All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
OPEN HEARTS - OPEN HANDS
From My Perspective - - -
It is obvious we are living in difficult economic times for far too many people. All too many have been looking to government for a resolve to their economic plight without realizing government is part of the problem. It reminds one of the POGO summary – “We Have Met The Enemy and He Is Us.” This past weekend John King on his CNN telecast – The State Of The Union – traveled to Alabama and shared the following vignette from Selma with his viewers: “…Storefront after storefront is closed, and many of the buildings in the famous photos from the days of the historic March 1965 events have fallen into disrepair…People are not buying. People are not spending. Businesses are going out of business…This is the heart of Alabama's ‘Black Belt,’ and Selma is a reminder that a recession that has punished so many across America has hit hardest in places that were already struggling…Statewide, unemployment in Alabama has doubled in the past year from 4.5 percent to 9 percent. But here in Dallas County, it is 18.2 percent. In neighboring Wilcox County, is it more than 22 percent. That is staggering: One in five people you pass are unemployed…”
In a letter from Mark Earley (Prison Fellowship President), he shares: “Because of our year-round Angel Tree program, thousands of prisoners' children attended a Christian summer camp last year. Most of these kids had never been to camp before. And although they may have arrived feeling alone and uncertain, they left with the gift of Christ's love and the support of Christians like you! Here's what Christian summer camps offer Angel Tree kids: A much-needed escape from an existence often marked by confusion, anger and loneliness to experience the scenic beauty of God's creation; Fun activities like swimming, hiking, biking, athletic competitions, campfires, arts and crafts, nature walks and building friendships; Meaningful one-on-one attention from caring, Christian adults that can blossom into year-round mentor-ships; A transformational emphasis on the Gospel to gain a life-changing understanding of their Heavenly Father's love through Jesus Christ.” Decreasing revenue may limit and hinder this valuable and caring ministry to some very need children and young people!
In a letter from Max Lucado, he shares: “Dadi’s mud-bricked shack seems even farther away than the 6,000 miles it is. I’m writing in the air conditioned and carpeted comfort of Detroit’s airport. Was it just three days ago Denalyn and I sat with Dadi and his family beneath the thatched roof of his Ethiopian hut? You’d need a four-wheel drive vehicle to reach them and a skilled team to find them…The needs are great: 45% of the country subsists on less than $1 a day. A quarter million children die every year from water-related diseases. Thousands rely upon dirty rivers or muddy holes for their water supply. Yet for all their problems, I’ve never seen such smiles. The Ethiopians are a soft, gentle, hospitable people. They brim with gratitude for the slightest act of kindness…With the aid of an interpreter, Dadi and I discussed the one thing we have in common: children. His five children range in age from 18 months to 18 years. He’s a farmer, but ever since a plague killed his ox, his soil has gone untilled. He’s making about 80 cents a day as a day laborer. I asked him what a new ox would cost. About $280. I’ve got seldom-worn blazers that cost more. All he needs is a helping hand…”
Consider these things with me - - - In Proverbs 24:10-12 we read: “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, But we knew nothing about this, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?” And, in James 2:14-16 we read: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” We cannot meet all of the needs – but – we can try to assist with some! Commit yourself to doing all the good you can, for as many as you can, for as long as you can. Be discerning and be compassionate! Be wise and be merciful! Be careful and be generous! Invest prudently in the lives of those who represent bonafide need!
It is obvious we are living in difficult economic times for far too many people. All too many have been looking to government for a resolve to their economic plight without realizing government is part of the problem. It reminds one of the POGO summary – “We Have Met The Enemy and He Is Us.” This past weekend John King on his CNN telecast – The State Of The Union – traveled to Alabama and shared the following vignette from Selma with his viewers: “…Storefront after storefront is closed, and many of the buildings in the famous photos from the days of the historic March 1965 events have fallen into disrepair…People are not buying. People are not spending. Businesses are going out of business…This is the heart of Alabama's ‘Black Belt,’ and Selma is a reminder that a recession that has punished so many across America has hit hardest in places that were already struggling…Statewide, unemployment in Alabama has doubled in the past year from 4.5 percent to 9 percent. But here in Dallas County, it is 18.2 percent. In neighboring Wilcox County, is it more than 22 percent. That is staggering: One in five people you pass are unemployed…”
In a letter from Mark Earley (Prison Fellowship President), he shares: “Because of our year-round Angel Tree program, thousands of prisoners' children attended a Christian summer camp last year. Most of these kids had never been to camp before. And although they may have arrived feeling alone and uncertain, they left with the gift of Christ's love and the support of Christians like you! Here's what Christian summer camps offer Angel Tree kids: A much-needed escape from an existence often marked by confusion, anger and loneliness to experience the scenic beauty of God's creation; Fun activities like swimming, hiking, biking, athletic competitions, campfires, arts and crafts, nature walks and building friendships; Meaningful one-on-one attention from caring, Christian adults that can blossom into year-round mentor-ships; A transformational emphasis on the Gospel to gain a life-changing understanding of their Heavenly Father's love through Jesus Christ.” Decreasing revenue may limit and hinder this valuable and caring ministry to some very need children and young people!
In a letter from Max Lucado, he shares: “Dadi’s mud-bricked shack seems even farther away than the 6,000 miles it is. I’m writing in the air conditioned and carpeted comfort of Detroit’s airport. Was it just three days ago Denalyn and I sat with Dadi and his family beneath the thatched roof of his Ethiopian hut? You’d need a four-wheel drive vehicle to reach them and a skilled team to find them…The needs are great: 45% of the country subsists on less than $1 a day. A quarter million children die every year from water-related diseases. Thousands rely upon dirty rivers or muddy holes for their water supply. Yet for all their problems, I’ve never seen such smiles. The Ethiopians are a soft, gentle, hospitable people. They brim with gratitude for the slightest act of kindness…With the aid of an interpreter, Dadi and I discussed the one thing we have in common: children. His five children range in age from 18 months to 18 years. He’s a farmer, but ever since a plague killed his ox, his soil has gone untilled. He’s making about 80 cents a day as a day laborer. I asked him what a new ox would cost. About $280. I’ve got seldom-worn blazers that cost more. All he needs is a helping hand…”
Consider these things with me - - - In Proverbs 24:10-12 we read: “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, But we knew nothing about this, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?” And, in James 2:14-16 we read: “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” We cannot meet all of the needs – but – we can try to assist with some! Commit yourself to doing all the good you can, for as many as you can, for as long as you can. Be discerning and be compassionate! Be wise and be merciful! Be careful and be generous! Invest prudently in the lives of those who represent bonafide need!
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