Weeping for the World

When I was a very mixed up teenager back in the 1970's, befuddled by the potent mix I had drunk of secular humanism and rationalism, served to me by popular media and more serious philosophy, Francis Schaeffer's writings took me to task and pointed me down the road back home to God. In Learning to Cry for the Culture, posted yesterday on Christianity Today magazine's website, John Fischer writes,

Francis Schaeffer was hard to listen to. His voice grated. It was a high-pitched scream that, when mixed with his eastern Pennsylvania accent, sounded something like Elmer Fudd on speed. As freshmen, unfamiliar with the thought and works of modern man, we thought it was funny. As seniors, it wasn't funny any more. After we had studied Kant, Hegel, Sartre, and Camus, the voice sounded more like an existential shriek. If Edvard Munch's The Scream had a voice, it would have sounded like Francis Schaeffer. Schaeffer, who died in 1984, understood the existential cry of humanity trapped in a prison of its own making. He was the closest thing to a "man of sorrows" I have seen.

I grew up with a Christianity that was predisposed against sorrow. To be sad was to deny your faith or your salvation. Jesus had made us happy, and we had an obligation to always show that happiness. Then Francis Schaeffer came along. He could not allow himself to be happy when most of the world was desperately lost and he knew why. He was the first Christian I found who could embrace faith and the despair of a lost humanity at the same time. Though he had been found, he still knew what it was to be lost.

... Schaeffer was the first Christian leader who taught me to weep over the world instead of judging it.

... Schaeffer was a rare Christian leader who advocated understanding and empathizing with non-Christians instead of taking issue with them.

Francis Schaeffer was not afraid to ask why, and he did not rest until he had an answer. Why are our most brilliant thinkers in despair? Why is our art so dark? Why have abortion and euthanasia become so easy on the conscience of a generation? What process of thinking has led to this ultimate denial of the value of human life? Though some may disagree with his answers, no one can gainsay the passion with which he sought them.

The normal human reaction is to hate what we don't understand. This is the stuff of prejudice and the cause of hate crimes and escalating social evil. It is much more Christ-like to identify with those we don't understand—to discover why people do what they do, because we care about them, even if they are our ideological enemies.

Jesus asked us to love our enemies. Part of loving is learning to understand. Too few Christians today seek to understand why their enemies think in ways that we find abhorrent. Too many of us are too busy bashing feminists, secular humanists, gay activists, and political liberals to consider why they believe what they do. It's difficult to sympathize with people we see as threats to our children and our neighborhoods. It's hard to weep over those whom we have declared enemies.

What powerful, penetrating words...! And how so very much like Jesus, of whom Luke declared,

"As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it..." (Luke 19:41 NIV)

Two of the quotes that have always gripped my heart were attributed by those that referenced them to Frank C. Laubach, a missionary statesman from yester year,

"Let my heart be broken with those things that break the heart of God."

"Lord, forgive me for looking at the world through dry eyes."

What God is looking for, of course, in our response to the needs of those who do not know Him is action, not emotion, but it sometimes does us good to weep over the world, especially if it moves us to reach out our hands to others in Christ's name.

May His compassion move us to action...!

Blackberry...Crackberry...!

How things have changed since email first appeared on the scene a few years ago! I remember thinking back in the early 90's when Teresa and I were living in France and I had just discovered email, "Wow! If only we could communicate with our friends and contacts in the States this way. That would be so much cheaper than transatlantic phone calls and so much quicker than regular mail."

In recent years, the pendulum has swung to the other end of the spectrum, with the proliferation of various kinds of hand-held devices and text-enabled cell phones. A couple of months back, the Wall Street Journal ran an article every "wired" parent needs to read entitled, "BlackBerry Orphans." If you are like me, you will probably say, "Ouch!" sometime before you have finished it, but trust me, it's like that old-fashioned medicine your mother poured into your mouth when you were a kid. It may sting a bit, but it will do you good...!

Here's a little taste to whet your appetite:

In Austin, Texas, Hohlt Pecore, 7, and his sister, Elsa, 4, have complicated relationships with their mother's BlackBerry. "I feel very annoyed," says Hohlt. ... Elsa has hidden the BlackBerry on occasion -- Hohlt says she tried to flush it down the toilet last year. Their mother, Elizabeth Pecore, who co-owns a specialty grocery store, denies the incident. But Elsa also seems to recognize that it brings her mom comfort, not unlike a pacifier or security blanket. Recently, seeing her mom slumped on the couch after work, Elsa fished the BlackBerry from her mother's purse and brought it to her. "Mommy," she asked, "will this make you feel better?" Emma Colonna wishes her parents would behave, at least when they're out in public. The ninth-grade student in Port Washington, N.Y., says she has caught her parents typing emails on their Treos during her eighth-grade awards ceremony, at dinner and in darkened movie theaters. "During my dance recital, I'm 99% sure they were emailing except while I was on stage," she says. "I think that's kind of rude." ... Some mental-health professionals report that the intrusion of mobile email gadgets and wireless technology into family life is a growing topic of discussion in therapy. They have specific tips for dealing with the problem, like putting the device in a drawer during a set time period every day. "A lot of kids are upset by it," says Geraldine Kerr, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Morristown, N.J. She says parents need to recognize that some situations require undivided attention. When you shut off the device, she says, "You're communicating nonverbally that 'you matter and what's important to you is important to me.' " Still, like teenagers sneaking cigarettes behind school, parents are secretly rebelling against the rules. The children of one New Jersey executive mandate that their mom ignore her mobile email from dinnertime until their bedtime. To get around their dictates, the mother hides the gadget in the bathroom, where she makes frequent trips before, during and after dinner. The kids "think I have a small bladder," she says. She declined to be named because she's afraid her 12- and 13-year-old children might discover her secret.

When I read that, it is easy for me to say, "Thank God I've not gone to that extreme!"

The reality is that sometimes my own wife and children have needed to me pry me away from some keyboard or another, insisting that I turn the thing off, while reminding me to look directly into their eyes while listening to them or speaking to them.

Do you have such tendencies? If so, let's hold each other accountable...!

Typos, typos, typos....!

I write most of these posts in a very great hurry, squeezing out a few moments here and there from my other responsibilities. I was shocked, though, to see how many typos, mispellings, and gramamtical errors had made their way into them when I skimmed down this page a few minutes ago. Thanks for your forebearance...!

Brooklyn Tabernacle here we come...!

Within the past several hours, God has graciously touched the hearts of three different people to provide financing for our pastoral staff to attend the Pastors and Leader's Conference at the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City, April 15-17th! While in the city, they will also be able to attend a service at David Wilkerson's Times Square Church.

I believe this will be a great blessing to our entire leadership team. I was especially touched by the fact that a dear pastor friend in Paris, France sent a very, very generous offering to help make this happen...!

Please join me in prayer that this will be a special time of deep spiritual refreshing for our leaders. If you would like to come with us to the conference, you can find more information by clicking here. If you are unfamiliar with Pastor Cymbala's ministry, I encourage you to watch the following video of him preaching at Pastor Jack Hayford's pastor's conference, entitled, Calling Upon the Name of the Lord.

If you have never read Pastor Jim Cymbala's most famous book, Fresh Wind - Fresh Fire, I strongly recommend it as one of my all-time favorites.

The God of the "Not right now...!"

A few moments ago, my five year old son came running into the living room - he rarely walks these days - carrying a sale ad from the Toys-R-Us store with his finger mashed down hard on a picture of a toy scooter. It's the kind any healthy, rambuctious, red-blooded boy would love to careen on around the concrete sidewalk in our backyard, with one foot firmly planted on the running board, and the other pounding the pavement.

He loudly announced, "I want THIS for my birthday...!"

Since that particular date is still a good ten months away, I responded in my best, all-knowing, parental tone, "Well, we'll just have to wait and see."

He doesn't yet know the peculiar role of four-letter words in the English language, but his reaction to the "W" word was predictably visceral: "Daddy, I want it NOW!"

The subject kept coming up throughout breakfast between bubbly bites of Cheerios, and I am sure it will punctuate much of our dialogue throughout the rest of this sunny Monday morning here in Dallas, as I try to explain to his earnest, impatient mind that there is a time and a season for everything, and that there are no birthdays in the Brand household during the month of March.

I am sure God sees some of his conversations with me through the lens of what just took place in our family room and kitchen. I often go to Him in prayer with needs that seem pressing, even earth-shaking in their urgency, convinced of His inherent goodness and generosity, fully expecting a quick response. Sometimes I am stunned when His Spirit whispers these words back to my inner being: "The time for that will come one day, but not right now. Later."

When His ancient people stood poised on the banks of the Jordan River, ready at last to cross over and enter into the destiny He had repeatedly promised them in glowing terms as a place of unbelievable abundance and fulfillment for every family, their leader, Moses, brought them the word of the Lord, prophesying incredible victory over their enemies,

"27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. 28 I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29 But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land." (Exodus 23:27-30, NIV)

Imagine the thrill that went through the heart of every warrior as they heard the Lord Almighty spell out the terror and confusion He was going to wreak on their enemies by His own, outstretched hand! Then came the words they did not want to hear, "But I will not drive them out in a single year...Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land."

God's "little by littles" in my own life have often taken much longer than I would have chosen. Like most every child that has ever lived, I was certain I was ready for my destiny far quicker than my Heavenly Father. In His infinite wisdom, though, He has always known how to perfectly pace my progress. My challenge has been to neither lag behind Him or nor run out ahead of Him as He unfolds His plan for my life in His own, good time.

Let me encourage you to begin this new work week with the principle of Exodus 23:30 hidden in your heart. Little by little, He will fulfill His promises. He is with you, His eyes are upon you, and He has promised to work for you, and through you as you walk with Him. Dare to trust Him enough to establish the when as well as the what and the where of your destiny. He is never late. He is never early. He is always right on time!

When God speaks...

Teresa and I just returned home last night from participating in meetings this week with Dr. David Shibley's apostolic advisory council and during his pastor's forum at the beautiful Big Cedar Lodge in Branson, Missouri.

When I turned on my laptop to begin working this morning, I had not yet had time to read my latest copy of Christianity Today magazine. As I quickly perused the latest posts from a list of blogs I sometimes read, the phrase, "My Conversation with God”: An Anonymous Testimony That Made My Day" from the Charismatica blog by Vineyard Fellowship's Dr. Michael Davis caught my eye. Hats off to him for pointing the way to a great testimony of modern day, direct Holy Spirit leading by an anonymous professor of theology and contributing editor of Christianity Today who had never experienced anything like that until a little over one year ago.

Learning to recognize and respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit when He speaks to our inner being is a very important part of growing in Christ and fulfiling our spiritual destiny. The Apostle Paul put it this way, "...all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." (Romans 8:14, New Living Translation) Many months ago, I posted some rough notes entitled, "How Do I Know It's God? : Evaluating Prophetic Words" on my Lessons in Leadership blog for Christian leaders, listing seven important questions all of us need to ask ourselves as we seek to discern the voice of God guiding us through life.

One of the most important things for us to remember is that God wants to reveal His will to us and has promised to do so if we open our hearts to Him! In fact, the Bible is filled with precious promises from God, assuring those who love Him of His continual guidance. Here are a few worth hiding in your heart, the first three from the writings of the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah,

"²¹ Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”" (Isaiah 30:21, NIV)

"¹⁶ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." (Isaiah 42:16, NIV)

"¹⁷ This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." (Isaiah 48:17, NIV)

One from the Old Testament Book of Psalms,

"⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." (Psalm 32:8, NIV)

And one from the first of three letters from the Apostle John in the New Testament,

"²⁷ As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." (1 John 2:27, NIV)

Glory on Your House / Gloria en Su Casa

Click on the pictures for quick links to Amazon.com for the book I mentioned yesterday while preaching. Other great options to check out to see if you can get better pricing are Christian Book Distributors and our very own Axis Youth Ministries Bookstore.

Dealing with the Demonic - Key #7

On my way home from service this morning, I thought of another “R” for the list of keys I gave for overcoming demonic influence in our homes and our families:

1. Recognize historical patterns of demonic influence in our families.

2. Repent of any personal involvement in these things.

3. Renounce any attachment to family patterns of sinful behavior.

4. Remove any objects from our homes that are connected with such sinful behaviors.

5. Remain diligent in our study of God’s Word and pursuit of God’s presence through prayer and worship.

6. Rejoice in the precious promises of God to redeem our families!

and...

7. RESIST the demonic when it tries to re-enter your life!

Jesus clearly stated that when evil spirits are cast out of someone, they will try to return.

"²⁴ “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ ²⁵ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. ²⁶ Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”" (Luke 11:24-26, NIV)

That is simply reality, but the Bible also contains this precious promise:

"⁶ … Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:6-7, NIV)

God’s Word says the devil will flee from us if we resist him from a posture of submission to God’s kingdom authority! There is not any “if,” “and,” or “but” about it: Satan and his demons will try to regain any territory they lose, but they will respond to the authority of the Jesus who lives in us, if we have given our hearts to Him and we stand against them in faith and obedience to His Word.

The Apostle Paul, veteran of many a spiritual conflict, told Christian believers in the city of Ephesus, occult capital of the ancient world,

" ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:10-18, NIV)

Stand your ground against the enemy and you will never stand alone. God, who is able to make you to stand, will stand by your side and you will prevail!

Be strong and take your stand…!

Beth Moore helping Hillcrest women

Katherine Smith and our Hillcrest Women's Ministry Council hit the ball right out of the park today with the Beth Moore satellite simulcast in our Seminar Room. When I stopped by earlier today, over 200 women were gathered from our congregation and beyond for powerful, relevant teaching entitled, "Get Out of the Pit!" Next Sunday, February 27th, our ladies begin a new Beth Moore Bible study video series on Tuesday mornings from 9:30-10:30 on our church campus called, "Daniel: Words of Prophecy, Lives of Integrity."

God is doing great things among the women here at Hillcrest Church!

He was there when it happened...!

Following the message I brought yesterday, entitled, "Dealing with the Demonic, Part II," I had lunch with Bob and Gay Thurman. Reflecting on the morning service, she shared a wonderful insight that grew out of a comment I had made while preaching: The demons Jesus dealt with already knew who He was because they had known Him in His glory before they were led astray by Satan prior to the Lord's incarnation.

The Lord referenced that reality in response to His disciple's joyful report that they now had power to minister deliverance to needy people:

"17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”" (Luke 10:17-20, NIV)

While I would never counsel anyone to seek out confrontations with evil spirits, it is a wonderful, wonderful thing to realize that demons already know that the Jesus who lives in our hearts when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior is infinitely more powerful than them!

Here is another great verse to hide in your heart:

"...the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world." (1 Jn 4:4, The Message)

Growing in my understanding of growth

I am having a great time during the first part of this week here in Van Nuys, California where I am taking a class entitled, "Church Growth: Growing the Local Church," at the King's Seminary founded by Jack Hayford. The course is taught by Jim Tolle, Senior Pastor at the Church on the Way.

God has so many wonderful things in store for our church! As I shared on Vision Sunday, YOU have an important part to play in making that happen in three simple, yet powerful and important ways:

1. SUPPORT this church with our prayers, attendance, finances, and words.
2. SERVE this church with our gifts, talents, and experiences.
3. GROW this church by inviting others to our services.

Together, WE can make it happen!

To make your heart a little merrier...!

While surfing the web this morning, I stumbled across a very funny, tongue-in-cheek, post entittled, Zondervan Introduces New "Serious Scholar's" Bible. While my mother was certainly right when she taught me, "A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone whose life isn't...," if you are in the mood for a good laugh, then click on the link above...

"22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22, NIV)

It's good to be home! Thanks for praying for all our team during our trip.

See you Sunday!

Given to the Gospel

Carlos and Celia Estrado are the spiritual "parents" of the movement I ministered for in Peru. The forty plus years they invested there at great personal sacrifice have resulted in over 400 churches, a Bible school, a Christian day school with several hundred students, and many other forms of ministry. Seeing the abundant fruit of their labors was a powerful reminder that when we sow our lives into God's will, it always bears a harvest!

"5 Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. 6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves withhim." (Psalm 126:5-6, NIV)

Birthday and other blessings

When our host pastor's wife, Soledad Ramos, found out that Wednesday was my 47th birthday, she surprised me with a very rich chocolate birthday cake. Thankfully, I only had to blow out three candles!




On a more serious note, every member of our Hillcrest Church team enjoyed ministering to these wonderful people.


Pastor Alvin Miranda taught material from his Lifestyle of Worship training manual and laid a foundation of understanding upon which these pastors will be able to build for many years to come.



Their hearts are very hungry for more of God and they love to linger in His presence.





Mary Dunham-Faulkner spoke to both women's and combined sessions.




She was very warmly received.



Missionary Steve Hopkins was slated to translate 28 times in eight days!



He and his wife Shelly serve as liasons between the work in Peru and churches like ours that partner with them in the U.S.A. Their many years of relationship with leaders there is bearing much fruit.

Memories

It was in January of 1973, a few weeks before my thirteenth birthday, that my family arrived in Peru to begin my parent's missionary ministry. Those were very, very difficult and painful years for me in many respects, as I traversed adolescence and culture shock all at the same time. It has been such a wonderful experience for me to be back here again, ministering the Word of God to His servants and seeing the way His work has grown.

Today, one of the brethren drove me across this sprawling city of over eight million people to this church where my father pastored, named Templo Jerusalem.



We also drove to my old neighborhood, San Borja. To my utter astonishment, although we left in the mid seventies, and what was then a brand new, sparsely developed neighborhood now has a densely urban feel, I was able to find my way to the house where I used to live on a short little stree named after an Italian painter Tintoretto...!



Visiting these places today caused me to understand again how great God is and how providential His workings are in our lives! Had it not been for those years in Peru, difficult for me though they were, in spite of some very postive experiences mingled in, I would have never gone to Europe. Had I never gone to Europe, I would have never come to Dallas. Had I never come to Dallas, I would never have had the privilege of serving such wonderful people as you!

The only way I can put into words all that I feel this afternoon as I prepare to go to the church for the last service of our time here is to quote the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians at Rome:

"28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28, NLT)

Great day - great services!

We had a wonderful day of services here in Lima! All of our team (Missionaries Steve and Shelly Hopkins, Pastor Charles Green, myself, Pastor Alvin Miranda, and Mary Dunham-Faulkner) thank you for your prayers!

It has been a special joy to become better acquainted with our host pastor, Arturo Ramos, and his precious wife, Soledad. What great people of God they are!

Hello from Lima!

Pastor Alvin and I arrived here in Lima at sunrise this morning, having flown through the night from Miami across the Equator to the South American continent. Missionaries Steve and Shelly Hopkins, along with Mary Dunham-Faulkner, all from Hillcrest Church, were already here.

We have had wonderful services today in this very strong work numbering nearly four hundred churches throughout the country. The choir that sang tonight was very vibrant and effectively led the congregation through worship into the manifest presence of God. If I can figure out how YouTube works, I'll upload a short video clip for you.

One quick prayer request...


My sinuses were bothering me before I ever left the States and now they are much worse. Please pray that God will heal me so that I can minister without hinderance and not have any problems on the flight back home on Thursday.

Miami

Pastor Alvin and I are eating a wonderful Cuban dinner in Miami while waiting on our flight connection to Lima.

I'm having garlic chicken (since Teresa is not around to kiss me goodnight...smile!) and he's having ropa vieja, literally, "old clothes!" It's a sort of shredded beef with bell peppers, etc.

mbrand@hillcrestchurch.org
Sent via PDA

En-route

Pastor Alvin and I are on the plane between Dallas and Miami. I am working with my pda phone to see if I can learn how to post photos from it directly onto my blog. He is working hard on some Spanish songs. Isn't it great to have a bi-lingual Pastor of Worship and Senior Associate Pastor?!

I am sitting here thanking God for the special sense of His presence that we felt in our service today. Your prayers and heart for God help create that kind of atmosphere.

When you get a chance, I encourage you to watch the video I mentioned in my last post of Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle preaching at Pastor Jack Hayford's pastor's conference. As they say in the Czech Republic, it is "strong coffee," but also a stirring testimony to the power of prayer. They have built a great, 8,000 member church in Brooklyn with a Grammy award winning choir by continually calling upon the Lord. For their Tuesday night prayer meeting, they open the doors two hours early so the people who are already arriving can get inside and begin to pray.

Teresa and I love you and thank God for the privilege of serving you!

Blessings!

Pastor Mark

mbrand@hillcrestchurch.org
Sent via PDA

Calling Upon the Lord - Jim Cymbala

One of the books that has most influenced my life is Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala, Pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. I want to strongly encourage you to take the time to watch a free, online video of him preaching at the Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California pastored by Jack Hayford. Pastor Cymbala's message is entitled, Calling Upon the Name of the Lord. I believe that if you will take the time to watch this clip, it will change your life! Those two churches, by the way, are the ones I admire the most, out of all that I have ever been privileged to visit.

Pastor Cymbala is hosting a Pastor's and Leader's Prayer Conference at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, April 15-17th. Teresa and I were able to attend this event last year and it blessed us tremendously. I have been dreaming of taking our pastoral staff and their spouses to this year's conference, but we do not have the funds necessary for this trip in our church budget. If this video touches your heart, would you please take a moment to pray and ask God to make a way for our pastors and as many of our church leaders and members as possible to attend? I believe it could revolutionize our church.

Thanks and blessings to you!

Protect your kids from online predators

The Christianity Today website is carrying a great article on how to protect your kids from online predators at internet social sites. Taken from CT's sister publication Today's Christian Woman, the article is entitled, A Mom's Guide to MySpace.

It suggests such tips as,

1. Custome your child's profile so certain aspects of their page are private.
2. Register yourself as a member of your child's network so you can log onto sites related to his or her site.
3. Ask your child or your youth pastor for a guided tour of such sites so you will understand their dynamics and potential pitfalls.
4. Become a part of the solution by agressively reporting anything wrong you see on such websites to the website host provider.

Since our children are so young, Teresa and I do not yet face this issue in our home, but we know it is coming. We urge all of you who are parents of children old enough to have access to the internet to check out resources like this article!