Freedom Overlooked

I watched fireworks an hour after the rest of my family saw them. 

That's because I watched them on a mountaintop 15 hours away from home. 

And I have to say, the booms and pops and lights of the fireworks are so much brilliantly better out here. :-) As we crammed into the back of Anna's family minivan to watch the display from a nearby parking lot, my eyes were completely glued to the sky until all was said and done. The big city can't pull off fireworks any better than that! 

*ahem* Speaking of family, I got to talk to each of them today. Oh the things I miss while I'm not at home.... Mom was baking up a cookie storm to serve to the small mob of people that would be at our house later this evening; Jeremy just bought himself a new sweet blue motorcycle this last week!; Wesley was looking forward to "da firewoks" that they were going to walk down the street and watch; and Dad was pulling the transmission out of a car. 

So I suppose while I'm missing all of that, it's nice to know I'm not missing any changes. 

Boy I do love my family!

There are alot of thoughts that have run through my mind today in alot of areas, but the one the Fourth of July thought that I've been pondering is this: 

Freedom is something that I as an American take so much for granted. I think it's something that really can't be appreciated to the fullest until it's not there anymore. Kind of like when we clean the up Red Cliff Camp buildings on the weekends. It's not something that demands much notice or appreciation, but only if we didn't do any cleaning would people realize it had been done before. 

I don't mean to trivialize the vital subject of freedom. I am just thinking that if we didn't have it, that's when we would realize what we had been blessed with before. 

Having one or two friends on missions trips to countries that are persecuted for their beliefs and convictions if they are not approved by the "head honcho" of things has really brought it close to home for me. 

These brothers and sisters of the church need our prayers. A while back I wrote a poem that expresses just how much God can do to use faithful prayers offered up on behalf of his persecuted people.

The Pastor stands before the mob, 
Steel weapon glints its rays of sun,
I ask as blows fall one by one,
Where is my God, the Holy One?

Have you seen your people,
Dying in the street?
Do you spare an extra grace,
On the sores of one who’s beat?

Far off in distant country,
He died for your name’s sake,
Only one among the hundreds,
Did you even know his name?

Oh Lord how can this last?
How can you stay your hand?
Why does chaos so prevail;
And evil scar the land?

I’m taking in the carnage,
And waiting for the answer,
And swiftly as I asked, it comes,
“Yes, my child, I heard.”

“These are my true soldiers,
My Shepherds of the flock,
She my warrior princess
And he my solid rock.”

“Do not neglect to bring them,
Before me in your prayers,
For I await to strengthen them,
Protect, and keep from snares.”

Dear Lord, you’ve seen their families starving
Holed up in a little shack
You’ve seen women stand their ground for you,
With nothing holding back.

You know every drop of blood,
Every tear that has been shed,
Every pris’nor in his cell,
Every man that’s ever bled. 

They live for something greater,
For a cause that’s not their own,
And one day it will be worth it,
When they stand before your throne.

You know every boy who’s true,
Every man that has been slain,
And what was once their loss,
Now will be their gain. 

Though heaven may be silent,
Its ears are fully well,
And it’s keeping close account,
So hold on a little while.

This night will turn to day, 
For now, our call is watch and pray,
Lord God, be with these precious saints.
My heart goes out to them today.

My sisters and my brothers,
The very Body of Christ with me,
Please hear their cry as they surrender,

Their own body broke for thee.

I don't always realize how much I have to be thankful for.

We have our first teen week of camp coming up. I ask for your prayers if I may on these levels....

-a sound Biblical wisdom as I counsel the girls God has placed in my cabin 

-that I would not let any distraction cloud my view of serving my Saviour

-to keep up my health and my strength

-to make an impact through a positive attitude of "counting it all joy" :-)

-that I might have the privelidge to lead someone to the Lord in salvation

Thanks a ton!

Serving Him with this Amazing Summer,

Jel