pray for the General ... and all our comrades (... down to me)

http://armyrenewal.blogspot.com/2007/09/colonel-bo-brekke-promoted-to-glory.html

We heard about this while at officers' meetings at camp this weekend. The CS called our RC, and then the CS joined us, as planned, later in the evening.

As Col. Brekke was Norwegian, he was one of the rising Salvation Army leaders in the Nordic countries. There is every possibility that he would have been our TC some day (here in the F&E Territory).

While of course we need to remember in prayer his family and our fellow Salvationists in Pakistan, I feel especially burdened for the General. Please pray that God would grant special strength and grace to General Clifton!

It was pretty hard to sleep last night, with my mind so focused on this as well as Human Trafficking. It's easy to throw around SA words like war, soldier, warrior, fight -- even martyr at times. But these are two instances (the Colonel's murder and the evil of human trafficking) that really remind us that this is a real war and not just metaphorical!

THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE

FORGIVE US ... AS WE FORGIVE

DELIVER US FROM EVIL

Amen.

kl 17 bändiproov, kl 18 tants/draama, ja siis ...

tere

on taas kätte jõudnud sügis ja alustame jälle NOORTEKATEGAselle hooaja esimene NOORTEKAS on juba sellel redel so 28.sept.2007 kell 19:00 Narva mnt 51 noorteruumismeenutame möödunud suve ja jagame huvitavaid kogemusi ning teeme muud huvitavatsellel hooajal on ka väikesed muudatused, nimelt NOORTEKAD kestavad 19:00-21:00ni, et siis saaks kõik ilusti pärast koju

ÄRGE SIIS HILINEGE, MUIDU JÄÄB KOOSVEEDETAV AEG LIIGA LÜHIKESEKS!!!

aga mis muud kui kohtume juba reedel ja siis räägime täpsemalt

võta kaasa huvitavad kogemused, hea tuju ja sõbrad

kohtume NOORTEKAL ;)

sass

gambling

Gambling is seeking gain at the expense of others, solely on the basis of chance.
The Salvation Army is acutely aware of the suffering and deprivation visited upon countless thousands of persons as the result of gambling. The Army's social welfare experience indicates that many of those who gamble frequently disregard their primary responsibilities in life and bring embarrassment and hurt to those dependent on them.
It also asserts that gambling is detrimental to the spiritual and moral well-being of those who participate without any apparent financial effects on themselves or their families.
Since all gambling is motivated by selfishness, it runs counter to the Christian expression of love, respect and concern for others. Often it begins in an apparently harmless way, but its continued practice tends to undermine the personality and character of the gambler and frequently leads to grosser excesses.
Official sanction and public acceptance of this evil is, in the opinion of The Salvation Army, contrary to the Christian principles to which it subscribes and it therefore opposes any extension of the provision of facilities for gambling, whether by government agencies, charitable organizations or commercial interests.
Salvationists are required to take no part in gambling in any form and are urged to resist participation in any scheme which would give them material advantage on the basis of chance.
http://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf/vw-sublinks/29BA869462B3422C80256F9A003D3C20?openDocument

language update

So, I'm back from Women's Camp, exhausted but happy. It was my first time being in an all-Estonian environment for so long (well, also Russian, but I don't understand that so it doesn't count for me). My ears and brain hurt by the time I got home! It is really hard to concentrate so hard for so long, straining to hear and understand.

I also led the Sunday morning meeting all in Estonian. I probably made a thousand mistakes, but everyone said they understood me, and the translators seemed to understand me as well (translating from Estonian into Russian).

It was a huge blessing to our Region to operate in only two languages and not three (which means you have to pause after every sentence and wait to be translated into two other languages!). There were a few three-language times when Major Muikku (our new RC) spoke in Finnish, but by and large we had only Estonian and Russian and it was GREAT!!!

I remember hearing Mrs. Mortetz talk about preaching in Spanish, and just being in awe and also pain wondering if I'd ever be able to do that! My goal is January, to speak ONLY in Estonian when I'm at the corps. I don't even want to contemplate the hours of preparation this will mean, especially when I preach!

But we have a recurring theme: ÄRA KARDA, JUMAL ON SINUGA! Don't be afraid, God is with you. And my sisters (and brothers) are with me too. I felt quite teary talking to Captain Anya Henderson about it (Russian native, commissioned in USA West, now serving here in Estonia also). When I speak in Estonian, my people act as if I have given them the greatest gift you could imagine. So much love and support pours out of them, it really is a great encouragement to me.

Of course grammar and vocabulary and pronounciation are all difficult. But my greatest hurdle was FEAR. I am a perfectionist at times, and to make even one mistkake is like torture to me! I hear all my mistakes when I make them, and then when I sit down they all replay through my mind. Each one is like a knife to my heart.

But of course this is all grounded in pride, and I am trying to set myself aside for the time being and just get on with the task at hand!

Only a few, if any, of you will understand how truly exhausted, but proud, I feel from this weekend. It is unlike anything else, the effort this required.

Anyway ... sorry this is so long. Yes, I am bragging! But I'm also asking you, please (palun, ma palun teid!), keep praying for me to improve in Estonian language. Speaking, hearing, understanding, thinking, reading out loud.

God is good. And He is with us. We need not fear.

Evelyn

Religiosity vs. Holiness

http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/pics/religiousorholy.pdf

ideas for this Sunday, 23 Sept.

'Sunday 23 September 2007 – International Day of Prayer for Peace – is an opportunity for the people of Christ in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, in their families, in communities, and in international relations.
We can also bring to God in prayer those caught up in conflict, those working for peace, and political and military leaders who make decisions impacting the lives of millions.
Our Lord is the Prince of Peace who gives peace to our hearts such as the world cannot give. Therefore I call the Army to prayer for peace in the world. We can begin by shunning strife in our own personal lives and praying that God will grant us grace for this day by day.'
General Shaw Clifton

Foil sculptures
Give each person a sheet of tinfoil, ask them to model a gun or a sword.
Lead a prayer for those caught up in conflict, those working for peace, and political and military leaders who make decisions impacting the lives of millions.
Ask them to remodel the foil into something more useful like a bowl, spade, book.
Lead prayer asking for peace in our world.They could pray especially for those who live in countries where there is fighting.

What is a Christian to think and do in the face of significant disagreement and world-shaking events? I believe it is appropriate for people in every land to continue to discuss why and how this war is being pursued, even as we pray for a swift restoration of peace. As Christians talk and pray, it will be helpful to keep three foundational principles in mind.
God Is in Control
It is always distressing when nations contend with one another in war. Forces beyond our control sweep us along to uncertain ends, and many lives hang in the balance. At such times, we can find great comfort in the fact that God is sovereign and always in control, even over the hearts of rulers and the course of nations.
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases (Prov. 21:1).
When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.... It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another (Psalm 75:3, 7).
Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them.... He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What have you done?' (Dan. 2:20-21; 4:35)
It is also comforting to know that God never exercises his power arbitrarily or unjustly. He is always good, and he always acts with perfect justice, even when his timing does not meet our expectations (see Ps. 145.9; Ps. 73; Prov. 16:4; Jer. 18:7-10).
I have found it helpful to pray aloud with these and similar scriptures, reminding myself of God's power and goodness, and acknowledging his rule over the nations. I encourage you to do the same. As our confidence in God grows, we can be freed from doubt and fear, and be able to see troubling events as an opportunity to proclaim Christ and serve others.
Our Leaders Need Our Prayers
Whether or not we agree that this war is necessary, each of us should pray frequently for President Bush and national leaders around the world, asking God to give all of them humility, wisdom, discernment, courage, and strength, so that they will do what is just, protect the innocent, and restore peace as quickly as possible (1 Tim. 2:1-2; Titus 3:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:13-17).
At the same time, no matter what country we live in, each of us should pray that our civil leaders would lead us in a careful and continuous examination of our national agendas and actions (Matt. 7:3-5). Leaders and voters alike are vulnerable to sin and error, which can lead any country astray. Therefore, we should repeatedly ask God to show us where our nation needs to change any policies and practices that do not satisfy his standards of justice, righteousness, and compassion (Psalm 82:3-4; Luke 12:48). As we humble ourselves under God's mighty hand, he promises to lift and guide us (1 Pet. 5:5-6; Prov. 3:5-7).
Each of Us Can Still Be a Peacemaker
Even when civil leaders decide to wage war, there is still much that individual Christians can do on a personal basis. We should seek accurate information, listen carefully to opposing views, and strive to influence national policy through prayer, respectful debate, and our right to vote. We can also act individually to heal relationships and promote personal reconciliation. In Romans 13, just a few verses before Paul describes the government's right to wield the sword, he describes the individual Christian's responsibility to be a peacemaker:
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.... Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:14-15, 17-21).
This passage echoes Jesus' teaching that we should love our enemies and do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27-28, 35-36). Here are some practical ways that you can put these commands into practice in this time of conflict, regardless of where you live or what you think of the war in Iraq.
Mourn with those who mourn. All of us should grieve deeply with those who lose loved ones due to war or other forms of violence, whether in Iraq or other countries that struggle with deadly strife. We Christians should share not only our tears and words of comfort, but also our time, energy, and material resources to minister to them and help rebuild their lives. We should also pray that these events would make us more compassionate toward people outside our country who suffer oppression, persecution, and violence.
Pray for those who have done wrong. Praying for an enemy is not easy. Even when we get past our feelings of hatred and our desire for revenge, we struggle to know what to pray. Should we follow David's example and pray for justice to come upon them (Ps. 28:4), or should we follow Jesus' example and ask God to forgive them (Luke 23:34)? As we remember our own need for God's mercy, I believe we must do both. We can pray, "Lord, display your love for justice and prevent further evil by bringing guilty people to account in this life for what they have done. At the same time, Father, display your love for mercy and magnify the glory of the gospel by bringing these people to repentance and faith in Christ, so that whatever temporal judgment they face at the hands of men, they might experience the eternal forgiveness that you purchased for us by the infinitely precious blood of Christ."
Pray for peacemaking around the world. Even if war ended today in Iraq, it is ready to erupt tomorrow in a dozen other countries, including South Korea, India, Israel, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Excerpted from article found at www.peacemaker.net/site/c.aqKFLTOBIpH/b.1172255/apps/s/content.asp?ct=1245969

USA East Territorial Prayer & Fasting Gathering (day after we arrive in America for homeland furlough!)

FULLNESS: A Territorial Prayer & Fasting Gathering

At Territorial Headquarters, West Nyack, New York

Saturday, October 27, 2007

9:30 a.m. through 5:00 p.m.

FULLness: A Prayer & Fasting Gathering is a Prayer & Fasting movement birthed by the Holy Spirit in The Salvation Army in New England . . . coming to a Salvation Army near you!

WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?

A Day dedicated to corporate prayer and fasting by Salvationists and friends of the USA Eastern Territory.

WHEN?

From 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 P.M. on October 27, 2007

WHERE?

The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters, 440 West Nyack Road, West Nyack, NY 10994

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?

Expect to Enter Into the Lord's Presence through Times of Vibrant Worship -- led by Major Donna Peterson

Expect to Learn Fresh Truths through Anointed Teaching from the Scripture

Expect Powerful Opportunities for Prayer -- corporately as well as privately

Expect to Hear from God

Expect Spiritual Breakthrough!

http://www.armyonitsknees.org/FULLnessGathering.php

Tallinn's auto-free week

http://www.tallinn.ee/est/uudised?id=17066

Esmaspäeval, 17. septembril algavad Tallinnas autovaba nädala üritused, mis kulminee-ruvad 22. septembril autovaba perepäevaga Tammsaare pargis.

Prayer Warriors!

If God is calling you to officership, now is not too early to talk to your CO and DYS about it!

And if you go to Training a year from now, you get a wicked cool session name:

2008-2010 Prayer Warriors
Prayer Warriors: here is a name in keeping with the great need of our time. Prayer is the Army's spiritual engine and the need for those who will be constant and persistent in prayer is as urgent as ever it was. Prayer is a vital weapon in the salvation war, a war we pursue without guns and led by the Prince of Peace.

Catherine Booth!

http://fierycanadian.blogspot.com/2004/09/aggressive-christianity.html

this came up while talking to a friend today, thought it might have a wider interest

p. 40 of "Chosen to Be a Soldier" (Orders and Regulations), under "Courtship" says:
"A Salvationist will choose a Christian believer for a marriage partner. This is in keeping with the scriptural injunction.... The sharing of religious convictions is very important in the intimacy of home-life.... The ideal situation, of course, is when both partners are Salvationists."

http://marriagepartner.com/dating/55890.php

http://www.boundless.org/2000/regulars/office_hours/a0000290.html

2CO 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

sex trade trafficking

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Family_News_in_Focus/archives.asp?bcd=9/14/2007

Shared Hope International

"Uncountable numbers of human beings are enslaved and destroyed, year after year."

"The solution is shining a light on it. When we shine a light on it, there are people who will make a difference."

Call to Prayer for Victims of Sex Trade Trafficking

'Sunday 30 September 2007 is the day set aside for a focus on sex-trade trafficking and other social justice issues. I am calling the Army to prayer once again for those exploited and irreparably damaged as victims of this dreadfully evil trade. The matter is a core issue for the Army today, just as much as it was in our early days. The holy instinct for addressing it can be said to be part of our DNA. Prayer, education, fund-raising and protection for the vulnerable, including children, are four powerful tools we are using. We can pray for the victims, for their families, for the relief agencies, for all working to reduce and to frustrate the evildoers,and for the forces of law and order. Let us pray also for political leaders to have the will and wisdom to enact laws that will tackle this menace.'– General Shaw Clifton

rescue the perishing!

http://signup.homeword.com/hostedemail/email.htm?h=bcf1289d5cb90d583b58769f82c42647&CID=1086025156&ch=ED2BAAB830A82455AA3EC5D63AD3AACE

being with children

“The soul is healed by being with children”
Fyodor Dostoyevsky quotes (Russian Novelist and Writer, 1821-1881)

I can't tell you how many times I have said similar things to Chris about the time he spends with Peter!

9/11

8:45 a.m.: A hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire.
9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes. Both buildings are burning.
9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.
10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building.
10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses.
10:10 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, also hijacked, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.
10:28 a.m.: The World Trade Center's north tower collapses from the top down as if it were being peeled apart, releasing a tremendous cloud of debris and smoke.

Psalm 103
Of David.
PS 103:1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
PS 103:2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits--
PS 103:3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
PS 103:4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
PS 103:5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
PS 103:6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
PS 103:7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
PS 103:8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
PS 103:9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
PS 103:10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
PS 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
PS 103:12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
PS 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
PS 103:14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
PS 103:15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
PS 103:16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
PS 103:17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children--
PS 103:18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
PS 103:19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
PS 103:20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
PS 103:21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
PS 103:22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.

died, but not dead (Madeleine L'Engle)

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/books/07cnd-lengle.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

today is Captain's birthday!

Tomorrow we will have a little birthday party between Holiness Meeting and Sunday School!

from the ArmyBarmy blog

from http://www.armybarmy.com/blog.html:
"There are going to be times when an officer-mother ... has to be granted time and space to be a full-time mother. This can be done if leadership is willing to take a modern and enlightened view of the situation ... [giving the] opportunity to minister to her small children for a few years.... We cannot fall into the trap of allowing systems (separate appointments, separate payment of allowances, etc.) to become anti-family. I hope that ... officer-mothers feeling the need for understanding will be met with tenderness, imagination and flexibility, and will never be deprived of an allowance. In the Officer Undertakings that we have all signed it says that our cash allowance 'is not a wage, salary, reward or payment for services rendered.' We are not paid for what we do. Officership is more about being than doing."
----
Here is one reasoned response:
----
"(The) comments can be taken as assuming that the wife's calling to officership and ministry is more appropriately set aside for family reasons than is the husband's, whereas I think if the Army's stand on equality is to be taken seriously, both parents ought to be sharing the family responsibilities, and the husband ought to be doing all he can to support and promote his wife's ministry.
"I wonder how (The Army) would feel about the father taking time out to be a full-time father, while the wife carried on the ministry?"
----
The other bit worth noting is "Officership is more about being than about doing." Articles have been written on this subject and it is difficult to assert a development of official SA belief based on an argument on parenting inside an article on stress. So, for discussion directly on that subject, I suggest that you look up Major Harold Hill's book, LEADERSHIP IN THE SALVATION ARMY, or google articles by him online and in JAC (try his name plus leadership and/or "Salvation Army"), and start the conversation with comments on the Clarks' blog.
----
God bless The General (don't forget to pray for him and our comrades around the world today at lunchtime).

I purposely didn't comment on the General's words, just threw them out there with nothing added from me. But -- no big surprise -- part of my reaction was exactly this. Why all this talk about "young mothers" (what about us old mothers? what about fathers?!?!)? What about officers who need to care for their aging parents? I'll keep my other reactions to myself for now, as I await yours!
Evelyn
P.S. The General's quote is from the current issue of The Officer magazine.

SELF

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7)

He must be blameless--not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others....
(Titus 1:7-9)