Prayer and Action for Haiti

Father, your heart is breaking with the suffering in Haiti. Holy Spirit, please be manifest among the survivors. Bring your strength, healing, and hope. Jesus, pour out your heart of compassion on the suffering ones. In this tragedy, may your name be glorified above all others. Give your people hearts to weep with the people of Haiti. And convict the IMF and the others to cancel their debts. May your kingdom come. May your will be done here and in our hearts. Amen.

Haiti copy 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en

From ONE, a world-wide organization serving the poor:

Subject: Take action and help the people of Haiti

Like millions of people around the world, I've been shocked by the terrible events in Haiti.

Only now is the true scale of the disaster emerging. Reports now
suggest as many as 75,000 people may have died, with hundreds of
thousands made homeless.

The work ahead to recover from this tragedy is immense. So
here's our goal: $1 billion for Haiti. That's how much Haiti owes to
the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank,
and a handful of others.

Sign the petition below to ask Haiti's creditors to act quickly and cancel Haiti's debts:

http://one.org/us/actnow/drophaitiandebt/index.html?rc=haitidebtpaste

As Haiti begins to rebuild we can help by lifting this debt.

Together as ONE we can make a difference! 

Thanks! 

The Call of Wisdom

Wisdom, Proverbs says, is supreme. “Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”(4:7) 

The wise person manages his weaknesses. He flees the streets of temptation. Some doors are always locked and the keys have been melted in fire. He knows “Just this once” is a dark lie. He understands his Father’s call.

Door, Dunbarton Oaks

The wise person recognizes her strengths. She develops her talents, with Godly boldness. When fear knocks, she locks him out. Though fear camps on the front porch, when the call comes, she strides through its slime. 

The wise person obeys the God who calls us out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1Peter 2:9) That obedience, though it may cost all we have, is worth all it costs.

Father, we are stupid and dull in ways we don’t fully realize. We need your wisdom today.

 

God’s File Cabinet

In November, I wrote that I was "Free to be Wrong," about Jerry's pathology report from prostate cancer. I'd expected clear margins and got reports of two areas of positive margin. I had so hoped for a good report.

And, yet! The first PSA report: "Undetectable." In spite of cancer cells right at the edge of the removed tissue, there are not enough cancer cells remaining to produce any prostate-specific antigen in the first blood test after the surgery. That means no radiation. That meant we were able to go to Colorado to see our little grandson and his parents. It meant Jerry went back to work in a few weeks. It meant we could push "CANCER" to the back of our minds.

There's a large file cabinet there, in the recesses of our hearts, with lots of pieces of our lives: retirement finances, job security, book sales, speaking engagements, all the dangers and uncertainties of the world.  Label: "God's Problems."  

File

The cabinet contains those parts of our lives that we have no or little control over. They have to be God's responsibility. We can save and plan for retirement, but we don't know what health challenges may drain our reserves. We don't know whether the banks might fail. We don't know what disasters may come.  By his grace, we lock up our worries into this cabinet, kept in a dark back room.  What parts of your life need to be locked up in a "God's Problems" cabinet? Ministry future? Company sales? Health worries? May we all have grace to give God what is his responsibility and keep only what he gives us.

Father. In these days of uncertainty, be our rock. In these days of fear, be our comfort. In these long days of waiting, be our hope.