Water still flooding Thailand

We in the USA are hearing very little about the terrible flooding in Thailand. This is the most serious crisis in more than 50 years. Much more damage than when Tsunami hit! The aftermath of these floods I fear will be even worse than the flood itself! Sanitation and contamination problems, airborne diseases, infections plus economic and emotional trauma. Please pray for the people in the Kingdom of Thailand. They truly need divine intervention!

Pray for Thailand

URGENT PRAYER- Flood waters from northern Thailand, combined with ocean tides are expected to bring heavy flooding to Bangkok with in days. Potential flood waters could be the worse the country has experienced in 50 years.

Thai government leaders are at their “wits end” and are seeking help from the “goddess of water” as they consider ways to avoid this impending disaster! The Kingdom of Thailand is a Buddhist nation, less than 2% evangelized and also a "non-crisis" oriented culture. Spend a lot of time or energy focusing strategies, excessive planning or PREVENTATIVE MEASURES when faced with potential crisis situations, IS NOT part of their culture/worldview.

The Thai people usually deal with problems when they arrive...one day at a time. This might seem very odd to us as westerners, but REMEMBER most of the 2/3 world functions in this same non-crisis mode. Their political, economical and religious systems have tempered these cultural views, making them much more tolerant of ambiguity, especially as it concerns their future.

• PLEASE PRAY- Local community of Christians will be mobilized to extend physical, emotional and spiritual help to their neighbor

• PLEASE PRAY- God’s mercy on this Kingdom. May the kindness of God, His supernatural intervention and assistance in times of crisis, cause their hearts to humbly turn towards Him.

• PLEASE PRAY- Kingdom of Thailand, government officials will seek help and wisdom for their people from the One True God!

Human Trafficking Happens HERE!

Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women.

After drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today.

If you suspect someone has been trafficked, call the:
Department of Health and Human Services

Toll-free, 24 hour
NATIONAL HOTLINE:
+1-888-3737-888
+1-888-428-7581

Stabbed at the Food Court!

San Diego is stunning, especially at night! Ocean views, perfect weather and a relaxed resort atmosphere, brings tourists to this area from all around the world. However, like many beautiful cities, sometimes LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING. Recently, God reminded me of this in a very interesting way. Let's just say it was an EYE OPENING experience!

Have you ever prayed for God to BREAK YOUR HEART for the things that break His, or asked Him to OPEN YOUR EYES to what He is doing? Those are great prayers, but such requests usually require a willingness to readjust our perspective! Seeing our comfortable, familiar surroundings through new eyes (His eyes) takes some effort and can be disturbing.

The first clue, that my evening was NOT going to be "business as usual", happened as I tried to exit our neighborhood. First, I came upon a man and woman standing RIGHT in the middle of road, ARGUING LOUDLY with each other! Wasn’t sure if they were husband-wife or boyfriend-girlfriend? Whoever they were, they seemed completely oblivious to me, to traffic, or to the fact that their car was blocking the road! In frustration, I maneuvered around them just in time to meet a sedan fully of teenagers who were hanging out the windows yelling #&*@! obscenities while making an illegal left turn, just missing me!

Effectually I made my way to the local market. By this time I was thinking, THIS IS SUCH A WEIRD NIGHT. I found out quickly it was going to get stranger as the evening progressed! After parking my car, I walked to the store entrance. Couldn't help but notice the two high school GIRLS kissing and hanging all over each other in the parking lot area. Again my thoughts were, MAYBE IT'S A FULL MOON OR SOMETHING?? Once inside the store, I observed a very drunk man in tattered clothes, trying (without much luck) to dig some change out of his pocket to buy a lottery ticket. (Does it seem odd to anybody else, that people with very little are willing to gamble away what little they do have?) By now it was about 8:30pm, I'd finished purchasing a few items and was headed home.

On the way to my car, I passed through some people who were sitting in an outdoor food court enjoying their pizza slices and ice cream cones. SUDDENLY...A GANG OF 8-9 LATINO GUYS JUMPED OUT FROM THE DARK. They violently attacked, kicked and stabbed another guy who was standing about about 30 feet from me!

WHAT'S GOING ON?? I felt like I was back in Bangkok's Red Light District, but I wasn't. This was beautiful San Diego! I was in a local strip mall with little twinkle lights hanging from palm trees. Exhausted parents with strollers full of toddlers relaxed near the fountain, a few retired men were enjoying their coffees and discussing sports!

Then it dawned on me- GOD HAD HEARD MY PRAYER. He was allowing me to SEE my familiar neighborhood through new eyes, through HIS perspective!

It was as if I could hear God saying- “You want to know what causes my heart to grieve? OPEN your eyes! Take time to really SEE those around you. Broken people, crumbling relationships, immorality, poverty and violence are all around you. Don’t be deceived by the facade of beauty and affluence.

After the initial shock and police reports, I had more time to process the “events” of that evening. It was then I realized....not one, but TWO people had been stabbed at the food court that night; an unsuspecting latino youth.... and the other person was ME. God’s “TRUTH” had sliced right through my clouded perspective!

HELP JESUS, HELP. Without You, we are lost and desperate people! Thank you for eyes to see what grieves your heart. Forgive me for the many times I’ve witnessed similar scenes (like tonight’s events) and simply ignored them, LOOKED the other way, or WORSE...I saw them, and did nothing! Forgive me for the times I’ve complained about the moral and spiritual decline that surrounds me, but did nothing more. Forgive me for the times I became aggravated, shocked or disgusted, but did nothing more.

Oh God, compel me to action, to intercession, to LOVE. Push me beyond my own complacency and apathy. Help me to be a BOLD defender of the weak. When it comes to caring for broken people, help to be a RADICAL LOVER, COMPASSIONATE, A DANGEROUS THREAT TO THE KINGDOM OF DARKNESS AND INJUSTICE. PLEASE HELP ME TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS

Soaking in Truth

Everyday we have opportunity to learn valuable lessons from the simplest situations. Today I was reminded of an important "life lesson" from a sponge!

We use sponges instead of paint brushes in our Art4Healing classes. Although all our sponges had been thoroughly used and ready for the trash, I noticed they had taken on a unique beauty of their own! While my classmates were gathering their paintings to take home, I decided to gather up our classroom "trash" for a photo shoot.

Everyday I am given a choice to "soak-in" colors. Will I choose from a palette of bitterness, greed and criticism, or will my life be painted with forgiveness, hope and joy? Everyday we are given opportunities to absorb the colors of truth or the colors of a lie? Every experience (every color) is designed to mark us, making us unique in the hands of a loving Master Artist, the Creator of the universe! What some consider, ugly, worthless trash... God lovingly renames as "beautiful and valuable."

OH NO....don't look!

Believe it or not....not all "artist types" are crazy, broken or immoral."As a culture we tend to define creativity too narrowly and to think of it in elitist terms, as something belonging to a small chosen tribe of "real artists." But in reality, everything we do requires making creative choices, although we seldom recognize that fact. The way in which we dress, set up our homes, do our jobs.....even the people we involve ourselves with- these all are expressions of our creativity. It is our erroneous beliefs about creativity, our cultural mythology about artists (all artists are broken, crazy, promiscuous, self centered or have trust funds) that encourage us to leave our dreams unfulfilled." Julia Cameron, The Complete Artist's Way

While in "recovery-healing" mode,

I launched a secondary website (new blog) focusing on

Art and Healing. People have been asking many great

questions about the training I completed recently

with Laurie Zagon. I plan to hold some demonstration

workshops in the near future.

I'll keep you posted on possible locations, dates and times.

Have fun browsing the new site! Here is the link:

http://art-healing-kathy.blogspot.com

Staying Focused!

It's not complicated....

If indeed the mighty God (Creator of the Universe) abides in me, and I in Him through Christ.....then I am absolutely obligated to better resource, steward and freely share this dynamic with others!

As a follower of Jesus and His teachings, I owe my neighbors an encounter with the Living God and His radical love. Should I not be more bold, joyful and willing to go into this world as an “Ambassador” of God’s Kingdom, of His grace, forgiveness and healing power? Yes, Yes, Yes... God help me!

Kathy LeBarron

Kathy and her Websites have been under construction!

My temporary leave of absence, unfortunately turned to be more of an extended leave! I do apologize and have appreciated your amazing patience with me while I've been trying to "re-group".

Spiritual Warfare vs Furious Love

When it comes to spiritual warfare, the most powerful weapon is also the most unlikely weapon... LOVE. As followers of Jesus we are called to be radical lovers, of God and those around us. It is that supernatural love that compels us to reach into darkness and snatch-out those held captive, those who have lost their way, who have been crippled by these lies for too long....."You are worthless, hopeless, unlovable!"