Great Video!

What is astounding to me is that NBC is not going to show it during the superbowl. To be honest, I just caught the headline, didnt read the article. But the headline said enough and that is too bad, because I think it packs a powerful punch...but I think that is the point, maybe it is too powerful of a punch. The video addresses many of the *so called reasons* many use to have abortion. Although I know there are *other* reasons people use as well and I suppose they *could* confuse the issue, if you let it.

I will start with the most objectionable issues, the case where a woman has been raped or been a victim of incest. These are horrible wicked and wretched encounters that no woman should EVER have to endure. It is a sin that God would never want perpetrated on any soul He has created, period. And if life comes from that moment, understandably it becomes a very, very difficult issue for sure. I would never diminish the anguish of such a moment in a woman's life, never. Yet. to turn around and compound the wicked choice of one, by making a choice to eliminate the life being created...I dont have the words.

All I know is that if I start from the premise that God is the author of life, then no matter what circumstances the life was created under, it has a right to exist, by God's divine ability to be the only one who creates life. He is also the only one who could possibly take such a moment in any persons life and turn it around too. No one says that a soul needs to keep the child, there are plenty of couples looking to adopt. I am not saying it is an easy choice either, so do not misunderstand me. It could be made endurable and possibly a healing one, with counseling and a good support system. One that turns one person's sin, something very wrong and should never have happened, into beauty. Easier to write about than live, I give you that, but not impossible, there are many who have made these choices, inspite of what has happened to them. They refuse to be a victim and refuse to victimize another innocent.

Now, the statistics of THIS actually being the reality for the MILLIONS of babies aborted since 1973, is extremely, extremely small, LESS than 1% of abortions are due to rape, incest or endangerment of the mother COMBINED, LESS THAN 1%! That is absolutely mind boggling when there have been MILLIONS upon MILLIONS taken from us *legally* since then, for reasons that had nothing at all to do with rape, incest or endangerment. This means that the masses who have chosen this direction, have done so, for reasons that are bottom line selfish and sinful, based on choices that should have never been made to begin with. Sin begetting sin. I am sorry if that bites, but it does. And we have helped, by using the arguments of the smallest possibilities and neglecting the reasons of the largest percents to abort. Something is seriously wrong with this picture, seriously.

We talk about protecting a woman's life, saying that she should have the *option* to get a safe abortion. HUH?! So we are suppose to pay to help someone commit a sin safely? Well, I want enough money to get out of debt, will you help me rob a bank, safely? And just who is worried about the life within her being safe? No one who is pro-abortion...cuz that is what it really is, it isnt pro-choice, that is just the *code word*. They even dumbed down the issue to make it *easier* on the conscience, it isnt really a baby, right? Well, if you want it, then it's a baby, but if you dont, then it is a fetus. *rolls eyes*

And for those who do think it is a baby and are torn about the mothers safety when she goes to get an abortion, how about dealing with what led her there to begin with instead? How about really protecting both lives? one that should never have an abortion touch her precious, valued by God body and the other that has absolutely no choice or say in the matter? There may have been many sin choices that led to a pregnancy, but we do not kill the evidence of that choice so we do not have to deal with it. If you made the choice, you have to be grown up enough to make other life choices, ones that do not compound your sin...or the sin that happened to you.

Truly and sadly, only God knows the true number of souls that have been murdered, not only in the US, but around the world. And to compound our own culpability, we are going to be funding abortions around the world again, with our tax dollars, with one stroke of the freakin pen! Abortion is NOT a contraceptive option, conception has ALREADY occurred. How in God's name could we not know that there is blood on our hands?

Did you know that the number of abortions performed in the US since 1973 is approaching 50 million??? And those are the ones that have been accounted for. To me, not an easy number to read, and an even hard one to comprehend. It literally makes my stomach churn...I cannot even imagine the anger God feels about this. I found a way to wrap your brain around it, someone had already done the thinking, so here ya go. If you add up the populations to the following states, they equal about 50 million.

* Kentucky
* Oregon
* Oklahoma
* Connecticut
* Iowa
* Mississippi
* Arkansas
* Kansas
* Utah
* Nevada
* New Mexico
* West Virginia
* Nebraska
* Idaho
* Maine
* New Hampshire
* Hawaii
* Rhode Island
* Montana
* Delaware
* South Dakota
* Alaska
* North Dakota
* Vermont
* Wyoming

Proverbs 24:10-12 "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?"

And this would be incomplete if I did not include this. There is NOTHING that God is incapable of redeeming, NOTHING. Sin is sin, it separates us from Him. We have ALL sinned. And we ALL need saving. It doesnt matter if the sin was yours or the sin was against you, it is redeemable, it is. No one says that is easy, but it isnt impossible. With God nothing is impossible, nothing. And there is NO sin that cannot be forgiven, NO life that cannot be restored and NO soul that God isnt WILLING to redeem. We are the ones who need to see that, believe that, and receive that, in order for it to take affect in our lives. One person DOES make a difference, I may not change the course of this tide, many of us may not, BUT it is important that we stand up and BE HEARD, for we serve and audience of ONE, and that DOES matter, for eternity.

Peace out...

MIRACLES ARE HAPPENING IN ISRAEL!

By Dena Gewanter, M.D., Kiriat Yam, Israel
Abundant Hope International

While the media in the West are lambasting Israel for killing women and children, and are saturating their viewers with horrific photos of bloodied corpses, Israel as a nation is undergoing an astonishing spiritual awakening as a result of this conflict. It is a pity that the world is unable to be witness to the miracles that are occurring here daily. Even the most jaded person would be amazed at the transformation of the people in this country. After many years of feeling the underdog and fearful of the approbation of the outside world, Israel is undergoing an absolute renaissance on a personal and national level.

First and foremost, Israel as a nation has finally decided to throw aside the fear of being rejected by the nations and embrace its sovereign right to defend its citizens from terrorist attacks. What is so astonishing, for those who know Jews and particularly Israelis, is that a whopping 92% of Jewish Israelis actually AGREE that the war is necessary and just. The adage of 2 Jews, 3 opinions and 4 political parties has vaporized in the face of the national crisis we are in. Not only is there agreement among the populace, but also the left wing and the right wing of the political spheres agree. Even more amazing is the concordance among the various religious factions: Ashkenazi, Sephardic, reform and conservative, Zionists and anti-Zionist Jews are all joining together in prayer and supplication to the Almighty for salvation, protection and victory over our enemies. There are calls to prayer everywhere, regardless of denomination or ethnic background, everyone is united in looking towards the God of Israel to keep our soldiers safe and help us win against an evil enemy who has sworn never to stop until Israel as a nation is destroyed.

The soldiers themselves seem to have a huge spiritual hunger, and are unified in not only asking for prayer but also praying themselves, wearing tzitzit (prayer tassles) into battle and carrying the book of Psalms with them. The Rabbis are calling the tzitzit "heavenly flak jackets!" Tent synagogues on the battlefield have no less than 10 sessions every morning, and it is reported that soldiers who never attended synagogue are now praying with tefillim. They have reason to cry out to God, since everyone is aware of the years of preparation of the bloodthirsty Hamas militants, their desire to kill, maim or kidnap Israeli soldiers is greater than their desire to live; they have been financed by Iran and supported by Syria and Hezbollah. Yet, we are defeating them, and there are reports daily of amazing miracles of protection and Divine direction during the battle. The following are just a few examples: A Hamas map was found, with booby-traps, landmines and sniper positions clearly spelled out. The IDF was able to counter each installation due to the information given. A large platoon of soldiers not realizing they were resting in a school that was booby-trapped, (discovered by a soldier relieving himself in the night), disarmed the bombs with no one hurt. A single soldier successfully fought off several Hamas terrorists trying to drag him into a tunnel, and all were captured. Hundreds of tunnels, hidden in homes under beds and kitchen cabinets, all full of live explosives and ammunition, yet none have exploded with IDF soldiers inside. While there have been soldiers wounded, there are miracles there as well. A young man who moved here alone from England less than 2 years ago to serve in the army was in an explosion, and thrown into the air. After being carried off the field by other soldiers and transported on a tractor to helicopter and then to hospital, the doctors were utterly stunned when they saw that a piece of shrapnel that went completely through his neck, missed the carotid artery, the jugular vein and the spinal cord by millimeters. After they removed it, he needed only stitches. Another soldier was shot through the back but the bullet missed his spinal cord and exited from the front. A young newlywed, in grave condition, inexplicably turned for the better and will recover to go home to his wife.

On the ground level, bombs continue to fall, but here again, miracle after miracle is reported even on the local news. One hears the word "nes" (miracle) over and over by the reporters and the bystanders. A bomb heading toward 4 apartment buildings goes into a sewer pipe and explodes underground, damaging nothing above ground. An elderly woman caught in an apartment completely demolished by a bomb, walks out with scratches on her ankle. The mayor of Beersheva felt he should cancel school one day, and a rocket completely destroys an empty kindergarten. The elder housing complex that was hit in Nahariya had the sleeping quarters destroyed, but everyone had just gone to breakfast, so no one injured. A man leaves his car with his young daughter, and the car is blown up moments later after they entered a bomb shelter. If they had taken a few more seconds, he and his daughter would have been burned to a crisp. He was televised saying again and again it was a miracle.

Similar stories like these were heard during the second Lebanon war, reported on Israeli radio and television, but no one in the west ever heard; only negative propaganda from the terrorists was reported, whose aim was to malign Israel and make us look like a nation of bloodthirsty killers. One has to grieve over the terrible destruction of the cities in Gaza and the horrific human tragedy going on there, but the responsibility for the suffering and death is directly on the doorstep of the Hamas leadership. These deluded people think that their god, Allah, will give them victory, and have entered into a battle with the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that they will never win. We are literally living in times like those of the scripture, when the Lord told Elisha all the plans of the enemy, until they began to wonder if there was a spy in their ranks.

There is hope here, not despair and unity of resolve. Even the parents of Yoni Natanel, killed by friendly fire, were quoted as saying that their son died "for the sanctification of God's name", and forgave and blessed those who accidently fired at his unit. There is such heroism and courage here, one wishes that the world could see it, but as one of our journalists said, the media have left their brains at the door of Ben Gurion Airport. They are many miles away from the actual battle, wear flak jackets and helmets for the cameras, and then take them off to have cappuccino at the local restaurant!

Fortunately, Israelis are accustomed to being misunderstood and maligned by the outside world. At this point, everyone knows we have a job to do, and we are becoming more and more aware that there is a greater Power than us is on our side. We are fulfilling our commission to be a "Light to the Nations". Israel learned from the failure of the Lebanon war, and prepared well to fight the terrorists who clearly said they wanted to destroy us. The rest of the nations have not remembered the threats of Hitler, and how the Jewish people were almost wiped out because no one wanted to believe he actually meant what he said. Contrary to those who want to hide their heads in the sands of political correctness, there is a right and a wrong side in this conflict. It is a battle between darkness and light. Fortunately, we have a God who was never wishy-washy about defending Israel against her enemies, when His People cried out to Him for help. The outside world is missing the miracle of a righteous God who hears the prayers of the humble, and defends what is His.

"If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My Face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

Ok this is just astounding to me! I praise God for this man's obedience to follow the prompt in his heart to do what seemed impossible to do. God opened the door.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That was the case yesterday when I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to do something that in my mind I knew could not be accomplished. When we notified the Capitol Hill police of our intentions they told us in no uncertain terms we would be arrested for our actions. Yet, in obedience to what I knew to be a divine prompting, I proceeded, along with my colleague, Rev. Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, to the Capitol Building…and there experienced a miracle.

It just so happened (as it so often does for people of faith), when we entered the Capitol complex we met Congressman Paul Broun of Georgia, in the hallway. Congressman Broun is a dynamic and unapologetic Christian. I told him what God had prompted me to do. He immediately agreed and joined me, along with Rev. Mahoney and our chief of staff, Peggy Birchfield, as together we held a prayer service inside the US Capitol that included anointing the doorway President-Elect Barack Obama will pass through on his way to the platform to be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States on January 20th.

To see this brief but powerful prayer and anointing service, please click here.

Anointing with oil is a rich tradition both in the Bible and in the history of the US Capitol. Oil symbolizes consecration, or setting something apart for God's use. George Washington used oil during the dedication of the US Capitol. We used the oil to set apart the walkway and doors that will be the literal right-of-passage for Barack Obama as he ascends to the highest office in our land. Bear in mind this is one of the most cordoned off and highly secured sites in America. It is virtually inaccessible. Yet, there we were, holding a consecration service in obedience to God – the very thing He had placed in my heart.

Rep. Broun delivered a short sermon-like talk on the need to obey God and His will, and for the future president to do what is right. I read Bible passages and applied sacred oil to the doorposts of the arched doorway leading out of the Capitol and onto the inaugural stage, immediately in front of the riser where Obama will stand with Chief Justice John Roberts who will administer the Oath of Office. Rev. Mahoney read a powerful inaugural prayer by Dr. Billy Graham, delivered 40 years ago.

Congressman Broun referred to the location of the prayer service as "the doorway that (President-Elect Obama) will enter through to start of his presidency."

That doorway has now been consecrated and anointed for the purposes of God.

You and your friends, family, and fellow church members can now join us in prayer for our nation and the transition to a new administration by simply watching the video and praying with us.

The more people who watch this video, the more powerful it becomes. That’s why we also need you to forward it on to as many people as possible.

If Christians across the nation will join together in prayer, I know God will “hear from Heaven and heal our land.”

Please watch this amazing video yourself by clicking here and then forward it on to your family, friends, and fellow church members so together we can raise our voices to God on behalf of our nation in an act of repentance and dedication.

Your missionary to our nation’s leaders,

Rob Schenck

Faith and Action
109 Second St. NE,
Washington, DC 20002
202-546-8329
www.faithandaction.org

Son of Hamas Leader comes to Christ

How stunning is that? At the end of this piece are links to articles and a short video of the young man. This news has hit my heart BIG time. To think that the Living God has reached down and claimed this mans heart as his own, called him out of the radical life he knew, away from everything his life was based upon, his beliefs, family and society, placing his life in direct opposition and in jeopardy from the very people he comes from. Yet when he came to Christ, he was grafted in, old things are passed away, behold all things become new. He believes that his conversion can lead millions out of Islam to Christ! And so do I.

God used a place that usually hardens a soul, to soften it and give him eyes to see. Because of the brutality of his own uncle, not to his own life, but to the lives of others, while in prison, he had a crisis of faith. He understands and admits that the goal of Islam on the WHOLE is the destruction of Israel, which is why peace between Israel and any Islamic nation will not occur. As he stated, it is not about one crazy person, it is about a whole ideology. That ideology is ingrained throughout family, schooling and society, it is not compartmentalized, like too many already do with God in their lives.

He was invited to read the bible, the reading that changed him? Love your enemies. He had never heard of such a thing! He understands that you can speak truth and still love. He clearly shows that in this interview. I have heard it said and I agree, that God's love isnt a pampering love, it is perfecting love. It knows the truth and speaks it, even if it hurts. Love knows the hurt part resides only on the side where rebellion or pride reside.

He ended up re-studying the Koran in light of new perspectives and God showed him the truth. He states that Islam is the most bipolar religion on earth, expressing the inconsistencies in the Koran and how they would use it to validate the jihad and violence. He boldly states that Islam is a drug, the Koran is not the word of God, powerful words that even evoke fear in my own heart for him, as I write this. Strange reaction for sure, but I am stunned at this young man's bravery. (and it shames me as I think about my own battle to step out) Surely, the holy spirit is empowering him. I watch him and my soul burns, part of me wants to be him, knowing that what he has to say has the power to call millions of the lost from the grasp of satan's snare. The other part, afraid for him and praying for his protection, knowing that God is in control of his precious life.

As I see the video of baptismal, I weep with joy over his soul and the hope that his coming to saving knowledge of Christ will bring a whole lost religion out of darkness and to Christ, in a way none have, but God thought about. What a calling, what a burden this young man has been given...I think of Esther, "how do you know that you are not here for such a time as this?"

This man has risked his life for Christ. Let's pray for his protection and that salvation reaches and call millions out of the house of Islam.

Fox Interview:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402483,00.html

Fox Video:
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3016344&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402483,00.html

Article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/2613399/Mosab-Hassan-Yousef-son-of-Hamas-leader-becomes-a-Christian.html

Friday Felicities

* Losing and maintaining lost weight thru the holidays, gotta love that!
* A whole new year with new beginnings and now mistakes in it, wonder what will happen this year?
* Long Christmas and New Year weekends OFF!
* Friends, near and far, I love them and need them.
* Newly organized and redecorated rooms, lovely!
* Grandbabies, their sounds, smells, laughter and the joy they bring my heart.
* Scrapbooking & Digital Scrapbooking - LURVE IT!
* Sleeeeeeeep, yeah we are friends like that.

Happy New Year 2009!

So it is a new year, 2009. Wow, cant believe we are 9 yrs past the big y2k thing! *snicker* So we have been talking about themes and every year for a handful of years now I have gotten a word about what the year ahead would be. In 2006, I got it for both 2007 & 2008, years of completion and new beginnings. How that has transpired, looks completely different than what I thought it would look like at the time, but hey, God has His own thing going on right? Our job is to follow it. But I will say that the last 2 yrs look different that I thought those *words* would look like. And as 2009, hits us over the perverbial head, I get a silly song from one of those old Christmas classics from the 60's, yeah you heard me right...as crazy as it sounds the words are kinda amazing when you read them...I pray that I can really DO this when it comes to some things that are on my heart to DO.

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

You never will get where you’re going
If you never get up on your feet
Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowing
A fast walking man is hard to beat

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If you want to change your direction
If your time of life is at hand
Well don’t be the rule be the exception
A good way to start is to stand

Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor
Put one foot in front of the other
And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If I want to change the reflection
I see in the mirror each morn
You mean that it's just my election
To vote for a chance to be reborn

So I have a friend who shared her theme about being brave and it reminded me of my theme in many ways, cuz putting one foot in front of the other for me is about the fear that hinders me from doing what God has put on my heart to do. I heard it said once that, you cant be brave unless your scared. It was then that I realized that the courage to be brave was about engaging in the battle with whatever the fear is. It doesnt ignore fear or not understand that it is involved...it just gathers up the God given strength we have been given and moves inspite of it. So as I pray that she is brave this year, I pray that I have the courage to be brave and put one foot in front of the other, to do what is on my heart to do. Even as I re-read the Nelson Mandela quote on one of my blogs, ( "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are CHILD OF GOD. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. and when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -- Nelson Mandela) I need the courage to be THAT kind of brave...let me remember that as I get liberated from my own fears, others may as a result too, how awsome is that? Our lives are not just unto ourselves or just compartments isolated between us and God, but we ripple into one anothers lives, effecting them or affecting them, let my effect or affect be one for the glory of God...

Heck, maybe I will start blogging a bit more too. ya never know.