Thursday Thoughts: Haiti

This photo is both heartbreaking and encouraging at the same time. --  Despite all the turmoil around, Renante Taris breastfeeds her son, Erikson at a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. --- Troops, doctors and aid workers continue to flow into Haiti as hundreds of thousands of quake survivors struggle to find water or food. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Jan. 12, leaving a multitude of people, injured, homeless, or dead.

(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) 

Our hearts & prayers go out to all those who were effected, by the devastation in Haiti. We have several Haitian-American families in our church (and know many who have ministered over there - including my own husband)... and the stories being relaying from "home" - not to mention the pictures we are seeing on the news - are just heartbreaking.  

Thanksgiving Challenge: Day 8

Missionaries - living by much grace and faith, as they follow God's call to reach a lost world for Christ!

TFY: The burden of my heart

      We had a really neat missionary come to church Sunday night, and through his message and ministry, I could see my life purpose become a little more evident --.  The missionary's name was Pastor Stan Skriloff, and he and his wife are missionaries to U.S. servicemen at Ft.Polk Military base, LA....

       I realize awhile ago, that the Lord seems to have given me a special burden for families (esp. those with small children) who are 'fatherless'... through death, divorce abandonment, etc... But I have come to realize more recently, that I have an a even stronger burden for those who are fatherless due to their fathers being away in military service!  Over the last year or so, I have been a (part-time) nanny for a family of five small boys -- who's daddy  is in the Army Reserves (getting ready to go active), and has been away since May 2004. I know God has big plans for this family, and have enjoyed the awesome opportunity of caring and ministering to them!  I admire (and am grateful for) a man who has a burden for his country.... But, something  I admire even more that,  is the strength, courage and faith of the family  left behind!  I don't know where God plans on using this burden he's given to me, but I pray daily that the Lord would continue to soften my heart and give me a ministry to serve these special people!

    ~Tiph