Christians » Group

 I was raised in a home with loving, consistent parents, yet there was pain and friction due to alcohol abuse and other issues. Us kids were sent to Sunday School while my parents stayed home and I was also lucky enough to attend holiday camps run by Christians. At a young age I decided to become a Christian, and have been growing spiritually ever since.

I truly believe that God led me to my husband so that, despite our relatively young age, our marriage has been strong. Together we have sought God's wisdom in parenting our natural daughter (our miracle - we were told by doctors that our chances of having kids was zero) and the many, many kids we have fostered, mostly on a short-term basis.

I claim to have 2 kids as one of our foster kids kept "bouncing back", and when he was made a ward of the state it seemed the right thing to take him on long-term. He was living with us from 6 to 16 years of age, so we consider him to be our son. Raising him was extremely complicated, but certainly had terrific times. Sadly, as a teen, his determination for independence resulted in his moving out. He's made some pretty lousy choices (eg dropping out of school, wrong crowd, blowing all his money) and is now reaping the consequences.  We keep in touch and pray that God will give us wisdom as we aim to reflect His love to T.

Our daughter married a wonderful man in March 2006. At the moment they rent a unit nearby and are going through the ups and downs of house-hunting. It's a whole different level of parenting with grown kids.

I will never feel smug about any"good" parenting I may have done, and try not to weigh myself down with guilt over things I could have done better. I'm just so thankful to God for the opportunity to be a parent and for His help along the way.

I just received this email:

 

 

 

News -Should the Christian parliamentary prayer be dumped?

[b]The speaker of the Federal Parliament, Harry Jenkins, has called for a debate on removing the Christian prayer and replacing it with something aboriginal. We must enter this debate. [/b]
[b]
Web Poll: [/b][b]“Should the parliamentary prayer be dumped for an acknowledgment of traditional Aboriginal land owners?” [/b]
Vote and Herald Sun article
At: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24552121-662,00.html
[b]F[/b][b]urther ACTION points below[/b][b] [/b][b]

What prayer opens Parliament?[/b]
The House of Representatives Prayers - From the Standing Orders: [b]38 Prayers[/b]
On taking the Chair at the beginning of each sitting, the Speaker shall read the following prayers:
[i]Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee to vouchsafe Thy blessing upon this Parliament. Direct and prosper our deliberations to the advancement of Thy glory, and the true welfare of the people of Australia .[/i]
[i]Our Father, which art in Heaven: Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we[/i]
[i]forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.[/i]

[b]Why has this been raised now?[/b]

This has arisen because in his maiden speech last week, Independent MP Rob Oakeshott, the new independent Member for Lyle, said he was surprised and disappointed federal Parliament had not adopted the practice of a daily acknowledgement about the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land.
"I ask you to revisit this question of a daily acknowledgement within this chamber for traditional owners, a simple, symbolic but respectful act that will assist in building a better Australia ," Mr Oakeshott said to the Speaker.

[b]What outcome – why does it matter?[/b]

If you thought the push for Australia to become a republic had nothing to do with removing God from our nation, it’s time to think again.
If you did not think the promotion of and deference to the aboriginal culture would take our nation into animism, then think again.
Ideas always have consequences, so the idea that our parliament starts EVERY day with a Christian prayer AND the Lord ’s Prayer has consequences.
Our forefathers put it there to remind our political leaders that they are answerable to a higher power and that they are responsible to that Power – to Almighty God.
Just because some do not believe it does not make it wrong or unnecessary.
Take away that reminder and they serve themselves and look for wisdom in other places.

[b]Animism is the worship of a created thing or things - can it also be the worship of a culture?[/b]

If our Parliament was opened each day with a prayer or statement from any other religion or any other philosophy or culture then they would be acknowledging that ‘source’ as power and/or influence and bowing before it – paying homage to it. Even the HS article headline says “Replace prayer with 'indigenous honour'”

Earlier this year a [b]Hindu [/b]applied to open our parliament with readings from Hindu text/prayers.
His request was denied because standing orders dictate what will happen in parliament.
If those standing orders are changed to allow the acknowledgement of Aboriginal ‘ownership’ or an aboriginal recitation/ceremony they could soon be changed to allow ANY other religious or cultural recitation.
See attached for media articles.

Action

[b]ACTION:[/b] We need to take a stand now and nip this in the bud very quickly.
Standing up on this issue now will indicate to MPs that it is not the will of the people to remove our Christian heritage and replace it with aboriginal spirituality and homage.
 
[b]Write/email [/b]
Please tell them that you want to keep the Christian opening prayer and the underpinning of our reliance on Almighty God in our parliaments across Australia .
Remind them of our Christian heritage and that 67% of people chose to identify as ‘Christian’ at the last census.
Tell them that we need to maintain the values and wisdom of Christianity as directed through Gods Word. This is the only way to maintain the freedom we have had for over 200 years.  
 
Mr Harry Jenkins MP – Speaker – ALP [b]Email:[/b] Harry.Jenkins.MP@aph.gov.au
PO Box 6022 , House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 4000 Fax: (02) 6277 2050
[b]Robert Oakeshott MP[/b]  robertoakeshott@gmail.com
 
It is expected that the [b]Attorneys-Generals [/b]will discuss this at their next meeting in November. We need to contact the federal and state Attorney’s General click [b]here[/b] for our website page with names and email addresses.
 
[b]Write to your own Federal MP and 12 senators[/b] – If you do not know who they are go to our web site and follow the links.
Go to http://www.saltshakers.org.au/html/P/13/B/82/
 

[b]Peter Stokes[/b]
Executive Officer
Salt Shakers
03 9800 2855
0413 084 145
www.saltshakers.org.au

What are your thoughts?

Hello All,

I just wanted to say a huge hello and encourage you all that you guys are making a difference!!  I am a new Minti member and to find out that there a place for Believers to gather online and pray and exhort one another is fantastic.  Praise the Lord we live in this day of global interaction where we can not only affect those in our direct contact, but also those over the seas.

Yours in Jesus,

Emma

E-cards for "Pastor Appreciation Month" from ChristianityToday.com --> Christian Occasions --> Clergy Appreciation :)

Thank God that He hears our prayers! I thank God for all your prayers.

I spoke to the pastor and his wife tonight, and nothing further has occured with their daughter. Their family and the Church has been praying for the girl who did this and her family. There have been no further incidents or concerns, and their daughter is doing well.

This is the kind of answer to prayer that makes people wonder why we bother, of accuse me of over reacting. But I know in my heart that Pastor's wife wasn't just being maternal, but was receiving God's guidance, and that nothing happening is God's responce to the prayers of his children! I have not heard about court, however, but i believe I will in God's time. I end up in court regularly on other matters...

So, thank you all for your prayers and your comments. It is awesome to have a body of beleivers agreeing in prayer!

In HIm.

I Am's Child.

I have an urgent prayer request.

There is a little church here, that was spiritually dead. God brought in a new pastor and his family. Massive change is happening, and God is breathing new Life into this church. However, last night their oldest daughter was assaulted by a girl in town. This is viewed as the enemy retaliating because God's work is being done and new people are coming to God for the first time in years! This young lady is instrumental in bringing youth to the Lord and to the Youth Group.

Tonight, her mother felt a particular burden for her daughter's safety. The prayer group it's self still needs a lot of prayer. Ms.Pastor had a strong feeling to pray for protection for her daughter, a concern about future assaults/attacks. Unfortuanately, it was left like that. I prayed on it silently, and went into deeper prayer once in my vehicle. However, this whole situation needs prayer, especially that no further attacks occur.

Charges have been laid, so prayer that the young lady that did this be held responcible for her actions. She has gotten away with it before. Pray that God's justice be done.

Thanks in advance for your prayers!

I'm a christian child protection worker. I know the questions of Beleivers are often different than everyone else, and that we often have problems with agencies that don't beleive in Jesus. If anyone wants to talk to me about something or has a question, I'm here to help.

I beleive that God led me to child protection, and that it is how He wants to use me. If I can help at all, please contact me.

I Am's Child.

Ok it's been about 3 weeks now since I had the most amazing experince at church.  We had a special pastor, from Africa, come and preach at our church.  Now the church I go to is in Spanish, and this pastor speaks English, so our pastor translated.  It was a great service about the word of God and how it is spoken.  About how God's word is still living like it did back when he created the heavens and earth.  That the word is alive and making miracles and that the word is as strong as back in the days of the bible.

I had my own miracle that day, with my son.  If you have seen my blogs, you know that my son was premature and has been underweight for months.  No matter how much we feed him he would gain little to no weight.  We tried everything, all kinds of foods, doubling his formula, anything.  Well, towards the end of the service I went up with him for the pastor to bless him while I prayed the God would give him health and for him to put on weight and eat like crazy and just be a healthy baby.  Well no one in the church knows that he has had this problem, especially the pastor who visited that day.  I was praying holding my son that he would eat and just be healthy and grow and gain weight like he should.  As the pastor when down the line he would place his hand on the peoples' head and bless them, then move onto the next.  He did this for everyone but about 3 people, one being my son. 

He went person to person in the front, blessing them and moving on.  But when he got to me and my son he stoped.  He placed his hand on my sons head and then on his back, over his stomach.  He began to pray that my son be heald from cancer.  That in Jesus's name the cancer to be rebuked and removed from my sons body.  That my son be healed and free from cancer.  I just balled and cried like I have never before.  I just prayed and thanked God for him and for healing my son.  The pastor finished and went onto the other people, just placing his hand on their heads and blessing them.  Even several parents brought up their children, and he did the same.  I truely was like God told him especially for me, to heal my son.  After returning to my seat my SILs asked me what he said as they were shocked.  I told them what he said and asked my MIL, how does he know what was wrong with my son?  No one told him anything!!!  This was a true miracle and gift from God.  After we left church I talked to my MIL about what happened.

My MIL told my SIL and I that God spoke to him and told him what was wrong, that is how he knew what to pray for.  Well, let me tell you, my son ate like there was no tomorrow!  The most he had ever eaten in his life!  Everyone had finished eating and he was still eating.  We were all amazed at how different my son was.  The next day my son was drinking about 8oz in the bottle at a time, never like before.  He was so active and just was a different baby.  My MIL told me that she could see a difference immediately after the pastor prayed for him. 

So now after about 3 weeks my son has gained just under about 2 lbs, grew what seems like an inch, and is looking very chubby compaired to before.  And he is still eating a ton, sometimes up to 10-12oz at night before bed, and 7oz in the am before breakfast.  You can see that he has changed, as he now has a permenant pot belly from eating and gaining weight.  He is so different then before, it's like he has a whole new fresh start!  And what was really nice is that my hubby, whom could not be at church that day due to working at the bakery, was able to see what happened the other night.  He says now how big our son is getting, where as before he could not see much difference.  They taped that day at church and when hubby saw how the pastor prayed for our son, he burst into tears.  He could see that what ever it was that kept our son from getting all he needed from his food was no longer there.  The Cancer has left his body and he is now rapidly catching up to other babies his same age!!!!

He is a miracle and God changed my son that day...Today when you see my son, he still on the skinnier side, but you can see the chub in his face, at the wrists and the creases in his legs.....

I just had to share this with you all.....

Hi to all my fellow believers in Christ!

Excited to join a group of other believers who want to raise their children in the Lord. I'm also glad to see that we can come here to ask for prayer and to pray for the needs of others!

Have a Blessed day!