Guest Blogger: Author Hope Flinchbaugh

Welcome to Hope Flinchbaugh, guest blogger. Hope is the author of three novels about China, Daughter of China, Across the China Sky, and I'll Cross the River and a nonfiction book called Out of North Korea. All are available on Amazon. Hope and I became friends at the Montrose Writers Conference two years ago. She invited me to produce a Blog Talk radio show, "The Voice of Hope," which is broadcast weekly in English and Mandarin. Meet my friend Hope . . .

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

Posted on August 27, 2013by Lift the Cross of Jesus!

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners (Isaiah 61:1). 

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert is a book that was recommended to me by my good friend and partner in Chinese radio ministry, Jo Ann Walczak.  Jo Ann lived in China for more than a year and taught children there.  She is now the producer of our Blog Talk radio show that is in both English and Mandarin, "The Voice of Hope."

As Jo Ann and I prayed about where God would lead us in upcoming shows, He made it more and more clear to us to share on love.  And that’s why she brought up this book by Rosaria Butterfield—she said it was a great read. Rosaria shares how people did not keep telling her about the gospel but loved her over and over again. She even said that if people would have kept telling her how to be saved and pushed her on that, she would have never been born again. Rosaria was a lesbian who taught at a large university. What spoke to Rosaria was the love shown to her by Christians.

I’ve been saved since the womb, I think (not true, but feels that way), so I oftentimes wonder what a person who doesn’t know Jesus thinks about.  How does he or she feel or process what we say when we share the gospel?

Love.  They need to feel love.  Matthew 24:12 says, “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” Times will be difficult. Families will divide, two against three and three against two. Some Christians, even the elect, will fall away, and “men’s hearts will fail them because of fear.”  That does not sound like good news to me. So how do we share good news in the era of COLD HEARTS?  We love them. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

How do we love the lost? I don’t know. I think love has many different approaches and nuances. Love meets needs.  Love gives and serves.  But most of all, the purest expression of love comes from a person who is connected to and in conversation with the God of love.  Am I connected to God today? Are we talking right now, checking in with one another? Do I look heavenward and ask God, “What’s next?  How can I help you?  What can I do for you right now?”

God is love. That’s it.

And as far as our Blog Talk radio show, "The Voice of Hope"?  Well, we’ve laid quite a foundation of scripture since our launch date 11/11/11!  We’ve read over the internet radio the books of John, Acts, and Ephesians from the Bible, and now we’re recording Romans, too, in both English and Mandarin.  We’ve done a number of music shows and broadcast a commentary on Ephesians. It’s exciting to work for the king!  But love . . . Jesus loves the Chinese people. Jesus loves ALL the people of the world.

Love is a force.  Love is something you do on purpose.  Love shakes off offenses and forgives. Love clings to truth or it is not God’s love.  Love . . . Father in heaven, help us all to love you and to love the person in front of us today.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Free Downloads!

Listen to the Gospel of John read in English and Mandarin on Voice of Hope Blog Talk Radio.  Listen to the Book of Acts, Romans, and Ephesians read in English and Mandarin from   Voice of Hope Blog Talk Radio.

Listen to the Voice of Hope Music shows from   Voice of Hope Blog Talk Radio.   

About Lift the Cross of Jesus!

My day job is writing--I'm an author and publisher of a number of books. More on that later. But there is nothing of greater importance to me than the early morning hours I spend with the Creator of the Universe. Although He knows everything there is to know, His greatest delight isn't to give us knowledge, but to give us love. My highest joy is to watch the sun rise with notebook in hand and write the words he speaks to my heart. I want to share some of those words with you here . . . words on the cross.

View all posts by Lift the Cross of Jesus! →

"What's in a Name?"

"What's in a name?" Juliet bemoaned to her lover, Romeo, in Shakespeare's classic play, Romeo and Juliet.

Romeo's family name, "Montague," caused much chagrin for Juliet's parents because it represented an unacceptable union for her with a despised family. Juliet tells Romeo,

"O, be some other name!

What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."
 (Act II, Scene II, Romeo and Juliet)

What Juliet meant is, it only matters what something or someone is, not what they're called.

True, Juliet, but "name" still carries a boatload of significance.

Little Jo Ann of the Yi people in western China

Some boys are named after their fathers, and they bear the tag "Junior" or "III or IV." I even know a family whose son is called "Bob 5,"  fifth of the Bob line. Girls are sometimes given their mother's name.

I have had the unique privilege of bearing the names of both my mother and father. Joseph married Annette, and the union produced their first of three daughters who was named "Jo Ann," a little of mom, a little of dad.

The name "Jo Ann" never caught on in American culture really. As a school teacher for many years, I had thousands of students, including an abundance of Jennifers, Emilys, Ashleys, Megans, Sarahs, Amys, Amandas, but I can't remember even one Jo Ann. The name lacks the star quality and pertness of a "Jennifer" Anniston or "Sarah" Jessica Parker. Cultural "name" trends, spurred by Hollywood, produced only "Joanne" Woodward, and the "name" stopped there.    

Our family has done well by the name. My son and daughter-in-law did a wonderful thing when their first daughter was born. They gave her the name Anna, after Grandma Jo Ann and Great-grandma Annette. Anna is a much lovelier form of the name.

ANNA, third in the "Ann" family line.

Through the years the name "Jo Ann" has been a source of continual frustration when it comes to spelling. "Joanne, Jo Anne, Joann" are a few of the variety of ways the name can be spelled. Employed for 27 years in the same school district, my employer spelled my name incorrectly on my retirement certificate. A close family relative has yet to get my name right on gifts and birthday cards.

Imagine my surprise last month when I opened an email with the above photo of a Chinese girl holding a sign with my name . . . spelled correctly! This child lives in an orphanage in western China. A friend of mine worked at the orphanage for six weeks this summer among a minority group called the Yi people. Because Chinese names prove challenging for the Westerner, my friend gave the children English names. She named this little Yi girl - Jo Ann. No cultural pressure for trendy names there! And small chance that I will forget to pray for my  namesake on the other side of the world.

Yes,  a name bears connection and identity.

Nowhere is that connection and identity of name more significant than in God's Kingdom. In Isaiah 43:16 God says, "I have summoned you by name: you are mine." God knows our names. More than that, He knows the essence of who we are. He KNOWS us.

I love Isaiah 49:15-18: "Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you - never. Look, I've written your names on the backs of my hands." Imagine that. His blood has tattooed our names for eternity on His hands. Simply wonderful.

Your very special name is also recorded in heaven. Those who acknowledge the sacrifice that God made of His Son Jesus for our sins are eternally remembered in the "book of life." Revelation 3:5 says, "I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life but will acknowledge that name before my Father and His angels."

And Revelation 21:27 continues the reminder, "Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life will get in."

What's in a name? The sweet grace of our Father's love . . . no misspellings, no mistakes.

Your name - whether a Yi orphan in the remote parts of western China or a retired grandmother in suburban America  . . . on Layton . . . preserved forever with God.

Write His Answer!

The Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference was held last week, and I was fortunate to be able to attend the four day event.

You see, writing has been a latent desire of mine for many years. When I was in third grade, I remember setting up an office in my parents' home here on Layton and declaring that I would be an author.

In college I would have enjoyed majoring in journalism, but my college didn't have a writing majo. I defaulted to a major in English. Eventually, I taught middle and high school English for over thirty years. I also taught journalism for twelve years at the high school where I started the school newspaper, The Lakeland Lance. Somewhere in that mix of time, I wrote for our local, weekly newspaper, The Abington Journal, penning features, news stories, and my own column. But child rearing and a full time teaching job dominated.

Now, in retirement I have come full circle . . . back to writing. I've joined a writers' group, started this blog, written devotions and articles for online ezines, and set my hand to a book. I'll never make a pile of money or gain name recognition, but I will have satisfied that God-given desire - to write.

The scriptural basis for the Philadelphia Writers Conference was Habakkuk 2:2.

Write my answer,
Make it clear.
Shout my message,
Help them hear.
All who read it
How they'll run
To share the vision
That has come.

What a marvelous mandate: write God's answer, large and clear, so that anyone can read it. Here, I thought, is a mandate that I can ride into and through retirement. Though my mouth is too often silent, and I fail to tell others of the Lord's loving kindness, my pen (or computer keyboard) does not have the same qualms and hesitations. It walks boldly where my mouth sometimes fears to tread.


Writing has become more than a wish to follow my latent and unfulfilled desires.Writing has become missional and purposeful. To write God's credits large and clear, to pen reminders of His love, to point to Him as the answer to life's conundrums, to rush to tell others of Him. This is not retirement - this is higher living! And so I write . . . from Layton.

Sherry Boykin is my writers' group buddy and roommate at the Philadelphia Writers Conference. Sherry's brand is "But-Kickers" - "Growing Your Faith Bigger Than Your But." (There's a title I can love).
Bob Hostetler is the author of many books; a number of them were co-authored with Josh McDowell. Bob's closing session at the conference, a powerful, dramatic monologue, reminded us that we may be writing for one special person whom God has prepared to read our work. See http://www.bobhostetler.com/
Here's my billboard, Bob.  I'll write LARGE AND CLEAR.

Day Lilies in Bloom!

The day lilies bloomed today on Layton.

Since the first violets spread across the lawn in April and the forsythia burst into vibrant yellow, each flower in the yard has had its week or two "in the sun" on glorious display. Daffodils peeked through the cold earth, glad to have weathered the last of the frigid temperatures. Then the lily-of-the-valley crept around the backyard with their tiny white bells tinkling silently.

Three delicate pink azalea bushes proclaimed their survival through the bitter winter of the North while the lilacs popped wildly in deep purple and snowy white from overgrown trees bordering the yard. One hung heavily with flowers like a crop of ripe grapes ready for harvest. Their aroma wafted richly around the neighborhood.

No passerby could ignore the rhododendron, the "in-your-face" queen of spring blooms. Each flower the size of a small child's head, the purple-pink handfuls of loveliness dominated the yard's color scheme. Every yard seemed to boast a massive pile of rhodies.

Almost simultaneously, the pink roses joined the peonies in a glorious display. Nestled beside the peonies, testament to my poor planting judgment, the roses outdid themselves this year in size and quantity. The peonies, a last hold out from my grandmother's garden planted over fifty years ago here on Layton, boast a rare maroon shade that is nothing short of breathtaking. The peonies are the flower I await impatiently, perhaps because they represent my grandmother. The Chinese adore the peony. They know and appreciate imperial and royal beauty. Many of their scroll paintings feature peonies; I bought such a scroll on a visit to China, and I enjoy the image of a peony all year.Their beauty in my yard is short-lived. They often succumb to heavy rains that cause the luxurious petals to fall limply. Even the roses paled beside the peonies.

The elephant-ear hosta leaves spread three feet in every direction, a natural tent for my grandsons' hide-and-seek games. Tall shoots, bearing white flowers, begin to climb out of the depths of the hosta to open banner-like in early July. Next to the hosta the astilbe form a defensive front to the encroaching daisies, which cannot be contained. The gentle, pink plumes of the astilbe wave delicately, a driveway border and eye-catcher.

Summer is in full swing. The half-century old tiger lilies return for one more season, another inheritance from my grandmother's garden. The tiny buds on the tomato plants, zucchini, beans and peas look promising. August may bring a sweet harvest.

My gardens leave me in awe. Each year the cycle continues, unchanged, each flower taking the stage at its appointed time. The plan has never varied in my fifty years of observation. I consider the beauty, the constancy, the creativity and imagination in  the making of a flower, and I am convinced yet again of the presence of the Creator and His faithfulness and constancy. The flowers display His character - filled with beauty and goodness, exemplars of supreme creativity. In my garden I stand -  in awe of its Maker.

And today the day lilies bloomed!

And they bloom, as their name obviously suggests, just for a day. In the morning dew I check the garden and there they are - faces upturned, stretching their purple and cream or purplish-rust or neon yellow arms in every direction. Their beauty screams away at the corner of my house all day, demanding attention. But when the sun sets and the cool of night draws over the yard, the day lilies curl up and shrivel away. The next morning they are gone, replaced by the bud further down on the stem which, in its turn, now tilts its face upward and splashes its glory everywhere . . . for a day.

Psalm 144:4 says, "Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." The day lilies remind me that our lives, in the scheme of history, are like a breath, blooming for a day and passing quickly from the earth. Day lilies adapt to various soil and light conditions, can survive in a wide range of climates, are suitable for all landscapes, and even tolerate drought. Are our lives facing the day with the same resilience and strength? Like the other flowers in my yard, the day lily's loveliness is not an accident. The Master Gardener tends His garden with provision and care; the day lily wisely rests in His sovereignty.

For our "moment in the sun," can we rest in our Maker's care? Can we trust Him to bring the sun, the rain, strength and resilience? For our moment in the sun, I pray that we can bloom like the day lily - face upturned, arms stretched in every direction, screaming gloriously a reflection of His beauty from our corner of the yard . . . 

On Layton.

• 
  

Book Review: Healing Hearts by Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh, MD

Hope for Broken Hearts in

Healing Hearts by Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh

with Janis Leibs Dworkis

Published by Ambassadors International, Greenville, SC

A gift, wrapped in tears and grief and enveloped in the love of God – this is the essence of Healing Hearts by Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh.

The gift of this book comes not only from Dr. Nikaidoh but also from the eight mothers who have shared their stories and the stories of their children. Each of these women had a child with a traumatic heart situation which brought them under the care of Dr. Nikaidoh, a pediatric cardiologist. Each of them suffered extreme loss, grief, and pain at the death of their children. The death of their children plunged them into an abyss of grief but culminated, with time, in healing. Here is the hope of Healing Hearts: the excruciating pain of a child’s death does not have to consume and destroy a parent’s life.

Although Healing Hearts is a sad and difficult read, it is a necessary story. Parents of deceased children need this hope for their lives. They need to know that hope and joy are possible even after a tragic loss. Healing Hearts provides the inspiration we all need to experience hope in the face of pain and loss. The lesson gleaned from Dr. Nikaidoh and the women in this book is that hope can be found in giving and service to others. Their lives are proof.

Linda Balcioglu, Julie Williams, Linda Simpkins, Karen Ellis, Shanna Shields-Thomas, Marie Crowe, Lynette Dick and Liz Etzkorn exemplify the power of God to heal and turn ashes into beauty. Although the pain will never leave them completely, they have learned to manage their hurt by giving back to the world. Each of the eight women rises from the mire of grief by discovering that service to other human beings brings the salve of healing to their wounded hearts. Serving others - this is their common denominator.

Dr. Nikaidoh, who has spent over fifty years healing the hearts of his small patients, admits, "The medical profession will not be able to bring a physical cure to all patients, but God is not limited and will provide what we need." He credits the Great Physician and Healer for healing the hearts of these mothers . . . and his own.

A compassionate and caring doctor who wrote notes to the parents, visited their homes, and attended the funerals of lost patients, Dr. Nikaidoh came to understand personally the pain of a child's death. In the first chapter of Healing Hearts, he recounts the story of his son Hitoshi. Hitoshi's untimely death, shortly after finishing medical school, devastated his father and the family. Hitoshi had been dedicated to the true mission of a physician -  to serve. Dr. Nikaidoh, who had previously kept a respectful distance between himself and the grieving parents of his patients, realized that parents were not only mourning the child they had known. They mourned the child's future, the lost potential, the lost opportunities, and their hopes and dreams for the child.

The events of the book take place primarily at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, where Dr. Nikaidoh worked for 31 years. And it was to Children's, the site of their greatest loss, that all of the women eventually returned to volunteer or to join the hospital staff in helping other parents and children face the trauma of illness and death.

After the death of her son Timothy, Lynette Dick said, "I would like to think that . . . even if God had allowed us to keep him for a natural lifetime, I would still be a sensitive, helpful person who could empathize with others. But as I walk through the halls of this hospital every day, I know that I have something unique to give because of the loss of Timothy . . . the empathy, the tiny bit of peace that I can give them (other parents) is something not many people can offer. I wouldn't be able to do it either, if it hadn't been for Timothy."

Liz Etzkorn acknowledged God's role in her healing after the death of her daughter Brooke. "It is only with God's love and grace that any of us moves forward," she said. "By far the biggest lesson I learned from Brooke's life and death is this: God is in control. Not me, but God . . . I know now that God's plan is way beyond anything I can see on this earth. He is in charge. He knows what's best. And for that I am truly grateful."

Karen Ellis wrote about her job at the hospital, "More than twenty years ago when I first took that job as a receptionsist, I really hated the idea of spending any more time than I had to at Children's. I took the job because I needed to get back to work, and that was the work that fell into my lap. I figured I could tolerate it. But of corse, I've come to realize that this is exactly where God meant for me to be. Phillip (her son) taught me so much . . . it's now my blessing to put it all to such good use."

Julie Lakey Williams concluded, "I'm not sure one person can ever fully understand another person's feelings, but you can offer valuable empathy from having walked that same road before." Julie completed a round of her clinical nursing studies at Children's Medical Center on the fourth floor, exactly where her daughter Kimberly had been cared for before her death.

Dr. Nikaidoh concluded, "Healing Hearts is not about the failure to save these children. The book is about success - the success of these mothers who went on to serve others in such wonderful ways, always inspired and led by the memories of their precious children. I want to give these mothers all the honor they deserve, so that their stories of love, faith, and success can inspire all of us."

This is a book for anyone who has ever experienced pain. Dr. Nikaidoh and dear ladies,

we ARE inspired. 

                                                                                Dr. Hisashi Nikaidoh, MD, 
                                                           author of Healing Hearts, pediatric cardiologist, and
                                                                                             Christian

In the foreword to the book, Dr. C. Everett Koop, former Surgeon General of the United States, wrote, "After talking with Dr. Nikaidoh, I felt that his book would send a clear message about 'a plan beyond human understanding,'  i.e. 'the Sovereignty of God'. Books of this genre, and especially this book of Dr. Nikaidoh's are a testimony to the power of God without the appearance of preaching. Dr. Nikaidoh is not ashamed of this gospel for 'it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes... (Romans 1:16)'."

For more information on Healing Hearts and information on how to purchase the book visit thehealingheartsbook.com.

WONDERSTRUCK!

 WONDERSTRUCK . . . on Layton!  

My "Wonderstruck" Companions

Thirty-six years ago I invited Jesus into my life, and my "wonderstruck" journey began.

It began with Bible study. And throughout these years Bible studies became a focal point of my life. Bible studies motivate, convict, direct, comfort, challenge, and inspire me. In God's Word I have come to know this One who is God and loves me gracefully, mercifully, and completely, this One who promises never to leave or forsake me, this One who forgives and saves a sinner like me.

During May and June I joined ladies in our church again to read God's Word through a lovely study called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God by Margaret Feinberg (Lifeway Press, Nashville, Tennessee).

Margaret defines "wonder" as being awed by the presence and action of God in our daily lives. She encouraged us to live "eyes wide open" to see God's handiwork, His blessings, and His presence. Each day we watched expectantly for God and recorded three wonders in our journals. "Wonders" like the scent of a newborn child, a fading sunset, a word of kindness, the crunch of an almond, or much-needed rain. We were never disappointed.

We found God everywhere, all the time . . . at sunrise and breakfast, in the garden and the workplace, on a train to Indiana, in a school classroom, with an old man and a pre-schooler.

Our experience confirmed Psalm 40:5. "Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare."

We discovered that we live at breakneck speed. We miss the hand of God as surely as a car, hurdling down the highway at 70 mph, misses the delicate beauty of a daisy beside the road. Apply the brakes, open our eyes, wait expectantly, and be surprised by His wonder. These lessons resound in our hearts as we seek to develop the discipline of seeing God.

"There He is . . . in the yellows, purples, pinks of spring flowers! There He is . . . in that unexpected phone call from an old friend! There He is . . .  in the lavish gift of supplies for a missions trip!" We have savored His sweet presence with us, we have recognized His divine handiwork, and we are awed. "Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" Psalm 17:7.

The youngest member of our Bible study (on his mommy's
lap) left us "wonderstruck."

 This readiness for discovery wets our appetites for a more vibrant intimacy with God. We awake, curious to know Him more. A. W. Tozer's sentiments become our own. "I want the presence of God Himself, or I don't want anything at all to do with religion. I want all that God has or I don't want any."

Thank you, Margaret, for helping us to live "eyes wide open." Thank you, lovely ladies, for your companionship on the journey. Thank you Jesus.

YOU leave me WONDERSTRUCK . . .

on Layton.

A mother-daughter team (first and second on right) study
God's Word and seek Him, together. Beautiful . . . and
Wonderstruck.

This Summer . . . Off Layton!

 Every spring, excitement builds as plans are made for summer trips that will take me figuratively, not literally ... off Layton.

During February to May, letters arrive on Layton from people who desire to serve God somewhere in the world on missions trips during their summer vacations. Some want to "love on" little ones in orphanages; others will dig wells; a few will teach English or the Bible. All of them demonstrate a heart of love for God and people. All are willing to sacrifice their beach and relaxation time to let their faith be set in motion around the world. I'm awed by their love and commitment and eager to jump on their support team.

This summer I'm "traveling" with five of the finest young people I know, my 2013 Heroes of the Faith.

Sarah Allen is currently in China with the
 Yi people.

One of them is Sarah Allen. Her desire is to introduce children to the love of Jesus. She will spend the summer on the streets and in the churches of Philadelphia teaching Good News Clubs with Child Evangelism Fellowship. But before her summer work in Philly begins in late June, this teenager traveled alone to the mountains of western China to work in a school with some of the poorest children of the minority Yi people. For six weeks Sarah is teaching the Bible and English to 150 orphans at the school. Sarah said, "The best occupation in the world is being a fisher of men. I can't wait to see how God's hand will work this summer." What courage and trust in God! Sarah is still in China.

Ben Williams with his grandparents

And then there's Ben. I've known Ben Williams since he was a toddler in our church. Now, his physical stature and his faith and devotion to God are heights for the rest of us to attain. Ben will spend several weeks this summer in Dearborn, Michigan, of all places. Dearborn has a large Muslim population, and Ben will witness to Muslims there. He said that God has confirmed to him in several different ways that he should be part of a group that would break the power of Islam in the world. "Your guess is as good as mine as to what that means!" Ben writes, but his intention is to go into full-time missions in the Middle East when he finishes his education at Liberty University. His desire is to take the transforming love of Jesus to places where that news has not yet been proclaimed.

Jill Hart and Corryn Klien, center,
with Jill's husband and daughter Rachel.

Could a mother and daughter have a better bonding experience than one that will put them in a foreign culture together on the forefront for God? Jill Hart and Corryn Klien, a mother-daughter team, will join a group traveling to China for English camp in mid July. They will teach English everyday for two weeks to middle and high school students. There will be many opportunities to form relationships with Chinese students and witness of Christ's love. Jill said, "One of the coolest parts about being able to travel to China and be a part of this team is...Corryn wants me to go with her! I know that God will use us however He wants. Pray that we will have one-on-one opportunities to share the gospel with some of our new Chinese friends." I taught at English camp in China several times, and I am following these two lovely women every step of the way. I can see the classroom and hear the excited laughter of the students. Perhaps I should have planned to board the jet with Jill and Corryn.

Elisabeth, on the far right, is pictured with
her grandmother, sister, and mother.

And finally, Elisabeth Phillips is another of my Heroes of Faith this summer. Elisabeth just completed ninth grade. She is going with a former teacher to South Africa for the month of July. They will minister at Dayspring Children's Village, a boarding school which provides orphans and other disadvantaged children with a loving home as well as a quality education. Elisabeth writes, "I will be helping the children with school work, teaching them how to read music and play the piano, and showing them God's love."


One of the letters received on Layton said, "I want God's name to be glorified in all that I do. I want to be completely drenched in His presence so that the people I come across will be drawn to His glory. My prayer is that when you read this letter, you will not see me, but Jesus and only Jesus." Dear young ambassadors for Christ, Jesus is seen in you.

Sometimes, the greatest blessing isn't at home, but in some distant and exotic place (even Detroit). . .

off Layton