Just start

If slavery existed today, how many of us would be strive to abolish it. We read history books, and our minds travel to thought about how we could never own another human being, neither would we stand for it. We wouldn’t buy cotton from plantations that owned slaves, nor would we by tobacco from slave plantations. We would assist those in distress. We would buy back their freedom. We would do whatever, because you can’t put a price tag on freedom or another human being.

April 12, 1861, the shots were fired at Fort Sumter. This was the beginning of the Civil War. It was the war that supposedly ended slavery. However, there are still 27 million slaves in the world today. Many who know that slavery still exists, think that it is limited to all of the other nations around to world except the United States. However, it still exists even in the United States.

Slavery touches every part of our lives. Most do not even realize how many products are made by forced labors. From clothing to soccer balls, slavery covers it all.

Slavery: the practice of using the enforced labor of other people. A state of being completely dominated by another.

Freedom: a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restrains or restrictions.

Gal 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Slavery can be many things. As Christians we were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to righteousness because Jesus rescued me. Jesus paid it all.

Romans 6:20, “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.”

There are 27 million slaves around the world whose voice and plead for freedom is not heard.

Exodus 2:23, “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.”

Slavery is not better than those who have horrible jobs and are brutally treated by their employer. Employees can walk away. Slaves can not.

Slavery is not better than homelessness. Homeless people have the opportunity and a chance to improve. Slaves do not.

Slavery is not right. If slave holders really are fair and treat their slaves with respect, then they will have no trouble just employing their slaves and allowing their slave to decide how they want to live, even if it means they walk away and choose something else.

Legalizing slavery is not an option. Some say that the acts that slaves are forced to perform are the injustice, not the slavery itself. (the idea of owning someone) If slavery were legalized it would not be hidden and it would become easy to spot the injustice and then action could be taken without much difficulty. First, Slavery is an injustice, not just the forced labor. Second, people still know that it is wrong and so they will continue the injustice even if slavery is legalized.

There are more than a few ways to end slavery.

Pray- nothing of significance can happen apart from Christ.

Giving money to all ready established and trained organizations who simply need a financial resource to get moving.

Showing rescued slaves the one who can restore their lives like no one else can. He can take the sacres and all the abgage and remove it as far as the east is from the west. It will always be a part of their life, but it doesn’t have to weigh them down.

Joining or starting an organization that helps to raise awareness, rescue individuals, or help rescued slaves find Jesus who can restore their life.

Ending slavery single handedly isn’t the object. The object is to start moving. This week, college students raised 2.6 million dollars by themselves in just four days during the passion conference in Atlanta Georgia. A few million dollars isn’t going to end it all in one big scoop, but it is a start, and we have to start somewhere. Ignoring slavery isn’t an option. You must choose between which way you are going to fight slavery. To turn your back isn’t one.

As Christians, we were slaves. We have been set free. We of all people know what it means to be set free. We of all people should be the one’s advocating for those who have never experienced freedom. Sin is truly the heart of the matter. We must show the world that we no longer have to be slaves to sin. There is freedom in Christ.

These are not just statistics. These are people with real stories, with real faces, with real lives, and with real dreams. They need Jesus just like we do, and they will never hear of Jesus unless liberation from their physical chains is achieved. Then liberation from their spiritual chains can be achieved. God can achieve both single handedly, and all slavery will cease when Jesus comes back in all of His glory and power, but until then, He chooses to use us. He has given us the responsibility to fight for slaves now until He returns.

We will never cross the finish line if we never start the race. We will never see slavery end, until we stand up and start moving.

Looking forward

I am excited for Thanksgiving to come. I am not going to lie. I really like not having school, but I also like being able to hang out with my family a little more. Soccer has ended, and school well school. I am looking forward to a break, where I can step back and return to things that are also important like family. I like to work on projects and things as well, but it is also good to step back ?and thank God for what He has already given me. What are you looking forward too.

Balance- opposition of equal forces, bring elements into harmony, to equalize.

Life is a balancing act. Sometimes we wipe out.

but when we do

we smile

get up

wipe off

start running

throw the board down

and try again

and again

until we succeed

Quarters

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are the household of faith."- Galatians 6:9-10

"While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."- 2 Corinthians 4:18

Most of us reluctantly get out of bed, we haven't jumped out of bed since we were two, we just can't seem to find the energy. Jumping may lead some people to thing that we are excited for the day, which is so not true. We go through the days routines with out even thinking. For us as christians, it should be so different. We must live with eternity in perspective, and love people the way that God loved us. We have so much to live for. We interact with so many people everyday of our lives. Sometimes we even go outside of the box and tell people Jesus loves you. How big of us.

"Don't tell them Jesus loves them until you are ready to love them too."- Steve Camp

Real things happen when we realize that we are dealing with eternal things. We are fighting an eternal battle. Until Jesus calls us home we must jump out of bed ready for battle. We are dealing with peoples souls.

No doubt life is tiring. We run out of energy. Thankfully we know the one who holds all of energy in his hands. When we don't have the energy to do something, ask God. We won't feel a surge of energy, but when you are done praying just go and do what needs to be done. At the end of the day you will say I don't know how I did that because I have no energy. God has intervened. His strength has been displayed in your weakness.

Relationships. The world craves relationships. God made us that way. Building relationships is how we fight eternal battles. However, sometimes we forget that relationships are built on countless acts of love.

"We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and lying it on the table. "Here is my life Lord. I'm giving it all." But the reality for most of us is that He sends us to the bank and has us cash in our $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there... usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious. It's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time."

How will you give 25 cents of grace today. Listening, laughing, loving, serving are all ways to give out our 25 cents of our life for God. It is tiring, but it is the way that God asks us to live. It is the christlike way to live our life. Do not become weary in doing good.We shall reap what we sow. Ministry is not based on programs, but relationships. Have you been giving our quarters or have you been mostly receiving them?

You Make Me Smile

through the woods and over the bridge to Grandpa's camper we go.

We went camping this past week with my Grandma and Grandpa while my parents celebrated their 20th anniversary!! Below are a few pictures of our very exciting week.







Which one is your favorite?

Why I Thank God for My Grandparents

    Grandparents were given by God for a reason. They are a gift from the Lord to the grandchildren. In the Bible, Timothy's grandmother was very influential in helping to mold him and shape him into being the great godly leader and man that God wanted him to be.

Proverbs 17:6

"Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is in their father."

    I love my grandparents. They are the best and I am so thankful that God gave me them. They are godly influences to me and the rest of my siblings.

Why I am thankful for my grandma and grandpa:

-they take me camping.

- they are great examples of prayer warriors

- thought me how to fish

- teach me different things with the camper

- let me drive the tractor

- teach me how to fix things

- skype me to tell me the best random things

- give me tomato plants and green bean seeds

- They love God

- they love each other and get nervous when that are apart for even a short time. They feel as if they cannot do anything without the other.

Why I am thankful for my Nana and Pop- Pop:

• Took me to school every day
  
• Made me lunch throughout the school year
  
• Have some of the greatest conversations over lunch
  
• Faithfully watched the price is right every day during lunch
  
• Come to my sporting events
  
• Willing to drive and hour and a half to pick me up at camp and then drive back when my parents were not available to do that
  
• Call to tell me they love me
  
• Call to listen to what I did over the past week, when I did not see them
  
• They love God
  
• They love each other, and miss each other when they are apart.
  

I love my grandparents and I am so glad that God gave me them.

Life in Fast Forward

Over the past couple of months we have had a lot going on. Sweet Pea had a birthday and lost her two first teeth. Buddy is deep into his baseball season and is doing a great job. Little sis has done a great job with her art and has won a few awards for her art in a school art competition. We recently celebrated mother's day and we used the opportunity to let Wonder Women know just how much we love her. This is our last week of school. We are all very excited and cannot wait to go to Ohio this coming weekend.

God’s Love Story

Most people love a good love story. You know the good, not to corny, love story. "The Christmas Shoes" is a good example. But the love story I am going to share is better than any other love story ever shared. This love story involves you and me and the very God who created us.

The day that He made us was the day that He fell in love with us. Like any boy fighting for the attention of the one he has fallen in love with, God knew everything about us. But unlike the boy next door, God knew because He made us and fell in love with us. Matthew 10:30 says, "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Again, unlike the boy next door, God is a gentleman. He does not go demandingly into relationships. He goes in with respect, desiring your love in return because that is true love between a creator and the created. His standards are high. To high for the human to reach on their own. The day He made us was the day He fell in love with us. After He made us, He stepped back, and looking at the master piece He had created, knowing that one day we would reject Him, and said, "Indeed, it was very good."

On the day that we discarded His love and displays of affection for that of sin and death, was the day that He came up for the plan to rescue us. He refused to stand idly by and watch us swimming in sin and death. He loved us to much for that. We were slaves. We sold ourselves so cheaply. We fooled ourselves into thinking sin was the better deal and would give us everything we could want. Sin promised us everything, but in reality God had already given us everything. There was nothing left to promise. While it hurt that we had denied Him, it hurt Him even more knowing that the road that lied in front of us would involve death; something we would never had to have known about had we followed His ideal plan. But with the amazing and awesome God that He is, He took our short comings and sin and made it into a master piece for His glory. He knew our state better than even we knew ourselves. He went to great lengths to rescue us. He was our knight in shining armor, my Tarzan, swooping into the save the day. He purchased us back, Redemption, with His son's blood that was spilt at the hands of the very sinners He was saving. His gift was better than any ring, present, kiss, or hug. He saved the day, He saved our lives. Really and truly, He saved our lives. Not just for the day, but for forever.
He wrote us love letters, The Bible. All we have to do is say YES. Yes I am a sinner. I chose sin. You came to my rescue. You are perfect. You are the only one who can save me from eternal death. Only you can give me eternal life. It is a gift that I have to accept. All of the things that I have ever done or ever will do that were wrong were taken care of on the cross. All I have to do is say yes. It does not matter who we are, who we were, where we are, or where we have been. He takes us where we are and makes us new. 1 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." He loves us. Someday very soon He is coming again to take away His bride. Revelation 19:7 says, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."