Thank You for Praying on International Day of Prayer (IDOP)
Do
your prayers make a difference? Recently a church leader
enthusiastically reported that, eople who didnt know anything about
the persecuted church before Nov. 8 came up to me and said; We need to
hear more about our persecuted brothers and sisters; please don't stop
sharing with us.
Another
church leader wrote, Once the flyers and banner were put up in front
of the church the members became excited. I felt over-joyed when the
Youth Department wanted to start the prayer service. People we haven't
seen in church for months were rededicating their lives back to
Christ. It was a divine spirit filled day.
God, we thank you for answering our prayers for the work You continue to do through IDOP and Open Doors. May there be an unstoppable groundswell of prayer and support for Your persecuted church worldwide.
The
UN General Assembly may vote as early as this week on whether to pass
the UN Defamation of Religions Resolution. If passed it may be used in
Islamic countries to legitimize the unjust punishing of people, like
Jeahanzaib Asher in Pakistan, and other pro-Islamic countries of the
world. Please
pray for favorable results as Open Doors and other organizations travel
to New York this week in hopes of influencing the vote and overturning
the resolution. If you have not yet signed the Free to Believe
petition, pleasetake action today! We ask that you also share it with as many people as possible... The more digital signatures, the better!
Father,
we call upon you to stop the passing of the U.N. Defamation of
Religions Resolution. Open the eyes of those voting to see the danger
of this seemingly benign declaration; that hidden in the good words
are intentions to harm those who love You.
A man from Pakistan told me this: "Many small raindrops will make a large river!" If
you are like me you become discouraged with all the bad news; however,
like the tiny raindrops our prayers and actions become a mighty river!" Be encouraged that what ever you are doing is making a difference! Grace and Peace in the name of the Lord Jesus! Your sister in Christ, Donna
[send green star]
[
accepted]
Good Morning! Everyone-
I'm very busy and will be for the next four weeks or five, and than I
will graduate from school. Hopefully I will find a job than, but I
should have a little more time to work on the groups! Everyone have a
nice day! God Bless, Donna
Good
Morning
everyone! We have experienced our third snow this fall, all in
October. Only yesterday we had a blizzard. Anyone who has lived in this
part of the Midwest for any length of time knows you do not go driving
in a storm, yet I had to buy some groceries and do my son's laundry so
that he would have clean clothes for work. I felt so strongly about
this that I went even though I had a low tire and we were in a storm.
Now our highways are not flat and even with small ditches to the side
of them they are hills with small canyons to the side of them. There
are some flat fields but mostly hills. So here I was on an icy, snowy
highway, no traction in my tires because one was low, and snow blowing
across the highway in many places. I realized that I should turn back
but there were no driveways that had been cleaned out yet and no where
that I could turn around. So I drove five miles an hour all the way to
McCook and prayed all the way there. If I had slid off the highway in
certain areas I would have fallen along ways down. I knew this was my
own fault but God was merciful enough to get me to McCook safely. Once
there I drove to Wal-Mart to see if they could put a new tire on. They
would have gladly done this but I had a badly bent rim which happened
when I ran over a large board in the highway the other day, so before I
could get a new tire I needed a new rim. Which left me with another
predicament. I now must either find a rim at a salvage yard, or go to
an expensive repair shop, which I didn't have the money for. Luckily my
nieces husband is a mechanic, and can probably find a rim at the
salvage yard, cheaply and Wal-Mart promised me that they would put in
on for me, but I knew that it would have to wait another day because he
was at work and the weather was so bad. So I asked Wal-Mart to air up
my tire which they gladly did for free and I bought a few groceries and
went home, by which time, the storm was over, the sun was melting the
snow and the plow was cleaning the highway. I did get the laundry done
later that day, and you couldn't even believe it was the same highway.
That night there was a knock at the door and a lady from the church in
McCook that I had visited had a cardboard box full of meat for us. She
and her husband had cleaned out their freezer and thought of us. So now
we have a full freezer. I learned this lesson. In spite of our human
foolishness, God is merciful to us! Everyone have a nice day! Donna
[send green star]
[
accepted]
Good
Morning
everyone! We have experienced our third snow this fall, all in
October. Only yesterday we had a blizzard. Anyone who has lived in this
part of the Midwest for any length of time knows you do not go driving
in a storm, yet I had to buy some groceries and do my son's laundry so
that he would have clean clothes for work. I felt so strongly about
this that I went even though I had a low tire and we were in a storm.
Now our highways are not flat and even with small ditches to the side
of them they are hills with small canyons to the side of them. There
are some flat fields but mostly hills. So here I was on an icy, snowy
highway, no traction in my tires because one was low, and snow blowing
across the highway in many places. I realized that I should turn back
but there were no driveways that had been cleaned out yet and no where
that I could turn around. So I drove five miles an hour all the way to
McCook and prayed all the way there. If I had slid off the highway in
certain areas I would have fallen along ways down. I knew this was my
own fault but God was merciful enough to get me to McCook safely. Once
there I drove to Wal-Mart to see if they could put a new tire on. They
would have gladly done this but I had a badly bent rim which happened
when I ran over a large board in the highway the other day, so before I
could get a new tire I needed a new rim. Which left me with another
predicament. I now must either find a rim at a salvage yard, or go to
an expensive repair shop, which I didn't have the money for. Luckily my
nieces husband is a mechanic, and can probably find a rim at the
salvage yard, cheaply and Wal-Mart promised me that they would put in
on for me, but I knew that it would have to wait another day because he
was at work and the weather was so bad. So I asked Wal-Mart to air up
my tire which they gladly did for free and I bought a few groceries and
went home, by which time, the storm was over, the sun was melting the
snow and the plow was cleaning the highway. I did get the laundry done
later that day, and you couldn't even believe it was the same highway.
That night there was a knock at the door and a lady from the church in
McCook that I had visited had a cardboard box full of meat for us. She
and her husband had cleaned out their freezer and thought of us. So now
we have a full freezer. I learned this lesson. In spite of our human
foolishness, God is merciful to us! Everyone have a nice day! Donna
Hi everyone! I
am so happy that all of you have joined this family. Lately some
disturbing things have been happening in the Christian world. Well,
maybe this is a long standing situation and not recent, but some
Christians have taken to attacking the integrity of Christians who are
Baptized in the Holy Spirit. In the bible there are many places, many
verses and chapters which tell us not to Quench the Holy Spirit, not to
grieve the Holy Spirit, that the Holy Spirit is sent to us by
Christ, and that the Holy Spirit will Baptize us and give us gifts. It
is truly dangerous for Christians to leave whole chunks of the New
Testaments out of our understanding. We must understand that the Holy
Spirit is vital and necessary to our growth and to our lives as a
Christian. Your sister in Christ, Donna
[send green star]
[
accepted]
Just
dropped by to say hi! I have two mid-term tests next week! Buddy is
doing good, although I have a cold and am drinking hot tea with lemon
and honey. I am going to have to rely on last years photo's because of
the early frost and snow, but I still have some nice photo's. Everyone
have a nice evening! God Bless! Donna
This post was modified from its original form on 18 Oct, 19:12
CAMPFIRE
WORSHIP IN THE SPIRIT! YOU MAY USE THIS DESIGN TO INVITE PEOPLE TO YOUR
CAMPFIRE WORSHIP! Type the place,time and phone number, etc. below the
tag! Donna C. Matthews
NOVEMBER 8th IS INTERNATIONAL PRAYER DAY FOR THE PERSECUTED CHRISTIAN! ICC is offering
inexpensive prayer bulletins that you can use in your service to
remember the persecuted. This year's theme is the suffering Body of Christ. The bulletins cover the stories of Christians in seven countries and include a prayer calendar for the persecuted.
Bulletins are $0.30 for
continental US orders and $0.40 for Alaska, Hawaii and Canada. Minimum
order of 50. Prices include shipping!
We've also created a
Resource Kit CD that we're offering to churches, free of charge. If you
do not work for a church, you can still order one of these kits for $5
(just enough to help us recover our production costs).
The ICC Resource Kit is packed with a planning guide, videos, stories, sermon ideas, Sunday school lesson ideas and much more!
If you're ordering for a church, please call us (1-800-422-5441) with a valid church address.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PETITION:IF YOU ONLY SIGN ONE PETITION SIGN THIS ONE!! October 16, 2009 4:33 AM
Dear Donna,
This is a crucial year in the fight to preserve
religious freedom worldwide. Open Doors USA will be helping to lead the
advocacy effort at the United Nations to prevent the Defamation of Religions resolution from passing through our Free to Believe Campaign. But we need your help. Please sign on to our petition
to register your disapproval of the resolution. The campaign already
has recieved an amazing response with over 2,600 signatures. But we
need to keep the momentum going.
The Defamation of Religions Resolution seeks to criminalize words or actions as attacks against a particular religion. As incredible as it sounds, passing this resolution could allow a Christian to be persecuted under UN approval. We need you to voice your protest of this resolution.
The resolution protects a faith rather than individuals who hold a faith, which goes against the very purpose of human rights in international law.
The result is that this resolution gives UN sanction to Muslim majority
countries to persecute Christians and other religious minorities for
not sharing the same beliefs as Muslims. It
also provides legitimacy to these countries' blasphemy laws which are
often used to accuse, imprison, and even murder Christians.
While Defamation of Religions Resolutions have been
introduced and passed in previous years, it is up again this year for
re-authorization. Policy experts at the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom believe we have a real opportunity to defeat it this year. Members of Congress and non-profit organizations will be organizing to urge countries to vote NO on Defamation of Religions Resolution.
Hi, Today
was a bad day for me. First my computer screen died on me, I had a bad
day in class, we had to go to the pantry and they were mean to us, and
one thing after another things kept happening. My son's car broke down
the other day and I have to give him a ride to work, I'm not getting
enough sleep and I was becoming overwhelmed and I couldn't
calm down. I have anxiety attacks every once in awhile and today was
bad. The closer we get to Halloween the worse I feel. I had to get
gas and while I was waiting in the convenience store a lady who is a
good Christian walked in and asked me how I was doing. I explained that
it was a bad day and then paid and went out to my car. She came out
with me and we talked awhile, and she reminded me how Jesus will always
be there for us and I realized that Jesus had sent her just when I
needed her the most. [I remember another time when my Mom and I had
borrowed my son's car and while getting gas locked the keys in the car.
No shops were open and we didn't have much money. Suddenly, a man
walked into the store and asked us if we needed help. It turns out that
he was a mechanic and he unlocked our door for free. I think he was a
Christian.] When I got home today my brother had found an old
monitor that he wasn't using and I don't know how long it will last but
hopefully awhile, and I felt much better. This is a note to remind
everyone that Jesus is with us even when we are having a bad day. Oh
yes, Buddy[an abandoned cat that adopted us] turns out to be pretty friendly and he is doing fine. I
can't get you any photos of the autumn trees though because we have
already gotten snow! Have a nice day everyone! Donna
[send green star]
[
accepted]
Please join the Open Doors advocacy team by signing the "Free to Believe"
petition by saying NO to the Defamation of Religions Resolution being
introduced in the UN. While appearing to simply promote religious tolerance, in reality it promotes intolerance and human rights violations for religious minorities in some countries.
Why is this urgent?
While Defamation of Religions Resolutions have been introduced and
passed by some countries in the past, it is up again this year for
re-authorization. Policy experts at the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
believe there is a real opportunity to defeat it this year. The Open
Doors advocacy team will be conveying the level of support by our
members against the resolution as we interact with the countries which
have abstained from voting on this issue in the past. Your voice is vitally important. Please visit Open Doors website and say NO!
For my birthday I would like you to: LIGHT A CANDLE! AND [HOLD A PRAYER VIGIL] - for
the Persecuted Christian, the church planters-(missionaries), the
church builders-(Native Pastors, teachers and evangelists), the
refugees, the immigrants, the homeless, the Native American who suffers
in poverty, the Native American who is a Christian and feels isolated,
all Christians who feel isolated or in danger, the abuse victim, the
disaster victims, the villagers who do not have churches, prayer
meetings or bible studies, those who do not know Jesus, the animals who
are homeless, or are abused and neglected and for those who think
nobody cares! Thank you for this wonderful birthday gift Love and God
Bless, Donna
Hi everyone, The
air is crisper, the wind blows colder, and the trees are turning
colors! It is definitely fall! I'm wondering how everyone is? School is
keeping me busy, but not too busy to notice the beauty of the season.
I'd love to hear from some of you, all of you, even one of you!
Where are you? How do you like our themes? What do you like best? i
love input! Anyway, I am wishing you all a great week! God Bless, Donna
GOOD
MORNING! It is already warm here this morning, and it is certain to be
a hot day. August 8th is Old Settler's day, and my Mom's birthday. She
will be helping my niece that day, because my niece will be having
surgery. The fair is here this week-end and there a lot of people
around from out of town. There is also a Pow Wow going on. Donna
[send green star]
[
accepted]
GOOD
MORNING! It is already warm here this morning, and it is certain to be
a hot day. August 8th is Old Settler's day, and my Mom's birthday. She
will be helping my niece that day, because my niece will be having
surgery. The fair is here this week-end and there a lot of people
around from out of town. There is also a Pow Wow going on. Donna
[send green star]
[
accepted]
Hello everyone! It
is raining here! It's so nice and cool that I hope it rains forever!
The fair is in McCook and there are rodeo people and all sorts of
campers in the campground, and on the 8th of August is Old Settlers in
Indianola. During the day there are all sorts of fun family activities,
and a parade, but at night there will be a street dance and a lot of
drinking. We live one block from the bars, so you know that we will
hear it all. Well I know there is a need for prayer! There will also be
a big POW WOW or maybe the POW WOW is over with. The POW WOW is about
40 miles west of here, so I lose track of the dates. Anyway, I feel
much better with the rain. My eyes are feel better and I feel good
again. Praise the Lord for that! Donna
Hi everyone! This
artwork is a little abstract. I was experimenting with Illustrator. It
just ended up this way so I decided to use it for the fourth of July. I
hope you like it. Anyway, Happy and safe 4th of July. It sounds like we
are under siege in this village!
[send green star]
[
accepted]
Hi!
I have been sick last night and today, a combination of the flu and the
heat. My room is so hot that I decided to take our old van seat and use
it to sleep on outside last night. It's sitting under a big old
mulberry tree and it was much better. My dog slept right by my
side all night. She loved sleeping outside, under the mulberry tree. I
live in a village of 700 people and I knew I was safe in our backyard.
I had such a headache that I couldn't sleep, but it was wonderful to
feel the cool air and to see the stars above. I have so many cares and
worries that this was simply a wonderful break from the normal routine.
I also felt very near to God and prayed a good deal of the night. I
still am feeling sick so I might make it a regular habit to sleep
outside this summer. Love to everyone in Christ, Donna
This morning we have a new president. President Obama! But what I mostly want to tell you is that I am praying that Jesus blesses you in everything you do today! Blessings!
HE ARRIVED THIS MORNING! November 02, 2008 9:15 PM
HE ARRIVED THIS
MORNING, WE HAD PRAYER; SPENT SOME TIME JUST TALKING, and HE HELD ME
FOR AWHILE BECAUSE I WAS HAVING A BAD MORNING. THEN, HE WAS ON HIS WAY
TO YOUR PLACE.
When
He gets to your PC, escort Him to the next stop. Please don't allow Him
to sleep on your PC. The message He is carrying is very important and
needs to go round. May God bless you as you do this- AMEN.
Walking for Jesus!Say a prayer, and then pass Him on to bless others. Our assignment is to love and spread the gospel throughout the world.
Have a blessed day and touch somebody's life today! I just did. He's walking around the world - via e-mail!! Pass it on!So He can get there.
When you forward, put where He left in the subject box
FROM CHRISTIAN MOM'S JEAN! November 02, 2008 1:08 PM
I AM HIS
Who am I.. ?
I'm
part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ and His
opinion of me is the only one that matters. I won't look back, let up,
slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low
living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals. I no
longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or
popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk
by patience, lifted by prayer, and labor by power. My face is set, my
gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my
companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be
bought, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of
sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the
table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give
up, shut up, let go, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid
up, and preached up for the cause of the Lord and the Truth of His
Word. I am a disciple of the Alpha & Omega, the Beginning and the
End, the Lion and the Lamb. I must go until He comes, give until I
drop, and work until He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He
will have no problem recognizing me...my banner will be clear! I will
not be hidden in a crowd.