Urgent Prayer Request from Missionaries to India

I just got this from my church. It is from a couple that work with Youth with a Mission. This sounds like something right out of a LaHaye/Jenkins end times book! Will you pray?

Urgent prayer request from workers in India Please pray. We have never seen
anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State
in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous
threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff
imagined that they would see this kind of carnage....And it seems to be totally
under the radar of the Western Media ....Let me explain.... A militant Hindu
priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of
Orissa and 'reconverting' people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by
unknown assailants in Central Orissa last weekend. Immediately the Christians
were blamed. The cry rose up...'Kill the Christians!' And the horror began....

In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown
up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribes have been slaughtered. For
no other reason than they bear the name of Christ. Night and day I have been in
touch with our Good News India Directors spread across 14 Dream Centers in
Orissa... they are right in the middle of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after
the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came
to kill our staff and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they
did a lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing
our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and 'finish the job.' Our kids and
staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for
the past 3 days. It has been a time of desperately calling on the Lord
in prayer. More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and
some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids
about 3 minutes notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change
of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came to
kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there,but for
His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions.
The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were
no Christians in this area. So they left. We had favor. The same thing happened
in Balasore. All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff
huddled inside and police outside. The fanatics are circling outside waiting for
a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic orphanage,
the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher
in house and burned them to death. Many believers have been killed and hacked
into pieces and left on the road.... even women and children. At another
orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife
jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff
behind. Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said: 'We stay with
our kids.... we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God
has called us to do.' More than 5000 Christian families have had their homes
burned or destroyed. They have fled into the jungles and are living in great fear
waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is
foreseen. This will continue for another 10 days.... supposedly the 14 day
mourning period for the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and
their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask
for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know
the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means.
So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and
totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians
have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying
times. Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our
goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa
will be saved... that is our heart's cry. If we can take these thousands
of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they
will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but it is
strategic thinking in terms of the Great Commission. What can you do? First,
please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second, pass this e-mail on to as
many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for
this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting
the devil in order to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are crucial. We pray
for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa. Thank you for taking the time to
read this. Please pass it on and help us to get as many people to partner with us
on this cutting edge effort to fulfill His mandate: Go and make disciples of all
nations....Prayer works! Blessings,

Chip & Sandy Wanner Col 2:2 MBITeam
Facilitators to YWAM frontlines

Love Starts With Elle

Love Starts With Elle

Isn't that a great title for a book? So creative, Miss Rachel is. When I read Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck, I really enjoyed it. I found it light reading that was fun and entertaining, while still presenting the gospel message. It was a nice break for me from everyday life around here. :) But I confess that while I wanted to read the second book set in this small low country town, I didn't expect to like it as well. You see, I related to Caroline, NOT Elle, and knowing that Caroline would probably not be in this book much, I didn't think I'd relate as well to Elle.

I was so very, very wrong. In fact, I think I might like to be more like Elle...at least her new-found prayer life.

I think I mentioned in a previous post that I was reading two books at the same time. One I was reading for my morning quiet time, and this book was my fiction book that I was reading just for fun. I wish I could review them together, because as I was reading them at the same time, they were working together on my heart. As Elle was going through men-issues and learning to sit quietly and hear God's voice all at the same time, I was learning the importance of daily conversations with God. I was learning both to pour out my heart to Him and to sit quietly and listen to His...sounds easy doesn't it? As Elle finds out, it's not that easy, but it is well worth the effort!

This book will not only entertain you (Elle's a very funny, girl!), but it will also challenge your day-to-day walk with God to be more intimate, and more focused. I love that about Christian fiction!

Below is a little video-trailer for the book that will give you an idea of the personality of Elle, and what to expect from this book. Enjoy!

Now, you can win your very own copy of this book by leaving a comment on Rachel's Blog Post! So head on over there and let her know that you want to win that book! And if you don't win it, just go here to buy your own copy! And if you haven't read "Sweet Caroline" order that one too. You really don't need to read them in order, they stand alone just fine, but they are both worth the read!

Finally, if you want to follow this tour, check out this link for all the stops on the tour. Who knows, some of them may be giving away more books themselves! (Mine has already been given away to the winner of my "Sweet Caroline" contest...sorry! I gave it away as a 2-fer. :))

Cakes, Cakes, and Cookie Cakes....

I really do have things to write about...I do, but unlike Barb I have not yet mastered the "Ten Minute Post". Seriously, she told me once it takes her about 10 minutes to write a post! It takes me that long to form a complete sentence! As usual, my To-Do List has 5 things on it, and so far, 1 of them is finished, another is started, and the other 3 are still waiting...impatiently....for my attention. So, I bring to you today, a few cakes and cookie cakes that I haven't been able to post because of a glitch in my Photoshop program. (It wouldn't unload the photos from my memory card....aargh!) For some strange reason, it decided to work the other day, so I decided to post the pics for your viewing pleasure. So, enjoy yourselves while I get back to my list!

This one was for a friend's son's birthday party. He asked for a Super Mario cake....just anything Super Mario. This is what he got--thanks to my kids who have played a lot of Mario at their grandma's house. (In fact, grandma likes Mario so much, they thought I should do a cake like this for her next birthday!)

This one was a challenge. The cake had to match a table already decorated for fall, but also go with the "Baby Shower" napkins that were all pastelly and cute... My mom has pictures of it on the actual table, and I'm hoping it looked better there than it does on my kitchen table with our school paraphernalia all around it!

This was one of my weekly cookie cakes for a Texas Longhorn Tailgate party. We were playing the Rice Owls, and this lady really likes the "Clashing Helmet" thing.

{By the way...UT 45 - OU 35....HOOK 'EM HORNS!!!!! :) :) :)}

This one was for one of two brothers who prefer cookie cakes to regular cakes. I do their cakes every year. Two of the most handsome boys I've ever seen! The youngest one looks like a carbon-copy of Shemar Moore (Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds). Drop dead gorgeous!!

And this is the little brother's cake. He prefers a plain sugar cookie to the chocolate chip....crazy kid!

And that's it for now folks. I've neglected my duties for far too long....and yes, this took more than 10 minutes! I've really gotta figure out how she does that! :)

I Can't Believe I Almost Missed it AGAIN!

Last week, I was all prepared with my Works for Me Wednesday post, and I didn't get it posted before Mr. Linky was down. So, I've waited all week to bring this to you, and here it is dinner time already! I almost missed it again!

The funny thing about this product is that I never would have bought it in the first place if it weren't for this blog. I was in a different H.E.B. than I usually shop at, so I was doing a bit of wandering trying to find what I needed in this new store. I was in the egg and dairy section when I came across this...

My first thought was, "Wow, now THAT would make some good blog fodder!" So, I bought it! In case you can't tell, it is called "Batter Blaster", and it is Pancake Batter... in a CAN!

It looks exactly like a can of whipped cream. But it's pancake batter. And if you look closely, you will see that it is not just any pancake batter...it is ORGANIC pancake batter!

Can you believe that?

So, I brought it home and the kids were ecstatic! They couldn't wait to try it out. :) So for breakfast the next morning I heated up the electric frying pan and sprayed myself some organic pancakes!

And do you know what? They are really good! One can made 24 - 4 inch pancakes (which was just enough for the four kids and myself), and they were really very tasty! The kids had me add cinnamon sugar to the second batch, but they ate them without syrup...they are THAT good!

If you go to the Batter Blaster website, you will not only hear a nifty little jingle, but you can put in your zip code and they will tell you where you can buy some for yourself! Tasty AND convenient! We bout 3 more cans this week... :)

Now, head on over to Shannon's Place for more "Works for Me Wednesday" Tips!

Starbuck's Anyone?

Hey there! My bloggy-sister, Shalee is giving away a Starbuck's gift card over at the diner to someone who can guess what color she just painted her kitchen!

AND she's going to add $1 to the amount of the giftcard for each person who posts about the contest on their blog! Now, if you know Shalee, then you know that she is about to start a new job....so she will soon be flush with cash!!! :) So I say we all post about her little contest and add some serious 0's to that giftcard amount...what do you say? Are you with me?

So, first, go here and enter your guess. Then post and link to the contest on your own blog...and be sure she knows it, so she doesn't forget to add that extra dollar!

I'm a College Graduate for Pete's Sake

One of the first questions I always get when people find out that I homeschool the kids is "Are you going to homeschool them all the way through high school?" To which I on a good day usually reply, "Yes...at least that is the plan for now. :)" Then the standard reply is "I could never do that. I'd never be able to teach the math or the science!" A legitimate concern, certainly. But I always tend to reassure people that there is ample instruction in the curriculum for one to teach oneself before one must teach one's child. Well, this past week I had to put up or shut up in the Mathematics department.

My 7th grader (I shudder, just typing those words!) had to learn the base 5, base 2, and base 16 systems. I personally had never heard of such things although I was suspicious that the base 2 system was just another name for the binary system used in computer programing and the like. We conquered the base 5 without too much trouble, but when it came time to tackle base 2, he begged me to skip it. He kept saying, "You don't even know what it is! I'm NEVER gonna use this!" To which I replied, "Well, I think it's the binary system, and it is used by computer programmers. So you never know if you will need it or not." I also mentioned that I thought McGee and Abby on NCIS (my favorite TV program) had to use this system to do all their computer hacking crime solving. His reply? "All I care about on computers is playing games....I don't need to know how they work!" :)

I then explained to him the joys of being able to figure out something new and difficult, and tried to convince him how satisfying it would be to be able to figure it out and teach ourselves something new...he didn't buy it.

I did manage to figure it out, and explain it to him, and we had a lot of fun working out all the problems once we knew what we were doing....

....right up until they threw the base 16 system at us...UGH! It turns out that the base 16 system was developed because the binary (base 2) system was too tedious for many of the computer programmers out there (gee, ya think?), so they developed the base 16 system to make their lives easier. What is wrong with our standard base 10 system, I've not figured out yet!

The funny part was, that while watching NCIS this week, McGee did in fact have to use the binary system, and I think he even made mention of the use of letters to represent some of the numbers (which, by the way, is the base 16 system!). It was fun to be able to look at my kid and say, "See? We could totally do that! Although we both know that we totally couldn't!

So, one math obstacle down! Now the science this kid is supposed to learn learning???? YIKES!

It's My Birthday...but You Get the Present!

Well, at least ONE of you will anyway!

We have a winner! No Random Number Generator necessary...Shalee is the new owner of a Chris Sligh CD! Congratulations Shalee, and Happy 39th Birthday BooMama!!!

[This is a sticky post and will remain at the top of my blog until the contest winner has been announced...for newer posts---assuming I'll actually be writing new posts :)---scroll down!]

I'm having a contest in honor of my 43rd birthday...which is coming up soon! Here's the gist of it...


It just so happens that I share my birthday with someone who is very famous. If you want to win this contest, you must correctly figure out who that person is! Simple, right? Yeah, I know! Each day up until my birthday, I will post a clue as to who this famous person is. You may make your guesses in the comments. I will take all of the correct guesses and either put them in a hat, or use the Random Number Generator to choose the winner! Oh, and if you post about this contest on your own blog, and link to this post, you can get your name in one extra time! (I'm starved for comments around here, so I'll take 'em where I can get 'em!)


What, you ask, is the prize? Good question!


The prize will be your very own copy of my current FAVORITE CD...

That's right, you all have a chance to win Chris Sligh's CD, right here on this very blog!!! If you want to hear a sample...visit Chris's MySpace Page and listen to your heart's content!

I absolutely LOVE this CD! When I first got it, Empty Me was my favorite song. Then, as I listened to it over and over in the car, I fell in love with Are You Pleased?. Then, I loaded the album on my iPod, and one day during my walk, I heard Vessel and I had a new favorite...there is just something about hearing a song clearly, through headphones, with everything else blocked out, that helps me really hear the song, and this one blew me away. It became my prayer every day during my quiet time for the next two weeks. THIS week, I was again listening in my van, (but for some strange reason, there were no kids in it), and I couldn't stop smiling when I heard I'm Clean. It was exactly what I needed to hear this week, and has been my anthem ever since.

So, you can see that this album is very special to me, and I am LOVING it! That is why I want to share it with my peeps!

So...are you ready for your clues?

The famous person with whom I share a birthday is..... female.

The famous person with whom I share a birthday is..... 4 years younger than I am.

The famous person with whom I share a birthday has..... 3 fewer children than I do.

The famous person with whom I share a birthday is.... a blogger with a profoundly large following...and her own podcast (that she shares with two other bloggers)!

Got it figured out yet? If so, put it in the comments...if not, come back tomorrow for your next clue!