By 1932, he had to sell out to satisfy…creditors. This left [Penney] virtually broke. …Crushed in spirit from his loss and his health suddenly failing, Penney wound up in a Battle Creek, Michigan sanitarium. One morning he heard the distant singing of employees who gathered to start the day with God: Be not dismayed, whate’er betide, God will take care of you…. Penney followed the music to its source and slipped into a back row. He left a short time later a changed man, his health and spirit renewed, and ready to start the long climb back at age fifty-six.

Sometimes, my defeat is where the victory begins. Sometimes, the way up first goes down.

From the Associated Press today comes a story by one of their premier writers, Linda Stowell. It is a poignant story and one that offers an entire sack full of inspiration. If it is true that wisdom is better than gold, then load up your pockets with this–and then go do something towards your own TurnAround.

And I fight. It’s an old metaphor, but it’s all I have. I’m fighting to become a runner and a healthy person, and giving up either fight is not an option. I may be in the back of the line for the moment, but I am running two races. I am a dedicated runner now, and I plan on finishing both.

Linda Stowell was diagnosed with two forms of cancer and told that whe had better stay sedentary and lay low. But she’s a fighter, not a quitter, and she refused to wave goodbye to every prospect for a healthy life…

I was enveloped by my illness. It was controlling me. The fatigue was so intense, the sleep so deep that it was as if a chunk of my life was sucked away. I rose only to take a shower. One afternoon I tried to make tea and slept through the kettle’s whistle. I awoke to the kettle burned dry to the stove and belching smoke. I had few conversations; that took too much energy. A trip to the grocery store was overwhelming.

Read Linda’s story in the South Bend Tribune when you’re ready to get in the fight. May God continue to bless and keep Linda Stowell and may God bless you too.

Here’s a bit of what the Word says, concerning the issue:

IF then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3: 1-3, NKJV).

I guess that the thing I love most about the Christian journey is that the learning continues as we walk on after Him and His kingdom. Every day give us a further opportunity for growth. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow…

I received a reality check along those lines recently and it has been like cold water on the face. Thank you, Lord. When things are going along fairly smoothly it is easy to get complacent. But when you feel the heat of the enemy and the pressure of his attack it becomes apparent that the spiritual battle is not just a symbolic idea–it is real.

Please pray that I gain strength and wisdom for these perilous times. I’ll do the same for you.

Having gotten a bit too close to the process during my early days in college, I became “apolitical” for awhile. I decided that the process was controlled by those with power and money and that it was corrupt beyond belief. I avoided politics for years thereafter and figured that God would handle it; I couldn’t. After all, didn’t Jesus say that His kingdom was “not of this world”?

My opinion has changed. No situation is too big to give up on and God does call us to be involved in our society. If nothing else, we are to pray for our leaders and be subject to them. See Romans 13 for a Pauline discourse on the subject.

Hosanna kids are in the process of discovering what the Bible has to say about politics. Furthermore, we are taking a look at our local situation. We are the only Congressional district in the United States where the incumbent is not being opposed by the other major party. Why is that? Our research thus far has shown that our representative is simply too popular and too powerful to be challenged.

We did find that there is an Independent candidate who has entered the race. Right now, we are querying both men on their positions, using school vouchers as our point of entry. The challenger, Jim Holbert, has written back and we are hoping to persuade him to come by and speak to our school. The incumbent, Hal Rogers, has yet to answer our inquiry but we look forward to a reply and will invite him to do the same.

One thing about it: Our involvement will not be fruitless. We will investigate the idea of Christian Duty and we will become more knowledgeable about the way our government works. And as the high school kids say, “We can’t vote in this election, but we sure will be a factor in the next.”

I simply do not know enough about the issue to wade into the controversy. On one hand, I hate to hear stories of civilian casualties from the use of cluster bombs. On the other hand, I can see the wisdom in the bumper sticker proclaiming, “When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.” The bottom-line is that I don’t feel qualified to advise the military on choice of weapons. For my part, I would do away with the hatred that causes one person to strike another. That will happen someday, but it does not appear that the time has yet appeared.

Dani: I do appreciate your hard work for Survivor Corps and your confidence in this blog. The best I can do is to advise my readers that more information can be found by clicking here. Is it a citizen’s duty to be involved in such issues? For now, I’ll hide behind the concept of a republican form of government whereby the voters elect others to do the research and keep the Department of Defense in check.

God bless you and God bless America.

If you have yet to check out the The Message: The Bible In Contemporary Language you are missing a real treat.

Some say that one version (usually the King James) is the only accurate translation. For my part, I enjoy reading and comparing the various translations and transliterations. There is something about the enthusiasm behind The Messagethat I very much enjoy.

Read and see.

God is faithful and good. Sometimes it is difficult to see how things will work out…but they always do. Thank you, Lord for watching and keeping us under your banner. Show us how to better parents. Teach us how to live as your child. Your grace is abundant. Thank you.

By the way, we are in need of help here for teachers, a librarian, maintenance, and more. If you are called to a mission here in the United States, please let us know.

As a ministry, we are preparing for school to start back up next month and working to facilitate small group worship. Our vision is to take our family meetings and open them up once per week to faculty and neighbors. It is a way to create a tighter extended family bond and to encourage one another. We are using an adaption of the old Friends (Quaker) style of gathering: First is a period of welcoming Christ into our midst and reflecting upon the Word. Participants are free to speak out what is on their heart or to remain silent as the Spirit leads. Next is a time of worship in song, then a teaching or discussion. Following that are announcements and a family meal. Please pray for us as we move towards a deeper sense of community and an expansion of our capacity for Christian Love.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the whole thing is causing disruption amongst even the faithful. Here is a blip from an article by writer Travis Reed:

His tactics, sometimes violent, have made skeptics even of Pentecostals who believe in concepts that aren’t accepted by all branches of Christianity such as speaking in tongues, miraculous healing and spontaneous twitching from the Holy Spirit.

“Some of the language used during the Lakeland Revival has created an almost sideshow atmosphere,” wrote J. Lee Grady, editor of the Pentecostal magazine Charisma, in an online column. “People are invited to ‘Come and get some.’ Miracles are supposedly ‘popping like popcorn.’ … Such brash statements cheapen what the Holy Spirit is doing.” Grady wrote another column this week expressing concern that the Lakeland event has the potential to cause a “charismatic civil war.”

It’s doubtful that I will be able to get out there and see for myself, and it is just about certain that I wouldn’t be able to get inside anyway, but I sure am tempted to try. Todd is rocking with something–is it the Spirit of God? Look and see what you think…