Every Child Deserves To Live

Today radio stations, Air1 and K-Love, are working with Jars of Clay's charity, Blood:Water Mission. Today raising money, all going to building wells in Africa. These wells would give these children and their families clean drinking water. Water that will help them live, let them go to school. Why wouldn't they be able to go to school you may ask... well because clean water in some places are as far as ten or more miles away which would take all day and they would be forced to missed school. To learn more visit bloodwatermission.com

Today also my church, Central Church of the Nazarene, has 31 people in Swaziland right now. They are working with orphans and their familes that are affected with AIDS. Giving them food, water, and any other meds needed to live. I only wish that I could be there in Swaziland giving those children some love and attention which so many probably don't get. Go to your local church to find out where they are going on the next mission trip.

A couple weeks ago, President Obama signed a bill that would finally help the children of Northern Uganda, and Eastern Africa. This bill would help rebuild Northern Uganda because of all the war torn regions that happened because of the LRA. A strategy will be brought to the air soon to apprehend the rebel leader and all the leading commanders. These child soldiers will be able to go home and play outside without any worry about being abducted. They will soon go to a place where they will be loved again. I can't wait for this day.

Invisible Children in the fall has a program called Schools for Schools. This is 100 days of hardcore fundraising for the rebuilding of schools in Northern Uganda. Giving these children an education that they desire. An education that they use to help the children that are living this new life. Sadly, these schools used to be the best schools in Uganda but because of the LRA destroyed them. So you can help and you can get your school involved this fall by going to invisiblechildren.com

TOMS Shoes. I have blogged about them multiple times. Organized by a young man named Blake. This shoes are the same design as the farmers in Argentina. When you purchase a pair of shoes, they will donate another pair of shoes to a child that needs a pair. You see when they children get a pair of these shoes, they too can go to school. Some of the schools that the children go to require shoes so before they just couldn't go and get that education they want so badly. Without shoes these children are contract diseases. TOMS does these shoe drops everywhere from South America, Africa, and even here in the US. To learn more about this organization visit TOMSshoes.com

There is so much we take for granted here in the U.S. Clean water, shoes (for most of us most likely have more than one pair of shoes), school (some even get to go to a private school), and loving people around us. While most of us have these things some of our children still aren't as lucky.

I have just recently found out about an organization called Stand Up For Kids. Every year the famous band, Switchfoot, has this benefit surf contest/ concert for this organization in Encinitas, CA. This organization is all about kids as you can guess by the theme of my blog and the name of the organization. This organization tries to make a difference of the lives of the at-risk, homeless, and street-kids. According to thier website, " StandUp For Kids helps homeless youth tackle some of their everyday obstacles and work towards a life off the streets. From basic necessities such as food, clothing, and hygiene to resources for housing, employment, and education, StandUp For Kids counselors use an open, straightforward and caring counseling approach to help kids reach their full potential." Which to me sounds great and I can't wait to get involved with this organization. To learn more visit standupforkids.org

So as you can very well see that children are children. They look the same, they grow the same way. The only really big difference is where they come from. That shouldn't keep them from getting the clean water, education, and shoes that we so desperately take for granted. I know there are many other organizations out there that help these children, but I just wanted to point out some verses in the Bible that are directed epescially for and to kids.

"And learn to live right. See that justice is done. Defend widows and orphans and help those in need." Isaiah 1:17

"Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord." Psalm 127: 3

"'Let the children come to me! Don't try to stop them. People who are like these little children belong to the kingdom of God. I promise you that you cannot get into God's kingdom, unless you accept it the way a child does."' Mark 10:14-15

"Our God, from your sacred home you take care of orphans and protect widows. You find families to those who are lonely. You set prisoners free and let them prosper," Psalm 68:5-6

I challenge you to take a look at the children in your life and then look at the ones across the street or across the ocean and see how you can help. Sponsor a child, write to them or even better to them with your children with World Vision. Or sponsor a baby who has been abdandoned and can't live through Holt International. Sign up to donate monthly through the Legacy Scholarship Fund with Invisible Children, by providing them education and a mentor that will be with them and help them pursue their goals. Buy a pair of shoes and donate a pair at the same time. Maybe buy a pair from TOMS and give it to a kid in your neighborhood who needs it, then tell them that another kid has a pair just like theirs in another country. Whatever you decide to do, don't forget the children of the world.

"To all the people who are fighting for the broken,
all the people who keep holding onto love,
all the people who are reaching for the lonely,
keep changing the world"
- "Keep Changing the World" Mikeschair ft. Lecrae

Who's My Favorite Artist?

Everysince I could remember I have always loved art. I have pretty much been surrounded by art my entire life. I have friends that are great at art, like my best buddies Mintra. She is amazing at music and especially photography.

I love everything from drawing, painting, to designing shirts. I love it all.

Now, there must be a reason, a muse, a inspirtation, or even favorite artist that has inspired me. And your right. There is.

Let's just say every where I look I see His art. I see his details. His penmenship. His brush strokes. Even in every person He sculpts, there seems to be alittle piece of Him in them. I have even noticed that He's has some works of me all over His walls.

Is it creepy? Some may say yes. But to me, I feel honored. I know that He even loves me so much that He paints, and sculpts for me. It's all special.

So who is this artist?

If you haven't guessed already. He is my God. Yahweh. Jesus Christ. Everything on this Earth is His creation. No matter how hard I try, my perspective and how I perceive His works in my work, will never be as great and beautiful it is in real life.

We, too, are apart of gallery. His gallery of His people. Each of us unique in every way. None the same. He has given us talents, different talents. Which is like His signature. The signature that He has given us to help spread His kingdom. Each of us different. Each of us reaching different people with different talents.

What is His signature in your life? How and when will you use His signature for His Kingdom?

Who Are You Helping?

Yesterday was Sunday. Yesterday was church. Yesterday was the second part of Pastor Rob Prince of Central Church of the Nazarene's sermon series "Solomon Says: Who are you helping?"

It is a series based from Solomon's writings, AKA the Proverbs. This week's sermon was based from the scripture Proverbs 14:31:

"If you mistreat the poor, you insult your creator; If you are kind to them, you show Him respect."

So as I sat there listening, I heard a common theme for that day. Something that Pastor Rob said constantly,
- break my heart for what breaks Yours
- Seeing is important because it leads to compassion
- God blessed not so we can do few, but that we can do much

Then that night, we started a new book about the Beatitudes and how we can live them out.

The first one we went over was: Blessed are those who are poor in spirit.

We discussed what this meant and how we could do it. After we discuss we were to pick out something then live it out then report back to the group about it.

This whole day I had been thinking about different things I have been wanting to do for a long time. Like buying for someone else's drink at starbucks or another coffee shop. I was also reminded of getting people together to feed the homeless in KC.

So I am really going to work hard and really get people together to do this!

So ask your self the question... When you look around, what do you see?

Do you see a bunch of people and their stuff, or do you see what they need... a savior.

It's Only Amazing and Completely Breathless!

SO if you read my blogs then you know who and what Invisible Children is and stands for. You should even know that there was a bill out there going through the process to help the children of Uganda and especially Eastern Africa. Well for those of you that don't know....

It all started in 2005, at least the organization, but I do believe that Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole, and Jason Russell went on a journey to Africa, more preferably Sudan. Going on a adventure to document what they could find. Little did these young men in their 20's know they were going to embark on an adventure that would forever change not only their lives but the lives of hundreds of teens and young adults. While on this adventure they find out that there are children traveling miles by foot to get to the next city to seek refuge from the Lords Resistance Army, or LRA. This rebel army abducts these children and forces them to abduct, kill, and mutilate people on command... even their friends and family. One former child soldier even said that he killed a woman for walking too slow. These three young guys learned about this war and the rebel leader, Joseph Kony, and were shocked to hear that it was going unseen for more than two decades. Who would have thought?

Well they took the footage they took from the camera they bought from EBay and put together a documentary called, "Invisible Children: The Rough Cut." From this documentary there came a wave of responses from the people that watched it asking what they could do to help. So they went ahead and started... Invisible Children, in 2005.

Since then alot has happened! Every fall semester schools around the country raise money to rebuild a sister school in Northern Uganda. They typically raise over ONE MILLION dollars... it's totally crazy cause I just learned that, that's more than the US and UN give to Northern Uganda combined! How epic is that. A whole bunch of teens and young adults raising more money than probably millionaires. Then is the spring about every other year they have done rallies. The latest one was called, "The Rescue." This event took place in 100 cities, 10 countries, all together sharing 1 voice. We stood together in solidarity with the child soldiers, and symbolically abducted ourselves and walked 2-3 miles then waited to be rescued by the media and a celebrity or political mogul. It took about 6 days until we were finally rescued by Oprah in Chicago, IL, or Chi-town. Little did we know that soon after the Rescue, a bill was written to help those in Northern Uganda and Eastern Africa and help capture Joseph Kony. Later that same summer we, about two thousand of us went to Washington, D.C., to lobby to our congressmen about the bill. We had about 40 signatures in that day alone. I was just lucky to have Mr. Senator Samuel Brownback as my senator, because he was a co-writer of the bill. It wasn't until just recently that the bill passed the House of Senate Unanimously, then it passed through the House of Representatives Unanimously with the same bill without any corrections or changes.

So today was the day that was completely amazing and breathless. Mr. President Barrack Obama signed the bill. Which makes it a law. Now has 180 days to come up with a strategy to apprehend Joseph Kony and the other leading commanders of the LRA. Then we can start fixing and recovering Northern Uganda and Eastern Africa and bring those child soldiers back to their families.

Here is was President Obama said about us, citizens:
"I congratulate Congress for seizing on this important issue, and I congratulate the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have mobilized to respond to this unique crisis of conscience. We have heard from the advocacy organizations, non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups, humanitarian actors who lack access, and those who continue to work on this issue in our own government. We have seen your reporting, your websites, your blogs, and your video postcards — you have made the plight of the children visible to us all. Your action represents the very best of American leadership around the world, and we are committed to working with you in pursuit of the future of peace and dignity that the people of who have suffered at the hands of the LRA deserve."

So I just wanted to thank everyone who spent alot of their time on Facebook annoying their friends with constant status updates, invites, tagging, and video blitzing. All those people that slept outside in the cold until a Senator released his hold on the bill. All of you we waited all 6 days in Chicago till you got rescued. All of you who rescue rode or rescue watched. All those epic dance parties on the Live Feed. All,  two thousand, of you would went and lobbied to your congressmen in D.C. and made it the largest lobbying event on an African issue. All of you who signed the petitions. All of you who wrote, called, emailed, or visited your congressmen in your home town. Thanks!


We are getting so much closer to saying and seeing it really happen...


Together we ARE FREE!!!


And then watching... How it Ends.


Thanks again! I love all of you!

Prayer and Fasting... Who Really Needs to do That?

So the past couple of weeks I have been going to IHOP, International House of Prayer in Kansas City, and well, I guess there has been one thing that's been in common. This lifestyle that all these people testifying about. This lifestyle of prayer and fasting.

The last time I was at IHOP was last Wednesday, May 19th, and well it was really evident what God was wanting me to do. I read this scripture from Matthew 9:16-17. It was just so interesting:

[No one uses a new piece of cloth to patch old clothes. The patch would shrink and tear a bigger hole.
No one pours new wine into old wineskins. The wine would swell and burst the old skins. Then the wine would be lost, and the skins would be ruined. New wine must be put into new wine skins. Both the skins and the wine will then be safe.]

I knew that if I kept living this life of secrecy. This life that not a lot of people know about. If I kept living this way I am like that old wineskin. No room to grow and take in what the Lord has to offer for me. If I kept my old ways, I could always go back and if I tried to take in more of the Lord and what He wants then who knows, I mean just 'burst' because I can't handle it. I may not even know what to do with the Lord has given me, or any of the great opportunity He given me share the talents He has given me.

That night, I finally learned what the Bride-groom Fast was. They, IHOP, fasts the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the month, every month except for December. In December they fast the entire week of the OneThing Conference, which is the last week of December. All adding up to forty day of fasting in the year.

I never really took into consideration this part of my relationship with Christ and my heavenly Father. You know, I think I am ready for it. I ready for His joy and love to rule over my life. I am ready be a 'love-bomb' for Him.(read my other blog to know what a love-bomb is)

I have never really felt this amazing joy that I have seen in such godly people in my life. They are always loving and happy. So real. A real example of what it means to follow Christ with every breath of their life. I want to feel this joy.

I am definitely up for a new chapter in my life. This chapter of life I pray with last the rest of my life, but that I will take this prayer and fasting lifestyle to the next level.

I have really been diving into my Bible in a new way. All thanks to my friends at InterVarsity and my Sunday School, NarrowGate at Central Church. I have really been so excited to really dive into my Bible anytime of day or when ever.

So I hope that maybe you, too, will take this step with me. But if you aren't ready it's ok, but remember that prayer and fasting are important in the relationship with our heavenly Father. Just check out these scriptures.

Fasting is a form of worship: "Then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying" (Luke 2:37).  

Fasting is a personal event: "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:16-18). 

When Jesus was with the Disciples they didn't have to fast, but now that we wait for the return of Jesus we should fast, for Jesus is our Bridegroom. "They [Pharisees] said to him, 'John's disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.' Jesus answered, 'Can you make the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.'" (Matthew 9:14-15)  

Praying for health: "David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground" (2 Samuel 12:16)

Praying for safety: "There, by the Ahava Canal, I [Ezra] proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions" (Ezra 8:21).

As an act of repentance: "When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah" (1 Samuel 7:6).

As a sign of mourning: "They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword" (2 Samuel 1:12).

Before making an important decision: "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off….Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust " (Acts 13:2-3; 14:23). 

This is Laura, and I am armed and ready for the beginning of the new chapter of my life, and you invited to be apart of this story with me.