Find God after Abortion with the Film ‘The Choice’

May 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

How can you find God after abortion?  The book Deliver Me and the short film ‘The Choice’ offer hope.

 

Bring up the subject of abortion and discussions get heated. Pro-lifers fight for the unborn. Pro-choicers fight for “a women’s right to choose.” (My short film, embedded below, reveals a different kind of choice.) In the melee, people who are forgotten are those who made the choice, experienced abortion, and now live with that choice. They often suffer multiple symptoms including believing God will never forgive them. But I discovered some find God after abortion.

In my book Deliver Me: Hope, Help, & Healing through True Stories of Unplanned Pregnancy, I talked with many women (and men) about their decision to have an abortion. Most of them told me that afterwards they struggled with nightmares, depression, fear, promiscuity, anger, anxiety, guilt, alcohol dependency, drug abuse, or suicidal thoughts or attempts. These symptoms can increase around the anniversary of the abortion, the date when the child would have been born, and holidays like Mother’s Day.

These and other symptoms collectively are called Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS).

In February, I participated in the 168 Film Project, which is a speed filmmaking contest to make a short film (11 minutes max) based on an assigned Bible verse in 168 hours (1 week). This year for the first time I headed up my own film team as Producer, Director, and Writer.

This year’s contest theme was “Promises” (from God) and my team was assigned Romans 10:11-13:

 “As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile —the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

As I prayed about what story we would make into a film that week, I thought of a story in my book Deliver Me called “The Choice” by Chris Jackman, a singer/songwriter. Chris told me in the years following her abortion she deeply regretted her choice, thought God would never forgive her, and found herself numerous times with a razor to her wrist trying to work up the courage to end her torment. Eventually, at the suggestion of a Christian bookstore owner, Chris wrote and recorded an entire CD about her experience called “The Choice.”

Whether because of shame, guilt, or fear of being found out, many women (and men) live with a hidden secret: they’ve lost a child to abortion. They live with the agony of what they’ve done and the fear that they have committed the one sin God will never forgive. That’s a lie. Don’t listen to the lies anymore. God will forgive you. He loves you.

This Mother’s Day, I want to recognize all those mothers and fathers who have lost a child to abortion. As my Mother’s Day gift to you, here is my film ‘The Choice’. My prayer is that it will find its way to the women and men who need its message of love and hope and forgiveness, and that you will find God after abortion.

The Choice – HD

(Film run time, 10 minutes. Includes the original song The Choice, by Chris Jackman, part of a biographical music story on CD about her abortion recovery journey.)

© Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, author, and screenwriter. Her latest book, Deliver Me for those in an unplanned pregnancy or with one in their past, just won a “Book of the Year” award. Her next book, Grandparenting through Obstacles: Overcoming Family Challenges to Reach Your Grandchildren for Christ, is due out mid-August, 2012, from Pix-N-Pens Publishing. Her first book Dear America has just been republished for Kindle. Follow her writing at www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com

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Finding God in Surviving Bullying

May 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
By Linda Evans Shepherd

Finding God in Surviving Bullying

Bullying is a deep problem in our society, where kids, teens, and even adults are belittled, harassed and tormented for social, economic, physical, religious, and other reasons. Though being bullied can be emotionally devastating, it can be survived.

Below are several stories of famous celebs who not only survived being bullied, but overcame it. At the end of their stories, I’ll share tips on finding God in surviving bullying plus a trailer for the movie Bully.

Photo of Miley Cyrus (Wikipedia.com)

According to the antibullyingblog, when Miley Cyrus was a pre-teen in Tennessee there was an “Anti-Miley Club” at her school full of “big, tough girls” who bullied her.

Cyrus was once locked in a bathroom during class: “They shoved me in. I was trapped. I banged on the door until my fists hurt. Nobody came.”

Other incidents included challenging Cyrus to a fight, which only ended when the principal stepped in. And when Cyrus wasn’t being physically abused, she was being teased. Classmates told her, “Your dad’s a one-hit wonder. You’ll never amount to anything — just like him.” Fortunately for her, Cyrus did not listen to nay-sayers, scoring the role of “Hannah Montana” and a ticket to fame and fortune.

Lady Gaga (Wikipedia.com)

Miley is not the only celeb who experienced the bully-treatment.  At a recent Monster Ball concert in New York, Lady Gaga said:

“I use to get really bullied at school…one time I got thrown in the trash. I went to the pizzeria around the corner. And you know, it was meant to be a joke, right? But these guys that some of my friends were friends with, were also friends with these other girls who really didn’t like me very much.

So the guys were like, let me put you in the trash where you belong. So they picked me up in my school skirt and they put me in the trash. I was looking up at them and trying to laugh…to act like it didn’t bother me because I didn’t want to show a sign of weakness. But really, I was holding back the tears so hard because I was so embarrassed that I was in the trash can. So I want to say to you that I am living proof that if anyone ever puts you in a (bleep) trash can, you can get the (bleep) out.”

Bill Clinton from Wikipedia.com

Even United States Presidents endured bullying. In fact, President Bill Clinton was bullied in junior high for being a “fat band boy” with bad taste in clothes, also mentioned in the antibullying blog article.

Their taunting culminated in an incident at a junior high dance: one older student teased Clinton about his carpenter’s jeans, and even hit Clinton in the jaw. But Clinton did not give the bully what he wanted, choosing to stand his ground rather than fight back or back down. Clinton shares in his memoir, My Life, “I had learned that I could take a hit and that there’s more than one way to stand against aggression.” He survived the incident, and his status as a band geek paid off, with Clinton becoming a talented and celebrated saxophone player in addition to his life in public service.

If you are being bullied, check out these tips suggested by Kids Health:

  • Ignore the bully and walk away.
  • Hold the anger.
  • Don’t get physical.
  • Practice confidence.
  • Take charge of your life.
  • Talk about it.
  • Find your (true) friends.

How to Find God in Surviving Bullying

Some of these tips are easier to achieve than others. But I think the biggest thing you can do is to decide, I will not believe the lies the bullies use to hurt me, I will trust God.

We serve a God who sees us loved, precious, redeemed, valuable and beautiful, who sent his own son to die in our place.

Try praying this prayer from my article, I am Getting Bullied from ThinkingAboutSuicide.com:

Dear Lord,

I break the lying words that people are saying about me, in the power and authority of the name and blood of Jesus. I ask that you replace those words with loving words you use to describe me; precious, loved, beautiful, smart, full of promise, a miracle, and wonderful. Give me your power, strength and truth to believe your words instead of the lies. Please block and cancel lying words and any thoughts of suicide – in the power and authority of the name and blood of Jesus. Thank you for giving me a hope and a future. In Jesus name, Amen.

So you see, it’s possible to find God in surviving bullying. Check out the new Bully movie as well as Paul Coughlin on how to Bully-proof your kids from CBN.com:

To discover more about how to have a relationship with God, go to GodTest.com.

©Linda Evans Shepherd. Linda is the President of Right to the Heart ministries, publisher of Finding God Daily, and pens many of our articles.  She’s also the author of over 30 books and a national speaker.

 

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Finding God in the Changed Life of Chuck Colson

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

The Changed Life of Chuck Colson: From Watergate to Prison Ministry

 

In our article Finding God in the Art of Thomas Kinkade, we briefly mentioned how a person who claims to be a Christian and does things that are wrong can impact others, influencing them to reject Jesus Christ. We addressed the logic (or lack of logic) of that in a follow-up article, Finding God When Disappointed by Christians: Hypocrites?

Yet what about when a person who is not a Christian–and is living a very wrong life–becomes a Christian, and begins to live a life pleasing to God?  We lost a man like this on April 21, 2012, when Chuck Colson passed away at age 80.

On March 30, Colson became ill “during his speech at the Wilberforce Weekend Conference hosted by the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview in northern Virginia,” (Emily Belz, Colson’s final speech, Worldmag.org). Colson underwent surgery to remove a pool of blood on his brain and, after complications, died on Saturday.

Colson was known for two dramatically different times in his life:

The first was as one of President Richard Nixon’s “hatchet men.” According to the Associated Press article,  Watergate figure Charles Colson,  “Colson once famously said he’s walk over his grandmother to get the president elected to a second term.” This article, posted at timesunion.com, describes what led to Colson’s imprisonment:

 “…it was actions that preceded the actual Watergate break-in that resulted in Colson’s criminal conviction. Colson pleaded guilty to efforts to discredit Pentagon analyst Daniel Ellsberg. It was Ellsberg who had leaked the secret Defense Department study of Vietnam that became known as the Pentagon Papers. …Colson pleaded guilty in 1974 to obstruction of justice in connection with attempts to discredit Ellsberg, though charges were dropped that Colson actually played a role in the burglary of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office. Charges related to the actual Watergate burglary and cover-up were also dropped. He served seven months in prison.”

But prison changed Chuck Colson.  In 1993 he said, “Lying on the rotten floor of a cell, you know it’s not prosperity or pleasure that’s important, but the maturing of the soul.”

Many scoffed at the “religious conversion” of Chuck Colson, but in the decades following his incarceration, he founded Prison Fellowship, a compassionate outreach to prisoners and their families and Angel Tree, which reaches out with help and compassion to the children of prisoners.

Michael Gerson, opinion writer for the Washington Post wrote, “He was consumed — utterly consumed — by his calling to serve prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families.”

According to the Times Union article, “The Boston Globe wrote in 1973, ‘If Mr. Colson can repent of his sins, there just has to be hope for everyone.’”

So true. That’s why some are finding God in the changed life of Chuck Colson.

Here’s a video with a CBN.com interview from 2008 with Chuck Colson. He discussed his conversion, Prison Fellowship, and having a Christian worldview.

© Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, author, and screenwriter. Her book Deliver Me, about unplanned pregnancy, just won a “Book of the Year” award. Her first book Dear America has just been republished for Kindle. Follow her writing at www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com

 

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Finding God When Disappointed by Christians: Hypocrites?

April 27, 2012 By 2 Comments

By Dianne E. Butts:

3 Things to Remember when Christians Disappoint Us

Have you been wounded by a Christian, or read in the media about the failings of  professing Christians and decided they must be  hypocrites?

Have you then used that as an excuse to not believe in Christ yourself?

Well, do bear in mind:

1. Inevitably, professing Christians will disappoint us, because we all fail at times. Christians are supposed to live their lives striving to do what is right. But sometimes the failings of Christians are huge, which not only makes other Christians look bad but can also desperately wound others.

Know this, though: the Bible is filled with stories of God’s people failing: Moses killed a man and buried him in the sand, not knowing someone was watching. King David had an adulterous relationship and committed murder in an attempt to cover it up. Of course Christians shouldn’t do the terrible things Moses and David  did. The Bible is full of stories about terrible mistakes people made: not to endorse those mistakes, but to chronicle actual historical events and reveal repentance, forgiveness and redemption.

It is the grace of God and His forgiveness that saves us, not our bad (or good) behavior. (See the video embedded below!)

2. Still, God can use people who do bad things. Moses still led the people of Israel out of Egypt and built the tabernacle, one of the greatest object lessons that explains God. King David still fathered the bloodline that led to Messiah, as God promised would happen. David drew the plans and financed the Temple (the permanent version of Moses’ object-lesson Tabernacle) that his son, Solomon would build.

Have you ever done a bad thing? God can still use you for good, if you will begin now to cooperate with Him.

3. To not follow Jesus, because of  bad things some Jesus-followers do, will deprive YOU. When we stand before Jesus on Judgement Day (and there will be a Judgement Day!), telling God you rejected Him because you heard about a professing Christian who groped women, or was accused of not being honest in financial dealings, or made other even more terrible choices won’t fly. God will judge you on what you do. You won’t be able to use any other failing people you justify as hypocrites as your excuse.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Romans 14:13 (Bible, New International Version)

Are you confused about the relationship between works (good deeds we do) and faith, and how that affects your salvation? Here is an excellent short film from Igniter Media that explains it well, and creatively too!

You Do The Math, from Igniter Media.

Downloads and DVDs are available at http://www.ignitermedia.com.

 ©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne has over 275 articles and short fiction in more than fifty publications. She is a regular contributor to Finding God Daily. You can find Dianne’s blog HERE.

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Find God in an Interview with Rick Warren (Saddleback Church) on ABC

April 26, 2012 By 1 Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

 

A few weeks ago on Easter, Jake Tapper, sitting in for George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week,” talked with Pastor Rick Warren about the Christian faith, politics, and more. You may find God in this interview with Rick Warren on ABC (embedded below).

Rick Warren is pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and author of The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? which has sold more than 30 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages.

When asked about when he has felt unable to trust God, Warren said, “I think a lot of times God takes away your feelings so you have to depend on faith. And faith is kind of like a tide: it rolls in, it rolls out. You keep on going.”

On Mitt Romney’s Mormonism: A ChristianPost.com article recapped Warren’s thoughts: “The ‘key sticking point,’ for many Christians regarding whether Mormons share their faith is the trinity, according to Warren. ‘That’s the historic doctrine of the Church. That God is three-in-one. Not three Gods. One God in Father, son and Holy Spirit. Mormonism denies that.’”

Warren gave the invocation at President Obama’s inauguration.  Tapper asked what’s the state of the union spiritually? Warren said the coarsening of our culture and the loss of civility in our civilization concern him most.

On politics, the Christian Post.com article said Warren “believes in the separation of church and state, but does not believe in the separation of faith and politics.”

“Faith is simply a worldview,” Warren said in the interview. “Everybody has a world view. So we’re saying that only those with religious worldviews aren’t welcome at the table? …I’m in favor of everybody being able to come to the table with a worldview. I do not believe in imposing what I believe on everybody else.”

About  Tim Tebow? “The fact that Tebow would get criticized for kneeling and praying? I could give you 15, or 50, other things you should be more worried about in that coliseum than a kid kneeling down to thank God that he played good.”

Asked by a viewer via Twitter if Warren believes faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, the pastor said, “I do believe that… Jesus said, ‘I am the way. He didn’t say, ‘I’m one of the ways… I don’t think any of us deserve to go to heaven. I think the only way any of us get into heaven is God’s grace… The fact is, it’s available to everybody.”

Listen to the whole interview. You may find God in this  interview with Rick Warren.

Rick Warren from Saddleback Church on ‘This Week With George Stephanopoulos’ interviewed by Jake Tapper

Video interview:

© Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, author, and screenwriter. Her latest book is Deliver Me, for those in an unplanned pregnancy or with one in their past, just won a “Book of the Year” award. Her first book Dear America has just been republished for Kindle. Follow her writing at www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com

 

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Find God in Earth Day

April 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews:

Earth Day 2012

 

Since April 22, 1970, Earth Day has been an annual event to celebrate Earth and focus on the environmental health of our planet. Former Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson initiated the idea of a nationwide demonstration to show support for environmental causes.

On the original Earth Day, approximately twenty million Americans in schools and communities throughout the nation participated in rallies and demonstrations, making environmental protection a major national issue.

At the time, I was a high school senior and joined my classmates in picking up litter around town.This year I plan to find God in Earth Day by remembering the most destructive force on our planet.

Earth Day is now a worldwide observance with events scheduled in late March or April. An estimated one thousand groups and five hundred million individuals take part in programs designed to call attention to local and global threats to the environment and discuss possible solutions. Volunteers join in activities such as picking up litter, cleaning up streams, and restoring parks.

The biggest threat to our planet’s environment, however, is sin. The prophet Isaiah said:

The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant”. (Isaiah 24:5, NASB Bible).

Also, Paul writes that from the beginning, all creation has been groaning from the curse of sin and wanting to be set free. (Romans 8:22). Sin has distorted God’s perfect world along with the human population.

God created the earth, and His glory fills it. He preserves it, and someday He will judge it and then renew it. We are responsible to be good stewards of the earth, taking good care of it while being careful to not worship it instead of its Creator. While there are practical environmental problems that need to be solved, the most important issue to work on is the spiritual health of our planet. By meditating on this truth, I can find God as I celebrate Earth Day in the proper spirit.

They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Romans 1:25 (NLT Bible)

This excerpt from a 1970 CBS News special report shows how citizens of New York City commemorated the very first Earth Day:

Starting April 22, NASA is having a video contest that could win you behind-the-scenes access to the next rocket launch of a NASA Earth-observing satellite. For information about the NASA video contest, click here.

 © Dianne Neal Matthews (www.DianneNealMatthews.com). Dianne is a freelance writer and the author of four daily devotional books. This article is adapted from her book, The One Year on This Day (Tyndale House).

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Finding God in Aid to Children: Kony 2012 Controversy

April 20, 2012 By 4 Comments

By Laurie Winslow Sargent:

Finding God in Aid to Children Despite the Kony 2012 Controversy

Seven years ago I became aware of  a movement against a man named Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) upon seeing a film produced by Invisible Children.

The images in the film stuck with me for years; masses of Ugandan children hiding and sleeping in bunkers at night for fear of being kidnapped, then those who were captured, forced to commit  murder. It was painful to see interviews with children who had been victimized before finally being rescued.

On March 5, 2012, film director Jason Russel uploaded Kony 2012 to YouTube to increase public awareness through social media on the plight of these children. (See the video below.) Three days later, the video had 50 million views and as of today it has been viewed a phenomenal 87,945,716 times.

Meanwhile, as typical on the Internet, many impulsive viewers posted harsh and vulgar comments about Russel, including accusations about lack of financial accountability. Russel emphatically disputed these claims in a video interview (see below) and he also posted online Invisible Children financial annual reports.

Russel has also been accused of not keeping current with the LRA activity (countries affected), yet below the Kony 2012 YouTube video, he included the message, ”You can learn more about Invisible Children’s recovery efforts in the post-conflict regions of northern Uganda AND their work with communities currently affected in D.R.Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan at: http://www.invisiblechildren.com/programs.html. ” Additionally, there is also a link connecting to Real Time Reports on LRA Activity in the D.R.Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan.

Sadly, within two weeks of posting Kony 2012 online, Russel suffered a temporary mental breakdown attributed to stress and severe dehydration and was hospitalized (not arrested) for exhibiting disturbing public behavior.

According to a Reuters article by By Dan Whitcomb and Cynthia Johnston, Ben Keesey (Invisible Children CEO) stated:

“The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday,”  and “Jason’s passion and his work have done so much to help so many, and we are devastated to see him dealing with this personal health issue.”

The full impact of the Kony 2012 video remains to be seen. Yet when my own teen daughter told me about it with tears in her eyes, I knew that video must have sensitized millions of  young people to the needs of terrorized children in other countries.

More Help from Samaritan’s Purse

Samaritan’s Purse is another organization that has provided emergency aid to thousands affected by the LRA. Here’s a quote from Franklin Graham (son of the Rev. Billy Graham) in the April 2012 newsletter I received in the mail today, with the article: Combating Kony’s Reign of Terror: “Samaritan’s Purse is no stranger to Kony. For more than a decade, we have been ministering to the victims of his atrocities in Uganda, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of the Congo.” Samaritan’s Purse continues to provide food, clean water, shelter and help for victimized children.

The Samaritan’s Purse online version of the article added: “Kony claims to be a spirit medium who communicates with the Holy Spirit and with angels he knows by name. He mixes elements of Christianity, voodooism, and tribal beliefs into a twisted belief system that condones murder, rape, child abduction, and slavery to achieve his goals.”

What a terrible crime it is, not only for Kony to commit such atrocities but to also tarnish Christianity and to take our Lord’s name in vain.  Please pray that despite the Kony 2012 controversy, many children will find help. Pray as well for the Russel family.

©Laurie Winslow Sargent. Laurie has been a magazine article writer and book author since 1988. You can visit her on Twitter as @LaurieSargent and at her website, www.lauriewinslowsargent.com.

Kony 2012

Invisible Children CEO Responds to ‘Kony 2012′ Criticism

 

UPDATED VIDEO  (Added April 21 to Finding God Daily)

KONY 2012: Part II – Beyond Famous plus Cover the Night call to action:

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Find God in Prophecies of Chaotic Weather

April 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Finding God in Chaotic Weather: Image by Salvatore Vuono

It’s April and storm season, the time for violent weather. If we look into Scripture, it’s possible we can find God in prophecies of chaotic weather.

In Luke 21:25-26, Jesus was talking about the Signs that would come before His second coming when He comes to judge the world. He said,

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”

Some people think this Bible verse could refer to increased intensity in chaotic weather patterns on earth.

We’ve certainly seen a lot of intense weather in the United States in recent years. The National Weather Service sent out strong warnings prior to and during the weekend of April 14 – 15, 2012. And tornadoes did form across the Midwest, tearing up towns like Woodward, Oklahoma.

The largest tornado outbreak ever recorded occurred just a year ago.  According to Wikipedia, the 2011 Super Outbreak, occurred from April 25 to 28, 2011 when destructive tornadoes hit Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia.

The Wikipedia article says, regarding that 2011 outbreak, “In total, 353 tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service in 21 states from Texas to New York and even isolated tornadoes in Canada. Widespread and destructive tornadoes occurred on each day of the outbreak, with April 27 being among the most prolific and destructive tornado days in United States history with a record 208 tornadoes touching down that day. Four of the tornadoes were destructive enough to be rated EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which is the highest ranking possible; typically these tornadoes are only recorded about once each year or less.”

The number killed as a result of those tornadoes: 346 people.

Less than a month later, on Sunday afternoon, May 22, 2011, Joplin, Missouri, was struck by an EF5 multiple-vortex tornado. “It was part of a larger late-May tornado outbreak sequence and reached a maximum width of in excess of 1 mile (1.6 km) during its path through the southern part of the city,” Wikipedia says. The number of deaths directly linked to the tornado: 160.

Jesus also mentioned “the roaring and tossing of the sea.” If you’re curious about earthquakes and tsunamis, I wrote about those in these two articles: “Find God in Prophecy about Earthquakes” and “Signs of the End Times? – Earthquakes and Tsunamis.”

Throughout the Bible we can see that, because of His great love for all people, God always sends warnings before He sends His judgments (which are disasters meant to put a stop to or slow down increased sin. His ultimate judgment will be His second coming.). But people don’t always listen. They say, “It’s not God. It’s global warming.” Do you think God is warning us through tornadoes and other disasters? If yes, are you listening? If you are, then you might find God in prophecies of chaotic weather.

© Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, author, and screenwriter. Her latest book is Deliver Me is for those in an unplanned pregnancy or with one in their past, and just won “Book of the Year” at Christian Small Publisher’s Association. Her first book Dear America is now available on Kindle. Follow her writing at www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com.

April 2012 Tornado Videos

At TornadoVideos.net, see: Update from the April 14, 2012 tornado outbreak.)

Also see this video below, showing what an amazing creator we have:

From YouTube: Top 20 Amazing Weather Phenomena

 

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Finding God in the Art of Thomas Kinkade the Painter of Light

April 18, 2012 By 1 Comment

By Dianne E. Butts  with Laurie Winslow Sargent:

Thomas Kinkade the Painter of Light

He died suddenly, at the age of 54, on Friday, April 6. For decades people have been finding God in the art of Thomas Kinkade, the famed “Painter of Light.”

Thomas Kinkade’s paintings of cottages, serene landscapes and garden scenes, and biblical themes became extremely popular. His work was reprinted on a wide variety of items including collectibles, stationery and greeting cards, and wall hangings.

He was especially known for his use of light and highlights in his paintings. According to articles in the Los Angeles Times, “Millions of his paintings and prints hang in homes around the world.” Kinkade said he was “the most collected living artist,” according to another LA Times article.

Many art critics ruthlessly criticized Kinkade’s artwork, according to the LA Times article, Thomas Kinkade — loved by many, loathed by art critics, by David Ng. Yet  Ng states that Jeffrey Vallance, who was in the minority, “told The Times that he had respect for Kinkade: ‘He expresses what he believes and puts that in his art. That is not the trend in the high-art world at the moment, the idea that you can express things spiritually and be taken seriously.’”

This referred to Kinkade’s profession of Christian faith. Unfortunately, Kinkade’s life may not have been as idyllic as his paintings, as some people have accused him of making unwise choices that negatively affected others.

We will address this issue in a future post: Finding God Even When Christians Disappoint. Sadly, this can be a stumbling block for those seeking faith and should not keep them from finding a beautiful relationship with Christ.

A family movie about Kinkade’s early life (teen years) was made, titled Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage ) According to IMDb the film is about how “the artist was motivated to begin his career after discovering his mother was in danger of losing their family home.”  This movie also shows young Thomas’ relationship with another artist he learned from, played by Peter O’Toole.  (You can see the movie trailer below.)

Besides his wife, Kinkade is survived by their four daughters, Merritt, Chandler, Winsor, and Everett. His family believes he died of natural causes, however Kinkade’s pending autopsy report will determine the exact cause of death.

His friend and former business partner, Ken Raasch (reported by L.A. Now) said “He lived life to the fullest… He was a very eclectic character, an amazing artist who was not a stereotypical man in any sense. He created his own mold, I’d say, and I think we were all blessed because of that.”

Regardless of his critics or personal failings, many people find peace in his paintings as well as divine light, and so many are finding God in Thomas Kinkade, “Painter of Light”

© Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, author, and screenwriter. Her latest book Deliver Me is for those in an unplanned pregnancy or with one in their past. Her first book Dear America has just been republished for Kindle. Follow her writing at www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com

 

Thomas Kinkade’s The Christmas Cottage Trailer

News video: Thomas Kinkade’s death

Thomas Kinkade – About My Paintings

This video is about how the artist hid “N” in his paintings to honor his wife Nanette.

 

 

 

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Find God on the 100th Anniversary of the Sinking of the Titanic

April 15, 2012 By 1 Comment

By Dianne Neal Matthews:

Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I ­can’t find a foothold. Psalm 69:2

Photo of the Titanic from Wikimedia Commons

This week marks the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the largest, most luxurious ocean liner of its time.

On April 14, 1912, during its first voyage from England to New York City and only five days into the trip, the British steamer sideswiped an iceberg around 11:40 p.m.

Two and a half hours later–at 2:20 a.m. on April 15th–the ship that many called “unsinkable” broke apart and sank. The ship carried enough lifeboats for ­only half of its 2,200 passengers and crew. Approximately 1,500 people lost their lives.

As we recall the disastrous sinking of the Titanic, there are a few spiritual lessons in which we can find God:

One night, ­Jesus walked on water, and his disciple Peter wanted to join him. Peter left the boat and was doing fine until he looked around at the high waves. Then he became terrified and started to sink (Matthew 14:25-30).

Like Peter, we may be accomplishing great things with God’s help until we look around at our frightening circumstances. Then our faith starts to waver, and we get more than a sinking feeling.

At other times, we may start to look at our successes and ignore the need to safeguard our spiritual growth. We may start to feel unsinkable, like the Titanic. But there are always hidden dangers that can wreck our witness and ministry. The ­only way to safely navigate life is to keep our eyes on ­Jesus, not on self or on the circumstances around us. If we find God in the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and learn this lesson, we can be sure He will help us complete our voyage.

For more information about the Titanic, you can read an article with The Washington Post, about an  interview with Robert Ballard, the man who led the expedition that discovered the ship’s wreck., and his obsession with the Titanic.

Also, history buffs and home-schoolers may learn something new from this video on YouTube, with newsreel footage from that time period:

Titanic and Survivors–Genuine 1912 Footage

 

 © Dianne Neal Matthews (www.DianneNealMatthews.com). Dianne is a freelance writer and the author of four daily devotional books. This article is adapted from her book, The One Year on This Day (Tyndale House).

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Finding God in the Amazing Sand Art of Joe Castillo

April 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Laurie Winslow Sargent:

Joe Castillo

I’m finding God in the sand paintings of Joe Castillo.

Joe has performed his unique form of artwork for audiences around the world. According to his website, joecastillo.com:

“SandStory® consists of art images created by Joe Castillo as he draws in sand with his hands on a light table. The performance is scored and choreographed to live or recorded music performed live on stage and video projected on a screen for large audiences.”

Joe began learning art techniques when he was five years old, from his artistic parents and within the international art community in Mexico. He accepted Christ as his savior at age fourteen, and according to his About page,  “For the next forty years his love of art and his passion for God would inspire and guide his life.”

Joe has experienced some very difficult losses: first his father, then his wife of twenty-six years to breast cancer. Yet he continues to praise God and lead others to Him, through his amazing artwork and story-telling. Joe has created performances for CBS, NBC, BBC, TED, and for kings and presidents across the world. In his most recent blog post, he describes how last year he performed in Columbia, Brazil, Scotland, Qatar, St. Martin and Mexico. (See more at his blog post, 2011 in Review.)

 

Amazing Sand Art of Joe Castillo: He is Alive

Here is Joe’s most recently uploaded SandStory®:

Joe’s events for this month (April 2012) include appearances in Madison, WI; Austin, TX; Nashville, TN; Greenville, SC; Oklahoma City, OK; and Norfolk, VA. In addition to his website,  you can find him on Facebook and Twitter. I also encourage you to click through to Joe Castillo’s YouTube Page directly, to see more of his amazing videos.

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Find God After Abortion in the Good Friday Esther Call

April 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Queen Esther put her life on the line to save her fellow Israelites and her nation. A group of women is hoping to have a similar impact on their American countrymen and nation. From March 17 to Good Friday, which is April 6, 2012, thirty-nine young women will walk a 21-day, 250-mile trek in Texas. As they walk and pray, these women hope they will find God after abortion in the Good Friday Esther Call.

Why?

They are walking “from the nation’s largest Planned Parenthood Center, located in Houston, Texas, to the courthouse in Dallas where Roe v Wade was born” according to the Back to Life Movement web site.

These 39 women, one for each year abortion has been legal in the United States, “will leave everything behind to embark on the symbolic journey depicting America’s tragic path of abortion, taking a radical stand for life as they share their personal stories of how abortion has impacted each of their lives” the site says.

The Esther Call culminates with events at the Dallas Convention Center on April 5 and 6. April 6th is Good Friday, the day that commemorates Jesus dying on the cross for the atonement of all people who will accept Him. Activities include a teaching of the book of Esther in the Bible, worship, a Good Friday Communion Service, and “TheCall Solemn Assembly” according to TheCall web site. Registration is free, but required.

According to the TheCall web site, the walkers and pray-ers will claim the promise of Joshua 1:3 to “reclaim” America as they walk between these two key abortion landmarks.

 Joshua 1:3 promises, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.”

Through their own stories, their 250-mile walk, and their events at the Dallas Convention Center, these women hope other women will find God after abortion in the Good Friday Esther Call.

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, author, and screenwriter. Her latest book is Deliver Me (http://bit.ly/sWWaZR) is for those in an unplanned pregnancy or with one in their past. Her first book Dear America (http://amzn.to/DearAmerica) has just been republished for Kindle. Follow her writing at www.DeliverMeBook.blogspot.com

 

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Finding God in the Jesus Boat

March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts

The Jesus Boat (Photo from Wikipedia.org)

It was January 24, 1986. A prolonged drought lay over Israel. The drought had lowered the level of the Sea of Galilee so much, that two brothers, Yuval and Moshe Lufan, made an unusual discovery that has excited people of faith and archaeologists ever since and may have people finding God in the Jesus boat.

A boat.

But not just any boat. A boat from the era of Jesus and found on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus had preached and fed multitudes of  people with only a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.

Matthew 15:29-39  tells us that on the shores of the Sea of Galilee Jesus healed many of illnesses and fed 4,000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.

John 6:1-14  says that during another time, Jesus fed a great crowd of 5,000 people “with five small barley loaves and two small fish” and had twelve baskets of barley loaves left over.

It was as Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee that Jesus called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to come follow him, “and I will make you fishers of men,” Jesus said (Matthew 4:18-19  and Mark 1:16:17)

At the time the brothers Yuval and Moshe discovered the boat, a brilliant, rare double rainbow stretched over them. Was this a sign from God?

According to an article on JesusBoatMuseum.com, “What had been found was a Bible-era artifact like no other. Some consider it to be among the top ten biblical archaeological discoveries ever found. The Jesus Boat is a one-of-a-kind actual touch-point back to the exact time and place of Jesus!”

The boat currently is held in the Yigal Allon Museum located on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Could this be a boat that Jesus sailed in? Might this be a boat touched by the very hands of Jesus Christ? Many people are asking similar questions and searching to see if they are finding God in the Jesus boat.

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and author. You can visit Dianne at www.DianneEButts.com and on Twitter as @DianneEButts.

Trailer:

Longer video:

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Finding God in the October Baby Movie

March 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

What happens when a baby survives an attempted abortion? Some people are finding God in the October Baby movie, which tackles that issue.

“October Baby is the story of 19-year-old Hannah, who finds out she is adopted and is the survivor of an attempted abortion,” according to an article in the Christian Booksellers Association’s monthly newsletter (CBAnews.org) about the movie’s premiere this month. The screenplay was co-written by Jon Erwin and Theresa Preston. Jon and his brother Andrew have won multiple Dove Awards for music videos featuring  contemporary Christian artists including Michael W. Smith and Casting Crowns. This is their first feature film.

The film, which premiers in theaters nationwide March 23, 2012, is distributed by Provident Films (Courageous, Fireproof) and Samuel Goldwyn Films (Fireproof, Amazing Grace, Facing the Giants).

October Baby stars newcomer Rachel Hendrix as Hannah and features John Schneider (Smallville, The Dukes of Hazzard). According to the October Baby movie web site, the producers “have assigned 10% of the profits of the movie to the Every Life is Beautiful Fund, which will distribute funds to frontline organization helping women facing crisis pregnancies, life-affirming adoption agencies, and those caring for orphans.”

According to the article at  CBAnews.org, when Hannah “finds out she is adopted and is the survivor of an attempted abortion…she goes on a road trip to find answers, locate her birth mother and, ultimately, discover how powerful forgiveness can be.”

October Baby apparently will also have its share of laughs. Well-known speaker and abortion-survivor Gianna Jessen commented, “I laughed so hard, and cried so hard, and healed.”

The CBA article states that “October Baby offers viewers an enjoyable, entertaining, intensely human film about friends hitting the road together and finding more than they bargained for: adventure, romance, truth…and the power to forgive… October Baby honestly and evenhandedly invites audiences to explore their own views of life’s value and the importance of their choices.”

You can find the theater nearest you where the movie is playing on the October Baby web site: octoberbabymovie.net. You can also view a short trailer there. A longer trailer is below.

Why not invite your friends and make it a fun night out? Your friends may end up finding God in the October Baby movie.

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and author. You can visit Dianne at www.DianneEButts.com and on Twitter as @DianneEButts.

Also hear a bit from the producers of this movie, plus see an interview with Gianna Jessen who was born alive after her mother attempted to abort her. Gianna is a gifted speaker and musician and prolife advocate and has spoken at many congressional hearings in defense of the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act.

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Find God in Prophecy about Earthquakes

March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Image: podpad / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image from podpad

It has happened again. According to msnbc.com, late Wednesday, March 14, 2012, “a series of earthquakes rattled Tokyo and northeast Japan…in the same region hit by last year’s devastating tsunami.” If we’re looking at God’s Word, we might find God in prophecy about earthquakes.

In Bible chapters Matthew 24 and Luke 21  Jesus said, “There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven” (Luke 21:11, NIV 1984).

The question, then, becomes, are we seeing greater earthquakes than ever before? In 2011 we saw several major earthquakes and tsunamis:

Sunday, January 2, 2011: Araucania, Chile, is hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

Friday, February 11, 2011: a 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocks from off shore 30 miles north of Concepcion, Chile.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011 (local time): 6.3 quake rattled Christchurch, New Zealand, the same area hit with a 7.1 magnitude quake on September 4, 2010. An aftershock on June 13, 2011, caused considerable additional damage. A series of large aftershocks hit Christchurch again on December 23, 2011 (local time).

Sunday, February 27, 2011: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck just south of Concepcion, Chile, one year to the day after the 8.8 magnitude quake devastated the area.

Friday, March 11, 2011: An 8.9 magnitude earthquake hits northeastern Japan triggering a massive tsunami causing a meltdown in three of six reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The Pacific Ring of Fire according to Wikipedia, is a 25,000 miles horseshoe-shape ring around the Pacific Ocean where 90% of the world’s earthquakes (89% of the world’s largest earthquakes) occur. The Ring of Fire is so named because it is home to over 75% of the world’s volcanoes.

In a similar article on TheChristianPulse.com, I wrote, “Three of the four ‘corners’ of the Ring of Fire were hit with large earthquakes in 2011. Is it time for the fourth ‘corner’ to feel the earth shake? That would be the Pacific Northwest corner of the United States or southwestern Canada.”

Today, many people believe we are seeing earthquakes increase in frequency and intensity right before our very eyes. However, the USGS government earthquake web site says, “The number of large earthquakes (magnitude 6.0 and greater) has stayed relatively constant.”

Still, why would God allow such devastation and loss of human life? The Bible tells us Creation itself groans because of the sin of mankind. Romans 8:18-22 says in part, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up the present time.” The groans of the earth, just like the cumulative sin of mankind, will increase until the return of Jesus Christ. But it is God’s nature to use even these extreme difficulties to bring people to believe in Him, because what is at stake for their eternity is even more dire.

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and author. You can visit Dianne at www.DianneEButts.com and on Twitter as @DianneEButts.

Please pray that people will find God in prophecy about earthquakes as you view this tribute to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami victims of Japan:

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Finding God After a Tornado

March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Deborah Lovett:

A few weeks ago my husband and I were watching the news, with horrendous pictures of tornadoes from the previous week. Our hearts were breaking for the people who had lost their homes. We knew what they were going through, having lost our own home in 2008 to a fire. So we decided to go. Just go!  We knew there must be a hurting family who would need to be finding God after a tornado hit their home, and God placed on our hearts this verse, Matthew 25:35 (New International Version):

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and your clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

We need to walk our talk by putting our boots to the pavement and actually doing what Jesus tells us to do in His Word, and by listening to the Holy Spirit and obeying His voice. So we headed out to Sam’s Club, loaded up our truck with cases of water, and headed for tornado alley.

You know the story of the lost sheep, lost coin, the lost son in Luke Chapter 15?  Well, at first my husband and I were the ones lost. Let me explain.

We intended to go to Moscow, Ohio where 25-30 homes had been destroyed and deliver the water. But we got lost –or sidetracked, as my husband likes to say! But God is so good. In our seeking to get back on track, He had us “find” this one family: a mom and daughter who had lost everything.

They lost their trailer, and all their belongings had been shredded. The tornado had literally destroyed everything. They were searching in the rubble for the little girls’ Barbies. God is so good: we may have been lost, but “He” had “found” this family in need of help and put us right there!  We weren’t lost, according to Him! We were right where we needed to be! We gave them water, Bibles, a bracelet for the little girl, and money for food. They had been passed over by the Red Cross, and were not on anyone’s radar but God’s!

Then we prayed over and for them: for God’s mercy, love, support, and provision. They did not have insurance, but they do have a God who loves them and found them in the midst of everything. They were the only ones hit from the tornado in their parts. It was a one hit touchdown, and no one else was affected around them. Little did they know that our God was on top of it!

It was a good Saturday and I am so glad we went. I wore my work boots and God did the walking and talking. Does this story speak to you today? Perhaps it has to do with where you are. If you have been lost, God is waiting for you and you are right where He wants you. Or is God nudging you to help someone? Please pray about it. For more ideas visit my website page, where I have tips on how to help someone who has lost a home from a fire or other disaster.

If you are reading this, then you still have your computer, and are so blessed. Give thanks and praise today for finding God in the tornadoes of life! Hug your friends and family!

Love always, Deborah

©Deborah Lovett.  You can visit Deborah at her website, at http://www.deborahlovett.com/fire-ministry.html.

Here’s a video showing the destruction in Moscow, Ohio, filmed by a member of the community.  This video shows the mass destruction in the area Deborah and her husband went to, to help. (Be aware that the running commentary takes the Lord’s name in vain a few times.However we do appreciate the videographer taking time to show the impact  of the tornado on his family’s community.)

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Finding God Despite Destruction from Tornadoes

March 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Karen O’Connor:

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

I’ve been impressed to see on the news the selflessness of men, women, and children coming to the aid of families who’ve been devastated by recent tornadoes. People who once were strangers are now friends, all because individuals reached out in love to give blankets, clothing, food, water and helping hands where the need was greatest. The hurting have been finding God despite destruction from tornadoes.

A few days ago many tornadoes hit the Midwest and South. As of March 5, according to cbsnews.com, 39 people were declared dead from tornadoes this week alone.  Many families are not only grieving the loss of loved ones but are now homeless as well.

What can we do to help?

The Bible reminds us:

“let us not love with words and tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

Thankfully, even if we are unable to help directly, there are wonderful ministries on the ground for us. According to samaritanspurse.org:

“Samaritan’s Purse is responding to a series of violent storms that struck the South and Midwest. One Disaster Relief Unit is in Harrisburg, Illinois, where a tornado hit before dawn on Wednesday. Others are in Henryville and Madison, Indiana, and West Liberty, Kentucky, towns devastated by twisters on Friday. A fifth team is in Charlotte, North Carolina, helping victims of a tornado that struck Saturday.”

(Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, is the CEO of Samaritan’s Purse.)

Also, according to worldvision.org:

“World Vision is prepared to assist churches with personal personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies, children’s shoes, clothing and family food kits.”

(See their article: Severe weather, deadly tornadoes slam Midwest again. and the link to donate.)

When people come to the aid of others, those in need are sure to find God in a neighbor’s kindness and then pass it on to others. We hope the kindness of strangers will help many recent victims in finding God despite destruction from tornadoes, and despite the loss of many things dear to them.

©Karen O’Connor. Karen is an author, writing mentor, and frequent contributor to Finding God Daily.Visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com

See this video: Samaritan’s Purse Tornado Response – Henryville, Indiana on this ministry’s response to the March 3, 2012 EF-4 tornado that hit Henryville.

Read their article, Responding to Deadly Twisters and find out how you can help.

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Finding God in Blindness with Jennifer Rothschild

March 3, 2012 By 1 Comment

By Laurie Winslow Sargent:

Author and Speaker, Jennifer Rothschild at Finding God Daily

Author and Speaker, Jennifer Rothschild

I’m finding God in blindness with Jennifer Rothschild. Jennifer is an amazing woman: an author and speaker who also happens to be visually impaired.

I’ll never forget the day I met Jennifer, though I doubt she recalls it!

I was at a Christian book convention and had paused at a bench to take a load off my aching feet. I shared the bench with a lovely woman who was warm and encouraging to me. After a few moments, a man approached (her husband) who said it was time for her book signing at her publisher’s booth. As she rose, I then realized that she was blind.

I was thrilled to have met her, and made sure I got her book: Lessons I Learned in the Dark:  Steps to walking by faith, not sight, which inspired me greatly.

Jennifer’s enthusiasm and creativity reminded me of my grandma’s attitude toward life. Grandma live from age forty to ninety-five with Macular Degeneration. Yet she also kept her sense of humor and found creative ways to accomplish things, including writing.

Oh, how Grandma would have loved the new technologies now available for the blind! (In the article Benevolent Tech: 10 Amazing Gadgets for the Blind you can read about some of those amazing gadgets.)

Do you know that a digital reader with a talking device can actually tell you what color the clothes are in your closet? See Jennifer demonstrate this, and hear about how she has dealt positively with her blindness, in this interview on Good Morning America:

Also be sure to visit Jennifer’s website, to learn more about, and learn from, this remarkable woman. www.jenniferrothschild.com. You can also find Jennifer on Twitter as @jennrothschild. With people like Jennifer, you can indeed be finding God in blindness.

©Laurie Winslow Sargent. Laurie is a  book author and has also written magazine articles for Parenting, Writer’s Digest, Today’s Christian Woman and many other national publications.  Visit Laurie at  www.lauriewinslowsargent.com or on Twitter at @LaurieSargent.

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Finding God in Prophecy While Watching Jerusalem Live

March 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By Dianne E. Butts:

Photo of Western Wall from Wikimedia Creative Commons posted at Finding God Daily

Photo from Wikimedia

On January 16, 2012, the topic of this blog was Finding God in Prophecy about Israel. Many Christians believe we are seeing ancient prophecies being fulfilled, or set up to be fulfilled, right before our very eyes.  It’s possible we may even see and be finding God in prophecy while watching Jerusalem live. That is, through cameras on the Temple Mount we can watch what is going on live right now in real time!

In my article, “Signs of the End Times? Mass and Vast Communications” on TheChristianPulse.com, I wrote about how some “prophecies seem to imply that mass communication—visual, not just audio—will need to exist for them to be fulfilled. Today we have radio, television, and the internet. These things did not exist much more than a century ago.”

Two examples of prophecies that might show world-wide visual communications are needed for End Times prophecy to be fulfilled are found in Revelation:

Revelation 11:7-10: “Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.”

and in:

Revelation 17:8: “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.”

These events might be shown on the evening news or carried as “live” breaking news. But did you know that you can watch what is going on in Israel live right now?!

The “Live Kotel Cam” broadcasts 24/7/365 what is happening at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. You can also view other areas around the Temple Mount, such as Wilson’s Arch, live.

Kotel is the Hebrew word for this Wailing or Western Wall in Jerusalem, which is a part or all of the western wall of the ancient Jewish temple that was destroyed by the Roman, Titus, in 70 AD.

Today, through computers, laptops, tablets, and even smart phones, we can watch live in real time what is happening at the foot of the mount of the very Temple in Jerusalem we’ve read about in our Bibles!

Do you think we, or those who are alive at the time these prophecies are fulfilled, might gaze upon the two dead bodies of those prophets via the internet? Do you think people will see the Beast prophesied in Revelation on their smart phones? If they do, they just might be finding God in prophecy while watching Jerusalem live.

©Dianne E. Butts. Dianne is a freelance writer, screenwriter, and author of the book Deliver Me. You can visit Dianne at www.DianneEButts.com and on Twitter as @DianneEButts.

This interesting video on YouTube, In the Western Wall Tunnels, shows a tour of the tunnels:

 

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Finding God in the Free Wheelchair Mission

February 19, 2012 By 1 Comment

By Laurie Winslow Sargent:

www.freewheelchairmission.org

As a former COTA (Occupational Therapy Assistant) and champion for the disabled, I’m finding God in the Free Wheelchair Mission. What an amazing ministry this is, giving people with disabilities new mobility and dignity!

At print time for this organization’s Winter 2011-2012 newsletter, they had distributed 622,715 wheelchairs in 84 Countries.  What is most remarkable is the cost: only $63.94 to manufacture, ship and distribute each wheelchair. Chairs are always given free to recipients,  so the number of chairs distributed reflects incredible generosity from thousands of donors.

My own mother is in a wheelchair. It’s difficult to imagine what life would be like for her without it. With that chair she is able to go to interesting places, be as independent as possible, and connect with others. Her wheels are her feet. What would it be like to only able to move by crawling on the ground or being carried by others?

Here’s the story behind the Free Wheelchair Mission chair:

“Years ago, Don and Laurie Schoendorfer were vacationing in Morocco when they witnessed the plight of a disabled woman struggling to drag herself across a dirt road. Ignored by the crowds and barely evading traffic, the woman’s hardship was a scene the couple would be unable to forget upon their return to life in southern California.

A mechanical engineer and inventor by trade, Don was a Columbia University graduate with a Ph.D. from MIT, working in the biomedical field and responsible for a string of over 50 U.S. patents. After his experience in Morocco, Don began researching the global dilemma of disability in developing countries; soon thereafter, he started tinkering in the basement, developed a durable, safe, inexpensive wheelchair, and eventually walked away from a successful career to found the nonprofit organization Free Wheelchair Mission.”

If you’d like to know about how Christ motivates those who support this ministry, see: What We Believe at www.freewheelchairmission.org. As they show the love of Jesus to others in this tangible way, I’m finding God in the Free Wheelchair Mission.

This video shows in a nutshell what this ministry is about:

Below is a longer–and very moving video–showing assembly and distribution of the chairs in China.

See more videos about this ministry at their website. You can also donate a wheelchair in honor of a friend or loved one. Also, if you have a severely ill or disabled child, read my review of a great new resource: Different Dream Parenting.

Laurie Winslow Sargent (lauriewinslowsargent.com) is a contributor to and editor for Finding God Daily, a multi-book author, and writer for national magazines.  She’d love to hear from you on Twitter via @LaurieSargent.

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