Fresh On Friday ~ Encourage

Yet another Friday ~

My thoughts this morning are scattered but focused.
Scattered in the sense so much is happening around me, focused because we need to be!
So much going on in the world and so many in need of prayer.

The fact that (fill in the blank) in this case, Christians are being driven from their homes if they don't convert to Islam, some shot, some beheaded for their faith. Imagine, in a moment you are driven from your home with nothing but the clothes on your back.  Your new residence is atop a rock mountain, no food or water.   The mountain that followed seeing a child being beheaded, throats slashed, or shot for one's faith? 
How surreal must this be? Fear mixed with every ounce of faith one can muster, just getting through the next moment.....this is their reality.

This isn't a best selling book, this isn't a movie, this is real life.
One word, genocide. It happened to the Jews and it's happening again.
I can recall after learning of the Holocaust, thinking how did this happen? Why was it allowed to continue?
Why didn't, oh I don't know, the world step in and stop it??
I can also recall thinking, this could never happen again....
Yet here we are.

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We have an American Pastor in a prison cell in Iran, he's been their for two years now because of his faith.
He has a wife and two small children.
We even know his name, Pastor Saeed, he is 34 years old. (Google his name and read about it)
He has been ill, and he has been tortured.
Why are our leaders not doing all they can to get him out?
This blogger has to wonder.....

Tonight at 7 P.M. eastern time on  "On the Record" Gretta Van Susteren  is airing a live special on Fox about this genocide...I hope you will seriously consider watching and become informed if you aren't already.

My hope is we are not going to let this happen again in our lifetime and keep quiet about it.

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On another note;

I know many of you were praying for one of the pastors at our church. Pastor Mike has leukemia and has spent much of his time since February in the hospital. Though we are encouraged his blood counts are improved and he is home, be it a day to day basis...he still needs your prayers.  We are so excited to hear they have found a bone marrow donor in Germany.  We are praying this donor is  actively seeking to complete all the testing that must happen in order for the transplant to take place. Please pray for this to happen, and for Pastor Mike to remain free of infection as his blood counts improve to the optimum level for the transplant.  This has been a roller coaster for he and his family, way too many ups and downs, yet he remains faithful and trusting God has this. I have learned so much from him as he daily blogs about his journey....

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I realize this isn't much of an encouraging word blog today....my hope is to encourage you to not keep quiet this time. My hope is that because we do not remain quiet about this, that someone will put a stop to the genocide that is happening again.  My hope is because of our prayers a young Pastor in Iran is released to his family.  My hope is our Pastor Mike is well again to resume a normal life with his wife and children.

If you yourself are hurting or suffering in any way, please let me know, I would love to pray for you.
I'm an average person, who has a faith in God.
Certainly not something to be killed over.....or is it?

Encouraging you to be a positive voice in the lives of others.....it's what echos from my heart today.