More information on the ministry efforts to the Chilean Miners

One of my friends received this message from a partner in ministry and it is to good not to pass on.

I just received this from a Campus Crusade missionary in the Philippines and it was too good to not pass on to you. Maybe you’ve already seen this fun story.

Once in a while the world is riveted by good news...like others around the world, we in the Australia have watched with anticipation as the amazing rescue effort for the 33 miners has unfolded, ever so slowly, and has finally come to an amazingly smooth conclusion. So here is the story you may like.

But one of the stories behind the story has been the work of the Chilean Campus Crusade for Christ ministry to reach out to and encourage the miners -- even while they were still trapped hundreds of meters below the surface.

Some weeks ago, our national director in Chile, Christian Maureira, initiated contact with the rescuers to offer moral and spiritual encouragement to the miners. Although the rescuers initially were hesitant to allow contact, eventually they realized that they needed all the help they could get to keep the miners' spirits lifted and to create an environment of hope.

The Campus Crusade for Christ ministry provided MP3 players with the Jesus Film audio, and large portions of scripture, for the miners to listen to. It turns out that there were believers among the miners, and they had daily prayer meetings together twice a day. One of the miners, Jose Samuel, wrote to Christian Maureira from inside the mine to thank him for the MP3 materials. Some of his comments were:

“I want to express my appreciation for this great blessing for me and my co-workers, it will be very good [for] our edification” (referring the MP3’s)

• “I am well because Christ lives in me”

• “We have prayer services at 12 a.m. and 6 p.m.”

• “I ask all of you for pray not only for us here, but for all the lost people in the world”

• At the end of the letter he signed off with Psalm 95:4 “In his hand are the depths of the earth, and mountain peaks belong to him”.

Upon reaching the surface, many of the miners were wearing the tee shirts given to them by the ministry, with the Jesus film logo on the sleeve (see attached picture), and with Ps. 95:4 written on the back. Many also made their first words upon reaching safety praise and thanksgiving to God for His sustaining grace.

We know they still a long road of readjustment to overcome. Please pray for them. And pray that the story of their faith in God and the role He played in their rescue would be used for God's glory around the world.

Finally Completed my State Coin Collection

I've been waiting for this moment for almost 3 years now. I completed my state quarter collection today! (at least those from the Denver Mint). When the quarters first came out, I decided I would collect only those coins I gained in commerce. I was doing pretty well until my cancer treatments in 2003. Even after that year, it took a couple of years for me to care about checking my quarters when getting change. I've been waiting for a South Dakota coin for several months now.

The book I bought to collect the coins in has a section for 'D' coins and a section for 'P' coins. The Denver are much easier to come across in the Dallas area, so I still have quite a few wholes on the 'P' pages. But I do have a complete collection, so yeah!

This is also exciting because this was one of those projects that was impacted by the cancer. Something that was put aside as I dealt with those issues. Now completed, it is another step away from that time of my life, another step toward health

Me on Google earth

I had a bizarre moment today. I was on Google Maps today planning a trip. I clicked on the camera for my home address. To my surprise, not only was it a photo of the street in front of my house, I am in the photo! Evidently, I was working out at the street when the Google Earth van drove by my house. I am carrying a load of brush to the driveway. What are the odds of that happening?

I am a little blurry, but my chair and wheel barrow are very clear. Of course it is exactly as I would want to be remembered - working! (It would have been terrible to have been caught in the chair!)

A Call to Write

To all my writing friends --A call to write, write, write!

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the numbers of books being published every year. Especially if you are following agents and publishers. As a new, unpublished author it would be easy to allow ourselves to sink into the throws of what’s the point, the world doesn’t need any more stories, let alone mine.

My courage has been renewed this week listening to commercials for upcoming movies and TV shows. Did you catch the theme? Robin Hood, The A-Team, Hawaii 5.0.

People are desperate for good stories! It warms the writing soul, doesn’t it? It reminds me of a great quote from The American President. It speaking about leadership, but I think it works for good stories, too.

They're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand.

So let’s get cracking and fill the world with good stories of hope for our lost and dying world.

Of course, if they bring back The Rockford Files and or Magnum, I’ll be there.

(Writing this has allowed me to escape for a few moments from writing my story!)

Review of LIFE IN DEFINACE

I have to confess. While waiting for the release of LIFE IN DEFIANCE, I kept imagining different ends to Mary DeMuth’ s Defiance Texas Trilogy by casting the town’s characters in the role of the Daisy Chance’s killer. I played this character game to avoid facing the the real question; will any sense come from sweet Daisy’s death?

In LIFE IN DEFIANCE, Mary returns her readers to Defiance, Texas for the trilogy’s conclusion. While Defiance is a place where we have all passed through, we would never intentionally stop at the Hap and Ouisie Pepper’s house. If we were walking on the Pepper’s street, we would walk by on the other side. If we were driving in the neighborhood, we might make an extra block to avoid their street. It is a house full of more than its share of secrets.

Mary opens the Pepper’s front door for us, places Ouisie’s size nine shoes on our feet and walks us into her tormented life of quilt and confusion as she seeks the answers to the questions that have been haunting her and the rest of the town.

As the cost of Daisy Chance’s death changes everyone in town, Life in Defiance is an appropriate end to the Defiance Texas Trilogy. It is a beautiful story of how an individual’s redemption comes through acts of community. For Mary’s readers, the real mysteries will be discovering who in town will be redeemed and who will be lost.

Here is the link for the book on Amazon:

LIFE IN DEFIANCE

I received a free review copy of Thin Places from Zondervan. Nevertheless, I do not write positive reviews unless I believe in the what I am endorsing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Poem for 21century love - a work in progress

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION.

PROGRAM-ID.

LIFE0001.

DATE-WRITTEN.

16 MAY 2010.

ENVIRONMENT DIVISION.

INPUT-OUTPUT SECTION.

FILE-CONTROL.

SELECT LIFE-BEING-FILE ASSIGN TO MORTAL-READER.

SELECT LIFE-CHANGES-FILE ASSIGN TO KARMA-READER.

SELECT LIFE-FILE ASSIGN TO DESTINY-PRINTER.

DATA DIVISION.

FILE SECTION.

FD LIFE-BEING-FILE

LABEL RECORDS ARE OMITTED.

01 PARTNER-REC.

05 NAME.

10 FIRST PIC X(10).

10 LAST PIC X(20).

05 GENDER-TYPE PIC X VALUE SPACES.

05 AGE PIC 999.

05 EDUCATION PIC XXX.

05 EDUCATION-STATUS PIC X.

05 ALUMNI PIC X(20).

05 FATHER.

10 FATHER-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FATHER-LAST PIC X(20).

05 MOTHER.

10 MOTHER-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MOTHER-LAST PIC X(20). 05 MARTIAL-STATUS PIC X.

05 NUMBER-OF-MARRIAGE PIC 99.

05 NUMBER-OF-CHILDREN PIC 99.

05 JOB PIC XX.

05 WORKING-STATUS PIC X.

05 EMOTIONAL-STATUS PIC XX.

05 HOUSING PIC X.

05 TRANSIT PIC X(10).

05 YEARLY-INCOME PIC 999,999,999.

05 BIRTHDAY PIC X(12).

05 CURRENT-CITY PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-STATE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-ZIP PIC X(10).

05 FACEBOOK-STATUS PIC X(30).

05 TWITTER-STATUS PIC X(30).

05 DATE-OF-DEATH PIC X(12).

FD MALE-PARTNER-FILE

LABEL RECORDS ARE OMITTED.

01 MALE-PARTNER-REC.

05 MALE-NAME.

10 MALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MALE-LAST PIC X(20).

05 GENDER-TYPE-MALE PIC X VALUE ‘M’.

05 AGE-OF-MALE PIC 999.

05 EDUCATION-OF-MALE PIC XXX.

05 EDUCATION-STATUS-MALE PIC X.

05 ALUMNI-MALE PIC X(20).

05 FATHER-OF-MALE.

10 FATHER-OF-MALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FATHER-OF-MALE-LAST PIC X(20).

05 MOTHER-OF-MALE.

10 MOTHER-OF-MALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MOTHER-OF-MALE-LAST PIC X(20). 05 MARTIAL-STATUS-MALE PIC X.

05 NUMBER-OF-MARRIAGE-MALE PIC 99.

05 NUMBER-OF-CHILDREN-MALE PIC 99.

05 JOB-OF-MALE PIC XX.

05 WORKING-STATUS-MALE PIC X.

05 EMOTIONAL-STATUS-MALE PIC XX.

05 HOUSING-MALE PIC X.

05 TRANSIT-MALE PIC X(10).

05 YEARLY-INCOME-MALE PIC 999,999,999.

05 BIRTHDAY-MALE PIC X(12).

05 CURRENT-CITY-MALE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-STATE-MALE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-ZIP-MALE PIC X(10).

05 FACEBOOK-STATUS-MALE PIC X(30).

05 TWITTER-STATUS-MALE PIC X(30).

05 DATE-OF-DEATH-MALE PIC X(12).

FD FEMALE-PARTNER-FILE

LABEL RECORDS ARE OMITTED.

01 FEMALE-PARTNER-REC.

05 FEMALE-NAME.

10 FEMALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FEMALE-LAST PIC X(20).

05 GENDER-TYPE-FEMALE PIC X VALUE ‘F’.

05 AGE-OF-FEMALE PIC 999.

05 EDUCATION-OF-FEMALE PIC XXX.

05 EDUCATION-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X.

05 ALUMNI-FEMALE PIC X(20).

05 FATHER-OF-FEMALE.

10 FATHER-OF-FEMALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FATHER-OF-FEMALE-LAST PIC X(20).

05 MOTHER-OF-FEMALE.

10 MOTHER-OF-FEMALE-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MOTHER-OF-FEMALE-LAST PIC X(20). 05 MARTIAL-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X.

05 NUMBER-OF-MARRIAGE-FEMALE PIC 99.

05 NUMBER-OF-CHILDREN-FEMALE PIC 99.

05 JOB-OF-FEMALE PIC XX.

05 WORKING-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X.

05 EMOTIONAL-STATUS-FEMALE PIC XX.

05 HOUSING-FEMALE PIC X.

05 TRANSIT-FEMALE PIC X(10).

05 YEARLY-INCOME-FEMALE PIC 999,999,999.

05 BIRTHDAY-FEMALE PIC X(12).

05 CURRENT-CITY-FEMALE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-STATE-FEMALE PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-ZIP-FEMALE PIC X(10).

05 FACEBOOK-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X(30).

05 TWITTER-STATUS-FEMALE PIC X(30).

05 DATE-OF-DEATH-FEMALE PIC X(12).

FD LIFE-CHANGES-FILE

LABEL RECORDS ARE OMITTED.

01 LIFE-CHANGES-REC.

05 CHANGES-NAME.

10 CHANGES-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 CHANGES-LAST PIC X(20).

05 GENDER-TYPE-CHANGES PIC X VALUE SPACES.

05 AGE-OF-CHANGES PIC 999.

05 EDUCATION-OF-CHANGES PIC XXX.

05 EDUCATION-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X.

05 ALUMNI-CHANGES PIC X(20).

05 FATHER-OF-CHANGES.

10 FATHER-OF-CHANGES-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 FATHER-OF-CHANGES-LAST PIC X(20).

05 MOTHER-OF-CHANGES.

10 MOTHER-OF-CHANGES-FIRST PIC X(10).

10 MOTHER-OF-CHANGES-LAST PIC X(20). 05 MARTIAL-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X.

05 NUMBER-OF-MARRIAGE-CHANGES PIC 99.

05 NUMBER-OF-CHILDREN-CHANGES PIC 99.

05 JOB-OF-CHANGES PIC XX.

05 WORKING-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X.

05 EMOTIONAL-STATUS-CHANGES PIC XX.

05 HOUSING-CHANGES PIC X.

05 TRANSIT-CHANGES PIC X(10).

05 YEARLY-INCOME-CHANGES PIC 999,999,999.

05 BIRTHDAY-CHANGES PIC X(12).

05 CURRENT-CITY-CHANGES PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-STATE-CHANGES PIC X(20).

05 CURRENT-ZIP-CHANGES PIC X(10).

05 FACEBOOK-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X(30).

05 TWITTER-STATUS-CHANGES PIC X(30).

05 DATE-OF-DEATH-CHANGES PIC X(12).

FD LIFE-FILE

05 LIFE-ACTIONS PIC X(300).

WORKING-STORAGE SECTION.

05 MORE-LIFE-CHANGES-SW PIC X’. 88 YES-MORE-LIFE-CHANGES PIC X VALUE ‘Y’.

88 NO-MORE-LIFE-CHANGES PIC X VALUE ‘N’.

PROCEDURE DIVISION.

LIFE-ROUTINE-01.

OPEN INPUT LIFE-BEING-FILE

LIFE-CHANGES-FILE

OUTPUT LIFE-ACTIONS.

READ

PERFORM 100-LIVE-LIFE UNTIL NO-MORE-LIFE-CHANGES.

100-LIVE-LIFE.

READ

My Mark

My Mark - my challenge

Last week another friend wrote about her Mark and its impact on her life. While my heart broke as I read of her struggles, her message converged with principles flowing into my life from other places and made me face my own Mark. My Mark, those beliefs I hold which keep from from accepting God’s love for me, is insignificance. I always feel as though people look beyond me, as if I were invisible. Nothing I can say or do makes a difference.

In the last few weeks of John, there is choice of accepting or rejecting truth. My leader asked this question, ‘where in your life are you not submitting to the truth you have learned?‘ We read Romans 1:25: They chose a lie instead of God's truth. They worshiped and served created things. They didn't worship the Creator. But he must be praised forever. Amen.

I always believed this was a passage where Paul was truly writing to the Romans, not to me. But when I hold on to all the old beliefs about myself, listen to the tapes that play over and over in my head, I have exchanged God’s truth for a lie about my own life. In doing so, I am listening and following a voice other than God’s. What a sobering discovery this has been for me.

Even with Jesus in my life, I built so much of my life on these falsehoods. Now, seeing the truth, I still want to hold on to them. They are what is comfortable. I prove Paul’s point, I chose the lie over the truth.

At this crises of faith, I find myself thinking of a scene in one of the last Left Behind books. Chloe is forced to stand in a line where she will have to make the ultimate choice take the mark of the beast or face the guillotine. As she moves closer to her destiny, her fears are replaced by God’s power and peace. I find myself taking Chloe’s place in line. When I face the beast and chose death, he says, “Isn’t that odd, you’ve willing bore my mark this long.”

Dear sweet Jesus, I can only let go of these lies through the power of Your Name. Fill me instead with Your truth, Your peace.