Paste List
"Paste/Prayer List"
The preacher at the church I attend has what he has termed a "Paste List". As he explained, the people, problems, challenges, and other subjects he sought to pray about and remember in thought became so abundant, that he formed a list.
As he wrote down this list, he thought it would be a good idea to utilize the time he prepared for his day while brushing his teeth would be a way to place this list on his mirror, and what was once used for a mundane (yet needed task of brushing his teeth) pattern in the day was transitioned into a meaningful purpose driven moment.
As I have kept a ever changing list of items on a prayer list, this inspired me to track people and things I needed to remember on my "paste list", inspire them to form a list, and invite others to share what they would like remembered as well.
I ask you to form your own list, utilize a moment during your day to take a step away from the busy lives we lead, and meditate through not only our personal needs, but provide energy around your own "paste list". Feel free to post a reply respectfully around who and what is on your list on this blog, your own mirror, and inspire others to pray with you for.
Luceat Lux Vestra!
Brian Siegel
Brian Siegel's "Paste List"
What's in your list?!
The preacher at the church I attend has what he has termed a "Paste List". As he explained, the people, problems, challenges, and other subjects he sought to pray about and remember in thought became so abundant, that he formed a list.As he wrote down this list, he thought it would be a good idea to utilize the time he prepared for his day while brushing his teeth would be a way to place this list on his mirror, and what was once used for a mundane (yet needed task of brushing his teeth) pattern in the day was transitioned into a meaningful purpose driven moment.
As I have kept a ever changing list of items on a prayer list, this inspired me to track people and things I needed to remember on my "paste list", inspire them to form a list, and invite others to share what they would like remembered as well.
I ask you to form your own list, utilize a moment during your day to take a step away from the busy lives we lead, and meditate through not only our personal needs, but provide energy around your own "paste list". Feel free to post a reply respectfully around who and what is on your list on this blog, your own mirror, and inspire others to pray with you for.
Luceat Lux Vestra!
Brian Siegel
Brian Siegel's "Paste List"
What's in your list?!
- People of Haiti and other areas in the world affected by tragedies and challenges
- To be with my family and friends, as well as others (for safety, success, fun, friendship, and love)
- Abigail (having hysterectomy)
- Cousin (in-law) Greg going through Chemo and battling cancer
- Trish (having surgery)
- The Horvath Family (friend lost his wife to a long time battle with cancer)
- Mrs. JJ (to continue recovering and being a blessing/inspiring to others)
- Ronnie (liver transplant, showing signs of rejection)
- That no child goes hungry, encounters evil people, or is abused in any way
- That I have the humility and grace needed to fuel the discipline I need in my life
- To eliminate racism, prejudice, and ignorance
- Youth and Families in poverty to discover opportunities
- That we align our passion/goals for God's will
- We realize the pain and suffering we have endured is for a purpose, and implement action around it
- To be better vs. bitter
- To open doors to positive lives of action for those in depressed states
- Inspire others to not have a "defeat-est" attitude
- To eliminate violence and hatred against others
- To be of value and service to others
- That people seeking "re-employment" find work (also that they find a job they're passionate about)
- People realize that life is more than a title and paycheck for success, but finding how to be significant as well
- People realize "what really matters" (family, friends, love, integrity, character, time...)
- That people are not the "hate they hate", as a matter of fact, that they don't "hate" period
- To ease the hearts and minds of those in pain from being victimized in some form
- That abuse against women and children is eliminated
- That their be peace brought to families in chaos, locations with religious persecution, war, and oppression
- To be with our troops local and abroad as they defend liberty and peace, keep them safe, and bring them home
- That those in financial hardship seek and discover ways to be significant and successful as they emerge from their debts
- That those facing home foreclosure, losing their car, having bad credit, and more find a ways to get through their challenging situations
- The people seek and find a way to connect to their life spiritually
- That we are kind and respectful through generosity to others through time, money, and talent
- That my non-profit surpasses sustainability, and that this "calling" is utilized as the platform that it needs to be, is a conduit for youth, families, and our communities for positive impact/opportunities
- *See comments for more, and I invite you to add your prayers as well
Comments
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"Here is a new prayer request from Athena Pond at Transitions Global:
"We have a girl in Cambodia who is in court today (our night) and is having a very hard time. She has had to face the perps and is having a really hard time emotionally. A prayer request has gone out to us over Skype, so I wanted to pass it on. She needs strength to get through the trial (so if any of you are up..) , and then strength to work through things after. Our staff needs wisdom and strength as well. Thanks so much everyone! (Ramona if you could pass on to Keith, our prayer warrior!)"
Please remember this young girl in prayers. She needs the strength, comfort, and hope.
- Don"
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*Note from B: I pray for her, and that human slavery and oppression everywhere is eliminated.
Thank you to other "prayer warriors", Justice and Peace Soldiers, and others who are being "Freedom Fighters"!
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FYI:
What an encouraging story of freedom! Please remember to take time this week to ask God to intervene in Mumbai through and to our partners IJM and Transitions Global.
- Don
Dear Crossroads,
Greetings from Mumbai! One of the most difficult emotional and spiritual realities we experience in this line of work is watching rescued women and girls fight rehabilitation and give into the stronghold of bondage by running away from their aftercare homes back into the tragically familiar arms of the flesh trade. Alternatively, the overwhelming joy that is felt when a young woman decides to choose rehabilitation can fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving, leaving smiles permanently etched on our faces for days. Jameerah*, a young woman forced into prostitution, was rescued by IJM in April 2009.
Upon her rescue, it was very clear that Jameerah was not in good health; she was HIV positive. After receiving medical treatment, Jameerah was transferred to an aftercare facility closer to her home in the Indian state of Karnataka. Though her family knew she had been having health problems, she did not want them to know that she had HIV. Prior to her rescue, she had been kidnapped and forced into prostitution at a particularly brutal brothel and was afraid her family would suffer from a negative cultural stigma if they found out. Jameerah mustered up the strength to be reunited with her family for a visit, keeping her health issues under wraps. After spending some time with her loved ones, Jameerah made the decision to permanently return to the aftercare facility that would be able to provide her with access to healthcare and opportunities for her future; something she would not be able to receive in her native rural community.
Since her return to the aftercare home, Jameerah has flourished! The home has a program for orphaned children and Jameerah loves spending time with them and helping the home administrators care for them. She has also recently expressed an interest in continuing her education; she wants to become a teacher so she can influence the lives of the children she loves even more. What is more, a few weeks ago, a woman who had been residing at the same home as Jameerah had started instigating her, filling her mind with ideas of escape and trying to convince her that they could both make a lot of money in the city if they ran away from the home together. Thankfully, Jameerah held firmly to her desire for rehabilitation and the chance of a brighter future. She didn’t listen to the lies and she is still safe, living healthily at her aftercare home and dreaming dreams of real freedom; the freedom to learn and grow and be a light to those around her. Please pray for the woman who did flee from the prospect of real freedom; that her heart would soften toward the sometimes daunting process of rehabilitation and that safety and blessings would surround her wherever she is.
The temptation to live life going through the motions, no matter how physical and psychologically deadening, is great. Praise God for the work He has done in Jameerah. Praise Him for the Spirit of Endurance that is pumping through her veins and for her future that is blindingly bright. Thank you for your commitment in lifting up these praises and petitions to our Father. His love is awesome.
With Great Heart,
Jamie
*Pseudonyms are used to protect the victim’s identity.
Jamie Elkins, Community Relations Assistant, Mumbai INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION®
Hey prayer warriors,
Wow I love getting these from Jamie every week. Amazing, good, encouraging stuff. Keep praying and don't give up!
- Don
Dear Crossroads,
A couple of weeks ago we asked you to keep Monisha* in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks to the love shown to her by members of the Crossroads team on the GO Mumbai trip in February and the many hearts who had committed to praying for her, she miraculously decided to testify against her perpetrators after years of reluctance. Not only has Monisha bravely spoken out against those who aided in her oppression, but she has been stepping boldly toward a bright future that holds the promise of freedom and independence.
A little over a week ago, we had the pleasure of visiting Monisha at the aftercare home where she has been staying for a little over four years. Being able to spend time with this remarkable woman further showed us God’s goodness as she shared more with us about her plans for the future. She told us that her favorite part about living at the aftercare home was having the opportunity to learn. Having come from a poor family, she never thought she would have the chance to learn things like tailoring, beautician and jewelry making. She is proud of herself for learning the skillful art of stitching and it makes her happy that the Sisters in the home have made this kind of learning available to her and the other women living there. Not surprisingly, Monisha’s favorite subject of study is tailoring and she dreams of becoming a fashion designer. One day, we may see her designs created in her favorite color, pink, adorning the racks in department stores. Monisha also dreams of giving back to others, the way the sisters in the home have given so much to her, by someday teaching tailoring to other young girls. While Monisha may never teach us the ways of needle and thread, one thing is for sure; she has taught us all a lot about what it means to dream faithfully and persevere in hope.
We also had an opportunity to spend time with Sitara*. Sitara was trafficked into Mumbai when she was only 14 years old, yet today she is thriving. Now, at the age of 18, she has completed courses in tailoring, beautician and jewelry making. “I like this home,” she told us, “because all of the caretakers look after me and are very loving.” Though she is grateful for the vocational training she is receiving at the home, she revealed to us her deeper desire. She dreams of finishing her formal education so that someday she can work with IJM. As she tells us this, it is evident on her face how profoundly IJM social workers have impacted her life. “IJM social workers come and talk with us and spend their time with us. In the same way, I feel that I would also like to go to other homes and talk with the girls – go and spend my time with the girls,” she explained.
Like most of the women at the home, Sitara loves to sing and dance and her sweet and affectionate nature makes her deeply loved by those around her. Her eagerness to learn and contribute to the lives of others is a reminder that there is a new generation of justice warriors rising up. Those who were once victims of violent oppression are now dreaming of someday carrying the torch of justice. “It was God’s desire that I should come to this home, spend time with the Sisters, and learn things from here – so here I am,” she tells us. A willing and dedicated heart is all that is required as she follows her dreams.
Praising Him,
Jamie Elkins and Michelle Lenk
*Pseudonyms are used to protect the victim’s identity.
Read more or comment at crossroads.net
Hey everyone,
Many of you know the annual International Justice Mission gathering is this weekend in D.C. It features IJM front line staff and clients from around the world sharing astonishing stories of justice sought and won against seemingly insurmountable odds. About 30 of us are geeked up and ready to get in the vans for the road trip Friday.
If you are bummed that you can't go, I have good news. For the first time the IJM Global Prayer Gathering is going to be broadcast on the internet via streaming video starting at 6:15 p.m. Friday night. Just follow the link to access the viewer and see the schedule: http://www.ijm.org/gpgonline
Christ followers are showing up in dark places in today's world to
"Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow..." Isaiah 1:17
Hear their amazing stories at the IJM GPG on line this weekend!
- Don
Read more or comment at crossroads.net
Here's the latest from Jamie!
- Don
Dear Crossroads,
Greetings from Mumbai!
Please pray for Preeti*. When she was rescued in April 2009, we learned that she had been trafficked from Kolkata and that she was four months pregnant. A few days before her baby was born, IJM social workers travelled to Kolkata to find her family and see if they could provide Preeti with a safe place to return home to. Unfortunately, they could not find her relatives. It was not until five months after Preeti had given birth that her parents finally came to see her in Mumbai. Her parents were unaware that she had been trafficked into the sex trade; they simply thought she had gone to Mumbai with the promise of a job. They told Preeti that they wanted her to come home but that she would not be welcome back in their village if she brought the baby with her since she was not married. She would have to give him up for adoption. Preeti so desperately wanted to be back with her family that she agreed to give her son up in place of their acceptance. Two weeks ago, Preeti was released to her family in Kolkata. Before returning to her village, Preeti kept her promise and brought her son to an orphanage.
Please keep both Preeti and her son in your prayers. Pray for Preeti as she transitions into life without her child and for her family and village neighbors to accept her with open arms. Also, pray that her son would be well taken care of in the orphanage and that a loving family would adopt him, care for him as their own and offer him a life that is free from the threat of oppression. Though the man who initially trafficked Preeti is not from her village, he often visits the area in search of vulnerable girls. Please continue to pray for Preeti’s protection from this man and for the protection of other young girls that are susceptible to his deception.
Last Friday [This reference to a prayer request on April 16th, not the one from 3 days ago. - Don], you prayed with us as we conducted a last minute rescue operation! Originally, we had planned to conduct the operation on Saturday, however, the police office we were collaborating with had a majority of their force scheduled to provide security for the Indian Premier League cricket match being held in Mumbai that evening. Instead, they requested that we stage the operation on Friday so they would have adequate support available for the rescue. Moving the date of our last minute rescue operation meant that we only had a few hours to finalize our operation strategy. Unbeknownst to us, hours before we started hurriedly organizing for the operation, a young woman named Madhuri* was being and sold by her "boyfriend" to the very same brothel we were targeting.
When IJM and accompanying police officers entered the brothel that evening, Madhuri was spared and was not required to attend to any customers! When describing how she felt after being sold earlier that morning, Madhuri said, “I was helpless. My body became numb and underwent a sense of betrayal.” Our plan of action was altered for Madhuri’s benefit so that she would not have to suffer the trauma that would have surely found her had we come a day too late. She said, “I am happy about my rescue from that hell. I am grateful to you and the police.” Praise God! In addition to rescuing Madhuri from a future in forced prostitution, IJM and police were also able to rescue the targeted minor girl as well as two other women who are grateful for being freed from the brothel.
Thank you for lifting up these praises and petitions to our Father. He is the King of Justice and Righteousness!
Ever praising Him,
Jamie
*Pseudonyms are used to protect the victim’s identity.
Jamie Elkins, Community Relations Assistant, Mumbai
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION®
Read more or comment at crossroads.net