Praying for Our Government

God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil.... - E.M.Bounds

Paul exhorts believers in I Timothy 2 that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

8 Fun Facts About Thanksgiving

"It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor." -George Washington

1) Approximately 46,000,000 turkeys are sold annually just for Thanksgiving. Since the average weight of each bought turkey is 16lbs, all the turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving could equal the weight of almost 750 filled Boeing 747-8 airplanes.

The Blessing of Pain: Embracing God's Goodness in the Midst of Grief

"God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain." (C.S. Lewis)

When dealing with life's hardships, it must be realize that mankind walks in a limited perspective of what he or she believes to be so. For the Jews, Jesus' death was a mistake. Over 2,000 years later, we perceive it to be the ultimate story of redemption.

The Jews anticipated victory when Jesus came on the scene. Assumedly this was the leader they had hoped would deliver them from their oppressors and rule as their king. God's people were right to suppose their Messiah would deliver them...but not in the form they had hoped.

Remember Meriam: Chained, Jailed, and Sentenced to 100 Lashes and Hanging

“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” (Hebrews 13:3)

In our society, it is easy to become so entangled in our own life that we forget our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are endangered because of their faith. 

But Christ commands us to remember those that are in prison, as if we were there with them.

If His word implores us to do this, should we not be burdened by the news of those around the world imprisoned, tortured and killed for their faith?

Recently in Sudan, 27 year old Meriam was imprisoned because she named the name of Christ. She was sentenced to 100 lashes because of her marriage to an American Christian, and death by hanging because she would not renounce her faith. 

What would you do in that situation?

I often wonder what it would be like to be in her shoes facing a choice between being put to death or denying Jesus, my Savior. What would you choose?

She chose death. At the time she was pregnant with her second child, and now both of her children are with her in prison.

We are to remember those who are in prison. We are called to remember Meriam and her family...as if we were there with them.

Last week, 40+ organizations gathered in front of the White House and the Sudan Embassy to protest Meriam's case. Shortly after the protest, the State Department broke the silence and officially condemned Sudan for its conviction and imprisonment of Meriam! 

Maybe you are wondering what you could do to help this sister of ours? Most importantly, you can pray! Pray that God gives her peace whatever happens to her and her children, that she would be released, that her children would be allowed to be reunited with their father and that the whole family’s faith would remain strong.

Also, you can talk about Meriam on your social media using the hashtag #RescueMeriam. Please visit www.rescuemeriam.com and sign a petition that will go to your senators, congressmen, the White House and the Sudan Embassy. 

Remember, your sister is in that prison with a death sentence… Pray as though you yourself were there in that prison with her. 

For more information about what you can do, visit www.mutenomore.com and www.rescuemeriam.com.

Written by Sandie Jalbert

Is Facebook Stealing Our Time?

"The biggest deception of our digital age may be the lie that says we can be omni-competent, omni-informed, and omni-present." (Kevin Deyoung, Crazy Busy)

Whether I'm in line at Chick-fil-A, checking out at grocery store, or relaxing with my family, Facebook is a world where I can go at any second of the day. It has a strange pull to my heart because I feel connected to people. I get an adrenaline high when one of my new profile pictures has 50 more "likes" than my last one. My popularity hinges off of the volume of comments on how beautiful I am. This unrealistic virtual world influences my moods and behavior. 

When I Refuse to Give the Lord Control Over My Time and Priorities

"We don’t expect to be able to buy anything we want, because we know there is a limit to our money. But somehow we live as if time knew no bounds, when in fact time is much more limited than money. Wealth can be created, but no one has the ability to grow more time." (Kevin DeYoung, Crazy Busy)

I waste time. Do you? This post is a glance into my own heart and the realization that I don't "Redeem the time" in a way that glorifies God. Like most Millennials, I've bought into the lie that I can manage the high demand of social media, enjoy an active social life with my friends, keep up a busy schedule and devote time to ministry projects. Deceptively, I believed I could manage my life in this fashion but recently God revealed the blunt truth:

"It's time to grow up" 

10 Ways Teenagers Can Leave a Lasting Impact on the World

“Go after God-do whatever it takes. Don't give the excuse, ‘I'm just or teenager’ or ‘I'll do that later’. No, God wants you NOW.” - Rachel Joy Scott, martyred April 20,1999 during the Columbine High School shooting.

So you want to change the world, do you? I’d like to share with you some practical insights on how you can start making an impact for the Kingdom.

Before we go any further, there are some things you need to be aware of: the life of a “world-changer” also denotes a life of sacrifice, a life of discipline and a life that is fully in-sync with the heart of Christ. This lifestyle isn’t for the weak-hearted Christian. It is for those who are willing to leave behind the comfortable “American dream” and follow God’s plan (whether or not it includes a relatively comfortable experience!). 

How Can I Impact Society if I'm Just a Teenager?

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” - Joel A. Barker

Teenagers can change the world! Have you ever felt that your age group defined your behavior or potential? Think about this for a moment: society actually goes to great lengths to promote the idea that immaturity and rebellion are either acceptable or just “phases” that all teens go through at one time or another. This myth is mind-boggling (not to mention crazy)! This subtle mindset is, in reality, putting an entire subset of the world’s population in a box! 

Confessions of a College Girl

Imagine this: a college freshmen walks timidly on campus for the first day of classes. She doesn’t know anyone, but she hopes to soon… People are friendly enough, but I long for the deeper relationships that I shared with my friends from church back home. “It will come” I tell myself confidently.

A couple of days later I suddenly see the man of my dreams walk past me [insert your dream man here: tall, black hair… or…skinny jeans, skateboarder, black converse…or… athletic, strong, etc]. After picking my jaw up from the ground, I decided that I would watch this guy….closely. It didn’t take long for me to check off His spiritual state from my checklist. He seemed to love the Lord with all of His heart and it showed in His love for those around Him.

Let Men Be Men: Inspiring the Lost Art of Chivalry

Chivalry. It is a lost art among our culture and greatly scorned upon by the feministic movement. But in the heart of a every guy there is this yearning to succeed as a man, a desire that is often crippled by the actions and words of women.

Sometimes chivalry comes in small packages: boys. Yesterday I had my own encounter with kindness while navigating my cart through the grocery store.