What day is this anyway?

Today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.  Call it naivete, but it's hard for me to imagine that there are churches and believers being persecuted in this day and age.  After all, it's 2012.  We are an enlightened people, right?  And yet, Open Doors has 50 Countries on their World Watch list. (the watch list is a list of the top countries where persecution of Christians is most severe.)

Today's featured country is Belarus.  According to Open Doors, Often considered the last surviving dictatorship in Europe, the government of Belarus allows almost no political opposition. The Orthodox Church is the only officially recognized denomination. Unregistered religious activity can result in imprisonment or heavy fines. Unregistered churches are monitored by the secret police and violent raids occur frequently. Because the numbers of evangelical and Pentecostal Christians is growing, persecution is intensifying. Two leaders of the Belarusian Christian Democratic party were sentenced to labor camp in 2011, but were later freed. Another was imprisoned and subjected to psychological torture. 

Interesting enough, the main thing I remember about Belarus is their participation in the Olympics.  They seemed like happy, proud, normal people. No different than me (other than the incredible amount of athletic ability.) I would never guess that they are 42nd in severe persecution of Christians.

In 2011, Open Doors delivered more than 3.1 million Bibles, study Bibles, children’s Bibles, training materials and other Christian materials to persecuted believers in 50 countries. Open Doors trained 263,542 people from theological courses to shorter seminars. Also in 2011, Open Doors served 172,137 through community development projects.


This is not a post promoting Open Doors.  You'll find most of the same information at Voice of the Martyrs.  The point is awareness.  No matter how "difficult" it is to be a Christian in the United States, it in no way compares to what other believers experience at the hands of friends, families and their government.  So, today not only am I thankful that I live in a country where I can worship and follow the Way, I am thankful that there are organizations who are willing to serve and assist those who are willing to give their lives for my beautiful God.  

Missing

You may have noticed that yesterday's post is missing.  Yesterday was a difficult day.  Mostly consumed with pain.  Not sure how today will develop.  But...

Redeemer

Psalms

I want this to be what I live by....



but some days it's so hard.

Day Eight

I have spent the better part of the day doing housework.  I am ordinarily not a fan of housework (and my house probably shows it) but today I felt a little differently about it.  

As I began cleaning, I thought about the fact that I have a house.  In the city where I live, approximately one in nine children attending our public school system at some time during the year, were homeless.  For the record, that is 8,582 children.  That's enough to fill 119 school buses or to fill 14 of the district's largest elementary schools.  But I have a house to clean.

Not only that, I have several rooms to clean.  I cleaned the bathroom, tv room (Jessi's former room), kitchen, and living room today.  I still have the master bedroom and bath, and two other bedrooms left to deal with.  However, Amisha, Leonel, Junior, Natacha, Clementine, Adriel, and Jessika (my sponsor kids through Compassion) live in one room buildings, some made of cement, some with dirt floors, some with walls of mud or wood.  Several of my children have multiple siblings.  Can you imagine the chaos of trying to take care of 7 or 8 children in a one room home?




So today, on day eight, I am grateful for housework. Because in my case, housework means I have a home. A multi-roomed blessing that many others do not have.


Photos from Flickr. 

Day Seven

I believe God's will is sovereign.  And honestly, I'm grateful for that.  After all, if He has anticipated and planned for everything, then what do I have to worry about?

Jonathan's Ehler's Danlos and Dysautonomia?  Covered.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

    you formed me in my mother’s womb.

I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!

    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

    I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out,

    you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

    before I’d even lived one day.

Psalm 139:13-16

Jessi's upcoming surgery? Not a surprise.

That’s right. Because I, your God,

    have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go.

I’m telling you, ‘Don’t panic.

    I’m right here to help you.’

Isaiah 41:13

My Fibromyalgia and other difficulties? Already known.

 You are my help. 

       Because of your protection, I sing.

 I stay close to you; 

       you support me with your right hand. 

Psalm 63:7 & 8

Now here's the deal.  I'm writing this post on election day.  And honestly, I'm okay with whatever the outcome is.  Because I know that my God is in control.  He's not going to wake up tomorrow surprised by the outcome, regardless of who wins.  He's made His plans and provisions.  He continues to be faithful.  It's all good.

“His eyes are on the ways of mortals;

    he sees their every step.

Job 34:21