My Good Samaritans

So, I had a little episode in the metro the other day.... let's just say I wasn't really ready to be taking public transportation again after being sick.

Cut to the passersby stopping to see if I was okay. There was a nicely dressed middle-aged woman, and a couple of homeless (!) guys (or druggies or whatever...sorry to be overgeneralizing, but just the kind of person you would normally see passed out or stumbling along).

We found a place to sit down and I lost a little of my breakfast and I thought, God sent me the perfect helpers: a mother, with a nurturing spirit, and two young men who are not freaked out at all by this type of thing. Strange, but true.

I had left for work that morning with a great sense of peace that God was watching over me.

Once the two guys saw I was going to be okay, they said goodbye. "Here's your stuff," said one of them. I hadn't even realized that I had handed over my belongings to a total stranger.

The lady gave me a sweet Clementine to eat, so juicy and refreshing. Then we walked down the stairs and went our separate ways.

I'm humbled every time I think back to how they stopped and helped me. How many times have I walked right by someone in need? How many times have I turned away for someone who looked dirty or disheveled? But they didn't pass ME by.

Why the hate?

I've been reading a little bit about gay marriage in the news. Hmmm, hard to decide what to write as my next sentence.

It goes back to a book review I once wrote discussing a few issues with modern church movements. One fallacy I noted was the "Praise for Uncertainty" issue, including denying the ability to know God and refusing to take a stand on important issues.

Yet what do we do when various "Christian" churches DO take a stand...but on different sides?

I noticed today that CNN had posted articles from two different Christian pastors who were either "for" or "against" gay marriage.

Lots of ignorant, ranting remarks in the comment section. But one actually struck me as insightful:

(paraphrased): I don't get how both articles are written by pastors of Christian churches, yet represent opposing viewpoints?


This person didn't try to attack and defend the Bible or biblical interpretation. It was just an honest observation.

Why, Christians? Why do we have opposite points of view? Is there a chance for the Truth to speak through us, or are the "issues" and "doctrines" all that people see?

An orphan gets published

For those of you interested in orphan ministry, or simply in reading an amazing testimony of God's grace, here is a link to an autobiographical account of an orphan who grew up in St. Petersburg and is now involved in orphan ministry himself after his life got turned around.

It's exciting especially if you've been to St. Petersburg and visited the churches and orphanages mentioned in the story. This is life here, and here's how a life could turn out, with the right intervention.

You can buy this book for your Kindle (free for Prime members), and it's also available in paperback. http://www.amazon.com/Infinitely-More-ebook/dp/B004U6WQOS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329591371&sr=8-2

O blagodat' (I'm the one with the flute)

Yep, this is our Christmas performance: "Amazing Grace" in Russian, a la Celtic Women.

It doesn't really sound like the Celtic Women version, but it was a fun project trying to learn and memorize all 3 parts.

Also, I got choked up near the end thinking about the words, so my voice sounds a little shaky.