Invsible Children - Don't Forget Them!

The most bizarre thing has happened to me tonight.

I was at James C's page for his 21st.

He made me think of Mitchell Davis.

I went to youtube to see if Mitchell Davis made anymore clips.

He did.

One was about Invisible Children.

The shame in it is that at first i scoffed, having heard about these so-called 'invisible children' countless times, i had never seen anything about it. All i knew was that it had something to do with child soldiers in Africa.

I don't know what it was, maybe i love Mitchell David so much that i wanted to see why he'd gone to the trouble of making an extremely serious clip - unusual for him.

But there i was, about to press the play button on Invisible children - Part 1.

Before i knew it, i had watched the whole 6 damn parts! Where did the intention to do that come from???

As I watched, it became apparent to me that there was so much more going on than i had realised.

At first i was bored and amused by the antics of three unwary boys with no clue of what they were doing. Laughing at their snake-killing, empathising, sympathising with their vomiting and their feeling of hopelessness in not finding anything to begin with.

But as i watched the 6 parts of what they'd discovered, the questions and the sadness came to me. One child with the most dashing dimples dreamt of being a teacher, another inspired to become a lawyer.

My honest, stark thought was 'how? and then again, the sadness in knowing that their potential might never be acknowledged.

As i continued to watch, i learnt about the history behind the rebels and their child soldiers, not the willingness but the fear which enslaved them.

The mental state in which they were in. Seeing their drawings, horrific, twisted illustrations of the only thing on their minds - to kill. Their mental states being above fear, one man saying, "they lived above fear, fear was an understatement."

To think that fear can even be an understatement????? Can you live in more than fear? These people can and do!!!

And the cruncher, the scene in part 6 that made my tears fall uncontrollably, the one thing that made my chest heave and my entire soul and being weep (believe me, i am not making this up!!!) was what the little boy said when he was asked what he'd say to his dead brother. He said he loved and missed him, that when they met in heaven he wouldn't talk much and then he began to sob. It wasn't a couple of held back tears, he SOBBED and the boys took his hands from his face to capture his heartache.

What screwed with my mind was that the boys interviewing him, reassured him that it was ok but what was screaming in my mind was that it's not ok, it never has been and it never will be ok.

When i watched that boy cry - considering these children have learnt and been taught not to cry - my heart broke and i could not stop the sadness from coming out in tears. i myself wanted to sob, even howl. How could this happen, why is the world in such an unjust mess?

How can we have new, fandangled things, how can this be the millenium with all the latest gadgets but yet our world is still suffering? Why do we worry about how much litres of water we drink a day or about the air-con on trains or something so simple as a date of our nation's birth when there are much MUCH worse crimes? Men, and now children, are still being drawn to war for killing. Men are now resorting to using children because adults are becoming tiresome of war, do you blame them for becoming tired of it???

There were too many convictions that took place in my own heart to ignore, there were too many things revolving around me, around my own life. Why is ANYTYHING about ourselves?

I would totally encourage you (and i realise that most of you might've seen it and that it's probably 'old news' - but isn't it still relevant?) to watch this and let your heart and your disposition on life be changed.

I was crushed when at the end one child said that when those men left africa, they'd be forgotten. HOW can you forget about that once you've seen it, how can you forget about them? It ended by saying that they will not be forgotten and indeed, i will definitely not forget how my heart and spirit felt when that one boy sobbed.

Watch the link of part 1 about the Invisible Children and the following parts will be to the side of the video.

Praise You In This Storm

It seems that the only thing i blog about these days is songs. I think God has really been speaking to my heart through the lyrics of songs lately.

So i went to a Casting Crowns concert on Thursday (as did many other people i know) and it was amazing! I was so inspired and so grateful for having been given the opportunity to go!

I was inspired because the lyrics had meaning, the things that were spoken were truth, the people on the stage were real. When i watched that concert, i didn't see self-righteous people, i saw ordinary human beings in search for a higher power, desiring, even craving, a close encounter with God.

Their music and who they were, blew me away!

In my lifetime, i've only been to one real concert, which was evanescence and don't get me wrong, i love that band but i have to admit, the concert scene's not really my thing. But i realised, whilst i was watching casting crowns, that there is so much meaning in seeing and listening to something that you believe whole-heartedly. It's not a concert but rather an act of worship - i just loved it. It made me think about so many different things.

One of my thoughts was this song, "Praise You In This Storm". When they performed this song, i had tears in my eyes and i struggled to hold them back. These are the lyrics:

I was sure by now
God, You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with You"

How incredible a description is this of how ignorant and self-focused we can become that we barely even recognise God's voice! No wonder we crumble! I think it stirs me because sometimes, we don't give God enough credit for who is and what he can do! It makes me sad to think i would put more faith in myself than in God who can save and rescue me!

And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

CHORUS
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am

This next part stirs something so profound in me i feel like breaking down! Knowing that there is someone who loves me enough to 'never leave my side', who holds 'every tear i've cried', who cares enough to love me. It's a love that i never want to take for granted. I will DEFINITELY praise you in ANY storm!

Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again

It reassures me to know that God hears our cry and not only does he hear it but he acts on it!

My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

Sometimes our circumstance can seem so futile and so hopeless that our cry to God or our plea is desperate. Our grip on God is almost like that frenzied breath we try and take as if we were drowning. we hold on, as though we're hanging from a cliff losing our grip. Sometimes 'finding God' is like trying to keep our eyes open in the middle of a dust storm!

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with You"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

CHORUS

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth


CHORUS
Though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

Praising God in our 'storms' of life seems too easy to me. I can't think of any other person i'd rather break down and crumble with. Sometimes, people don't understand a God who allows 'storms' and yet for me, i find it the easiest thing to do and sometimes i don't know what else to do or who else to turn to, there's no other person who knows my circumstance or knows how i feel or how torn i am than he who formed me. Praising God in my 'storms' seems to look hurt and suffering in the eyes saying 'God is better than this'.

Check it out: Praise You In This Storm

One Thing Leading To Another

I've been thinking alot about stalking issues lately.

I know that i think too much and matt would say that some things i think about are pointless and then another friend, who i will refrain from naming, questioned life itself to be pointless in a bid to talk philosphy....i think??? But we're not going to go into that because really, i don't particularly care for it right now.

The stalking topic is a topic that is constantly raised by some friends at work, mostly in jest.

However, my question that maybe you'd like to comment on (or not) is this:

"Is there such a thing as curious stalking opposed to harmful/obsessive stalking?"

Although i am still interested in your thoughts and opinions, i suppose in my efforts to fall asleep, i concluded that it's a little bit like lust.

Stick with me here because one thing leads to another....

Curiosity (which, as we all know, killed the cat) COULD lead to obsession which COULD lead to harm.

So yea, i guess stalking's a bad thing.....but what if no harm is intended? I guess that doesn't really account for much once the harm is done.....

Just thinking out loud, trying to justify my curiousity!

NB: I'm not a sick, pyscho, twisted person...i just like to think, question and process LOTS of things!