THE WEARY HEART

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28 

We are a weary people.  The frantic pace of life wears us down and we find ourselves stressed, overworked and sleep deprived. Can you relate? Why are we running like this? Friends, can we stop long enough to hear Jesus calling and look to him for the rest that he offers our weary bodies and hearts?

Our hearts become weary when we see ourselves through the warped mirrors of performance and others’ expectations of us. Perhaps our fear of rejection pushes us to try to produce and accomplish things that we think will make us acceptable in other people’s eyes. So we work harder and push ourselves more.

But our self-worth does not come from what others think of us. The only person who has the right to define our worth is our creator.  He desires for us to see ourselves the same way he views us—as having our identity in Christ rather than from what we accomplish or from others’ opinions. 

And there is hope in Jesus! When we come to faith in Christ, as Ephesians 1:3-14 tells us, we have been chosen by God. The Father not only wants us and sees us as valuable but also has adopted us. In addition, he has redeemed us, purchased us with the blood of Jesus and forgiven us, and he has sealed us with his Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our future life with him. God walks with us in this life and is now in heaven preparing the place where we will be with him forever. Encourage your weary hearts with these truths!

The Father extends an invitation to all of us to find real rest in him. This is more than ceasing activity, watching television or scrolling endlessly on our phones. There is a difference between godly rest and human relaxation. God calls us to embrace Sabbath with him, a time to cease working and rest in God’s care for us.  Sabbath may look like corporate worship, time away with God in solitude and silence, celebration with friends or reading and praying, being renewed in his presence. What Sabbath activities bring life to you and nurture your soul?

King David understood the source of rest as he wrote, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him” (Psalm 62:1). God is our rest. As we come to him, lay our burdens down, quiet ourselves and trust in him, we will find rest for our weary hearts.

Reflection Questions:

1.    As you reflect with God, what wrong thinking are you believing that is causing you to become weary?

2.    When you are exhausted, what are the ways that you seek rest?

3.    What have you found that refreshes your soul and mind?

G     Guest contributor: Lisa Hall 
Published with permission from the Women of Hope ministry. For more information, please visit their website   https://www.twrwomenofhope.org/

THE SURRENDERED HEART

*This is the first devotional in a series titled Matters of the Heart, created by the ministry Women of Hope from Trans World Radio.

“’I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.” - Luke 1:38

Several years ago, friends of ours felt God calling them back to their home country. This was a major life change, impacting their entire family. They spent considerable time in prayer, seeking the best way to share this decision with their children.

 

The news did not sit well with their youngest son. He was sad about leaving behind everything he knew. A few days later, they revisited the topic, and he responded with a tone of resignation, "I've accepted my fate!" When our friends shared this with us, we found it endearing, and it still brings a smile to our faces. It wasn't what he wanted, but he recognized that surrender was, given the circumstances, his best option.

 

His words were profound. He was expressing his peace with this new chapter and his willingness to follow his parents. Shortly after the move, he had fully adjusted and was thriving, enjoying wonderful new experiences. Imagine what he would have missed had he resisted his parents' decision!

 

Surrendering isn't always easy, especially when it’s not what we had in mind. When it comes to surrendering to the Lord’s will, Mary's example is particularly inspiring. The biblical account shows her natural human reaction: she was initially frightened by the angel Gabriel's visit, who reassured her, telling her not to fear.

 

He then revealed the incredible news that she would conceive and bear the Son of the Most High. Mary's reply was simple yet powerful: "’I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her" (Luke 1:38).

 

Mary's response is a source of inspiration, an attitude we can mimic in our daily lives. May the Lord grant us the serenity and courage to surrender to him and have his plans to unfold in us, so that his name may be glorified.

 

Reflection Questions:

 

1.    Do you find it challenging to surrender? What makes it so difficult?

2.    Think of a time when you surrendered and the outcome was positive, even if unexpected. What did you learn from that experience?

3.    What small step could you take today to practice surrendering where you're currently feeling resistant?

Guest contributor: Susie Peck.
*Published with permission from the Women of Hope ministry. For more information, please visit their website   https://www.twrwomenofhope.org/

FEBRUARY

It has been a long, endless month.

Long trips, long working agendas

Deep jet lag, dizziness and

a permanent sore in my tummy.

It has been an expensive month

Moving from one country to another

Dealing with currencies such as pesos, dollars,

Filipino pesos and Japanese yens.

It has been a crazy month, running frenetically

Within airports, taking out my shoes

My coat, scarf, and letting my belongings

Pass through several X rays  check points. 

It has a been a multicultural month

Sharing a 24 hours with Asian citizens and

Listening many estranges tongues around me.

It has been a scaring month

Having my dad so ill once more

Deeply praying for his health.

It has been a struggling month,

I am extremely tired, weak and busy,

But still I can consider myself a conqueror

Because even survive is, sometimes, 

 already a victory.

God has given me a great victory

In this endless, unforgettable February…

But still I am not willing

 to repeat this chapter anymore!

THANK YOU MY PRINCE!

Cold wind

Soft rain

Dark down

Gray sunset

Hot tea

Warm scarf

Self hug

Slumbering in the silence

Seems to be loneliness

But is not

'Cause you  so close

so, so near!

You are for sure a prince

A gentleman

That surrounds me with your

Little details,

Precious and cherished gifts:

A new blossom in my garden

A bird concert in my window,

Sweet memories that

Makes me laugh suddenly

And a tender caress as soon as

I leave home.

Lavender smell,

Coffee flavor

Well being!

Thank you Prince!.

One million thanks

(get two millions).

Gthompson  30-12-2010

JAMAICA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

That I may know Him…That I might make Him known.

Jamaica Theological Seminary (JTS) is an institution grounded in the Christian community and primarily serving the people of Jamaica and the Caribbean, with a university-level programme of study.  The institution was launched in January 1960 to respond to the need in Jamaica and the Caribbean for culturally and contextually sensitive leadership education for the church and the wider society.  The need was for the development of evangelical church leaders to respond appropriately to the cultural, educational, economic, and social challenges of the Caribbean.

The Missionary Church Association in Jamaica launched JTS in Kingston.  Five students were initially enrolled.  From the outset the school was intentionally interdenominational and international in character. 

Among the concerns that led to the founding of the institution were the following: 

that evangelicals be equipped to speak with authority on the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith given contending contemporary theological positions in the Caribbean;

that the programmes of study maintain a strong spiritual and character formation emphasis along with the academic—thus the motto was chosen: "That I may know Him" (Phil. 3:10), and "That I might preach Him" (Gal.1:16); and

that the curriculum be purposely designed to reflect the needs of Caribbean society.

The Seminary is interdenominational and international in character with more than 40 different denominations and over a dozen countries represented throughout its history.

JTS graduates have gone into active Christian ministries throughout Jamaica, the Caribbean and around the globe.  Several graduates serve as denominational heads. Others are engaged in non-pastoral ministries, including theological and religious education, while some serve as missionaries. A significant number have pursued advanced studies in theology and other disciplines.  A growing number serve within the wider society providing leadership in finance and commerce, journalism, education, guidance counselling, medicine, agronomy, consumer advocacy, and a number of other areas.

This year the seminary celebrates fifty years of unbroken service to Jamaica and the Caribbean.  A series of events have been planned to commemorate this significant milestone.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Jamaica Theological Seminary is:

To glorify God and serve the Church by offering to Christians quality education and leadership training for effective and authentic witness to the world.

ENDURANCE FOR THE JOURNEY

Next Steps: Receive God’s Grace – Fuel for Endurance

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:15-56

I have always had high expectations of myself – never wanting to fail – always wanting to be strong – never weak – earning my success in the game of baseball and in my everyday life.

All that changed when cancer entered my life.  Oh I was strong and performed well at the beginning of my journey of suffering.  But as the journey took me into the wilderness and the days became long and endless, I experienced a weakness of my being that I had never felt before. 

I had a fear of death – I doubted - then shame for my lack of faith.   I experienced frustration over my weakness and my failure to overcome.  This resulted in anger – rage filled fits - then extreme guilt over my sin.  Like Adam in the Garden of Eden, my inclination was to run from God and hide.

BUT … running and hiding from God was not the answer– in order to endure I needed to run to Him and receive His grace even though I felt I had not earned or deserved it.

But God loves who we really are – whether we like it or not.  God calls us, as He did Adam, to come out of hiding.  “Come to me now,” Jesus says.  “Acknowledge and accept who I want to be for you:  a Savior of boundless compassion, infinite patience, unbearable forgiveness, and love that keeps no score of wrongs.  Quit projecting onto me your own feelings about yourself.  At this moment your life is a bruised reed and I will not crush it, a smoldering wick and I will not quench it.  You are in a safe place." Brennan Manning (Abba’s Child)

God’s grace is an incredible source of fuel for endurance.  It encourages us to keep going even when we fall because we know He understands and knows our weaknesses - yet He still loves us.  This was a huge source of fuel for me to continue walking on my journey with Him knowing …

“If we have only the will to walk, then God is pleased with my stumbles.” CS Lewis

Sometimes we are so sick and tired of stumbling that we don’t want to walk anymore.  What a blessing it is to realize that all we need to have is the will to walk with Him, and God is pleased with us – even when we stumble.  That’s an incredible expression of grace.  That is a tremendous motivation to endure.

On the journey with you,

Dave Dravecky

THE KITCHEN: GOD'S ABUNDANT TABLE

by Max Lucado

"Give us this day our daily bread..."

Your first step into the house of God was not to the kitchen but to the living room, where you were reminded of your adoption. "OurFather who is in heaven." You then studied the foundation of the house, where you pondered his permanence. "Our Father who is in heaven." Next you entered the observatory and marveled at his handiwork: "Our Father who is in heaven." In the chapel, you worshiped his holiness: "Hallowed be thy name." In the throne room, you touched the lowered scepter and prayed the greatest prayer, "Thy kingdom come." In the study, you submitted your desires to his and prayed, "Thy will be done." And all of heaven was silent as you placed your prayer in the furnace, saying, "on earth as it is in heaven."

Proper prayer follows such a path, revealing God to us before revealing our needs to God. (You might reread that one.) The purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to change us, and by the time we reach God's kitchen, we are changed people. Wasn't our heart warmed when we called him Father? Weren't our fears stilled when we contemplated his constancy? Weren't we amazed as we stared at the heavens?

Seeing his holiness caused us to confess our sin. Inviting his kingdom to come reminded us to stop building our own. Asking God for his will to be done placed our will in second place to his. And realizing that heaven pauses when we pray left us breathless in his presence.

By the time we step into the kitchen, we're renewed people! We've been comforted by our father, conformed by his nature, consumed by our creator, convicted by his character, constrained by his power, commissioned by our teacher, and compelled by his attention to our prayers.

The prayer's next three petitions encompass all of the concerns of our life. "This daily bread" addresses the present. "Forgive our sins" addresses the past. "Lead us not into temptation" speaks to the future. (The wonder of God's wisdom: how he can reduce all our needs to three simple statements.)

First he addresses our need for bread. The term means all of a person's physical needs. Martin Luther defined bread as "Everything necessary for the preservation of this life, including food, a healthy body, house, home, wife and children." This verse urges us to talk to God about the necessities of life. He may also give us the luxuries of life, but he certainly will grant the necessities.

Any fear that God wouldn't meet our needs was left in the observatory. Would he give the stars their glitter and not give us our food? Of course not. He has committed to care for us. We aren't wrestling crumbs out of a reluctant hand, but rather confessing the bounty of a generous hand. The essence of the prayer is really an affirmation of the Father's care. Our provision is his priority.

From The Great House of God
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1997) Max Lucado

Received by email from UP WORDS.

ENDURING THE JOURNEY

By Jan Dravecky, Outreach of Hope

If your law had not been my delight,
 I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have preserved my life.Psalm 119:92

I have told you before that it has been my experience when I am in that dark valley on my journey that I cannot “feel” God’s presence.  While I may not sense God’s presence during those times I thank God that I have His Word.  God’s Word has been the tangible lifeline that has led me out of the valley.
One dark day during my depression, I became angry with God – I could not feel or sense His presence – I felt alone – my emotional pain was great.  I shouted to Him that I was going to turn from Him and turn to the world.  I desperately wanted relief from my pain.
As I turned to walk away from Him, I began thinking about what I would choose to relieve my pain.  The world offered many choices – food, drugs, alcohol, an affair, material goods, entertainment of all kinds, etc – take your pick.  The only problem?  Oh, each choice would take away the pain, but only temporarily.  I would still wake up the next morning with the same pain – with nothing changed.
I realized that the only tangible thing I knew in life that offered me eternal relief from my pain was the Word of God.  I understood what Simon Peter meant when he was given the choice to leave Jesus.  He said to Jesus:Word of God

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
John 6:68

Simon Peter knew and had witnessed the Truth – he had no choice but Jesus.  I had no choice but to turn the Word of God – I, too, knew it was the Truth.  His Word led me out of my dark valley – His Word will lead you out of yours.  Turn to the Word of God to lead you.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
  and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

PROJECT HANNAH NEWS RELEASE

Project Hannah's Global Ministry Director,

Marli Spieker

June 26, 2009

Dear friends of Project Hannah,

Thank you for your faithful prayers for Project Hannah's ministry around the world. And thank you for praying for Marli while she has been in Asia during the month of June visiting our Project Hannah staff and listeners and speaking in seminars, partnership meetings, etc. Marli has seen how God is moving in amazing ways in the cities and jungles as she heard the testimonies of women and men in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Singapore. Please continue to pray for her as she meets with TWR and Project Hannah leaders in Singapore and then returns to the United States. **Go to www.twr.org to hear an interview with Project Hannah's Global Ministry Director Marli Spieker that is airing this week on Moody Broadcasting’s Prime Time America.

We appreciate your part in Project Hannah's ministry as you pray and help others become aware of what God is doing through Project Hannah's ministry of awareness, prayer and radio programming. Please pray for the Women of Hope programs that are reaching women around the globe helping them to be better daughters, sisters, mothers, wives, friends and servants to our Lord and Saviour. Pray for the hundreds of women working to produce the Women of Hope programs in over 50 languages, and those who are visiting listeners in very remote areas, enouraging women in prisons and hospitals and providing seminars and gifts to those who are in need. Women are suffering in many ways as they try to care for their families is the midst of droughts, wars, poverty and cultural teachings that isolate and harm them. Please continue to pray for the thousands of intercessors, like yourself, who are praying for women who are suffering and struggling to live each day as a testimony of God's grace. Pray that nothing will stop the wave of prayers in over 40 languages from reaching God's throne. Give thanks that we can participate with God as He changes lives and moves the hearts and minds of women and men, helping them to live godly lives. Pray also that more people will learn about the needs of women, and join us in praying for these needs. Project Hannah's monthly prayer calendar is available in several languages on our web site at www.projecthannah.org . Thank you for your prayers.

Tina Sessoms

International Prayer Coordinaor

Project Hannah,Trans World Radio

**Help others become aware of Project Hannah's ministry by forwarding information to your friends.

FREEDOM FROM FEAR

By Jan Dravecky

Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

As human beings, we are prone to fear, no matter how much we believe in God or heaven. And the fear of death can hold tremendous power over us, as these verses make clear.
God understands the fear common to all humanity. He isn’t the author of death; he is the one who came to vanquish, and one day he will destroy it. But when it comes to facing death, I am like a child, just flesh and blood, Jesus understands because he took on our human condition to deal with this fear of death.
I realize I will have to face off with fear for the rest of my life – but I don’t have to live in slavery to it! I believe in a mighty God, the resurrected Christ, who proved his power over the grave. Still, I have to admit I’m still afraid on occasion. Now I am learning to admit my fears honestly to God, who understands my human condition.

(Outreach of Hope, Dave and Jan Dravecky)

THE BIBLE BILL?

By Victoria McGrane

When the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, 2009, Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) hopes you’ll be ringing in “the Year of the Bible.”
It’s probably just wishful thinking.
Broun’s simple congressional resolution aimed at honoring the Good Book has produced a push-back of biblical proportion in the blogosphere, with critics dismissing it as either unconstitutional or a waste of time. Jews in Congress and atheist activists are dismissing the resolution, while none of the many Democrats in Congress who are Christian have bothered to sign on as co-sponsors.
According to GovTrak.us, the resolution is among the most-blogged-about pieces of legislation, with most posts less than complimentary in nature.

“Does that mean 2009 is not the year of the Bible?” mocked Rep. Barney Frank ­(D-Mass.), who is Jewish.
“What is 2012 the year of? The Quran?”
“That’s an endorsement of religion by the federal government, and we shouldn’t be doing that,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), even though he has introduced his own legislation dealing with religion.
“Republican lawmakers with apparently too much time on their hands and no solutions to offer the country are pushing a resolution that will not address the nation’s problems or advance prosperity or even untangle their previous governing mistakes,” blogged the Progressive Puppy.
Broun rejects the critiques leveled at this effort.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with Christianity,” he said in an interview with POLITICO. Rather, he says, it seeks to recognize that the Bible played an integral role in the building of the United States, including providing the basis for our freedom of religion that allows Muslims, Hindus and even atheists to vocalize their own beliefs.
And even as Nadler criticized Broun, he has done his own share of mixing religion and legislation.
Last year, he introduced a bill that would overturn a federal appeals court ruling — an “idiot” decision, he says — that a condominium board in Chicago had the right to ban Jews from installing mezuzahs, which consist of a piece of parchment inscribed with a specific religious text put inside a case and hung on a door frame.
Condo boards shouldn’t be able to interfere in an individual’s right to practice his or her religion, Nadler said.
But he himself declined to install a mezuzah on his congressional office door when asked by a rabbi, even though he does so at home.
“That’s my religious symbol, and the office does not belong to me; it belongs to the people of the congressional district, and no one should feel uncomfortable walking into the office if it’s not their religion,” Nadler said, describing his feelings on religion and Congress.
“Same thing with the Bible. ... It’s not everybody’s religion. And the federal government should not be imposing religious viewpoints.”
Atheists, who might feel themselves a particular target with the declaration of a biblical year, aren’t even worried about Broun’s effort.
“Right now, we’re seeing atheism on such a rise,” said David Silverman, vice president and national spokesman of American Atheists, a group dedicated to fighting for the civil rights of atheists.
“We are seeing Christianity on such a dramatic decline that we’re not particularly worried about it. We’re thinking that this kind of old-style George W. Bush Republicanism is about to go away,” Silverman said, referring to the latest Pew Forum survey of American religious life, which showed nonreligious Americans as the fastest-growing group.
And it may be the best-selling book of all time, as Broun’s resolution points out, but the Bible isn’t such a popular legislative topic.
A search of Thomas, the online congressional database, for “Bible” yields just one other bill: a resolution to have the “Lincoln-Obama Bible” on permanent display in the Capitol Visitor Center.
The resolution specifically asks the president “to issue a proclamation calling upon citizens of all faiths to rediscover and apply the priceless, timeless message of the Holy Scripture which has profoundly influenced and shaped the United States and its great democratic form of government.”
As for the economy, health care, global warming and all the other issues on Congress’ plate?
“While we must focus on fiscal policies that provide relief to families during these tough economic times, an endeavor I have been working tirelessly towards in this Congress, we must also not forget to protect and celebrate our fundamental freedoms that the Bible has influenced,” Broun said.
Broun has gathered 15 co-sponsors, all Republicans, but says he’s looking for more and hopes Democrats will sign on, as well.
“This is not a partisan issue,” he said. “I want it to be bipartisan.”
Whether he’s successful or not — the same measure didn’t go anywhere last year — at least Broun and his fellow supporters can take heart in one fact: They already had a “year of the Bible.”
Ronald Reagan designated 1983 as one, with Congress’ blessing.

Source Yahoo news.

PRAYER REQUEST FROM ETHIOPIA

May 18, 2009
To Projecth Hannah's Intercesors worldwide:

In April Project Hannah's Amharic Women of Hope program went on the air in Ethiopia. Please pray for a clear reception of the program. It seems that only a few minutes of the beginning and end of the weekly program are clearly heard in most areas. Pray that the problem would be solved and that nothing would keep this program from reaching into the home, churches and to the isolated women of Ethiopia. Pray that many would experience hope and encouragement as they listen to women share with them God's love and offer them friendship and understanding through this ministry. The program is aired on Saturday. Please join us in lifting this program and the women of Ethiopia up to the Throne of our Heavenly Father.

Pray also for the women and church leaders who are learning about Project Hannah's prayer minstry for the first time. Pray for them as they join Project Hannah intercessors in over 100 countries as we pray together through the monthly prayer list that is available in over 40 languages.

Tina Sessoms,
International Prayer Coordinator
Project Hannah
Trans World Radio

COUNTDOWN TO EASTER: MARY AT THE CROSS

-As I stood nearby with my friends, I heard him say, “Father forgive these people, because they don’t know what they’re doing.” (Luke 23)
Oh how my heart was breaking to see him there with those nails they had so cruelly punched into his hands and feet. This was my loving son...the one promised to me more than 30 years ago by the angel....
-I was so young then – only 16, and engaged to be married to my dear Joseph when that angel visited me...
At first I was frightened, but he said, “Don’t be afraid Mary, for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him ‘Jeshua’. (Luke 1)
Well, I knew what that name meant – it was a common name among our people. It meant ‘the Lord saves’.
Then the angel went on to say, “He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David...”
But I was very confused now – Joseph and I were not yet married. So with my heart pounding I dared to ask the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”
His answer amazed me, “...the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy and he will be called the Son of God.”
What could I say....I was astounded....so I simply answered, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.”
Then the angel left me, with my heart still pounding!

-I looked up at my precious son, hanging there.....but the angel had said he would reign over Israel, and his kingdom would never end.....
Surely they’ll come and take him down...surely they’ll realise who he is!

-Then I heard some of the soldiers calling out to him, “If you are king of the Jews, save yourself!” And they nailed a crude sign one of them had written, above him that said, “This is the king of the Jews”. They mocked him, and spat on him.

-They had thrown his robe on the ground. I wanted to take it home ...it was a beautiful robe that I had woven for him – with no seams, and worth a lot of money ...it was all I had left! But as I moved closer I saw and heard the soldiers fighting over it. “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice to see who gets it.”
And I remembered those prophetic words of our ancestor David: ‘They divided my clothes among themselves, and threw dice for my robe.” (Psalm 22)
I have made so many clothes for him over the years. He was such a sweet baby....
...Since those Bethlehem shepherds came, just after he was born and told us what the angels had said – that the Saviour, the Messiah was born - I have treasured those things in my heart and thought about them often!

-He grew up to be a happy child, always helping other children, and sorting out their problems. What a fine man he has grown into....
I was so amazed that time when he was only 12, we thought we had lost him as we left Jerusalem. We spent 3 days frantically searching for him, and finally found him – not running off with his friends as we had thought, but in the temple, sitting among the religious leaders discussing deep questions.
When we asked why he had done this he simply said,
“You should have known that I would be in my father’s house.” We didn’t understand what he meant.

-As my friends and I huddled together, weeping, we moved closer so we could speak with my dear son and give him some comfort. He looked down at me, with such love and compassion in his eyes and said to me,
“Woman, he is your son.” His eyes were indicating John, standing next to me. John was always very special to him. And he said to John,
“She is your mother.” Even in his own agony, he thought first of us and our pain. He wanted us to take care of each other as a mother and son!

-A short time later, as we stood there, in this eerie darkness that had come over the land, despite being the middle of the afternoon, he turned his eyes toward heaven and in a loud voice, cried out, “Father I entrust my spirit into your hands.” (Luke 23)
And with those words he breathed his last.

...The words that Simeon had said to me in the temple so long ago when he had held my baby in his arms, now rang in my ears:
“This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others......and a sword will pierce your very soul.”
And I knew the time had come, and he was no longer there – but with his true father.

The soldiers came to see if he was still alive.
When they saw that he was already dead, one of them pierced his side with a spear and out flowed blood and water.
And I thought of those words of Zechariah the prophet, “They will look on him whom they have pierced”, and I understood!

Ros Atkinson, Project Hannah.

TAKE HEART

By Dave & Jan Dravecky

Outreach of Hope

Acts 5:17-20
God doesn’t command us to stay encouraged without giving us a reason to do so. He knows there is plenty in life to cause even the stoutest soul to lose heart. Calamities and mishaps and disease and accidents and foul play and a thousand other devastations can pulverize our lives at any moment. Life in this fallen world has countless nasty ways of causing us to lose heart.
But God is greater than any calamity, mightier than any disaster. When the angels in Acts 5 told Peter and the other apostles to "stand in the temple courts and tell the people the full message of this new life" (v. 20), he was commanding them to speak not only of the crucifixion, but also the resurrection.
Death does not have the final say – Jesus does! And so as long as we are connected to Jesus by faith, death has no more say over us than it did over him. Truly this is the most powerful reason in the universe for taking heart, no matter what happens. God wins! And we win with him.

OH BOY! STEROIDS!!!

Along with Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, Miguel Tejada has been one my favorites major league baseball players, specially while he was with Baltimore. I have never been a Yankee’s follower, so, I was not really an ARod fan, just celebrated his talent. Now, as Dominican I find this media scandal is a shame. We are seriously considering ARod issue is all about the world classic. If not ¿What about the other 103 players in the list with positive results in their tests of banned substances?
I made this question to Gary Clark, a friend involved in Sports as well as about the future of baseball business...
" No it won't hurt the business. Too bad for the players because they
feel they always have to perform to be accepted among the elite. This
comes from a poor self concept and no relationship with God. It
doesn't work.
Some will confess and others won't. We know it has been used. You
can tell. It does not come to any surprise to me. Just as long as
our players don't do it. Proper diet and vit. supplements will do
just fine. I don't think it will effect the baseball classic.
Unfortunately people want to see sports at whatever the cost no matter
what the player does. They want to see performance.

Our society today seem to glorify the things that are wrong and go against the
things that are right. Is that a sign of the end times or what!!!!"

OVERCOMING AFFLICTION

I am reading the journal of a journalist that made a trip to a camp of refugees because she wanted to know herself about the situation of women in that place and in their country of origin. Those refugees were in a neighbor country because their own land was under a civil war. The journalist went to a meeting where several ladies attended. With the help of a translator, those women started to tell their stories, many of them similar, but all of them different, since each one represents a different person, a different name, a different life. Widows or single mothers, because their husbands were killed or simply disappeared. Their sons kidnapped, their daughters raped, and their mothers ill. Some of these women were severely beaten, thrown away from their homes, and had to leave their land, their jobs, and their future. And now they are refugees, undergoing hunger , depending on international organizations to survive and waiting to be able to return to their country someday. This situation is repeated in several parts of the world today.
As you see, there is pain everywhere, and we can’t help but experience it. You may have your own burdens and disappointments, through the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, injury or illness, an unfulfilled dream, etc.
Then we can ask ourselves what we can do to overcome so much pain. I invite you to look beyond your circumstances to God, and then you can discover the hope that will help you to move from grieving to healing. Here are some ways we can move beyond our grief to the God of all comfort: Acknowledge the experiences that have caused your deep sorrow. Ask God to help you better understand why you feel the way you do.

Allow yourself time to go through the stages of grief. Expect to deal with shock, denial, emotional outbursts, bargaining with God, loneliness, depression, guilt and acceptance. Don't be surprised by what you feel, and don't blame yourself for feeling it. Understand that it's all a natural part of grief.

Focus on God instead of your circumstances. Choose to think about who God is instead of how depressing your circumstances are. Read Scripture to remind yourself about the different aspects of God's character - loving, strong, merciful, etc. Remember that God is bigger than your circumstances, and He is ultimately in control of them.

Choose to believe that you can heal. Make the decision to believe that your tragedies can become opportunities for growth. Remember that God can bring good out of any bad situation. Ask God to give you a spark of hope to start a fire of healing in your life. The Bible says: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to this purpose” Romans 8:28

Look at your life from an eternal perspective. Ask God to help you see your life from His perspective so you can better understand how He will accomplish good purposes through your current pain.

Live one choice at a time. Rather than becoming overwhelmed when you think of how much healing you still need, decide to follow God's leading gradually, one choice at a time. Continually pray for the grace you need to do so.

Abandon wishful thinking. Accept the reality of your situation without trying to deny it or manipulate it to give yourself false hope. Realize that you can't change the past, and that sometimes it's not possible to restore people or things you've lost. Know that your life won't the same as it was before you experienced your tragedy. But know that God can always bring about healing transformation for your future.

Discern the difference between reality and truth. Understand that your emotions are real, but that doesn't mean you can use them to accurately determine what constitutes truth. Look to the Word of God and Jesus Himself for guidance, rather than shifting emotions. Know that even if you feel worthless or helpless, you're not, because the Bible and the Lord say you're a person of great value who can receive help directly from God.

Forgive. Choose to forgive people who have hurt you. Ask God to help you do so. Enjoy the freedom you experience when you do. One of the ladies in the refugee camp told to the journalist: “I don’t believe in rage and hatred, they are unproductive.” Tremendous words in the lips of someone who lost almost everything!

Share your burdens with people who care. Those women at the refugee camp used to gather together for support each other in their needs. Others have testified how great it is for their well being to be part of a fellowship. I have a friend that has a kid with Down syndrome and she is a part of a foundation for parents with kids like hers. She has found a lot of encouragement, inspiration and support there. So, do not put yourself away from others in your pain. Surround yourself with a strong social support network of friends and family members with whom you can talk about your grief and healing.

Use your talents. Serve other people in need to take your focus off your own problems. Pursue a hobby or take a class to develop a new skill.

And once again I tell you: Pray! Make prayer a regular habit. Know that when you communicate with God, you're inviting Him to pour out His healing into your life.

Written by Georgina Thompson for Women of Hope, Project Hannah radio program.

SUPER-WONDER WOMAN SYNDROME

Are you tired, anxious, running from one place to another all the time, feeling frustrated? Well, you are not the only one! Many women are raising a family, juggling a career, and catering to a spouse have what‘s called "Super Woman Syndrome". This is an affliction that affects many women today. It's the desire to do everything for everyone, perfectly, without any time to yourself. Unfortunately, as women push their own needs and desires further and further to the background, they are quickly coming to the realization that the Super Woman Syndrome is far from super. Women are slowly learning to push the need for perfection and schedules aside - allowing time for meditation, relaxation, and their own personal pursuits.
The Super Woman Syndrome is a result of advances in women's rights, the necessity for two-incomes, women in the media, and the instinctive desire to nurture and place others first. You see women every day on the television or in the news that run their career, their home, and their family, flawlessly. That puts a lot of pressure on everyone to follow suit. Regardless of whether or not they work, women still shoulder the brunt of the household and parenting responsibilities. Add a career into the mix, and it's bound to be disastrous.
Let’s share a testimony:
I'm Debbie and I'll confess. I'm sometimes a sufferer of the superwoman syndrome. I feel the need to work 40+ hours a week, cook full meals for my family and have a clean house with only tiny laundry piles. On top of my home and work lives, I also feel the need to workout to lose that extra weight that has appeared, to be an active member the church, to be a good friend and a productive member of society. When one of the many balls I have in the air falls, I chastise myself for my failures. I felt I had to do everything because it was expected of me. It was expected of me - by both myself as well as those around me. I have children. I never imagined my life without children - ever. And I want my children to be proud of me - what I do, what I accomplish. I'm married. Despite coming of age in the 80's, I grew up with parents who married in the 1950's - and the influence of a grandmother born in 1905. A wife's job was to take care of her husband's need, her children's needs, and the house. A good wife cooks. She cleans. She anticipates the needs of her family. When my husband would come home at night and ask why we had fast-food for dinner, I felt like a failure because I had failed to cook a "decent dinner" for my growing children. If anyone wanted to drop by for a visit, I scurried around picking up the house, because I couldn't let anyone see a messy house - they would think I was a horrible wife and mother.
How could I rebel against it if I thought I was doing what was expected of me? How could I rebel against those that I loved? If I felt overwhelmed, and complained, I was considered to be ungrateful of what I had. I felt like a traitor to the little girl inside myself who had such big dreams and goals. How could I let myself be a failure?
For me, I find my family will jump in and help when I hit rock bottom. But within a few days, they fall back into the patterns of the past: mom can do it.
Is it the martyr syndrome? Or is it habit? Is it easier to just do things myself than to try to teach my children to do them? Or is it the way I show my family that I love them - by doing things for them? For some women, I honestly feel it's about being the martyr. They want the attention, they want to be able to out-do their friends. It's the need to be "more" than anyone else. For some women, it's a control issue. She's the ONLY one who knows how to do things the "right" way. Personally? For me? The more I am able to step away from the role of Superwoman, the better I feel - physically, mentally, and spiritually. I've learned that my kids enjoy some household tasks; and I've learned that if my house isn't perfect, it isn't the end of the world. But I will admit I go through brief spells of horrible guilt some days, and rush around like a crazed person trying to get "caught up" to a manageable degree of chaos. I think deep ingrained within me is still the desire to be seen dressed and attractive, clean home, well-balanced meals.... So, I do want some help, but I want the help to be given without me having to complain to get it. But I don't think I'll ever get away from feeling like a failure on those days where the house seems to have fallen in a dump and I haven't cooked a meal in ages.

If you, like Debbie, find that you suffer from the Super Woman Syndrome, there are some small changes you can begin to follow to make your life less stressful and hurried.
· Allow for Imperfections. Make planned adjustments to your day - allowing for some imperfections. The dishes can pile up in the sink until after dinner, the laundry can get done on Saturdays, and your children don't need to be signed up for every activity available in their age group.
· Pick Your Battles. With yourself that is! You don't have to make your daughter's birthday invitations, bake the cake, and clean the house yourself - unless you enjoy it and it's a stress reliever. Pick one or two things you enjoy to do, and enlist the help of others (professionally or family) for the rest.
· Set Your Priorities. If spending time with your children is a priority, make sure to include it in your schedule. Don't find yourself at the end of the day, tucking them into bed, and realize that you rushed around all day without talking to them.
· Give Yourself Permission. You need to accept permission from yourself to be less than perfect. Do everything as well as you can, but you don't need to be perfect at every role you take on.
· Take Time For Yourself. Schedule in some "me time". Take up a new hobby, take a class at school, go the gym, or take 15 minutes for relax. Whatever you enjoy, start integrating it into your life so that you have some time to relax and take stock of what is important to you. These steps will release you from a lot of stress.

CHRISTIANITY IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

Today, January 26, Dominican Republic celebrates the birthday of the national hero, Juan Pablo Duarte. While it happens, I am refleccting that, in spite of political and social freedom was made possible through Duarte's work, our country still lacks spiritual freedom. I encourage you today to pray for us, specially for the church and its leadership, while the efforts to reach our country for Christs continues... Let me share then, some excerpts of an essay I wrote sometime ago, about Cristianity in my beloved country.

• How Christianity came to my country:
It is difficult to establish dates, denominations and origins, since the first protestant missionaries arrived without denominational identity. The first evangelicals with missionary character arrived at the island in sea expeditions in British and Dutch boats, many of them like pirates.

In 1605, the king of Spain, Felipe III, ordered the evacuation and destruction of the cities in the north of the island. The “reason” for this devastating evacuation was, according to the order, the end of the contraband of British, French, Portuguese and Dutch, who specially brought Bibles and Christian literature in each expedition.

The evangelical Protestants were declared by the Spanish authorities to be associated with the adventurer pirates, but the reason was they could not use other boats to cross the Atlantic and arrive in America. It was very difficult for the Christians to openly introduce themselves in the island during the first 3 centuries of Spanish rule. The restrictions remained until the independence (1844) when the constitution of the new republic established religious freedom. Then missionaries from different denominations started to arrive at the island.


• Ways in which Christianity has spread in the country:
The main ways used to spread Christianity are personal evangelism and campaigns. Education has been an important strategy, since many churches have schools where the gospel is part of the curriculum. Recently, media has been exploited as a tool to spread the gospel after 30 years of external radio ministry (TWR Bonaire’s signal has reached the whole country since 1964) that had a meaningful influence on the growth of the Church.

• Churches strengths and weaknesses:
The church in the Dominican Republic has been enthusiastic about its job of preaching the gospel, but there is still a strong legalist element in the churches of the impoverished classes that prevails, preventing evangelism from being more effective. There are young leaders emerging that are questioning the dead models and non-functional structures. There are youth movements that are making efforts to become more relevant in the communication of the gospel. The local church also counts on the support of several interdenominational institutions that are developing an outstanding work.

WITNESSING TO CHRIST THROUGH MY OCCUPATION

I have such a great privilege to be a part of a home church where there is always enthusiasm to reach others with the Gospel, and, after 19 years of working in radio ministry, I am grateful to God that I can be a part of the team of Trans World Radio. Throughout this network, our evangelistic, family, youth, and Bible study programs reach not only those in our own country, but the whole hispanic speaking population in America.

As director of the partner office of TWR in the Dominican Republic, I have received empowerment from the leadership and I perceive a lot of respect from them to me. I also enjoy the appreciation from many people at churches and ministries in the country. I am very comfortable with my gender and I have a lot of respect for the teachings about women in ministry that many denominations (including mine) hold. I have to recognize that leadership in this level used to be and it still is, in most cases, limited. This is where teamwork skills should be developed, so that some work in the ministry that I am not allowed to do can be done through others.

HOW TO MAKE THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST MEANINGFUL TO MY PEOPLE.

The church needs to demonstrate practical love and compassion for the people. For that purpose, it should be more involved in non-traditional strategies, such as social work. The church needs to present the gospel at a level of language that most of the people can understand, since of the 82% that are literate, 33% have not finished primary school.

In the opinion of some leaders consulted, the current strategies of the church tend to reach people already convinced, while the reality is that there is a large population that rejects the impersonal methods of evangelism. There are people that need to be guided in a process to become a Christian, people with whom it is necessary to argue about the faith more than in the past.

Actually there is a strong tendency or emphasis on church growth (multiplication). As a consequence, it is being promoted as a “light” gospel that many like because it does not mean any change in their lifestyles, and many foundations from the Word of God are missing.

Church growth should be balanced on both sides: quantity and quality. Our evangelism and discipleship strategies should take into consideration that 90% of the population has never attended church, and that around 4,000 villages or towns are still without a Christian church.
In my opinion, it is the responsibility of the church to assist the community in their needs of guidance to prevent problems such as drugs, domestic violence, prostitution, AIDS, etc.

May God bless Dominican Republic!