Take It for What It's Worth

Conversations with God while dealing with a child’s brain tumor, modern day slavery, theology, and death

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About Me

Patricia Hammell Kashtock

Aka: Pat Kashtock. Mother of three, wife of one. BA in Social Work and Biblical Studies. Graduate work at Virginia Tech interrupted, then derailed by oldest child’s brain tumor...

My life has not followed the course I planned. But I am not complaining. Pain is to be expected in a world broken apart from its Creator.

The miracle resides in the ability to find joy when least expected...

Haiti Earthquake

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Links

Modern Day Slavery

Help fight slavery
- Not for Sale Campaign
  
  Every single person has a skill that they can give to free an individual living in bondage.
- International Justice Mission
  
  Combating slavery and injustice worldwide
- The Polaris Project
  
  Polaris Project works holistically to combat human trafficking and modern-day slavery, incorporating eight different strategies.
- Stop the Traffik
  
  Do you want to help end modern-day slavery? "STOP THE TRAFFIK is a global movement working to combat the fastest growing global crime, people trafficking. Around the world men, women and children are being treated as commodities...to be bought, sold..."
- Loose Change to Loosen Chains
  
  Innovative way to fight injustice developed by a teenaged abolitionist
- The World Cocoa Foundation
  
  (WCF) works to help cocoa farmers, their families and their communities. WCF programs are helping cocoa farmers earn more for their crop, improving the quality of education for their children, and ensuring that cocoa is grown in a safe, responsible manner
- Free the Slaves
  
  Campaign to end slavery in 25 years. "As big and ugly as it is, we can end slavery. In Ending Slavery, FTS puts forward a plan to bring slavery and human trafficking to an end."
- The Chocolate Campaign
  
  Who harvasts our chocolate? Is there any chance plantation owners forced children to harvast it?
- Faith Alliance Against Slavery and Trafficking
  
  FAAST is committed to the eradication of trafficking and slavery worldwide.
- Soulfest 2008
  
  Help a Village in Africa through music gathering in New England
- Stop the Traffik
Helping Others
- The Hunger Site
  
  Click a day to donate food, free
- The Rice Game
  
  Play a game and donate free rice to a hungry family, while improving your vocabulary
- Compassion International
  
  Share your love, prayers and support with a boy or girl who lives in poverty.
Hope Instead of Suicide

Friend's blog dealing with suicide prevention. Please visit.
- Hope's Website
  
  Go to "view all blogs" for suicide help.
Animals and Rainforest
- The Rainforest Site
  
  Free click to save rainforest
- The Ecology Fund
  
  Click to save rainforest and animal habitat
Publications

Including Devotionals
- The Upper Room
  
  Every day, almost 3 million people in more than 100 countries read or hear this meditation in one of the 77 editions and 40 languages in which it is published.
- I Lift My Eyes Web Ministries
  
  Focusing on prayer and intercession. Home of The Daily Christian Quote, Whatever is Pure Ezine and over a thousand organized, quality Christian resources.

Articles and Entries

Privacy

For What It's Worth

Each life is a journey. The voices of many guides try to direct us, saying, “This is the path – walk in it!” Yet each one leads in a different direction.

I believe only one Voice can be true. That Voice will lead us in ways most unexpected, into worlds yet undiscovered. It will lead us up the hill, around the river and through the forest. And sometimes, it will lead without mercy.

Or so it seems.

I have made listening for that Voice and following it, my life’s quest. I will share some of what I have heard that Voice say with you. But I am not in the business of telling people how to think or what to believe. Each has to decide for himself. Only you can decide if you find the truth of the Voice in these words. And only you can decide how much it is worth to know the Voice, and follow.

But for me, it is worth the whole world.

And then some…

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Entries in gift of freedom (2)

Monday

Feb012010

Great Song for the Start of Lent

Monday, February 1, 2010 at 10:04PM

I stumbled upon this song when chasing down a song I heard on the radio called "These Hands." The lyrics and vocalist impressed me so much, I ran to my computer to find out what I could about the artist. Her name is JJ Heller, and she is produced on an independent label. Part of a press release highlights why hearing this song on the radio startled me.

"It's a rare moment when a song that is so instrumentally raw, simple and slow-tempo can blow up at radio,” says Ingle, “but the emotion and vulnerability of JJ's voice presents a 'real-life' quality that instantly resonates with listeners. Stations spinning the single cross-country are already getting calls from listeners saying, 'I don't know who that was, but it was the perfect song at the perfect time for me.'”

When I searched the song on youTube, I came across "Only Love Remains." Perfect song for Lent. See the lyrics below the video.

For the raw church recording view this:

Only Love Remains

BY JJ AND DAVE HELLER

Scenes of you come rushing through
You are breaking me down
So break me into pieces
That will grow in the ground
I know that I deserve to die
For the murder in my heart
So be gentle with me Jesus
As you tear me apart

Please kill the liar
Kill the thief in me
You know that I am tired of their cruelty
Breathe into my spirit
Breathe into my veins
Until only love remains

You burn away the ropes that bind
And hold me to the earth
The fire only leaves behind whatever is of worth
I begin to see reality
For the first time in my life
I know that I’m a shadow
But I’m dancing in your light

Teach me to be humble
Call me from the grave
Show me how to walk with you upon the waves
Breathe into my spirit
Breathe into my veins
Until only love remains

To visit JJ's website go here JJHeller.com

Oh -- and how does this song get onto a website dealing with slavery?

We are all slaves in one way or another, to sin, to ourselves. And Jesus came to set the captives free. That is why we work to free others.

Another wonderful song of JJ's that has gotten a good bit of radio play in our area is "Your Hands."

[Pat Kashtock] |

2 Comments |

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"As you tear me apart ",

"JJ Heller",

"Only Love Remains",

"be gentle with me Jesus",

"the ropes that bind",

'christ has set us free",

Lent,

cruelty,

fighting slavery,

gift of freedom,

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Thought's On

Tuesday

Dec022008

For Christmas - a new gift

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 06:53PM

There are many gifts to buy or make during this month before Christmas. People we love will be touched that we thought of them. Of course, we hope they will actually enjoy the gift we took the time to find or make for them.

Here is a gift the person receiving it will be thrilled to get: the gift of Freedom.

From a recent letter from the International Justice Missions:

This Christmas, give a gift so precious that you wouldn’t dream of wrapping it: Freedom. International Justice Mission has meaningful gifts that bring hope, dignity and freedom to those in great need.

How it works:

1. You purchase a gift from IJM’s Holiday Gift Catalog.

2. A beautiful card detailing the gift is delivered to your friend or loved one.

3. Your gift is used by IJM to bring freedom to children, women and men in great need.

Featured gift: A day of Advocacy - $70

The poor are often left voiceless in the aftermath of violent oppression. Give someone in desperate need the priceless gift of a highly professional IJM lawyer who will bring the law to bear on their behalf.

Visit the 2008 Gift of Freedom Holiday Catalog today and give freedom to everyone on your list!

On the catalog page you will find various suggestions.

IJM Gift of Freedom Holiday Catalog

Rescue. Renewal. Hope.

This Christmas season, millions of children, women and men wait urgently for only one gift: Freedom.

As we celebrate the great hope of this season, consider sharing that hope by giving a Gift of Freedom to someone special – it is a gift that can bring rescue and renewed hope to victims of violent oppression.
Gifts of Freedom More Information »
INVESTIGATION
A half day of Investigative Work, $25 A full day of Investigative Work, $50
Mobilize IJM’s undercover investigators on the frontlines of justice work as they document evidence of trafficking, slavery and other forms of violent oppression.
More Information »
ADVOCACY
A day of Advocacy, $70 A week of Advocacy, $350
Empower IJM’s lawyers to represent victims of violent oppression in court and ensure that perpetrators of abuses are held accountable under local laws for their crimes against the poor.
More Information »
AFTERCARE
A day of Aftercare, $40 A week of Aftercare, $280
Equip IJM’s aftercare teams to provide vital care to IJM clients, from counseling to life-skills training, to ensuring children are enrolled in school and adults are prepared to begin sustainable careers.