Not Forgetting

I was watching Pastor Jack Hibbs this morning, pray for Afghanistan - he said something - something so true and so profound - 

'Father God, bring out or bring home our brother and sisters, your sons and daughters'  (speaking about the Christians facing imminent death and/or suffering in Afghanistan)

When he prayed this, I had to ask myself - am I praying earnestly?  Because these are my brothers and sisters in Christ, God's very sons and daughters.  I look around me, but most importantly within me, and I see a people who are so far removed from any suffering for their faith in Christ that we cannot understand what their lives will be like,  Do I live each day knowing + caring that they are facing either imminent death or imminent suffering, or both - and then do I pray accordingly?  I am so afraid that life will just go back to normal here, and the news will find the next story, and they will be forgotten.  We have American citizens there, we have Afghans that helped us - now at great risk to their life - we have Christian brother and sisters there - are we pouring out our hearts before God asking Him to save them?  

I am not minimizing the immense suffering in other places:  places like in Myanmar/Burma, or the people affected by Hurricane Ida just this week, or the Haitians suffering from the August 14th earthquake + aftermath, or the communities, families ravaged by COVID, nor do I want to forget to pray for the brokenness and division in churches, families, friendships.  It seems like there is just so much to process that sometimes it is tempting to draw my head into my shell, look the other way, and avoid the news.  But what if, instead of avoiding, I prayed the headlines -  took the time to find scripture to pray and committed to praying?  We can't be about all things - we were never meant to carry it all nor were most of us called to figure it out or fix it...but we can and should and need to be praying for it all.  What if I picked a time each day to pray specifically for God's grace and mercy and justice to be poured out on each and every person in each and every situation?  Not generically - as if I don't know them - but literally specifically - with much care and concern.  And then, find places that have boots on the ground, that are reputable, and backed up my praying with giving.  Even just five dollars here, five dollars there...can make a difference.

Personally, I have never had to suffer for my faith - at least nothing more than maybe someone making fun of me or rejecting my offer of friendship.  But I do know what it is like to be all alone in a scary mess, a crisis - and feel completely alone, overwhelmed, and forgotten.  And I have cried out to God from Emergency Rooms in multiple hospitals,  multiple times and asked Him to lay us on someone's heart - let someone come alongside and pray us through this.  And He has and people - at the time unknowingly - have earnestly prayed for us, recited Scripture over us.  We have also had people - people who were supposed to be our brothers and sisters in Christ, friends - we have had them brush off what we were going through and instead offered trite - 'well if you would just eat this vegetable, take this vitamin, think this positive thought etc; then you would not find yourself where you are' (those experiences in some small way remind me of Job's friends - so quick to judge, so hesitant to simply care and pray).  I want to comfort others with the comfort I have been given.  I want to pray earnestly, pray Scripture over my brothers and sisters in Christ...even if I only meet them for the first time in Heaven.  Will you join me?  I am going to try to post once a day for a while and earnestly and specifically pray for God to move and then trust that He will in His way and in His time.  

Hebrews 13:3

New International Version

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

I want to leave you with this quote because I don't want us to forget what happens when we remain silent and simply look the other way.

FIRST THEY CAME By Martin Niemöller 

First they came for the Communists 

And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist 

Then they came for the Socialists 

And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist 

Then they came for the trade unionists 

And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist 

Then they came for the Jews 

And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew 

Then they came for me 

And there was no one left To speak out for me. 

A little of this and a little of that...

If you are like us and are looking for ways to make a difference in the Afghanistan crisis...I have found two reputable places/programs/people that you can give through - 

1) Urgent Radical - this is an organization that David Platt began to help churches and Christians spread the gospel.  Urgent is the specific quest to make sure the money and resources goes specifically to unreached people groups around the world.  Click here to go to their urgent website - and then scroll down and you will see the areas and countries of focus.  If you click on them (for example Afghanistan) - it will give you all kinds of information.  It really is a neat website.  Anyhow, I am not affiliated with Radical in any way other than my family and I have given to their work over the years as well as attended Secret Church via simulcast.  I absolutely love this ministry and know that if you choose to support them, they have people on the ground in Afghanistan to help.  Here is a specific link to the crises unfolding now in Afghanistan.

2) O.U.R. rescue is an organization that specifically helps with human trafficking.  The Nazarene Fund is a sister organization in which Tim Ballard works closely with Glen Beck to also end human trafficking.  I am new to both of these, I found O.U.R. through Gardy's Story   We have only donated a handful of times to this ministry, but would like to do more in the future.  I do not listen to Glen Beck, but have read the instagram and email updates letting their supporters know that together with Tim Ballard they are raising funds and are already boots on the ground, filling planes and evacuating vulnerable people from Afghanistan.

More importantly, may we pray ceaselessly, as if it were our son or daughter, husband or wife, trapped there - Hebrews 13:3.

Since I finished B90, I was looking for a way to stay plugged in to the Word of God, and go deeper, so finally I settled on this Bible Study.  After starting it this morning, I am SO very excited about it.  It is called Studying the Holy Scriptures by Paul Washer.  

And finally what we are reading:

Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field - oh my goodness I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book 💝.  My middle girl and I are reading this together and enjoying every.single.minute.

Brother's Keeper by Julie Lee - this book is about the Korean war in the early 50's.  My oldest and I are reading this one together and it is SO SO SO good.

Hello, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald.  My youngest and I decided we would go back and read all of the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle that we own - this is THE best trip down memory lane.  Both that I read these to the girls when they were little and also all of the lovely memories of various Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books that were read to me by my mom, Ms. Kelly, and Mrs. Revelette.

Hammer of God by Bo Giertz and The Last Hour by Amir Tsafarti are two that I am REALLY enjoying.  

I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

It took me 92 days - but PRAISE GOD - I did it.  Reading His Word is the MOST incredible - awesome - amazing experience.  But I don't want it to just be an experience, or a checked off box, I want this to be the very air I breathe, the very food I consume.  His Word is so precious - may I live in light of that truth.

When it feels so wrong to just go about business as usual...

I had planned on doing a bullet journal post for my mid-week post...but then this week happened and normal just feels wrong.  

I was three months pregnant with my first born when 9/11 happened.  I, along with the rest of our nation, watched in shock and horror as the attacks unfolded.  The fear and uncertainty that gripped our nation was palpable - the weeks that followed, the declaration of war on terror, the sending of our service men and women to fight a new type of battle, one that would take a long time and would just be holding terror at bay not exactly defeating it once and for all - it was surreal.  The headlines from those days, weeks, and months felt more like a plot line than reality...but real it was.  

Fast forward twenty years and here we are.  I cannot even understand or comprehend how one administration could mess up SO badly.  They have needlessly put so many in harms way.  I cannot imagine the feelings and thoughts this week from those that served our country - how betrayed and angry they must feel?  How much our nation (this week alone) has compounded the suffering of those we have left behind - the most vulnerable - women, children, the sick, Christian believers, the ones that bravely stepped forward and helped our nation and our allies, those that served in the Afghan military and government...not to mention the American citizens trapped over there with news headlines alluding to the fact that the current administration has no idea or plans on how to get them out or protect them while they are there.  If I feel angry and helpless, how much more so do those directly involved???

I read two things last night that helped articulate the cry of my heart:

Anne Graham Lotz posted the MOST amazing prayer - you can read it here.

And a minister from California, Jack Hibbs, suggested to pray Psalm 35 - and I am going to pray that daily over the Afghani people.  

I was so sad because we recently had to cancel our vacation, but truly I would give a thousand vacation weeks to undo what our nation's administration allowed to unfold this week.

We are at the end

This week wraps up Bible in 90 days!  I cannot believe 90 days have passed and we have read through almost the entire Bible (I am a bit behind, but I hope to wrap it up this week, if not next!).  I love God's Word so much, and truly there is nothing like totally immersing yourself in it.  I don't want to lose that intimacy/intensity, so I think I have a plan for what's next:

  First - pick back up verse mapping.  I have really missed this!  I absolutely love this form of Bible study.  Second - I am going to combine John MacArthur's method of meditatively reading a small book of the Bible for thirty days repeatedly (or in this case, I will be breaking Romans up into 5 chapters, 5 chapters, 6 chapters for three months) and accompany this with my verse by verse study of Romans.  I started this late winter/early spring, but paused it to do the B90 challenge.  It had been too long since I had read the Bible all the way through and felt like I wasn't doing the study justice.  If I am timing this correctly, I think this plan will carry me up to late November/early December and the beautiful time of Advent.  I would also love to do a fruit of the Spirit study, maybe that will be my word of the year for 2022, and that is how I can begin the new year?  How do you guys plan to end 2021?  What Bible study/reading plans do you have in place?  

Bible in 90 Days Week Eleven part 2

  One of my girls and I had a conversation this past week, and I have been thinking about it...a lot.  After watching a TV adaptation of a favorite book series, she said something along the lines of, "Mom, have you ever noticed that the new thing is for us to understand the villains?  That there is no clear cut 'this is wrong'?  Instead it is more of a 'yes, that was bad, BUT he did it because....or she said that because....?'  There is always a reason to explain why and somehow you are supposed to just be ok with that."  

  I was stunned.  You see, I was trying to put my finger on why this adaptation bothered me so much - yes they deviated from the books (what movie doesn't?), but there was something fundamentally missing and I just couldn't put my finger on it.  Then she said that and it was a lightbulb moment.  As I thought over the past summer, and all of the old movies we have watched, I realized the stark difference in how good and evil were portrayed, then versus now.

  These thoughts continued to tumble around in my mind and heart, and as I wrapped up the Old Testament and dove into the New, I realized that we are selling a bit of false goods when we try to understand and explain away a character's (or real life person) motivation.  The Bible does not say seek to understand and explain sin - NO - it says RETURN to God, CONFESS your sins (mistakes, misunderstandings, any evil thing - CONFESS IT), and REPENT from sin - turn away from what you have been doing, saying, thinking, harboring in your heart.  Turn from that sinful action, word, thought and turn to Jesus.  Yes there may be a good reason why you said or thought or did that, (there always is with me, I am always the first person in line to give a reason!!) BUT that does nothing for your sin.  It doesn't cover it, make it ok, erase it, or forgive it - sin is a stain that needs a covering.  That covering comes in the form of Jesus Christ, His shed blood on the cross.  In His public ministry - as it begins in Matthew :

From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." Matt 4:17

At His last supper with the twelve:

Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."  Matt 26:27-29

  One of the first things Jesus preaches is repentance.  One of the last things talked about in the Old Testament was the need for repentance and the need to return to God.  I find myself asking, why don't I talk about this more, why am I not studying it and why am I not teaching the importance of returning to God with our whole heart on at least a weekly basis?  

  Out of the mouth of babes, right?  Often times the girls will ask profound questions that start a line of thinking that steer the udder of our family's ship, allowing us to make course corrections I would have missed altogether.  So, as I was wrapping up Matthew yesterday (one chapter left this morning), I poured over Jesus' Words - and thought how often I am in error because I failed to read the Word and did not know the power of God (Matt 22:29) and although that particular verse is taking about a misunderstanding of marriage + remarriage in regards to resurrection, it highlighted how often I err simply because I am not in His Word enough, I don't know or don't remember what He says about _____________________.  I don't abide in His Presence.

  If I was, on a consistently daily basis, I would be continually reminded that God doesn't have to seek to understand our hearts (He KNOWS our hearts better than we do: Proverbs 21:2, Psalm 44:21, 1 Kings 8:39, 1 Chronicles 28:9, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Corinthians 4:4), He alone has the answers to our sin : Return to Him, Confess your sin, and REPENT.  Jesus stands waiting for any of us, at any time.  At the end of your life, truly it isn't going to matter if your wife or husband or best friend or worst enemy understood where you were coming from.  Luke 22:20, Hebrews 9:22, Revelations 1:5. it will only matter what God has to say.

Bible in 90 Days Week Eleven

This has been a doozy of a week.  It culminated in me being up through the night with one of my kids - she has come down with what I am praying is just a cold.  But, because of their underlying conditions - even 'just a cold' knocks us for a loop.  I am behind in my reading.  I am struggling with my prayer life too.  Lately, they have been a bit angry - full of WHY - why are you allowing this or why did you allow that.  I could be discouraged by this, but instead I am beginning to see this struggle as evidence that God is taking me deeper in this journey of trusting Him.  

I am behind in my reading, but as I suspect today will be a day of total rest, I plan to pour myself a cup of coffee, grab my Bible, pen, and resume my spot next to the bedside of my girl.  Praying that God meets us where we are today and takes us deeper into His presence.