Last fall I asked Mike of Mike-n-Larua to post a bulletin regarding a prayer request I had. I am copying that bulletin here with an update.
On September 11, 2007 at 8:57am, Glenn wrote :
Hi again Mike.
So here is the request that I would like you to post.
My wife and I have a family friend whose 19 yr old son, Justin, was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The family is a strong christian family and truly love our Lord. Our friends are struggling with the ups and downs that this young man is battling. The worst part of the ordeal is his questioning/blaming God for his difficulties. The old why would a good God let something like this happen to me, so there must not be a God at all idea has grabbed his heart.
So my prayer request is for the struggling family who have to deal with an often irational young man, and for Justin's heart condition. Pray God will help Justin make peace with himself and find the answers he needs in Jesus.
Because this is an ongoing debilitating issue, I would just ask you to put them on your prayer list and revisit it regularly. We don't often see the family, lives evolve in different ways with children going different directions, but I will update when ever I have news, both good and bad as we all wait on Jesus to work miracles. Thank you all for your prayers! peace Glenn
Thanks for your posting Mike. You don't know how much God uses your time and effort here on MyChurch. peace glenn
Now the update My wife and I recently ran into Justin at his place of employment. He looked great and seemed to be very stable. He is working regularly and seems happy at this point. He said that he will be going back to school locally in the fall. While I don't have any update from his mom, I am hopeful that he is truly doing well. We did not have the opportunity to ask about his spiritual health so that may still be a concern. Thank you to all who have prayed for Justin and his family. If I hear anything else regarding his situation I will update further. Thanks again for your prayers. Peace
The World Food Programme calls the global food crisis a phenomenon, a "silent tsunami," that is affecting families in every nation on every continent. Food prices for popular menu items like rice, wheat and beans have doubled in the last year. Though increases in food prices have hit all budgets, it's the poor who bear the brunt of price inflation. The higher prices are forcing people who survive on just $1 a day to spend upwards of 80 percent of their budgets just on food. As a result, many people, including millions of children, are going hungry. The longer food prices rise, the more people will be plunged into hunger and poverty.
Why is the global food crisis happening?
Food shortages have affected developing countries for generations. It's a cyclical problem. But this global food crisis is more rapid, urgent and devastating. Since 2005, food prices have risen a whopping 80 percent. Why?
rising fuel costs
rising food demand from populous nations like India and China
natural disasters destroying crop yields all over the world, including the United States
growth of biofuels
How has the global food crisis affected Compassion families?
The global food crisis is forcing poor families to spend more of their household budgets on food, leaving little for anything else. In Bangladesh more than 90 percent of the 12,179 children we serve in 82 Compassion-assisted centers are affected. Many children are eating only at the church-based center. Compassion Haiti estimates it will need at least $2 million and up to $6 million to feed the 60,000 registered children and their families over the next few months.
What can I do to help fight the global food crisis?
Join Compassion's Day of Prayer and Fasting on June 25, 2008. This is the day we will honor the victims of the global food crisis and pray for them.
Something that I have been thinking about recently is the relationship between church and state.My son was assigned a research paper on the subject of US foreign relations.He explored what makes other countries like the US and what makes them dislike us as a nation.As part of his research he was required to interview a person with some intimate knowledge on the subject.He spoke with a missionary named Ralph Stice who worked in France with the Muslim immigrants and in Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) with the Muslim immigrants there.I listened in on the interview to help take notes for my son.
Well part of the discussion during the interview was around the Muslim view of religion and state.Many Muslim peoples would like to see their countries ruled by religious leaders thus I come to my topic of choice today.Then yesterday I had a discussion with Voice on the subject you can read that here.Lot of writing to get to the topic. : )
It seems to me that our forefathers got it right with the separation of church and state.When I look at church history including the crusades and much of the Catholic dominance of the world throughout the middle ages, I shudder at some of the things done in the name of God or Jesus.When we as Christians attempt to force our view or our morality on a larger populace we are no different than the Muslim Imams who dominate Iran or the Taliban of Afghanistan.I some times think that our political arms of the Evangelical Christian Church do our nation a disservice by pushing religiously motivated agendas on our elected officials.We cannot legislate Christianity; it must be individually and personally attained through a relationship with God in the person of Jesus Christ.
Yes it is good to be able to pray in school, but do we need laws to force this issue or can we teach our children to pray within their own heart any time any place.When we as a church force our moral judgments on a populace that is not interested what kind of witness is that to the individual?Would it not be better to individually meet our neighbors and share with them the love of Christ and cause change to our nation in a grass roots manner?
I am not saying we should not participate in our government, or take part in the elections of those who govern us, but what I am saying is be careful when seeking to implement change through forcing religion onto our government.When religion rules a nation or people, there is a great chance of terrible atrocities being committed in God’s name.I for one am glad our founding fathers instituted the separation of church and state.A nation cannot be Christian, a man or woman can be a Christian.We can work towards a nation full of Christian men and women, but our nation cannot be Christian.
I don't know if any of you saw this but it is worth the viewing. Hillary just can't seem to stop putting her foot in it. She sure knows how to make a person angry.
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