Random things

First, I should note that I put a small update on the Baby page – and in a week or so, we’ll have NEW baby pics (in utero, of course)!  If you’re one of the many following that… check back soon!

I also posted some links on the Nations page. 

 Next: A Quote.  Because this stirred me so, I feel I must share: 

From Story of a Soul (l’Histoire d’une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux Just as a torrent carries into the depths of the sea all that it meets on its way, so, my Jesus, does the soul who plunges into the shoreless ocean of Thy Love bring with it all its treasures. My treasures are the souls it has pleased thee to unite with mine; Thou hast confided them to me, and therefore I do not fear to use Thy own words, uttered by Thee on the last night that saw Thee still a traveller on this earth. Jesus, my Beloved! I know not when my exile will have an end. Many a night I may yet sing Thy Mercies here below, but for me also will come the last night, and then I shall be able to say: “I have glorified Thee upon earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. I have manifested Thy name to the men whom Thou hast given me out of the world. …” - St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), from “Chapter 6: A Canticle of Love,” in Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

Read this classic at the CCEL.

The phrase that rocks my world: ”the shoreless ocean of Thy Love”.  C’mon – think about that!  What does a shoreless ocean look like?  Ha!  Well – that is the love of God!  You gotta dive in and never look back!   It’s about abandon.  Who says following Jesus (aka “Christianity”) is for the weak and faint of heart??  

Thinking about God’s love. . . .  He is full of love, and fiercely JEALOUS for what He loves!  And God will not change His mind.  He can never love us more than He does right now and He will never love us less that He does RIGHT now — regardless of wether we are good or bad today….  are you IN the shoreless ocean . . or just looking at it now and then?

 

VOM

So, I was in the apartment workout facility, with CNN on the TV today, and was SO excited [not exactly the right word] and surprised to see a commercial from Voice of the Martyrs!!! 

Voice of the Martyrs is an organization dedicated to helping, and exposing the horrendous persuction that is perpetrated against Christians in many parts of the world.  The stories they share of real life believers, suffering for following Christ TODAY on another part of the planet will shock you, in a very needed way. 

It’s inconceivable to me that the things happening right now (torture, imprisonment, death) in some countries are so NOT well-known to us in the “free world”.  We say we believe in human rights . . .but suddenly if “religion” is involved, nobody wants to touch it — what’s that about?!?  A life is a life, right?

Anyhow, I won’t rant about it.  I was just VERY glad to see that they were able to make a commercial that tells the TRUTH, and get in on a national station that so many look to for news.  That’s what I call REAL NEWS.  Maybe we’ll all wake up a little bit. 

I encourage you to get informed.  and PRAY.  If you’re a believer in Christ, these are your FAMILY members!  If you’re not, they’re still human, like you, who deserve the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of what nation they live in.

love to all — J.

 

We’re All Connected

I love the nations!  As a child I was fascinated by different cultures and people that seemed exotic in some way.  I had a certain sense of pride in being friends with those who were “different” —  ethnically, or otherwise.  

Today, that fascination has grown into a life focus.  I’m committed to not getting too caught up in my little middle class, white, Midwestern life experience.  I’ve been on several trips to different nations of the world, and it has opened my eyes.  We may have a lot of wealth, materially in the US — and that’s nice, because how else would someone like me get to travel all over the globe?? —  but the true riches of life seem to be found in abundance once you reach the shores of other lands.  I’ve come to realise how very bankrupt I am in the things that really matter, although, on most days, I feel like I have pretty much everything I could need or want.

Life never happens in a vacuum.  Whether or not we realise it, what happens to Sergei, Chen, Alfonso, and Paulo in their parts of the world affects you and me.  Our futures and destinies are tied together.  Eternity will show that our lives have always been connected, and though we feel like it’s easy to get lost, or to hide (depending on your personality)  in the “sea” of 6 billion people on the planet, we are all connected.  Your life affects mine, my life affects yours, and on and on from person to person all over the world, the reverberations of our lives have impact in the destiny of us all. 

In light of this, to keep from becoming some sort of “political” blogger, I started a new page on this blog dedicated to specific nations that I have a keen interest in.  You can keep tabs on it if you want. 

Maybe Disney was prophesying when they came up with the “It’s a small world after all . . ” song…