I don’t drink soda (except for the occasional Root beer), but most of my family members are addicted enjoy the occasional Dr. Pepper. I know they’re not alone. So as my gift to you, I pass on this bit of information…it should make many of you quite excited.
Guns-N-Roses newest album, “Chinese Democracy”, began production in 1994 but never released. In March of this year, the Dr. Pepper company made a promise that if the long-anticipated album “dropped” in 2008 they would provide free Dr. Pepper for everyone.
Fast forward to this coming Sunday - Chinese Democracy will go on sale.
So will Dr. Pepper follow through on their promise? You betcha! Starting Sunday morning at 12:01 am, coupons for free Dr. Pepper will be available from the Dr. Pepper website. But you’ll have to hurry and not forget - the coupons are only available for 24 hrs.
The more I become involved in local outreach and mission opportunities, the more I become acquainted with various ministries around the globe. Starting today, and every Tuesday from now on, I will introduce you to a ministry that I regularly follow. My goal is that you will begin to pray for these ministries, and perhaps find one (or more) that moves you to action - either by getting involved physically or financially. Most of the people behind these ministries work long, hard hours; some even put their own lives at risk. Let them encourage you as they’ve encouraged me.
The sex industry is booming in America. Pornography, strip joints, and prostitutes line our streets and entangle millions of people in its web. It’s a messy business where addictions and abuse abound. For many involved, it’s a trap they can’t escape.
For over 11 years, Annie Lobert worked as a prostitute and exotic dancer in Las Vegas, Hawaii, and Minnesota. What started out as an alluring lifestyle - parties, money, presents, fame - turned into a spinning web of drugs, abuse, and sex. On the outside, she lived glamorously and felt powerful, but inside she raged with shame, loneliness, and feelings of worthlessness. She longed for love…real love. And she found it in Jesus Christ. Annie tells her story in great detail on her website. You can read it by clicking HERE. She holds nothing back as she reveals her deepest struggles and the ugly truths of the sex industry.
Now, as a passionate Christian, Annie’s one desire is reaching out to women and men “who are currently associated with or working as prostitutes, porn stars, pimps, and exotic dancers in order to help them transition successfully out of the sex industry.” Her Las Vegas ministry, Hookers for Jesus, offers services and programs that are “mission driven and are designed to minister healing and restoration of individuals and families affected by sexual abuse and trauma linked to professional and consumer involvement in the sex industry.”
Hookers for Jesus guides prostitutes, pimps, dancers, and porn stars into a life of freedom, walking with them throughout the entire journey. The sex industry workers do not just hear the message of Christ and then are abandoned to figure out everything else on their own. Hookers for Jesus offers continual guidance and help, including “case management services, criminal justice support; juvenile offender mentorship; community awareness seminars and workshops; individual health and wellness programs; skills assessment, retraining, and career development assistance; and human services programming.” They also minister in prisons, on the streets, juvenile detention centers, and even adult entertainment conferences!
An exciting event currently taking place is the opening of a new home for women. This home will serve as a transitional house for women seeking a safe environment as they fight to leave the sex industry. The Destiny Center just opened its doors in October and will begin accepting residents this month!
There are many exciting things happening through Hookers for Jesus. God’s faithfullness has abounded as they find creative and effective outlets to minister to this virtually unreached group of people. Please go to their website www.HookersforJesus.net and spend time looking around. Pray for them. Get involved!
Thanks, Annie and Hookers for Jesus volunteers, for giving yourself over so selflessly to this ministry and for getting your hands dirty so that lives can be saved!
In July, when Josh announced that he was ready to return to Texas for good, I knew that I was in for some emotionally hard times. I had my dream in my grasp, and then it was suddenly threatened to be taken from me.
This experience was not my first. It happened once before in 2001. After attending a missionary training school in the Czech Republic, Josh and I returned home to begin pursuing full-time mission work in Ukraine. After looking into it a bit more, Josh decided that the timing was not yet right for us to go do full-time work. I was devastated…so much so that I allowed myself to listen to Satan’s lies about worthlessness and discontentment. I didn’t have a career or a plan of what I was going to do. I became bitter and angry towards my husband for taking away my dream. I felt like a horrible person and hated myself, my marriage, and my situation in life to the point that I became suicidal.
So when Josh mentioned that he wanted to come back home to Texas this summer, after only 4 months in Ukraine, I remembered all that I had gone through 7 years before and knew there was only one thing for me to do if I was going to survive this 2nd heartbreak - run to the throne of God and allow him to carry me through this fire.
As Josh was contemplating the move, I drowned myself in scripture, worship, and prayer. From those moments with my Lord, I received 2 very distinct and profound words:
1. Proverbs 14:1 - The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her own hands. This verse has hit me harder than any other verse. Through it I came to realize that no matter what decision Josh makes (at the time, whether to stay in Ukraine or return to Texas), success will ultimately be on MY shoulders. If I want my “house” - my marriage, my relationship with God, my ministry - to stay strong and thriving, then it is completely, 100% my responsibility to see that it stays strong. It is MY actions, MY words, and MY attitudes that will determine the outcome of any situation. As the head of the household, Josh is to make the decisions that he sees best. But it is my response to his decisions that make or break my “house”.
I really had two reactions to Josh’s decision to come home: fight it with all my might to stay in Ukraine, or submit to his decision and return quietly. Which one would build my house and which would tear it down? I chose to quietly follow.
2. No matter what I pray concerning the entire exodus back to Texas, I hear one phrase over and over again, “It’s going to be okay.”
No matter what your opinions are about the war in Iraq or the way President Bush has handled the war, our troops serving in this war zone (and those in other countries) deserve our respect, support, and prayers.
My father-in-law sent me a link that caught not only my attention, but made me excited to see that there is a company that supports our soldiers and is making it easy for YOU to show your support as well.
Xerox has set up a website where you can send a free personalized postcard to an American soldier serving overseas. It only takes a few moments to choose your card (created by children and teenagers around the U.S.), write a simple thank you (or choose from one of the prewritten messages), and then submit it to Xerox. They will then print and mail the card for you. I did it and it only took me about 2 minutes…an extremely small amount of time, especially compared to the months and years of time that many soldiers spend fighting in foreign lands.
Don’t hesitate. Go right now to Let’s Say Thanks and send a card to one of our troops…or send several!
November is national blogging month, which means that bloggers are to try and post something everyday. I know, I know…I’m 14 days behind. I almost didn’t do this, but I really need something to motivate me to write everyday; so I thought I would try to finish out the last 16 days with some writing.
It seems that the only thing I’ve really been posting are updates…I’ll go a week or two without saying anything, and then I’ll just write down what’s happened in my life. My goal is not to just bore you with mundane everyday details of my life back here in Texas, unlike when I lived in Ukraine and mundane, everyday life wasn’t so boring. But, now that i’m here you really don’t want to hear about my trip to the local grocery store because, well, you all have the same experiences. I hope to get back to the place where my writings have some benefit…where I’ve learned a lesson or am questioning something or had a unique experience.
I’ve probably had a few of those experiences lately, but i haven’t really been contemplating them. My life is so full of unanswered questions and foggy confusion that I’ve really just been focused on getting up in the mornings and making it through the day. It’s not a deep depression where I’m struggling with my existence, it’s more that I have big life-altering decisions to make, and I don’t know what directions to choose. Over the next 16 days I’m sure you’ll hear more about what I’m facing.
I’m so thankful that I’m surrounded with amazing friends and a patient, supportive husband. I really don’t know how I would be making it through without them to encourage me and keep me level headed.
I have seen Gianna Jessen on a CNN interview, but never really heard her speak.
Amanda, blogger of Following an Unknown Path, posted this 2-part speech that Gianna gave in Australia. It’s a moving and inspiring video. Together it’s about 15 minutes, well worth your time. Further thoughts are posted after the videos.
I don’t usually go political on this blog, but I have to make a statement concerning abortion and this year’s Presidential elections. Gianna mentioned that it wasn’t until 2002 that government placed a protection act on babies born alive who were meant to die through abortion. The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act guarantees that every infant born alive enjoys full legal rights under federal law, regardless of his or her stage of development or whether the live birth occured during an abortion. As Ms. Jessen states, before this Act became effective, children who survived abortions were quickly killed through suffocation, strangulation, or simply ignored and left to die.
Do you know that Obama opposed the Born-Alive Infants protection Act?
But Obama’s record on abortion is extreme. He opposed the ban on partial-birth abortion — a practice a fellow Democrat, the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, once called “too close to infanticide.” Obama strongly criticized the Supreme Court decision upholding the partial-birth ban. In the Illinois state Senate, he opposed a bill similar to the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which prevents the killing of infants mistakenly left alive by abortion. And now Obama has oddly claimed that he would not want his daughters to be “punished with a baby” because of a crisis pregnancy — hardly a welcoming attitude toward new life.
And if you don’t know the horrific, murderous practice of Partial-birth abortions, find out by clicking HERE. One form of abortion that’s not banned, but just as horrific is Dilation & Evacuation Abortions Click HERE to see how these children are disposed of.
1. Adapting to working from home has not been easy. The complete freedom with my time originally started with lots of rest, which morphed into a lack of motivation and laziness. Sinful, I know. I finally got tired of feeling unproductive, so I forced myself to start some kind of schedule. It’s not yet finalized or perfected but I’m on my way. The office work with SOS starts at 1:00 pm each day, which leaves my mornings for volunteer work, time with friends, housechores, and, ahem, sleeping in late. Mondays are devoted to working at the Church, Wednesdays are spent at the Friendship House ( a local ministry that offers food, clothing, furniture, and financial help to the people in our community), and Fridays will be devoted to another ministry I’ve yet to choose. Things are starting to look up.
2. Some new friends of mine are personal trainers and run their own fitness boot camp. And, although I don’t understand why anyone would pay to be tortured with yells of “give me 20 more pushups”, I’ve always wanted to try it. So, I signed myself up. I just finished workout #3 and let me just say, I feel like I’ve been tossed around inside the barrel of a cement truck. Woo hoo! Of course, I need something to help soothe the burning in my body…and the ice cream works perfectly….
3. I love sunsets. The golden skies keep me going as I do those 20 pushups in East Texas country.
4. One of my biggest dreams growing up was to be on broadway. Last weekend after attending “The Color Purple” at Fair Park I saw a woman sitting at a picnic table outside by the stage entrance door. I went over and began talking to her. Turns out, she is one of the lead dancers and backup singers for the play. As I sat there and talked with her, I realized that in order to fulfill her dream, she has to continually give up on other parts of her life. She’s been touring for 16 months now with no break. Come Christmas, she will return home to Harlem and to her husband, who she has not seen in all these months. Looking on my life now, would I be willing to forsake family to pursue a life dream? absolutely not. Do I still dream? yes…and I’m the #1 broadway star in my shower.
Bright blue skies hovered above the green fields of Clifford Park. Scattered groups of vendors scurried to set up their products while DecembeRadio checked the stage’s sound. My team and I strategized on the best plan for passing out 2000 school supplies and busied ourselves with setting up the safety barriers.
As I worked, I reflected on the week. Satan had tried so hard to discourage us and distract us from what God was doing. But despite our stolen items, assaults from homeless men, and car crashes, God, as always, proved Himself to be faithful and mighty.
This day of Evangelism explosion began with a few hitches - some last minute school cancellations, but after a few phone calls everything was set in place. 2000 people filed off the cruise ship, boarded their buses and arrived at their destination school.
Arriving at T.G. Glover Primary School, the group of 20 Americans that I lead and I heard a chorus of small voices from within the school:
I am a promise. I am a possibilty
I am a promise with a capital P
I am a great big bundle of Potentiality
And I am learnin’ to hear God’s voice
And I am tryin’ to make the right choice
I am a promise to be anything God wants to me to be.
My heart filled with joy listening to the children sing. What an incredible message to hear…even as an adult I still need to be reminded of who I am with God in my life. My next thought was, “Wow - this is a public school, and they’re learning the Word of God!”
Back at the festival later in the evening, I saw between 25,000 - 30,000 Bahamians come together for one purpose - to worship God. Well, maybe some came for the free school supplies or just because it was a free concert - but no matter why they were there, they still heard the Gospel message and participated in worshiping our God.
It’s safe to say that the majority of people who read this blog enjoy Christian music and speakers. For myself, Christian music is practically the only music to circulate through my radio. These musicians become a source of inspiration and encouragement in our daily lives, not only through their songs, but also by their lives.
I know we all remember that “celebrity” musicians and speakers are only human; no greater than ourselves. God has given us talents and giftings equal to these celebrities; yet we consider them above us because they have devoted their lives in allowing God to use their talents and giftings to a greater degree, reaching millions of people that we could never reach. We often believe that their lives are righteous, because they sing of complete devotion and sacrifice. To see them devote time to a huge missions explosion, such as Bahamafest, we assume they minister with pure motivations.
Working behind the scenes of Bahamafest and Cruise with a Cause, I have seen a different side to many of these celebrities. In the last 2 years of my involvement, I know stories that would make you cringe and your heart sink with disappointment. People who preach servanthood and humility on stage demand superstardom treatment on the sidelines: transportation only in luxury cars, specific foods and drinks that have to be imported in or monitored to the exact degree, room accommodations that cost more than many people’s one month salary, and outrageous stipends are common mandates - even on “mission” trips.
What happened to the servanthood attitude? Where did humility go? and love?
If it was my choice, I would to tell them to kiss my fat butt and fly themselves back to their mansions and yachts…we don’t need their music or their sermons to reach the people of this nation. Let’s find the ones who truly love God and his people, and are willing to give up their name brand waters in order to reach others with the Gospel message. It’s time to stop playing Christian and start being real, completely devoted to God and his people.
Now, before I start getting all kinds of emails or comments, let me end by saying that not all of the artists and speakers are as I described above. Many of them participate with truly pure hearts and love. They are not seeking stature or fame…they only want God to be glorified. A good example is Sonicflood. Last year, there were some setbacks that resulted in decreased school performance time. Many artists were furious that weren’t given enough time to play all their music set or to promote their music. Sonicflood, however, said no problem and just hung out with the kids, joyfully and full of love. We need more artists like them.
