My "Fake" Brother

I have a brother who's name is Will. My girlfriend calls him my fake brother.

You see, he's not really my brother- but he is. We share the same set of siblings.

Let me explain ... before either of us were born, my father married his mother and had three children. Later our "parents" split up. My father met my Mother and had me - his mother remarried and had him. We are 18 months apart, share the same siblings - but aren't blood related. Instead of explaining our family lineage (which looks like a football play), we just simply refer to each other as brother and sister - and move on. We look alike and are close friends - we are closer to one another than our shared siblings.

Will is a Christian and we share the same love of the Lord too. When I was a little girl, I would wish, pray and even daydream that I had a brother. I thank God for answering my prayer.

Will came to Michigan last week for a visit. We haven't seen each other in a while. He had a four day pass from the military, because he's on his way to Iraq serving in the National Guard as the aid de camp to the General. Pretty cool job. Lots of work. The General never sleeps or takes a day off!! Will must be his shadow to the endth of duty and beyond.

I ask you to please pray for him. Pray for him spiritually, because of the long hours its hard to get some devotional time with God and temptation can come quickly when you're weary. Please pray for his safety and protection. God has a purpose and a plan!!

What is Your Mission?

A couple of weeks ago, I started my new position as Youth and Christian Education Director at Franklin Community Church. At first I was highly hesitant about taking the position, first of all its a United Methodist Church and I am not a Methodist. Despite the potential of different beliefs, I accepted the job. The reason in accepting the position is the opportunity to minister to the youth - a group of all girls. This would be an opportunity for them to hear the truth and make a decision to follow Christ. I didn't grow up in a church environment and when I did visit church, I loved coming. I wish now someone would have shared the gospel with me when I was younger - possibly it would have made an impact in my life at a earlier age.

This church is a dying church. They are an old congregation, having a ritual of tradition that talks of godliness, but it's just religion and talk of Christ. What I believe is my purpose is to be a missionary, to bring the gospel truth by Holy Spirit within their midst to all that would hear. All this knowing that one person, one life will be changed forever and many more will follow - all because of one decision. Please pray for me. I speak of it with such inspiration, but yet there are so many times I feel so much opposition and lack of inspiration. This isn't the mission field I quite had in mind when I told the Lord I would serve Him. I am faced with liberal theology that I never knew existed. I seriously had no idea that a person who dosen't believe in the literal translation of the bible, or creationism could be in a church pulpit and in leadership.

I ask you to please pray for me and the young people of this congregation. I want God's will to be accomplished in their lives so they can find their God given purposes in Him. They are the future and are part of the blueprint of the future. If God can work in their lives, they will bring change, purity and godliness to the world who needs it most. May their eyes be opened and their ears hear.