I Was Just Thinking...........

Human trafficking is such a horrific act that is happening all over the world. It’s something that we tend to think happens only in other Countries, but it’s happening right here in the U.S.. And it saddens me to the core.

Last month I attended a concert in Sedalia, where the band The Museum was headlining. Afterwards, my daughter and I met and talked to the guys in the band. They were very nice, and down to earth.

They partner with Not For Sale Campaign to help fight against human trafficking. Here is blog post by Ben, a member of the band. It’s so informative and shocking. Please take a moment to read it, and offer support in STOPPING human trafficking.

Click here to read the blog.

Thanks.

I’m so grateful for the freedom we have in this country.

….but it came with great cost.

Lives were and are being lost.

I’m even more grateful for the freedom that Christ has given us through

….His life nailed to the cross.

We’re no longer in bondage to sin.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Galations 5:1a

We’re free.

….and that’s worth celebrating, because

….everyday is our Independence Day!

Everyone is lining up for the new iphone.

…………..but

Did you know for the price of one new iPhone you could provide four-seven Africans with clean drinking water….

…………..for their entire lives?

We walk into out kitchens and just turn a faucet on for clean drinking water. Not everyone around the world can do that.

Need vs want.

Water vs phone.

My son, now 9 years old, suffers from juvenile migraines. At this time last year he was averaging three migraines a week. These migraines were very severe. Light, loud noises, heat and even certain smells would make it worse. The pain was so intense he would cry and scream, and vomit for hours. Plans would be cancelled while he was holed up in a dark, quiet room.

I remember one day in particular, he was rolling on the bathroom floor, moaning and crying, praying for God to take his pain away. As the pain continued, he muttered to me, “it makes me think God doesn’t care about me”. My heart broke. I cried. His Dad took over migraine duty. I thought how Satan plants the seed of doubt that God doesn’t love us, at such a young age.

We took him to a Neurologist, and he prescribed preventative medication, as well as meds to treat the migraines when he gets them. And I praise God his migraine occurrence has reduced by 90%, and when he does get them they’re more manageable.

I also praise God for living in a country where we have excellent doctors, medical facilities and medicines available to us. I’m also grateful for insurance that pays for most of the cost. The medical bills are quite high.

That’s not the case with Achile, the child my friend’s son sponsors. This 8 year old little boy, lives in Burkina Faso and has a congenital heart defect known as tetralogy of Fallot.

Because of Achile’s heart condition, he has been in pain for five years and hasn’t been able to attend school regularly and receive the full of benefit of sponsorships through Compassion International. Compassion International has provided medical care for Achile for the last two years at the National Teaching Hospital Yalgado Ouedraogo in Burkina Faso in western Africa. However, doctors there now believe his condition requires urgent heart surgery, which is not available in Burkina Faso.

Achile will be transported to a specialized hospital in India for a lifesaving operation that will cost an estimated $20,449. Please consider donating to help with the cost of this surgery. And please pray for him as he has his surgery and recovers that he’ll know without a doubt how much God loves him, and that we love him too.

Click here to donate.

Thank you.

I read this quote via Kevin Huguley, guitarist of the band Rush of Fools, on twitter. And I loved the imagery.

“Our great need is to fall before an almighty Father day and night and to plead for Him to show His radical power in and through us..” –David Platt

The word that really struck me was “plead". It paints for me a picture of a child with intent eyes, on his knees, with hands clenched together, begging for something. Something he craves so much, that he just doesn’t ask half-heartedly, but with such intense, great passion puts aside every external consequence to make his plea.

And it made me wonder.

What if every follower of Christ made this plea?

What an impact it would make in this world.