in French and Claude helped us with the pronunciation of some of the words. We will be meeting up with them again when we go to Paris this weekend, for the end of our trip. Here are some pictures of the evening we had with them.

Us with Claude and Isabelle.

Claude preparing the toast.

So another weekend came and went, but this time, we actually went to church at the Catholic church in the village. It was pretty encouraging, although I did not understand 99% of what was being said! It was a special weekend, due to Armistice Day coming up, so a lot of people were there to pay their respects to people who have past away over the past year. Seeing so many people show up for the service warmed my heart on a very cold day, knowing that the people here have faith and a respect for things of the Lord. Now if only we can get the little stone church up and running soon - we could offer them another place to go. One day, one day! Its exciting just to be apart of the vision and works of God's hand. During the church service a little old lady came in slightly late for the service so Linnea gave up her seat so she could sit down. Once she sat down, Amber and I noticed that it was the same lady we met the previous week. She and I were trying to find the cafe in the village to have some french coffee and have a quiet time. We mistakenly almost walked into the little old ladies house. After many apologies and smiles, we left, but I believe God used it to make her smile and it allowed for us to meet with her again on Sunday at the church!

The town showed up for the monthly church service.

Inside the church before the service started.

Monday we worked in the house a bit and I believe it was Tuesday when we met up with our British friend, Norma and went to a Gite in another town. The man was very interesting and since Liz has an eye for good deals, she and Norma went back several times throughout the week to pick up the stuff she bought for the house. She had to go back several times because her cute little "Spot" of a car only has so much room. Anyway, Linnea and Liz were able to have some good conversations with the man and hopefully we can remain in contact with him. Would love to see the Lord bless the new acquaintance. Later that evening, we went to Norma's house to play Wii and bake cookies. After some amazing cookies baked by Liz and Norma (mmm... everybody loves chocolate chip cookies!), we all played bowling on the wii! And believe it or not, I have video and picture evidence that Liz did in fact play the wii, but not only did she play it, but she also enjoyed it! Once I can, I'll post a video of her having fun too!

Liz playing bowling!

Tuesday was Armistice Day. The French's equivalent to Veteran's Day and in the center of town, they had a bit of a celebration. They did a mini parade, read off the names of Soldiers who had passed away to honor them, children read and sang the National Anthem and they also had a moment of silence. It was an honor to experience this little town paying hommage to the many soldiers that have laid their lives down for their country. Praise the Lord for men of honor and valor! It was also neat to see a town united in such a way. It was definitely not something you see happening in the states. After the ceremony, we all hopped in the car and went to do some touring. We went to Niort, an amazing city that has so much history to it! They even have legends of "dragon slayers" and such! Its pretty awesome. We had great food and enjoyed a nice walk up a hill to visit St. Andres Chateau. Its absolutely stunning and again, like I mentioned in my last update, I love sitting and just thinking in the chairs. The history of the cathedral and the love I have for the Lord wells up inside me and I love the peace I have.

Linnea bundled up to go out to the Ceremony.

Armistice Day Parade.

Towns people at the ceremony.

The children who sang for the ceremony.

St. Andres Cathedral in Niort.

The doors are massive!

A beautiful river scene in Niort.

Wednesday, we worked all day. Literally from around 11am - 6:00pm. We had company over for dinner, Norma and some other friends from the U.K. We had a feast for dinner! Beef Burginion, Yorkshire Pudding, Rice Pudding, Quiche and Apple Pie! It was awesome. We had great conversation, a great time of fellowship and at the end of the night - Amber and I practiced one of our songs again. This time we did "Amazing Grace". They really enjoyed it and I believe they will be coming to the Retirement Home to hear us sing tomorrow! How fun! I love talking to people from different countries. You learn so much about the world view on general things as well as political and religious things as well. It was such a peaceful evening and I really am blessed to have met all these people. As soon as I get them, I'll add some pictures from our dinner!

Today (thursday) was a day to go shopping. We went to Ruffec and went shopping in a big shopping center. We got some souvenirs! Whee! Then we went through to Melle after lunch so that I could get a video singing inside the 200 year old church. It was so beautiful and the Lord brought people in to hear! Random people from the street came in when they heard me singing (almost made me cry) and once I was finished singing, they asked me to continue, asked me to sing another song. Sadly, when put on the spot like that, I couldn't think of any songs. But I did sing Amazing Grace and I Love You, Lord. Two songs that are near and dear to my heart! And it turned out that they spoke english, so they understood what I was saying. So God used my voice today, to let them hear a little bit about God and His gospel. Praise the Lord! It reminds me of how beautiful His love is, how He guides us and provides for us situations where we can be used and where we can use the gifts He's given us!

Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

i'll leave you with the video that I FINALLY successfully uploaded to youtube. Enjoy! At the end you can see the people coming in. Praise the Lord for using a sinner such as me! Agape.

france in november!

Posted by christin joy | | 11/09/2008 05:30:00 PM

I've been blessed with the opportunity to come out to France with Liz and 2 other ladies, Amber and Linnea. We've been having a great time of fellowship together and the Lord is providing us with ministry opportunities within the area of Couture D'Argenson. When we first arrived to Paris, France; we got our rental car and stayed in a hotel the first evening. Everything went well minus a few wrong turns here and there. I will say, I'm glad Liz is driving because I would be terribly confused driving the streets of France, but God bless the person who thought of Round-A-Bouts. If you don't know what that is, let me know, I'll explain. As we were taking the 4 hour drive from Paris to Couture, we took a few detours to look at a castle, we went to Chartres Cathedral and Leonardo DaVinci's house. Leonardo DaVinci's house was a pretty amazing place, it was fun to see his experiments and to see the beautiful acreage his house is on. It is a stunning place and seeing such history in front of me was a lot of fun.

Leonardo DaVinci's House at Night.

When we stopped in Chartres Cathedral, it was something I've never experienced before. The cold and drafty church with years of history inside and out was a bit overwhelming. You enter and immediately you feel the need to be very reserved and show a bit of humility. As we were looking around inside, randomly someone started playing the massive pipe organ. It was absolutely gorgeous. I took a seat in a pew and read Revelation 19. I don't normally open and read Revelation, but I felt drawn to read about the rejoicing in heaven, the marriage supper of the Lamb and to read about the Rider on a White Horse. What a gorgeous opportunity to sit before the Lord in such a historic place.

A Castle in France on the way to Couture.

After a day of sight seeing, we finally reached the little stone house late in the evening. Got to sleep and slept in late into the next day. We all suffered severely from jet lag. I think some of it had to do with the cold, rainy weather. After a few days of recuperating from jet lag, getting used to the house and getting the house warmed up with fires and heaters - we put together gift baskets for a few of our neighbors and the mayors of Couture & Chef Boutonne. We went down the street and visited with our neighbor Norma and gave her a gift basket, complete with chocolate, lotion, a cooking sheet and other little trinkets. We also gave her some Bibles to put in the rooms of her B&B. The smile on her face was enough to light up the room. Visiting with her was so much fun and I just fell in love with her. She is a beautiful lady and I hope to spend more time with her throughout the trip and get to know her a bit more. That is kind of the vision we have for this particular trip, to reach out to the town and bless the neighbors in anyway we can. We want to emanate the love of Christ to all those in this area.

A Gift Basket.

Liz, Norma, Myself and Amber.

We met up with some friends from the UK in front of the Little Stone Church. We thought that we'd only visit with them for a few minutes but we were so excited that they accepted the invitation to come over for some Chili! We rushed home, set the table for all 12 of us, Liz cooked up some amazing chili and we had some time together. It was so nice to just sit and entertain some friends. They were very encouraging and so kind! I wish they could have stayed longer but they were on their way back to the UK in the morning.

Mayor's Office in Chef Boutonne.

A table set for Twelve!

The table, filled with 12!

We have also been cleaning here and there around the house. We're also just having a bit of a retreat if you will in the evenings, having fellowship together - having great conversation and moments of laughter that bring us to tears! Its been very relieving from the normal life in the States. Its very relaxed out here in the countryside! I love it. I even love the cold rainy weather. But with that being said, God did bless us with a beautiful day of warmer weather and sunshine! We took the opportunity, fixed up the garden outside, planted a few plants and then headed out to do some more sight-seeing because we are not sure when we'll have another nice weather day to do so! We drove to Melle and went to the Post Office to exchange some DOllars into Euros and walk around. We visited a church that was built in the 11th Century. The acoustics were so amazing. Liz had me sing (as that's my most favorite thing to do EVER!), so I sang Amazing Grace. It was a phenomenal feeling to sing in a church that has so much history! It moved me almost to tears, I squealed like a little girl with excitement. We also drove and visited the Cele-Sur-Belle Cathedral. It was a beautiful time of day as the sun was setting. The scenery in France really makes you quite speechless!

On the road to Melle.

Cele-Sur-Belle Cathedral.

On Sunday, we had church at home. Amber and I led worship and Linnea led us in the scriptures. We read out of Daniel 2 and discussed King Nebuchadnezzars Dream and how God revealed it. It was a nice time of discussion. After we spent about an hour or so covering this little town in prayer, that the Gospel would go forth, even with broken French, a limited amount of time, and bad weather. It was one of my favorite days spent so far. Amber woke up and found a butterfly in her bedroom, and the picture just reminds me of the newness of life that is found in Christ and the burden we all feel to tell all those in our path of His beautiful redeeming Love and His sovereignty.

Amber's butterfly.

I pray that we will continue to bless those that come in our path. In the coming up week we have some more friends coming over for dinner and Amber and myself will be going to the Retirement Home to sing to the residents there. We're very excited with what the Lord is doing and I am humbled to be able to spend time in this beautiful town with so many amazing faces. Thank you all for reading and we covet your prayers as we do have another week and a half left on our trip.

the hate in this world....

Posted by christin joy | | 10/23/2008 01:22:00 PM

what is our nation coming to. we complain, we whine, we despair over the economy. yes, i realize its difficult to live when we're heading for recession, i understand fully the difficulty of finding a job and the ramifications it brings. and i will not turn a blind eye to the thousands, nay millions of people who are being affected by the economical crisis. but does this cause us to slump on the crying out of those around us? are we so shut down because of our own inconveniences that we don't care enough to find the different areas where people are struggling and help? we as a people have failed, and as a Christian - we have failed even more on so many levels. we're watching young people throw their lives away without even blinking an eye because we're focused on self, rather than our neighbor. how out of touch can we be? if our neighbor is suffering, its our job to help them out.

how out of touch can parents and teachers be, that a teenager feels they have no way out of their struggles and resort to substance abuse or suicide? i am not saying that in every case of suicide, the child's parent is to blame - because kids can be really good at putting up a front. i was! i read an article last night where i do not blame the parents for what happened, more so, i blame the schooling. i find a huge fault in a school when they say they have a "zero tolerance policy against bullying" yet they have allowed it to get to the point where a student shoots himself, because the pain is just too much. i know it can be hard when you have 40 students to a classroom, when schools are overpopulated - i do. but the schools should be teaching and growing their students into mature young adults, so that bullying is no longer a factor because its not cool to do anymore. all of the staff should be made aware of what bullying is and how to handle it.

bah. i don't want to sound arrogant. i just wish that the church would come together and reach out to those in need. if your neighbor is going through a foreclosure, although its a touchy subject - maybe see if there is something you can do to help. offer food, babysitting, an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on. if your neighbor goes through a death or something else - be there for them. pray for your neighbors, tell them about the God that you serve, become relational, touch someones life so that they may have a softened heart towards the things of God. i remember when i was little - i was close enough with my neighbors that i could go across the street and borrow eggs or butter if i needed it for something. then i'd share whatever it was that i was baking with them! or i could run through their back yard and instead of getting yelled at for "trespassing", i'd get yelled at to come over to get some apples and peanut butter or cinnamon toast! the world is not innocent, i realize. but it did used to be a lot kinder, in my opinion. there aren't many neighborhoods anymore that i feel you can let your kids hang out outside till late and still feel safe letting them do so. *sigh* i'm done. just had to vent.

political side of me.

Posted by christin joy | | 10/14/2008 09:39:00 PM

so i know everyone is focused on the economic crisis going on. but here is an article i think the world should read.

http://www.geneveith.com/collective-shame/_998/

i try to remain calm about politics, i don't touch on the subject. i mean come on, i live in california - the most liberal state there is. ;-P so i usually just remain silent and vote how i want to vote. anyway - was sent this article by a good friend. hope it gets your thoughts moving.
agape.

green leaf in drought

Posted by christin joy | | 9/30/2008 03:52:00 PM

i just finished reading the book "Green Leaf In Drought" by Isobel Kuhn. this book is about the provisions the Lord makes for His children that are following His guidance. the family of arthur and wilda matthews along with their little girl lilah went through SO much. they literally had nothing yet remained faithful to the Lord and His calling on their life. when times got rough, and when they had black days, God provided scripture and physical things to meet their daily needs. its so great to see the hand of God at work. this is a passage from the very last page of the book. read it, it so applies to the life of today's christians! mind you this book was originally published in 1958!

"Andrew Murray has warned us how easy it is for the cares of this life to choke the Seed. He says: ''The power of the world, the spirit of its literature, the temptations of business and pleasure, all unite to make up a religion in which it is sought to combine a comfortable hope for the future with the least possible amount of sacrifice in the present.' That describes the home church today. But who knows when the drought is going to strike us also? Is it possible for any Christian to put forth green leaves when all he enjoys in this life is drying up around him?

We feel this question and its answer are worth sharing with you, hence this book.

'I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground.
Open your heart to the gift I am bringing.
While ye are seeking, I will be found.'
The Holiest of All"

i hope you enjoyed this little blurb. just thought i'd encourage you all to find this book and read it, also to encourage my brothers and sisters of the faith that "God does not waste suffering, The tests He sends or permits are in reality His vote of confidence, for He undertakes not to allow us to suffer any testing beyond our powers of endurance." - J. Oswald Sanders. God provides for His children and we can have confidence in the fact that whatever storms we go through, if we stand in awe of His presence, stand steadfast on His word and glory in the Spirit, God gives peace, understanding and undying, unwavering, unfathomable love to those He calls. its lives like the one of Job that fully understand what God "can be to those who gladly embrace His will and accept His discipline, no matter how inscrutable." even now i'm getting goosebumps thinking of the love that i receive from my Heavenly Father. i can have hope that even if i'm stuck and unable to say anything to those around me, if i obey spiritual disciplines, am able to show love, remain faithful in my prayers, sing praises to the King and listening intently to the voice of the Holy Spirit - He is faithful to show Himself to those who witness such happenings. amen. agape.

"Please, please show me your Bible."

Posted by christin joy | | 9/18/2008 04:09:00 PM

the title of this blog is a short excerpt from the heavenly man by brother yun and paul hattaway. just this strong desire is enough to bring me to tears and show me that if i'm not serious about my relationship with the Lord then i should sit down and go home. i've only read 3 chapters but the point has struck to heart. i have talked to many people about the need for bibles in China, i've expressed to them the things they go through just to get their hands on them but did i truly understand myself? maybe. maybe not. i'm not sure. but i do know, that this is something that's been grabbing my attention the past few days. the depth of brother yun's desire to see the word of God, just a glance, show's the deep, the utter love and adoration he has for His LORD. hearing of men and women rejoicing in the Lord, hoping in and worshiping the LORD while chained to walls, tortured and neglected by those in power around them; is humbling and heart wrenching. how deep do i go with my Lord? how superficial am i? i have my times of longing for the Lord, but i am way to complacent in this land of america, land of the free. i'm reading two books right now. one i've already mentioned and the other is tortured for christ by richard wurmbrand. i recommend that you read both of these books. and while i'm at it, read God Smuggler by brother andrew. all of these books show you what people in different areas of the world have gone through (and are going through), just to hold a Bible and to be a christian.

most americans own a Bible. in fact, 92% of households in america own at least one copy. of those households that own a Bible, the average number of Bibles is three. this includes not only the homes of christians but hundreds of thousands of atheists as well. can you imagine what those of the underground church would think, if they understood the reality of the american life. the reality being that for the most part, christians who are free to worship how they want are able to have one-two-three Bibles, can worship openly, can have Bible studies in the open - in public places like starbucks and the like. that instead of having a fire, an undying and unwavering desire to seek out the Lords will, to know Him better, to grow, feast and live out His word and to fulfill The Great Commission; we're complaining and pissing away our time on meaningless dribble. the underground church would think that we're absolutely nuts! and the problem with this is many westerners think people are crazy for laying their lives on the line for the Lord, for the Bible, for risking all that they have. they say "conform" or "obey the government."

i can understand that its hard to understand the depths of what i'm talking about, i also understand that "first hand witness" is needed for a lot of people to see the graveness of the situation. but we do have things at our fingertips that will help us grasp whats going on in the world today. we have ways of spreading the word of the needs in China and other countries suffering severe religious persecution. i also understand that its hard to listen and its hard to chew on the reality of people being thrown in jail, beaten and worse, all for their belief in God. its like watching those commercials of little babies in africa with swollen bellies and flies in their eyes. it causes them to feel uncomfortable, it causes squeamishness, it may even drive someone to write a check to soothe their conscience. but what needs to happen for revival in the land is a true awakening of the Saints! we need to go out and help. "Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;" - Matthew 9:37. i know that this comes off very demanding, i know this comes off as i am on a high and mighty rant or pedestal, that i'm judging and telling people where they are lacking and what they need to do; and i guess that i am. christians need to wake up and do their job, instead of worrying about their prized possessions and worrying about their lives. we need to devote and place our lives fully into the hands of the Lord, trusting only Him with their lives, not this world, not the stock system, not banks and jobs, not even their home churches. nothing is secure unless the Lord is in it. its time to wake up and do whats right for the Kingdom of God and for my beautiful brothers and sisters from all over the world who are in chains for the Lord. lets get serious about whats going on and do something about it. i thank the Lord for His ways of grabbing my heart and i'm so excited that the next few months, i'm blessed with the opportunity to go and do what i'm preaching. i just pray that i will be sensitive to the Spirit, that i will be able and willing to do whatever God calls me to do and to have no fear in doing it. agape.