PS I LOVE YOU BELARUS / ABRO

Well it's been since November 2012 since I blogged last.  So six months late I hope everyone brought in the New Year with a bang.  So to catch everyone up to speed with what is going on... the latest and most exciting news of my year so far.
We are hosting a teenager from Belarus for six weeks through a program called (ABRO) American Belarussian Relief Organization.  It's a priceless gift from God that through this ministry my eyes have been opened to so may things I personally don't appreciate as I should.  I have seen in the eyes and smiles of these children the face of our God.  What a amazing experience not only gives hope and rest to these kids but has transformed my life.  My favorite scripture from God's word we find in Matthew's gospel  11:28-31 which says, 

  8 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I am attempting to learn conversational Russian although in my trying it is quite quite funny to others although, very frustrating to me.  I will persist and definitely be ready for better conversations for 2014.
I have been much thought to the scripture from the gospel of Matthew.  I have questioned and challenged myself with the content of this passage. Do I always "come to Jesus" without hesitation when I am burdened, weary or simply stressed by the journey of each new day? NO. God's promise is that when I do "come to Jesus" I will find rest.  Why do I stray or remain hesitant knowing God always keeps his promises. I am remind of the song that Twila Paris did "How Beautiful" As I saw the beautiful faces of the kids and adults that made this journey from Belarus. To me each of them fashioned and created in the image of God ( big or small) they all were absolutely beautiful.
As they quickly went to sleep and rested I had plenty of time for self evaluation and reflection.  I looked at their faces that reminded me of the peace God gives.  The thought came to mind, how beautiful is the love of God and all of God's children...the body of Christ :


 How beautiful the hands that served
The wine and the bread and the sons of the earthHow beautiful the feet that walkedThe long dusty roads and the hill to the cross
How beautiful, how beautifulHow beautiful is the body of Christ
How beautiful the heart that bledThat took all my sin and bore it insteadHow beautiful the tender eyesThat chose to forgive and never despise
How beautiful, how beautifulHow beautiful is the body of Christ
And as He laid down His lifeWe offer this sacrificeThat we will live just as he died
Willing to pay the priceWilling to pay the price
How beautiful the radiant brideWho waits for her groom with His light in her eyesHow beautiful when humble hearts giveThe fruit of pure lives so that others may live
How beautiful, how beautifulHow beautiful is the body of Christ
How beautiful the feet that bringThe sound of good news and the love of the KingHow beautiful the hands that serveThe wine and the bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful, how beautifulHow beautiful is the body of Christ

Blessings 

Kirk

Nativity now offense to those who do not BELIEVE!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/13/atheist-messages-displace-california-park-nativity-scenes/

The link above is certainly is very disturbing and really reminds me of how brain washed society is on materialism and worldly things that we all can attain  keep us for a short time satisfied.  What do others believe or not believe is their personal choice and I completely respect their opinion and stance although I may not share the same belief.  Atheist trying to displace the Nativity on church property?  Why if they do not believe does this affect them?  Does my belief in Jesus Christ birth and my priority to attend worship and celebrate the life of Jesus offend others?  I do my best to listen and love and treat others the way I would like to be treated.  I wouldn't give any thought to taking away from individuals one of their central beliefs.  My Bible clearly states in Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the salvation for all who believe.  I will not tolerate or shut up, step back or shy away from my faith in Jesus Christ.  That is where I stand and I will not be shaken or moved.  Will you stand with me?  Will you stand up for what you believe.  The purpose of the birth of Jesus is "He was given to the world to be born of a virgin to die for the sin of the world."  The gift is free and it was paid for on the cross by that baby in a feed box.  My prayer is for those who walk in darkness and do not believe to be awakened by the love and light of Christ Jesus.  The doors of history were forever changed and it began in a manger in Bethlehem with God giving his son.

What is the meaning of Rich?

INSPIRING STORIES – BEING THANKFUL .

Mar14

ONE  DAY  THE  FATHER  OF  A  VERY  WEALTHY  FAMILY  TOOK  HIS  SON  ON  A  TRIP  TO  THE  COUNTRY WITH  THE  EXPRESS  PURPOSE  OF  SHOWING  HIM  HOW  POOR  PEOPLE  LIVE  . THEY  SPENT  A  COUPLE  OF  DAYS  AND  NIGHTS  ON  THE  FARM  OF  WHAT  WOULD  BE  CONSIDERED  A  VERY  POOR  FAMILY  . 

ON THEIR RETURN  FROM THEIR TRIP , THE FATHER ASKED HIS SON , HOW WAS THE TRIP ? 

“IT WAS GREAT DAD”

“DID YOU SEE HOW POOR PEOPLE LIVE ?” THE FATHER ASKED .

“OH YEAH” , SAID THE SON .

“SO TELL ME WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THIS TRIP ?” THE FATHER ASKED . THE SON ANSWERED “I SAW THAT WE HAVE ONE DOG AND THEY HAD FOUR” . WE HAVE A POOL THAT REACHES TO THE MIDDLE OF OUR GARDEN AND THEY HAVE A CREEK THAT HAS NO END . WE HAVE IMPORTED LANTERNS IN OUR GARDEN & THEY HAVE STARS AT NIGHT” .

“OUR PATIO REACHES TO THE FRONT YARD AND THEY HAVE THE WHOLE HORIZON. WE HAVE A SMALL PIECE OF LAND TO LIVE ON  AND THEY HAVE FIELDS THAT GO BEYOND OUR SIGHT “

“WE HAVE SERVANTS TO SERVE US , BUT THEY SERVE OTHERS . WE BUY OUR FOOD, BUT THEY GROW THEIRS . WE HAVE WALLS AROUND OUR PROPERTY TO PROTECT US THEY HAVE FRIENDS TO PROTECT THEM “ 

THE BOY’S FATHER WAS SPEECHLESS . THEN HIS SON  ADDED “THANKS DAD FOR SHOWING ME HOW POOR WE ARE”

ISN’T PERSPECTIVE A WONDERFUL THING ? MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE ALL GAVE THANKS FOR EVERYTHING WE HAVE , INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT WHAT WE DON’T HAVE .

A STORY i FOUND ON WORDPRESS PEDALSANDSEPALS

Give Thanks!

I believe the older I get the more I value and place priority and do my best to spend time with people (family, friends ) and this may seem strange but look for the opportunity to be kind to a strange by giving a simple smile or short word of encouragement.  Those of you who know me personally, can probably recall memories, joys and struggles that through these experiences have encountered in my life. A small story I am reminded of this time of year that I will always remember that my Dad has shared with me many times has made a impact on the importance of thankfulness.  So I will attempt to tell the story and it goes something like this.
In 1977 my parents got the good news as a young married couple that they were expecting their first child.  The joy they had they shared shared with family and friend was so exciting and shortly after that the doctor told them twin boys were due to arrive in the summer.  As the months pasted the excitement grew as well. On the day of delivery they lost one their sons and left me with cerebral palsy from a stroke I suffered at birth.  My parents questioned themselves and their faith in God....as they said, "We were so full of joy and sadness at the same time.
My Dad had a conversation with my Grandaddy, as he struggled with understanding why things in life seem so unfair and why does tragedy and joy occur at the same time.  "Dad, "Why did Kirk have to have a stroke at birth and start his life behind the eight ball?" My Grandaddy was a kind man yet a man of few words.  He simply responded, "Bobby I don't think we will ever completely understand but that is why we have faith and I do know Kirk, will be a better man because of his circumstances."

How this holds true for all of us if we take the time to recognize that our struggles are temporary so" know the things we see are temporary, yet the things we do not see are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)  Paul simply puts it, "I have learned to be content in all things whether I have or I don't have."   Will you be willing to have faith that you will break through the struggle and overcome?  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and his love endures forever.  Are you ready to walk in the" joy of the Lord" through the darkness?  God's promise is "I will be with you always" "I will never leave you or forsake you."

Yes my story is God's story...I give thanks for the struggles and pain!  I am an example that Satan has looked me in the eyes and did all he could to break my spirit and allow me to life in mediocrity and defeat.  The good news today is I am victorious in Christ Jesus and Satan has no place or power over me and I walk in the power of God.  Scripture tell us "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strenght." Phil 4:13  God doesn't give us a spirit of fear but of love and a sound mind."  "We overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimony."  Rev. 12:11  I am reminded of the oldie "I fought the law and the law won"  "I fought the Devil and the Lord won."

So I encourage my readers to have faith in the one true God creator of all things!  In all things keep your eyes on the goal of a life God has given you with purpose and meaning.  Don't sink in your hardship but push with perserverence and seek the "Light of the World."

Blessing to all during this Thanksgiving season and may God keep you in his grace and may you be sensitive to God being your provider and sustainer in this journey we call life.  Walk in victory and confidence giving thanks with each new day!

Who will lead our Nation?

What does it take to be an effective leader?  A few things like character, morals, honesty, faith and humility are just a few that come to mind as we approach 2012 election day.  Where and how would our founding father of the United Sates of America respond today if they could see the condition of our economy and world today?   The USA foundation was built on faith in God and now I take a look around this world and see darkness and those who have no faith or hope. The world has stepped away from what made this country great and have embraced the idea "that they can do it themselves" without faith or believe in something greater than themselves.  We have gone from being dependant on character and faith to having a "I don't care attitude."   Just a little encouragement: I believe in America and in our future.  I have hope and joy with each new day and confidence in the journey ahead.

Who will lead us? Who will you vote for?  Lets put aside our political differences and party and start to put greater priority on caring for others, accepting others and loving others.  Share what you believe and be humble in our words.  Like the Beetles song says, "All we need is love, love is all we need." Will you join me to stand up let your voice be heard and live a live that encourages others.


If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:13-15 

Will you pray for healing for our land?

Why not support Israel?

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A political advertisement calling for the end of U.S. military aid to Israel that was posted inside Chapel Hill buses has been pulled, but town officials say it's not because the ad prompted objections from some riders.

Officials said the ad, which ran in as many as 100 buses between Aug. 13-24, was pulled earlier this week because it did not include contact information for the Church of Reconciliation, which purchased it. The town code requires such information on display ads that are political or religious. 

The decision both to run the ad and pull it has some questioning the town’s motives.

One of the five complaints town leaders received read: "As a daily user of the bus system, a grad student at UNC and a NC taxpayer, I find it extremely offensive to have to see this propaganda on my daily rides."

Steve Spade, the Chapel Hill transit director, said the message in the ad is not what led to its removal. 

"It doesn't meet the policy for disclaimers that was approved by the council," Spade said. "Once we know something like that, we can't allow the ad to run." 

Mark Davidson, pastor of the Church of Reconciliation, a USA Presbyterian church in Chapel Hill, said the ad wasn't intended to offend anyone and was run as a message of peace.

"Our hope is that this will be a catalyst for reflection, conversation and action on a very important issue of our time," he said. "We've been a little surprised, and quite frankly disappointed, that the town of Chapel Hill seems to be quite afraid of this controversy."

If the church resubmits the ad and includes the necessary information, Spade said, it could be up again in a few days.

"If we have an ad that has the proper disclaimer on it, then we have told them we will make every effort to get it up for them by this weekend," he said. 

Callie Lewger, a bus rider in Chapel Hill who saw the ad, said she was "not necessarily offended" by the message. 

"I just thought it was an unusual ad for the bus," she said. 

Melissa Jones said she supports Israel and disagrees with the ad's message, but also thinks it's important for people to be able to express their views. 

"We live in a country of freedom where we do get to express our individuality," Jones said.

The leadership of the man they called "Stonewall"

Onward, Christian Soldier

By STEPHEN W. SEARS

---

Stonewall Jackson's religious faith energized his military character

STONEWALL JACKSON The Man, the Soldier, the Legend.By James I. Robertson Jr. Illustrated. 950 pp. New York: Macmillan Publishing USA. $40.

hen Stonewall Jackson died on May 10, 1863, of wounds suffered in the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Civil War was barely half over. Two years of struggle had yet to be endured. After the war finally did end in 1865, a good many Southerners looked back in search of the turning point that had set them on the long road to defeat. Brushing aside Gettysburg and Vicksburg and Sharpsburg, they settled on the day Stonewall died. If only he had lived! How different everything might have been. . . .
This wishful thinking is with us still, and has surely helped generate readers for the sizable Jackson literature. By my count, two dozen writers have attempted biographies, and there are any number of special studies, monographs and essays. Now going straight to the head of the class of Jackson biographers, and likely to remain there, is James I. Robertson Jr.
Mr. Robertson, the Alumni Distinguished Professor in History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, tells us that he has been nourishing this mighty oak of a book for seven years. Before that he had produced a history of the Stonewall Brigade, Jackson's first command, and a biography of Jackson's fellow general A. P. Hill. In the process, he appears to have investigated every nook and cranny of Confederate history and every scrap of evidence relating to the general who at the peak of his fame, he writes, ''was arguably the most famous field commander in the world.'' The result, ''Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend,'' gives us far and away the sharpest picture we have ever had of this enigmatic figure.
There is method in including the legend along with the man and the soldier. Thomas J. Jackson poses a major problem for biographers. His military correspondence is bare bones and uninformative, as are the reports of his campaigns. His private writings offer even less. ''What do you want with military news?'' he chided his wife. His passion for secrecy was legendary. Consequently, a great deal of what we know of Jackson is what witnesses remembered him saying and doing (or thought they remembered), and with the subject long dead these recollections all too often became embroidered. Certain Jackson staff members and lieutenants dined out for years on tales of his eccentricities. In biography after biography the same ''facts'' were churned anew to explain what Jackson really felt, what he really believed, what he was really like.
Mr. Robertson has tracked down all this source material -- finding a good deal that is new along the way -- and, equally important, has subjected all of it to rigorous testing. Myths are exploded, anecdotes crumbled. What remains as fact is highly distilled. For those readers interested in who among the Jackson witnesses were naughty and who were nice, Mr. Robertson minces no words.
Young Tom Jackson, he tells us, had it tough from the beginning. Raised an orphan in far western Virginia, he entered West Point probably the most ill prepared of his fellows. But he sweated out his lessons with an intensity that awed his classmates, and by graduation in 1846 had clawed his way into the top third in class ranking. In the Mexican War he awed his comrades again by his fearlessness under fire. At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 Jackson was a professor at Virginia Military Institute, where he did poorly at teaching everything except obedience. He was deadly serious about the fighting to come. ''My advice,'' he told his cadets, ''is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard.''
Stonewall Jackson would fight in 16 Civil War engagements, and his nickname dates from the first one, at Manassas, where troops were rallied by the cry ''Look, men, there is Jackson standing like a stone wall!'' By the time of the last one, Mr. Robertson writes, ''his fame flashed across his own Southern Confederacy, soared over the land of his enemies and traveled even beyond the seas.'' To explain this meteoric rise, he takes as his text the prediction of one of Jackson's wartime aides, James Power Smith: ''The religion of Stonewall Jackson will be the chief and most effective way into the secret spring of the character and career of this strong man.''
Jackson was fanatical in his Presbyterian faith, and it energized his military thought and character. Theology was the only subject he genuinely enjoyed discussing. His dispatches invariably credited an ever-kind Providence. Assigning his fate to God's hands, he acted utterly fearlessly on the battlefield -- and expected the same of everyone else in Confederate gray. Jackson's God smiled south, blessing him with the strength of Joshua to smite the Amalekites without mercy. Previous biographers have ignored or soft-pedaled this mercilessness in war, but Mr. Robertson underlines it as a source of Jackson's fierce battlefield leadership.
This fanatical religiosity had drawbacks. It warped Jackson's judgment of men, leading to poor appointments; it was said he preferred good Presbyterians to good soldiers. It branded him holier-than-thou, with an intolerance for others' frailties, and this spilled over onto the battlefield to generate truly senseless confrontations with his lieutenants. One such, with General Hill, led Hill to rage at ''that crazy old Presbyterian fool'' and seek to escape from Jackson's command. Another lieutenant, reading in a Jackson dispatch that ''God blessed our arms with victory,'' remarked irreverently, ''I suppose it is true, but we would have had no victory if we hadn't fought like the devil!''
For Civil War buffs, Mr. Robertson provides plenty of debating points about Jackson's two most-discussed campaigns -- in the Shenandoah Valley in the spring of 1862 and, immediately afterward, in the Seven Days battle before Richmond. Here was Stonewall Jackson at his best, then at his worst. Whatever the debate might conclude, Mr. Robertson's evidence reveals Jackson's steady growth as a commander. He honed the skills developed against mediocre generals in the valley to defeat better generals in later battles. His inability to mesh his talents with those of Robert E. Lee in the Seven Days was transmuted in time into a matchless partnership. That partnership reached its apogee at Chancellorsville -- and then ended with shocking suddenness. Lee said it best: ''I do not know how to replace him.''

As the election quickly approaches us and the debates and stances on foreign policy, the economy and so on are talked about many fear the outcome.  But do we take the time to look at the leadership of those whose beliefs and opinions set the tone and they are the ones who made this nation great.  Where is the boldness and conviction that in 1862 was contraversal yet respected?  May we again stand as "one nation under God."  My thought on these issues is that we as a nation need to step away from our differences (democrate / republican) and united on the morals, responsibility and faith the the one who is in complete control.  Let us pray and seek to be united.

Kirk