A Heart Breaker

Man sells son to save his wife
(中国日报) A man was looking for buyers to sell his six-year old son to fund his wife’s kidney failure treatment in Zhuhai Square, Guangzhou, capital of South China’s Guangdong Province on October 24, wrote the Guangzhou Daily Wednesday.

“If my wife passes away, she will never come back, but we can bring back my son,” Gao Duqiang told the Guangzhou Daily yesterday.

Gao supports his family as a motorcycle driver. His wife Pan Jinlian used to work in a curtain factory before she became too sick to go on.

In another stroke of bad luck, all the family’s belongings were washed away in a flood submerged their hometown. They reached the provincial city to look for help on Tuesday.

“I know it’s against the law to sell my son, but I have no choice,” Gao said. “I will work very hard to bring my son back as soon as my wife is better,” he said.

Gao’s son Tao hid behind his mother when the reporter took pictures. He said ‘thanks’ to every passerby who sympathetically gave money.

Tao stared down to the ground, nodded, and forced a smile when asked if he knew of his father’s plan.

Imagine the hopelessness and despair that this family as well as millions of others face everyday. Lets pray that this family will come to know the hope that we have. May that taste and see that the LORD is good and to savor Him. Then may their hearts leap with joy at the new found Treasure that has been given to them desiring that the world share in their joy.

Phun Phridays

My wife is a home school mom who I am very proud of. We have three children, two of which are being home schooled and the third is a little over a year.
With out saying, it is hard enough to home school two but to have a toddler running around the house while school is in session can be quite hectic. Thankfully a friend of mine sent me an email illustrating how best to handle certain situations that occassionaly need to be addressed. I present to you the home school answer.

7 Point Calvinist

What is a seven point Calvinist?

I believe that it was John Piper who I first heard the following phrase from, "Im a slobbering seven point Calvinist". I had never heard of such a thing at the time and wondered what in the world a 7 point Calvinist was. I remember thinking "hmm...maybe a 7 pointer is a hyper-Calvinist? But wait a minute. Piper isnt a hyper-calvinist.".

After some research I have came to find that the additional 2 points, refered to by those who call themselves 7 pointers, are as follows (if there is need of correction or addition in the two following points please let me know and I will be glad make changes).

Point 6-This is the flip side of unconditional election, better known as double predestination. Just as God chooses whom He will save without regard to any distinctives in the person (Ephesians 1:5-6; Acts 13:48; Revelation 17:8), so also he decides whom He will not save without regard to any distinctives in the individual (John 10:26; 12:37-40; Romans 9:11-18; 1 Peter 2:7-8).

Point 7-We live in the best of all possible worlds. In order to see and understand this point one has to have a Kingdom/ultimate perspective. We have to pan out from our current/proximate circumstances and see that though things may not seem so great at the moment, we can rest assured that all things are working for our good and that by His ultimate orchastration we can joyfully give thanks in ALL circumstances knowing that in the big picture, His glory is being most fully displayed and His people are more satisfied in Him than they would have in any other possible world.

Tiananmen Square Massacre

I went with a group to Tiananmen Square in 2004 and had the opprotunity to meet a young man who grew up in the immediate area of Tiananmen Square. Though he never came out and said that he participated in the protests he did tell us about the carnage that took place on June 4, 1989.
He told us several stories concerning the fear and bloodshed. The most horrific thing that he told was about the 10 to 15 foot high piles of bodies that were pushed by bulldozers into the center of Tiananmen Square and left there for days with the intent of sending a message to the people of China of, "Dont mess with the government!".

Phun Phridays

Colts preparing for the AFC Championship game against the Patriots.

Martyr Mondays

Persecution: Egyptian Police Attacking Christians

People who have had to flee their home lands due to persecution may live or work just down the street from where you may live or work.
I met a lady who manages a convience store just down the street from my apartment who is from Cairo, Egypt. She had to flee Cairo some years back due to the persecution that she had to endure as a result of being a Christian.

My God In Whom I Trust

My six year old daughter, who is a believer, drew this picture for a home school project. She did not have any help. She was given the verse and instructed to draw a picture based on that verse.

Isnt it intresting how she equated Psalm 91:1-2 ..."He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust", with a rainbow covering and protecting her from the storms that are above her?

Desiring God...Gods Goal XVI

The Christian Life

The work of Christ for the glory of God leads inevitably to the conclusion that God's purpose for his new redeemed people, the church, is that our life goal should be to glorify God. Paul makes this explicit in 1 Corinthians 10:31 where he says, "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Peter shows that all of our service as Christians has as its goal that God would be glorified as the One who enables all good things: "Whoever renders service [let him do it] as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies; in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4: 11).

And when Jesus was instructing his own disciples what their goal should be in their daily living, he said in Matthew 5:14, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Read this series in its entirity at "Desiring God" by John Piper

Wednesday Word of Encouragement-Noel Devine

Check out this clip. The run that this young man made at the 1:10 and the 2:50 mark will make your jaw drop...Im sure that Mack Brown is in tears knowing that he doesnt have a prayer at getting him to wear burnt orange.

Noel Devine


Not only has The University of Florida gotten a late Christmas present, it appears that they will be singing a divine yuletide carol again if they sign the highly talented Noel Devine. In a recent Army All Star game, Mr Devine busted an 87 yard kick off return.

However they may quickly turn their thankful praises to songs of sorrow. It appears that Mr Devine is no stranger to problems...On second thought my Wednesdays words of encouragement is for Mack Daddy, "WAY TO GO MACK! WE DONT NEED ANYMORE ROMANCE TAYLORS!" HOOK EM HORNS!

Martyr Monday-Operation Auca

Today marks the 51st anniversary of God opening the door to the Waodoni Tribe...Praise God!

Jim Elliot

October 8, 1927 – January 8, 1956

Biorgraphy

Nate Saint

August 30, 1923 – January 8, 1956

Roger Youderian

(January 21, 1924 – January 8, 1956)

Ed McCully
Born 1927-January 8, 1956

Peter Flemming

Born 1928-January 8, 1956

Shaun, Stephenie and Jesse Saint (Steve Saint's children) are baptized by
tribespeople, as Steve and his sister were, years before. Seven other
Waodani teens were also baptized.

A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND SUPPLICATION

God thank you for men and women such as these. Thank you for giving them the hearts to go to the unreached people of the world and willingly give their very lives for the people whom You love.

God give us all hearts of obedience like you gave these great men and women. May we be willing to die proclaiming your Name.

May our hearts be filled with a longing to see the hearts of stone that exist in the lost of the world, turn to flesh.

Lord may we be able to see through your bitter providence, knowing that things are working for our good.

As much as we may like to see beyond Your bitter providence and taste the sweetness of Your will, may we be mature and not expect to see it in our life time.

God thank you for finding me worthy of Your calling.

Amen

A Sermon on Sweet and Bitter Providence

Phun Phridays

Failure comes in all shapes and sizes…
The prize for the most useless weapon of all times goes to the
Russians. They invented the “dog mine.” The plan was to train the
dogs to associate food with the undersides of tanks, in the hope they
would run hungrily beneath advancing Panzer divisions. Bombs
were then strapped to the dogs’ backs. Unfortunately, the dogs
associated food solely with Russian tanks. The plan was begun the
first day of the Russian involvement in in World War II…and abandoned
on day two. The dogs with bombs on their backs forced an entire
Soviet division to retreat.

Taken from a sermon by Pastor John Salvesen at Bear Creek Bible Church

Oh LORD, please save these children

"Oh LORD, may You open wide our hearts to the children of the red light districts all over the world. May our hearts ache knowing that these children live in physical, moral and spiritual filth and in resonse may our hearts continuously cry out to You. May you give relief to the physical filth that drenches their every waking moment. LORD may you destroy the vileness that impregnates these childrens entire world. Father and most of all may you comfort the spiritual ache that permeates their souls by healing their darkened hearts."

I was in Blockbuster New Years night picking out a movie so that my wife and I could bring in the New Year as wild party animals. I ended up picking "Beyond the Gates of Splendor" (what a GREAT documentary) and almost picked the movie, "Born Into Brothels" but didnt.
Monday morning I took a visit over at Colossiansthreesixteen and a young lady voted "Born into Brothels" as her favorite movie of the year...Needless to say, Monday night my wife and I watched it.

What a heartbreaking movie.

It has been said that real men dont cry. If that is the case, then as my son once said when he was 2 after taking a big gulp of Coca Cola, "Daddy that made my eyes sweat!", my eyes did a lot of sweating during this movie.

GO get this movie and watch it. Oh ya, make sure that you have plenty of Kleenex so that you can wipe the sweat off of your cheeks.

Phun Phridays-"I was taught the fear of Jesus in a small town"-John Cougar

YOU KNOW YOU’RE FROM A SMALL TOWN IF....

1. You can name everyone you graduated with.
Thats easy there was only 12 that walked the stage in my class.
2. You know what *FFA* is.
Future Farmers of America and FHA (Future Homemakers of America)
3. You ever went to parties @ a pasture, barn or middle of a dirt road.
Lets not forget the caleche pit.
4. Your idea of a *FUN* weekend was ridin around parkin lots cause that is where *EVERYBODY* was.
Yup
5. Your idea of an *EXCITiNG* weekend was watchin a fight in the parkin lot.
Hoping that you werent next!
6. You swore @ someone & your parents knew within the hour.
Even faster for me since my mom was a teacher :(
7. You ever went cow-tipping or *SNIPE HUNTIN*.
Moo
8. School gets canceled for city, county or state events.
Stock Show
9. You were in the *Homecoming* parade.
Parade? You have to have enough people to line the streets to have a parade.
10. You have ever gone home for homecoming.
Of course
11. Everyone thought it was really cool to date someone from the neighboring town.
Well of course...we are not Arkansas.
12. You had *Senior Skip Day*.
Everybody doesnt do that?
13. The whole school went to the same party after graduation.
Yes and...?
14. You don’t give directions by street names, but instead like this: Turn right by Nelson’s house, go 2 blocks east past Anderson’s camp; it’s 4 houses left of the track field.
Track field? We practiced for track on the county road by the football field.
15. The *CoUnTrY cLuB* golf course had only 9 holes (or there wasn’t even one).
No Country Club. However we were members of the "Country Club"
16. You can’t help but date a friends ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.
Sounds like a Cars song to me...Maybe they were small town folk?
17. You refer anyone with a house newer then 1980 as the *Rich People*
My parents built our house in '77....and it it still the newest in town.
18. The people in the city dress funny, then your town picks up on the trend a few years later.
I was still sporting a mullet until '91
19. You bragged to your friends because you got *Pipes* on your truck for your birthday.
I never had a truck. If i had they would have been straights and LOUD.
20. Anyone you want can be found @ either the *DAIRY QUEEN* or the *FEED STORE*
Dairy Queen? That was 16 miles away in another town. Where we went to eat on a date.
21. You see at least 1 friend a week driving a tractor through town.
Uhh Huh.
22. The football coach suggested that you haul hay for the summer to get stronger. Wow I always thought that Coach Tyson was a brilliant man for suggesting that we do that! Who would have known that hauling hay to better your football playing was not a new one!
23. Directions are given using *THE* stoplight as a reference.
Sorry no stop light in my town. We did have STOP signs...that is if they
hadnt been pushed over by the kids with brush guards on their trucks.
24. The city council meets @ the coffee shop.
City council? Coffee shop?
25. Your *LETTER JACKET* was worn after your 19th birthday.
Ya, and for some of us it was worn well into our 20's simply because when you are still in school its a cool the cool thing to wear.
26. You decide to walk somewhere for exercise & 5 people pull over and ask if you need a ride.
Walk for exercise?
27. Your teachers call you by your *OLDER* siblings names.
I am the oldest.
28. Your teachers remember when they taught your *PARENTS*.
Yes.
29. The closest *Taco Bell* or *Burger King* is @ least 30 miles away.
Try 60 miles away in Waco, Tx.
30. So is the closest *Shopping Mall*.
Its Waco again.
31. It’s normal to see an old man riding through town on a riding lawn-mower.
No, nobody was rich enough to have a riding lawn mower.
32. You have a good laugh readin this cause you know they’re all true.
LOL

"Small Town"-John Cougar

Martyr Monday

Christian Martyrs:Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes - and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent”