The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church

Edward Knippers- John Comforted In Prison

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

- Matthew 5:10-16

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(In explaining his imprisonment, the Apostle) Paul subtly notifies his readers that proclaiming the mystery of Christ crucified is more likely to open the door to a prison cell for them instead of the door to financial and social success.
- David Garland

Being misrepresented, slandered, reviled, persecuted, and wrongfully accused is an inevitable part of being a Christian. We must expect to suffer unjustly. Our lives confront the culture we live in. We live as aliens in the world, and it should not surprise us when the world is hostile toward us (1 John 3:13). We were called for that purpose. In this world we will have tribulation (John 16:33). It goes with the territory.
- John MacArthur

Remember Our Brothers and Sisters...

This Sunday, November 8th, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Take some time to read about and to pray for our brothers and sisters around the world who suffer in the name of Christ. Their pain is our pain...

"Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body." - Hebrews 13:3

Valleys Fill First

Well I finally decided to end my blogging drought. I wish I could tell you that a lot has happened since my last substantial post but honestly there isn’t much new to relay except for the rather mundane details of life. Last week was a rough one due to the fact that my hubby came down with what we suspect was H1N1 better known as the swine flu. He was out of commission for a good 5-6 days. Bookending his touch of the swine were two Sundays when he preached at our home church from college. During that time we also had my sister Samantha in town for her fall break. It was a huge blessing to see and hang out with her!! All in all it was a busy two weeks for both of us. Thankfully Jon is back to normal except for a persistent cough. Ah well.

As far as I’m concerned I’m hanging in there. It has been a rough couple of weeks and I guess the best way to describe the way I’ve been feeling is just plain sad. Thankfully I haven’t suffered any catastrophic loss but nonetheless I feel pretty broken. Ever feel like difficulties come in droves? Maybe that just comes from the mindset we get in when things get tough but I'm telling you right now that I am overwhelmed. The only answer I have for the small valley I've been walking through lately is the painful process of refinement which I honestly would rather do without. Enduring any kind of brokenness is not something most of us do well. It's a humbling place to be. So I’ve been praying a lot lately, praying for wisdom, joy, encouragement and trying to spend a lot of time just thanking God for the many blessings I have been given. I don’t know about any of you but thankfulness does not come naturally to me. So little by little I’m learning, growing and seeking the Lord. I’m interested to see what He is preparing me for throughout all of this because it has been a taxing time. Funny enough I am preparing to read Job as part of my Bible reading plan. I’m sure that is no coincidence.

Aside from the difficulties I’ve been dealing with lately it’s still very easy to say that Jon and I are incredibly blessed. He has begun the process of sending out resumes and praying through God’s specific call on our lives in the upcoming months. It’s exciting, stressful and crazy to realize that…this is it!! Who knows what the next step will be. One other important blessing to tell you all about is that I found out I’m going to have a nephew!!! Woohoo! We’ll get to see Heather and Michael for Thanksgiving so I’ll finally have a chance to see her baby bump and congratulate them in person. God is good.

So how is that for an end to my blogging drought?!? Here is a suitable song to close out my post. This is where I am.

It's 3:00am and...

I can't stop laughing.

One last random clip. Anyone ever wish they lived in a musical?!? No??? Okay, that must just be me. I'm a huge dork I know but this seriously makes me smile.

Mr. and Mrs. Hilton!!

I had the privilege of being in the wedding of my dear friend Ashley and her husband Cliff. I met Ashley a few years ago at my current job and I could never have imagined that I would forge such a wonderful friendship and bond with Ashley, my sister in Christ. It was an honor to witness such a beautiful wedding founded on God. Here are a few snapshots from the wedding.

The father of the bride

A quiet moment for the newlyweds

Me and Ashley
Three years and still going strong!! ;-)
Another awesome friend I met through my job. Me and Jenn.
Mr. and Mrs. Hilton!!

Lots To Do

Life has picked up quite a bit and I'm pretty sure it will remain this way indefinitely. Last weekend I was able to be involved in a bachelorette party for a dear friend of mine who is getting married the first Sunday in October.

The Bride and Groom- Ashley and Cliff

The girls spent the day at the Newport Aquarium and then out to dinner at a small Italian eatery, Pompilios. The last minute details of the wedding remain to be completed and I'm guessing it will remain that way until Monday October 5th. So, things are hectic, but in a very good way! :-) I hope to share some pictures of their wedding day next week. I couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of it.

The rest of October is pretty calm on my end but Jon gets to preach twice at our home church from college days so that is exciting but one more thing to add to our already crazy schedules. Don't even ask me how we will manage to work Saturday night, drive down to Wilmore, and stay awake long enough for Jon to preach coherently, and then drive back home and sleep before working again that night. It will be interesting to say the least but super exciting as Jon begins to prepare more for ministry.

By the time October rolls to a close (maybe more like the beginning of November) I'll get to find out if I will be an aunt to a niece or a nephew!!! If I were to completely guess I would say Heather and Michael are having a boy but...we'll just have to wait and see. Before I know it the holidays will be here. I can HARDLY wait!! 60 some days till Thanksgiving and until my whole family is finally together again for the holidays. It has been way too long and is much overdue.

I think that about sums up life right now. I'm continuing my reading with Let the Nations Be Glad, a wonderful book I would highly recommend by John Piper on the supremacy of God in missions. I'm only on page 34 and my mind is already spinning! I'm sure at some point in the near future I will post about that book but for now I'm letting it simmer a bit. Well a hectic week lies ahead and I'll have a lot to update on again soon so this is all for now.

My Thoughts Are Elsewhere Today

"God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshipers for Himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of His name among the nations. Therefore, let us bring our affections into line with His, and, for the sake of His name, let us renounce the quest for worldly comforts and join His global purpose."

-- John Piper