Every Day. One Step At A Time.: This is why I do not like ThanksGiving...

Every Day. One Step At A Time.: This is why I do not like ThanksGiving...: I can be Thankful for my blessings without celebrating a holiday that was built on the blood of men, women, and children who were the ori...

This is why I do not like ThanksGiving...

I can be Thankful for my blessings without celebrating a holiday that was built on the blood of men, women, and children who were the original patriots of this country. THE REAL STORY OF THANKSGIVING by Susan Bates Most of us associate the holiday with happy Pilgrims and Indians sitting down to a big feast. And that did happen - once. The story began in 1614 when a band of English explorers sailed home to England with a ship full of Patuxet Indians bound for slavery. They left behind smallpox which virtually wiped out those who had escaped. By the time the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts Bay they found only one living Patuxet Indian, a man named Squanto who had survived slavery in England and knew their language. He taught them to grow corn and to fish, and negotiated a peace treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Nation. At the end of their first year, the Pilgrims held a great feast honoring Squanto and the Wampanoags. But as word spread in England about the paradise to be found in the new world, religious zealots called Puritans began arriving by the boat load. Finding no fences around the land, they considered it to be in the public domain. Joined by other British settlers, they seized land, capturing strong young Natives for slaves and killing the rest. But the Pequot Nation had not agreed to the peace treaty Squanto had negotiated and they fought back. The Pequot War was one of the bloodiest Indian wars ever fought. In 1637 near present day Groton, Connecticut, over 700 men, women and children of the Pequot Tribe had gathered for their annual Green Corn Festival which is our Thanksgiving celebration. In the predawn hours the sleeping Indians were surrounded by English and Dutch mercenaries who ordered them to come outside. Those who came out were shot or clubbed to death while the terrified women and children who huddled inside the longhouse were burned alive. The next day the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared "A Day Of Thanksgiving" because 700 unarmed men, women and children had been murdered. Cheered by their "victory", the brave colonists and their Indian allies attacked village after village. Women and children over 14 were sold into slavery while the rest were murdered. Boats loaded with a many as 500 slaves regularly left the ports of New England. Bounties were paid for Indian scalps to encourage as many deaths as possible. Following an especially successful raid against the Pequot in what is now Stamford, Connecticut, the churches announced a second day of "thanksgiving" to celebrate victory over the heathen savages. During the feasting, the hacked off heads of Natives were kicked through the streets like soccer balls. Even the friendly Wampanoag did not escape the madness. Their chief was beheaded, and his head impaled on a pole in Plymouth, Massachusetts -- where it remained on display for 24 years. The killings became more and more frenzied, with days of thanksgiving feasts being held after each successful massacre. George Washington finally suggested that only one day of Thanksgiving per year be set aside instead of celebrating each and every massacre. Later Abraham Lincoln decreed Thanksgiving Day to be a legal national holiday during the Civil War -- on the same day he ordered troops to march against the starving Sioux in Minnesota. This story doesn't have quite the same fuzzy feelings associated with it as the one where the Indians and Pilgrims are all sitting down together at the big feast. But we need to learn our true history so it won't ever be repeated. Next Thanksgiving, when you gather with your loved ones to Thank God for all your blessings, think about those people who only wanted to live their lives and raise their families. They, also took time out to say "thank you" to Creator for all their blessings.

Support Letter

Hello everyone,
This past year God has been doing so many incredible, new, and scary things in my life. Most of you know I recently went to Mozambique Africa to Heidi and Rolland Bakers Harvest Mission School (Iris Ministries). While there, my entire life was changed and turned upside down for the better. I walked away from those 3 months in Mozambique and the 16 days in Nepal with a completely different outlook on life. I received so much inner healing that I came to a place where every day I am able to humble myself and allow God to show me who He is. I finally know who I am as a daughter and a warrior bride of Christ. God has blessed me so much with friends and family who believe in me and my calling enough to support the things God has been leading me into and for that I am truly thankful. I want to thank all of you who supported and prayed for me while I was away and continue to pray and support me now as I am resting and waiting on Him to show me what is next. It means so much to me. You truly are pouring into my destiny and my gratitude is uncontainable.

While I was at the Harvest school, learning to fully trust God in everything I do was one of my greatest struggles. Learning to jump out and live in continual faith can be very scary, especially for someone like me who plans out every hour of her day. However, an opportunity for a trip came to my attention. The trip will involve driving around all of Central and South America, doing what Jesus did, following the Holy Spirit wherever he leads! The team will be looking for unreached people groups to minister the love of the Father to, as well as holding evangelistic meetings, and meeting the practical needs of the people we come in contact with. After much prayer, and to be honest, arguing with God, I feel He is leading me to be a part of this journey for the next step in my life. Now, when I first heard about the trip I became extremely excited and really felt like it was something I was supposed to do, but as time went on I became more and more unsure and fearful as reality set in. I began to question the amazing love and power of our God. I chose to try nursing school, which is something I have always had a longing to do (It was also the safer choice). However, God kindly pointed out that the timing for nursing school is not now. So through much prayer, tears, and some very real confirmations I know this trip is my next step. The team is starting in California on September 11th and driving down through Mexico and Central America (What is most exciting is we are being blessed to go out as an Iris Ministries missions team!). I feel God is calling me to start my journey with them in Nicaragua in November. The trip is to last as long as God is calling me to be there. I have full faith that God will provide everything needed. I am not going to miss out on my destiny because I am afraid God is too small to provide for what He has called me into!

I need $1,000.00 by August 13, 2011. The team is renting RVs and Campers to accommodate everyone who feels lead to be on this trip. As well, we will be paying for our own food, visas, board, and getting everyone and all vehicles across the Panama Canal. Overall I will need about $12,000 to pay for at least 11 months. I know this is not a lot for God and I trust he will provide for everything. He is such a good Daddy.

I am also asking for your support and prayers! Anything that you feel lead to give I will be so thankful for! Committed prayer is most definitely needed if you cannot give financially or even if you can, I always need more prayers! You can make TAX DEDUCTIBLE checks out to Miraculous Love Ministries please do not put my name in the memo. (You can also make the check out to me for a non-tax deductible donation). You can send your donation to my address at: 1306 Robin Hill RD Franklin TN 37064 or you (for a tax deductable donation) you can send checks to Miraculous Love Ministries-Rachael Singleton P.O. Box 1543 Franklin TN 37065. I also have a paypal account if you would like to support me in that way. Or you can donate online at WWW. Miraculouslove.com/Rachael. Also if you feel lead to support me monthly I will be making payments of $700.00 every month I am on the trip (that is part of the $12,000.00) to the leaders of the trip to pay for all the things mentioned above.

Thank you all so much, you mean the world to me.

Many Blessings,

Rachael Michelle Singleton

Process

You know that feeling when you find out something about someone that is in complete contrast with the character you thought they possessed.

You are disappointed and hurt, because of the importance this person carries in your life. Someone you look up to and think the world of, always over looking there previous mistakes in the name of Love.

You get mad at yourself for assuming they weren't like everyone else. That this particular thing would never be an issue for them.

For assuming they were different.

Once you find out this thing about them you can no longer look at them the same. You don't know how to act around them.

They don't know that you know.

You want to love them the same.

Unconditional.

To an extent you do, but still in the back of your mind the memory of your not so fond discovery keeps reeling like a movie.

You feel numb.

Not happy, not sad, not angry, but indifferent and confused.

As if your mind is trying to figure out what to do. It can't decide what emotion to convey.

Time takes a halt as your mind searches for the correct way to process something it never thought it would have to.

You don't want to talk about it because you don't trust yourself to keep the news from turning into venomous gossip as it slips off your tongue.

So you say nothing... as thoughts play over and over. you try every form of distraction.

Nothing works.

You cry out to God for peace of mind.... And you get it, but now your heart swells with pain because you can feel, almost taste the tangible Love God has for them.

How much He longs to heal every crater life has created in their hearts over a lifetime causing them to choose this path in the first place.

Worst of all you realize you can not fix them.

You would give up your own God filled mostly Healed Heart and take there broken tormented one if just given the opportunity.

You've now caught another glimpse more of the Love of the Father.

No more wasted time.

Money.

The thing I hate the most. The only thing that can bring to this level of stress. It makes me nervous and happy. I need more trust that I am taken care of. Way more. It is so easily spent and so easily gone. I have enough for the moment then the moment passes. Jobs are cancelled and opportunities lost. I wish the trade system was still in place. I have plenty I would trade. This is more of a rant post. A relieving of stress post. Sometimes my mind gets so cluttered up I can not think of anything else, but worry about how things are going to get paid. Jesus I need you.

This is all I have to Say!

http://homestarrunner.com/tgs12.html

18 Days In A Country You Do Not Like.

After Mission school I was headed to Nepal, of all places. To be honest Nepal had never crossed my mind until I read it was one of the options for outreach after mission school in Mozambique. My first initial thought was, oh this place sounds great and adventurous and I never thought of it again. But God being who he is provided a way and all the funds before I even knew what had hit me. We left on December 10th for Nepal. Upon arrival I and the team of 5 others quickly become accustomed to the culture in Nepal. Frankly, we had no other choice. The second the plane landed 500 Nepali men, and the occasional woman, leaped out of there seat and began forcing each other off the plane willing to trample anyone who fell. Once through customs and once we had acquired our visas we were headed for the place we would be staying. Now normally I have no personal space, I am a dancer we are trained not to. However, in Nepal because I am a young attractive white westerner I am stared at, and not from a comfortable distance either. More like less than 6 inches from me taking mine and my team mates’ pictures as well as trying to sell us things. Not just one person either, but anywhere from 10 to 30 men and woman all standing around watching everything we do. Now I could sit here and tell you everything I really disliked about the country of Nepal, but I am trying this thing where I do not complain. Plus I have no reason to complain I freaking got to go to Nepal!

Well by this point I hope I have expressed well enough that Nepal did not exactly catch my fancy. This really bothered me seeing has God completely provided the way. Yet he knew I would not like it. So I dared ask the question: Why was I in Nepal?

Every night as I lay freezing on the floor in my sleeping bag I asked and contemplated this question. Praying that God would give me some kind of answer and every time all I heard was "because I love Nepal because I Love these people." It took me a while to really understand what He was saying to me. As the weeks carried on and the entire team became extremely ill, I'll save you the gory details, I finally began to understand. No matter how much I disliked where I was I was there for a reason. God loves Nepal therefore; I should to, because my heart is to love what He loves. I realized He is going to ask me to do things I may not like, but if I truly trust him and believe that he knows best I have to act like. Going where He asks me to go and doing what He asks me to do no matter where or what. Living by my spirit. Once I stopped complaining and began to thank Him for everything my perspective changed. I understood why I was there, to learn what submission means and to obey and trust God. If I cannot submit to God how will I ever be able to submit to my husband, whenever he comes around? In the end God opened my heart to the people and the place and brought forth a piece of my destiny I had no idea he had planned for me.

I will, later on, be writing about what all actually happened while in Nepal as of right now This was just some thoughts I needed to escape my mind.

-Rachael Michelle