my sweet, sweet jesus

crowds in the philippines. . . getting ready for christmas.  

this girl is one of the thousands in south africa who is suffering from tuberculosis.  

this man's money is no longer worth anything.  he can't feed his family.  

zimbabwe is in such bad economic condition that each one of these bags of maize is worth a few heads of cattle.  

these girls are hoping that they don't already have/won't contract cholera, the curable disease sweeping zimbabwe right now.  

Something that I am especially thankful for these last few weeks is that I am beginning to feel the burden of the Father for the nations on my heart once again.  It has been a while since I've really felt a strong tug on my heart for the unsaved in other places, but the Father is gently reviving those tears in my heart.  Its almost as though He planted some seeds and now they are beginning to grow after the long winter.  I suppose it has something to do with my busyness and my concentration on things that are going on here, but being in tune with this part of Jesus' heart allows me to sings new songs with much greater fervor of late.  I love it.  

One of the greatest places to allow the heart of God to speak to me is through BBC In Pictures.  Every week day, they post 10 or so pictures from around the world of news worthy things.  They also have feature stories of just pictures.  I don't have  lot of time to read the news because of all the other reading I should be doing, so I especially enjoy this little break in my day.  It's like a picture book of the news!  It's really fun sometimes. . . and other times it's really hard.  

Tonight I was looking at my picture book news and was listening to Shawn McDonald, who writes and produces strikingly intimate and real music about Jesus.  Here are the lyrics of the song I was listening to as I looked at these pictures ::

have you ever wanted to be someone else?

have you ever wanted to be someone?

have you ever wanted to reach your dreams?

have you ever wanted life to be more than it seems?

i've tasted of a love so wide that it stops all my time

i've tasted of a love so deep that it blows my mind

have you ever wanted to reach up and touch the sky?

have you ever wanted to pack it up and say good bye?

have you ever wanted someone to care?

have you ever wanted someone to be there?

i've tasted of a love so wide that it stops all my time

i've tasted of a love so deep that it blows my mind

he is sweet

he is sweet

what you're looking for is my sweet, sweet jesus

what you're looking for is my sweet lord

Sweet Jesus, all we can do is weep as your heart weeps.  Hold us as we cry out to you and weep for the world.  Sweet Jesus. . . the same that came in a manger will save this whole world.  Send thousands into the harvest.  Sweet Jesus.