Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 89
January 11, 2015
Human Trafficking Awareness Day
Modern day slavery doesn’t mean men, women, and children picking cotton under the watchful eye of the plantation overseer, although forced agricultural labor is one form of slavery. More often, slavery today means a young girl being held captive and forced to work as a prostitute for a controlling pimp.
Today is Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, human trafficking is using force, coercion, deception, buying and selling, or the abuse of power to exploit someone through forced labor, sexual exploitation, removal of organs, or other forms of servitude.
Most of us who have no experience with the seedy underworld of human trafficking assume that prostitutes have chosen to work in the sex industry just as we have chosen to work in the publishing, medical, retail, legal, manufacturing, or fill-in-blank industries. However, this is not always the case. Women are often tricked or coerced or forced into prostitution or other sex work.
Children, in particular, cannot freely choose and may even be sold into sex slavery by their families. Reading the stories of these young victims is heartbreaking.
According to Alliance to End Slavery and Traffic (ATEST), there are more slaves today that at any time in history (an estimated 27 million worldwide), and human trafficking is a $32 billion dollar business, the second largest criminal enterprise in the world.
Slavery didn’t end with the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s time to end it now!
Heavenly Father, every single one of these 27 million victims is precious in Your sight. You want Your children safe and free. Give us the wisdom and strength to bring an end to human trafficking. Bind up the wounds of those who have suffered or who are currently suffering and heal their broken hearts. Give them Your peace that passes understanding, and give us understanding and compassion for them. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
You may read what I previously wrote about human trafficking.
Image: © Depositphotos.com/Mattz90
January 10, 2015
Thanks, Law Enforcement Officers!
I didn’t know that yesterday, January 9, was National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Although I missed the actual day, I want to express my appreciation to law enforcement officers who risk their lives daily for our safety.
My husband Jack was a master peace officer in the state of Texas. He held a job as a deputy constable for a short time, but he served as a reserve officer (volunteer) for many years.
I have also been a victim of crime and have had contact with police officers in difficult circumstances. Believe me, when a police officer arrives at a crime scene, victims are mighty glad.
Thank you to all law enforcement officers!
Most of us don’t realize how difficult it is to be a law enforcement officer. We judge whether an officer made the right decision in a given situation and think we could have done better. The video below shows a civil rights activist who has been critical of police use of force go through a training exercise in which he had to make split-second decisions. I think you’ll find his experience enlightening.
Civil Rights Activist Takes Officer Use of Force Training
Image: © Depositphotos.com/patrimonio
January 8, 2015
EPICon 2015
I am a long-time member of EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition, and attended its conferences for many years. Unfortunately, even though the conference is held in my hometown of San Antonio, Texas, I’m unable to attend because of health reasons. However, I wanted to share the official announcement and encourage anyone interested in writing for publication, especially electronic publication, to attend if possible.
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Please join us in the lovely city of San Antonio, Texas for EPICon 2015.
EPICon- Bringing ePublishing Partners Together
March 13-14th, 2015
The Menger Hotel, San Antonio, TX
Sponsored by the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
Enjoy two days of all things ePublishing. With workshops for any author or publishing professional, this short period will be packed with information, news, and most importantly: education. Authors, old and new, will have the opportunity to learn about small press ePublishing and network with publishers, editors, and experienced published authors.
For 2015, we have a full schedule of educational and informative workshops for authors and publishers, with guest speakers like David Wilk, Carol Berg, and many others. This action-packed two day conference will end with the annual Award Banquet where we will honor authors and cover artists.
Our venue will be the Menger Hotel. With 150 years of history, it is a must see in the beautiful San Antonio. Two blocks from the vibrant River Walk, it is the border between San Antonio’s colorful past and it’s cosmopolitan present.
Registration this year will be $224 for members, and $249 for nonmembers. This will include the workshops, breakfast buffets for both days, guest speaker lunches for both days and the banquet on Saturday evening.
This year we are also offering add on options for the Thursday before the conference. These options are:
Publishers’ Intensive Luncheon $20
Taking the Mystery out of Ebook Self-Publishing: A Guide for Publishers
Evening Dinner Tour $35
A dinner cruise along the beautiful San Antonio River as it weaves its way through the historic Riverwalk.
Room rates are*:
One King Bed $110.00/night
Two Double Beds $110.00/night
*Rates are set by hotel for the EPICon convention. Rates apply by room, not by person. For other room options and price listings please go to the Menger website at http://www.mengerhotel.com/san-antonio-accommodations.
While you are thinking about registration, this is a great time to consider EPIC membership, if you are not a member already, since the membership cost will practically pay for itself in the discount for the event.
For more information about the conference or how you might participate (vendor, promotional materials, sponsorships or as an industry professional), visit http://www.epicorg.com or contact Kim Wollenburg at moc.oohaynull@wkawr or Desiree Holt at moc.ctvgnull@tloH_eeriseD.
January 5, 2015
Devotion for the Epiphany of Our Lord
Matthew 2:1-12 (NASB)
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
The Epiphany, celebrating the visit to Jesus by the Wise Men, is also known as the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. The Wise Men, or magi, were not Jews, yet God revealed the birth of Jesus to them, demonstrating that Jesus is the Savior of the world, not just the Messiah of the Jews.
Thank You, Lord, that Jesus came to save all of us who love and follow Him. Thank You that people of every nation and tongue can be among Your Chosen People if we choose to follow Jesus. In His name we pray. Amen.
Image: © Depositphotos.com/jamesgroup
January 4, 2015
Devotion for the Twelfth Day of Christmas
John 14:6 (NASB)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
On day 12 of Christmas, we are reminded of the twelve articles of the Apostles’ Creed. While the creed is not in the Bible, it is based on Scripture. Although it was not written by the Apostles, it was written in the second century to combat heresy. Most people couldn’t read or write, and the creed was a simple way for them to memorize a summary of the most important beliefs of the faith. In today’s Scripture, Jesus tells us what we need to know—He is the only Way to God, the only Truth, the only Life eternal.
Thank You, Lord, that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. May we follow His way in truth that we may have eternal life with You. In the name of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Amen.
Image: © Depositphotos.com/jamesgroup
January 3, 2015
Devotion for the Eleventh Day of Christmas
Mark 3:13-19 (NASB)
13 And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14 And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15 and to have authority to cast out the demons. 16 And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17 and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); 18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.
On day 11 of Christmas, we are reminded of the 11 faithful apostles and of the one apostle who was unfaithful. Jesus called each of these men in the midst of their daily lives, and each followed immediately without question. Apostle means one who is sent, and each of the eleven faithful apostles heard Jesus’s words first-hand and were sent out to tell the world about Him. Today, each Christian is “sent out” to share the Good News of Jesus.
Thank You, Lord, for the eleven faithful Apostles and other faithful followers who knew You personally for sharing the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. Thank You that more than two thousand years later, we can individually be saved because these faithful followers spread Your Word throughout the world. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Image: © Depositphotos.com/maystra
January 2, 2015
Devotion for the Tenth Day of Christmas
Deuteronomy 5 (NASB)
5 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them:
“Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, 5 while I was standing between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said,
6 ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
7 ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.
8 ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
11 ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
12 ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.
16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.
17 ‘You shall not murder.
18 ‘You shall not commit adultery.
19 ‘You shall not steal.
20 ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
21 ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’
On day ten of Christmas, we are reminded of the Ten Commandments. God laid out His rules for His people to follow. The commandments describe man’s relationship with God and with his fellow man. The rules regarding our relationships with others are common to most religions and most philosophies. Jesus summed up all the commandments in two sentences: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” And “love your neighbor as yourself.” If we God and our fellow man, we will naturally follow the rest of the laws.
Thank You, Lord, for the Ten Commandments to put us in a right relationship with You and with our fellow man. Thank You that Jesus came to free us from rules by taking the punishment for our transgressions. Yet because we love You (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), we love our fellow man. And because we love both God and man, we want to be in that right relationship with You and we want to follow Your laws, not for fear of punishment but for love and gratitude. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
January 1, 2015
Devotion for the Ninth Day of Christmas
Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
On day nine of Christmas, we are reminded of the nine fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirits—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are products of walking in the Spirit. If we stay close to the Holy Spirit, these fruits will be a natural outcome.
Thank You, Lord, for the fruits of the Spirit. Help us to stay close to You and walk in the Spirit so that the fruits of the Spirit may be produced in our lives and lead others to You. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Image: © Depositphotos.com/jamesgroup
December 31, 2014
Devotion for the Eighth Day of Christmas
Matthew 5:3-10 (NASB)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
On day eight of Christmas, we are reminded of the eight Beatitudes that Jesus gave in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us the people with these specific attributes are blessed and will receive a future promise; i.e., those who are merciful for they shall receive mercy. Unlike the gifts of the Spirit, which we have no control over, we can develop these personal attributes and thus receive the blessing.
Thank You, Lord, that we will be blessed when we develop character traits that You want Your children to have. Empower us with the help of the Holy Spirit to exhibit these traits in our lives so we can show ourselves as Your blessed children. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.
Image: © Depositphotos.com/Krisdog
Happy New Year 2015!
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. (Numbers 6:24-26, KJV)
Image: © Depositphotos.com/filmfoto
This is my wish for you this coming year. Listen to these words beautifully sung:
