The Importance of Faith

Ena Zizi was at a Roman Catholic prayer meeting when the 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti. She was trapped under the rubble for seven days with a broken leg and dislocated hip, lying near two dead people, until she was rescued yesterday by a Mexican disaster team.

How did she get through it? "I talked only to my boss, God," she said. "I didn't need any more humans."

Faith is indeed an incredibly powerful thing, not just for our salvation, but for our survival. The power of prayer has been responsible for countless medical miracles. And several recent studies have indicated that people who have a relationship with God live three years or more longer than non-believers.

How is your relationship with God? If you're reading this, then it could use improvement. As long as we are on this Earth, there is always room for improvement in growing our relationship with our creator. I know mine is in perpetual need of improvement.

How does one grow in faith? I'm going to share my plan, which hopefully can help you, too, if you are open to wanting a deeper connection with God:

1. Study - read all you can from all different faiths. There is so much wonderful wisdom and depth to be discovered across the religious spectrum. Just be sure to use your own discernment and wisdom (with God's help) in seeing what is true and what is essentially window dressing.

2. Visit - go to religious institutions that you find interesting. Talk with the leaders, as most will be extremely welcoming to respectful inquiries.

3. Discuss - find people who are interested in theology and philosophy. People you already know may surprise you with their insights.

4. Pray - this is obviously the most important thing one can do to build one's relationship with God. Prayer and reflection are crucial in really finding God's truth that is located within each and every one of us.

5. Listen - God is perpetually--and I mean it--speaking to each of us. It's all about developing our listening skills. God speaks to us through our consciences, for sure, but God also speaks to us through other people. Stay aware of this at all times. God also communicates volumes to us through nature, as it is a very real and direct connection to God.

I most definitely need to grow in faith, which became crystal clear during my recent health scare, although I'm aware it is a lifelong journey to develop as deep a relationship as possible with God. I pray you find great success in deepening your relationship with God as well.


If you have ideas or things to share, please post your comments below:

Lessons from the Earthquake in Haiti

I thank you all for your prayers and donations to the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Many tons of aid have already arrived and much more is still being shipped, but most of the Haitian people continue to go without food and water.

The reasons? The airport was severely damaged in the quake, and it has run out of fuel. There are no clear or safe passage ways to get the supplies to the people in Port-au-Prince, due to rubble and the country's long history of dangerous instability with militias. Equipment is desperately lacking to clear the roads and aid in rescuing those still trapped under rubble. The shipping harbor was also quite damaged. The electricity is out, which makes all efforts more difficult. Aid is pouring in, vessel after vessel, but it is just not getting to those in dire need. People will die because of this inefficiency.

Haiti's extreme poverty caused most buildings to be very poorly constructed, and thus, not earthquake-resistant, which caused an extremely high number of casualties. (Compare the 50,000-100,000 expected dead of this quake to the 63 dead in California's Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989). While the economy of the Western Hemisphere's poorest country is in the hands of their unfortunately inept government, there obviously was a serious lack of foresight in disaster planning, which, I suppose, goes back to their inept government. But you would think a Caribbean country that is hit often by hurricanes would have some semblance of a plan in place.

So in thinking about planning for disasters, I realized I don't have any in place for myself or my family. Do you? Do you know what to do if some large-scale disaster occurs, blocking all streets, cutting off electricity and communication? Do you have a reserve of survival supplies? Do you have the basic necessities in reserve to last through the wait for disaster relief? Do you have set meeting places for all of your loved ones to congregate?

While thinking about worst-case scenarios is not pleasant in the least, a little preparation could make the literal difference in your survival. Talk these issues over with loved ones and make plans. I don't suggest going overboard, as some did with Y2K preparations, but I do suggest you cover your bases. I know I'm going to.



On a slight tangent, I feel compelled to address something disgusting and disturbing said by televangelist Pat Robertson. He stated that Haiti deserved the wrath of God via this devastating earthquake. The reason:

"Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about. They were under the heel of the French, you know, Napoleon III and, whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the [French].' True story."

This statement is so obviously asinine, it doesn't even merit addressing, but it goes to show you what crazy, wealthy people will spout off when they delude themselves into thinking they can speak for God. Please pray for Pat Robertson's poor soul. And may God heal his mental illness.

God IS With You

Two blogs ago, I discussed the importance of slow, deep breathing. Well, that night, I put it into practice, and was very glad I did.

Through my recent surgery and recovery, I had felt pretty disconnected from God. Not that I wasn't praying and talking to God, but it just wasn't clicking. Part of it was the medication I was on, but part of it was just being generally glum, particularly because of the troubles my family has been facing.

Off the medication and finding my way back to center, I started my focused breathing the other day while I was praying. And then, click. I heard God speaking to me through my conscience so clearly, it gave me chills. God gave me both comfort and advice on things I've been dealing with and thinking about. It wasn't a stern lecture--although I certainly deserve one--it was just kind, helpful, and much welcomed insight and support.

This is just a reminder to all of us, including myself, to slow down and really focus on listening to God through your conscience, because God has a lot to share with you. God is wisdom.



p.s. Haiti still needs your prayers and help. Thank you.

Call for Prayers and Donations for Haiti!

As most of you have probably heard, Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince, was hit almost directly with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake yesterday afternoon. In the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, shoddy construction is the norm. And in a city of over 2 million people, the devastation is mind-boggling vast: the death toll soaring over 100,000 is expected, as piles of bodies grow on every street; many, many people are still trapped under piles of rubble, waiting to be saved before it is too late, including many children underneath what used to be their schools; there have been so many thousands of people injured that there are not even remotely enough health professionals to treat them; many tens of thousands of people are now homeless, including many children, who are filling up makeshift orphanages as quickly as they are created; and those who survived are scrambling to find potable water and enough food to not perish in the aftermath. It is woefully grim, through and through.

Through the grace of God, the human family is intensely compassionate and cares for its own, and the spirit of generosity and love is pouring in from all corners of the globe, but much, much more is definitely immediately needed. I have listed some charitable organizations below (from msnbc). If you can afford to spare any money, please do so. You can even text a donation on your cell phone. But if not, at the very least, I beg you pray for the victims, especially all of those still trapped under the rubble, that they be rescued before it's too late, particularly the dear children. God be with Haiti as they deal with the worst catastrophe in their history.


Please contact the organizations below right away:

Action Against Hunger, 877-777-1420
American Red Cross, 800-733-2767
American Jewish World Service, 212-792-2900
AmeriCares, 800-486-4357
Beyond Borders, 866-424-8403
CARE, 800-521-2273
Catholic Relief Services, 800-736-3467
Childcare Worldwide, 800-553-2328
Direct Relief International, 805-964-4767
Doctors Without Borders, 888-392-0392
Feed My Starving Children, 763-504-2919
Food for the Poor, 800-427-9104
Friends of WFP, 866-929-1694
Haiti Children, 877-424-8454
Haiti Marycare, 203-675-4770
Haitian Health Foundation, 860-886-4357
Hope for Haiti, 239-434-7183
International Medical Corps, 800-481-4462
International Rescue Committee, 877-733-8433
International Relief Teams, 619-284-7979
Lutheran World Relief, 800-597-5972
Medical Teams International, 800-959-4325
Meds and Food for Kids, 314-420-1634
Mennonite Central Committee, 888-563-4676
Mercy Corps, 888-256-1900
Operation Blessing, 800-730-2537
Operation USA, 800-678-7255
Oxfam, 800-776-9326
Partners in Health, 617-432-5298
Rural Haiti Project, 347-405-5552
The Salvation Army, 800-725-2769
Samaritan's Purse, 828-262-1980
Save the Children, 800-728-3843
UNICEF, 800-367-5437
World Concern, 800-755-5022
World Hope International, 888-466-4673
World Relief, 800-535-5433
World Vision, 888-511-6548

Yele Haiti, 212-352-0552 Wyclef Jean's grassroots org (Text Yele to 501 501 to donate $5 via your cellphone)

Also, you can simply text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross.



Links:

The story: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34829978/ns/world_news-americas/?GT1=43001

How to help: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34835478/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake/