While we feast, children starve to death...

While we feast tomorrow for Thanksgiving, babies will be starving—even right here in America. Check out what Elizabeth Elliot says about a baby who starved to death right here in an American hospital. www.elisabethelliot.org/devotional.html

When in Florida where I spoke for the Embraced by Grace Adoption Awareness Seminar, I heard that when children are hungry (especially babies), it is agonizing. We cannot imagine the pain they feel—so much more than we adults do. But this baby starved over 6 days with a notice over his little crib, “DO NOT FEED”. He was placed alone (so the crying wouldn’t bother anyone?) to die. Meanwhile, several families had stepped up to adopt him.

I pray you’ll read this before Thanksgiving. Why? Because the Lord would have us mindful of those who are without, of those starving for lack of food—or lack of love—or both. He wants us to remember those whose lives are sacrificed by cruelty—or by courage such as our military. He wants us to think of the orphans and to do all we can to help them. May He make our hearts tender and compassionate. And may He make us quick to pray, and to act so that our lives make a difference.

Oh, and since we’re speaking of turkeys, and preventing cruelty, in case you missed my previous posts please also check this out: www.KentuckyFriedCruelty.com -- a video of how KFC treat their chicken. This is extreme cruelty and we can help stop it.

Your caring makes Thanksgiving what it should be!

Janey DeMeo
www.orphansfirst.org
www.JaneyDeMeo.com

Country Music Awards, God & Culture

I watched the Country Music Awards the other night. Awesome. I didn’t used to appreciate country as a Brit—until I spent a season in Tennessee. Now I like a lot of country, as long as it’s not twangy.

Anyway, some of the words that caught my ear include these:
“No castle in the south of France…
And daddy was the apple of my eye
He will always be the apple of my eye.”

I did live in a castle in the south of France where I saw a lotta kids who had no-one they could call Daddy. It broke my heart. Now I’m seeing the same trend here in American and my heart is doubly broken.

Martina McBride sand a beautiful song about prayer (again). Words included:
“Blessed is the believer who knows love is a redeemer
And stays to pray for the times in which we live…
Give me a heart of tender mercy…
Everybody just stop & pray for these times in which we live”.

I was deeply touched. You’d never hear these kind of words at a secular music concert in France. Nor England.

One of the musical phenomena who performed was 17 year old Taylor Swift who won the Horizon Award. She first thanked God before thanking everyone else who’d invested in her. Carrie Underwood introduced Taylor and had won her own awards aplenty including female vocalist, stated, “God has blessed me with so many wonderful things, I’ll spend my life trying to figure out why.”

Brad Paisley won mail vocalist of the year, thanked everyone, ending “…and more importantly, God.”

Words in another song performed that night: included, “I’m proud to live in the boondocks, I found Jesus there...”

It was beautiful. And I love that so many people have the reflex to thank God. But what I’m still figuring out is whether these words express a sincere walk with God, or whether they’re just part of the American—especially southern—cultural mix. I guess it’s not for me to know. But it troubles me. Why? Because of so many folk truly know God, why is America going to the wolves?

Janey . DeMeo © November 2007

See Bella, boycott the Golden Compass

It's amazing how life continues after so many lives have been devastated--especially if your own life isn't included in that count. That's how it is here after the fires. Not surprising really given the fact that the human race has is being reduced to entertainment gluttons.

So, let’s talk movies. The good, the bad & the ugy. Beginning with the good, I hear Bella’s awesome and can’t wait to see it. Bit while beautiful films are being produced, trash abounds. The latest ugly movie apparently is sheer evil so let's be warned and warn others about The Golden Compass starring Nicole Kidman. Advertised as a normal children's movie, it clearly aims at teaching children that there is no God. (In fact, they kill God in the story.) The movie's based on of a trilogy of children's books and the author is an atheist named is Philip Pullman. Let’s take heed and let people know.

Such ugliness rides a trend of blatant filth and anti-God TV shows and movies. Seems almost everything nowadays promotes loose living to the point of debauch, totally disregarding consequences. So, you go pick up a “onenightstand”. Doesn’t matter that he/she might have a disease. If I didn’t read the Bible and understand that this is all part of a wind up (or wind down) bringing us nearer to the time when we’ll be with Jesus, I’d get seriously overwhelmed.

I like movies that make me think, motivate me, drive me to want to make a different. One of my fave old movies (and my family's) is Brother Sun, Sister Moon by Zephirelli. It’s just been redigitaled in DVD format. The film, poetically telling Francesco of Assisi’s story, is laced with profound spiritual innuendos that could easily be missed. For example, Francesco begins rebuilding an old church ruin and his friends think he’s crazy (literally). One by one they try to draw him back into their world. But one friend, Bernardo, pours out his heart to Francesco, sharing his own dissatisfaction with life. As he does, Francesco sees a large stone, asks where his friend had found it, and then quotes the verse, “All ye like lively stones are being built…”. He sees the stone as a fit for his church—and his friend as a stone for God’s temple.

I first saw that movie in Montreal where my husband was planting a church. At the end of the film, he went to the front of the theatre and preached a salvation message. Way to go dude.

On that note, let's support all those making good movies. Let's all go see Bella and any other movies promoting godly values. Let’s seek excellence, not trash.

Janey DeMeo©November 2007