The Journey

  Sometimes I look back at my journey to South Africa last summer and wonder what happened to all of the people we met in the squatter camps.   And then, I start to picture their faces and remember their stories. Each of them had a different story to tell. They all came from different places and different walks of life. But the one thing I will always remember is the smiles on their faces despite the poverty and harsh life around them.   There are days when all I can do is smile when I remember the little kids who I danced with and the parents I laughed with and shared Christ with. But other days, I can't help but end up on my knees or face down on the floor crying for them...   I don't know what happened to those families or the children I met. And it scares me... not knowing. The worst part is... I don't know if some of them even survived up to this point. I know that sounds so harsh and depressing but that is the reality of the squatte...

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." -- C.T. Studd When I saw this quote... I couldn't help but think of how so many Christians choose to live their everyday lives. Too often many Christians are just content with going to church and playing it "safe". They don't take risks... they don't step out. Some, are even too afraid of what fellow believers will think about them if they do or don't raise their hands during worship. And then I thought to myself - "How can anyone even be a true christian without taking risks for what they believe... For WHO they believe in?" Come on, think about this for a second... Every great man or women of God we hear about in the Bible or other books or hear stories about... Took a risk! Jesus himself gave up everything, an entire kingdom, just so he could do his father's will! He knowingly risked being criticized and looked dow...