By Brad Aycock
Show-Me TImes Reader Submitted

5-DAY CHALLENGE - DAY 2

Good morning. You made it through Day 1! Yesterday, when you thought about your favorite foods or coffee drinks (or caffeine), hopefully you prayed a simple prayer for those who have no options when it comes to what they will consume. 

As you start Day Two, be mindful of the fact that every year, 15 million children die of hunger (18,000 each day). For parents, this is inconceivable and unacceptable.

Scripture


Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. (James 1:27 NLT)

Reflection



What in your life feels like rules and regulations that are stripped of God’s love and compassion for others? How can you extend God’s love and compassion as you reach out and care for someone in need?

Pray



Pray for the mothers around the world who work hard to provide loving homes for their children and the children they have taken in due to the loss of their parents’ lives to HIV/AIDS.

By Brad Aycock
Show-Me TImes Reader Submitted

With a spirit of passion, Brad Aycock is working with the membership at the First United Methodist Church of Sikeston as well as other friends of the Faith to join in Hope Epidemic.

This part of THE CHALLENGE is to assist Christians "For Five Days, Eat As Half The World's Population Eats - On Less Than $2 Per Day". Now that is certainly a challenge.

Each day this week, First United Methodist members and ShowMe Times readers are receiving a note of encouragement regarding the Hope Challenge. As this is a great challenge to broaden both your faith and understanding of simply how blessed we are in America, the SMT staff would like to share this with our readers.

THE FIVE-DAY CHALLENGE - DAY 1

Congratulations on your commitment to participate in this year's 5-Day Challenge.

For the next five days, we will stand together and eat as half the world’s population eats. We will drink only tap water. On day 3 (Wednesday), we'll gather for prayer and praise in the Chapel at First United Methodist Church in Sikeston at 6:30 p.m. This weekend we'll collect seeds and canned food.

This isn’t even close to the daily challenges facing our brothers and sisters around the world who live on less than $2 a day. Their plight is real and could go on indefinitely but ours will end on Friday.

For this week, we will make changes in our daily lives in an effort to stand in solidarity with those who hunger and thirst.

For the list of suggested food items, CLICK HERE.

Our hope is that we will not be the same by the end of this week!

Scripture

I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, Maker of Heaven and Earth. (Psalm 121:1–2)

Reflection

Take a moment to think about the challenges you’re facing in your life that only God can help you through.

Pray

Pray for those who are struggling to meet the basic needs of their families and thank God for the blessings He has given you. Ask God to help you be a blessing to others today.

Moses went to a mountaintop to hear God. Jesus fled to the desert.

But for many Christians, their most regular place for praying is whatever pew they sit in on Sundays. Work, children, chores and other duties make stopping for prayer seem a luxury.

In today's culture, some even joke that that Charles Wesley's quote "pray and never faint," refers to passing out from an overloaded schedule.

"We forget to intentionally make space for prayer," said Betty Kay Hudson of First United Methodist Church in Lancaster, S.C.

That's not the way it's supposed to be. Souls, like vines, tend to grow wild and weak when untended.

No matter the season on the church calendar - Advent, Lent, Easter, Pentecost -- or all of the times in between, prayer is the gasoline that fuels Christians.

"Prayer is the catalyst," says the Rev. Jeffrey Kersey, a United Methodist minister in Lexington, S.C.

Prayer, like tennis, takes practice to become accomplished. Spiritual guides and sages, pastors and other church members are filled with advice and counsel.

Here's some of that wisdom condensed into 10 tips about prayer:

You are worthy.

Do not feel guilty about the quality of your prayer life, or fall victim to doubts and despair about your worthiness to talk to God. Each of us has a spiritual gift. So remember John Wesley’s words: “In Christ we gain more than in Adam we lost.”

The more you pray, the richer your prayers become.

To deepen your prayer life, don't be a slacker. Like anything in life, to become good at prayer you must be disciplined. Just as running is an exercise in physical fitness, prayer is a spiritual discpline.

Prayer is active.

Prayer involves action; namely being attentive to God's voice in your life. Listening for God means stopping and sitting still. It means paying attention to what God may be saying to you at any point in your life.

Prayer should not be an afterthought.

Prayer was the backbone of Jesus' ministry. Often, he broke away from his disciples to spend time with God. In the same way, prayer is essential to individual lives and to the life of the church. Break away from your daily routine for quiet time in prayer.

Surround yourself with people who are seasoned at praying.

People who've established prayer routines have much to teach those wanting to draw closer to God. Seek out those who can help guide and encourage your prayer life.

God doesn't require eloquence.

Don’t worry if you fumble for words when you pray. God is not looking for Toastmaster's graduates, but sincerity (not that you can't have both at once). If the words won't come, God still knows what's in your heart. Lift up that desire.

Prayer need not involve words.

The great Christian saints all write of prayer as a time of sitting quietly with God. Jesus even went off for 40 days of prayerful solitude. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Follow the breath as it flows in and out of your body. Think of it as the spirit of God breathing life into you.√

Prayer is a time for conversation with a friend: God.

Whether you see that friend routinely or just every once in awhile, know that whenever you turn to God, you're turning to someone who loves you.

Ask God for help if you get stuck.

Maybe you've hit a dry spell. There's no shame in asking God to guide you to pray in a new way.

The three Ls of prayer: Listen, listen, listen.

Listening for God is central to prayer, according to the great saints. It's so critical that St. Benedict began his famous Rule with this command for monks: "Listen with the ear of your heart."

And remember, prayer can happen anywhere -- it doesn't have to take place in a church. SusanHogan is a freelance writer based in Chicago. Emily Cooper and Jan Surratt of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate did reporting for this story.[/i]

Special to the ShowMe Times

DEXTER, Mo. – For about two weeks the Missouri National Guard has been on the ground in southeast Missouri leading the charge with flood relief efforts. There is no doubt the 24-hour missions the soldiers have been running has been demanding on the hundreds of troops in uniform. The community members who have personally been affected by the constant rain and flooding have also had their fair share of trials.

Gurdsmen in Dexter had the opportunity to be recharged spiritually at a morning worship held at the armory. Capt. David Spears, Missouri National Guard chaplain, lead the service.

Spears, who serves with the 1140th Engineer Battalion in Cape Girardeau, opened up by asking for prayer requests and praises from the troops. One recurring sentiment was the concern for the people in the communities these Soldiers were helping. The focus was not on themselves and their wants or needs, but those they have been helping during this disaster.

“It sure is nice to be working at home, serving our people and helping out our community,” said Spears.

These Soldiers said they knew the struggles they were currently facing were short-lived because they would soon return to a life of normalcy. However, the nearby residents remained with the devastation and destruction left from the wake of the floods. On the flip side, these same residents were also reaching out in gratitude and concern for the very ones helping them out.

“Certainly these people have been affected by this in a very adverse way, but they’ve been able to reach out to you guys which has given them something to feel good about,” said Spears.

Staff Sgt. Allen Kanell, who is the fulltime supply sergeant for the 1221st Transportation Company in Dexter and lives in nearby Poplar Bluff, had interest in both sides of the coin. Kanell has been assisting with the mission, helping the units working out of his armory, while at the same time personally concerned with his fellow neighbors.

“The community has accepted these guys really well,” said Kanell. “Some people have come up and tried to buy their dinners. One gentleman brought gallons of ice cream and filled their freezer up.”

These acts of kindness demonstrated to the Ssoldiers how appreciated they are.

“I know it’s a tragedy, but it’s one of the times personally I feel we’re doing one of the best things we can do as the National Guard, we’re helping our own,” said Kanell. “We’re here taking care of our town, our community.”

For many of the troops, the message was a great motivator and came at a time when they needed that extra push to drive on and complete the mission at hand.

“I thought it was wonderful,” said Kanell. “I think today is a blessing to all of these guys. Today seems to be the day everybody got to take that deep breath.”

By Jennifer Archdekin,
Missouri National Guard

Photos Above: Top Photo - With his Bible open, Staff Sgt. Allen Kanell of Poplar Bluff listens intently to a Sunday morning message. Capt. David Spears, Missouri Army National Guard chaplain, delivered a sermon to some of the soldiers at the Dexter armory who were serving on flood duty. Bottom photo -

DORENA, Mo. - When the U.S. Army Corps Engineers blew the Birds Point levee along the Mississippi River May 2, the waters washed away as many as 100 homes and 133,000 acres of fertile farmland. It also flooded a small Southern Baptist church.

"The church is gone," said LeRoy Davenport, pastor of Dorena Baptist Church. "I've seen aerial pictures, and it's gone."

The church building is still there, but at one point the muddy waters were up to the edge of the roof. The day after Mother's Day, when the National Guard allowed property owners to inspect their homes via boats, a man reported to Davenport that he stood in the window ledge and could see pews floating inside.

The church had been around since 1946 and had never had floodwater in it, thought it came close a few times.

When the floodway was activated, it was done so in part to save the town of Cairo, Ill., which experienced a record crest along the Mississippi River and a swollen Ohio River. With rain continuing and water levels at historic levels, the Corps said there was "no way to stop all flooding, but rather to do our best to reduce the risk to life and property in the region."

This spring the Mississippi River has experienced precipitation 125 to 150 percent above normal. Corps experts estimate it will take up to two months for water to recede from the floodway, assuming there is no additional rainfall.

After the water has receded, it will take another 20 to 30 days for the land to dry out.

If there's an upside to the manmade flood, it's that the residents of the floodplain and members of Dorena Baptist at least had some warning. Most of the church's small membership lived outside the floodplain in East Prairie, but two who lived in mobile homes had to move the homes to higher ground and are now out of work.

"We knew it was coming, and kept praying," Davenport said. "We got the piano, pulpit and Lord's Supper table out, but not everything. The rest of it is gone. The brick on one side of the building is gone, too. Then, if the water goes down like they're telling us, there may not be any roads left."

Davenport said there isn't a lot to be cheery about and recovery is going to be hard work, but he sees a glimmer of hope in the dark waters. There are lots of discussions floating around, including rebuilding and permanently relocating.

"Maybe God just wanted us to move this church into town," he said, referring to East Prairie. "Whatever He wants, that's what we'll do. There's no growth possibility in Dorena simply because there's nobody down there. It's hard to leave the site of your home church, but maybe this is what God wants us to do."

Volunteers Needed

In addition to Dorena Baptist, two other Missouri Baptist churches flooded in the recent surge of the Mississippi River. Shining Light Baptist Church in Charleston and Hooe Baptist Church in Oran also were impacted. First Baptist Church in Morehouse has been among those to open as a shelter.

Volunteers are needed for large-scale cleanup as the water recedes.

Rick Seaton, a men's ministry specialist with the Missouri Baptist Convention and the state's disaster relief coordinator, said he anticipates at least a two- or three-week response in the area.

"We currently have mud-out teams beginning in the Poplar Bluff area and are presently looking into the need for other areas," he said. "We also need chaplains now and through next week. If you are available to respond at any time, please contact our office."

The Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief office can be reached by email at dmaier@mobaptist.org or by phone at 1-800-736-6227, extension 631.

In St. Louis, the chainsaw work in the wake of the Good Friday tornadoes is finished. St. Louis Metro Baptist Association and local churches report that they anticipate being able to fulfill any further requests for assistance. The official disaster relief response site has been shut down.

"Some have been on this site for over two weeks straight, and there were around 328 jobs completed," Seaton said. "We are very thankful to everyone both in state and out of state who have responded and helped in this area."

Photos Above: Top Photo - Jo Ann Haas of First Baptist Church in Oak Ridge and Dan Dickerson of First Baptist Church in Millersville prepare trays of food for flood victims at the feeding station at First Baptist Church in Morehouse. Bottom Photo - Davie Price of Calvary Baptist Church in Neosho and Andrew Gruber of South Side Baptist Church in fulton remove flood soaked flowing from a home in Poplar Bluff. (Photos by Bob Greenleee/Baptist Press) Brian Koonce is a staff writer for The Pathway, newsjournal of the Missouri Baptist Convention.