One Day

I'm grateful that one day, there will be no more tears, no more pain, no more fears... the burdens of this world will be no longer... and we will be with Jesus. What an incredible thing... what hope that has. This is all temporary. One day, there will be no more pain or hurt... it will be joy- all the time- for eternity, with our King! I'm grateful for the hope in that.

New Small Group Leaders

I am grateful for a new small group leader! I teach a second grade "small group" (sunday school!), of 27 kids... which is huge! And it's been getting out of control lately... and our wonderful fabulous awesome director, MC, found a new small group leader! Who will be taking 1/2 of our kids... it's amazing. God has been doing amazing things in our ministry. For years we've been praying, God, bring them to us, bring us kids, do amazing things in UpStreet, use us, send us, God bring it. And this year, HE HAS BROUGHT IT! And now He is giving us the people and supplies to do amazing things with the kids He's brought us. I'm sooo grateful. I cannot wait for next Sunday! Please be praying for our kids and their families, as it might be a little strange the first couple weeks with the "split", but I know that this is the best option! The kids can actually get some personal attention now... it's great.
Praise God! :o)

Christ Defends

I'm grateful that Christ defends the poor and needy. So so grateful. We are all broken and needy... but sometimes Jesus truly breaks my heart nearly in half. It's been funny tonight, how Jesus is piecing everything together. At KidStuf, our church's elementary school ministry's monthly "family event", the Bible verse was Proverbs 31:9... "Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." And then, I came home, and was working on my project for World Affairs, on Conflict Diamonds... and I came across this photo.

Notice that this father's hands are missing. He was a survivor of Sierra Leone's mines. Another poster I saw showed an African woman, whose hands had also been cut off, and the caption said (as if speaking to an American bride), "I can't wear a wedding ring, so you can."

Confession? Until this week, I had never heard of conflict diamonds. For those of you who haven't heard of them, they are diamonds that are mined and illegally traded to fund conflict in war-torn areas. They tend to exist, when resources are found in country's whose governments cannot handle it. Captives are taken, and forced to work the mines, and the money is then spent on furthering military action, typically against the current governing body. Their hands are chopped off, as a symbol to prevent them from voting and to prevent them from farming rice, that would feed the army. These people are being mutilated and abused and enslaved... In the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, an estimated 3 million people have died as a result of conflict diamonds. It's disturbing. And yet, I had never heard of it.

Jesus, I thank You that You defend the poor and the needy, and that You call us to do the same. Lord I pray that You would use each of us, in any way that You desire, to rescue our brothers and sisters and to lead them to You. Jesus I pray that You free Your People from their enslavement, and that You glorify Yourself through it. I pray that You would mold the hearts of the captive, to come to forgive their capturers. I pray that You would continue to break my heart and to humble me. I thank You tonight, for the abundant blessings You have poured out on me... as I am free, free to live for You, and free from enslavement. Jesus, I am eternally grateful. You are amazing, Lord. We pray this in Your Glorious and Holy Name! Amen!

Creation

I'm grateful for and amazed by Creation. By God's Creation. By His Craftmanship and Creativity in creating the Earth. These pictures are from our trip to California we took this summer... and I think they are an incredible, yet tiny, glimpse into the Glory of God's Creation. And I love to just think, if this is how amazing the Work of His Hands is, how amazing His Hands must be. Our God is incredible. I'm grateful for Creation.