So What Did I Do in 2011?

I didn't achieve all that many of my goals for 2011. Part of that was that several of them were neublous goals that are part of an ungoing work that God is doing in my life. Part of it was me being just plain lazy. But part of it was me doing other things. So what DID I do in 2011?

- I rejoined our church's kid's ministry
- I made a CD and donated the proceeds to charity
- I started a mission blog for my local church
- Did a ton of reading (wait for an uncoming booklist for 2011)
- Listened to a ton of sermons (wait for an uncoming list of sermons listened to in 2011)
- Taught in the Youth Group once (on apologetics)
- Worked!
- Started writing a book (I haven't done much non-blogging writing since uni, back when I had lots of free time)
- Went gluten free (to add to my dairy free, vegetarian food requirements)
- Started wearing a headcovering

So while I may not have done everything that I would have liked to, I have managed to do a few things in 2011!

Reflection On 2011 Goals

1. Go on an overseas mission trip, preferably to Uganda
I did this! I'm so excited that I was able to begin serving God overseas! For those who are interested, I'm slowly posting my diary of my time in Uganda at the Hope Waverley Mission Blog.

2. Memorise 20 more psalms.
(I'm at 23 now, so I want to be at 43 by the end of next year!)
I'm nowhere near 43 psalms! I'm at 25 - which means only 2 psalms were memorised this year. And while I did some work on other passages, memorisation of the Bible just plain did not happen this year. It's something that I'm going to be working on next year.

3. Read Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible.
Still in Genesis

4. Develop my prayer life
Specifically, I want to see LOTS of answers to prayers, and to become closer and closer to God. Praying continually would be great too!
I've made progress in this area. While there are seasons of greater initmacy and of lesser intimacy with God, on the whole this is improving. And yes, I got answers to prayer!

5. To speak words of encouragement and not mean words, impure words, or gossip.
6. To be joyful always, in all circumstances.
Both of these are ungoing works that God is doing in my heart. I'm still a grumpy cow far too often, but I'm so much better than what I used to be! To God alone goes the glory - believe me, I'm not working the change myself!

7. To instruct and admonish children using Scripture and not the philosophy of men.
I've improved with instructing using Biblical principles, but actual words of Scripture is not so much what is coming from my mouth.

8. To consistently practice both the harp and the piano.
Just plain didn't happen.

Why Missions, Even To "Reached" Countries, Are Vital

The other day I met with someone who will be working in a chaplain/ pastor role at theHopeSchoolnext year. We talked about supporting young people through challenges. I wanted to establish protocols for when child safety incidents arose and the referral process (to the social worker). I asked:’ What is a minor problem that could come up regularly here’. InBrisbanea minor problem would probably mean: ‘Having challenges with my friends at school’ or ‘My parents don’t understand me…’. When I asked this question here I got the response: ‘A student sharing that their parent is withholding food from them (e.g. refusing to feed them).’ I was a bit taken aback (that this was a ‘minor’ problem) and I asked what would be a major problem that you could come across here. I got this response: ‘A student told me that his parents wanted to sacrifice him to the demons of their village’. I am pretty sure I would leave these problems to the amazing local social worker. I am a little out of my depth…

From Britt & Andrew's blog, Into Lugala. Britt and Andrew are the two missionaries who were at COME Uganda with me, and who are still serving there.

1 Corinthians 8

This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (from verse 1)

Knowledge is important. It is vital that we know out Bibles in order that we will not be deceived by the enemy, and in order that we will know what God has planned for us. But knowledge of any type, separated from love, only serves to make us proud about our accomplishments. Nowadays, when it is not so fashionable to possess biblical knowledge, other types of knowledge (such as scientific, academic, sports or even pop-culture) are just as likely to puff someone up with pride.

The antidote for the puffed-up-ness that knowledge can bring is not a lack of knowledge, but an addition of love. Lack of knowledge can destroy you, and a lack of love and castroy our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Am I filled with love? It is a difficult question to answer honestly. After all, our hearts will deceive us. We will often think that we have love, when really we don’t, and think that we lack love when we often have it. The sign of love is clear from this verse: love builds up. Am I building up the people around me? Am I helping them grow up into Him? Or am I stumbling them? For me, I think it is a little of both. Thankfully, Christ is changing me, and I am becoming more and more filled with love day by day.

More From Katie Davis

The first 2:55 minutes are the same as the previous video posted, but after that there is an interview with her, which is really interesting.

Catalyst Atlanta 2011 | Katie Davis from Catalyst on Vimeo.

1 Corinthians 7

And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit (from verse 34)

Singleness is a gift from God so that we can, whether temporarily or permanently, serve God as the only passion in our lives. Marrieds have to care for each other, and parents for their children, but singles are freer to do things, sometimes crazy-seeming things, for the Lord.

I know I have not always valued this gift. I would rather have a husband and children than almost anything else. But for now at least, that is not what God has called me to. He has called me to be single (for now at least) and to serve Him in that.

Valuing this gift of God means making the most of my time. It means going out of my way to bless others, especially those who otherwise would be ignored or despised, like the very poor and their children, those who are sick, those who are ugly or even deformed. It means sacrificing myself for the image of Christ in those who, humanly speaking, I do not care about. It means focussing on Jesus, and giving my all for Him, every single day, even when I would prefer not to. Then I will be using this gift of God to the level that Christ wants me to.

Merry Christmas

For a child will be born to us,
a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Peace.



Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice
and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7)

1 Corinthians 2

And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (verses 4 & 5).

It sometimes amazes me how content the church at large is to not see the power of God. We talk of miracles (but don’t see them). We speak of transformed lives (but live just like everyone else). We do not see the power of God; and if we cannot see it in our own lives, or the lives of those around us, how can we expect those who do not know God to see it?

This is something I am guilty of too. I do not live a self-sacrificing life. Many aspects of my life are exactly the same as a non-believer. I do not go the extra mile with others if it will inconvenience me. I mean, when Amaya was upset in the middle of the night it took 5 minutes to make myself get up with my torch and check on her – and she’s only two bedrooms away! Afterwards I was really struck by my complete lack of love for those around me when it is inconvenient for me.

(Amaya is the daughter of two missionaries, who were staying with me in the missionary house. She woke up a few times in the night and would be very scared due to the power having gone out and her night light being off. I was NOT as loving as I should have been.)

This is something that I and much of the church need to repent of. We rest in the wisdom of me, and so we miss the power of God. And I know that I don’t want to miss that.

Katie Davis

God was showing me His heart and His Word in new ways right there in the life I was living through the children I was serving. Armed with this new sense of who He is and who I was as His servant, I continued trying to give myself away in every circumstance. I wanted to do God’s work, let Him display Himself through my life, and change my world as much as possible every single day. Most days, that didn’t include anything other people would find impressive. It simply meant being faithful to the people and the responsibilities God had given me.

From her book, Kisses From Katie

1 Corinthians 1

So that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (verse 31)

Paul’s aim is to boast solely in the work that Christ has done, not in his own accomplishments. And let’s face it, Paul has more to boast about than almost anyone. He was born both Jewish and a Roman citizen, educated by the best minds. He was the ultimate missionary apostle, who went virtually all over the known world, and suffered immensely for Christ along the way. He wrote many of the books of the New Testament! He had a lot he could boast about.

Boasting is something I do far too much of. Compared to most of the people around me, I do quite well at lots of things. I do my work better than all but a few people; I read faster than anyone I know; I have a very good memory for facts; and I’m rarely willing to leave things the way they are if they need changing – so I do things that many people know they should be doing, like write letters to politicians, going on the Baby March, giving of my money, and going on a mission trip to Uganda.

But none of these things are worth anything in the day of judgement. The only thing worthwhile is clinging to the Lord Jesus. And it is in Him that I need to do all of my boasting.

Mother Teresa

The life of a missionary is not strewn with roses, in fact more with thorns; but with it all, it is a life full of happiness and joy when she thinks that she is doing the same work which Jesus was doing when He was on earth, and that she is fulfilling Jesus’ commandment: “Go and teach all nations!”

From the book, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk.

Romans 13

Besides this, you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. (verse 11)

The time has come to do the deeds of the light, wherever we go. To show to all those around us, especially those who are difficult and even in the human sense, unlovable.

The end of days is fast approaching. We are so much nearer the return of Christ than once we were. Yet when He returns, will He find faith on the earth? Will He find a living faith, characterized by action and not pretty words, in me?

I pray that He will do so! That He will look at me and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I pray that He will say that to many.

But I know that that is not what He will say to all. Many are asleep, as though it were still night, and they have more interest in the deeds of the night than in the deed of the day, love.

May I always seek to live according to the day, according to the light He has given me. May I seek to love those around me, to do them good, even when it is very, very difficult on a human level.

Katie Davis

The truth is that the 143 million orphaned children and the 11 million who starve to death or die from preventable diseases and the 8.5 million who work as child slaves, prostitutes, or under other horrific conditions and the 2.3 million who live with HIV add up to 164.8 million needy children. And though at first glance that looks like a big number, 2.1 BILLION people on this earth proclaim to be Christians.
The truth is that if only 8 percent of the Christians would care for one more child, there would not be any statistics left.

From her book, Kisses From Katie

Romans 12 (written 06.11.11 – on the plane to Uganda)

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. (verse 1)

We have been bought with a price. Yet how rarely we want to deliver the goods to our God – how much more we prefer to stay in our own little comfort zones, keeping ‘our’ things, and about all ‘our’ selves for our own use. We are not ready to sacrifice even a little for the One who gave it all for us.

O LORD, please do not let me be in that number! Rather have me be one of those who joyfully gives my all for Your sake, and considers it to be not merely a good exchange, but a delight, an honour beyond compare!

I sit on the plane, ready to go to the place God has called me to my first ever trip to Uganda. I do not know much about what waits for me there. What I do know is that it is God’s will for my life, and that it will involve both sacrifice and joy, joy in the sacrifice, joy leading to sacrifice, until Christ calls me to His side. Wherever I go, that is what God has prepared for me. For the most part, I would not have it any other way.

LORD, make me be a willing, joyful sacrifice for Your everlasting glory. Help me to never attempt, never even dream, or crawling off the altar. May my life be a sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You, an act of worship to Your name, and the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus.

Mother Teresa

Why must we give ourselves fully to God? Because God has given Himself to us. If God who owes nothing to us is ready to impart to us no less than Himself, shall we answer with just a fraction of ourselves? To give ourselves fully to God is a means of receiving God Himself. I for God and God for me. I live for God and give up my own self, and in this way induce God to live for me. Therefore to possess God we must allow Him to possess our soul.

From the book, Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light, edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk.

Romans 11

For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counsellor (verse 34).

It amazes me how often we think that God has the same opinions as we do. We are so focused on our own happiness, on what we think we want, and on our ‘rights’. We think we have the liberty to be free. To choose what to do with ‘our’ bodies. To spend ‘our’ money as we wish. This is bad enough, but when you consider how many people assume that their point of view on a subject is therefore God’s point of view, that is a massive problem.

There is only one way we can truly know the mind of God, which is by studying the Scriptures and crying out for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to help you understand them. Then we will know the mind of God, in a limited way, but a true way.

I know I do not even begin to study the Scriptures enough to have a full-orbed view. But I am beginning. And God has so blessed each small step that I have taken in understanding His Word. His Holy Spirit has shown me treasures I never would have imagined in the Bible, and has transformed my Christianity from a part of my life to being something that informs everything I do.

Slave to Something

If God is not the center of your life, if he does not hold your ultimate allegiance, then you have been enslaved by something or someone less satisfying and loving than God. Every slave master except God will fail you. Slave masters never work to satisfy their slave. And when you fail, that master can offer no forgiveness, only misery and shame.

But not so with God! He alone can satisfy. He alone has paid the ultimate price in his Son in order to forgive you of all your failings. The dominion of God is the dominion of rest, grace, mercy, and joy. Jesus says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. For I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28).

Paul uses the lowest of all people in the eyes of this world---the slave---to show that you are more free as a slave to Christ than when you are enslaved to the idea of human autonomy.

From the article Everyone Enslaved by John Starke

Romans 10

As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News.” (from verse 15)

The ancient church had beautiful feet. They went all over the world preaching the gospel. Those who were not literally able to go sacrificed much in order that those who were going could be most effective.

The modern church is not so. The amount spent by the modern church on missions of any type is small, on foreign missions smaller still, and the amount spent on reaching the unreached is appallingly tiny. We are not willing to give that others might go.

But we are also not too willing to go ourselves. I’ve been told how brave I am to go on a 3 week trip to Africa. That is not particularly brave. It is three weeks. It is nothing to compare to those who gave their lives to open up huge areas to the gospel, whether by living and serving til old age, or in dying the death of a martyr.

I need to beautiful me feet by being willing, ever more willing, to go into all the world and preach the gospel. I need to sacrifice self in order to go and to send others.

LORD, give me beautiful feet. Make me more and more willing to speak forth Words of life into those I meet, at home and abroad, that they might love You!

Christina Rosetti

How beautiful are the arms which have embraced Christ, the hands which have touched Christ, the eyes which have gazed upon Christ, the lips which have spoken with Christ, the feet which have followed Christ. How beautiful are the hands which have worked the works of Christ, the feet which treading in His footsteps have gone about doing good, the lips which have spread abroad His name, the lives which have been counted loss for Him.

Are You Craving?

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation (1 Pet 2:2)

We are to be like newborn infants, craving the pure spiritual milk. Have you been around a hungry baby? Believe me, they let you know that they want to be fed. They’ll scream if they need to, all to get the milk they need to grow.

Yet how little we are like them. It amazes me when I learn how little some Christians do. I always see how far short I personally am falling, and sometimes I seem like I am boasting, when really I am doing the opposite, telling people how far short I am falling – and all because they are falling even further short. Like recently when I discovered that all but 4 people in my small group at church (and I was one of the four) were praying for less than 10 minutes a day at the end of the day, often falling asleep. The two leaders’ quiet times were usually about half an hour long in total. Only my housemate and myself went above half an hour a day. And I look at myself and I can hardly believe the small amount of time I spend in prayer, in the Word.

Babies get hungry every few hours. They feed for quite a while. They even wake throughout the night because they want more milk. They don’t eat for 5 or 10 minutes before bed. They spend most of their waking time consuming what will make them grow, and then, as they get bigger, they spend the rest of their waking time using their growing muscles, building their strength and agility.

We need to be craving the pure spiritual milk of the Word multiple times throughout the day, not just for a few minutes. We need to be praying often. We need to be more like babies.

Our lack of spiritual nourishment is the cause of our lack of spiritual strength.

We cannot give out when we have taken nothing in. And so few of us take nothing, or next to nothing, in.

Make a plan to read the Bible. You can read the whole Bible in a year by reading only 3 chapters a day! I read the Bible in 40 days once, and it was one of the best things I ever did. You don’t have to do that, but you can read a little more, and read throughout the day. Memorise one verse a day – even one verse a week will mean that you will have over 50 verses memorised by the end of a year! Several chapters of the Bible are far shorter than that! Memorise just 50 verses, and you could have 10 psalms memorised, verses, and you could have 10 psalms memorised, yours forever, even if you don’t have access to a Bible.

CRAVE the Word. Long for it. And consume it, day in, day out, that we might grow to be mighty warriors of the faith.

Katie Davis

Adoption is a redemptive response to tragedy that happens in this broken world. And every single day, it is worth it, because adoption is God’s Heart. His Word says, “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Ephesians 1:5). He sets the lonely in families (see Psalm 68:6). The first world that appears when I look up adoption in the dictionary is “acceptance”. God accepts me, adores me even, just as I am. And He wants me to accept those without families into my own. Adoption is the reason I can come before God’s throne and beg Him for mercy, because He predestined me to be adopted as His child through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace.

From her book, Kisses From Katie

Pursue Righteousness

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11)

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)

One of the things that strikes me about modern Christianity, is how known we are as avoiders. Christians are known as those who don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs, don’t have pre-marital sex, don’t swear, etc. And while statistically, “Christians” are no different from the world in many of these areas, that is what we are known for. As people who “don’t” do things.

We are ready to flee impurity (or at least be known for fleeing impurity). But we are so rarely ready to pursue, to chase after, righteousness, or faith, or love. We’d rather just avoid the bad stuff.

What a terrible witness this is! We become known as those who “don’t” do things – those who don’t have fun. When that should be the opposite. We are the ones who “do” things – those who seek to follow after God with our whole hearts, our whole souls, our whole strength!

Are you pursuing righteousness? Are you truly chasing after it, seeking after it, doing all that is in your power for it? Are you truly looking at submitting your whole being to the Lordship of Christ? Are you? Am I?

Katie Davis

Everywhere I looked in the Bible, from the beginning of the Old Testament to the end of Revelation, people who believe in God are supposed to share with the poor. Helping the poor is not something God asks His people to do; it is something that, throughout all generations, He instructs us to do.

From her book, Kisses From Katie

Support Bushikori Over Christmas

If you are looking for Christmas cards that support the spread of the gospel and helping those in difficult circumstances (especially widows and orphans) then look no further! Bushikori Christian Centre in Uganda are selling Christmas cards.


Card 4


Card 2

To see the full range, visit this page of the Bushikori website.

If you want to order some, either leave a comment, email Sam, or speak to her. Alternatively you can order directly from Bushikori (details on the website). For those who want more information on Bushikori, the work it does, or how to further support Bushikori, again, get in contact with Sam.

Jerry Bridges

I am dismayed at how little we Christians pray for the success of among the nations. If we honestly examine our prayers, we find that we give the greatest priority to our own earthly needs. We pray about health needs, financial needs, weather needs, and all other kinds of needs of this life. Perhaps we even pray about our own or our loved ones’ spiritual needs. But how many are praying about the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth? How many are pleading the promises of God?

The Gospel for Real Life

Memorial Box Monday

In June I went to Portarlington for the National Celtic festival. When I was there, my dad, who lives in the area, mentioned that there was a book “100 Ways of for Your Child to read” at the local op shop, which he had thought about getting me, but hadn’t because he wasn’t sure if I had it.

Now, I’m strictly a phonics girl. So a book about 100 ways to teach your child to read seems more to me like 100 ways to teach your child not to read.

“It’s by Unwin, or something,” my dad added helpfully.

Wheels turned in my brain. “Englemenn?” I said hopefully.

“No, I think it was Unwin.”

I prayed then that the book would be Englemann’s Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, which I’ve been wanting for years and have heard only good things about. As there are four op shops in Portarlington alone (let alone the surrounding area) I also prayed that the book would be in the op shop that supports Bushikori, which I support financially. (All of the money from my CD goes to Bushikori in Uganda!)

And…

Well, this IS a Memorial Box Monday! Of course God answered my prayers! I now have one of the most popular phonics reading books (for a very reasonable price), but the money is helping children (and adults too) in Uganda!

For more Memorial Box Monday posts, hop over to this post at Linny's blog, A Place Called Simplicity.

Romans 8

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (verse 6)

What we think on has eternal consequences. We like to think of our thoughts as being private, as being confidential, and as being consequence-free. What is in our mind stays in our mind, we like to think. But this is quite simply not true.

The mind set on the flesh is full of death. That is where each fleshly thought leads to. Death. We think it will go otherwise, that we will escape this fact somehow, but we won’t.

But the mind set on the Spirit not only HAS life and peace, but IS life and peace.

It takes us down the path of righteousness. It is mindful of God, and mindless of ourselves.

Where are my thoughts? On the flesh or on the Spirit? They are so much on the flesh? I think on the food I eat, the time I have, the ways I can spend my money, angry thoughts about those who annoy me. These thoughts lead to death.

Fortunately, as God cleanses me and sanctifies me, my thoughts become more and more set on the path of light, of life. I pray more, and for less selfish things. I think more on the ways of God, and on His great love, even for me. I have a long way to go, but God is good, and He will continue His good work in me.

Katie Davis

People often ask if I think my life is dangerous, if I am afraid. I am much more afraid of remaining comfortable. Matthew 10:28 tells us not to fear things that destroy the body. I interact almost daily with people who have deadly diseases, and many times I am the only person who can help them. I live in a country with one of the world’s longest-running wars taking place just a few hours away. Uncertainty is everywhere. But I am living in the midst of the uncertainty and risk, amid things that can and do bring physical destruction, because I am running from things that can destroy my soul: complacency, comfort, and ignorance. I am much more terrified of living a comfortable life in a self-serving society and failing to follow Jesus than I am of any illness or tragedy.

From her book, Kisses From Katie

Book review: Kisses From Katie

You have had the opportunity to read a few quotes from this book. So far, it’s probably my favourite book for the year, and definitely my favourite missionary biography. When you consider that I read 15-20 books a month, you can be assured that this book is really, REALLY good.

Short breakdown: girl goes to Uganda to teach kindergarten for 1 year, planning to go back to her “normal” life in America after that year. Instead she ends up taking in 14 girls (she’s currently in the process of formally adopting 13 of them) , starting an international ministry that provides food, school fees and school supplies to over 200 needy children in her area (the current number is more than 300), and providing basic medical care for people around her.

One of the things that isreally great about this book is her reflections on God’s heart, and how that affects her ministry, and most of these reflections are relevant not only to her ministry, but everyday life anywhere.

The other thing that I really enjoyed was that she stressed how normal she was, how she lived the fairly normal teenage life back in America, how she doesn’t always have a great attitude, and things like that.

I found this book to be really interesting and encouraging, and as I said, one of the best, if not the best, books I’ve read this year.

You can purchase the book here at 147 Million Orphans, and 50% of the proceeds will go to Katie's ministry.

You can purchase the from Amazon book here.

You can visit Katie’s blog here.

You can visit Amazina Ministries (the website for Katie’s ministry) here.

Beth Clark

People who really want to make a difference in the world usually do it, in one way or another. And I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakeable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that EVERY LIFE MATTERS. They get excited over one smile. They are willing to feed one stomach, educated one mind, and treat one wound. They aren’t determined to revolutionize the world all at once; they’re satisfied with small changes. Over time, though, the small changes add up. Sometimes they even transform cities and nations, and yes, the world.

From her foreword in Kisses From Katie.

Are You Prepared For Persecution?

This has been on my mind lately. How prepared are we in the Western church for persecution? Real, serious persecution?

Not very, really.

Think about it. Christians get upset when nativity scenes are not allowed in public places, calling it “the war against Christmas”. We write letters about the removal of the 10 commandments from court rooms. We complain about the removal of prayer from schools, from politics, from public life. And we call these things persecution.

Brothers and sisters, these things are NOT persecution. They aren’t great, but they are not persecution, and calling them such makes a mockery of those who are persecuted, and allows us to be unequipped to deal with real persecution when it comes.

Are we prepared to go to jail for Christ and His Kingdom? That’s real persecution.

Are we prepared to have family and friends refuse to have anything to do with us, kicking us out of our homes, our lives? That’s real persecution.

Are we prepared to be tortured for speaking to the lost? That’s real persecution.

Are we prepared to lose all our earthly possessions, counting their loss a gain so that we may more completely follow Christ? That’s real persecution.

We do not know the meaning of the term persecution. And we are not prepared for it. We do not have the deep seated relationship with God that is needed to get us through such times. We do not know any bits of the Bible well enough to encourage our hearts in times of persecution, when Bibles are not available. We cannot do without all the bells and whistles of a modern church service, complete with multi-media to get and keep our attention… when what we really need is all too often lacking… the Word of God. We cannot spend time in prayer for more than a few minutes without falling asleep.

We are NOT prepared for persecution!

You cannot prepare others. You can prepare yourself. Read the Word. Memorise it. Meditate on it. Pray. Build your relationship with God. These are what are truly necessary to get us through times of trial. God and His Word.

Katie Davis

Originally, my quitting was to be temporary, lasting just one year before I went to college and returned to normal, American teenager life. But after that year, which I spent in Uganda, returning to “normal” wasn’t possible. I had seen what life was about and I could not pretend I didn’t know. So I quit my life again, and for good this time. I quit college; I quit designer clothes and my little yellow convertible; I quit my boyfriend. I no longer have all the things the world says are important. I do not have a retirement fund; I do not even have electricity some days. But I have everything I know is important. I have a joy and a peace that are unimaginable and can come only from a place better than this earth. I cannot fathom being happier. Jesus wrecked my life, shattered it to pieces, and put it back together more beautifully.

From her book, Kisses From Katie (Review coming - but seriously, this is the best book I've read this year!)