Ripples of Life

Julianna and Christmas in Belarus – Update #5

2010-01-08T15:49:00.001-05:00

The second of two e-mail updates received on 1/7/10, this one received at 3:35 pm:

...Yesterday, before we took the girls back home, we were also visited at the ARK house where we're staying by 2 women who found out there were Americans staying here. Julianna was the one woman's name...she was a deaf woman who worked at the deaf village we had visited 2 days earlier. She heard there were Americans visiting who were interested in deaf children, and she wanted to meet us. We really have no idea how she found out where we were staying, but she called Lena who works at the ARK house and asked if she could come. Julianna brought a 15 year old girl with her whose name is Natasha. Natasha was hearing, but both her parents are deaf. Her father works with Juliana and her mother works in a shoe factory. Natasha told us that the shoe factory provides an apartment for them where they live and they share a kitchen with other families, so it must be very similar to the apartment building we visited. Julianna and Natasha both go to the same Christian church and Natasha is the sign language interpreter at the church. The church has approximately 40 people there, 15 who are deaf. The really wonderful thing about Natasha is that she knows Russian sign language, English and Russian, which means she can interpret for the deaf children. This is truly an answer to our prayers and it is a miracle that she literally walked into the ARK house here. I know God sent her to us. If we can find a family to host this wonderful 15 year old girl this summer, not only will she be able to receive the wonderful benefits of the ABRO program, but she'll also be able to help us learn more about the deaf children and conditions of the deaf in Belarus. Please pray we find a host family for her. Natasha is a very blessed child - she must have done extremely well on the government tests to have been allowed to go to a good school where they teach her English also. I am very surprised she was given that opportunity since she has deaf parents, since the deaf are so looked down upon here in Belarus. She seemed excited about the possibility of getting to go to America, and said she would be willing to help us if she was able to come. Julianna was a very nice lady also, and was so excited to get to meet us. She told us she would love to help us find children that needed help through the ABRO program through her church , so I believe we've begun a good relationship there that may grow in the future. I hope to be able to learn more about her church in the coming months. We have been given so many children's names who are able to come to America this summer - it would take many host families, volunteers and monetary support to be able to bring them.

Today was Christmas Day (they celebrate the Russian Orthodox Christmas on Jan. 7th) in Belarus so we went to a church service. The church was a good distance away - about a 3 hour drive each way on the bus. It was snowing again, and the roads were not good, but our bus driver is a very good driver, and other than a very bumpy ride, it was fine. We arrived there around 11:15 and went to church. The service was about 2 1/2 hours long - entirely in Russian. We understood very little of what was said. Other than the Americans who were there, there were mainly women and children at church. Very few Belarusian men attended the church. There were a good number of children, and they put on a Christmas play for us. There was much singing and several bible readings and a couple sermons. After the service, the Americans visited with the children in the village. Many of the other people who traveled with us to Belarus had hosted children from that town, so they were all taking pictures and exchanging gifts. It was so nice to see. We got to see Galina, who came with our group last year, and we met her mother. Galina looked pretty good, but her mother was extremely shy, quiet and had very little emotion about meeting us. Galina was thrilled to get her gift and so happy to see us. It was nice to see her and meet her mama. Rich also got to see Veronica who was a child who came to the ABRO group he was involved in when he lived in Raleigh, NC. Veronica is 14 years old and her father is the pastor of the church. Such a sweet child...

When we left the church, we all got back on the bus and went to a Belarusian restaurant in town. We had some interesting traditional Belarusian food, but it was pretty good. The meal, which was quite fancy for Belarus in a Belarusian hotel, cost about $10.

Then we got back on the bus and headed back to Mogilev. It's really nice to be able to meet back with the other Americans and hear stories about their experiences while here in Belarus. Their stories are so interesting and we all learn things from each other about the conditions for the children here in Belarus and their families. One of the ladies who hosts one of the children that we visited at the church today told us about what horrible living conditions that child lives in. They sold their "flat" (apartment) and gave the money to a man who told them he had a house for sale. The man instead stole their money. They took him to court, but lost the court case, so now they have no money and no home. Basically, they now live in a shack with no electricity, water or toilet. They also have a small child - maybe a year or so old. That child was bitten by a rat in their home. Some of the stories here are so horrible, it practically makes you sick on your stomach. Stories about children whose parents have neglected them since the parents are so drunk they forget they have any children. The children are locked in rooms and forgotten during the days. Infants whose parents were so drunk they didn't get the rat off the child before the child's lip was chewed off. Another story about a child who was taken away from her parents because during the summer she was tied up to a dog house in their yard and in the winter she was put in their attic (probably no heat). The stories are horrible...and that is why we must help...

When we got back to Mogilev, we had dinner. A sort of pork meatloaf with a hardboiled egg in the center of it, sweet bread and french fries. The bread and fries were delicious, the meatloaf was ok.

Tomorrow we have to start packing to head home. Around lunchtime, we'll be going for lunch at little Karyna's home - the youngest girl we hosted from FCOB this past summer. Then we are planning to go around Mogilev a little more, possibly do a little shopping for souvenirs from our trip in Belarus. Dinner will be here at the ARK house, and then we'll have to get a good night's sleep before our journey back home begins early on Saturday morning. On Saturday we fly to Frankfurt, Germany, and then on Sunday we leave Frankfurt to fly home to Washington DC.

While I'm looking forward to being back in America, I will miss the children of Belarus - I wish I could bring them along. These children are all so sweet, so precious. They need our love and help so much because they have so little love and hope here in Belarus. I'm so looking forward to being able to share more of my experiences with you when I return and to be able to share the pictures and videos. I wish I could bring back the smells, the tastes, and the sounds also because those are so vital to telling these stories too. If you ever have the opportunity to be involved in the ABRO program and/or come to Belarus, you should. It's not easy, but it's such an eye-opening experience. You will not be the same again...

Thank you for your prayers! I will try to write more another day and tell you more stories of Belarus.

Please pray for our safety in returning home this weekend and please pray for the children & families in Belarus.

Thank you all!

Take care,

Elaine

Visited Deaf Villages and Children Shelters – Update #4

2010-01-05T23:24:00.002-05:00

From an e-mail message on 1/5/10 at 12:19 pm EST:

Dear friends & family,

I hope to be able to write you a longer email later tonight with more details about the past two days here in Mogilev, Belarus, but our internet connection does not always work, and that is why these emails have not been sent everyday unfortunately. Each night, I try to spend as much time with the children as possible before they go to bed. Then I hope and pray the computer connection is still working so I can send you a message. Unfortunately the past day or so, it has not worked. Tonight, I decided to let you all know we are still alive and well before the internet decided to "stop" for the evening. But I must go back soon with our girls, since tonight is our last evening with them. Tomorrow the orphanage and Krystina's foster mom want us to bring them back to their homes. Tonight and tomorrow will be very tough days for us as a result - we love these girls so much, and they love America so much. They dream of living in our country and having families. Fortunately we are able to give them a family who can provide for them in some ways through ABRO, even though Belarus doesn't allow international adoptions.

Yesterday we went to the deaf "village" and it was an amazing experience. I promise to write about that more when I have time. This short email will not do the visit justice, and there is so much I wish to tell you about it.

Today we went to another children's "shelter" - not an orphanage, per se, although children without families do live there. Basically it's a place where the children stay after being taken away from their families by the government and before being placed in an orphanage. Today was wonderful also - I really love going to visit the orphanages and be with the children. They are so precious.

We met several children - deaf and hearing - who need host families this summer. Please begin thinking and praying about opening your homes this summer to one of these children. They are so precious, and we so desperately want to help them as much as possible.

I will write more later - must go play with the girls, hug them while they cry as they don't want to leave, and look at pictures and videos of our times with them. I love them all so much. Please pray for us all as tomorrow will be a very hard day for the girls and for us.

May God bless you all for taking this journey to Belarus through your prayers with us!

Elaine

Dreben, Mstislval orphanage – Update #3

2010-01-05T23:17:00.002-05:00

From an e-mail on 1/3/10 at 1:09 pm EST:

Dear friends & family,

I can't express how much your thoughts and prayers have meant to us while on this trip so far. So many of you have sent your love and prayers our way - thank you so much! It's almost like you're here with us in Belarus.

It's been a while since I've had access to a computer to be able to send an update email. The past 4 days have been very busy, so I'll try to summarize as best I can, but I'm afraid this may be a long email!

When you last heard from me, Rich, Joe & I were getting ready to head to Msistlval where the deaf orphanage is located. The ride there was interesting in and of itself! Valentina had rented or borrowed a van and a man drove it for us. They picked us up at the ARK house where we were staying and drove through Mogilev. Our first stop was to change some US dollars into Belarusian rubles at the supermarket. Wow - the supermarket was a crazy place... We also bought lots of bottled water since we can't drink the water here. (You'd be amazed how much you treasure clean water at home when you're in a country where you can't just go to a sink to get a glass of water!) Then we headed to Dreben to get Krystina (Rich's). It was about a 2 hour drive.

Dreben was a small town - apartments on one side of the road, many stories high. On the other side of the road were small homes. We found Krystina's apartment building and she came down to let us in (all the apartment buildings are locked here and someone has to come let you in the main door). We were all so happy to see each other again! Her foster mom Natasha invited us in, and we got to see where Krystina lives. It was probably a 3-4 room apartment - a living room, bedroom, kitchen and toilet. Natasha earns a living by keeping foster children. She has Krystina now. One week ago she got a new little boy named Artom. The government took him away from his mother because she was an alcoholic and he was living and playing in dirt in the home where his mother lived. When the government took him away he was very sick and had to go to the hospital for a while before coming to Natasha's home. He was a very cute little boy - about 1 1/2 years old. Unfortunately Natasha will only be able to keep him in her home for 6 months. Then he will most likely go to an orphanage, unless his mother cleans herself up and can show she can provide for him. More than likely, he'll end up like the many other social orphans in Belarus living out the rest of his childhood in an orphanage or foster home. It was so sad to hold that little boy and know there was nothing we could do to help him have a good family home to grow up in, other than pray that the government of Belarus will one day allow international adoptions again. Natasha served us (as is Belarusian culture when anyone comes to visit - ESPECIALLY Americans!) meats, bread, tea (chai in Russian), wine, and cookies. After visiting, we left with Krystina and headed to Msistlval.

Upon arriving in Msistlval, we went to Valentina's home. It was late already, so we couldn't go to the deaf orphanage. She cooked us a pasta dish with a meat sauce on top along with some other food. We met her husband Baris, and chatted for a while that night. It ended up that Krystina & I slept together in the one and only bed in the house. Rich and Joe slept on a pull out sofa. Valentina & her husband slept in her kitchen. Their only son stayed at his grandmother's home. Their apartment was small, but basically fine. A small kitchen, hall, bedroom, & living room. One toilet and bathtub (both in very tiny rooms).

Our first full day in Msistlval was quite exciting as we headed to the deaf orphanage around 9:30 am. We were excited to go meet the children and see Krystina (Joe's) & Marharyta. The orphanage/school is in an old monastery. The main building has been severely damaged by wars years ago, and was never repaired (it appears). They have a school building and a dormitory. Over 100 deaf children live there - boys and girls ranging in ages from 7 - 19. A couple teachers met us and took us in to see the children who had not gone to a home on holiday break. There were 9 boys and 2 girls (Krystina & Marharyta). The boys were aged from 7-19. You could tell they didn't get visitors much because they were so excited to see us and starved for attention. The other interesting thing was that there were some hearing children there too - I don't know why they mixed the deaf and hearing kids, but I hope to find out while here. Anyway, we handed out the toys and gifts we had put together for the children and they absolutely loved seeing what we had given them. They ate lots of the candy while trying to learn how to play with the toys - they didn't know what a frisbee, basketball hoop or football were, or what to do with them, so we tried to teach them. After playing with the kids some, we got to see some of the school. Small classrooms, but they did have some books, paper, pictures, etc. in them. They did have some heat too, although we wore our really heavy winter coats inside, and did not get overheated. We saw the bathrooms - the toilets don't really flush well at all and in the one bathroom I went in, there were 2 toilets and one sink. The smell practically made me gag. Following the tour of the school we went back to the kitchen where the children were starting to eat lunch - looked like chicken broth with some carrots, and some kind of food that resembled meatloaf on top of an egg (?). I'm really not sure what it was, but the kids did not eat much of it...they are all very skinny and many are so small for their ages. We took Marharyta & Krystina with us for the rest of the afternoon when we left. They had to go back to the orphanage to sleep that night, New Years Eve, though, because Valentina didn't have room for them in her home with us.

New Years Eve - a huge Belarusian celebration. Valentina invited her family over - her sister & brother-in-law and her mother. Of course, they wanted to come "meet the Americans!" They put out all kinds of food for dinner around 10 pm. They had fish (raw & cooked), chicken, pork, fruit, vegetables, etc. Juice, champagne & vodka were apparently essential to the celebration too. We first celebrated the Russian new year at 11 pm (Moscow is 1 hour ahead of Belarus), then the Belarusian new year at 12 pm. At 1 am we walked to the town square to the holiday lights. We saw it, but apparently arrived too early because as we were walking back many people were starting to come down for the concert that was starting later. We were too tired to stay longer. When we got back to the house, we had dessert and then around 3 am we finally went to bed!

The next day, Baris showed us the town - we first went on a horse drawn sleigh ride! Now I know in America we have this picturesque image of the horse drawn sleigh ride with the sparkling silver runners, and the beautiful horse - that was not quite what this ride was!! :) The horse was small, pretty dirty and didn't smell good at all. The "Sleigh" was more of a sled that had poles attached to handmade braided harnesses on either side of the horse. It did have a bench that 3 of us could fit on. The ride was fast & cold & bumpy! We survived though and it was certainly an interesting experience. We also went in the stable where these horses are and saw the stable area. Again - nothing like America!

After the sleigh ride, Baris wanted us to meet his parents, so we visited them in their small village home. It was a tiny little house - seemed like we had gone back in time about 100 years. It was so old! When Baris opened the door to go inside, 3 chickens came running out. His parents looked very old, but we found out they were only 77 and 82 years old. They had lived in this home for over 40 years. There were clothes hanging on the clothesline outside. They did have electricity and a small refrigerator & TV. Otherwise it seemed to be a 2 room house - a small kitchen and a living area. On one side of the living area were 2 twin size beds, on the other side was a sofa, chair & TV. They were very welcoming and friendly people. We were the first Americans they had ever met in their lives. To these people, that is a huge thing - at times Joe, Rich and I have very much felt that we are "celebrities" as we are taken to different places and introduced to family as "my friends from America". All the people we have met are so excited to meet us, as Americans, and can't wait to invite us to their homes. Constantly we're told to "come back in the summer"! :)

After that visit, Baris took us to a monastery that is over 600 years old. Again the old church building and monastery were severly damaged in WWII, but they have a small church there now and 12 monks live there. It was an interesting visit.

On Jan. 2nd we woke up early to pick up Marharyta & Krystina at the deaf orphanage & take them with us to the ARK house. It was great to get to take them out of the orphanage! Before we left the orphanage, we got to see the bedrooms. About 10 kids in a room - very small beds with little blankets, some heat, 2 small wardrobe closets for all the kids in the one room, very few toys and decorations. You could easily see which kids came to America before because they had some toys on their beds. The bathrooms were not good. 2 sinks for a whole floor, 1 bath "tub" (a 2 ft x 3 ft porcelian wash area that's about 5 inches deep - no shower & no privacy, and 5 toilets. There was one girl's floor and one boy's floor. No wonder the kids didn't smell very good - it'd be practically impossible for them to get a decent bath.

After taking the girls we went to the Ryasno orphanage where we met up with the rest of the ABRO group that went on the trip. It was so exciting to see the other English speaking people again - so nice to be able to talk to others too! :) Ryasno is a large orphanage - about 75 kids live there now. They have a school building, greenhouses, and a dormitory/kitchen. Again, we handed out toys to the children & the children put on a performance for us. The children also had made pictures and other crafts which they auctioned to us. The money raised went to the orphanage - they raise over $1,600 from the Americans! The thing about Ryasno that struck me the most was that we were told all the children there were mentally retarded. But, in our interactions with them, the children are not mentally retarded at all...they were labeled early in life as having severe learning disabilities and were sent to Ryasno. They will have this label for the rest of their lives, even though it's untrue. It is so sad to think these children, who are perfectly capable of doing almost anything probably, won't be allowed to grow to their full potential because of the limitations they have in life set by the authorities. The temperature in the one bedroom at Ryasno was 54 degrees. The bathrooms were ok, but according to Rich and Joe, the boys' bathrooms just have holes in the floors - no toilets at all.

We got back to the ARK house last night, enjoyed dinner with the girls, and then gave the girls their "presents" we brought from home. Oh to see their faces when giving them little things like a new pair of socks or a toothbrush! I got so many hugs and kisses for such little things...that's how you know these children really have nothing...they see us loving them in these little actions, and it is so rewarding. It's one time when their sad faces change to joy, a little light glimmers in their eyes...

Today we took the girls shopping - for 7 hours!!! Yes that's right a seven hour shopping trip...now I must commend Rich and Joe because they put up with 7 girls shopping for 7 hours today (we had 2 female chaperones with us and another girl, Olya, who stays with friends of Rich's in America came to stay with us too last night). We got the girls the essentials - they all needed new boots & socks. Some needed underwear, jeans, shirts, hats, & scarves. It was a big day. The shops are totally different than in America too. Much much smaller...

We visited another girl this afternoon too, Natasha, who stayed with a host family from New Hope in Frederick last summer. She and her family live in an apartment. Her parents are both artists, and they do beautiful work. Her father's dream is to be able to have an art show in America... They thanked us (all Americans) so much for helping one of their daughters be able to come to America and see the ocean, our country, to get clothes, medical care, and help. They were so grateful... They served us cake, tea, and cookies. They had 2 bedrooms in their apartment (one was also the living room) and a kitchen. It was a newer apartment. They have an older daughter (17) and a younger daughter (almost 3) too. The youngest was so small for a 3 year old - if I had to have guessed her age, I would have said 1 1/2 years old. She was adorable - so sweet.

Tonight Joe, Krystina (Joe's), Marharyta & I ate at the ARK house and we'll play games and hang out with the girls some. Rich, Krystina, and Olya went to visit a friend they know from when they were with the ABRO group in NC.

Tomorrow we go to the deaf village, and then we are supposed to go bowling. Please pray for us tomorrow...I highly suspect that seeing the deaf village will be a very difficult experience for all of us. While we want to go learn about what happens to the deaf people in Belarus, we are also wary of going, knowing what we will see most likely will be very bad living conditions for these people.

I hope you are all doing well in America. We all miss you and we miss America. I know that even though I knew we were very blessed to live in the U.S. before I came on this trip, I now realize how very blessed we are. I'm not sure I will ever quite look at a shower or a clean toilet the same way as I did before - or clean drinking water - or lots of fruits and vegetables - or a nice car. God has truly blessed us so much...we need to thank Him and give back to Him by serving others who so desperately need our help.

Thank you for your continued prayers. Having you all as friends and prayer warriors is such a blessing to me!

Take care,

Elaine

Mstislavl, Belarus

2009-12-31T16:00:00.001-05:00

Right now, my sister and the ABRO missions team are in Mstislavl staying with her host, Valentina. Curious about this town and region, I did some digging and found some pictures. I was only able to find one or two pictures of its orphanages, but cannot confirm which of those are the deaf orphanage my sister visited today.

Here are a few pictures from its website (http://mstislavl.mogilev-region.by/en/photos/):

View Full Album

You can view this region’s official website here: http://mstislavl.mogilev-region.by/en/

New Year Eve and A Day with Orphans!

2009-12-31T15:13:00.001-05:00

I have received no updates yet from my sister to share with all of you, but I thought I would share with you what the ABRO missions team are planning to do today.

According to the brief trip itinerary, the ABRO team are planning to go to the Mstislavl orphanage where Valentina, Elaine’s host, works to deliver Christmas cards and candy boxes. The children of the orphanage supposedly has great plans for them, including visiting the orphanage and doing some activities with the kids who won’t go anywhere for their vacation, a cookout (with barbecue), “banya” (if they wish), and visiting deaf families or families having deaf kids (again, if they wish).

I believe that at this time I write this, the team is at a New Year’s Eve party right now…

I did some looking online for pictures of Mogilev on the New Year Eve so all of you can get an idea of what it is like to celebrate it in Belarus. I found all of those pictures online, and I have no idea of what those places are because they are identified using Russian language! They do look pretty important to me… maybe something related to the regional government?

Enjoy the pictures, and Happy New Year!

First Morning in Belarus – Update #2

2009-12-30T10:54:00.001-05:00

Here’s the e-mail I got this morning at 4:46 am from my sister to all of you. Enjoy!

Hello from Belarus!

Rich, Joe and I had a wonderful night's rest. Comfy beds, warm blankets. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow! :) This morning we were all able to get showers and there was plenty of hot water. The small things do make us feel at home here.

The breakfast was 'interesting' this morning. We're not exactly sure what we ate - it seemed like one thing was cabbage leaves wrapped around a meat mixture (sausage?). That tasted ok - it was hot. (Yes, Leslie - Rich ate it!!) They also served a big roll which had some kind of fish (?)/vegetable mixture inside - Joe ate a little, Rich and I tried it, but he and I couldn't quite "stomach" the smell of it...probably some kind of fish. We had leftover mashed potatoes too (yummy!) and some of the sweet bread from last night (thank goodness!). Hot tea, coffee and water to drink. The women who cook for us are so generous and want us to try everything - they put mustard, horseradish, ketchup, sweets, cookies - everything it seems - out on the table for us.

After breakfast Rich went outside to help Yura move the Ford F250 which has a broken starter and was stopped in the middle of the driveway. This was the truck Yura tried to move himself but tore his Achilles tendon on the day before we got here. (For those of you who do not know, Yura is the director of ABRO - Belarus). Anyway, I videotaped Rich and Yura as they worked to move the truck. They hooked it up to a Nissan with tow cables, first pulling it forward, then pulling it back under a covered area (what we would call a car port). Oh - it's still snowing. :)

Some children arrived here at the ARK house today to pick up their Christmas cards and gifts from their American host families. Seem like very nice kids too.

We'll be sorting toys this morning and then Rich, Joe and I will leave to pickup Rich's Krystina before heading to the deaf orphanage in Mstislavl. Valentina (the chaperone for the deaf children) will pick us up and take us there. There are 12 children left at the deaf orphanage for the holidays - all orphans. Nine boys, three girls. Ages range from 7 to 18 years old. We will stay at Valentina's home while there - Rich and Krystina will sleep with Valentina's neighbor and Joe and I will sleep in Valentina's apartment. I don't believe I will have any internet access there, so this may be the last update for a few days.

We are all very appreciative of your prayers. Thank you so much for them - they truly carry us along in this mission we are on!

Take care & God bless,

Elaine

Lost Baggage and Safe Arrival – Update #1

2009-12-29T21:29:00.001-05:00

From my sister’s e-mail message received at 2:45 pm (sent at 9:45 pm in Belarus) with slight revisions:

Hello from Belarus!

Rich, Joe & I arrived safely in Belarus around 6 pm Belarusian time (7 hours ahead of EST). It was a long trip-much longer it seemed than I anticipated, but we made it through safely. All our luggage also got here except for my one suitcase which is mostly full of toys for the orphans. They say it will be sent by tomorrow sometime from Frankfurt - we'll see. Several other people on the trip also lost their luggage with the toys, etc. in it so we all need prayers that these bags appear soon.

The countryside here is covered in snow. We landed in Minsk in snow - lots of it! Then as we rode in a bus from Minsk to Mogilev (where I stay tonight), we saw snow covering fields, lakes and literally every branch and pine needle of every tree I saw. They seem to have mainly skinny pine trees (think like the ones you see in North Carolina with just branches at the tip top), some regular pine trees, and lots of birch trees. The forests are pretty with all the snow. Snow doesn't stop people in Belarus - there were lots of cars and people walking on foot in the snow and the roads aren't really cleared at all in Mogilev.

Dinner tonight consisted of ethnic Belarusian dishes. We had a chicken recipe - looked fried, but they said it wasn't, a carrot & cabbage salad, bread and bottled water. For dessert there were all kinds of sweets, but the one I absolutely loved was a sweet bread. It looked like sticky buns except with powdered sugar on top, and it was such a wonderful bread!!

Everyone I meet starts speaking to me in Russian and then finds out I can't understand. Hopefully they catch on, or I do!! :)

It's been a long trip, and I desperately need some sleep since I barely slept at all on the planes & bus.

A couple prayer requests:

1. That the luggage would arrive safely with all the toys.

2. For Yura - the leader of the mission here in Belarus. He tore his Achilles tendon yesterday and need surgery. Will be difficult for him since he's responsible for the 23 people here on the trip.

3. For me - for sleep, strength and a renewed since of purpose here.

Take care & thank you for all of your prayers.

Elaine

Some interesting information on Belarus

2009-12-29T21:18:00.001-05:00

This evening, I was paging through information on Belarus from CIA – The World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html), and I find this country really interesting. Here are some tidbits for your information:

Belarus Flag

From the Factbook: “A white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears Belarusian national ornamentation in red; the red band color recalls past struggles from oppression, the green band represents hope and the many forests of the country”

Belarus Map

The capital of Belarus is Minsk (identified by the star). The highest peak just west of Minsk is Dzyarzhynskaya Hara (how about that for a name!) topping off at 346 meters (1,130 feet).

Belarus Background

“After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. Since his election in July 1994 as the country's first president, Aleksandr LUKASHENKO has steadily consolidated his power through authoritarian means. Government restrictions on freedom of speech and the press, peaceful assembly, and religion remain in place.” ~CIA – The World Factbook, 12/29/09

To read more about this country, go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bo.html and browse at your own leisure!

Bon Voyage to my sister!

2009-12-28T18:59:00.011-05:00

For the first time, my sister will be almost halfway around the world on a mission trip! And I think it is my fault... (the reason why I said this will come later).

My sister is en route to Frankfurt, Germany abroad Lufthansa Flight #419. She left Dulles International Airport this afternoon at 6:14 pm and is scheduled to arrive by 8:04 am (around 2:00 am our time). She will connect with a 10:50 am flight scheduled to arrive at 2:10 pm in Minsk, Belarus. She will remain in this country until January 9th, and come back home on January 10th.

Why, out of all places, is she going to Belarus? After joining the America-Belarusian Relief Organization (if you are interested in learning more about this organization, please visit http://www.abro.org/) at Frederick Church of the Brethren (http://www.fcob.net/) this past year as a co-coordinator, she was able to bring two hearing and four deaf children from orphanages in Belarus to America this past summer for six weeks. Several of our families in the church hosted those kids, and the entire congregation were graced by their presence for this brief time. For those who are involved and interested, ABRO organizes occasional mission trips to Belarus to encourage host families and volunteers in America to visit children in Belarusian orphanages. Many good things have been said about the past mission trips, and after some persuading, my sister was convinced that this trip was for her this year.

Over the course of the next two weeks, my sister will be traveling with a group of people and visit several hearing and deaf orphanages, bring them toys and clothes, and look for some new orphans to bring back to America next summer. I have a detailed itinerary of what my sister will do on each day, and I will let you know what the plans are over the next two weeks. She also will be sending me occasional updates during her trip, and I will be sure to post it here to keep all of you informed! In addition to the above information, I will add some details about Belarus and what deaf orphans face there.

Your prayers are needed - the entire ABRO missions team will appreciate it! Until tomorrow!

Christmas Tree – A Concise History

2009-12-10T11:41:00.001-05:00

I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this e-mail message I received from my sister, but this is a fascinating story behind the Christmas tree. Feel free to correct any of mis-information here. Enjoy!

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Nothing says Christmas like an evergreen tree. Of all the symbols of the holiday, it is the one we see most often. The story of the tree is one we should not just know but also share. Without this understanding, putting up the tree might just become another unwelcome chore rather than an exercise in love and faith. For your holidays to be full, rich, and rewarding, you need to shine a new light on your tree....

Long ago evergreens were held in awe by Viking warriors. These powerful men knew winters that were long and harsh, in which many living things did not survive. During these bleak days, almost all plant life ceased to exist, and many animals starved to death. Stranded outdoors, a man could freeze to death. Yet in these horrid conditions, the evergreen not only survived; it thrived. Its vitality was so great, it seemed nothing could harm it. Because of that unique strength, the tree was seen as a source of mystery and power. Vikings prayed to their gods that they could be as strong and resilient as the fir tree.
When early Christian missionaries began explaining faith to these feared warriors, they used the evergreen as an example of God's undying love. They told the Vikings that even in their bleakest and darkest days, Christ would be with them. Their faith, like the evergreen, would survive every test. By putting this Christian lesson into a visible context, the missionaries helped thousands understand the love of God and the sacrifice of his Son. Yet the symbol of the evergreen and its tie to faith were not limited to Scandinavia.

In the seventh century Saint Boniface, an English missionary, came across a trio of men gathered around a huge oak tree in central Europe. One man was holding a small boy who had been chosen as a sacrifice to the god Thor. Boniface raced up to the old tree and struck the trunk with his fist. The mighty oak shuddered and fell to the ground. As the dust settled, a tiny fir tree became visible just behind where the oak had stood. Boniface pointed to that little sprout and explained that the evergreen was the Tree of Life and stood for the eternal salvation offered by Christ. He also pointed to the triangular shape of the fir tree and explained that the three points represented the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Over the centuries, Boniface's "sermon" would be used thousands of times by missionaries all over the world. Long before the printing press was invented, the evergreen became the first Christian "tract" used in witnessing....

Knowing the way the evergreen was used to help lead the lost to faith can help keep your focus on the real reason why we celebrate Christmas. Every Christmas tree you see will be a reminder of the power of faith. That alone should make viewing Christmas trees a much more moving experience. Through sharing this story with your family and friends, you will spread the special, original meaning of the Christmas tree, which is the evergreen's connection to missionary work and reaching out to others. In fact, if your tree becomes a symbol of a love that will not die, it can be one of the greatest reminders of the gift God gave us in that humble manger. Furthermore, this understanding will create a door to sharing that good news with others....

To get the most out of your Christmas tree, don't look at it as a sideshow; see it as a treasure with special meaning for the season. Let the trimming of the tree open the vault to stories of past holidays. Create new memories that will live on for future generations. You might even sing a verse of the wonderful old carol about this great holiday tradition.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy leaves are green forever.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy beauty leaves thee never.
Thy leaves are green in summer's prime,
Thy leaves are green at Christmas time.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy leaves are green forever.

Source: Unknown

Number One Priority

2009-11-03T19:54:00.000-05:00

“You must love the students… that’s what matters the most in youth ministry!”

That’s the common statement I face with parents and church leaders in youth ministry. This is one of the major struggles I face – what is the most important priority in a youth ministry? Loving our students unconditionally? Being there for the parents (and making them happy)? Keeping a open communication channel with the church leaders about our activities?

Sure all are important in youth ministry, but are any of them my number one priority?

Jesus faced similar questions when standing before an expert of the Law. Seeking information on how to inherit eternal life, Jesus gave him an uncluttered and succulent answer:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

Jesus stresses the importance of one’s relationship with God above loving or serving others; this principle applies to everyone, youth ministry or not. If anyone reverses this order, it can have a devastating effect on one’s spiritual life.

Loving God might not be difficult if done so in a static environment; it can become quite challenging when pressures of life and conflicting expectations takes hold in our lives. I’m guilty of this because it is easy to serve others under the guise of “I’m loving others because I want to show my love of God.” While there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this, I find it easy to push aside my personal spiritual growth and time with the Lord when things get busy. In fact, I do this so often that I find myself burnt out and exhausted, wondering what happened.

Doug Fields explains it clearly:

“Failure to see the difference between loving God (focusing on him) and loving others (doing ministry) can result in a ministry-focused life rather than a God-focused life” (Youth Leader Training on the Go).

I preach to my ministry colleagues that the greatest aim for a youth worker – no matter what happens – is to pursue and love God. Once this is achieved, people can reveal God’s love clearly by serving others.

The Potter Works Only with Soft Clay!

2009-10-12T10:14:00.001-04:00

It has been a while since I updated this blog the last time, and many events has transpired in my life. However, I came across this delicious piece that I couldn’t resist sharing with you from a special edition of the Gospel for Asia News Magazine. This piece was written by K.P. Yohannan, the Editor-in-Chief. Enjoy, and be refreshed!

When I was a boy, growing up in India, I often went to a potter’s house near my high school. I was fascinated to watch him make clay vessels. During those visits, I never saw the potter take a hardened lump of clay and put it on his wheel to make something out of it. He, just like every other potter in the world, used only soft and tender clay to work with. So does God!

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God is like a potter and His people are the clay He wants to form into a beautiful vessel. In order to accomplish this, God looks for soft and pliable hearts.

Man measures the quality and usefulness of a person by his education, ability and expertise. Yet God determines his true value by the condition of his heart: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

What happens if the Clay Is Hard?

If the clay is hard, the potter will spend days pouring water on it and pounding it thoroughly until it becomes soft. It took God 20 long years of “pouring and pounding” until Jacob’s heart became soft enough. Moses needed 40 years of desert life to become the meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3) who could lead Israel out of Egypt.

The Bible warns us not to harden our hearts: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

It is possible for us as believers to have a tender heart for a season, but then when God speaks to us about an issue, to choose not to humble ourselves but rather to harden our hearts. This is not a good place for us to be, because the Bible declares: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

The Lord will not let us go. He will allow circumstances to pound us so our hearts will once again become soft and pliable. The people of Israel are the perfect example of this. Just think of how many times God allowed them to face famines, hardships, oppression, defeat, and captivity in order to soften their hearts and help them return to Him!

What Causes Our Hearts to Become Hard?

Being poisoned by negative talk. One person in a church or ministry is dissatisfied, bitter, critical and unwilling to change. He starts to talk negatively and poisons others. Soon the atmosphere of love among the brothers and sisters is replaced by disunity, anger and hardness of heart toward each other and the Lord.

An elevated view of ourselves. We feel important because we do something significant for God’s Kingdom, and we don’t recognize that our hearts is filled with pride, arrogance and an exalted view of ourselves. Often the symptoms don’t show up until years later when our heart is no longer soft in the Potter’s hand.

Rebellion. Any form of rebellion is like a tiny seed that, if not dealt with, will grow and eventually harden our heart and bring destruction. It begins with a tiny issue or a thought like this one: “Who does he think he is to tell me what to do? My life is none of his business!” – and it ultimately ends in death.

What Should We Do to Keep Our Hearts Soft?

Don’t take God’s grace for granted. Grace is given to those who are humble, not to those who are right or feel indispensable.

Watch over your heart (Proverbs 4:23). Don’t keep company with those who spread negative talk, sow disunity or have a rebellious spirit. Love them and pray for them, but have no part with them. Believe me, you and I are not strong enough to withstand the poison they spread. It’s in the atmosphere, and we breathe it in whether we intend to or not.

Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21). Don’t fight for your rights. Be willing to give up something. Learn to let it be.

Don’t think of yourself more highly than you should (Romans 12:3). Remember that all the gifts, talents and ministry you have are given to you by the Lord. Nothing is of yourself. It’s all God’s grace.

Be careful from whom you receive your counsel. That’s especially important when you are disappointed because your expectations are not met. Don’t go to a brother or sister who is not mature in the Lord and who sympathizes and agrees with your complaints and tears. Instead, go to someone who is mature and who can help you see the hand of God and His purpose behind the things you face.

Repent and run to the cross. If need be, do this a thousand times a day to maintain the tenderness of your heart. Whenever you seek the limelight, want to take credit, get hurt or when your expectations are not fulfilled and your plan don’t work out, don’t fight; go to the cross.

God always seek to do one thing with us on the Potter’s wheel – not to make us more powerful and famous, but to make us more like HIs Son, the Lord Jesus.

www.gfa.org/5minutes

Seasons

2009-06-23T16:51:00.001-04:00

Exultation. Despair. Triumph. Defeat. Contentment. Frustration. Pride. Disappointment.

I have experienced all of those emotions – plus many more – in the last three years since I became a youth worker. And thus is my story.

Often, I feel like waving a white flag because I was tired of ministry. I didn’t want to be around teenagers sometime because I’m selfish. I would rather to be narcissistic rather than a servant. Sometime I wonder aloud if God wants me in this position because my heart doesn’t feel wholly into it. My ardent love for God fades when I face tough times in my personal life and ministry. I impulsively cry out, “Why, God,” when things don’t go well. I yell at God when bad things happens, and argue with Him relentlessly to get things done my way (actually, what right do I have to argue with the King who can take my life at a moment’s notice?).

Sadly but true, I do get ashamed of the Gospel sometime – the very thing that should give me endless joy and passion to share with everyone. I hide it out of fear, discouragement, and a momentarily lack of hope. I even run away from the eternal wellspring of Life without realizing it.

It is during those times when I want to abandon the call God has given me – and even my faith. Essentially, the fire within my heart was a dying ember enclosed within the ashes of its former glory. I knew deep within me that my life belonged to the King of kings, but I felt abandoned. I knew that God is always there for me. He never forsook or abandoned me. Yet I try in vain to run away from God just like the prophet Jonah.

Unbeknownst to me, God allowed me to grow distant from Him so I develop a holy longing for His divine Presence.

Sooner than later, I realized how depraved and worthless I was before God. I become horrified of the amount of sin in my life. I cringe at things that I have done. That’s when I turn around and run into my Father’s arms. I enter into His loving Presence in repentance. I start to drink the nectar of Life that flows from Him. The dying embers deep within me are fanned and rejuvenated, transforming into an all-consuming fire.

While cognizant of and consumed by His blazing Love, it is when I am reminded of the call God has placed in my heart. It is when I rise up from the ashes and faithfully press forward. It is when I am reminded of the high cost of following Christ. It is when I am strengthened and encouraged to face the world again. It is when I am reminded of my youth’s faces, the precious gifts God has given to this world. It is when I gaze at the face of Christ and am satisfied.

Thus sums up the seasons, the ebbs and flows, the waxing and waning, of a youth worker’s life. Minus all the titles and privileges I have in my life, less all the accolades received, while standing in the presence of God I am merely a Man, a condemned criminal forgiven by the anointing and redeeming blood of Christ.

Essentially, I am a saint and a sinner, eternally a willing prisoner to His Love.

---

“Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

~Isaiah 40:27-31

God Texts the Ten Commandments

2009-06-08T15:43:00.005-04:00

I found this online, and thought I would share you this rather humorous piece. Enjoy!

---

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.

2. dnt wrshp pix/idols

3. no omg's

4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool

6. dnt kill ppl

7. :-X only w/ m8

8. dnt steal

9. dnt lie re: bf

10. dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.

ttyl,
JHWH.

ps. wwjd?

Source: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2009/6/3quatro.html

American Capitalism Gone With a Whimper?

2009-06-08T00:35:00.004-04:00

I discovered an interesting piece written by Stanislav Mishin, a blogger and columnist for the Russian newspaper Pravda (from American Family Association, www.afa.net). After reading, leave a comment about your thoughts on this, in addition to whether you agree or not. Enjoy!

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It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather than the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas than the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us (Russia) about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blinds the foolish.

Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox (Russian Orthodox) churches are scandalously liberalized in America.

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more than another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more than ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?

These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters.

Then came Barack Obama's command that GM's (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of "pure" free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.

So it should be no surprise that the American president has followed this up with a "bold" move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.

Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper...but a "freeman" whimper.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set "fair" maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.

The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left.

The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.

Stanislav Mishin
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/mishin1.html

TEA Party 2009

2009-04-15T10:01:00.004-04:00

When government fears people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. ~Thomas Jefferson

Today marks a historical day in America - all over the nation, there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Parties. Inspired by the December 16, 1773 Boston Tea Party, America's first grassroots movement, American citizens will gather peacefully at their local city halls to protest the runaway spending, larger government, and the projected tax increases that has been imposed on our generation and our future children by Barack Hussein Obama and his "Change" administration. I'm not here to argue about whether his spending policies were appropriate or on whether Classical or Keynesian economic philosophies are effective - I'm talking about the prospect of our hard-earned money going to the ballooning size of our magnificent government.

In response to this movement, I've affixed a tea bag on my car's rear view mirror in support of this effort. I can't go to my local rally, but I won't be silent - I hope that the government will hear the loud voices of many disgruntled citizens to stop spending money and pulling us deeper in debt. If they don't, then democracy is on our side at the ballots.

I found it amusing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a report to watch out for "right-wing extremism." If DHS categorizes this movement as a form of extremism, that means the government is trying to discredit and minimize this event. Yes, terrorism risk is always present in the post 9-11 America, but that's not the reason why they issued such a report. As some critics assure, this is a veiled attempt by the government to label conservatism as a form of extremism (which DHS has denied earlier this year).

Here's my simple analysis: the government fears the voice of the People. They know that American people are able to bring change if they deem the government unsuitable, as is revealed in the Constitution. If no such fear exists in the government, liberty would have been stamped out; we, the People, have achieved Liberty today.

UPDATE (04/17/09): There will be another TEA party on July 4th, appropriately named "American Freedom Day TEA Party" - check out www.taxdayteaparty.com for more information!

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

2009-04-10T20:33:00.000-04:00

This timeless hymn really resonates in my heart, especially since it being the holiest week of a Christian's calendar. I have read this hymn several times, and been struck with the poignancy and vivacity of these words. Take 15 minutes - I challenge you - and meditate on the content of these words.

Written by Paul Gerhardt (1607 - 1676)

O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, Thine only crown.
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss, till now was Thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call Thee mine.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee,
Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee
And flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish
That once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished
Their color, once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished
The splendor that was there.
Grim Death, with cruel rigor,
Hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou has lost Thy vigor,
Thy strength, in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion,
Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression
Which brought this woe on thee.
I cast me down before Thee,
Wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee;
Redeemer, spurn me not!

My Shepherd, now receive me;
My Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me,
O Source of gifts divine!
Thy lips have often fed me
With words of truth and love,
Thy Spirit oft hath led me
To heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee,
From Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me!
When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish
In death's cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish,
Thee in mine arms I'll clasp.

The joy can ne'er be spoken,
Above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken
I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of life, desiring
Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring,
I'd breathe my soul to Thee.

What language shall I borrow
To thank Thee, dearest Friend,
For this, Thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
Oh, make me thine forever!
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never,
Outlive my love for Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me
When death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me,
Forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish,
Oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish
By virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my Consolation,
My Shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy Passion
When my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee,
Upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfold Thee.
Who dieth thus dies well!

Reid, Pelosi, and the dying priest

2009-04-07T14:38:00.003-04:00

I came across the joke this week from Patriot Humor, a publication of The Patriot Post (www.patriotpost.us), and I could not resist to share it with you all. Enjoy!

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The old priest lay dying in the hospital. For years he had faithfully served the people of the nation's capital. He motioned for his nurse to come near.

"Yes, Father?" said the nurse. "I would really like to see Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi before I die", whispered the priest. "I'll see what I can do, Father" replied the nurse.

The nurse sent the request to them and waited for a response. Soon the word arrived. Harry and Nancy would be delighted to visit the priest. As they went to the hospital, Harry commented to Nancy "I don't know why the old priest wants to see us, but it will certainly help our images." Nancy couldn't help but agree.

When they arrived at the priest's room, the priest took Nancy's hand in his right hand and Harry's hand in his left. There was silence and a look of serenity on the old priest's face.

Finally Nancy spoke. "Father, of all the people you could have chosen, why did you choose us to be with you as you near the end?"

The old priest slowly replied, "I have always tried to pattern my life after my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

The old priest continued...

"He died between two lying thieves. I would like to do the same."

Behind the desk - Article from SYM

2009-03-11T10:28:00.001-04:00

I got this short yet to-the-point article that got me thinking about planning for youth ministry events in general... behind a desk. Read, and be challenged!

behind the desk

I often find myself developing great new ways to engage and work with teenagers. The strange thing is they all involve me sitting behind my desk. ...

The Search for a Godly Spouse

2009-02-09T21:45:00.001-05:00

My sister sent me an e-mail link to a summary of Focus on the Family's daily radio broadcast about an interesting topic we all should think about: what to look for in a godly spouse. This resource is wonderful for me because I'm currently dating someone, and I will need to use this measuring stick to evaluate her (and all other women if this one doesn't work out) in order to discover if she is "the one."

Women: the man you someday marry should...

Be continually growing closer to Jesus Christ
Demonstrate integrity
Be a bold leader
Love sacrificially
Laugh heartily, especially at himself
Model genuine humility

Men: the woman you someday marry should...

Have a personal faith in Jesus Christ
Possess inner beauty, not just outer
Be an initiative taker and have an attitude of submission
Be a wife who will help build her husband's confidence
Display kindness
Have a sense of humor

Source: http://listen.family.org/miscdaily/A000001794.cfm?utm_id=emailafriend&utm_campaign=1

Kathy J. Meagher, 50 - A Obituary

2009-01-25T17:38:00.001-05:00

While on a youth retreat with my students this past weekend, I received news that Kathy Meagher, a long-time principal for Maryland School for the Deaf, has passed away from a "long courageous battle against cancer." I have been blessed to know her as a friend at school because she was prominent in allowing me to freely share my faith through the See You at the Pole (SYATP) prayer rallies and in my Senior yearbook (2005). I hoped to visit her sometime before too long, but circumstances did not allow for that visit to happen. However, I'm relieved to know that she is now with our Father in Heaven and free of cancer. My prayers and condolences goes to the Meagher and Staab families as they cope with the loss of their loved one.

Here's her obituary from The Herald-Mail for your information.

JUNE 22, 1958-JANUARY 22, 2009

FREDERICK, Md. - Kathy Jo Meagher (nee Staab), 50, of Frederick, Md., died Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, at home surrounded by her family after a long courageous battle against cancer. She is survived by her husband of 21 years, Richard T. Meagher and their children, Kathryn, 18, Emily, 17 and Matthew, 13.

Kathy was born June 22, 1958, in Mountville, Pa., to Kathryn Pauline (Rottmund) Staab and the late Joseph Patrick Staab. She is also survived by her brother, Michael Staab and his wife, Terry, of Lititz, Pa. She was an aunt and great-aunt to numerous nieces and nephews.

Kathy earned her bachelor's degree from Bloomsburg (Pa.) State College with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in Deaf Education. She received her master's degree from State University of New York, Geneseo, in Deaf Education for students ages 3 through 21.

She worked her entire career at Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick, where she retired as principal in 2005. She began her career there as a teacher in 1981 and also served as a supervising teacher.

Kathy was a longtime member of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church.

The family will receive friends Monday, Jan. 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Keeney and Basford Funeral Home, 106 E. Church St., Frederick. A Christian wake will be held Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Online condolences can be shared with the family at www.keeneybasford.com

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church, 118 E. Second St., Frederick. Interment will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Frederick. The Rev. Richard J. Murphy will be celebrant.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Kathy J. Meagher Memorial Scholarship for students affected by cancer in care of The Community Foundation of Frederick County, 312 E. Church St., Frederick, MD 21701.

Atheists' Holy Day: April 1st

2009-01-10T10:22:00.001-05:00

I received this story through an e-mail forward message, and it was too good to let it pass! Enjoy!

In Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover holy days. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case Against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days. The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring,"Case dismissed!"

The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying, "Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others. The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah,yet my client and all other atheists have no such holidays."

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant."

The lawyer said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned."

Unusual Words

2009-01-05T18:24:00.001-05:00

Adoxography - Skilled writing on an unimportant subject

Gargalesthesia - The sensation caused by tickling

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian - Pertaining to extremely long words (Bruce's note: that's pretty obvious here...)

Oculoplania - Letting one's eyes wander while assessing someone's charms

I bet you don't know those words! Go to Unusual Words to find many more of those words and impress your colleagues, professors, or even your parents!

Happy spelling!

23 Photographic Truths

2009-01-05T13:35:00.001-05:00

1) The best scenic views are clearly designated by highway signs reading NO STOPPING ANYTIME.

2) Edward Steichen owned a three-legged dog, which he named Tripod.

3) The Post Office folds all parcels containing photographs.

4) Camera straps never fail above soft surfaces.

5) Lens caps can become invisible at will.

6) Financial success in photography is directly related to proper choice of subject matter. Falling airplanes, exploding volcanoes, and certain Presidential motorcades work best.

7) No two light meters agree.

8) The work "Daguerreotype" cannot be spelled correctly.

9) A new Hasselblad would take better pictures than your present camera.

10) 1/60 at f/8 is the correct exposure for all photographs.

11) When your friends finally realize that you are a true artist, committed to making sensitive and meaningful images, they will ask you to photograph their wedding.

12) Color slide viewing cures insomnia.

13) On any tripod, only two legs work properly.

14) Dust spot are attracted to sky areas.

15) YES, DARKROOM PHOTOGRAPHERS DO IT IN THE DARK... but they have to stop every thirty seconds to agitate.

16) There is nothing wrong with a Point & Shoot camera that a SLR can't cure.

17) Ansel Adams has three Secret Zones known only to him.

18) Fast ISO speeds compensate for slow photographers.

19) Mounting a photograph is a misdemeanor in Arkansas.

20) Owning more than one lens assures that you will always have the wrong lens on the camera for any given picture.

21) A camera store will charge $200 to repair a camera that has been adjusted with a butter knife.

22) Falling lenses are attracted to rocks.

23) Into every life a little dust and digital noise must fall.

Our Situation - from Ransomed Heart

2008-12-30T23:28:00.001-05:00

Let me say this again: the story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it. I hope you are beginning to see that more clearly now. Otherwise, much of the Bible will not make sense to you. Much of your life will not make sense to you.

I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. (Isa. 45:2–3)

Doesn’t the language of the Bible sometimes sound . . . overblown? Really now—God is going to level mountains for us? We’d be happy if he just helped us get through the week. What’s all that about breaking down gates of bronze and cutting through bars of iron? I mean, it sounds heroic, but, well, who’s really in need of that? This isn’t ancient Samaria. We’d settle for a parking place at the mall.

If we are in an epic battle, then the language of the Bible fits perfectly. Things are not what they seem. We are at war. That war is against your heart, your glory. Once more, look at Isaiah 61:1:

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.

(Waking the Dead , 149–50)

(www.ransomedheart.org)

Resolved by the grace of God

2008-12-30T22:28:00.000-05:00

The 2009 crystal ball of the Times Square will fall in a little over twenty- four hours, and American citizens will say good bye to 2008 and ring in 2009. When we welcome the new year with party and fun, we also make personal resolutions to achieve in 2009.

I pledge to lose 15 pounds... I hope I will be able to eat less chocolate... I intend on developing a better relationship with my co-workers.

Don't get me wrong here - most of the resolutions we create are well-intentioned. It is great for people to establish a year-long manifestos to aim for, but is it biblical to make resolutions? In other words, does the Bible encourage us to make our own resolutions?

While reading Tabletalk, a publication of Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul (a year-long subscription gift for Christmas from my parents), Burk Parsons does a super-b job of examining the theology of making resolutions and whether it is biblical-based. I was reminded (and surprised) with the references he provide in his essay.

Let's look at Daniel: "But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's foods or with the wine that he drank." (Daniel 1:8)

And Joseph: "And her [Mary's] husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly." (Matthew 1:19)

Even Paul made many resolutions (1 Corinthians 10:14-32; Colossians 3:12-17), but I'll cite one here from 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12: "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Bottom line: the Bible not only gives us permission to make resolutions, but also gives us several examples of various godly men who resolved to live for Him in a particular manner for a particular reason.

Jonathan Edwards, a famous Puritan pastor and philosopher who lived during the eighteenth century in colonial America, made seventy resolutions in his so-called "Resolutions," and his work was commenced with a simple introduction:

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

Jonathan Edwards' simplicity impresses me because at a mere age of nineteen (only a few years younger than me), he already knew his weaknesses (do we?) and the destructive nature of his sins, so he made a simple resolution to glorify God and pursue holiness; we should draw from his example to make our own resolutions. First, he had to be reasonable when he makes his resolutions. Second, he needed God's help in keeping his resolutions because he was weak. Third, he had to humble himself and recognize that he cannot do it alone. Finally, his resolutions must be made for Christ's sake (or within God's will) so that He may be glorified. In essence, he is a young man pursuing the heart of God, and wants to glorify Him through every word, deed, and thought he makes - which includes his resolutions.

May we learn from Jonathan Edwards' simple words filled with wisdom on resolution-making for 2009 and beyond!

Advisory Team of the Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network

2008-12-16T20:28:00.001-05:00

I got an e-mail message tonight at 6:00 pm from Bob Ayres (www.bobayres.com), a respected colleague of mine involved with Deaf Teen Ministry, inviting me to join the Advisory Team of the Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network of the National Network of Youth Ministries. I was humbled that the existing Advisory team and Bob would want me to be a part of their group. As a result, I've decided that I would accept his invitation.

Read the message below if you are interested. I will be adding the link to the Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network - check that out!

*~*

Dear Bruce,

On behalf of Chad Entinger, Bob Rhoads, Jeremy Simons, and myself, we would like to extend an invitation to you to join the Advisory Team of the Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network of the National Network of Youth Ministries.

You can see the existing members under “About Network” at www.deafministry.org

Due to the nature of this network, there is little work responsibility attached to this role outside of providing advice and feedback. It will not be a burden on top of your already busy schedule. The importance of the Advisory Team is primarily for showing members that the Affinity Network represents a number of ministries and not just a single ministry.

Each member of the team has approved this request and we all hope you will join us. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. We are honored to serve Christ beside you.

Blessings,

Bob Ayres

NNYM Network Coordinator

Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network

Model for Deaf ministry music videos

2008-12-12T23:34:00.003-05:00

I saw this great music video from D-PAN (Deaf Performing Arts Network), and a question emerged: how are we doing with videos to reach our Deaf teenagers? I think this type of artistic quality - impressive, I must admit - would help Deaf youth ministries to be more creative with their outreach videos and make it more appealing for teenagers. All we need to do is find someone skilled in Videography...

Although the website is a little too liberal for my taste, Project Readon is the first website I found that offers a great idea to use along with videos for the Deaf: captions. By producing quality music videos and adding captions, I believe our teenagers will be able to obtain the Gospel message in yet another way that may prove to be effective.

The YouTube video below is the version without any captions; the link will connect you to Project Readon to view the captioned version.

Link to captioned versionof the music video: Project Readon

Prayer for the USA

2008-12-12T23:00:00.001-05:00

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.

We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!

~Billy Graham

Hood Finals Week Completed!

2008-12-12T22:36:00.001-05:00

The past week went by like a whirlwind.

And it was also tough. Really tough.

This was my last week of my semester at Hood College, and it means one thing: final exams (my college buddies know what it means at Hood). I took the following classes along with their respective course numbers:

- ECON 328 - Labor Economics

- ECON 305 - Principles of Macroeconomics

- PSY 208 - Psychology of Adolescence (awesome class!)

- MGMT 402 - Business Finance

Except for PSY 208, all of my classes' finals were ridiculously long and hard. I took my exams from Tuesday through Friday, and I basically sacrificed my previous weekend solely to studies. The third floor of Beneficial-Hudson Library has become my second home - I think I have spent approximately 40 to 50 hours studying there this week alone. I gave up my time, sleep, and energy for the sake of finishing well this semester. At times, I felt like quitting, but knowing that the end was approaching, I pressed forward to do my best.

I'm glad to report to you this: I think I did well on all of my exams, especially in my mind-blowing hard class (MGMT 402).

I'm feeling jovial now! One more semester, then hello, World!

More Fun Christmas Facts!

2008-12-12T22:19:00.001-05:00

The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.

The poem commonly referred to as "The Night Before Christmas" was originally titled "A Visit From Saint Nicholas." This poem was written by Clement Moore for his children and some guests, one of whom anonymously sent the poem to a New York newspaper for publication.

The popular Christmas song "Jingle Bells" was composed in 1857 by James Pierpont, and was originally called "One-Horse Open Sleigh."

The real St. Nicholas lived in Turkey, where he was bishop of the town of Myra, in the early 4th century. It was the Dutch who first made him into a Christmas gift-giver, and Dutch settlers brought him to America where his name eventually became the familiar Santa Claus.

Jesus Christ, son of Mary, was born in a cave, not in a wooden stable. Caves were used to keep animals in because of the intense heat. A large church is now built over the cave, and people can go down inside the cave. The carpenters of Jesus' day were really stone cutters. Wood was not used as widely as it is today. So whenever you see a Christmas nativity scene with a wooden stable -- that's the "American" version, not the Biblical one.

Originally, Christmas decorations were home-made paper flowers, or apples, biscuits, and sweets. The earliest decorations to be bought came from Nuremburg in Germany, a city famous for the manufacture of toys. Lauscha in Germany is famous for its glass ornaments. In 1880, America discovered Lauscha and F.W. Woolworth went there and bought a few glass Christmas tree ornaments. Within a day he had sold out so next year he bought more and within a week they, too, had sold. The year after that be bought 200,000 Lauscha ornaments. During the First World War supplies of ornaments from Lauscha ceased, so American manufacturers began to make their own ornaments, developing new techniques that allowed them to turn out as many ornaments in a minute as could be made in a whole day at Lauscha.”

Pearls Before Breakfast

2008-12-09T17:35:00.004-05:00

I ran across this fascinating story of an acclaimed violist named John Bell who played in DC Metro at L'Enfant Plaza for free - all a part of an experiment by Washington Post to see if anyone appreciates music in midst of a rush hour traffic. Although this story is a bit long and is written like a novel, this is worth the read. Here's the link:

John Bell's performance at L'Enfant Plaza

This story reminded me of how people acted two thousand years ago during Christmas when Jesus - Israel's long-awaited Messiah - arrived as an infant. Only few people noticed; many probably walked past the stable because they were too busy. May we not become too busy and walk by Jesus' birthday without pausing and admiring the arrival of our King!

Fun Christmas Facts

2008-12-05T09:05:00.001-05:00

Since Christmas is approaching, I thought I would get you into the spirit of Christmas. I will be posting a few fun Christmas facts from now and then to help you see different meanings within symbolisms and how Christmas has evolved over the history. Enjoy!

“The "Twelve Days of Christmas" was originally written to help Catholic children, in England, remember different articles of faith during the persecution by Protestant Monarchs. The "true love" represented God, and the gifts all different ideas:

The "Partridge in a pear tree" was Christ.
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity-- the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which relays the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of Creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

The best selling Christmas trees are Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir, Fraser fir, Virginia pine, Balsam fir and white pine.

The Christmas turkey first appeared on English tables in the 16th century, but didn't immediately replace the traditional fare of goose, beef or boar's head in the rich households.

The custom of singing Christmas carols is very old - the earliest English collection was published in 1521.

The first Christmas card was created in England on December 9, 1842.

New York City's Empire State Building's world famous tower lights are turned off every night at midnight with the exception of New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and St. Patrick's Day, when they are illuminated until 3 a.m.”

Wanted: Real, Fearless Men for Leaders

2008-11-12T11:17:00.001-05:00

This morning, I was digesting this great article from Boundless, a ministry of Focus on Family - Real Men Risks Rejection - and I learned some vital issues that guys will need to consider in a Biblical relationship (and marriage): taking leadership. In spite of the current-day (radical) feminist movement, where women say, "*bleep* guys! We can take care of ourselves," I have met many women throughout my life who have confided to me a counter-culture statement:

Where are the godly men who are willing to risk it all to pursue my heart?"

A few years ago, I had no idea what it means and the potential cost it would be for me to pursue a girl's heart. I have always liked to have a relationship with girls because of the benefits that comes with it (note to my readers: by the word "benefit," I mean someone who listens and share feelings well with, someone who I can spend time with doing fun things, and someone who I can talk with - all short of sexual intimacy). However, I have been learning slowly over the past few months the great beauty of committing myself to a single woman for a whole lifetime, and to take the "until death do we part" vow to a whole new level.

One of the biggest hindrances faced by all single men is pride. While this is not an acceptable excuse for our lack of leadership, we struggle with many kinds of fears in our life - all stemming from the curse of pride. The writer puts it succinctly about the forms of fear guys face:

"Maybe we don't want to risk her rejection, because we've invested a lot of ourselves in what she thinks of us. Maybe we don't want to risk failure, because our self-image is wrapped up in success, including relational success. Maybe we don't want to risk the ridicule of the guys, who'll tease us for not landing someone "better." Maybe we don't want to risk commitment, because we fear being that exposed to another person."

Ladies, I'm speaking here in behalf of all struggling single guys. Please forgive us if we have failed to express our interest in pursuing you. We ask you for your grace and patience while we garner the courage and humility needed to take leadership (and even risk rejection). We are flattered if you are interested in pursuing us, but we ask you to allow us madly and passionately pursue you within the context of a Biblical relationship. That is what drives us to be fully alive, just like the passion God has for His people. And yes, you have our permission to reject us if you are not interested in us.

---

By the way, single guys, I have a few great links for you to explore and help you become bold and fearless godly men!

- Boundless.org just released a free resource: "A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well," and it looks awesome! To get this, go to this link, http://www.boundless.org/guys/, and enter your e-mail address to get this guidebook. It is definitely something I plan to read soon!

- There is a "Define The Relationship" (DTR) assessment that you can take any time you are wondering about whether to initiate a relationship with a girl or to take your dating/courting relationship to the next level: marriage. A great find!

Render to Obama all things that are Obama's

2008-11-08T23:03:00.001-05:00

"Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." ~Matthew 22:21

Since Barack Hussein Obama was elected as a president, a friend of mine mentioned this verse to me, and I've been meditating on it for well over four days. To be honest, the election results was a bit disappointing for me because I wanted McCain to win, in addition to my distrust for Obama due to his questionable history and associations with a few radical individuals.

What exactly does "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's," and what implications it has to my own spiritual life?

Jesus was discussing the importance of paying taxes to Caesar and giving God our "first fruits" in terms of time, talent, and treasure, but this verse also has an important degree to the current selection of the successor for President Bush.

Although Obama claimed that he would reduce taxes for 95% of the middle-class Americans who earns less than $250,000 per annum (that number has been muddied recently - $120,000 according to Gov. Richardson of New Mexico), I have a strong feeling that our taxes will be increased once Obama takes the presidency. And when taxes increases, people will be more tempted to evade taxes. When people evades taxes, the IRS will be hot on their tails to throw them in the slammer. You know, IRS probably would swallow the key and leave those people to rot until they pay their taxes.

"Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." ~Romans 13:7

Render unto Caesar all the taxes.

Render unto Caesar all the revenue.

Render unto Caesar all respect.

Render unto Caesar all deserved honor.

Replace the term "Caesar" with "Obama," and you still have the same meaning within this context. Paul encourages us to pay all applicable taxes, report all revenues, give respect and honor to government officials. In fact, it was God who established the government to maintain law and order in this fallen world (Romans 13). God commands us to honor our governmental officials and follow the law of the land, as long as they do not violate God's commandments.

Many of you probably are disappointed with the results of the election, and wish that it would have turned out differently. I share the same sentiments with you, but the American people have spoken on November 4th, 2008. As God's people, we must pray for our nation and the president-elect so that he may successfully lead our nation. We will disagree with some of his decisions, and maybe even become angry with what he does. But do not lose hope, for God is in control here and He has our best interest in His mind.

Remember, my friends: our God is sovereign, and whatever happens in the future is a part of His plan. He will rise up godly and ungodly leaders to lead a nation (look at the Israeli kings throughout 1 and 2 Kings for evidence) in order to accomplish His divine purpose. Barack Hussein Obama was already predestinated by God to lead this nation, and we who profess Christ as our savior and lord of life must give Obama all respect and honor he deserves, and pay our taxes if he demands for money. The money we have are not ours, for they belong to God alone - he just "loaned" them to us to use for His kingdom.

Render unto Obama all things that are Obama's, and to God all things that are His. AMEN.

Election 2008

2008-11-04T09:34:00.001-05:00

At 8:01 am, I used the right endowed by the Creator to cast my first ballot for the 2008 Presidential Election. I voted for the following items:

- McCain/Palin as the next president for United States of America (this is is a better alternative than Obama/Biden)

- Roscoe Bartlett as a representative for District 6 of Maryland

- Fischer and Hartings for the Washington County school board

- "No" on Amendment 1 to allow for early voting

- "No" on Amendment 2 to allow video gambling in Maryland

I'm hoping that the following items will be put on the ballot for decision in the future elections:

- Amendment to define marriage between one man and one woman

- Amendment to ban stem cell research on embryos and supporting research on adult stem cell - a more ethical alternative

Tonight after my meeting with a mentor, I will be hunkering at my home to watch the election coverage on Fox News, the most fair news station on the cable.

No matter what happens, God's sovereign will will be accomplished - no president can change his predestinated plans!

TVs Make Teens Pregnant

2008-11-04T09:04:00.001-05:00

Here's an interesting tidbit I got from an e-mail newsletter this morning. This article reminds me of the important role people who work with the youth have to help our students to make right media choices. Enjoy the read!

__________

"A new report suggests that television may be playing a starring role in your child's sex education. In a study of 2,003 teens aged 12-17, scientist Anita Chandra of RAND Research found that children who watched programs with "high levels of sexual content" were almost twice as likely to become pregnant as kids with limited exposure to such shows. The study, which was released today in the journal Pediatrics, is said to be the first to establish a real link between teen pregnancy and racy programming. When asked what shows they preferred, kids admitted to watching "Sex and the City," as well as the innuendo-heavy "Friends," "That '70s" Show," and reality fare. "This might surprise people, but sitcoms had the highest sexual content," Chandra said. Yet for all the glamorization of sex, very little attention has been paid to its consequences. "If teens are getting any of their information about sex from TV, they're very rarely going to get a balanced portrayal," Chandra said. "When there is [sexual content], how often is it coupled with a discussion of [the risks]?" Not very often, according to the Kaiser Foundation. A few years ago, it found that only 10 percent of shows with adult content made a passing reference to the dangers of sexual activity. Of course, RAND's research is far from the first blemish on television's record. Scientists have compiled quite a case against TV, which includes everything from early sexual activity and heightened aggression to an increased rate of STDs. Now that teen pregnancy has been added to the list, I can't help but wonder-when has television been associated with anything positive? While it's easy to become enraged with Hollywood, the burden of protecting our children falls on us. We cannot be complacent about what our kids are watching and expect them to take our values seriously. Sex education-or the lack of it-starts in the home. Don't let your television do the talking. Send your kids a clear message on abstinence before their innocence goes right down the tubes."

Additional Resources: Reuters- Study links teen pregnancy to sexy TV shows

~FRC Action Update, November 3, 2008

Redefining the middle class

2008-10-31T14:24:00.001-04:00

I thought that you might be interested in this article: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/31/low-richardson-pegs-middle-class-making/#

Share your thoughts here.

2008-10-31T14:09:00.003-04:00

Since it is Halloween, or the eve of all saints, I could not help but be entertained by this picture - truly comical! It pokes fun at Obama's "spread the wealth" comment.

Enjoy, my comrades! Oh, and please do vote!

Fall into Grace

2008-10-28T10:39:00.001-04:00

This weekend I got a new take on an old phrase. I had the privilege of being at a church that was born out of failure. Its pastor had a fall from grace forcing him to lose his high position as heir apparent to a 6,000-member congregation and requiring him to give back a very lucrative book deal, but out of the broken pieces of his life, a new thing has begun. I had the opportunity to participate in the new thing that now has gained a level of legitimacy as a new congregation about ready to move into its first building, and it was an eye-opener.

As a result of its unique beginning, this church has attracted people whose life histories have not exactly followed the good Christian housekeeping seal of approval. They are, many of them, rejects from other churches – dropouts due to their own falls from grace.

And as I pondered this, I wondered why it was the exception to the rule to have a church full of broken people. What are churches supposed to be anyway if not communities of those who need Jesus on a regular basis? Unfortunately in many places, church has become more like a group of people who are all fixed up instead of those who are broken. At least that's what we try to be… The First Church of All the Fixed Up People.

The problem with supposedly being fixed is that you have to do something with the knowledge that deep down inside, you know that you are not – that not everybody is telling the truth about themselves, yourself included, but because we are all "fixed," we can't face the truth. In this light, a fall isn't the worst thing that could happen. If it brings you in touch with the real truth about yourself, and a true understanding of God's grace because you need it so much, it could be the best thing that could ever happen to you.

All I can say is, the place where this pastor has fallen to is a much better place than where he was before he fell. And the more I think about this, the more I am convinced that we have the phrase all wrong. You don't fall from grace; you fall into grace. Grace is not up; grace is down. Grace is what you finally understand when you fall. In fact, until you're down and broken, you can't even know what grace is. Oh you may be able to define it, and illustrate it so that it sounds like you know what you're talking about, but you never know grace until it reaches you personally in the depths of your own brokenness. Thus a fall into grace is really a fall into your salvation.

Fall from grace? Impossible. Grace is already down. Grace is what catches you. You can't fall from grace because there's nowhere else to fall. You're already in the arms of God.

~John Fischer (emphasis mine)

I'll Have A Life... With A Side of Youth Ministry

2008-10-20T20:42:00.001-04:00

I read this great article by www.thesource4ym.com, a site dedicated to Part-time and volunteer youth workers, about how to balance one's time for part-time and volunteer youth workers.

Here's the article: http://www.thesource4ym.com/howdoi/IllHaveALife.asp

Enjoy it with a cup of coffee, and be prepared!

DTQuest's 10/20 Monday Memo Devotional

2008-10-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

Part II - Practical Application

"There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-5)

Paul was explicitly clear about oneness (unity) - one body... one Spirit... one hope... one Lord... one faith... one baptism... one God and Father of all - so we cannot neglect the importance of being unified. What are some of the ways by which DTQ can work with church-based youth ministries? Here are some do-able and useful suggestions:

Sign up for an account through National Network for Youth Ministries (if you have not done so already, here's the link: www.nnym.org) and join Deaf Teen Ministry affinity network (www.deafministry.org). Encourage the churches with Deaf ministry to join as well! This is one of the main tools I've used this as a youth worker to communicate with various ministries across this region, and this is also the main venue by which we plan our retreats, our second one coming up in January. Very beneficial if everyone's committed to it!
Actively seek out churches with Deaf ministries. Look up on the yellow pages, Google them up, check out their websites, and even go up to Deaf people to see if they know any! The churches won't come to parachurch ministries for help (except for a few rare cases), so you will have to reach out to those people. Many churches are willing to collaborate with other ministries and missionary organizations because they want people to know Christ. So, be the initiator!
Connect with Deaf ministry program leaders who are passionate about the youth, and tell them what your vision is all about. Maintaining a regular contact with the church about DTQuest events is also important. Encourage the churches to support your local YFC DTQuest chapter (like ours for YFC-CM DTQuest program) either financially or by providing the usage of facilities. Want to go an extra mile? Set aside an hour for each church every month to sit down and develop or maintain a relationship - a major plus!
Communicate clearly, communicate well, and communicate often - the churches need to know what you are doing with your ministries! First, tell them your vision using crystal-clear terms! If the churches know exactly what you envision - clear communication - they will be more willing to lend a helping hand either financially or materially. Second, choose several vehicles of communication in order to maximize your message delivery to the churches. Use e-mail newsletters, written letters, catchy flyers, announcement boards, church brochures, a biplane with a sign trailing on its back on Sunday mornings - use whatever it requires for you to inform all the churches about your needs - thus communicating well! Finally, make a mental commitment to keep churches posted about how God has been working in your personal lives and ministries - hence communicating often. The church leadership will appreciate it and might even be willing to invest more into your ministries! All you have to do is tell! Ask, seek, and knock... sounds familiar?
Pray - this is the most crucial aspect of all ministries! Pray that the One who promises unity will bring local churches together to be the brilliant light of the world. Pray that a true and lasting unity will permeate both your and the church ministries to be an excellent example to the world. Pray for His guidance and wisdom daily. Be honest about your needs. Samuel Chadwick writes: "The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He laughs at our toil, mocks our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." Never underestimate the power of a praying saint!

Of course, our ministries' context will differ from region to region, and from individual to individual. Those suggestions are meant to encourage you to seek support from a church (don't limit yourself to only one - be bold), and to give you some tools by which you can experience unity. A final word here: unity is not easy. That's why Jesus prayed for it before he died on the Cross. Paul knew the difficulty of this, and exhorts the early church to pursue this. But the good news is this: unity is made possible through the indwelling Holy Spirit that lives in each one of us! AMEN

You Have Our Attention, Lord

2008-10-14T20:55:00.002-04:00

Our friends lost their house
The co-worker lost her job
The couple next door lost their retirement
It seems that everyone is losing their footing
This scares us. This bailout with billions.
These rumblings of depression.
These headlines: ominous, thunderous -
“Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What's Next?”

What is next?

We’re listening. And we’re admitting: You were right.
You told us this would happen.

You shot straight about loving stuff and worshipping money.
Greed will break your heart, You warned.
Money will love you and leave you.
Don’t put your hope in riches that are so uncertain.
You were right. Money is a fickle lover and we just got dumped.

We were wrong to spend what we didn’t have.
Wrong to neglect prayer and ignore the poor.
Wrong to think we ever earned a dime. We didn’t. You gave it. And now, tell us Father, are You taking it

We’re listening. And we’re praying.
Could you make something good out of this mess?

Of course You can. You always have.
You led slaves out of slavery,
Built temples out of ruins,
Turned stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine.

This disorder awaits your order. So do we.

Through Christ,
Amen

God will always give what is right to His people who cry to Him night and day, and He will not be slow to answer them. (Luke 18:7 NCV)

~Max Lucado

DTQuest's 10/13 Monday Memo Devotional

2008-10-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." (John 17:20-23)

Jesus, in his famous prayer before he was arrested, prayed specifically for a lasting, unbreakable unity among all believers who profess Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesus knew that unity would not come naturally for humans. It is a great thing to actualize in principle, but it can only be achieved with the presence of Holy Spirit in our lives, bridging whatever our differences are to bring us together with a common mission.

As a friend of YFC DTQuest and a leader for a church-based youth ministry, I would like to delve into a question that has been asked by many of you: How can a DTQuest and church-based Deaf youth ministry work together to reach our teenagers for Christ?

First and foremost, all believers within DTQ and the Church (I am not referring the "Church" as an institution, but as a group of people who declared Christ at their savior and lord of their lives) must have a firm grasp on the core doctrines taught by Jesus Christ. Christ died for us because He loves us and wants us to be one with our Father. It is essential for all believers to believe that we are only saved only by Grace through Christ's death on the cross. That is the fundamental Truth we all must share to be able to reach our teenagers for Christ. If a church or a ministry doesn't share basic biblical truth about Jesus Christ, then unity will never be achieved.

Second, it is important to recognize that DTQuest is an "outreach arm" of the church. I won't deny that it is crucial for teenagers to be with a group of like-minded peers - one of the hallmarks of DTQuest's GROWgroups - but the Bible also teaches and shows us (most clearly in Acts) the important role of the church in the lives of all believers. Only in the context of a local church will people grow closer to Christ. Teenagers won't stay teenagers forever; there will come a time when teenagers will need to become plugged into a local Body of Christ.

DTQuest is part of the fulfillment of the Great Commission that Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 28; the Church also has a commandment to encourage, support, and challenge all people to know God and to fall madly in love with their Creator. AMEN

Freebies!!!

2008-10-10T08:55:00.001-04:00

I just LOVE free stuff... who doesn't??? Here's a list of links for free stuff... some are great for sermon series, other for media, and a few will require some digging for some nuggets. All in all, they will empower your ministry and save your money in the long run!

http://vineresources.com/swag
http://www.muddyrivermedia.org/
http://www.openresources.org/
http://open.lifechurch.tv/
http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/freebies.html
http://content.simplyyouthministry.com/ffa08/
http://www.crazychurch.com/
http://www.newspringonline.com/
http://www.pastor2youth.com/
http://www.thesource4ym.com/
http://www.youthministry.com/?q=freebie-library/popularity/
http://www.youthspecialties.com/freeresources/articles/
http://www.dare2share.org/
http://timschmoyer.com/category/friday-freebie/
http://studentministryresources.com/

Enjoy the dibs... share any free links you frequent in the comments section!

Credits goes to www.youthministrygeek.com!

Pro-Life, Pro-Woman - FRC Publication

2008-10-10T08:28:00.001-04:00

I received this e-mail this morning from Family Research Council (www.frc.org), and wanted to share this with you. This article reports what the American Psychological Association (APA) won't reveal about the psychological effect abortion has on women. Also, check out the links at the bottom of this e-mail for more information - all fascinating!

"Abortion has more than its share of moral complexities, but a panel of experts at FRC headquarters today showed that it poses an especially dangerous threat to women's mental health. To a capacity crowd, experts and clinicians did what the American Psychological Association refused to do in its latest report on abortion and mental health: told the truth-the whole truth-about the relationship between abortion and depression, anxiety disorders, suicide, and substance abuse. The prevalence of these symptoms among the 30 million women who have had the procedure is climbing at an alarming rate. While the research has yet to give pro-abortion leaders pause, the American people are taking the harmful effects of abortion very seriously. In a blockbuster poll released at today's lecture, the Elliot Institute found that 85 percent of American adults believe that "significant emotional problems" after an abortion are "common" or "very common." Only 15 percent of the people surveyed believe that abortion generally makes women's lives better. Seventy-one percent of participants across the ideological spectrum said that conducting research on these post-abortion complications should be a moderate to high priority. David Reardon, director of the Elliot Institute, hinted at the policy implications of the study. "Politicians who ignore the issue of post-abortion complications are ignoring an important concern of the American people." Of equal concern to pro-lifers is that millions of these women are suffering at the hands of government-funded organizations like Planned Parenthood. The public is ready to address this problem. Is Congress?"

Additional Resources
2008 Post Abortion Awareness Poll Survey Summary [PDF]
Post-abortion Mental Health Effects, Awareness, and Politics

Post your thoughts based on what you have already read, if you feel inclined to do so.

Potpourri of quotes

2008-10-08T14:38:00.001-04:00

On economy...

“Lots of other places—from Britain to Australia—took a hit in 1929 but, alas, they lacked an FDR to keep it going till the end of the Thirties. That’s why in other countries they refer to it as ‘the Depression,’ but only in the U.S. is it ‘Great’.” —Mark Steyn

Here is some funny newspaper headlines:

Cheer Up, Everyone!: “Poll: 60% Say Depression ‘Likely”’ —CNNMoney.com

“Issue of Depression Addressed on Campus” —Spectator (University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire)

“Male Depression: Why It’s Undiagnosed and What It Looks Like” —Beliefnet.com

“Is Depression Robbing Kids’ Happiness?” —IBNLive.com (India)

“Depression: Does It Cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?” —wddty.com

“Depression Can Be Funny Too” —Navigator News (Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL)

~****~

On politics...

“Obama has shown that he is a man of limited experience, questionable convictions, deeply troubling associations (Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Tony Rezko) and an alarming lack of self-definition—do you really know who he is and what he believes?” —Charles Krauthammer

“Obama could have allied himself with all sorts of other people. But, time and again, he allied himself with people who openly expressed their hatred of America. No amount of flags on his campaign platforms this election year can change that.” —Thomas Sowell

“The short memories of the American voters is what keeps our politicians in office.” —Will Rogers

Some plainly nonsensical quotes from Obama, the demo-gogues, and the Left...

“I believe this is a final verdict on the failed economic policies of the last eight years, strongly promoted by President Bush and supported by Sen. McCain, that essentially said that we should strip away regulations, consumer protections, let the market run wild, and prosperity would rain down on all of us.” —Socialist Barack Obama in Tuesday’s debate, trashing what we like to call “capitalism”

“You have to wonder about what John McCain and his running mate, what their priorities are for America. Privatizing Social Security, gutting Medicare, deregulating healthcare is not putting your country first, it’s putting a radical, misguided, reckless ideology ahead of the interests of your country.” —Barack Obama

Off the deep end: “[Republicans] get to take things out on poor people. Let’s be honest: The fact that some of the poor people are black doesn’t hurt them either, from their standpoint. This is an effort, I believe, to appeal to a kind of anger in people.” —Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

Revising history: “We kicked—along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon.” —Joe Biden in Thursday’s vice-presidential debate **“Biden said the strangest and most ill-informed thing I have ever heard about Lebanon in my life. Nobody has ever kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon. Not the United States. Not France. Not Israel. And not the Lebanese. Nobody. Joe Biden has literally no idea what he is talking about.” —Michael Totten*

Take your own advice: “The truth matters.” —Joe Biden

Non Compos Mentis: “You know, the one thing that really gets to me, which I don’t think many people are discussing, but to me sounds like a little bit of a contradiction is being pro-life yet being pro-hunting—unless you are assuming that animals are not alive. That’s such a huge contradiction to me on the McCain-Palin thing. It just doesn’t fit in my book.” —supermodel Mayra Veronica

From WAY out in left field: “I’m also worried since it’s October that George Bush will do one of three things: Either find bin Laden, who’ve they’ve had somewhere for eight months waiting to bring out... at the ranch... Or, you know, let’s start a war with Iran. That’s always a possibility. And here’s the third thing and I don’t know much about the Bible and I’m not a big rapture guy but I believe George Bush is, and what better way, if your polls are so bad, than to go out by pushing the button and destroying all life on Earth?” —Hollywood producer and director Barry Sonnenfeld

The creme du de coup...

Jay Leno: The [second presidential] debate took place in Nashville, Tennessee, which is perfect—the economy right now is kind of like a bad country song: “I lost my girl; I lost my house...” ... The debate was held in “town-hall” style, which means instead of ignoring the moderator’s questions, the candidates could ignore the voters directly. ... [Congress] passed their $800 billion bailout bill [Friday]. Although some senators who voted for it are now very upset. They thought they were giving themselves a pay raise. ... Congress keeps saying that not only are taxpayers going to get back the $800 billion, oh, they’re going to make money on the deal too. Yeah, yeah. See, now you know where the ‘con’ in congressman comes from. ... The Labor Department has announced that 159,000 people lost their jobs last month. Worst job loss in five years. Here’s the ironic part—all 435 members of Congress still have their jobs. ... The stock market’s so bad now that at closing time, instead of a bell, they play taps.

~All credit goes to the 08-41 edition of Chronicles from The Patriot Post (http://patriotpost.us)

Free Market Status: Dead

2008-09-19T22:30:00.001-04:00

The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, an international banker with a famous reputation, and the acquisition of Merrill Lynch - my internship site this past summer - by Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) only added to the list of victims of the sub-prime mortgage crisis that has plagued the Wall Street for the past year. Before that, Bear Stearns, a well-reputed investment banker, was merged rather forcibly by the government with JPMorgan Chase & Company (NYSE: JPM). Our most-wonderful government decided that intervention was in the best interest of our economy's health by taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Finally, as the creme du de coup, the government decided to bailout America Insurance Group (AIG) with a $85 billion loan... directly from the taxpayers' pocket (read: every single one of us who earn a dime). This past week alone has been a tough week for the stock market, and it leaves people like myself wondering what will happen in the future with our economy.

As a Management major with a finance concentration and a minor in Economics - hence the reason this topic interests me so much - I have learned one principle that generally is a bad news for the market: big government. When the government decides to grow and expand through control and bureaucracy, that is when the market, our so-called free market, suffers from the strangling hold of the "Big Brother." The bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is our most recent evidence of government intervention in the capitalistic market. Instead of letting businesses collapse and fail (this is rather painful, but necessary, for the proper operations of a capitalistic economy), the government thinks that they know the answer to every problem, every crisis, and tells us, "We are here to save the day!" I beg to differ.

In fact, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, along with President Bush, has just announced a possible plan for the government to "buy up bad mortgages and other toxic debts," all while using "a 'significant amount of taxpayers' money.'" This proposed governmental intervention will be - read this carefully - "the biggest proposed government intervention in financial markets since the Great Depression." Read more about the government's lifeline to rescue the financial market.

The free market, I fear, might already be dead. Read U.S. Senator Bunning's statement if you think I'm overreacting.

Your thoughts on what's happening in the economy are welcomed.

Pray for Sara Palin's Church

2008-09-11T20:02:00.001-04:00

I received this e-mail message from a dear friend of mine today, and wanted to share it with you, since some of the readers are Christians and have great interest in politics. It is important for us to pray for our politicians, especially Sarah Palin, who is being unfairly attacked by the liberal media for non-essential reasons. This e-mail message reminded me that Sarah's life is not only influenced by her choice - the people who knows her at some level will be questioned by the media with a goal of finding subtle mistakes, if any, that might influence Sarah's shot at her VP bid during this election season. Moreover, if there is any flaws found within the church that she attended, the very vitality of the Body of Christ will be affected in that community.

---

Greetings to all!

Our pastor here in Bigfork, Montana, Hal Curtis, is friends with the pastor of Sarah Palin's pastor in Wasilla, Alaska. His name is David Pepper and the church is Full Gospel Church of Wasilla, AK.

Three days before Gov. Palin was announced by John McCain as his choice for VP, she came before her pastor to be anointed and prayed over for service to God. She didn't tell the church what was going on....just that she needed their prayer support. During the mere days since the announcement, the pastor and the church have been bombarded with questions from the media. They are trying to get the word out to Christians all over the nation to pray for God's protection of Sarah Palin and of their church. They suspect that the treatment of Jeremiah Wright will pale in comparison to what is coming their way as a conservative Christian body.

When the little Down's Syndrome baby of Todd and Sarah Palin was dedicated a few months ago, their statement to the congregation was 'This little boy is my pro-life statement.' According to David Pepper, Todd and Sarah are very strong in their faith in Jesus Christ and believe God has put them in this position to serve Him.

Let's remember to pray for Gov. Palin and her family as they walk through this very trying time! Thank you so much!

Vicky Creamer

p.s. Please pass this request on to other prayer warriors!

An Enslaved Freedman

2008-09-05T23:01:00.005-04:00

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." (Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776)

Hailed as one of the greatest philosophical documents ever written, Thomas Jefferson (along with the help from John Adams and Benjamin Franklin) wrote the Declaration of Independence and made a bold move against the British Empire to dissolve the colonies' relationship with the Crown. Colonists were fed up with paying taxes, dealing with ignorant Parliament who believes that England is entitled to world dominion, and religious intolerance - expressed through the now infamous Boston Tea Party and witnessed through the mass migration of Puritans. After the submission of this Declaration to the British Parliament, the American Revolution did not conclude until the Treaty of Paris was formally ratified and exchanged by the British and United States parties on May 12, 1784 in France. It required America eight additional years after the signing of the Declaration until she was fully emancipated from England. The effect of the Revolution can still be felt not only in America, but all over the world.

I am eternally thankful for the liberties I enjoy in America. We have achieved a great amount of equality in many ways, let it be racial, economical opportunity, and equal employment opportunity. We are allowed to practice whatever belief system we want to without being threatened by our government. We can bear arms in our houses and use it to defend ourselves against people who intend to do harm toward us. We do not have to fear any unwarranted searches and seizures of our personal property. An impartial jury, by principle, is guaranteed to any of us who have been accused of any wrongdoings, and we are presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty. There are enumerated powers assigned separately for the federal and state governments; no single governmental agency in America has the right or power to usurp the powers reserved for a lesser government. You can say that I am free in America, and I won't deny that. There are many people in the world who are hungry, oppressed, and shackled in a society. I'm grateful for the utterly high price our soldiers who fought in all wars to defend our freedom and perished.

Yet the more I thought about my liberty, the more I realized that it was temporal, only to be enjoyed in this lifetime. Although it makes me feel elated to be blessed in such a way, I realized something crucial: I was still a miserable prisoner. After I take my last breath, what will my liberties meant to me? I cannot bring the freedom I have here into my death. I was still controlled by Death.

In other words, I was a prisoner of hate, greed, jealousy, lust, desires, fear, material items, and fruitless dreams. I was set on pursuing the American dream, to become wealthy and enjoy my life to its fullest. However, I finally realized something: no matter what I do, I cannot get rid of my nagging sense of despair and hopelessness. There was a void in my heart that I cannot fill by things found in this world; this hole, I realized later, was a God-sized one.

I am an enslaved freedman. Although free, my heart is held captive to a higher principle that is apart from this transient world. Just when I thought that the cold iron shackles of slavery would burden me when I sworn my allegiance to God, the freedom I found greeted me like a dear friend. I am not bound to any laws, but to the Law that is characterized by a mind-boggling Grace and unconditional Love. As a captive, I am free to shout. I am free to run. I am free to dance. I am free to live my life aiming to honor, praise, and glorify my King: Christ Jesus, my Lord, Savior, and Friend.

And here's why: my King laid down all the splendor and glory of his God-ship only to come here on Earth as a lowly human, a man who was tempted and tried in every possible way, yet never sinned. He was born under the law, lived for thirty-three years under the law, and died uneventfully under the law. My King was able to heal the sick, make the lame walk, restore the blind's sight, and make the dead walk again. He was arrested, accused and convicted; He suffered unimaginable agony and pain, all while hanging on an accursed tree, the cross, like a common criminal, as a completely innocent man. He did no crime, except for this: He brought forth true freedom into this world. He makes this freedom available to all who choose to believe, receive, and declare Him as their personal savior.

As I meditated on what Christ did, I am reminded that only true freedom can be found in Christ alone. No governments of this world can offer us this assertion. No kings that has lived, is living, and will come in the future can give people a 100% certainty on their freedom. Even the founding Fathers who boldly wrote the Declaration cannot - only Christ can. Apostle Paul sums it up:

"[W]here the Spirit of Lord is, there is liberty. " (2 Corinthians 3:17)
"For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave." (2 Corinthians 7:22)

I have sworn allegiance to my King, and a Declaration of Independence has already been written, ratified, and sealed with my name through the blood of Christ. Will I find your name among the signers?

DFYouth Ministry Logo Unveiled!

2008-09-03T15:13:00.001-04:00

For the past few months, I have been working in a cooperative effort with a church member who happens to work as a graphic designer to develop a new logo for Deaf Fellowship Youth Ministry (DFYouth Ministry). Last night, I added some finishing touch to the logo, and, with excitement and enthusiasm, unveiled our official logo to the church family.

I'm really thrilled to have this project completed because it will allow people to associate our ministry with an image when we do our outreach activities (just like what other ministries do - DeafTeen Quest(r), Focus on the Family, etc.). There are a few subtle messages embedded in the logo that will be clear upon explanation. First, perhaps my favorite feature of the logo, there is a cross with a "I-Love-You" hand sign on the top of the mountain, signifying the unconditional, eternal Love Christ had for us when He died on the cross for our sake. Second, the three crosses on the mountain should remind us who Christ died with - sinners - and the location of His death - the Calvary. Third, the mountain, hopefully, will remind everyone to keep their gaze fixed upward toward Christ. In addition, the mountain also represents the arduous journey that every Christian who profess Christ as their personal savior, Lord, and the King of their lives will make in their lifetime as they pursue to be more like Christ (sanctify themselves). Finally, the arch tells us that with Christ's death, there's Hope in the world (just like the Bible, "His mercies are new every morning") - hence the likeliness of a sun that rises every morning.

This logo is loaded with meaning, I know, but all relevant to the Christian faith! I hope you enjoyed the DFYouth Ministry's logo design, and that you are inspired to embody an unique logo into your own ministries!

Reclaim the Prize: The Call to Overcome our Sex-Saturated Culture

2008-08-29T10:34:00.001-04:00

Disclaimer: the ladies that I currently work with in youth ministry are those who I place high respect for their personal conduct and moral standards. As a result of my respect for them, I feel free to talk about this, and am open to any opposing point of views here. I am just speaking here as a youth leader involved in youth ministry concerned with the changing set of values in our culture that impacts not only Deaf teen ministry, but teen ministries everywhere. This article is also written out of my concern for the general welfare of our adolescence.

-----

Known simply as "The Kiss," Madonna and Brittany Spears participated in an open-mouthed expression of affection on Music Television (MTV), and people say, "Oh, that's just a kiss... that means nothing."

Perfume and make-up ads (such as one to the left) are notorious for showing expression-less faces of young women or women barely dressed posed in a sensuous way that causes women to think, "Oh, this perfume will make men want me. I want to be sexy - ONLY those perfumes and make-ups can do it."

Advertisements by jean companies, especially designer ones, often show a girl and boy rolling half-naked in the ebbing flows of the ocean in passionate embrace. Simple observers will think, "Oh, it is normal to feel that way, especially when wearing that pair of jeans. There's nothing wrong with an expression of love."

Liquor ads, such as those by Budweiser and Miller Lite, often show girls with little clothing being showcased with a bottle. Sex sells, indeed, especially when it comes to beer commercials.

The above examples are just a cursory glance of what our society throws at us on a daily basis, let it be on television, magazine, or billboards. However, I must mention this as well: our teenagers see those images, and more, on a daily basis just like we did. They are led to believe in those messages shown by the media to be the truth.

And they are nothing but lies. Plain and simple.

Today in my Psychology of Adolescence, we watched a video based on the book, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, written by Mary Pipher, an adolescent psychologist/therapist. After a bit of research on this book from Amazon.com, I must admit that it was published quite a while ago - 1994. However, much of the information covered in the film was relevant to the predicament faced by our adolescent, especially those of the female sex.

While I watched the video, I became infuriated when I saw a parade of images featuring girls in suggestive clothing peppered with sex-charged comments on magazine covers, in addition to many video clips of 5'11"-and-110-pounds-girls-with-pearly-white-teeth seem happy to hop in a bed with a well-tanned and muscular guy. As many are aware of, the girls are being pressurized to bring the waist line of their jeans lower, their shirt sleeves must be made of as little fabric as possible, their shirt neck line brought down to a revealing cleavage, and the boundaries of what defines an underwear and a pair of shorts become blurred.

The media has sexualized our culture so much that it begins to negatively influence our teenagers and disturbs people like myself who work with the youth, if not only the parents. They continue to bombard our youth with images that only entails them to lower their moral standards, become more "loose" and risky in their behavior, make poor decisions, and succumb to peer pressure that the society puts on them. Interestingly enough, the video pointed out (paraphrased):

The more girls spend their time consuming media, the more likely it is for them to engage in risky behavior (such as alcohol, drugs, sex, to name a few).

Here's a very shocking statistic that I found online that I thought should be shared. Although this does not explicitly state how the media influences our teenagers, the end results of such an influence, among other factors, are startling:

Every day in America, 1,106 teenagers have abortions; 1,295 teenagers give birth; and 7,742 teens become sexually active. (Source: Children's Defense Fund)

Moreover, the level of peer pressure is so great that they are expected to conform with the physical beauty portrayed in the media, and will be ridiculed by their peers for not wearing designer jeans or even the right hair style. If they do not par up to the society's expectations of what beauty is defined as, they are sucked in the morass of depression, eating disorders, and thoughts, if not the deed, of suicide. Even more sadly,

Every day in America, 6 teenagers commit suicide. (Source: Children's Defense Fund)

If this statistic is correct, let's put things in perspective: 42 teens die on a weekly basis, 180 monthly, and 2,190 yearly! If this doesn't cause you to boil with righteous indignation, it should!

The girls are not the only victims here to the influence of the media; our guys are beset with the incessant bombardment of negative influence that gives rise to a whole horde of destructive behaviors. Our men are taught to treat women like objects, something to be exploited. Pornography, sexual addiction, and disrespect runs rampant in the male portion of our society. Women, according to the media, are something that is ready to obey whatever men bid them to do. A terrible thing to say, indeed, but that's what many psychologists and counselors, less youth workers, have observed over the recent decades.

In summation: our adolescence are lacking a sense of self-identity and self-worth. Without those attributes, our adolescents are stuck in a great emotional turmoil; a sense of hopelessness and despair; and may even be forced to compromise their moral standards for temporal happiness.

As a youth worker involved with Deaf teenagers, it is easy for me to say, "All the talk about how much the media influences our students - they don't apply to our teenagers because the research is mainly aimed at those who can hear." However, this line of thinking is flawed because Deaf people are very visual (their brains, according to research, will compensate one's visual abilities to compensate for the unused auditory part of the brain - interesting!) and do readily obtain information. And that made me wonder (and I ask you this question too): how can we effectively minister to our students in this sex-saturated culture?

First, we need to love our students unconditionally, just like God loves us. Our students need to know that they are loved just the way they are. They do not need to be skinny, beautiful, or even a blonde! They need to know that regardless of their race, sex, national origin, sex, and religious beliefs, they are loved! They need to know that they are valued for who they are, not for what the society tells them to be!

Second, our students need to be given a safe, nurturing place where they can freely express their feelings, thoughts, and troubles to a group of believers who will support and encourage them to be the men/women that God intends them to be. This is the key to build a community of believers that truly reflects His Church.

Finally, in order to know how to effectively minister to our teenagers, let them be Deaf or hearing, we must be knowledgeable about our culture's current trends and inclinations by staying up-to-date. We need to know the major movers and pushers in the media that potentially can shape our teenagers' lives, and offer a counter response to them.

There is another important lesson worthy of note that I have learned: the parents of our youth, not their friends or even us, are the primary youth workers. They interact with their children all the time, both inside and outside their homes, and imparts the most influence on their lives. Youth workers (such as myself) only have a secondary role in teenagers' lives, and we can help our parents do a better job by keeping them up-to-date with the youth culture's ever-shifting landscape. Quite a challenging task, I must admit, but a honorable one nonetheless. I consider it a great honor when the parents of our youth entrusts their lives in our hands and empowers us to help their teenagers mature to become godly people.

Above all things, no matter what happens, no matter how bad things might seem to get, let it be with our media or culture, Jesus reminds us:

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33 NIV)

Regardless of what message our media feeds our teenagers, what our culture forces our kids, I challenge you: be a revolutionary and overcome our culture with the message of Hope! Help our teenagers reclaim the prize stolen under our teenagers' noses: the sense of and the pride for selfhood. Once done that, also remind them that the God of redeeming love and grace can heal and restore them from the hurts inflicted by our culture, and usher them into a lifestyle characterized by His Love.

A Week Without God

2008-08-17T21:14:00.002-04:00

Imagine if there was no God... no hope, no love, no grace, no mercy. Nothingness will reign in our world. Hopelessness and Despair will be our parasites and leave us to be hollow shells of our unique selves. And the days of our weeks would be called:

Mournday

Tearsday

Wasteday

Thirstyday

Fightday

Shatterday

Sinday

(Got this from an e-mail forward, and wanted to share it)

Help My Unbelief - Friday Fragments

2008-07-27T21:11:00.001-04:00

I digested this wonderful devotional this evening from Dan Wolgemuth, the president of Youth For Christ - USA, in his "Friday Fragments" weekly newsletter. Enjoy the thought-provoking read!

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Did God actually say… ~ Genesis 3:1

These words, whispered from the craftiest of all creatures, have cascaded through history and into the most intimate and difficult situations that any human being faces. The shadows of doubt darken the brilliance of God’s promises and commands in a way that dilutes my heart.

Even this morning, as I was reading through the record of Jesus’ encounter with the father of a son who was consumed by a destructive spirit, I tripped across a word, a single three-letter word, that triggered the very lie that Satan introduced in Genesis.

All things are possible for one who believes. ~ Mark 9:23

ALL! You can’t be serious. This must be one of those classic times when the English language simply does an injustice to the original Greek.

Like a sprinter out of the starting blocks I raced to my Strong’s Concordance to do a word search. And as I landed on Strong’s number 3956, I discovered something stunning and amazing… all means all.

Then again… like the same sprinter who is involved in a relay, I handed my doubt off to another companion, to rationalization, to the dismissive excuse of culture or context, to whatever would help me attempt to reconcile the personal promise of Jesus against the present reality of my own experience.

I chased this doubt across other references in the New Testament only to find an exit ramp into the words of Paul in the book of Romans. Specifically, the words in the 8th chapter that say: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

This proved even more disturbing. This gave the potent lie of Satan additional dark black soil in which to plant his “Did God really say” lies. Did God really mean “all things” in this context as well?

Once again, the dash for evidence, once again, Strong’s 3956. Once again, all means all.

“All things are possible…”
“…all things work together…”

Let there be no doubt, God, the only God. The great I AM, has declared, and He has not stuttered, that All means All.

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said. “I believe; help my unbelief.” ~ Mark 9:24

Even while we hear the whispered hissing tones of the evil lies that invade our soul, may we have the courage to proclaim… “Yes, God did really say that all means all.”

Help my unbelief.

Christian Counselor fired for her beliefs

2008-07-18T20:24:00.001-04:00

While I was checking my e-mail today, I ran into an article by www.onenewsnow.com and couldn't believe what I was reading. Amuse yourselves with the article, and share your thoughts.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=182208

McCain - The Lesser of Two Evils?

2008-07-02T21:43:00.001-04:00

Conservatives hate McCain. I was recently reading a somewhat-sarcastic column by Ann Coulter, a well-reputed Conservative, and she hit many good points about McCain's positions.

I won't beat around the bush here, because it will serve no good to do this, so I will get to the point here. The majority of conservative Republicans don't trust McCain because he is a liberal Republican.

I trust God fully that He will lead us through the next four years (or even eight, if no solid candidate comes forth that generates excitement for the Conservatives and the liberal candidate/president gets booted), but I sometime wonder what the future holds for this country, and for religious freedom in America. I know that my citizenship resides in heaven alone, but I can't help but wonder what America's future will look like for my descendants.

"Oh, this country will still be a Christian one, even with a Democrat president," you may refute. But I have to question that as well...

Will the citizens' freedom of speech be censored through the passage of an ENDA-like legislation (Employee Non-Discrimination Act)? If such a legislation is passed, all non-profit organizations, especially Christian ones and those who holds similar values, will have to hire people whose actions does not match with the Bible's teachings. Or suppose an employee does not agree with one's lifestyle and refuses to hire him/her/it (given that he/she is a transgender, hence the "it"). Shocker here: he could be arrested on the grounds of "discrimination."

Have you visited McCain's campaign website yet? While he does highlight some of the key issues that voters should be concerned about, he's missing several crucial issues that matters to the followers of Jesus/Christians: the sanctity of marriage, importance of families, freedom of speech and freedom to worship El Shaddai, to name a few. On religious matters, McCain has gone as far to label some key religious leaders as "agents of intolerance" in 2000. No wonder Dr. Dobson, a renowned advocate for the stability of American families and founder of the Focus on Family organization domiciled in Colorado Springs, has not endorsed him thus far - perhaps because Dr. Dobson identifies himself with the agents of intolerance?

McCain's history with legislation votes lean toward the Leftists. If he is elected as our president, I would not be surprised if he decides to impose nonsensical taxes such as "windfall" profits on oil companies, ultimately making us pay more at our gas stations. In addition, he will oppose any further legislation for drillings on only 0.01 percent of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) with fears of its caribou population being driven to extinction. A liberal acting like a Republican in disguise, indeed.

The future of the 2008 election season, with McCain courting for Conservatives' votes, is looking bleak. I will still vote, but it will boil down to choosing the lesser of the two evils: Obama or McCain. No matter what I choose, the dilemma remains: both of those choices are, figuratively speaking, still evil.

And I won't get started on Obama...

"On That Day..." - WaveSTAFF (formerly NewSTAFF) Insight #2

2008-07-02T21:41:00.001-04:00

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jeremiah 31:31-33 (ESV)

God was given many chances to leave (and even destroy) us because we were unfaithful to Him. But He never did. It brings to mind a book in the Bible that talks about God's love for His people, Israel: Hosea. In this book, God commands Hosea to be married to an adulterer, who has openly committed adultery and is not sorry about it. Even with Hosea's ardent passion for his wife, she continues to lie in bed with other men. How horrible is that for a marriage, even by today's standards!?

God humbled Hosea in the very beginning: "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord" (Hosea 1:2). This was difficult for Hosea to accept, and it would be for me. Confession time: if I was Hosea, I would not have listened to God and, instead, chosen a chaste woman. But what happens here? Hosea follows God and marries a prostitute! The level of commitment that God asks of Hosea is incredible, if not mind boggling. However, God is trying to reveal something about His nature that is guaranteed to challenge us in our daily walk with Christ.

No matter how many different gods of this world we have slept with (money, sex, greed, lust, to name a few), God will remain faithful to His promiscuous wife (read: us), even at a great cost. On that day, as was prophesied by Jeremiah, while people, from the past to the present and to the future, continue to wallow and enjoy their adulterous relationships, God demonstrated His love in this manner: He sent His ONLY son to die on the cross for our sake. God did this because He loves us so much, and His love cannot be measured. It extends as far as East is from the West, and He zealously desires us to give Him our all in all.

At the very hour of our belief, the Mosaic Law ordained by God on stone tablets is permanently engraved in our hearts, actively working through our lives by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The God of Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, and Moses is now our personal Father, and we are His adopted children. Just like Hosea, He has forgiven us for all of our iniquities, and remembers them no longer. How amazing is His grace!

Do our teens realize the magnitude of His grace? When we reach out to our teenagers, do they see God as a distant, impersonal being, even as a judge? Or as someone who is jealous, passionate, full of adventure, and even righteously wrathful? Do they know that He actively pursues our hearts daily like a Shepherd who willingly abandons His flock to find a lost ewe?

As believers, we have been enshrined as ministers of the new covenant. Paul points out: we have been made "competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:6). God has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to do this: to bear a single message of never-ending hope: God is Love, and Love is God. Has every aspect of your lives illustrated this eternal Truth?

It's an Elephant... no, an Airplane... oh shoot! It's a Funnel Cloud in Hagerstown!

2008-06-25T15:00:00.001-04:00

I was home on Monday night ironing a dress shirt for my internship when this happened. I live about twenty minutes east of Hagerstown, and a tornado almost touched down in downtown! If it did, it would have caused unimaginable destruction and possibly several tragic losses of life. Now, tornadoes are rare around here, but storms are plenty during hot summer months.

Read for yourself: http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=18801, and check out the video of the funnel cloud. Also make sure that you check out the slideshow of pictures from the storm.

I'm thanking God that He has protected the residents of Hagerstown through this harrowing experience! I will post a few pictures of the hail storm we had that evening.

Overcoming Barriers: A Profile on Christopher Coleman

2008-06-21T13:50:00.001-04:00

"As he went along, he [Jesus] saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'

'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'"

~John 9:1-3

I ran into his story through one of my social network communities on LiveJournal, and was moved by his testimony. In retrospect, Christopher Coleman was pronounced dead for the first fifteen minutes of his life, and suffers from cerebral palsy. He was assumed to be severely retarded, and had little hope for a successful future as an individual. Only because of his mother's dedication to her son's welfare and relentless faith in Christ Jesus was he able to succeed in the latter part of his life. Christopher later admits that if it was not for his mother, he would not have met Christ and have his life's destiny fulfilled.

Think about this: just when we think we are disabled, God can still work in our lives! Never underestimate the power of God and what He can do for us!

http://www.christophercoleman.net/testimony.html

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

2008-06-20T14:34:00.001-04:00

I got this story from my church's weekly newsletter written by our senior Pastor, and wanted to share this with you. This piece was written by an anonymous African pastor years ago, and is a classic! Enjoy.

I have Holy Spirit power. The decision has been made. I must go till He comes and work till He stops me. I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me – my banner will be clear!

Created for a Reason

2008-06-18T15:48:00.001-04:00

I was born a perfectly normal, happy baby. I was my parents' second child. My parents were exceedingly proud of me, and was looking forward to see me grow up as godly child who fears Lord the God with my whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. My parents were blessed with a safe delivery and a healthy baby, because my sister, who happens to be four years older than me, had complications during her birth and ensuing illness that required a prolonged stay in the hospital following delivery. In the simplest sense, I was a healthy boy with a bright future.

Fast forward ten months later.

I was admitted in the hospital after my parents noticed a gray pallor on my face. They were greatly concerned with what I might have, not to mention what was happening to me. After an examination by my doctors, they approached my parents and said sternly:

"Your child has pneumococcal meningitis, and there is only 50-50 chance of him living through this disease. There is also a chance that your child will be permanently retarted and impaired for the remainder of his life, if he manages to live."

My parents' entire lives was changed by this news. Their worlds were turned upside-down. Just when they thought they would have a normal child, they had a child that was gravely ill. There was another infant in the hospital I was admitted to with this illness at around the same time, and she tragically passed away. I do not know exactly what went through my parents' minds, but every time they retold me this experience, it brings them a fresh stream of tears. I was lying in a plastic box in the hospital ward, moaning and groaning from the swelling in my brain caused by a spinal cord fluid buildup, all while my parents helplessly watched, forbidden to touch me. If the pressure in my skull were not relieved soon, hearts shattered in miniscule pieces and unimaginable, indescribable sorrow, in addition to a simple gravestone of an infant who has skimmed life, would be the remnant of an once-healthy infant.

Two weeks later, amidst my doctors' dire predictions of my survival, I was miraculously healed and could go back home. However, if my parents thought that the news about me obtaining this illness was the worst they ever received, my parents' hearts leapt in joy when they received this news that may seem paradoxical in nature:

"Your son is deaf."

---

I have struggled with understanding why I became deaf when God created me first and foremost as an hearing person. Did he make a mistake in His design (I know this is not true because He's infinitely perfect), or did He do this to reveal or teach my parents something? I also wrestled with the notion that God seemed cruel to inflict this terrible illness upon me and endangered my life. Why would a good God do this to me? Why would He put my parents through this experience? Although the answers are beyond the scope of this discussion, if they can ever be answered, I can confidently say this before you with God as my witness: God allowed everything to happen for a reason. Yes, He is sovereign, but that doesn't mean that He controls EVERY single event in the world. He allowed me to contract this disease that made me deaf for a reason. He allowed my parents to endure the heartache of watching helplessly as their infant suffered for a reason. He determined that it was necessary for me to live for a reason.

If it was not for my "disability" (where it is oftentimes a blessing), I would not have met many wonderful people in my lives, begin my Christian journey when I was fifteen years old, traveled to many places across the United States with my school and DTQuest (www.dtquest.org), and be in a wonderful church family at Frederick Church of the Brethren Deaf Fellowship. Moreover, I do not know if I would even know Christ as my personal savior today! If I did not know Christ, I would not have met many wonderful people involved in the WaveSTAFF program (in retrospect, it is a Christian leadership training program for young adults in their twenties). I've been challenged, encouraged, and strengthened by their unconditional love toward me.

To list everything would be exhaustive. My point is this: just when I thought I have enough, Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider) pours out ten thousand times the amount of blessings in my life, literally drowning me! I cannot even begin to repay Him because if I tried to, I would fail miserably. The only sensible thing I could do is to accept it.

Although I may be disabled in the world's eyes, I am fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. God knew that I would be deaf. He knew that I would be born on a particular date, even down to the milliseconds, if not nanoseconds! He was gently watching over my parents during my birth, comforting and reassuring them during my illness, and continues to be faithful to us today. Nothing happens beyond His control. Everything happens for a reason. What may seem to be a terrible (and tragic) thing has turned out to be a life filled with many opportunities that continues to bewilder me.

Recently, I have caught myself grinning to myself when I watch children playing. It reminds me of how God created everything in the world the way it is. He created everything to glorify Him. He created everything because of His uncontainable Love. He created everything because He wants us to be in awe with wonder and amazement. That is why I praise Him continually for everything, even for my deafness. He knows everything that I will do in my life, down to my deepest, most intimate desires of my life.

---

This is one of my favorite verses/sections in the Bible, and it fits perfectly with what I have discussed above. I was moved by this passage found in Psalms 139, and it served as my source of inspiration for my testimony above. Moreover, I love this translation because it has a poetic quality to it (probably because I'm a fool for poems).

Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and rising up; you understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hands upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with you.

~Psalms 139:1-18 (NKJV)

The Destructive Institution of Higher Education

2006-05-24T21:41:00.000-04:00

Ever since I first stepped into high school as an exciting freshman, my mind was already set upon graduation. My only dream was to walk across the stage in my graduation gown and receive my diploma. If it is possible, I would love to be a graduation speaker (not necessarily a valectorian) encouraging my classmates to reach and seize their dreams on that very day. For me, that was simply illyric.

Graduation day came. It seemed as if I only took one step into high school and another out. My dream turned into reality. I walked across the stage with a diploma (in fact, two diplomas) in my hands across the stage, spoke to the multitudes in an auditorium, and bid farewell to the school that I called my second home for eighteen years. My life was at its pinnacle and I didn't want to descend that mountain, but the law of gravity conquers all and I as a slave obey: what goes up must come down.

After graduation, I was nervous to enter a whole new realm: college. I was excited at the same time. I was going to be challenged educationally and advance my knowledge to utilize in the future. I knew that what I would experience during the year will be a year of "firsts" and I looked forward to experiencing them. Moreover, I looked forward to getting over the first year with a big, fat, red button pin with bold white "FRESHMAN" word on it.

Today, that pin is long gone. I am a sophomore, the "wisest of the dumb" (Hint: study the root behind this word... this was a humorous phrase that I picked up in high school). Sitting here at home, my mind lingered to the past year and everything I went through, the victories and defeats I experienced, and the joys shared and sorrows endured. After playing with some pleasant memorie, a faint memory lingered in my mind and became stronger. Soon, the only thing I was thinking about was, prior to entering my first class, faithfully preparing myself for the upcoming spiritual warfare for my soul by reading David Wheaton's University of Destruction. This verse was the driving force behind my preparations.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

~1 John 5:4-5

Daniel, a Jewish boy, grew up in a privileged Jewish family in the middle Eastern town of Jerusalem. He was well-educated, good-looking, and socially adept. He had everything going for him. He even had a strong faith in God.

While he was a teenager, King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and, as a part of the takeover, Daniel and some of his teenage friends were taken away from their families and brought hundreds of miles northeast to the great city of Babylon to be servants in the king's palace.

To be a servant requires three years of intense training, not some apron and broom to sweep the floors. In another terms, an attempt was made to brainwash Daniel into Babylonian literature, culture, religion, and customs. First, Daniel's name, which meant "God is my judge," was changed to the Babylonian name Belteshazzar, which meant "Bel protect the king." Bel was the name of the supreme idol that was worshipped in the Babylonian Empire. Second, Daniel was being completely re-educated in culture and literature of Babylon. They were trying to eliminate the instructions he received before the capture because Judaism was contradictory to Babylonian pagan worship. In short words, King Nebuchadnezzar was trying to transform a godly Jewish boy into a pagan Babylonian.

It is easy to succumb to the pressure executed by Babylon, but what did Daniel do? In another terms, what was Daniel's mind-set while he was in Babylon going through a major transition from being a Jew to a Babylonian?

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank...

~Daniel 1:8

What did Daniel do? He "purposed in his heart," or committed to himself in his heart, that he will not fall under the influence of Babylon paganism by compromising his Judaism beliefs. He committed beforehand that he will remain steadfast in his faith and belief in God by "not defil[ing] himself." That allowed him to overcome the world and thrive as a servant of God later in his lifetime as an advisor to kings and a prophet. That is somebody that everybody could look upon as a role model in our lives, especially in the fallen state of the world spiraling toward destruction.

I do feel like Daniel. I feel like I am walking in his shoes. I feel like I am being indoctrinated in paganism ideology and lifestyle at my college. College is an enticing place for me to "come out of the closet" from the protection of my parents. I could easily find a girl and have prematerial sex at my own leisure. I could easily join a drinking party and have the most fun time of my lifetime. I could have literally "eat, drink, and be merry." Professors could have "brainwashed" me into believing that God is, in essence, false and I could have chosen to take the hook, bait, and the sinker. Living a sinful lifestyle is fun.

Instead of succumbing myself to the pressures of the fallen world, I committed myself to the same cause Daniel did; I have "purposed in [my] heart" that I shall NOT lower my moral standards. Instead of looking at debased and worthless idols of this world, I have fixed my eyes upwardly toward the prize: the glittering crown of life. I have a long race ahead of me. I have many obstacles to overcome. I shall attempt to not allow any iota of impure action, thoughts, words, or deeds to enter this holy temple (read: my body) consectrated for God alone for His glory. Even if I am pure before God's eyes, I do also realize that I will fall from time to time. I am still a human. I still live in flesh, not in spirit. When I fall, instead of groveling in the dust feeling sorry for myself, I shall rise as a battered but victorious man, stronger, bolder, and transformed. I have purposed in my heart to imitate Christ's loving attributes toward the most worst of the worst. Via Occam's razor, I shall be a Overcomer of this world through the power and grace of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ, the only true Messiah that had come and will come again in the future. Amen.

The Nature of Man

2006-04-20T22:40:00.000-04:00

There is another world, another reality. A reality ruled by the omnipresent Darkness. The Vise tightens its iron grip while the mocking Clock ticks and mercilessly sparing no soul of the sad world from the endless pain. With each woeful lament, blood sprouts out of their never-healing scars. In my very own eyes, I see people suffering while retreating into the obsidian land. O, how strong and firm is the hand of the Deep!

A long line stretches from one end to other as far as my eyes can see. People chained with a dull, heavy, grey chain at their ankle and forced to endure the Long March. Their faces, oh how so repulsive! Some distorted, some demonic, while other simply disfigured. Their nodding heads is impregnably veiled with sweat, dust, and tears. Those chains, oh how those hands digs and claws into their raw flesh! A great haze of grey dust under the lightless sky ascends to encompass them. The starless, murky canopy presses down as the silent chains rings in the Deep. O, how strong and firm is the hand of the Deep!

“Run,” I cry in earnest, but they march blindly. “Flee,” I implore, but they crawl like thick molasses down a towering cliff that disappears into the grey fog. Even the stones’ terrible and woeful cries can be heard!

All they do is march, march, march. Their feet drag on endlessly. Wiry and sharp trees droop on their head, clasping each ugly faces and set free thin streams of fresh blood to trickle down their faces. The red beady eye sits up high in the trees, staring with those never blinking eyes at the poor inhabitants of the world. This is the Nature of Man. All they do is march, march, march. March. March. March. Into the opaque eternity…In this world where happiness abounds, I see fresh wounds bleeding happily and freely. In this world where laughter is ubiquitous, I hear the omnipresent cries lingering from the gaping mouth of the Deep. In this world where every moment is treasured, I curse as the mocking Clock savors Men’s pains. On the fruitful trees that bloom every spring bringing life, Death’s fruits populate each dark limb. Where freedom is plentiful, the Dark, Cold, Grey Chains drags every free ankle. Clank. Clank. Clank. Onward they go toward the horizon like bellwethers obedient to the benevolent killers of the Deep.

This is the sinful Nature of Man.

“Depart, you angels! I am the Lamb and the Key. I shall stoop over every man, unlocking the yoked chains of slavery and proclaim every man a freeman. I alone hold the Key to the everlasting Light that shall never diminish; I am the Lamp that is set upon the highest hill, piercing the Deep. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I am the last Lamb, the perfect sacrifice. The only thing I ask from you: come just as you are, shackled in the burdensome chains, filthy, weary, defeated; You shall be set free.”

XX Olympic Games

2006-02-11T18:41:00.000-05:00

The twentieth Olympics Games began in Torino with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron with billions of people as witnesses. As 2,500 athletes marched around the stadium waving their home flags proudly with grinning faces, I could see how hard they all worked to reach the dream of their lives: going to the Olympics and bringing home a gold medal. Even we are captivated with our fantasies of being a part of the famed Olympics Games. I find myself imaging competing against other athletes around the world for the coveted middle spot of the podium with a glittering gold medal hanging around my neck. On that podium, I would be dubbed as the Strongest, Fastest, and the Best among the best of the world in an event. In a practical sense, I would be the King. That is the same thing that all athletes felt all the way back to the Greeks who first started the Games.

Olympics began in late nineteenth century with its roots originating from the Ancient Greece. In order to be successful in their competitions, athletes are required to devote hours of time in training and conditioning to bring themselves to the peak of their physical condition to be able to compete other athletes for the experience of being crowed with a laurel wreath awarded by the reigning king (or Caesar) as a reward for being the best of the best.

As the first day of the Games progressed, I could not help but watch how dedicated and focused those athletes were in reaching the podium. Even if it was not documented by the television, all athletes were nervous long before they compete. They will go through the routines many times down to every detail, practice for many hours every week, and diet to be able to experience fifteen minutes of fame. I admire them because of the sacrifice and devotion that they have to make for the past four years (or more) into intense training and conditioning to participate in the Games. In a sense, the athletes who compete at the Games are the apotheosis of athleticism, but they are still humans like us.

Their bodies will not last forever. They will become older and decide to retire from the Games to pursue their less extravagant lives. Their bodies will lose the skill to be dexterous and give way to age. They will die one day. With or without gold medals.

What if there was a gold medal that every athlete was guaranteed to receive in their lives only if they will devote their whole lives to it? What if there was a laurel crown waiting for them in the end that they will not lose if they preserved to the very end? What if their spot on the podium was already guaranteed and there is no silver and bronze medals to be issued? What if I said that this crown was available for us, not just for athletes of the world?

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." ~1 Corinthians 9:25

We, the Christians, have to commit ourselves to strict training just like the Olympian athletes do in a spiritual sense. EVERYBODY who competes in the games trains strictly to get a crown will be terribly disappointed. It won't last. It won't fulfill their hearts forever. It will disappear. It is perishable. On the other hand, Christians should and are commanded to spend their whole lives training themselves so that they will be able to receive the crown that will last forever when they die. Through our spiritual fitness, we will train ourselves to be “spirits of steel” through the learning of the Bible, suffering through trials and temptations, and with the fellowship of our fellow believers. "How do we train?" Paul explains this in one of his letters to Timothy:

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." ~1 Timothy 4:8

"Physical training has some value? Do you mean that it is worthless? How can we train to gain the crown of life?" Physical training has some value because, like I mentioned earlier, the body that we conditioned into will not last forever. Our muscles will become less rigid and stately. We will eventually succumb to our oldest enemies: age. So, therefore, physical training, even if it has some merit, is not worth spending a whole life to. It is worthless. Seems like all hope is lost? Should we just sit down and be a couch potato for our whole lives? By no means! How are we to gain the crown of life?

The crown of life lies into our devotion of becoming godlier. "Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." My brothers and sisters, if we attempt to live a godly life, we will end our races with a glittering crown on our heads, adorned with treasures beyond our own wildest imaginations. We have to commit ourselves to strict training spiritually. We have to turn our lazy and fat lump of souls who is accustomed to conformable way of life in this world to strong and fit group capable of running the marathon of our lives. We have to challenge ourselves beyond our comfort zones. We have to be willing to take the extra step in faith when it seems like the future is black. We have to experience suffering and persecution in order to become spiritually strong. We have to hold fast to our Anchor when all hope seems to be lost.

Sounds tough? That is why it requires our whole life devoted to this type of training. We have to commit ourselves to this goal. If we do not stick to it, then all is lost.

I thought that a poem from my dear friend should be added so you can understand what it means to preserve through the race:

A baby's first cry pierced the jubilant air.

A gunshot sounded and reverberated through the air.

Smiles glowed from the beaming faces of the new parents
Clinging on to her father's steady hand
She took her first step of the countless to come.

The crowd roared as the runner took off
Shouting encouragements
She headed toward the long path of life.

Grains of time fell through the hourglass
With her budding teeth
Her jaws closed onto her first solid food.

The sneakers pounded the gravel rhythmically
Panting
Lessons of endurance echoed in her head.

Hormones raged

Mountains and valleys came

Dust collected on the Word
Superficial laughter of her friends echoed
A heart grew heavy.

Her body cried out
Deprived of her daily nourishment
A pair of legs grew weary.

Unable to piece together a shattered heart
With no methods that brought forth healing
She gave her heart to the only true Doctor in her life.

Crashing on the gravel-coated path
Blood flowed from her wounds and cried out
A strong, loving Hand lifted her up.

Singing with joy

Adrenaline coursing

Despair
She watched helplessly
Her friends indulging in the cheapened version of life.

Confusion
She watched helplessly
The other runners ran off the narrow track of life.

Her so-called friends jeered
Turned away and rejected
She trusted the One the world had murdered.

People from the sidelines flung stones
Battered and rejected
She kept her eyes on the Prize.

True Love came

Sunshine peeked through the clouds

Everlasting vows exchanged in ecstasy
First kiss as husband and wife
Two flesh became one.

A mate appeared
Forevermore running side by side
Two pairs of feet ran together as one.

Alone no more
True and steadfast lifelong friends
Laughter and love mingled.

A lonely path no more
Packs joined
Laughter and encouragement mingled.

Bringing forth new beginnings

Smiling as gunshots echoed in the faraway landscape

A stand of white hair appeared
She left it as it was
For she knew.

The runner saw the golden glow in the horizon
Ahead of her
And she knew.

Raspy air breathed out of her laboring lungs
A last breath- a flower wilted
Tears of grief fell.

Sweat pouring, eyes a-glowing
A last burst of energy- a ribbon broke
Tears of joy fell.

"Well done, my good and faithful servant!" The King of Kings proclaimed.

A glittering Crown of Life was placed upon her head.

She was finally Home.

~Jessica, 2006

Preserve to the very end of this race. Don't give up. Keep on running. Keep your eyes on the prize. Do not let anybody distract you from this finish line. It might seem tough at times, but nobody said that the training and race would be easy. The crown of life is promised to those who are faithful in their training and race. It is okay if you fall sometimes during the race, but what matters the most is that we all reach the finish line. There is a glittering crown of life waiting for us all at the end. We will be able to achieve our lifelong dreams: standing on the podium as a champion in this race of our lifetime. Paul speaks about reaching the finish line in joy:

"[...] I [Paul] have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." ~2 Timothy 4:7-8

Blessings!

Forgiveness and Grace

2006-02-03T11:09:00.000-05:00

I got this story from JabezPosters.com today and was very inspired and felt that I should share it with you all because it mirrors God's love and forgiveness towards us.

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. And he was given
a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods but he
could never hit the target. And getting a little discouraged; he headed back to
dinner.

As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let it
fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved.

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister
watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally
said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn't
you Johnny?" And then she whispered to him, "Remember, the duck?"

So Johnny did the dishes.

Later, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, and Grandma said,
"I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper." But Sally smiled and said,
"Well, that's all right, because Johnny told me he wanted to help." And she
whispered again, "Remember, the duck?"

So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally
couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he killed
the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You
see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love
you, I forgave you.

But I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

I don't know what's in your past. I don't know what one sin the enemy keeps
throwing up in your face. But whatever it is, I want you to know something.

The Lord Jesus Christ was standing at the window. And He saw the whole thing.
But because He loves you, He has forgiven you. Perhaps He's wondering how long
you'll let the enemy make a slave out of you. The great thing about God is that
He not only forgives, but He forgets.

God bless you all!

A Righteous God and A Savior

2006-01-16T20:59:00.000-05:00

"[T]here is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me.

'Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, "in the Lord alone are righteousness and strength."' All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame."

~Isaiah 45:21c-24 (NIV)

Today at my lunch break, I was continuing my study of Isaiah as a part of a one-year bible-reading plan (even if I'm behind by six months, but who says that I must read the entire Bible in a year?). When I read this passage, I felt that this is something that I had to write in the blog but this message might be offensive to you, but to me, this serves to be like "iron that sharpens another iron" (read: effective discipline) for us.

Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.

~Isaiah 43:10b-11

I think that the brief passage clearly states what the world keeps on missing. Lord is the ONLY God of the universe. He is the only one who has existed from the very beginning of time and will last to the very moment when time stops. He is the Eternal God. He alone is worthy of being called "Lord." Unlike many idols (let it be wooden, stone, or things that will pass away such as money, power, fame, etc.) which are formed by Men, God is the living Father who created the world and cared about His people. In this book, Isaiah speaks bitterly against the folly of people making idols to suit their own desires, self-centered pride and egoistical ambitions:

"'To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour out gold from their bags and weight out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.

'Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'"

~Isaiah 46:5-10

I'm sure, by now, you must have noticed that there is repetitions of "I am God, and there is no other" and "there is none like me." It might be hard for you to accept that fact (but is accepted easily by the believers) and it is because you are "rebels" of God. Remember what He said in the first passage? All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. When a gift is willingfully offered to you is rejected, the giver would be greatly offended.

So is the case with God.

He could have easily cursed us with His great wrath and end the life that we know of at this moment. He had many chances to do that throughout the history because His chosen people continually to craft idols and rebel against God through their debauchery, lewdful actions, and profane mouths. Why didn't He blot His chosen people from his presence? If somebody spit you in the face and beaten you half to death, you would attempt to avenge them for their actions, right?

God, the most powerful being of the whole universe that holds life and death in His hands, chose not to do that just like he did not for the Israelites. Surely they were sent into exile at different periods of history for their rebellious actions, but God always graciously forgives them for their past sins and brings them back to His promised land.

That's called Grace. And Grace is what saves rebels like us. That is what He offers to us today through Jesus Christ's death on the cross two thousand years ago.

Don't continue to rebel against Him. Don't continue to live out your lives crafting various idols made out of gold or bronze. Don't worship any of your things that you own today (let it be money, personal property, or any other things that you hold dearly). Bow down before His mighty presence, confess with your lips that He is your savior and the Lord of your lives.

And that is when you will receive His Grace. That's a promise.

Remember... if you choose not to bow down before Him, you will fall to your knees one day in horror as you realize that He is God. That's the reason why my heart is heavy with this message because many of you readers do not know God personally and it is my desire for you to reconcile with Him.

Experiencing His Greatness

2006-01-13T17:57:00.000-05:00

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighted the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weights the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.

To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

'To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God'? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

~Isaiah 40:12-31

My mind always tears apart after trying to absorb God's matchless greatness. Today, as I read this passage, my mind was literally blown to pieces. All mountains in this world is big by our own standards... and He is able to weight it on a scale? A nation (imagine Russia) is like a speck of fine dust? The forests of Lebanon not enough for the altar fires?

What is so important about the forests of Lebanon?

This forest constituted mostly cedar trees and was situated along the Jordan River. They were so vast and so massive that the ancient world recognized that as magnificent trees and it was chiefly used for King Solomon's palace (the palace of Lebanon). Other than its vast size, it was also said to be the most beautiful piece of timber that one could find in the Ancient World. Imagine the trees in California. I could picture it similar to the forest of Lebanon.

The forests of Lebanon not enough for the altar fires? There was many sacrifices going on in Israel (as a way of honoring God) and it was not enough for the altar of God! The size of this fire must be massive if all the cedar trees of Lebanon was put together to burn in honor of God... but it was not enough! What more could you ask for? Even all the trees of this world would not be enough for Him! His greatness extends ever further than this!

All dirt of this world contained within a basket! Picture this... you have this little basket of any size and all the dirt of this world fits perfectly in there with more to be added later on even if there is none left. If you tried to dig a 6 by 2 feet hole, you will be left with a big pile of dirt. When somebody is building a house, a massive pile of dirt will reside nearby and you would be amazed at the amount that came out of the ground. Imagine this! ALL dirt of this world fits comformably in a basket... a small wicket basket!

God once told Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the heaven. Have you ever attempted to count how many stars there are during the night? I tried once and failed miserably many times. What is amazing here is that God knows how many stars there are up there in the heaven and NOT ONE is missing! That blows my mind away!

That made me appreciate how powerful and great He is and made me thankful that he is a Sovereign God who holds everything under control. Nothing happens beyond his control or knowledge. Remember how Isaiah said that there is nothing that God does not know... he knows everything (in the past, present and into the infinity). He knows what will happen to each one of us (6 billion people on this insignificant world) and he has everything planned out perfectly for us. Everything happens for a reason and He knows that it will happen because He is a sovereign God!

Let everybody who agrees proclaim with a loud voice so that the whole world can hear us with a simple word, "Amen!" or "So be it!"

Reflection

2005-12-31T15:48:00.000-05:00

Today, as the sun approaches the end of this day, I can't help but to sit back and reflect on my year. As I descended deeper into my thoughts, I can't help but smile about all blessings that I have received during this year. At times of despair, I got hope. When murky fog clouds my head, Wisdom came. When the little devil on my shoulder taunts me into doing bad things, a sweep across the shoulder is all he got.

I have accomplished many things (far more than I would ever expect to) this year. Completing a two-years-long flagpole project and reaching the pinnacle of my Scouting career by becoming into a Eagle Scout. Graduating from my educational institution after seventeen years with glowing faces of my family and teachers. Spoke to my entire class and the local deaf community at my graduation. Starting another journey into my life by challenging myself at a college. Being bold and took a step forward into the hearing world, something that shook the deaf community.

Those things might seem miniscule to you, but to me, it was labeled with bold black words, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. As I looked over the things that I have succeeded into doing, a quiet voice nudged me and said, "Remember the King of kings." Upon realizing what it was suggesting, all of my current worries disspated like fine grain of dust blown away into oblivion by strong gust of wind. As I emptied myself, I became full again. Full with His grace and love. I have never felt any more fuller. Before I knew Him personally, I tried to replace worldly things to make myself feel content with life. Nothing worked. Money did not... neither power, authority of the world, fame nor agape love from my family. Nothing can consummate my soul's utmost desire of being satisfied with my life... except for His boundless and endless love.

All of my achievements I had done this past year... became nothing. They became non-existent. They passed from my mind and I realized that one of the greatest gifts that I have received in my life (during this year and the years to come)... His salvation.

Just when I thought I was full, I was empty.
Just when I thought I was found, I was lost.
Just when I thought I could see, I was blind.
Just when I thought I had everything in my life and could not ask for more,
I was utterly deceived.

O Cursed lion! Just when I try to cast you out of my body,
You gleefully fasten your claws with malice in your eyes,
The flames, O! how bright and how fierce they are!
Like a hapless prey I freeze in horror while
This king of beasts lowers himself to trounce upon me.

O Cursed lion! Just when I try to kill you,
You revealed your teeths.
All the weapons of the world became like toothpicks.
How sharp and horny they are!
If the lethality of those horrible fangs are not enough,
They are stained with the last drops from my exilir,
Doomed to drip down into the expanse of infinity.

O Cursed lion! Just when I try to flee,
You easily counter my actions by blocking my way.
You do this so effortlessly that I finally figured that you will tire me out before
Exinguishing my candle.

Just when I thought I was defeated,
A fanatic yelp was heard and the lion was nowhere to be seen.
Filled with confusion, I hastily got up to my feet only to be forced back down.
Fear overcame me as I turned around to see what held me down.
It was the Lion.

His mane, how wide and shiny!
His sinews, how stately and shapely!
His jaws, how so white and wide!
His feet, how powerful and honed with steel claws!
His music, how lovely!

As he roared, fear did not overcome me.
The iron strings of my heart moved,
Its music far more beautiful than anything else in the world.
Its deep note engulfed the whole region while,
On his back, a creature gazed in amazement.

This Lion is like no other lions!
Crown of refined gold and chociest of all jewels adorns his head,
Royal tunic of purple silk flows from his neck and covers his body!

In the full splendor of his power,
Something happened.
Instead of commanding me to serve him as a laborer,
The Crown was taken off, laid on the ground.
Instead of taking me away into the unknown,
The Tunic was unbuttoned and wrapped around me.
The massive paw laid on my shoulder,
His eyes pierced my eyes.
A nod of my head was the only thing needed.
I finally understood.

The Morning After Christmas

2005-12-26T10:38:00.000-05:00

A day has passed... the sun has set and rose again upon us. All gifts are opened and most clothes tried on. Our feasts already eaten and we are just waking up from a long night of slumber. Stores across the nation begins to rebreathe life into themselves. Malls open early to accept a wave of shoppers who are returning or buying things with outrageous discounts posted across the department stores. Young teenagers and adults head up to the mountain to ski down the snow-capped mountain. The night time light displays begin to disappear across the country. Christmas trees' decorations taken down, stowed away for another season and trees prepped to be discarded in the dump. The pulse in the artery of life resumed this morning.

What happened to Christmas? What happened to the jovial nature of Christmas? Why do we return so quickly to our normal lives, forgetting the very blessed day that we experienced just less than twenty-four hours ago? What happened to the time that we enjoyed so much being with the family?

Most importantly... what happened to Christ?

It amazes me how quickly we seem to forget that Christ, the long-awaited Messiah who was born in Bethelehem in a lowly stable and the promised Savior that was foretold thousands of years before his arrival, was forgotten. I could compare Christmas to a sparrow that entered a barn door and exited another one, just spending merely seconds inside. That is how quickly Christmas seemed to be.

For me, this Christmas was special. This was the first Christmas on Sunday that was filled with profound meaning to me as a true Christian. After opening presents and eating together with my family, we headed to a church service that was filled with joyful shouts of praise. My soul felt very joyful and felt like it wanted to burst open and shout endless praises to God for His arrival. Even if a few peopleshowed up (less than 1/3 of normal number of people), it didn't hamper the spirit of Christmas and His birthday. To me, it was the first time when I really sang Jesus a "Happy Birthday" song.

It made me think as I sang this song... where is Christ in my life? I know that he is Immanuel (God within) and he resides inside me through the indwelling Holy Spirit who serves to be my counsel whenever I need it. I know that he never forsakes me. Since he dwells inside me, I should give something back to him. What could match the gift that He gave to me? More importantly, have I placed my 100% commitment to Christ?

I have tried... and tried... and tried... but I have failed.

I didn't despaired. Instead, that serves me as a fuel to strive to become more and more like Christ (santification) and I know that in the end, when I die, I will be joyfully received in the Kingdom of Heaven with Christ's arms open and the words, "Welcome home, my child!" Filled with that thought, I have given my gift to Christ in the church. I gave him the gift of my total commitment to Him.

What does it mean by a total commitment to Christ?

Setting aside myself and allowing Him to reign in my life. Loving neighbors as I love myself. Honor and revere Lord my God and not bowing down before other gods of the world (money, power, fame, etc.). Not judging others (except for the purpose of spiritual discipline and rebuking in a loving ways) lest I would be judged by the same measures. Loving my enemies and bless them who presecute me. When somebody strikes me on a cheek, turn to another cheek instead of striking back. Embracing prostitutes and fornificators, not condemning them for their past actions (even if they were wrong and goes against what Christ teaches). Loving the poor and rich equally. Never turn anybody away when they need help the most.

This list is just a scratch on the surface, but what makes this faith so simple yet difficult to live by is because it goes against our very human nature (sin-ridden and filthy) who desires only carnal things. With the power of Holy Spirit and the willingness to allow Him take control of my life, I will be able to conquer each of those behemoth obstacles in my life and cultivate His deepest intimacy. The world will notice me and say, "Look at this fool... worshipping this so-called God of universe" and presecute me... but powers nor demons nor angels nor governments nor anything in the world will SEPARATE ME FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST.

The immatchable love of God is the only true gift that I will ever receive. All materials that I get from people (nice, they are) will perish and fade away, but the amazing grace that saved a wretch like me is a gift that will not decay, but will continue to flourish every moment of my life and into the eternity.

That is why I celebrate Christmas, Jesus Christ's birthday.

The Truth about Christmas

2005-12-13T17:54:00.000-05:00

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

~Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)

Admist all the lights and jovial nature of Christmas season, there is a lot of reasons to celebrate this season. Family reunions. Gifts. White Christmas (for those who are fortunate enough). Hot Cider. Cookies. Delicious dinner. One of my greatest sins, not surprisingly, is cookies and once I smell the aroma of my mother's kitchen as she makes cookies, I could understand how that dog in Pavlov's experiment felt when food was presented in his environment.

For those who have not taken Psychology class, this is an experiment conducted by Pavlov in late nineteenth and early twenieth century to experiment the behavior of animals **in this case, a dog** once a stimuli is presented in the environment. This allowed him to reach to a conclusion that once the brain detects the scent of a food, it instructs our salvinary glands to start salvinate to prepare for the process of digesting food.

Have you ever noticed a scene of an infant in swaddling of cloth in a hay-filled manger? Have you ever slowed down to look at this delicate creature with two parents watching over him? Ever wondered who that babe was? Why are there so many scenes close to houses and churches across the America? Most importantly... why is this holiday more widely known as Christmas?

Look at the name itself. CHRIST - MAS. The first six letters constitutes of a man who revolutionized the whole world... Jesus Christ. Catholic Church considered his birth so significant that they designated two different time periods: BC (Before Christ) and AD (After David *Jesus was born on the lineage of King David, a famous king of Israel who strove to honor God throughout his whole life*) in our calendar. This is the reason why we celebrate this season... the birth of the one who was the long-anticipated Messiah.

This is also one of Isaiah's many prophencies being fulfilled (look at the verse at the beginning) and one of many prophencies that other prophets have made in the past. The number of prophencies are staggering and the statistics of fulfilling even ONE Messianic prophencies are one out of billions... and EVERY SINGLE ONE of those 256 prophecies are fulfilled. Even more, there are many more prophecies about Christ's death and EVERY SINGLE ONE of those prophencies are also fulfilled. There is no discrepancy in any of those ones and it gives strong indication of how the Bible is not fallible or errant, but instead God-breathed and God-inspired.

Why should there be any doubt that Christ's birth actually did happened in Bethlehem in a stable with shepherds and wise men as witnesses? Why do you doubt the existence of Christ? Out of all those prophecies being fulfilled, why do you still not believe that Christ is actually the long-awaited Messiah promised by God to save us all from His wrath? Why do you STILL resist Him just like the Jews do? The Messiah has already come on Earth, perished on the Cross, died and went to Hell for three days, rose from the dead and went to be with His Father only to return again sometimes in the future to judge the living and the dead.

Just submit yourselves to Him and He will make you more satisfied in your life than ever! You will never feel like a prisoner held captivated by things that is very burdensome to you. I was one of those people who resisted before until I realized that I would not begin to live as fully as possible if it was not for His saving Grace. His Grace is what makes the blind see again, the mute speak again and restores hope in everybody. Just accept the gift... and make this your first REAL Christmas. The first Christmas without the Santa, reindeers, lights, music, and parties... and make it the first one with your Savior.

What will your choice be? Heaven or Hell?

Christmas: An Holy Incarnation

2005-12-11T18:01:00.000-05:00

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God."

~Luke 1:26-30

Right now, Christmas season is in a full swing. Outrageous sales is going on now to lure customers to buy various kinds of goodies. Holiday pressure is settling in as Christmas is just two weeks away. The holiday tension and excitement is starting to become evident as various lighted display begins to appear across America. Some displays are very brilliant and colorful that we just can't help but slow down to admire the illuminated beauty of the night. Don't get me wrong here... I love the lighted displays that people erect in their front yards because they enhance the spirit of Christmas. Let it be Santa or Jesus, it is what makes this holiday season truly joyful.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if this holiday was not formed in America? No lights? No outrageous sales in malls? No joyful sayings of "Merry Christmas" and "Silent Night, Holy Night..."? No Message of Hope? This season would be dull and December would just be another month of snow with no meaning. Moreover, even if we still celebrate this kind of holiday, it would just prove to be meaningless and vainful.

"Holy Incarnation? What do you mean by that?" By definition, the word "incarnation" means "a bodily manifestation of a supernatural being." If you will read a bit further in Luke 1, Gabriel will tell Mary that she has been indwelled with the Holy Spirit and will give birth to a son who will be named Jesus, meaning Messiah or the Anointed One. The reason why God chose Mary to bear his Son is because she was favored in God's eyes.

In this Christmas story, Mary was given seven gifts: 1) Pregancy, 2) A Son, 3) Virgin birth, 4) Joshua, 5) Raising the Son of God, 6) Mother to the Most High, and 7) Mother of the Savior. Imagine you receiving this wonderful gift of God by bearing his own son? It would be an enormous honor you will ever receive in your life (including the future generations). Since that is not possible, there still remain the greatest gift that we can receive today... only if you will seek, ask and knock. Once you knock, the door will be opened. That is a promise.

Want to know the greatest gift you will receive in the future? Stay posted as more entries come up throughout this Christmas season.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

~Matthew 7:7-8

Love your neighbors

2005-12-08T20:34:00.000-05:00

For the past few days, I have reflected on what happened during a conversation with my childhood friend whose relationship has strained in the past few years. She (who will be called Sue) left me a instant message on my MSN Messenger while I was browsing the web with one question that almost snapped me:

I am going to ask you for the last time... when will you send me a graduation picture with both of us?!

Just to let you know, I have a history of pulling things off until somebody forces me to do it at that moment (but trust me, my readers... I'm not as bad as it might seem... it only happens infrequently). Sadly, this happens to be the case this time, but for a long time, I have always assumed that my mother already send her mother the picture of our graduation a bit after her college started.

Fuming with a growing sense of frustration, I almost lashed out at her that night. For several months, I attempted to be nice with her but only received "What do you want," "Get to the point of this conversation" instead of a simple and cheerful "I'm doing good... how about you?" Instead of letting my mouth fly out of control, I composed myself for a few moments and responded with a simple but cheerful "Hello :)" before starting to tell her about how I observed Suefrom the past month based on her conversations with me.

You know... I could have abandoned you a long time ago. I could have removed you from my e-mail address book, blocked you from being able to send me e-mails and blocked you from all of my messaging systems, thereby blocking you out of my life... but I didn't because it is not what Jesus would have done. He never turned away anybody during his life.

There was a long silence before she finally responded with a response (roughly rephrased based on my memory), "I don't want to throw away our friendship down the drain, but after taking some classes with you, you proved to me that you existed to be my competitor. I think my actions have proved it to you" and "I have thought about what you have said to me about how you cared for me, but, ever since u became 'spiritual person,' you seem to be forced into embracing everybody."

Oh, I was never forced in embracing anybody... I chose to. Just as I chose to believe in Christ, I chose to embrace you not only because I care about you but also because I want to imitate Christ as closely as possible. What will it require from me to get through your thick head to make you realize that I CARE ABOUT YOU???

The words "I care about you" stuck in my mind for a long time. This was the last thing I would expect myself to tell somebody who have expressed hatred and jealousy. This stands in contradiction with my human nature and I couldn't stop thinking, "I didn't know what I just said... it seems like it is not who I am speaking, but the indwelling Holy Spirit is."

If you love Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength, then nothing else matters in your life except for serving God and pleasing Him. Isn't it odd... the whole world craves for true love, but when we discover who the True Love is, they reject it? Isn't it odd... when people desire to be loved by others, but when Christians express their love to their enemies, they only reap hatred?

I have come to a realization today. If you do truly love God and are willing to surrender everything in your life just to serve Him... miracles happen. Just as Jesus told his disciples, "All authority is given to me in Heaven. Go therefore and make disciples of ALL nations..." Matthew 28:18-19 (emphasis added), Jesus tells us to go and spread the Good News to everybody. Jesus did give us a warning that if we deny His name before other people, then Jesus will deny us before his Father. Our faith is a very rewarding one, but not without consequences. There will be presecution, hatred, insulting remarks, and every kinds of evil, but do not fear, my friends, for they hate Christ, not us.

Surrender everything and start loving others. Imitate Christ. Let your light shine in the world brightly. You will make a difference in someone's life.

Snow

2005-12-04T16:14:00.000-05:00

One of my wintertime favorites is going outside while it is snowing to look up at the sparkling snowflakes as they fall lazily down from the grey sky. I love to stand in the midst of a snowstorm (if I am lucky) and watch the landscape transform into a wintry wonderland. That really makes me want to go out and hit the slopes (I only went up the mountain once... with a mind set on being a pro snowboarder). I can be really miserable sometimes (that is, falling every few feet) but I just love going down a hill with snow whizzing past my face (if I am lucky enough). This kind of experience is very relaxing until I find myself face-full with cold snow.

If I am not 'boarding... after some quality time outside being dazzled by the beauty of the snowflakes, I would return back nippy into my toasty home with a blazing fire in the hearth and make myself a cup of hot chocolate to warm up. Inhaling the soothing aroma of a steaming mint-flavored hot chocolate cup, I would continue to stare outside and watch the flakes fall delicately to the ground. Time didn't existed. Time stretches into infinity. If the snow did not stopped falling to the ground, I could probably just sit at the front of a window and look like I lost myself in that whiteness. All of my worries and concerns... simply ceased to exist. All of my present-day troubles... disappeared. What I experience during those moment is a period of peace and rest.

I don't get that feeling often because snow rarely fall here in Maryland sufficiently during the day for me to stare at for hours, but I can get the same feeling in a different way. I get that when I meditate and talk with God in private. When I isolate myself in a room with no distractions from my parents or the outside world, that is when Father comes to me and talk with me in my heart. My yoke is replaced with His. His yoke is light (feather-light) and all of my troubles fade because I am reminded that He takes care of everything for me. He comes into my heart to caress me and strengthen me. That is the time when I can worship, honor, praise, cry, shout in joy, mourn and give thanks. That is when I really love chapter 23 from the Psalms... they provide a great meditation and prayer tool when I am lacking words:

The Lord is my Shepherd... He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul... As I walk through the valley of shadow and death, I shall fear no evil for thy rod and staff, they comfort me...

Those are one of many promises contained within the Bible. God restores your soul and set all of your anxieties aside. He will comfort you and reassure you that He will never leave nor forsake you... NOT ONCE. He never did to me. That provides great refuge for my heart because whatever happens in my life, I know that God will always be with me side-by-side. God promises you the same thing for all of your past, present and future troubles. Prayer is the most powerful tool that a saint can have... and it is not only reserved for pastors or leaders of the church. You can do it and it is not hard. No fancy jargon or terminology necessary to impress God. Prayer is a meaningful conversation between God and you, so meaningful that once you get so absorbed into it, time ceases to exist.

That is one thing that I love about prayers and that is why I find myself giving thanks to God for everything in my life and for the beauty of his Creation. I try to spend a lot of time with Him in quiet prayer and meditation so that I may cultivate true intimacy and taste his Peace. True and Absolute Peace. This is a great season to be still and watch the snowflakes descend from the sky with our eyes fixed upwardly toward our heavenly Father as a delicate flake falls on our noses.

Christmas: A Time of Anticipation

2005-12-03T17:44:00.000-05:00

This is a time of season when we look forward to receiving gifts. We eagerly make list of things that we would like to open from under the Christmas tree (note: it is not a "holiday tree"). According to the national news, one of the most requested items that kids ask their parents to get is a nano ipod. Other things that kids might ask from their parents range from clothes to gimmicks to televisions. Some might even go as far as asking their parents, "can you buy me one of those Lexus cars with a red ribbon on the top of it" or "Lamborghini, please? At least I want to try to catch Santa next year when he lands on my roof."

This is also a season of joy and sadness. Some of the America's finest Patriots (read: troops) are out there fighting a war aimed at liberating a country from the heavy hand of a dictator. They are fighting over there for the sake of our freedom, even when it seems like it is for their sake. I am not going to dedicate myself to the politics of the war in this one... it is a whole another discussion to cover in the future, but there are many families whose soldiers won't be home with them during the Christmas season. My prayer is always with them until the day they return home. Even in the midst of sadness, they can still express their inner joy by knowing that their sons and daughters are out there fighting for a just and noble cause. They know that in Iraq, those men are considered as their national heroes.

It makes me wonder about one thing during this season. Since we celebrate Christmas, do any of us really know how precious that gift is? Do we ever take the time to thank our ancestors who fought so hard and shed their blood for a cause that they believed in? Do we really know how much they surrendered in the past for this nation and for their descendants to give us this privilege to celebrate?

In midst of shopping frenzy and stress, we need to stop ourselves during this season, forget the list of things that needs to be accomplished and just gaze at that green tree decorated with illuminating lights and ornaments. As we gaze at it, we should ponder, "What is the real reason for Christmas? What makes this holiday so important to America?" What makes this holiday so important to everybody? It is not just about tradition, waking up early in the morning to kids' gleeful and excited cries of "Wake up! It's Christmas" or Santa Claus and his jovial "Ho! Ho! Ho!" With just 22 days left before Christmas, we should look beyond the Christmas trees and lights that illuminates houses across this nation to discover the true meaning of Christmas and the reason we celebrate it.

A Higher Calling

2005-12-01T22:26:00.000-05:00

It has been almost six months since my graduation. Being-a-total-freshman-college-student days are over. I have made new friends. I have met new people in my life that I talk with on a regular basis. My interpreters are wonderful. I have a very supportive family who cares deeply about me and provides me with nourishment, clothing and shelter above my head. Whenever I need some help, I always have somebody to talk with. Overall, I have no complaints about the life after high school so far.

Except one.

Oh, rest your minds at ease... what I said earlier is still true. The only discrepancy I'm talking about here is one thing that you do not expect me to bring up. It is not about anything major. It is not life threatening. It does not concern the matter of national security. It's more on a personal level.

In my schooling days, I was one of the most well respected kids because of the various things that I have done. Teachers respect me because I'm a hard-working student who strives to do his best in EVERY aspect of academic education. Kids respect me because I treat them just as I want them to treat me. Administrators likes me because I always carry a bright smile on my face and represent MSD well through various competitions such as Academic Bowl and Baseball tournaments. On my graduation day, many people came to me to bid their farewell because a new chapter of my life has begun on that day and they wanted to remind me how much they appreciate everything I've done for them.

I was honored and humbled by what people told me that day and will always cherish the comments. Is it because of all of my work done throughout the years? Perhaps. Was it because of my easygoing personality? Possibly. But was it the reason why I act that way? For pride and attention? For publicity? No. My action is for a higher calling, a purpose more noble than anything in my life.

I love to help people. I want to make their lives a bit happier and better. I've always been that kind of person. I want to bring a smile on their face because I believe that smile is an effective remedy to negative feelings. What brings a smile on our faces? We smile when other people smile at us. That is what I did to my friends until I graduated from high school. I wanted to show them the light within myself and give them a glimpse of Jesus. Yes, I failed at times, but I always have room to improve myself and become a more brilliant light in the world. My high school is a very dark place and the majority of the students there don't even know who God is. They even don't know a man named Jesus and the reason for his death 2,000 years ago. That breaks my heart. That is why my soul is heavy with burden. I feel great burden for all people who currently wander in the pitch-black darkness devoid of any hope or joy, searching for empty things to fill their void temporarily. I can feel my soul crying out from the deepest abyss of my body, "Go! Tell them about the hope you have in your life! Go and tell them before it is too late!"

I'm writing today to reaffirm my vow to follow the highest calling of my life. During one hot august night, few days after I recommitted my life to Christ, I received a vision. In that particular vision, Jesus came to me and recited the Great Commission from Matthew 28,

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

I know that God afflicted upon me a disease called spinal meningitis that almost killed me (thus for the cause of my deafness) because it was His will for me to go into the world to spread the good news, no matter the cost. I know that I am called in my life to evangelize specifically to the deaf population about the saving Grace of Jesus Christ and to forcefully expand the Gospel to every corner of the world. I'm doing this for the sake of my friends. I hate to see them perish and suffer the judgment of God. This is something that will require my entire life to, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice. I don't fear death because I know where I am going when I die and look forward to that day.

Go ahead and laugh at me. Call me a fool. Call me stupid. A fanatic. That's fine with me. If the entire world hates me... that's fine. I strongly believe that everything in the world (money, pride, power, publicity... you name it) is but "a chasing after the wind" (as King Solomon puts it beautifully in Ecclessians). I am not going to waste my time pursuing empty wealth where I know that there is treasure stored for me in heaven alone where moth cannot get it.

What good will it serve to gain the whole world only to forfeit my soul? It is far better to lose everything in the world only to gain life in the eternity.

Why should I ignore this higher calling in my life?

Anguished soul

2005-08-23T19:53:00.000-04:00

As the reality of world settled in, I'm sitting here right now in anguish to see people who I grew up with and love starting to embrace worldly things. Last I checked, many of people I knew went to wild parties (picture house-party style), drink alcohol, having sex, abandon their parents' wisdom, disrespect people and living out a Carpe Diem lifestyle. One of my closest friends started to curse her parents, speak in a language that she did not spoke for long time and decided to become more like others. As I watched my friends scatter across America (and overseas) this past summer through their online journals, I began to ponder about what would happen to them. Will they continue that type of lifestyle until they realize that they wasted their lives? Will they come to realization that the life they are living out is just an illusion? As I led my conscience through the questions, one question remains unanswered: do they know Jesus?

My face dissolved into tears as my soul aches to go to them, tell them to change their lives and introduce them to Jesus. I wanted them to experience the true fruits of life. It might seem like the life they are experiencing couldn't get any better, but they are misled. That made me feel guilty. I had ample opportunities to tell them about the love of Christ and even attempted to show them through my actions, but I'm not sure if I showed them. I prayed earnestly that I would be able to save somebody's soul... but I felt like I did not. Yes, people would say that somebody might remember me in the future about my faith in Christ, but I wonder... will there be anybody who will really remember me?

That is why I have resolved myself with the fullest determination that I would get into a ministry that will allow me to evangelize to other people who do not know Jesus. I want to be the light on the top of the hill that banishes all darkness away. I want to forcefully expand His kingdom into the farthest reach of the world so that His light shall shine in the dark corners. There are so many "I want" right now, but I won't do any of those until I sense that God is telling me to begin my missionary. There are so many people out there just like my "friends" who are lost and searching for some kind of satisfaction in a totally wrong place.

Brother and Sisters in Christ who are reading this... please pray for me. This is not easy for me to bear through all of that, but please pray that I will just increase my determination to evangelize to the whole world about the love and mercy that Jesus Christ our Lord has for the world. I pray that I won't face God as he asks me, "You send one of my child into hell because you decided to not to tell them about me just because you wanted to keep your social status."

2005 Graduation

2005-06-05T02:27:00.000-04:00

"If you have built castles in the air, your work needs not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them."
~Henry David Thoreau

Graduation is one of those things that you will remember for the rest of your life. There are many conflicting emotions among parents because the parents of the graduates are happy to see their children receive their diplomas but sad to see them ready to head off into the world.

That's the case with my parents. They are THRILLED to see me graduate as a young man but sad to see that the time to let me go as an adult is coming closer. They won't be driving to my school every Friday to pick me up, which turned into a kind of warm and memorable tradition. My mother loved that because she considered the time in the car with me very precious. On our way home, we would share moments of laughter, discussions or some periods of silencewhen I was exhausted. Every time when I was tired and sleeping in the car, I am sure that my mom watched me sleep in peace while she was driving (of course not the whole time... She needs to watch the road) and prayed for me. Today, I discovered that my mom's prayer time is almost always in the car. That is the only time when my mother would have time to reconnect herself with the Creator.

Back to the point... The graduation that I had was wonderful. Joshua did wonderfully on his graduation speech reminiscing the past titled "The Weight of the World" and Shana did a lovely introduction before it was my turn to give another speech about the future (Laying Our Foundations). Jennifer did a wonderful job writing her poem to be told by Jonathan, Ursa, Andre, Diana, Derrick and Nikki. My parents really enjoyed the graduation ceremony and commented that this was one ceremony that they've never seen in their lives. Each graduates, after receiving their diplomas, would be given a moment when they could talk to the audience about anything they wanted (such as thanking people, parents, teachers, school or just showing their sheer joy of finally graduating from school). In addition to that, the graduates were also given a chance to stand up in the front at the end of the ceremony for people to meet with them individually and tell their final farewells.

I want to grab this opportunity to thank my Father for blessing me so wonderfully on that day! I remember during the summer before I entered High School, I bowed down beside my bed and told Him to please bless me greatly and to help me make impact on people's lives. After the ceremony was over, many audience members came to me to tell me how wonderful my speech was and how they were very moved by my message. They also mentioned about how they were really blessed to know me and that they know that I would succeed in the future. When I started to realize how much people were telling me that, I just thanked my Lord for his extreme blessings upon my High School years. There are so many more blessings that He has given me and I could turn this into a novel if I could remember them all!

I want you to realize that God is an amazing guy! He gives you more than you really need only if you would ask. At times, I think that it is dangerous to ask Him for His blessings because that's like opening the floodgates and allow the water to rush toward you. Wow... He never ceases to amaze me!

Eagle Scout

2005-05-29T01:38:00.000-04:00

Decorated with twenty-one merit badges sewn on a green sash and several patches on my shirt sleeves, I stood before forty people on the day of May 22, 2005 to rededicate myself to the oath that I have based my life upon during my whole seven years as a Boy Scout:

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
And to obey the Scout Law;

To help other people at all times;

To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally staight.

As I reflected today on this oath that I rededicated myself to... I realized that those words within the Scout Oath is not just words. Using a metaphor of a potter and clay, those words are the potter and he molds the clay, which is a boy, into a young man who is prepared to face the world in the latter part of his life. Speaking of words... there are also another aspect of Boy Scouts that a boy must try live their lives upon: The Scout Law.

A Scout is...

Trustworthy.
Loyal.
Helpful.
Friendly.
Courtaeous.
Kind.
Obedient.
Cheerful.
Thrifty.
Brave.
Clean.
Reverent.

After seven years of reciting the Oath and Law, it has become more significant as I progressed during my journey toward Eagle Scout rank. If you will sum them all up... this is what character is all about. By definition, Character means "The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another" and "moral or ethical strength." As a boy starts off in his scouting career, he doesn't know anything about the Scout Oath nor the Law, but as years progress, he will learn to recite it by memory. You might think that those boys are being brainwashed repeating those words. I don't think that it's a brainwashing effort but a way of making the boys learn a certain set of principles to base his life upon as a gentleman instead of a boy who does not care anything about his life and follows the philosophy of "Carpe Diem" or "Seize the Day."

That is the philosophy that I do not advocate. To live under that banner means that you don't even care about your life and "just go with the flow." Going with the flow might mean having a casual sex or curse constantly while talking with other people. It could also mean go out and party hard until you drop. When you feel like robbing a store, do it. When you want to kill somebody, you would. Hurting somebody is okay. Bottom point: nothing is stopping you from seizing the day and living it as much as possible with no regrets.

I know that some of the situations that I presented above are a bit extreme and you would think, "This guy's just delusional because that's NOT what seizing the day is about." I just wanted to present some situation so ridiculous so you will see in a new light on what that philosophy might mean. I know nobody does those extreme cases such as murdering, kidnapping or robbing stores, but that is precisely what "Carpe Diem" means.

Now that brings around to my point... Boy Scouts of America strengthens character in a boy. It makes the boys think about the consequences of their actions and how to live above the standards of the world. This journey is laden with tests. Just as iron sharpens iron, testings that the boys face during his journey will sharpen him, making him more wise and more capable of distinguish between what is right and wrong.

That is one or many things that I have to thank Boy Scouts of America for. Being an Eagle Scout might mean a lot to some people, but the badge itself has no meaning to me. The hardships and testings that Boy Scouts of America gave me throughout those seven years have strengthened me and evolved a boy into a man with character. That is what my Eagle badge symbolizes. Without Boy Scouts of America, I don't know what I would have ended up as. I might be one of those people who says "eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" only if Robert Boyce did not meet that unknown scouter on a foggy night in London.

If you are involved in Scouting movement as one of the leaders... I express my thanks on the behalf of the fellow Scouters for what you are doing.

The Death of Pope John Paul II

2005-04-03T15:45:00.000-04:00

I am not a Catholic myself... I'm of a Christian origin, but I would like to take this opportunity to recognize a godly man who attempted to change the world in many ways. Even if he was a Pope and holds the most powerful position in the world, he still was able to humble himself and lower himself to relate with people of all nations. He has a God-given ability of speaking eight languages fluently and that helped John Paul II to spread the Gospel to every corner of the world. He even did something unexpected that most humans will not be willing to do... Forgiving his assassinate who shot in his abdomen twice. If I was in his shoes, I would not even dare to enter that prison cell and utter one word to this man who tried to take my life. To make the history of Pope John Paul II short... He was a man who was sincere with his faith to God and serious about leading his sweeps (since he was named as a shepherd metaphorically) as a spiritual leader. Moreover, Karol hostile is a simple man who was raised in Poland in Krakow (or also known as cracks) that took up the papacy when God wanted him to and attempted to show the world who Christ really is.

That made me look at myself on who I am. I am a Christian and I do follow God. I do go to church every Sunday. By the world's standard, I would be considered as a good, if not great, Christian. I try to walk closely with God and resist the world. I try to read the Bible everyday and to tell others about God and how much He loves them. Hey... I'm not perfect myself and it is impossible to be perfect since I am of a human nature. When I look at his life and what he did for all people in the world, for a moment, I thought that Pope John Paul II was probably Jesus Christ himself because everything that the media says about him was good. I slapped myself in the head and told myself, "No. He is not like Jesus Christ. In the Bible, it says that none are righteous, not even one." Instead of mourning for the death of a godly man, my heart leaped in joy because this is the only time I know that God would tell him in heaven, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

If you are a Christian and firmly believe that God is your personal savior, then I praise and greet you as my brother and sister in Christ! We have a job to do right now and that is to spread the Good News to every corner of the world! Stay firm in your relationship with God and do not err from Him for He is your Rock. This journey that you are taking today is a journey of constant renewal as you become as white as snow. It is not easy... I know. There is no greater joy than knowing that the all-mighty God would care about each souls in this world and desires to save us even if we are worthy of death in Hell.

If you happen to not be a believer, I offer you a message hope and joy greater than you can even imagine only if you are willing to listen today. If you want to hear about this wonderful message that the Pope and all Christians worldwide (including me) carry everyday... Please leave a message in this bloc and I would gladly talk with you about who God is and to answer your questions that you might have about Jesus. I'm not one of those people who will scream out of their throats, forcing you to change your beliefs and to accept Jesus. I am not somebody who claims to be holy and perfect because I know that I am not. Like I stated earlier in the post, I am just a human. I do make mistakes daily. This is a confession straight from my heart and I am not afraid to admit that. Your decision about whether to believe in Christ or not is purely your personal choice, not anybody else's. Please... I beg you... Drop a message leaving your email address in this bloc because my heart is very eager to share about Jesus and what he did for us on the Cross. This is probably one of the most important decisions that you will EVER make in your lifetime. Don't wait until it is too late. Please don't. Don't pass this opportunity and go on in your life without hearing what I have to say. Thank you.

Eggs, Bunnies and Candies

2005-03-26T18:16:00.000-05:00

Chocolate is one thing that I cannot live without. Out of everything that I have eaten, I would rank chocolate bunnies as one of the best things I've tasted. I have eaten many chocolate bunnies throughout my life. I didn't bothered to look at him, study him and see how he looked like before I made his arms or head disappear quickly. Recently, I was in a candy store and I saw a chocolate bunny in a plastic box staring at me with a smiling face. Instead of picking him off the shelf, I paused and stared at this creature, seemingly frozen in time. I began to wonder what he is thinking behind the plastic wrapper.

"Don't eat me! Eat him," "Take me home, please," "psst... psst... Do I look good?" In the deepest shadow of my mind, I swore that I heard a whispering scream echoing from that box saying, "WHO AND WHY IS THIS DETESTABLE AND HAIRLESS THING STARING AT ME!?" What I mentioned above is probably far from what this chocolate bunny is thinking, but I sure hope that he is not assuming that I would take him home as his pet! If he is, he's in for an unpleasant surprise.

Chocolate bunnies are one of things firmly attributed with Easter, but it seems like people forgot the reason why Easter was founded in the first place. Take a moment and ask yourselves, "What is the true reason for Easter?" You probably already know the reason for this holiday, but do you know the TRUE meaning behind Easter? It is not about chocolate bunnies. It is not about marshmallow bunnies or peeps. It is not about candies that you receive in the morning. The whole reason this holiday began is to remember a man who died such a horrid and shameful death: Jesus Christ.

"Oh my gosh... Here he goes again! I have heard enough about this already! Enough preaching about Jesus who is long dead!"

Listen my friends... just give me a chance to tell you about the reason why this day exist. Instead of reading what I have to say about this season, I want to present you with a short article that I found after searching on Google.

It's the cross. It was the instrument of torture and unimaginable pain, not a piece of jewelry or an icon of mystical power.

It's the blood. Hot, pulsing and running down human flesh, coming from degrading, humiliating, beyond painful, physical punishment.

It's the end of the story about the little Baby in the manger who came to die in submission and humility for us.

It's the beginning of the story about the Alpha and Omega, the One who stands in power and majesty for us, resurrected to eternal life and exalted to His own Kingdom.

It's victory; a once and for all, end-of-the-world kind of victory. The resurrection is a complete and total victory over death, and over anything that leads to death.

It's for all who want it, for the entire world, for the entire universe, for God's kingdom forever! And for you and for me, in our own little worlds.

It's finished. Done with, over, complete. We need to do nothing but accept it.

It's free, but it will cost everything and you will give it willingly because once you have fully tasted it's freedom, you will see that it is priceless.

And that, my brother and my sister, is the result and reason for Easter.

Excerpted from http://www.thischristianlife.com/articles/byrd0302b.html

After reading this short excerpt, let me express my thoughts on this topic. Easter is not all about chocolate bunnies, candies or eggs. Easter was established to honor a man named Jesus Christ who died on the Cross for ALL of our sins so that we can be reunited with God. All of your personal faults that you did in the past will be forgiven. Eradicated. Forgotten. The only requirement that God has for us is to give up our lives willingly to God and believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross and resurrected on the third day from death. This gift that God has for you right now is priceless. What else in the world can compare this to what God has to offer to you?

Take a moment and think about this... this is one of the biggest decision that you will face in your lifetime. Whatever you decide will have consequences. Let me tell you something... I cannot force you to start believing in God. It is your own choice.

Before you switch to another Blog or do something else, grant me one favor. Please read this poem titled "Salvation" by Joseph Raymond because it speaks from my own heart.

I am one of Adam's race

whose nature betrays the truth

like all those who have come before

I'm stained with the mark of sin

for in my mind I'll have my own way

not heeding the call of my heart

for my flesh cries aloud, "Give, Give"

and I as a slave obey.

Justified, justified, I cry aloud

yet God's hand presses down

'til choices made exact the toll

of conscience seared and dead.

No right have I to heavens realm

where life and love abound

for all fall short, all have sinned

I await the penalty due.

Once in time His grace appeared

so very long ago

Bethlehem's child was born that day

to pay the price foretold

and not for His but ours it's said

upon death's cross He hung.

With final breathe and blood outpoured

He cried, "dear Abba, 'tis done".

It was not long He stayed below

for Father's love remembered

was not for His but others life

the ransom price was paid.

With but a touch, embued new life

and raised him from the dead

new Adam, new race, new covenant,

for all who'd but believe.

For me and you it has been done

To give this gift so vital

immortal life, eternal love,

a way through heaven's portal.

With heart belief comes righteousness

salvation with mouth is made

proclaiming truth with heartfelt faith

newness of life begins.

No more the Jew nor gentile be

distinction can't be found

for now the time for all to make

decision, loss or gain.

The cross of Christ divides in two

the mass of people here

no more shall I be put to shame

his cross of love I'll bear.

Not by works, nor by law

but mercy couched in grace

believe He is the Son of God

who paid the debt of old.

Anointed one, Lord of life

come to me this day

I humbly bow my knee to you

as life begins anew.

Excerpted from http://www.christianmuse.com/heartsongs/p-salvation.shtml

O Cruel World!

2005-03-25T10:43:00.000-05:00

Terri Schiavo is probably one of the most famous people that we know in our generation. Many people are fighting for her survival (as well as her ultimate death) and the media is covering this story heavily in the recent weeks. In some media stations (such as CNN, ABC and CBS), they assure us repeatedly that Terri is in PVS (Persistent Vegetative State) and deserves to die.

I'm here to tell you that this is NOT true at all.

Here's an excerption from www.terrisfight.net:

"The definition of PVS in Florida Statue 765.101:

Persistent vegetative state means a permanent and irreversible condition of unconsciousness in which there is:

(a) The absence of voluntary action or cognitive behavior of ANY kind.
(b) An inability to communicate or interact purposefully with the environment.

Terri's behavior does not meet the medical or statutory definition of persistent vegetative state. Terri responds to stimuli, tries to communicate verbally, follows limited commands, laughs or cries in interaction with loved ones, physically distances herself from irritating or painful stimulation and watches loved ones as they move around her. None of these behaviors are simple reflexes and are, instead, voluntary and cognitive. Though Terri has limitations, she does interact purposefully with her environment."

The state that she is in now is nothing comparing to some people that I have heard about throughout the years. Some people is in a condition far more worse than her. Some people have a disorder (forgot the name) where their brain will swell to an unpropotional and unbelievable size that they will eventually become into, as my father puts it, worms. My father majored in Biology at University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ and part of his coursework requires him to take a tour of a place where those type of people reside. He told me stories about a man who is in his twenties having this kind of condition. His pituitary gland is severly damaged that he has no growth hormones to regulate his growth. As a result of this, he remained as a baby lying on a crib with an enormous enlarged head after years of excess accumulation of fluid in his brain. He is only able to move his body a bit, but his head is impossible to move at all.

Killing a person by starvation is very inhumane. According to Florida's law, if you don't give a dog water, you will be arrested and put in jail for animal cruelity. There is thousands of dogs out there in Florida and elsewhere. Now... to kill a person by starvation and thirst... does that makes them any indifferent from dogs? In our nation, it seems like our value for life is gone.

After hearing about this, does it makes you wonder... does this guy deserve to die because he is suffering from this disorder? Is Terri in far more worse state than his? Should Terri die because her husband wishes her to? Is it because he does not want to face this problem and marry another woman more beautiful than her?

It just baffles me...

Ripples of Life

Julianna and Christmas in Belarus – Update #5

When we left the church, we all got back on the bus and went to a Belarusian restaurant in town. We had some interesting traditional Belarusian food, but it was pretty good. The meal, which was quite fancy for Belarus in a Belarusian hotel, cost about $10.

When we got back to Mogilev, we had dinner. A sort of pork meatloaf with a hardboiled egg in the center of it, sweet bread and french fries. The bread and fries were delicious, the meatloaf was ok.

Thank you for your prayers! I will try to write more another day and tell you more stories of Belarus.

Please pray for our safety in returning home this weekend and please pray for the children & families in Belarus.

Thank you all!

Take care,

Elaine

More on Deaf Orphanages and Village in Belarus – Update #5

Hello friends and family!

Take care,

Elaine

Visited Deaf Villages and Children Shelters – Update #4

Dear friends & family,

Yesterday we went to the deaf "village" and it was an amazing experience. I promise to write about that more when I have time. This short email will not do the visit justice, and there is so much I wish to tell you about it.

We met several children - deaf and hearing - who need host families this summer. Please begin thinking and praying about opening your homes this summer to one of these children. They are so precious, and we so desperately want to help them as much as possible.

I will write more later - must go play with the girls, hug them while they cry as they don't want to leave, and look at pictures and videos of our times with them. I love them all so much. Please pray for us all as tomorrow will be a very hard day for the girls and for us.

May God bless you all for taking this journey to Belarus through your prayers with us!

Elaine

Dreben, Mstislval orphanage – Update #3

Dear friends & family,

I can't express how much your thoughts and prayers have meant to us while on this trip so far. So many of you have sent your love and prayers our way - thank you so much! It's almost like you're here with us in Belarus.

It's been a while since I've had access to a computer to be able to send an update email. The past 4 days have been very busy, so I'll try to summarize as best I can, but I'm afraid this may be a long email!

After that visit, Baris took us to a monastery that is over 600 years old. Again the old church building and monastery were severly damaged in WWII, but they have a small church there now and 12 monks live there. It was an interesting visit.

Tonight Joe, Krystina (Joe's), Marharyta & I ate at the ARK house and we'll play games and hang out with the girls some. Rich, Krystina, and Olya went to visit a friend they know from when they were with the ABRO group in NC.

Thank you for your continued prayers. Having you all as friends and prayer warriors is such a blessing to me!

Take care,

Elaine

Mstislavl, Belarus

New Year Eve and A Day with Orphans!

First Morning in Belarus – Update #2

Hello from Belarus!

Rich, Joe and I had a wonderful night's rest. Comfy beds, warm blankets. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow! :) This morning we were all able to get showers and there was plenty of hot water. The small things do make us feel at home here.

Some children arrived here at the ARK house today to pick up their Christmas cards and gifts from their American host families. Seem like very nice kids too.

We are all very appreciative of your prayers. Thank you so much for them - they truly carry us along in this mission we are on!

Take care & God bless,

Elaine

Lost Baggage and Safe Arrival – Update #1

Hello from Belarus!

Everyone I meet starts speaking to me in Russian and then finds out I can't understand. Hopefully they catch on, or I do!! :)

It's been a long trip, and I desperately need some sleep since I barely slept at all on the planes & bus.

A couple prayer requests:

1. That the luggage would arrive safely with all the toys.

2. For Yura - the leader of the mission here in Belarus. He tore his Achilles tendon yesterday and need surgery. Will be difficult for him since he's responsible for the 23 people here on the trip.

3. For me - for sleep, strength and a renewed since of purpose here.

Take care & thank you for all of your prayers.

Elaine

Some interesting information on Belarus

Belarus Flag

Belarus Map

Belarus Background

Bon Voyage to my sister!

Christmas Tree – A Concise History

Number One Priority

The Potter Works Only with Soft Clay!

Seasons

God Texts the Ten Commandments

American Capitalism Gone With a Whimper?

TEA Party 2009

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

Reid, Pelosi, and the dying priest

Behind the desk - Article from SYM

The Search for a Godly Spouse

Kathy J. Meagher, 50 - A Obituary

Atheists' Holy Day: April 1st

Unusual Words

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Our Situation - from Ransomed Heart

Resolved by the grace of God

Advisory Team of the Deaf Teen Ministry Affinity Network

Model for Deaf ministry music videos

Prayer for the USA

Hood Finals Week Completed!

More Fun Christmas Facts!

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Fun Christmas Facts

Wanted: Real, Fearless Men for Leaders

Render to Obama all things that are Obama's

Election 2008