Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Wednesday's Voice - Sudan
(Source: Middle East Concern)
There have been several attacks on Christians in Sudan's Khartoum region in recent weeks.
On April 21, a church building in Sawafi was attacked by a mob provoked by a radical Muslim leader. Security forces stopped the mob. However, some found an alternate route, enabling them to ransack and burn down the building. The same day, a Bible School located on a church compound in Al-Gereif was badly damaged in an arson attack by a Muslim mob. The church had received threats of violence in late March and early April. Office equipment, library resources, and students' personal belongings were destroyed.
On April 19, in Burri, a group of 130 university students of South Sudanese origin were detained and given seven days to leave Sudan after being accused of celebrating South Sudan's invasion of the Heglig oil field within South Kordofan province. The students denied that they had held any such celebration. The day before, churches in Al-Baraka, Dar el Salam, and Takamul districts received notice that their properties would be demolished because of lack of structural integrity. Church leaders complained that the Ministry of Planning and Urban Development had not informed them of required changes to the buildings. Church leaders have reportedly been informally notified that the orders have been reversed.
Meanwhile, the April 8 deadline for those of South Sudanese origin (many of whom are Christian) to leave Sudan following the secession of South Sudan in July 2011 has been postponed for 30 days
Pray that Christians in Khartoum will know the peace, presence and protection of Jesus.
Pray that the detained students will be released. Pray that all demolition orders will be officially withdrawn.
Please ask God that church leaders will know the Spirit's guidance and wisdom at this time.
The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying.
He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion.
He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray (Samuel Chadwick)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Messy Monday (Tuesday Edition) - Weariness
Messy Mondays where I share what God has been showing me through the
messiness of life. It is my personal belief that this walk isn't
clean and crisp and straight or narrow. It's wide and twisted and
mucky and messy. It's about the ups and the downs, but through it all
God is there with us.
Dictionary.com defines weary as:
physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; fatigued; tired
I have to tell you that I am so weary. I am so tired. Right now I can't even get the energy to get off the couch and get a snack.
I have no energy. The alarm goes off in the morning and a time I was learning to embrace now alludes me. I can't get up. I literally have to force myself to get up. A month ago this was not a problem.
I could blame it on staying up late. But I, like my kids, can stay up late and for some reason, get up early in the morning.
I could blame it on working to hard. Doing to much laundry. HA!! Like that would ever happen. I'm not even working out. I managed to get myself out of bed at 6:45 am to do a 10 minute work out. I felt great after and right up until noon, but then I had lunch and that ended my day.
I could say it's because of the kids. Parenting two boys on the spectrum isn't easy. But they are easy going kids. They love to run and play independently. There are times in the day when the only time I see them is if they want more juice or a snack.
I'm tired. I'm exhausted. I have been praying through this. He asks us to come to Him, we who are weary.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 NIV84
I am praying that His light would shine through the fog. That His voice will be heard and guide me to peace. I am reminded of Psalm 23 and hold to it.
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have everything I need.
He lets me rest in fields of green grass
and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.
He gives me new strength.
He guides me in the right paths,
as he has promised.
Even if I go through the deepest darkness,
I will not be afraid, Lord,
for you are with me.
Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me.
You prepare a banquet for me,
where all my enemies can see me;
you welcome me as an honored guest
and fill my cup to the brim.
I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life;
and your house will be my home as long as I live. (Psalm 23 Good News)
I am going through the deepest darkness right now, but I am not alone. He alone is guarding me. He will guide me past the rocks that want to destroy me.
I am weary. But My God is mighty. He will protect me. He will guide me through this time. He will refine me.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Caffeinated Randomness - A Foggy Random Week
If you have been following lately, you know that things have been pretty foggy here in the prairies and not just figuratively. For two days I have opened up the blinds in the morning to see fog. This morning on the way to school I started making fog horn noises. Growing up near the ocean, you hear that sound frequently. I loved watching the fog slowly roll in and immerse the harbour in it's grey grasp. I tried to explain that to the kids. That the fog that they see is just the clouds. I know this isn't really scientifically correct, but the kids loved it. They did not love the fog horn noises.
We've had a very busy week. Lots of meetings about the boys. They have all been very positive. Unfortunately, some of the information we have received has not. It appears that Samuel's formal assessment won't be done until the fall. This is quite frustrating, but our pediatrician has prepared a letter that should enable us to obtain some assistance for Sam until he starts preschool in the fall. As I write that, I can't even imagine my little bruiser is old enough to go to preschool. It seems just like yesterday that he was born. He always seems so young to me that I forget that he's 3 now. The wait for the assessment is worth it as we will have some answers by this fall, way before his 4th birthday. That is better than we had with Thomas, who was diagnosed two weeks before his 5th birthday.
This week we've had some good laughs. Earlier this week, I picked up the two older kids and brought them home. Daddy was in the backyard fixing our fence and Sam was playing in the back park (our house backs onto a park). I went to talk to Daddy. About 5 minutes later Nicole came out all concerned. "Sam isn't here. He's missing!" she informed us. Daddy replied that "he was nice while he lasted." I replied "He's gone." Nicole's reply to our jest was "You are insulting me!"
I'm also going to be paying more into the future counseling jar for her. This year I have been one of the leaders at our church's GEMS club. We joined up with the boys club and made cub cars. I couldn't remember which car was Nicole's. So when the cars were coming down the ramp, I was cheering for them all. However, in one of the first heats one of the cars did a 360 off the ramp just as it was launched. I laughed and yelled out "Wipeout!" Guess who's car it was? That's right my daughter's. I wonder how much this is going to cost me in the long run. I did buy her an American Girl Magazine. I think we're even now.
As you can see there is a lot of randomness in the prairies, as well as fog. I hope your week has been as random as mine. I can't wait to hear about it.
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- Michelle
- Alberta, Canada
- I'm a 39 year old (oh yeah I'm telling you my age) Stay at Home mom. A former Bad Girl now reformed sinner, I'm married to my Y2K guy and raising 3 great children from God. Proudly Canadian, however, missing the West Coast, I currently live in the prairies watching the farmers fields produce as I learn how God produces the fruits in me.
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