Welcoming Jesus

Jesus said: "whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:5

I can't tell you when I made the conscious choice to respond to that still small voice rising up within me. I first heard it whisper my name when I flipped through the TV channels and settled on a World Vision special. We've all seen these shows, and those like them, many times before. I watched in horror as dozens of disease ridden, undernourished children drank from water so dirty most of us wouldn't use it to flush a toilet. And yet they drank. And they died. And my heart broke. So I vowed never to watch those specials again!

Of course avoidance is never the solution to anything. The very next day, and subsequent days, that special was on again, again, and again. It seemed to bounce around time frames and TV stations seeking to trap me into watching. I felt my heart strings being plucked- pulled- yanked at the sight of so much misery in the world. Yet, what could I do about it? Not much, I thought.

Over the next month the vision of those faces haunted me. The holidays came and went, and my house was no different than it ever was: brimming over with people and food and love & laughter. I wondered what those poor children were eating. Did they have warm clothes this Winter? We had so much, I thought. Surely I could not ignore the voice any longer.

If you're like me, money is tight. You don't have the disposable income you had in the past, nor do you even know if you're going to have a job by weeks end. Maybe you have to forgo a trip to the Bahamas, or even a trip to the grocery store. Rest assured, we're all in the same boat. It's all a matter of degrees. Both my husband and I are self-employed. Times are scary, but life has got to be scarier for those children who do not know the love of the Christ and his promises.

James 2:15-17 (New International Version) says:

15)Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16)If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17)In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

So I took the plunge and made the call and our family has been blessed with the addition of 1 small 9 year old boy from Brazil. His name is Mateus Inacio De Araujo and he is beautiful. I may never get to meet him in person, but I look forward to sharing the love of the Christ with someone who needs to know that somewhere, somehow, God is watching out for him and his family and that there is hope for the future.

So welcome Mateus Inacio, may you and your family be warm and well fed. God bless you.

My Awakening to Jesus

I am blessed. Radically and wonderfully blessed. I live in a country where I have the freedom of worshiping God at any time, any place, and without fear of retribution. I live in a nice house, in a nice town, and I've been blessed with 2 gorgeous kids, ages 12 and 29 Now, that's a miracle! At times, I am overwhelmed by the sheer beauty that surrounds me. I love to walk at night and gaze up at the stars- or rise before dawn and walk through the mist of morning and talk to my heavenly father.

It hasn't always been this way. Having been reared in an abusive family, my father thought my body was his personal punching bag. I've been hospitalized with multiple traumas, including ones to my back and hips, 2 incidents of a cracked skull, and numerous other less life-threatening injuries. My mom was an enabler with a capital E who spent most of her life hiding from my Dad. What compounded this was that Mom had become ensnared into an equally abusive cult and dragged us all in- kicking and screaming all the way. This served to distort my view of God, question his "goodness," and leave me hopeless for a future where the world was predicted to end by 1975. I did not escape their influence until much later in life.

But then something miraculous happened. Through "prayer and supplication," I begged to be given clarity and wisdom. I prayed that God would remove the veil of confusion that this group had managed to wrap around my life, and and shine a light through the darkness. It was at this time that I became aware of the Christian television network, along with Christian radio. I surrounded myself with their encouraging messages. I watched Joyce Meyers, Creflo Dollar, Charles Stanley and Joel Osteen, nonstop.

Although some of their beliefs differed, their message was uniform: God Loves me: Christ died for me- and for you. Salvation was not to be found in the stinging whip of the cult leaders tongue, nor in the exhaustive list of rules and regulations the "society" concocted to dominate its members, but in the soothing words of the Great Shepherd and the gentle hand of the Father.

Now, as I travel through life, I find it difficult not to share my faith. I awaken to His Word each day, and fall to sleep the same. Jesus has become my constant companion, the Redeemer of my faith. Last year I made my dedication legal and became ordained, dedicating myself to the ministry. This year I have pledged myself to reaching out to others who have been warped and abused by the "False Prophet," or who have otherwise lost their way. I hope to provide a safe haven, a soothing place where they can gain knowledge of the real Jesus- the forgiving gentle Savior of our souls.