Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Hundreds of Prisoners to Be Able to Send Christmas Gifts to Family
Those serving time in jail or prison will be able to get handwritten cards and selected gifts delivered to their children this Christmas season thanks to The Salvation Army's Christmas Toy Lift program.
Under this program, The Salvation Army purchases gifts and allow inmates to select one gift per child. The children then receive a card, handwritten by their incarcerated parent, and the gift.The Toy Lift seeks to quietly provide a service to those that are unable, the Christian ministry says on its website. What started as a program for roughly 600 children grew to over 1,500 last year, it adds.
"If you're in prison and you want to send your child a gift, this service is more than welcome," Don Winkler, Coordinator of Christmas Toy Lift, said in a statement. "The Christmas Toy Lift brings joy to children that otherwise would have to go without."
The Christmas Toy Lift is supported in part by donations to the Tree of Lights campaign. For the past 10 years, it has provided jailed family members of Sarpy and Douglas County Correctional Centers in Nebraska the chance to give their children Christmas gifts.
Meanwhile, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley will be joined by officials of the Salvation Army on the Alabama Capitol steps to launch the 2012 Christmas Kettle Campaign in Montgomery. Bentley will launch the 2012 campaign during a news conference at 11 a.m. Monday, the newswire said.
NYC Mission Says Thanksgiving a Time to 'Bless Our Neighbors and Our City'
NEW YORK – The Bowery Mission, one of New York City's largest and oldest Christian rescue organizations, is celebrating this Thanksgiving the way it does every year – by serving the hungry and homeless. But the nonprofit organization is also playing an important role in helping victims of Hurricane Sandy get back on their feet.
From Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler’s Girlfriend to Pro-Life Advocate
Attendees at the Life Legal Defense Foundation’s annual benefit
dinner in Santa Clara, California received a firsthand account of Julia
Holcomb’s story.
At 16, Holcomb became involved with Steven Tyler, lead singer of the Rock Band Aerosmith. The relationship led to Tyler becoming Holcomb’s legal guardian, asking her to have a child with him, and later, asking her to marry him.
Holcomb shared that as a teenager from a broken home, the excitement of being in this relationship, traveling the world, living the celebrity lifestyle was all that she could see.
Holcomb was about five months pregnant when their relationship became strained. Tyler entertained second thoughts about their marriage. Eventually, Tyler went on tour leaving Holcomb alone in his apartment—without prenatal care, without a driver’s license, without sufficient money to take care of basic needs. A friend was supposed to come to assist Holcomb to get some groceries.
Holcomb remembers waking up in a smoke-filled apartment, and discovering that both exits were blocked – the back stairway was engulfed in flames, and the lock on the front door was jammed and immoveable. Holcomb crawled to the fireplace in the bedroom, over which hung a painting “Jesus, Light of the World.” The painting recalled to her mind that God is merciful, and in that moment faced with the terror of dying, Holcomb spoke the words to a song she sang as a child in Sunday school: “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” (Psalm 31:5.) Miraculously, Holcomb survived the fire.
READ MORE
At 16, Holcomb became involved with Steven Tyler, lead singer of the Rock Band Aerosmith. The relationship led to Tyler becoming Holcomb’s legal guardian, asking her to have a child with him, and later, asking her to marry him.
Holcomb shared that as a teenager from a broken home, the excitement of being in this relationship, traveling the world, living the celebrity lifestyle was all that she could see.
Holcomb was about five months pregnant when their relationship became strained. Tyler entertained second thoughts about their marriage. Eventually, Tyler went on tour leaving Holcomb alone in his apartment—without prenatal care, without a driver’s license, without sufficient money to take care of basic needs. A friend was supposed to come to assist Holcomb to get some groceries.
Holcomb remembers waking up in a smoke-filled apartment, and discovering that both exits were blocked – the back stairway was engulfed in flames, and the lock on the front door was jammed and immoveable. Holcomb crawled to the fireplace in the bedroom, over which hung a painting “Jesus, Light of the World.” The painting recalled to her mind that God is merciful, and in that moment faced with the terror of dying, Holcomb spoke the words to a song she sang as a child in Sunday school: “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” (Psalm 31:5.) Miraculously, Holcomb survived the fire.
READ MORE
84 new missionaries appointed by IMB
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (BP) -- A deer meat processor and a doctor. A nanny and
a nurse. A soldier and a statistician. These are just a few of the jobs
previously held by 84 men and women appointed by IMB trustees Nov. 15
at Second Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo.
From as far away as Thailand and as near as the hills of Tennessee, the appointees shared testimonies of being called by God to a journey -- a journey to be the heart, hands and voice of Jesus to the nations.
Prinna Puakpong was born in Thailand, where she was raised in a Buddhist home. Her journey led her first to Atlanta, Ga., and then to Chattanooga, Tenn., where she earned a master's in business administration with an emphasis in finance. Disillusioned by the stock market crash of 2000, Puakpong prayed that God would reveal Himself to her.
"I prayed, 'God, I don't want to be confused anymore,'" Puakpong said. "'Please reveal Yourself to me in a way that I can understand.'"
In a Bible study for international students in Chattanooga, Puakpong met Christians who showed her God's love, and the direction of her life changed. Now, more than 10 years later, her journey will take Puakpong and her husband, Jack Wattanawongsawang, to Japan to be the voice of Jesus among those who have not yet heard the Gospel.
For pharmacist Sarah Smythe*, her journey entailed a series of personal challenges during her college years -- a time when she came to understand what it means not just to follow Jesus but to rely on Him.
"I realized my need," Smythe said. "I needed to rely on God. I needed to be in community with His people and I needed to loosen my grip on academic excellence."
READ MORE
From as far away as Thailand and as near as the hills of Tennessee, the appointees shared testimonies of being called by God to a journey -- a journey to be the heart, hands and voice of Jesus to the nations.
Prinna Puakpong was born in Thailand, where she was raised in a Buddhist home. Her journey led her first to Atlanta, Ga., and then to Chattanooga, Tenn., where she earned a master's in business administration with an emphasis in finance. Disillusioned by the stock market crash of 2000, Puakpong prayed that God would reveal Himself to her.
"I prayed, 'God, I don't want to be confused anymore,'" Puakpong said. "'Please reveal Yourself to me in a way that I can understand.'"
In a Bible study for international students in Chattanooga, Puakpong met Christians who showed her God's love, and the direction of her life changed. Now, more than 10 years later, her journey will take Puakpong and her husband, Jack Wattanawongsawang, to Japan to be the voice of Jesus among those who have not yet heard the Gospel.
For pharmacist Sarah Smythe*, her journey entailed a series of personal challenges during her college years -- a time when she came to understand what it means not just to follow Jesus but to rely on Him.
"I realized my need," Smythe said. "I needed to rely on God. I needed to be in community with His people and I needed to loosen my grip on academic excellence."
READ MORE
Md. Man to Begin Ministry for Bikers
A Maryland man who was involved as a youth in a Texas biker gang hopes to soon begin a ministry that would focus on evangelizing bikers.
Bill Kleckner, an active member of the Bridge of Life Church in Hagerstown, announced that he hopes to start up the ministry in January. In an interview with local media, Kleckner talked about his rough upbringing and how when younger the 54-year-old was heavily involved in drugs and alcohol while a biker."I'm a biker. I love bikers. But I want to touch as many people as possible," said Kleckner to the Herald-Mail.
"God takes the broken and makes them into something good. And that's what I want him to do through me. I can't fix people, but God can fix them."
Kleckner explained to Chris Copley of the Herald-Mail that while an ordained minister Kleckner's evangelism efforts will likely not involve preaching on a group scale.
"My true heart is to start a biker church … I don't have to preach. I could care less if I never stand in a pulpit. I like the one on one," said Kleckner.
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