What Awaits the U .S. Journalists in North Korea's Prisons?

North Korea's prison system is the most brutal in the world. Eyes of the Tailless Animals: Prison Memoirs of a North Korean Woman by Soon Ok Lee describes in detail her six years in a North Korean prison. Tortured before her trial and told, as she entered the prison, to forget that she was human, JusticeWriter describes her story as "graphic in its details and shocking at the total lack of value given to human lives in North Korea." I read her story and concur wholeheartedly. I believed every word she wrote as she begged her readers to let the world know what was going on in North Korea. Eyes of the Tailless Animals

I Was a Defeated, Backslidden Christian!

For many years I lived a defeated, backslidden Christian life, then one day, God sent a woman to knock on my door (one of those "visits" backslidden folks hate so much!) to tell me that if I would read just four chapters a day from the Bible, I would read the entire Bible through, in its entirety, once every year and the New Testament twice.

Her obedience, and wise counsel, changed my life

Since 1981, I have been reading my Bible every day, always picking up today where I left off yesterday.

I made a commitment back then, to establish time with the LORD every day—and have kept that commitment (it was much more difficult at first than it is now).

I always spend time in the Word of God (and visit with the Lord) first thing in the morning.

The first thing I reach for when I get up every day is my coffee cup—the second thing is my Bible.

As I enjoy my first cup of steaming coffee (I usually drink 1 to 2), the Word of God is seeping into my sleepy consciousness as I ease into to full wakefulness and the day ahead.

Without fail, after just a few minutes, Jesus and I are having a good visit (it is always more than just reading—It really is a deeply personal time with the Lord).

Some may object, claiming that getting up a secular job every day makes morning time for the Bible impossible.

I respond that you can't afford not to make time for Jesus first thing in the morning. Devotions for family later in the day or evening are wonderful and should be done, but that does not replace personal time in the mornings.

When my children were young, I had to be finished with my personal time with the Lord before 6am in order to get them ready for school. Then, for many years after that, I had to get up in time to be ready for work five mornings a week. Sometimes my job required me to travel extensively (I remember one period of time when I was on the road for six weeks of the eight!).

My morning visit with Jesus went with me—I did not leave my routine at home (that is value of establishing good habits).

On another occasion I was required to work from 8:00 each morning to 10:00 or 11:00 each night for a short period of time (and had an hour commute each way on top of that). During that time my routine did not vary. So, do not ask me to sympathize with anyone who cannot make time for the Word of God—which is a vital component to our overall relationship with God—because of work schedules, business, or family obligations, or simply because you do not like to read.

Consider this a challenge to all who are serious about putting Jesus first in their lives.

Turn the television off a few hours earlier each night (better yet, turn it off completely) and make time for a family altar and get some much needed sleep. For certain do not allow the television to be what starts your day each morning! Let some of the housework wait—Is housework really more important than putting Jesus first?

Each one of us makes time for things that are truly important to us. If we do not make time for God and his Word in the mornings, it is because our relationship with Him is not important to us—It is as simple as that.

Out of India: A True Story about the New Age Movement by Caryl Matrisciana

Caryl's true Story of growing up in India, her whole-hearted embracing of a New Age lifestyle and her subsequent experience that her beliefs and practices utterly failed her, is absolutely riveting. Her story is full of insight and hope for those searching for truth and a faith that can be counted on both to live and die by.

For details visit: http://www.lighthousetrails.com/

Holocaust Remembrance Day

In honor of Holocaust Remembrance day I recommend two excellent books published by Lighthouse Trails Publishing. The first is Anita Dittman's story of being a Jewish girl who was, TRAPPED IN HITLER'S HELL. And the second, a poignant love story entitled, THINGS WE COULDN'T SAY, is Diet Eman's story of the Christian Resistance in Holland.

Visit http://www.lighthousetrails.com for more details

Christian Women's History: What a Cloud of Witnesses!

March is Women's History Month, and one of the things I am finding out about Christian women, is how woefully ignorant we are of our own history and heritage.

Now, that is not necessarily due to any deficiency on our part. During much of the twentieth century, in our public schools, other than Madame Curie and Florence Nightingale, many of us were taught very little about women's historical contributions to our cultures or about women's rights. And in our Churches and Sunday Schools, contributions to the Women's Rights movement from Christian women were, well, mum was definitely the word.

And mum is still the word in many evangelical circles, but added to that is misinformation connecting our Christian heritage and early Christian reformers with the more radical elements of the modern feminist movement. But records are too easily accessed for any of us to plead ignorance in this age of information, so it is time to sit up and take notice of the fact that Christians are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, both male and female, who believed that women's rights and complete equality with men in every area were biblical, and as urgent and valid issues in their day as it is in ours.

It is loudly touted among evangelical TRADITIONAL "ROLE" RELIGIONISTS (TRR'S) that women who desire equality with men are simply clamoring for selfish "rights" that do not belong to them, and that the more radical aspects of modern feminism, such as self/goddess worship and lesbianism, are the end result of pursuing more than a theoretical, non-tangible, equality between males and females. Men who allow their wives to live with them as equals are looked down upon and contemptuously called "passive" by evangelical leaders. Complementarian (TRR) writings are full of such things, but historical facts simply do not back their conclusions.

Credited with being the first woman in history to take a public stand for the right of women to proclaim the gospel and be involved in the leadership of the church, was Margaret Fell, co-founder of The Society of Friends, better known to us as the Quakers. In the 17th century, Fell wrote her treatise on, "Women's Speaking Justified...." Her argument was compelling and based entirely on scripture. Fell was not known as a "selfish" person, she never abandoned her faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, nor did she embrace a lesbian lifestyle--as women today are warned may very well happen if they begin to suspect that the Bible teaches equality between men and women--equality in fact, not the theoretical, philosophical equality preached from so many pulpits today.

Looking down the road a bit we see another Quaker named Elizabeth Fry campaigning for prison reform in England and eventually all over Europe. She advocated for the education of women prisoners as well, arguing that they could not better themselves and stay out of prison if they remained ignorant. Fry boldly stepped out of the accepted "role" of women for her day. Eventually becoming mother to 11 children, Fry based her activities and activism fully on scripture. If I am not mistaken, Fry's image graced British currency a few years back. Her contributions to the betterment of the lot of women are incalculable.

Men and Women, both black and white, have much for which to be grateful to the Society of Friends. Two of the most effective voices in the cause of abolishing slavery were Theodore Weld and the woman who became his wife, a Quaker at the time, Angelina Grimke. Angelina was the first women to appear before a legislative body in the United States. She did this, not to gain "selfish rights," for herself, but to gain the right of freedom on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves and were trapped in a heinous system of slavery based solely on the color of their skins.

During the course of Angelina's abolitionist activity, she was heavily criticized for speaking publicly--women simply did not do that. So she subsequently found herself advocating for the equality of women as well as freedom for slaves. Fortunately for her, the man she married was a man among men (being known as "The Most Mobbed Man in America" for his stand against slavery, he could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be called, "passive."), and he was in complete agreement with his wife and with his equally pious, independent, and vocal sister-in-law, Sarah Grimke.

Today, evangelical TRR leaders, such as Tim LaHaye, tell their followers that they have never seen a happy marriage where full equality was practiced between the couple. But the marriage of Rev. Theodore Weld and Angelina Grimke refutes that statement. Allow me to go on record as well, in refuting such propaganda from my own personal experience. My husband, Butch Watkins, and I have a beautiful relationship based on full equality and for five years have lived in perfect harmony--without disagreement? of course not, but peacefully and harmoniously nonetheless.

Sarah Grimke, a Bible believing Christian, is known as the first woman in America to write and publish a fully developed theological argument defending the equality of men and women in the home, church and society. Was Sarah a "self-centered" person? Her brother-in-law, whose home she resided in for the duration of her life after the marriage of her sister, did not believe so. On her death certificate, in answer to the question "occupation?" Theodore Weld penned the words, "Doing Good."

Theodore and Angelina based their marriage on absolute equality. They lived their entire lives that way and, by all accounts, lived happily. Angelina's husband rose up to call her blessed in his writings about her after her death.

Fredrick Douglas, an escaped slave, an abolitionist, a man who rejected the religion of the slave-holders of the South and their Northern business partners, but an ordained minister of the gospel who highly praised the Jesus of the Bible,the "Christ of Christianity," not only seconded Elizabeth Cady Stanton's resolution at the first women's rights Convention, "that it was the duty of the women of this country to secure their sacred right to the elective franchise (right to vote)," but was also a friend of Harriet Tubman. Tubman advocated for the right of all women to enjoy equality with men. Both having experienced the oppression of slavery, Douglass and Tubman recognized the ungodly prejudice and oppression against women prevalent in both society and in the church. Tubman was personally responsible for making 19 trips back into the South to lead approximately 300 slaves to freedom. Those who knew her say that she never missed a women's rights meeting if she could help it.

Harriet Tubman was an American Hero and an incredible woman of God who spent her entire life advocating for the rights of blacks and women in addition to personally caring for the physical needs of others. Her integrity and Christian testimony remained unimpeachable until her death.

These are but a few examples of great Christians who believed in equality for all men and women, and much work still needs to done in regards to evangelicals and gender equality, but what a cloud of witnesses we are surrounded with! Women indeed have a rich history, and Christian women have nothing to be ashamed of, or to fear, by following in the footsteps of the men and women who began blazing the trail to equality for us.

Visit www.WomanSubmit.blogspot.com to read more articles on the subject of gender and evangelical Christians.

Parenting Today

Parenting today appears to be a combination of positive affirmation/reinforcement along with manipulative outsmarting the kids (the goal being to produce obedience without the children being aware that they are obeying).

What is the end result of this style of parenting? Children who are rebellious against authority.

In extreme cases, the child will have no respect for the law and ultimately, no respect for God. In normal cases, the child may grow up to obey the law and general rules of conduct--even excel in their goals and chosen fields of endeavor, but, unless it is somehow curbed, that spirit of rebellion will continue to assert its destructive influence.

There is a reason why "Honor your mother and your father " is the first commandment with a promise. Honoring and obeying parents is the first step to honoring and obeying God. And our loving Father in Heaven knows that if we honor our earthly parents, then it increases the liklihood that we will submit ourselves to his ultimate, Heavenly authority and honor Him--that we will be saved.

And it always helps if we are given opportunities as children to make conscious decisions to obey the first legitimate authority in our lives--our parents.

The Falcon and the Sparrow by M. L. Tyndall

Jesus is the only way, truth and life, and God is still on his throne even when bad things happen to good people--or when we can't make sense of personal tragedy. And let's not forget that all things do work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.

M. L. Tyndall's newest novel sports a remarkably courageous heroine (even when she's terrified!), who finds out all of the above are true. I truly appreciate the biblical integrity with which Tyndall writes and, as always, her wit and imagination.

On a personal note: Mary Lu, you fairly cracked me up more than once while I was reading The Falcon and the Sparrow. I loved it. I love surprises too, and that was a nice plot twist you threw in for us, your faithful readers. I love your books and can't wait for the next one!

For more info on M. L. Tyndall's The Falcon and the Sparrow visit http://www.mltyndall.com/