Live Out Loud

After reading my son's emails that he has sent to my parents and a couple of children's websites, I noticed that he writes just like he thinks...straight and to the point. There is no gray area with him, it's either black or white. You definitely do NOT have to wonder what he's thinking; although, sometimes I do wonder where he comes up with some of his thoughts. :-) The Lord reminded me that this special little guy loves to LIVE OUT LOUD. We should all take note and LOVE to live out loud!

Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song about it. One line of his lyrics is "This is the life we've been given, made to live out, so...live out loud." Wow! What a great quote! The Oxygen channel even uses LIVE OUT LOUD as their slogan. I believe that most of the shows on that channel are reality shows and they go to the extreme of 'living out loud'. This makes me wonder if we, as Christians, truly LIVE OUT LOUD in reality. If we had a reality show, what would it look like? Would it be staged like they are on TV or could you really be yourself with cameras coming at you from every angle?

Here's another thought, if we LIVED OUT LOUD serving the King of Kings would we be content and satisfied with our life? Ralph Waldo Emerson has an interesting quote about that. He states, "The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."

Paul instructs us how to produce the satisfied sense of well-being that should encompass a Christian's life in Ephesians 5:15-17, "Therefore be careful how you walk; not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." When we feel good about life, about who we are in Christ, what we are doing for the Kingdom, and where we are headed, honorability and compassion become a big part of our character. We desire to make a difference. There is an overwhelming sense of joy that cannot compare to short-term happiness.

An unthinkable, most horrific crime that is rampant in the US and abroad wrecked my heart in Jan of 08. I couldn't believe what my friend, Lisa Bevere, was telling me about the child trafficking that she witnessed in Thailand a couple of years ago. Child trafficking? It was even more horrible than what I thought it was! And, it was going on right here in the US, in our own backyard! After feeling sick in my stomach and crying my eyes out over these precious children, I began to pray and ask the Lord how I could get involved to help stop this billion dollar crime. Lisa has an organization that she founded called Pearl Alliance that helps raise funds and awareness to rescue these precious children of God. Lisa has become a dear, trusted friend over the past 2 years. She is full of wisdom and courage and great tenacity to see this industry come to an end. In a recent address to America on Anti-Trafficking, Lisa states, "More than stocks and bonds, the children of this nation are our greatest wealth! Their present and future safety...our only hope of lasting legacy. The oppression and injustice we tolerate for others will over take us all if we remain silent. I am passionate because I've not only heard...I've seen, so I speak my passion. In the name of all that makes us humans created in the image of God, how can any of us remain silent when the voices of so many children have been silenced?"

Lisa's passion and courage is contagious! Please visit her website PearlAlliance.org to see how you can get involved.

Another trusted organization that I strongly believe in is Stop Child Trafficking Now founded by Ron and Lynette Lewis. This organization raises funds and awareness to send special operative teams in to the places where this heinous crime is happening to arrest the predators. Stop Child Trafficking Now "believes strongly that to eliminate this heinous crime the demand for children must end. That's why SCTNow seeks to destroy the source. SCTNow believes that putting predators behind bars, we can Stop Child Trafficking Now."

Ron and Lynette make a powerful statement in a letter from them on their website, SCTNow.org, "There comes a point in life when you look at all of the pain in the world and stop simply hoping something will change. You decide I WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. You don't know how you'll find the time or resources, who will join your efforts, or when you'll see results, but you simply decide to do something."

I CAN help make a difference! YOU can help make a difference! I made a choice to partner with Pearl Alliance and Stop Child Trafficking Now to be a voice for the ones that have had theirs stolen. This is what excites me! No longer can we sit and cry and hope that something will change. Yes, it's our time to LIVE OUT LOUD!