Nick Vujicic was born without limbs. That alone makes him stand out in a crowd. Add to that his enthusiasm in service to the Lord and he is indeed unique. His motto is, “From life without limbs to life without limits.”
Visit his website, LifeWithoutLimbs.org, and learn more about this inspirational Australian. Be sure to watch his video, “Nick’s Home Movie.”
It is virtually impossible to avoid reading or hearing about the collapse of the I-35 bridge in
The Engebretsen family, Ronald, Jessica and Ann, have been interviewed several times. First, they were hopeful that wife and mother Sherry was rescued but unidentified, perhaps a “Jane Doe” in a hospital. Later, Ronald’s composure began to break as he talked about his missing wife. Hope was fading, but the family struggled to remain hopeful. Today, that hope is gone. Sherry is among the confirmed dead. You know that family is suffering. So are all the others who have either been notified their loved ones have died or are still waiting to hear the worst.
Individuals and churches across the nation are praying for those involved as well as their families. Whenever a disaster occurs, questions inevitable arises, such as, where was God and why did he allow this to happen?
John Piper of Desiring God wrote a touching story titled (click on link to read it) “Putting My Daughter to Bed Two Hours After the Bridge Collapsed; What Do Tragedies Like This Mean for Us?”
He has also posted a video with footage from the scene. The audio is from the messages “Where is God.” The video can be found on Desiring God or on YouTube.
There are those who talk, those that write, and those who act. Ron and Sue Bates have been among those who act for the street children, orphans, and homeless of
For some, physical ministering is not an option and thus blog postings to encourage others are an act of service. But many physically able folks – in particular the younger generations – often have time on their hands (witness the rising crime rate among the young) and serving others would be not only practical but it would help them to grow in character.
Remember, one definition of “minister” is to attend to the wants and needs of others. It does not merely mean to preach. Sometimes it means listening to a stranger ramble or an elderly person recount the same stories over and over, or to work with those society has cast off and abandoned. Some folks don’t know how to be still and listen or to act; they only know how to “preach.”
There are many in
These are quotes taken from today’s Inasmuch Newsletter.
“Ron was, as we are, imperfect, but he always wanted his love for his orphan girls, street kids, blind people and the gypsy believers to be perfect. His greatest ministry was with the gypsies. Ron’s gift was preaching the gospel and expounding God's word. He loved God's word and always appreciated the hungry, open heart of the gypsy Christians. He frequented the
“Ron was born in
“Ron and I were married
Ron Bates’ (August 10th, 1939 - July 31st, 2007) ministry in
Jeff Taylor has posted a tribute to Ron Bates on his blog Romania and Missions.
What a beautiful morning!
The sun is shining. The sky is clear. The birds are singing and there is a spring in my step.
That’s what you assumed I was going to say, isn’t it? Well, it’s not. The sky is overcast and dreary. If the birds are singing, they have turned the volume to “mute.” The spring in my step broke years ago.
But when I walked the dogs earlier this morning, the air was cool and a fine mist enveloped us as we strolled. Yes, for once we strolled. Usually, Buddy is practicing for the Indy 500, Samaritan is making sudden stops to sniff and dig, and Merci’s pace alternates left-right-front-back-stop-sprint.
With rain threatening, we cut our usual walk in half and strolled the route twice. Halfway through the first lap, the mist turned to a fine drizzle. Oh, did that feel good after the hot, humid weather normal for early July.
All that I could think of was how grateful I am to have this lovely weather. Even the fierce storm two days ago was a blessing.
Unfortunately, weeds thrive in this weather. Like sin, weeds need little incentive to take root and spread. After we returned from our walk, I walked the yard, swinging the weed chopper. It only cuts off what shows above ground. It doesn’t kill the root.
And that is how effective human effort is against sin. You can follow all the steps in any number of self-help books on how to change yourself and your life, but human effort can only succeed in cutting off what shows in your life “above ground.” It takes the Holy Spirit working in your heart to dig out and kill the root of sin. It is a painful process but the reward will be eternal.
Yes, indeed, it is a beautiful day. The weeds will be growing, but after the rainfall, so will the grass.
www.mercyandpercy.com/
