MY DAD IS:

Amazing!!!
Brilliant - (You know it's true!)
Cautious - You think before you act.
Dedicated - More than anyone I know.
Energetic - You live with a passion.
Fantastic - Well, I think you are! And you've got at least 11 more fans.
Godly - Thank you for my heritage.
Handsome - Even more so than Charlton Heston.
Independent - But reliant on God
Just What I Needed - God makes no mistakes!
Kind
Loving - I love you too!
Merciful - 'Cause if you weren't I probably wouldn't be here now.
Not Normal - We are called to be a peculiar people, zealous of good works. You are.
Only Mine - I'm not gonna share.
Persistent - The just man falleth seven times, but riseth up again.
Quiet - I have watched you for years take time to be still and recognize God.
Respectful - You are not a respecter of persons based on their color, ethnicity, or social standing. This is an attribute of God and I admire it in you.
Sweet - There's no denying it, Dad. I caught you!
Trustworthy - When I need counsel you are the first person I turn to. You have wisdom from years of living and you have invested so much into me. Thank you.
Ultra Cool - :) When I grow up, I want to be just like you! ... Just a little more feminine.
Valuable - I'm not about to trade you in or let you go!
Wise - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
X-tremely Handsome - Oh wait. I think I already said that. :) But it's true.
Yielded - To God. You are my hero and my example.
Z - Hmmm... well, you're not a zebra... I guess I'll just say this: You are A to Z to me. I love you and I am so thankful for you. Thank you for loving God and giving to me a Godly heritage. I am so proud to call you mine.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!

A Rock That Is Higher Than I

This poem is dedicated to my girls: Amanda, Ashley, and Kayla. Praising God that there is a much wiser and much more dependable foundation than me. :)




If I were the top - we'd all be in trouble!
If I were the master - we'd all surely die!
If I were the shelter - the storms would destroy us!
But - there is a Rock that is higher than I!

There is a tower of refuge awaiting
For any who choose to enter His gate.
There is a perfect encompassing mercy
For any whose heart in His hands will place

Psalm 61:1-2
"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Week 11 - Still Breathing!

It's almost Tuesday and I am just now finding time to write about last week. Last week was crazy but fun. We've got a lot more nailed down, which lightened the stress load, and made getting up each morning seem a little less daunting.
This last week flew by! Any girl in the group will tell you the same. Week one seemed more like three weeks and week two seemed more like three days. For this we can only thank God. Our bodies are adjusting to the heat and humidity, our muscles are getting used to the exercise, and our minds are getting more accustomed to talking to people from all sorts of nations and cultures.
It makes me smile to think of all the humorous stories we all will have to tell when this adventure comes to an end. For instance, the Armenian man who hollered at us for coming to his door. It went something like this - (notice: insert heavy accent) "Why you come to my door? I tell I not believe in God! I tell you not to come to my door! This is free country! You not allowed to knock on my door!" When I tried to explain to him how sorry we were, but that we'd never knocked on his door before, he yelled at us more and told us that he recognized us. Pretty wrapped up in his tirade, he forgot that he was supposed to keep his daughter's dog inside. "Chester" ran away and then his daughter started yelling at the man who was yelling at us. He stormed inside and we helped find the little dog. The nice Christian neighbor lady we had talked to only minutes before witnessed the whole thing and told us that he was always grouchy that way, that he hated Christian, but that our helping find Chester was "a point for Him."
The highlight of my week was talking to a Jewish man named Chuck. He was incredibly friendly and spent several minutes talking our ears off about his work and how unfriendly people in Miami are. We told him that we were Baptist and instead of throwing the packet back at us, he told us that he was very intrested in reading it and he invited us to come back. Pray that this man's heart will be opened to the gospel and that when we go back we will have a wide open door to present the gospel. Also pray that we will be ready for any questions or acusations that he might have. We're excited to see what God will do, knowing that He makes no mistakes. Thank you for your prayer!
In Christ,
Rebekah

My Day by Day and Door to Door Friend

I have a friend they know not of.
He's with me all the day.
He gently bids me to keep on.
He lights the darkest way.

They mock at me, They scorn His name,
They hope to see me fall;
But lovingly He hold my hand
And bids me love them all.

The doors may slam, the words may cut,
Yet as I face the next
I turn to Him and remind Him that
He's promised His Word to bless.

I have a friend they know not of.
I'm holding to His hand.
And with His heart so close to mine
I'll fear not any man.

Psalms 31:20-21
"Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me His marvellous kindness in a strong city."

Jewish Outreach: 1 week down - 11 more to go

This week has been unlike any week I've ever lived. It's a good thing too, because I hate to get board. Every day has been physically and spiritually taxing. My trust in God is constantly being tested, and I pray that my faith in Him has grown.
For those who don't know, a group of 37 young ladies have been sent to Miami, Florida to reach as many Jewish people as possible. Miami has a very high population of Jewish families. This project is founded and funded by Tom Canter, a Jewish businessman who loves his nation, his people, and his God. He is using the finances God has blessed him with to reach into the homes of thousands of Jewish families across this country. We get to be his hands as he, and in turn we, invest in eternity. We are taking the gospel of salvation to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.
Our first priority is to get the information he has prepared into their hands. Often they will refuse it. Like most Americans they are content with where they are in life and, in there minds, nothing we have to offer could possibly be of any worth to them. Other times, they will graciously take the packet of information and we can only pray that they will actually watch the DVD or read the booklet.
There are also those who will insist that we summarize the message in the packet before they consider accepting it. This demand opens up an opportunity for us to personally present Jesus Christ as the crucified, risen, and returning Messiah for all men.
This occurrence is actually quite rare. It is also very unlikely that in such a case, we will ever be able to persuasively argue someone to Christ on their doorstep. However, the opportunity to present the gospel and the prophesies of the old covenant fulfilled through Jesus Christ is an amazing responsibility. Please pray that we will be studied up and ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us. Pray that we will remember to present the gospel with the same grace with which it was given to us.
This summer ministry is an amazing one but certainly not an easy one. We need your prayer. Israel needs your prayer.
I talked to a very kind Jewish gentleman named Dave who explained to me that what we are doing is incredibly offensive to them because they view it as a modern day crusade. At first we may scoff at this accusation, but he explained that if he were to become a "Christian Jew" his children would be much more likely to marry non-Jewish Christians. If this were to happen, his grandchildren would be half Jewish. Which in the opinion of most Jews, would make them not Jewish at all, thus silently destroying the Jewish nation in a few short generations.
I explained to him how very sorry I was that he felt that way. I then explained to him how our identity cannot come from our heritage, our culture, or our color. Our identity comes from within. God sees the soul, and it is the spirit of man that God loves and sent His son to restore.
We parted on friendly terms and he was even willing to keep the packet from Brother Canter. Please pray that the seed that was sown will grow, and that Dave will understand his need for salvation.
Many other interesting things have happened in the last week including a broken down car, a couple of pit bulls, compliment, and complaints. But, lest I run the risk of boring you, I will conclude now. Thank you for your prayer as we continue to try to love people to Christ.
Sincerely Serving the Savior,
Rebekah Tracht