Please Pray

Please check out this blog and pray for Cyd Myzell. She has been working in Afghanistan as a relief worker. She has been kidnapped by the Taliban. Pray for this sister who is suffering for following our Lord. My heart aches for her and all who love her.

Father,I thank you that You have counted Cyd Mizell worthy to be persecuted for Your name. In my human fear, I pray for her physical protection. Even more, I pray that she may have opportunities to share Your love with her kidnappers. I pray that You will use her testimony to bring many to know You. I pray that you will bless her ministry in her prison as You did for Joseph, Paul, Peter and all those we admire in the Scriptures who were imprisoned for You. I thank you for the work that she does and her trusting heart. Hold her close–let her feel Your presence and fill her with Your peace, strength and wisdom. Thank you for allowing her the privilege of being able to identify with our many brothers and sisters around the world who suffer for You daily. Thank you that she has counted the cost and chose to follow You. Thank You for her book of Acts kind of faith. Comfort those who love her and are anxious for her safe return. Draw their hearts close to Yours. Fill them with Your strength and peace as well. Glorify Yourself and restore this woman after Your heart to her ministry. We desire You to be glorified in all of this.

Chaos Controlled

I feel like chaos has ruled our home since we got back from MN. Almost a month after the fact Christmas is finally packed up in our home. I still have a few little matters of organization to work out but our home has been returned to normal. My poor husband, who has not had a day off at all this week—worked 6 days straight, spent the whole day with me cleaning and organizing. Bless him! We both feel so much more rested in our home as a result.

 

Tonight was another wonderful HC. Jeff and Sarah's "goal" for the month of January was to have us as a collective read through the entire book of Acts. We made it to chapter 20 this week. It was a night of great discussion and insight. I think one of the main points we all took away was how committed the early Church was. They were beaten, stoned, thrown in prison but that was life and they were going to tell people about Jesus anyway. End of discussion. Are we that committed? Are we willing to suffer just to make sure people know who Jesus is? Would we be followers of Christ if that was the way it was for us? What is God asking us to do that may be "hard" that we are avoiding? Are we taking care of each other's needs and encouraging each other without hesitating? I pray that we can all spend time evaluating ourselves with the Lord this week and let Him work in us so that we can answer these questions in a way that honors Him.

 

I was reading Genesis 16 tonight and struck by what God asked Hagar to do. He asked her to go back to her bad situation where she was being mistreated and submit to the person who was mistreating her. Basically, He told her He would help her and be with her but she needed to face her problem head on and change her attitude. I am really bad about this. I really like the whole run-away-from-bad-things routine. I don't submit to mean people well. Now, I don't think that this is what God calls us to every time and in every circumstance but I do need to work on my attitude more and "run" less. I thank God for being so patient with me and willing to help me be more like Him. We serve a good God.

My tears are falling . . .

I just read the most amazing post! This woman, surrounded by her friends, honored the one year anniversary of her son's death by donating to Locks of Love. Seriously, check out the photo slide show. I don't know any of these women but I was in tears! The photographer is amazing!

 

While we're being blown away by amazing women, check out my sister. She amazes and humbles me. What a gorgeous woman of God to be able to share so openly about her own pain! Both of these women teach me so much! I hope they touch your hearts the same way they touch mine.

Job (the book, not an occupation)

Suffering. What does that word mean to you? Are you suffering right now? Have you suffered over the course of your life? I am reading through Job in my Bible study right now. The thoughts that are flying through my head right now! They must be expressed. I am hoping to make sense of them through this post. Please be patient if the thoughts are a little jumbled.

One of the most recent times of suffering my family has endured was the loss of a nephew. He was 4 months old and Ralph and I were on our honeymoon when it happened. That was suffering. My sis and BIL will forever be marked by this. In fact, in a positive way, I believe, it has changed/helped direct the path of their life.

Another suffering my family has gone through, was to walk with my dad's sister and family as her son slowly died of a "birth defect" from the age of 4 til about 9 (I think he was almost 10). That was a long hard road—as a teenager and college student I learned how to PRAY in ways I never would have. We then rejoiced with the family as they rescued two sibling groups from the foster system and brought them into our family. What amazing and beautiful people all of these "new" cousins are! Then we walked with them as my aunt's then husband walked away from the whole family and the Lord. This family has suffered. The loss of a son and brother was tough. The other kids have their individual burdens from the broken family units they came from. They were then brought into a "whole" family and introduced to the Lord and then it all fell apart. My aunt lost her husband of 19 years and was left with 7 kids. All the kids lost a father (he is not active in their lives currently). I would say in many ways they continue to suffer as they also strive to heal and live.

My husband's sister died suddenly in a car accident 4 months before I met him. She left behind a daughter who got caught in a terrible custody battle (that went on for several years) and lost a large part of her childhood in the process. She is a beautiful girl who is now settled and happy with Ralph's bro and SIL, but she has endured much and will be marked by her experiences forever. The family has suffered much through all of this and in some ways always will.

These are just a few of the ways that I and those I love have suffered. Every time I read Job it changes for me. I see and hear new things. I understand Job's wife SO much better than when I was younger. I can just imagine if we lost everything and then you added a serious illness that Ralph was suffering with. I might be tempted to say "Let's just end it—curse God so that He can strike us down and end all of this!" I pray that I have learned from her and from my sister and aunt and Ralph's parents and mine through all of these (plus those I didn't mention) situations and that I would be more like David. I do, however, understand where her statement comes from. I understand Job and his friends in ways I never did before. I feel more able to evaluate Job's statements than I did BEFORE. BEFORE I felt as if, "Who am I? He was a very godly man who went through unspeakable things. He gets to say whatever he wants in my opinion!" NOW, I see the whining. I see him glorify God and then say "but I'm going to whine anyway." I see his friends (as least in the beginning) as less judgmental than I remembered but more pushy and blunt than I think they should have been. Grief and suffering addles one's brain and makes a person very sensitive. I think they should have used more tact and silence. Don't talk so much to someone who is hurting so much!

I am only through chapter 10. I will read 11-14 today. If I have more to add, I'll let you know. ;-)