I've been two-timing, but I haven't abandoned...

Would you like to see what I've been up to in my silence? Well, at least one thing?

Check out my new blog for the Russia Mission team that is heading out next month! Be sure and read the Welcome post to learn about the trip and the place we will be going...

Please be praying for our team as they all prepare for the trip. I say "they" because I'm not actually going. {sniff} I want to SO badly, but it seems that this is not the right time for me. So, I am doing battle for them on the homefront by volunteering as their Prayer Captain. The blog is where you can find our prayer requests and reports about how things are going.

Please pray for us. Everyone on the team wants God to do a mighty work through each of us on this trip. Please pray that God's hand would be upon us, His spirit would abound in us, and His Word would abide in us.

Thanks so much for your prayer and interest in our mission.

Light to Desnogorsk Russia

Please: Prayer in Action for the Philippines

I have a new blogging friend, so to speak. We've only "conversed" a few times in recent weeks, but she is a young Filipino, in her early 20's, a university student. She's bright, seems to me to be very authentic and honest about her feelings and beliefs on her blogs, and I appreciate that about her. She's learning to find her voice out there in the world, and at such a young age, I admire that in her.

Her name is Jenny, and her blog is Oh, By the Way. She lives in the Philippines. She left me a comment today that said this:

"hi ms Chel,

I was thinking if you could somehow raise an awareness over what has happened in o[u]r country. Uhm, i know it's a big favor to ask but we really need your help. who knows, someone with a good heart will donate. the damaged in our country is beyond repair with just us..thank you so much for the time:)"

Realizing that Blogger is going to miss a few things in translation, you get the idea. So I started doing a little research.

It's not hard to find articles and videos on what's going on there. Three days ago, on September 27, 2009, these small islands were struck by a typhoon (basically a hurricane) called Ondoy.




In her most recent post about the typhoon, Jenny said:

I am imploring to those people who have the capacity to spread the word that Philippines is really in need of your help, be it financially and in prayers. This country needs more than just healing. The people who were affected by the calamity need to feel that they are loved.

As a child of God and a member of the Body of Christ, that last sentence hit me right between the eyes. You know, I may not have much, but I do "have the capacity to spread the word." Many of you do, too.

If you can donate, it is much needed and I'm sure appreciated. But even if you can't donate, can you spread the word? Nothing shows love like genuine concern. I know I would love nothing more than for this young Filipino lady and the people of her country to be able to feel the love of Christ during such a terrible disaster.

Wouldn't that be just like our God to take a horrific nightmare and turn it into a conduit for His love to pour out over them?

Click here to read more and donate to Samaritan's Purse.

Click here to read more and donate to the Philippine National Red Cross.

One last thing, and I've saved the best for last: will you pray? Will you pray a true, heart-felt petition to God for His mercy and grace and provision to be sent quickly to those in the Philippines...and in Indonesia and the islands of Samoa while we're at it?

Our planet is experiencing the birth pangs Scripture speaks of (see Matthew 24:3-8), which means we don't know how long these people have to hear the Truth and receive it.

The time is now.

This Probably Won't Be the Last One Before November, But It's Close

Okay, okay. I know, there are enough political posts out there that I don't need to add to it. I hear ya.

But this one is a little different. Please take the time to read and consider if the Lord would have you be an instrument.

Tomorrow night, Thursday, Oct. 2, at 9:00 pm EST, Governor Palin and Senator Biden will have a formal debate. I cannot imagine that any of you have missed the fact that there have been many things stacked against Gov. Palin simply because she has proved herself to be a threat to the Obama campaign.

We are asking each of you who claim the life of Jesus in you to lift this debate up in prayer while it’s happening. What a fragrant offering we can offer up if we would heed the Scriptures and pray on behalf of our nation! Many in our country do not know they need to pray, but those that do know are charged with the responsibility. My very first Sunday School teacher as a new believer in Christ used to always say, “With light comes responsibility.” We have been given the Light, and with it comes the responsibility to be good stewards of it.

Please join us as we record the debate tomorrow night, and instead of watching, spend that time on our knees for Governor Palin in a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of our nation. You’d better know the enemy is ready; the army of God should be ready to do battle just the same. Yes, we know Who the ultimate Victor is, but we are not guaranteed protection for the here and now if we stand back and allow the enemy to use the media and the obvious bias of just a few to deceive others. Only significant prayer can make a difference.

Examine the following 7 Scriptures, and please consider joining us in battle over Sen. Biden and Gov. Palin.

Proverbs 10:21
“The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.”

James 3:17
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.”

2 Timothy 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Matthew 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Zechariah 3:6-8
“The angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

'Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.’”

2 Chronicles 7:14
“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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Deuteronomy 4:7
“What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to Him?”


He is near, but He’s waiting to see if we, His beloved Church, will stand up and call on Him. Please invite anyone who might participate to join us. The future of our country depends on intervention of our God.

Calling All Prayer Warriors - Urgent!

Would you please stop right now and pray for this precious two year old little boy named Noah? He has what's called a Mito disease (that's short for a long word I can't spell...mitochondrial???) Anyway, it's in his genetics. Most children with this disease do not live very long, but there have been a few who have, from my understanding.

Among all his "normal" issues he faces with this disease, he now has a terrible bacterial infection that they can't seem to kill with high-powered antibiotics. They will know more tomorrow, but this infection has got to get under control...and quickly.

I've been reading Kate and Jeff's blog called Our Quiverfull for over a year. I didn't realize that it was even a "blog" when I started it. I came across this family through their homeschool website (they used to sell curriculum) and I just thought it was part of their site.

Anyway, they are a beautiful Christian family who have been holding on very tightly to the Lord through this whole ordeal. Kate has always made it a point to post their "thankful" list once the scary parts have passed, and that has always been such an inspiration for me. But this sounds like one of the scarier moments for them yet.

One important note: I encourage you to go to their blog at the link above. If you do, when you see the "TPN" mentioned, just know that that is Noah's lifeline...literally. He cannot receive nutrients by eating. At all. So he is totally dependent upon this TPN line, and he can only receive a certain number of them in his lifetime! So they are doing everything they possibly can to save this central line he currently has.

I'm sorry for the sad post, but this little boy and his sweet family need the Bride of Christ to lift them up! I'm sure they have many people praying for them already, but how much more fragrant would it be in the Throne Room to have prayers coming from all over the world!

Thanks for reading...and praying.