Sex Trafficking in America

Today I went with a group of people to a place that will eventually shelter girls who were forced into prostitution at a young age. We were told the horrific stats and the sad stories of this very thing happening in the city I live in. I left there with a heavy heart, burdened by the pain these girls endure during their captivity and after they are freed. I want to do something I want to be a part of something like this. But I have cause to stop and ask if “doing” is the right thing for me, can prayer be more powerful then my volunteerism? Today I was made aware of something that I never knew existed around me, perhaps God is asking that I intercede and petition and have a conversation with Him on behalf of these girls and this ministry. How powerful can prayer really be when it feels like I’m not doing much. This is the challenge for myself, and I am now committing to talking to God on a regular basis about this very thing, with the faith that He will cause the change to happen.

So please join me in prayer for the many girls around the US and the world who are kidnapped, exploited, threatened, manipulated, abused and pimped out. They are our modern day slaves, they are still children. Please pray!

"What If's"

Do you ever think to try something new or different and then have an overload of "what if" thoughts go through your mind? What if this happens, what if that happens, etc. I don't know about you but I do at different times...sometimes daily. When the "what if''s" creep in  I have found that it keeps me from moving forward with my ideas or thoughts. It prevents me from "going out on a limb" by trying something new and experiencing all the that could be had in that moment such as new friendships, freedom, healing, joy, etc.
This makes me think of a woman who lived during the time of Jesus. She had been hemorrhaging for 12 years. Imagine bleeding ( like the kind of bleeding all of us don't look forward to each month) for that long. I can only imagine that she was weak and tired and just felt gross from this. On top of this, a woman who had her period was believed to be unclean and she made EVERYTHING she touched unclean. Well, this woman had spent everything she had on doctors with the hopes of being cured but wasn't. She happened to be in the midst of a crowd as Jesus passed through her town on His way to heal a man named Jariu's daughter. This woman gently pushed her way through the crowd determined to get close enough to touch Him believing because she had the faith that He could heal her. She got close to Jesus, reached for Him and touched the fringe of His robe. This was a huge deal....in this period of history and culture it was most inapporpriate for a woman to tocuh a man in public or to even interact with a man for that matter. As she touched the fringe of His robe her bleeding stopped and Jesus turned around to see what happened. He asked who touched him and one of His disciples justified it by saying  the crowd was  pressing into Jesus. He responded with "No, someone touched me for I felt healing power go out of me." The woman fell to her knees before Him and explained in front of the whole crowd why she touched Him and that she had been healed. Jesus lovingly responded with "daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
The thing that grabs me in this story is that this woman...despite her cultural beliefs or what others may think...she stepped out on a limb because she believed she would be healed. Now, I wonder what thoughts were going through her mind as she approached Jesus with a desire to be healed. I imagine she had a few "what if's" whirling around in there which may have stopped her from being healed.

So, what dreams or ideas are brewing in your heart? Are there what if questions keeping you from stepping out and pursuing those dreams?

By Julie