Soul and Spirit

Sam and Nancy Davis

Nancy Davis photo
Nancy Davis

I wasn’t there.

Nancy and Sam Davis were riding along a highway 70 miles south of the border town of Reynosa, Mexico, on Wednesday when they approached an illegal roadblock. Rather than stop, they continued driving and were chased by several gunmen in a black pick-up truck, according Pharr Police Chief Ruben Villescas.

Rather than stop, Sam Davis gunned the engine of their blue 2008 Chevrolet pick-up, a vehicle popular with the dangerous Zetas drug cartel that controls the area. The pursuing gunmen fired at Davis’ truck, and a bullet hit Nancy Davis in the head.

Her husband raced the 70 miles to the Pharr International Bridge, speeding the last part of the way against on-coming traffic to avoid the long lines of northbound cars at the border checkpoint, arriving at 12:25 p.m., according to police reports.

Source: ABC News

I don’t know why Sam didn’t stop at the roadblock.

Neither do I know what I would have done in his shoes.

Unless “in his shoes” means all that it suggests. In that case, I expect I would have done what he did.

Some folks, though, (will) say Sam’s decision to run the roadblock was foolish and/or wrong.

Read it all

In Detention in Eritrea

Open Doors reports the deaths of two Christians in Eritrea’s infamous detention centers.

Seble Hagos Mebrahtu, 27, died in the military training center in Sawa on January 1. According to reliable sources, Mebrahtu was apparently refused medical treatment for malaria and died soon after.

42-year-old Mehari Gebreneguse Asgedom was also denied medical treatment for complications from diabetes and injuries sustained from torture. On January 16, 2009, at the Mitire Military Confinement Center, he went home to be with his Savior.

[…]

These deaths come as the Eritrea governments’ campaign against Christians seems to have escalated. Several large groups of believers, members of the underground church, have been arrested since the end of December.

Read it all

Vitamins to Fight Stress

Some days are more stressful than others. When stress hits, knowing which nutrients to incorporate into your diet, either with fresh foods or natural care supplements, can really help you tackle the load and come out on top. A good multivitamin that includes the B complex vitamins, or just a targeted vitamin B complex supplement, is a good choice. These nutrients help in the production of serotonin and dopamine, both of which play a role in relieving anxiety and relaxing. Foods that are loaded with B vitamins are another good choice: whole grains, nuts, dried fruits and eggs. Folic acid is an especially key nutrient, helping to stabilize your mood. It can be found in dark leafy green veggies and beans. And of course there’s L-tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey that has become a legend for its ability to calm you into a post-Thanksgiving dinner slumber.

Their source: Natural Health Magazine

My source: Swanson Health Products

Indonesia: Beauty in Ashes?

I receive a monthly newsletter from The Voice of the Martyrs [….] This month, the cover is a picture of a woman, Yubelina, from Indonesia. She was burned in an attack by Muslims on her Christian village.

Her skin is splotchy & ranges in color from light brown to red to white. Much of it is leathery. Her nose is disfigured. She has a purplish-colored patch of skin in between her bottom lip & the bottom of her chin. Her upper lip is peeling. Her left eye is white & red; her pupil is clearly no longer able to see.

But she is smiling. A huge smile. Joy radiates from her. Why?? She must receive stares. Children are probably afraid of her. The world would call her damaged. Ugly.

Yubelina has figured out where her identity lies. She is a treasured child of the King. She has traded “a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning” (Isa. 61:3). Her smile reveals Jesus.

Yubelina is beautiful. I guarantee she has a joy, a contentment, that no name-brand, trendy clothing; no perfect haircut & makeup; no flawless skin or toned body can bring.

I want to be beautiful like that.

Source: Beauty

Here’s the photo and the magazine in question:

Yubelina
Yubelina of Indonesia
Christian Persecution Blog

Frankly, I don’t know if I’m very gung-ho about using Third World images like this. Or any such image, for that matter.

Is it sensationalism? Is it…ah…now I can’t remember the word I thought of a bit ago. Oh, yeah…is it some form of exploitation?

I hope not.

To be sure, it puts a face to persecution.

And it reminds us of how people treat each other.

And of how Christians should pray for each other.

And of how Christian joy surpasses circumstances.

And of how we should be thankful for freedom of religion.

Of what else does it remind you?

An Open Letter to Talkers and Writers

To quote from a letter to me posted on January 13, 2011 at 06:07 PM EST:

We can teach them the value of tolerance – the practice of assuming the best, rather than the worst, about those around us. We can teach them to give others the benefit of the doubt, particularly those with whom they disagree.

That sounds like charity to me.

Are charity and tolerance synonymous, if not similar?

No. Way.

Nevertheless, I think the above statements present a standard which most folks calling for tolerance….

Oh, never mind. I think that paragraph may have been headed for not giving others the benefit of the doubt nor assuming the best about others.

Besides, it was teetering precariously on the edge of offering itself to political interpretation.

Can’t have that.

PS: I forgot to say: Talkers and writers, beware what you say and write. It creates a handy means by which to measure your life.

Persecution: Why the West Won’t Hear

Hundreds of millions of Christians have suffered discrimination or even persecution in lands as diverse as China and India, but mostly in countries where Islam is the top religion.

Despite this, persecution of Christians is one topic the American public doesn’t hear much about. One possible reason: an anti-Christian bias among Western elites.

You could watch the video. Actually, go ahead, if you wish.

But I have a question for you:

What difference would it make if the American public did hear much about persecution against Christians?

I suspect not much.

Private
Above all, love God!