Music never sounded so sweet. At least music belonging to a collection of songs found on a CD put together to benefit Haiti.

Healing 4 Haiti

Healing 4 Haiti is a “CD” featuring 13 Christian recording artists who performed 15 songs, music that will be released via iTunes on March 2 by Integrity Music. Net proceeds from the sale of the CD will benefit the relief work going on in Haiti following a devastating earthquake on January 12.

Healing 4 Haiti Music Compilation

Samaritan’s Purse, who has been providing clean water, shelter, medical care and other critical aid in Haiti will benefit as will the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Rapid Response Team, who had chaplains on the ground within 24 hours of the earthquake providing emotional and spiritual comfort to survivors. Both organizations are headed up by Franklin Graham, son of the evangelist.

“What I saw while in Haiti is something we must keep in front of the minds and hearts of Americans,” said GRAMMY Award-winning artist Michael W. Smith. “The recovery efforts are going to take a long, long time so we want to do anything we can to raise awareness and to continue to support organizations doing good work in Haiti.”

Haiti Visit

Several of the artists featured on Healing 4 Haiti have traveled to the Caribbean nation located on the island of Hispaniola to witness first hand the work of the Billy Graham Association and Samaritan’s Purse teams.

The benefit compilation includes music from:

• Flyleaf – Break Your Knees
• Michael W. Smith – Come Together Now featuring 100 artists NEW
• Jared Anderson – Carry Me NEW
• Israel Houghton – The Power of One (Change the World)
• Mary Mary – I Worship You
• DecembeRadio – Love Can
• Hawk Nelson – Shaken
• The Afters – Falling Into Place
• Canton Jones – Hello Sunshine
• Lecrae – Beautiful Feet featuring Dawntoya
• Kari Jobe – Healer
• Carlos Whittaker – God of Second Chances
• Lincoln Brewster – Everlasting God

Complex Work

Recognizing the complexity of the work needing to be done in Haiti Franklin Graham said, “The situation in Haiti will be dreadful for a long time and we intend to be there. This is one of the largest disaster responses in the history of Samaritan’s Purse.”

At this time it doesn’t look as if the music collection will be made available in stores, but that may change. Music can be uploaded to iTunes quicker than it can be placed in a physical CD, thus the iTunes route. Visit apple.com/itunes/download/ beginning this Tuesday for details.

Source: Samaritan’s Purse

Popularity: 21% [?]

Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh? (Isaiah 58:6-7)

I must confess that I really do not like fasting. At least in the traditional sense of the term.

No food. Growling stomach. Dizziness. Lack of concentration. All of these things and more can make it difficult to go without.

Yet I also know that millions of people around the world do without one or more meals daily, not by choice but by happenstance. If it were up to them, they would never want nor would they need to see their children suffer. It is difficult enough to go without food yourself, but when your children are starving nothing else matters.

Isaiah 58 should be read by everyone before they decide to abstain from food. When the chapter was written, people were fasting but doing so for all of the wrong reasons. In fact, God rebuked the Israelites who were more concerned with outward appearances than they were with the things of God. Those “things” included helping the oppressed, removing burdens and caring for the poor. In God’s perspective abstaining from food wasn’t His chosen fast, rather helping others was.

So does Isaiah tell us not to fast from food? No. But it does tell us to have our priorities straight before we fast.

Recently I completed a one-day fast, the first “food free” fast I’ve done in years. For several days prior to my fast, I felt God leading me to abstain from eating, something I wouldn’t have done on my own. I’ve fasted from food many times over the years, but not recently. Instead, I’ve attempted to live out Isaiah 58 particularly the two verses I have included here.

In my case fasting was purely for personal enrichment. And it wasn’t on a day when I was able to get away and pray for hours or read the Bible. Instead, I had to spend that day working on my taxes while offering up a prayer here and there. I also read one Psalm during the middle of a much too busy day.

Why did I fast? To draw closer to God. Specifically, I was looking for clarity from God regarding my business and direction for my life. Maybe not reason enough for some people to fast, but something I needed to discover.

I won’t go into detail, but I have seen God’s hand move since my fast ended. No Red Sea was parted nor did I see a sign in the heavens. Instead, God opened up an opportunity that may very well lead to something beyond my personal expectations. Importantly, He worked through my personal circumstances—I would have preferred solitude, but God faithfully touched me where I was at.

I can’t wait for the next time God calls me to fast and pray!

Popularity: 18% [?]

After becoming a Christian my snowboarding was no longer something I had to do, it was something I was made to do and could actually have fun.  (Kelly Clark, Pro Snowboarder and Olympic Gold Medalist)

Lasting Riches

Precious gold is the ultimate objective for a large number of the world’s top athletes who are currently competing at the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver.

However, for one group of Olympians someone more precious than gold medals has taken hold of their lives and they are sharing their personal testimonies with fans throughout the world via BeyondTheUltimate.org.

BeyondTheUltimate.org features stories and videos of current and past Winter Olympic athletes, such as:

• Kelly Clark, Pro Snowboarder and Olympic Gold Medalist

• Chad Hedrick, Speed Skater and Olympic Gold Medalist

• Cindy Klassen, Speed Skater and Olympic Gold Medalist (Canada)

• Brock Kreitzburg, Former Olympic Bobsledder and World Cup Gold Medalist

• Jilleanne Rookard, Olympic Speed Skater

• Curt Tomasevicz, Olympic Bobsledder and World Cup Gold Medalist

Symbolizing the highest in personal accomplishment, these sports athletes talk about not just their passion for sport but also devoted interest from which they are able to gain strength for competition – and for life.

“From the outside perspective it looked as though I had too many things working against me. People expected failure. But I had one thing going for me: God,” said Olympic Sprint Skater Jilleanne Rookard. “I’ve learned that success is not defined by the outcome, but by the courage it takes to chase God-sized dreams.”

Athletes In Action

BeyondTheUltimate.org was originally developed together with Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, as a manifesto for Super Bowl coaches Tony Dungy, Lovie Smith and their players to share the important role that faith in Jesus Christ has played in their own lives. BeyondTheUltimate.org has since expanded to reach fans of a variety of sports.

“Even though you are on the wrong path at one point in your life, it’s always possible to get going in the right direction. Life without Jesus is tough….” (Chad Hedrick, Speed Skater and Olympic Medalist)

Ultimate Prize

So, when you are watching your favorite athletes compete on the slopes, rinks, and other venues around Vancouver, some of these people with extraordinary physical talents are your brothers and sisters in Christ, athletes who have found that pursuing the ultimate prize puts everything else into its proper perspective.

Source: BeyondtheUltimate.org

Popularity: 23% [?]