Happy Anniversary

Yesterday was my 13th Anniversary. I am married to a wonderful Godly man who loves and respects me and is a fabulous father to our now 3rd grade boy. Here are 13 things I love about my husband:

1. He has a passion for the things of God
2. He has compassion for those who are lost
3. He loves the Body of Christ (the kind of love you see in the Bible)
4. He has vision and purpose in his life
5. When he talks about something important, he gets very animated
6. When he is with our son, I can't help but smile
7. He enjoys playing games with the family
8. He is competitive without being annoying
9. He gives a good back rub
10. When I need someone to talk to, he is there
11. He is always looking out for the best for me and for our son
12. He puts up with my constant singing (everything reminds me of a song)
13. In good times and bad, he never forgets to say I LOVE YOU

I didn't meet my husband until I was 25 years old. We married a month before I turned 27. He was 30. He asked the permission of my parents before he proposed to me. It was a fairy tale dream come true.

That isn't the case for all women, especially those in countries where child brides are common. Arranged marriages are still very common and accepted in many countries around the world. This article, posted by National Geographic, describes the issues much better than I could ever do:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/child-brides/gorney-text

Lord Jesus, please remember these young girls who have no choice, most married at very young ages. I know that you are grieved when your children are treated as property. Please be with those working to reverse this centuries-old tradition.

School's Out!

My son's last day of school was before Memorial Day. Some kids don't get out until mid-June, but there is always a great celebration and kids get very excited to tell people their summer plans. They have a grand idea of lazy days, many hours of swimming and going and doing lots of fun things.

What about the kids who don't look forward to summer? They don't dare tell their classmate that summer is a time when they don't know when or even if they will have food. Summer means more time to kill and more time for adults to use and abuse them. That vacation "break" means long hours with nothing much to do and nowhere to go, unless you are trying to find a new place to hide.

My aunt and uncles say my dad was the best at hiding when their father came home - as a result, he wasn't beat much. My father grew up in a very poor family. He used to sit on the roof of their shack with a .22 and watch for his mom and sister walking home from the grocery store. He wanted to try and protect them. His older brothers got him started selling newspapers on the street corner when he was in elementary school so he could have money to buy dinner. He worked all the way through school in order to have food to eat and money to buy his own clothes. He joined the military right out of high school because it was guaranteed pay, room and board and he could send home money to his mother. My dad was fortunate that he had a mother who truly loved him and tried the best she could with her 8th grade education to raise a family.

Children in these situations are very likely to be trafficked. Many have little to lose and not much to go home to. Some have parents that don't care and some already have been traumatized in their own homes, many by their own family.

Let's remember to pray for children - the younger they are, the more vulnerable. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16. What are you doing to remove barriers? Are you a hindrance to children coming to Jesus?

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Every child in the world has a mother. Most of us are not perfect, but we try our best and love our children with a deep love that is unexplainable to anyone who is not a mother. Children are a blessing from the Lord and I am so privileged to be a mom to a wonderful, handsome, amazing second grade boy.

Today, we should pray for moms whose children have been trafficked. I can't imagine the searing pain. Some of them don't know where their children are or even if they are dead or alive. Some know the full story. I'm not sure which is worse in a trafficking situation - not knowing or knowing exactly the pain your child has gone through or is going through.

Last night, I watch an episode of "16 and Pregnant" for the first time. I've heard people who claim that it glorifies pregnancy. Last night's episode was very real and heartbreaking at times. The young lady was pregnant with twins because her boyfriend said it was awkward to have to buy condoms. He was extremely disrespectful to her family and prone to fits of rage. He eventually attacked her and was picked up by police. Fortunately, she has very loving and supportive parents who knew the young man was bad news, helped her and will continue to help her as she raises her twin boys and finishes high school. Not everyone has parents with tough love like this. They were real with her, and there was tension because they knew their daughter needed to make the right choices, and it was hard to watch her keep making bad choices. Let's pray for this young lady and others like her. Not every pregnant teen has a good support system like she does. Not every teen has the courage to break off a relationship with someone who is abusive.

Jesus, be with this young lady who is celebrating Mother's Day this year for the first time. Help other teens to learn from her situation and make good choices when it comes to dating, sex, and violent relationships. Thank you that you love us so much, even when we make choices you know will lead to destructive behavior. Comfort moms today who have lost children. Amen.

Resurrection Sunday

I've always been interested in how the meanings of words change over time. Gay started out meaning merry. Silly originally meant blessed. Rosary was a rose garden. Priest used to mean old man. Meat referred to all foods, not just animal flesh.

When there is a misunderstanding, I often wonder if persons are using the same word, but have a different definition in mind. For example, when I was in college, a casual gathering where a boy accompanied a girl was called a date. Today, it's not a date, it's "hanging out." A date today implies something more serious, perhaps even a relationship headed towards some permanency. When I "dated around" in college, it meant that I had lots of male friends and we liked to spend time together as friends. Today, a person who "dates around" is one who has loose morals and leads others to believe there is a relationship when there is not.

For some, Easter has come to mean chocolates, bunnies, egg hunts and family brunch. Therefore, some Christians are now saying "Happy Resurrection" because it is more specific and less like to change meanings in general use.

Traffic used to be what you saw on the highway. Human traffic would have been a busy walkway. Now, it is akin to slavery. We like to think slavery was abolished at the end of the Civil War. However, it simply changed names and went underground.

Let's not get confused by the meanings of words and how they change. Humans are still being bought and sold and used by other humans. Are you using other people for your own gain? Do you treat people less than what they are worth? Ask God to renew your mind and help you recognize the value in each and every human that he has created here on earth.

Is it worth it?

Do you ever wonder if little changes you make in your life will make any difference?

I gave up all carbonated beverages about a year ago, but that was because it was activating my IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome - look it up if you are uniformed). I don't even WANT anything carbonated now that I know how much it wrecks my body and how sick I will be. That made a really big difference in my life and I am so glad I discovered this trigger and eliminated it from my life.

About 5 weeks ago, I decided to join a gym and commit to a more healthy lifestyle. I signed on and had my body fat and muscle mass measured and was given a plan for eating and exercising. I have to admit, I didn't always stick to the plan. The goal was 5 workouts a week. I don't think I ever reached that goal, but I did at least do 3 a week. My eating habits have never been stellar, and they still aren't, but I did at least try to be more healthy in my food choices. It didn't always stick.

Today, I went in for a measurement. I warned my trainer that I tried, but didn't do my best and didn't reach all the goals we had in mind. I did tell her that I felt better and had more energy. I also noticed some of my clothes were getting looser around the waist.

She measured me and said . . .
(May I just say I took a deep breath as I didn't expect much)
You have lost 8 lbs of fat, gained 5 lbs of muscle and have 3% less body fat, 11 pts lost in your thighs and 4 pts lost in the belly

WOW! I guess it is worth it - the early morning workouts, pushing through the pain, sweating, feeling like I'm not doing anything, wondering if it really matters.

This is so true with everything in life. In fighting human trafficking, there may be some dramatic moments, but mostly, the fight is a slow, daily, painful process that doesn't always show results right away. But, we can't give up. We need to keep fighting, sweating, pushing through the barriers, even when we wonder if we are making any difference at all.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Never, ever give up the fight!

Saint Patrick

Why do I celebrate Saint Patrick's Day? It's not because of wearing green to avoid being pinched or drinking green beer (I don't drink alcohol). It's because of the person, Saint Patrick.

Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents. He was trafficked at the age of sixteen to Ireland. He spent six years outdoors as a shepherd, mostly alone. He turned to the Lord during this time and God gave him the strength to survive. God sent him a vision and he walked 200 miles by himself to the Irish coast to escape and return to Britain.

An angel appeared to him in a dream telling him that he was to return to Ireland as a missionary. He spent 15 years in religious training and returned to Ireland after his ordination. Since he was familiar with the culture, he incorporated familiar symbols from the culture into Christianity to help communicate the gospel.

One example of this is his use of the sun, a symbol of life to the Irish, that he incorporated into the crucifix, creating what is now known as the Celtic Cross.

He also used the shamrock, a familiar and symbolic plant for the Irish, to explain the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It is believed that Saint Patrick died on March 17, the reason this date was chosen on the calendar. It is a day meant for spiritual renewal and praying for missionaries around the world.

Join me in celebrating the real reason for Saint Patrick's Day - celebrating a person who was trafficked and God called him to return as a missionary to minister to the very people who enslaved him.

FWC Mission Week

Tomorrow, February 27, is the first day of Mission week at First Wesleyan Church. Vince and I serve on the Mission Committee and I have been asked to give a "Window on Missions" on the second Sunday. I am very excited to share with my home church of the ministry that God has laid on my heart. If you are interested in hearing how God is working around the world, the main events are:
Sunday morning worship on February 27
Wednesday "Taste of Nations" sampling of food from around the world
Sunday morning worship on March 6

I'll be speaking in the March 6 worship services. FWC has a traditional service at 9:00, a contemporary service at 10:20, and a Spanish-speaking service at 10:30. I will be at all three services.

Thank you for praying for this very important time for our church and for me as I share about my awareness and training ministry to fight human trafficking.