Make a Difference Today

Our world is filled with injustice. Hunger, dirty water, poverty, human trafficking, and people without hope, without Jesus. Tiny Hands fights injustice, one child at a time in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

I love to read their blog, praise God for the girls rescued, see the shining faces of those children in their homes, and receive great news from their One Girl Initiative. I received this email this week:

Moving into Bangladesh!!!

We APPRECIATE your PRAYERS

as we respond to God's Call to protect the Daughter's of Bangladesh.

Our experienced Border Monitoring staff from Nepal went to Bangladesh to begin training their appointed Transit Monitoring Team. As we share this exciting news with you, we have already intercepted 12 girls!

 

   

  

February 2014 Reports

101 Girls intercepted in Februray

199 Girls intercepted so far in 2014

12 Girls intercepted in Bangladesh

LOVED, PROTECTED, RESTORED through One Girl

You can make a difference today. 

1. Praise God for these girls rescued.
2. Join the One Girl Initiative yourself.
3. Pray for this month's prayer requests.

• For our continued Transit Monitoring training in Bangladesh-that our new staff would be bold in their efforts through our Lord Jesus!
• For our staff in Bangladesh-that they continue to work together in prayer and monitoring their borders.
• That God would continue to bring faithful servants to our Border Staff in Nepal and Bangladesh.
• For guidance and connections in Thailand as we continue to explore partners to help us fight sex trafficking in Thailand.
• Praise to our Father who we continue to glorify through our efforts!

In His Time

This summer I thought I was very prepared. We hired staff earlier than normal, decided on devotional verses early and sent these to writers earlier than in past years. I had all the age graded Bible studies written and printed out by the first of May. Ready, set, go! Not!!

As summer approached, I had an uneasy feeling about the Bible study I wrote for Youth Mission Week. For some reason, the Gideon study that seemed the right choice in the spring, didn’t feel right in the month of June. The Holy Spirit nagged my Spirit like a dripping faucet.

Finally, [You know what I did. I loudly pronounced, “You win, I don’t have time to write a new Bible study but if you insist, I will make the time. (I have such a sweet, obedient spirit with the Holy Spirit when pressed for time.)] I sat down at my computer with my Bible on my left side and let the Holy Spirit teach me. The time flew by as He wrote. The Holy Spirit directed me to Paul and how Paul shared his testimony wherever God placed him. For the application section of this Paul Bible study, each student was to write his/her own testimony and make a decision about how many times they would share their testimony with others during the Mission Week experience.

With the Bible study printed out and ready to teach, I met with the college staffers, directing them in the lesson they would teach this next week. [They are the only staff members who know the content of the Bible studies.]

Youth Mission Weeks begin on Sunday and Monday with a flurry of activity including worship, recreation, mission team organization, and preparation prior to sending the teens to mission sites on Tuesday-Thursday. Among these activities is a time of Spirit led Bible study to prepare the youth for ministry with the people they encounter at their mission site.

One night before staff supper, we were sharing things we could ‘Praise Jesus’ for and one of my younger staffers, Robbie, shared what happened during the lunch break at his mission site. As his group ate their lunch, Robbie suggested they share their testimonies. (Because he had been helping in recreation during the morning Bible study, he was unaware that the Bible study had included a time of testimony preparation.) Robbie told us that as each person gave their testimony, the fellowship of the group was sweetened, walls came down, and their work relationship improved. (I am so glad Robbie listened to the Holy Spirit!) After Robbie shared, many other staffers testified that they experienced the same results at their mission sites. Many of the staff reflected it was the best year they had ever had on a mission site.

I believe the Holy Spirit wrote that new Bible study to prepare the youth to share their testimonies, knowing that as they shared, barriers would fall down and each site group would become a family. Many of our campers need a place to feel safe, secure and loved. (Don’t we all?!) The Holy Spirit orchestrated that feeling on this 2011 Mission Week.

Does the Holy Spirit nag you? Have you shared your testimony with someone this week? Do you have a safe place to share your thoughts? Share with me how I can pray for you as you share with others, search for a safe place, and choose to be obedient to the Holy Spirit.

Precious

Beth Moore, during one of her teaching times, shared how we women think all kinds of women are precious. I immediately starting thinking of all the women I know who are precious:

Sarah’s smile and her hugs

Hope’s God-honoring decisions this year at college

Lilly choosing to sit with me some Sundays

Mary’s encouraging words to my husband

Melissa finding love again

Faith thinking marriage is fun

Joyce’s love for the camp

Nell coming to church when her feet are killing her

The sweet ladies who think my hugs are special

My Mom, who makes all Christmas’ gifts equal

All the kind ladies who bring their children and youth to camp

My Beth Moore Bible study ladies who are excited about studying Esther

Charity’s perseverance in writing even when she is battling fatigue

Ava when she smiles at me and not Al

Lydia’s smile as soon as she sees me

Hannah calling Al-Allen and still hugging him

What women are precious to you? And why are they precious to you?

Salvation, Tears, Joy....

We experience many things during a week of camp at South Mountain Baptist Camp. One of my favorite stories this summer occurred downstairs in the chapel on a Thursday night. As adults counsel with their campers, I make it a practice to move room to room, checking to see if anyone needs help or has questions about the decisions they have made. On this evening as I walked to the last room, one of our staffers, Jarod, came out of this room and stopped to tell me about one young man's decision. He could not talk for the tears choking his voice. He finally found enough voice to tell me a camper in his church received Jesus that night.

Jarod went on to describe how this camper understood completely that he needed a Savior and that Jesus was the only Savior that could fix his sin problem. Jarod said the young man went on to pray and express his feelings and his new found faith in the Savior.

Jarod was so blessed to be in the presence of Jesus this night. As Jarod finished telling about this experience with this camper, he had tears streaming down his face. I hugged and told him, "Those are tears of joy." And of course, I cried with him.

We are so privileged to see this miracle of salvation happen again and again on the mountain. We are also privileged to work with young men and woman who love Jesus and are not afraid of the tears.

When is the last time you saw or experienced tears of joy?

Sweet to Bitter

Most people do not like to be the center of negative attention. Imagine Naomi and Ruth, tired and dusty from the long walk from Moab, surrounded by nosey Bethlehem women.

“Is that Naomi?”

“It can’t be!”

“This woman is old, worn-out.”

“See the bitterness in her face. Naomi would never look like that!”

“Isn’t that a Moabite woman with her?”

“What is she doing with her?”

Finally, when Naomi had heard enough, she responds, “Don’t call me Naomi," she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me." Ruth 1:20-21(NIV) Naomi changes her to ‘Mara.’ She no longer wants to be known as ‘pleasant’ or “Merry Sunshine.’ (McGee, Ruth, page 29.)

Naomi knew the name of God but didn’t have a clue about the character of God. She had forgotten that God loved her and had a plan for her life even after her husband and sons died. She continued to look at her past and ignore her present blessings. She dwelled on her losses and not the gifts God had given her: her life, her new start in her hometown, and her precious daughter-in-law. What a waste of time and emotion!

Are you still holding on to your past? Are you overlooking the gifts God has given you? Are you listening to the negative talk? Consider Paul’s example.

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14 (NIV)

Progression of Snow

Familiar Words

‘But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."’ Ruth 1:16-17

What familiar words! Most of us think of these words as marriage vows. However, these words are an entreaty from a daughter-in-law to her husband’s mother. Ruth desires to go with Naomi. Commentaries suggest Ruth had become a follower of the one True God and wanted to continue to worship and serve Him and serve Naomi.

In verse 16, Ruth says “Don’t urge me…” This word ‘urge’ in the Hebrew can mean to push against, rushing someone with hostility, desired request be granted (Key Word Study Bible (NIV), page 1543). We might wonder if Ruth felt the hostility in Naomi’s words of returning home and was pleading with her to stop the hostile words. Ruth was not going back to Moab.

These words could remind us of missionaries all over the world. With their lives, they make these words their vow as they minister to these people. However, as they pray and minister to lost people all over the globe, they pray our God becomes their God. Many times these missionaries are discouraged, tired from culture shock, and homesick. Nevertheless, they continue to plant their feet firmly in their new homes and remain to share with these precious lost people. They remind us of Ruth. They are not returning home.

Today, take time to pray for God to encourage the missionaries you know and give these missionaries fruit for their labor. Don’t know any missionaries personally? Then pray for these:

NAMB
William and Teresa Johnson
Janet Morrison

IMB
*J
*P
*M family
(*Names withheld for security reasons.)

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:14-15

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Isaiah 52:7

A Tug of War

‘Look,’ said Naomi, ‘your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods.Go back with her.’ Ruth 1:15 (NIV)

Have you ever tried to minister to someone and they kept pushing you away? You tried to take them to lunch, do errands for them, or provide food for their family. Maybe you are the one who has refused offers of kindness?

Naomi did this very thing. Repeatedly, she refused the kind offers of Ruth and Orpah to return home with her. It became a tug-of-war.

“Let us go!”

“No, you must return home!”

“Please let us come with you.”

“No, you must return!”

In this passage of Scripture, the Hebrew word ‘sub’ is translated 6 times. This word can be translated as ‘to turn back, to cease from evil ways, movement back to the point of departure, to recede.’ This word is translated in 2 Kings 20:9-11 as a shadow that moves backward 10 steps (The Key Word Study NIV Bible, page 1556). Naomi used this word as a plea to her daughters-in-law to return or go back to their homes and their people. The daughters-in-law persistedly pleaded with Naomi. Repeatedly Naomi refused Ruth and Orpah.

Commentaries think Naomi was embarrassed to take two Moabite women home with her. Ruth and Orpah would be a reminder to Naomi, of the bitter things that happened to her. In addition, they would be a reminder to all of Bethlehem of how Naomi’s family had turned their back on God and His commandments.

People in need are often like Naomi; they have varied reasons for rejecting your kind offers. Maybe they are embarrassed by their circumstances, maybe they are angry with God, or maybe they simply do not want to be a bother to anyone else. However, if God wants you to minister to them, you must be persistent, no matter how many times they tell you to ‘return home.’ Find kind ways to help them without embarrassing them or arguing with them.

If you are refusing offers of help, it is time to let people minister to you. Quit saying, “Return to your home” and say, “Yes.”

“He who despises his neighbor sins,
but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.” Proverbs 14:21


“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:5-8

Life Stuck in the Corner

“When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.” Ruth 1:6 (NIV)

One by one, all of the men in Naomi’s life disappeared: first her husband then her two sons. What once was a close-knit family of six quickly became a patchwork family of three. Naomi might have loved her daughters-in-law, but they were not her sons.

“Surely, the Lord has turned His back on me,” Naomi thought.

What once was a Hebrew, patriarchal family story becomes to a story of lonely women, women who must provide for themselves. In all likelihood, Naomi had never made any life-altering decision before. Imagine how she felt: abandoned, frightened, cornered, and hungry.

It is interesting that Naomi heard, “The Lord has come to the aid of his people,” without applying this to herself. She didn’t hear, “The Lord comes to the aid of Naomi.” We might infer that Naomi felt forgotten or dismissed by God. You can understand how she could’ve felt this way. Wouldn’t you?

Have you ever felt like Naomi? Have you ever felt forgotten by God? Felt as if God sat you in a corner and walked away? Felt as if you were the only One God did not love?

If you are feeling this way today, meditate on the following verses and ask the Lord to show you how much He does love you:

“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 49:16a (NIV)
I love how the Amplified translates this verse.
“Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each
of My hands.” Isaiah 49:16a (Amplified)

“The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
‘I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’” Jeremiah 31:3(NIV)

Who is your refuge and shelter in times of trouble?

“Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.” Ruth 1:1 (NASV)

The times Elimelech and Naomi lived in were troubling indeed. The famine in the land was likely the result of a judgment from the One True God as the Israelites had turned to worship other gods. Elimelech, I am sure, wanted to protect his wife and children. His sons were sickly and continually in poor health. In fact, Vernon McGee translated Mahlon’s name as “unhealthy” and Chilion’s as “puny.” Imagine Naomi's pleading as she watches the grain stores shrink and her sons grow thinner by the minute. Imagine the shrillness of her voice as she argues for Elimelech to do something-- Anything so their sons will not die!

Elimelech did act. He journeyed to Moab for his answer.

Psalm 108:9 refers to Moab as 'a washpot' or 'a washbasin.' This pot was used for washing soldiers' feet. Some commentaries compared Moab to our present day 'trash can.' How ironic that Elimelech traveled from 'the house of bread' and 'praise' (the meaning of Bethlehem and Judah) to the 'washpot' of Moab. He traded the provisions of God for the food stores of a godless land. Elimelech’s family might have had full stomachs but their spirits were empty. (McGee, Vernon, Ruth, p. 15)

What do you do in your stressful times? Do you run to your 'trash can’ gods? You know what I mean: those small tiny gods that make you feel good for a moment but then plunge you into shame and sin. What is your Moab?

I am so thankful that God forgives and cleanses us as we turn from our ‘trash can’ gods to Him. Confess any 'trash can’ gods that you run to for comfort. Talk to Him about your troubles. Let Him be your refuge and stronghold.


“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2 (NIV)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

God is like Maui

Driving from the airport to West Maui, you encounter the city of Kahului and all the buildings that a modern city would develop-K-Mart, Krispy Kreme (yes, really) and all the fast food places. However the further you drive, the more wild and untamed the island becomes.

On the ocean side of the very curvy road, there are resorts and condos. Most of these were built after 1970. But on the other side of the road, undeveloped land rises up to one of the extinct volcanoes on Maui. Looking at the volcano, especially at night, you don't feel very safe. The landscaping is not sculpted or manicured like Disney World. It is just the way the volcano left the land.

Lately, I've been impressed how God is like Maui. He is wild. We can not tame Him. We try to put Him in our manicured 'Disney-like' plans but He will not stay where we put Him. We make our own plans and then we try to squeeze this GREAT, WILD GOD into them. And He will not be squeezed.

In Biblical History, the people God put in our paths to study were people that listened to God and did risky things He called them to do. He didn't listen to their plans and fit His Kingdom around their plans. He called them out to take risks and let Him develop the plan.

One of the books I've been reading is In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. He has challenged me to think about my life and the risks I ignore. I'm ashamed of the things God has called me to and I've ignored or pushed into a corner because of my fear. I want to choose the adventure God has for me rather than hold onto my fear.

How about you? How do you handle God? Or does He handle you?

The Devil Lives at Krispy Kreme

When you turn 50, there are many things that change, the most notable is weight gain over nothing. Look at a piece of apple pie-gain 5 pounds, eat a bowl of Edy's Birthday cake ice creme-gain 10 pounds. Therefore I've been watching my calories, drinking more water and walking more. Things had been going well so I was encouraged to even keep these disciplines during our vacation.

During our vacation that week, I had just enough calories left at the end of one day to eat one Krispy Kreme doughnut and a glass of cold, skim milk. So we pull up to a Krispy Kreme. The first thing we notice is the 'hot' sign is not on. Somewhat disappointed, we pulled through the drive-thru and ordered 1 cruller and 1 blueberry filled doughnut. We continued to pull up to pay for our late night snack when the young cashier hands us a small bag on top of a dozen hot Krispy Kremes and says, "Enjoy a free dozen of Krispy Kremes!"

The devil's headquarters that night was Krispy Kreme.

<3

Look at the title for this blog. What does mean to you?

I had seen it many times on myspace and thought, "Less than 3. Interesting. Wonder what that has to do with their boyfriend?

Come to find out, it means 'heart' or 'love.' And if you turn your head to the right side and squint your eyes, you can see it is a heart.

Another thing learned. My day is complete.

Check Your Joy

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. Esther 9:22

Sometimes life’s circumstances can suck the joy right out of you. A beautiful Jewish woman who God brought to power as the great Xerxes’ wife experienced this joy thief. Remember how she held the King’s heart in her hand. (And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vasht .Esther 2:17(KJV)) I can only imagine what she must have felt or experienced as the King’s favorite. To be at the center of the power of this great empire, stretching from India to Ethiopia, must have been heady.

Then, suddenly, her world and her very life were threatened. Don’t you think Esther, treasured queen, felt as if the joy had evaporated from her world as Haman plotted the destruction for the Jewish people? (This story of destruction is found in Esther 3.) Esther knew she and her people faced certain death. They all needed rescuing.

But follow the story further into the book of Esther and find how God intervened and rescued His people. Out of this rescue came the new holiday Purim. Look at their celebration in Esther 9:22 (See this verse at the top of the devotion.): What did their celebration look like? How did they celebrate this rescue? What emotions were involved? How marvelous is our God to rescue people out of certain death and turn their sorrow in to joy.

At some time in your life, just like Esther, you faced certain spiritual death and all your joy could have evaporated out of your life at a moment’s notice. However, if you asked Jesus to give you the marvelous gift of salvation, you were rescued from this certain death. And His joy was added to your life.

Do you have your own Feast of Purim? A time when you celebrate your rescue from certainty of spiritual death? Maybe you do this at Christmas or Easter or times you participate in the Lord’s Supper. Sometimes we forget to celebrate the good things or people in our lives, and as a result our lives become joyless. Are you bogged down by the circumstances of your life? Are you joyless?

Maybe this week you need to take a day, hour or moment to have your own joy celebration. Remember how you needed a Savior. Remember how Jesus rescued you. Finally, rejoice with someone else over your rescue. Joy turned from sorrow is a good thing.

Dear Jesus, Help me to make time this week to celebrate with joy how You rescued me. Thanks for reminding me of this fact. Amen.

*An interesting fact about Purim: the word Purim means lots. Haman (the evil guy in Esther) cast lots to decide the date of the Jewish execution. I’m glad God does not cast lots to see who He rescues.

Take the Love Dare

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)

Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. Proverbs 13:3

In the movie Fireproof, the Dad challenges his son (Kirk Cameron) to take the Love Dare, to help repair his marriage. The first day of the Love Dare is refusing to say anything negative to your spouse. No matter what they say or do, you will not say anything rude, offensive, sarcastic or argumentative back to them. Kirk Cameron’s character has a hard time with this first day.

Thinking back over your life, aren’t there words you wish you could shove back into your mouth and swallow. But’s that not possible, is it? Wouldn’t it be great if you carefully guarded your spoken words and didn’t need to undo all the mess your negative words caused.

Even in Jesus’ worst moments, He did not respond with negativity. Look at His verbal interchange with Judas on the night of his betrayal:

“As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

‘What you are about to do, so quickly,’ Jesus told him…” John 13: 27 (NIV)

Imagine what we would have said in Jesus’ place: ‘I see your dirty, blackheart’ or ‘Peter, James and John, Judas is the traitor. Deal with him.’ Or in a sarcastic tone, ‘I can’t believe you think betraying Me is a good thing.’

Personally, there are moments when one of my family members, has come to me excited about sharing with me something from their life with me. How did I respond? I regret to say I tossed cold water on their enthusiasm with my negative words. They immediately retreat and silence themselves. Why? Because it is no longer a safe place to share hopes, dreams and excitement. How I wish I could have guarded my tongue better.

How about you? Who are you negative with? Does your biting wit or sarcasm shut down conversations? Or do your angry words escalate the argument?

Will you take the Love Dare this week? Take the challenge. Make the decision.

Dear Jesus, Too long I have not used my words in a loving way. This week help me to take the Love Dare and change how I respond to those around me. Amen.