HAIKU - Mushroom Fungi's

 One little mush-

room grew up in its 'spores car'

to join the fungi's.

There it sat, alone

though, by the gravel pathway;

Solo spectator,

As feet scuffed by not 

bothering to slow and look

at little mushroom.

True strength and quiet 

progress, can grow victori-

-ous through rotting leaves.

New beginnings.  Trans -

- formation out of bad times,

'Mush-room' for new life.

So draw up in your 

'spores' cars, join the fungi's now.

Christ transformation.

~ERC  July 2026  ~

See 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV.

Sing, New Creation, along with Mac Powell, Keep the faith lyrics.

Good Book - PRAYER The Real Battle - By Brother Andrew and Al Janssen - Reviewed By: ER Chin

 In my opinion, this booklet will strongly nudge, challenge and encourage, reaching the innermost sanctums of ones' heart, looking for sincerity, willingness and obedience to God's call to prayer and action.

Praying for and with the persecuted church &/or churches in war zones is something we all can do.  But what if you are confronted by God to do more?

There are eight chapters that lead us through, convicting and setting the stage for the serious reader to contemplate various aspects of the prayer battle; the interceeding for others through spiritual warfare prayer.

There are some very good and searching quotations regarding the heart and the heart of prayer by various other authors and godly men of God.  At each chapter end is a "Take Action" section that I found very helpful in coalescing and solidifying the direction of each chapter's respective aspect, in my mind and heart in regards to praying and how to pray more effectively for our brothers and sisters-in-Christ.

I highly recommend reading this booklet and joining hands in prayer, with and for, believers in Jesus Christ who are in crisis the world over.

                                              ~  Reviewed by E. R. Chin  ~

                                                           July 2026 

Here are some links that are associated with this booklet, spinoffs from this booklet's chapters.

Lord, Teach Me to Pray

Ceaseless Praying

POEM - For Just One Hour

Earnest Prayer Needed

Pray Day and Night

Commited to Persistant Prayer

Re-Escalation Prayers

A Psalm's Prayer

Prayer - The Good Shepherd

Prayer - O LORD, My Strong Habitation

Primary Prayer Request

You Are the Answer

Sing, Pray Without Ceasing, along with Christian Worship @light for the soul 1101.

You Are the Answer

 "Are you willing to become part of the anwser to your prayer?"

If so,

"Just how far are we willing to go in obeying God's call?"

These are serious and hard questions that reach way, way down into our heart's inner sanctums.  They reach to our core and knock at our sincerity.  How genuine are we?!

Praying can be the 'easy' part.  It does not take us into the danger zones, nor get our hands too dirty - so to speak.

But it will come to a point, if we are honest with ourselves, when the Holy Spirit nudges us and we get the feeling, "praying is not enough".

Ah, then are we willing to obediently go the second mile?

It can be ought when we discover, 

"you are the answer to your own prayers".  

And we sit rather stunned, "I am the answer!!"

But we have asked the Lord to work on behalf of whichever people we have been praying forr.  His answer is, "you."  Will we say like Isaiah once said, 

"Here am I!  Send me" (see Isaiah 6:8).

When you see how Nehemiah was activated to pray when he heard the news of the wall of Jerusalem being still just a pile of rubble, he prayed and then was put into action and worked wonders on behalf of the citizens of Jerusalem.  You can read the story in the book of Nehemiah.

These are questions and strong nudges of challenge and encouragement from Brother Andrew and Al Janssen in their booklet PRAYER The Real Battle.  And I like a quote they included from Oswald Chambers.

"It is not so true that "Prayer changes things" as that prayer changes me, and then I change things; consequently we must not ask God to do what He has created us to do."

So we believers in Jesus Christ need to prayerfully ask ourselves,

"Am I willing to be the answer to my own prayer?"

Then be obedient to what the Lord has asked us to do.  By God's grace and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, let's go do our God-given job.

                                                   ~  ERC  July 2026  ~

Based on Nehemiah 1:1-4 ESV.  Also, PRAYER The Real Battle by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen.

Sing, Onward Christian Soldiers, along with and Make My life a Prayer to You, along with Keith Green.

Primary Prayer Request

 As a church, what is your primary request for God to do?  Does it happen to be that the nation you reside in and/or are a citizen of, come to Christ?

As a church we can focus our attention and mindset on this 'cause'.  We can also do so as individuals as we are dismissed from the arms of the church on any given Lord's Day or other meeting of the church.  As we go about our daily tasks we can continue to pray,

"O LORD, make Yourself known to this nation of _________" (see Isaiah 19:21).

Make Yourself known so that,

"in that day they will acknowledge the LORD.  They will worship ... and make vows to the LORD and keep them" (Isaiah 10:21).

This was written for the nation of Egypt but we can also claim it for whichever nation we so happen to be living in.  Some people groups may be more inaccessible to us so we can also ask the Lord to give them visions and dreams in which the recipients see "Christ revealing Himself" to them.

Of course, this does not let us off the hook to tell of the good news of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.  Let's make it part of our daily talk with the Lord and to pray with the people from among these walks of life, for those who have found Christ.

Pray they'll be ever faithful in their particular difficult situations.  Persist in such prayers.  Pray that their lack will be supplied.  Lack such as for boldness in sharing their faith as Paul once asked his readers to do with him.  Pray they too, as well as all of us, will continue to grow in the Lord as an individual and as a church in the place where each respectively are.

Support in prayer is essential.  Pray that their needed resources are supplied and any translation of them that is needed will come to fruition.

As an individual, we can have this vow-like dedication to pray with all fervor.  But what about, as a church?  If all brothers and sisters-in-Christ pray together, with one mind and heart, especially for and with our persecuted 'siblings,' just think of the sparks that will get fires going for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God!

Brother Andrew and Al Janssen in their booklet PRAYER The Real Battle, quote Andrew Murray as having once said,

"Who can say what power a church could develop and exercise, if it gave itself to the work of prayer day and night for the coming of the Kingdom, for God's power on His servants and His word, for the glorifying of God in the salvation of souls."

We can try to find out what a particular people group needs to help this saving of souls happen in and among a particular people group.  And/Or, we can ask the Lord to reveal the need.

For instance, as suggested by Brother Andrew and Janssen, for this distribution of Bibles in rural churches, some of which may first need translating - both the Bibles and teaching materials that could help build the people up in their most holy faith once Christ is revealed and accepted in their hearts.  Another big one is that Christians are able to forgive perpetrators of persecution.  That they would also be able to recover from the trauma wielded against them physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Let there be power and impact in our intercessory prayers.  May your primary prayer request be for your nation to come to Christ.

  Lord God, reveal Christ to this nation of _________.  Bring my nation healing and may they come to worship and sacrifice their wills and offerings, even as they make vows to You LORD God and then perform them.  Amen.

So be it, Lord.

                                                 ~  ERC  July 2026  ~

Based on Isaiah 19:20-21 ESV.  Also PRAYER The Real Battle by Brother Andrew and Al Janssen.

Sing, The Battle is the Lord's, along with Rebecca St. James (Brandon Lake).

Book Review - The Ladies Hall - By Vanessa Miller - Publication Date: 11 August 2026

 Once I read the final words of this novel, I had to sit quietly and absorb the message.  It is an important one, and one the world over needs to hear, I believe.

Events that followed the American Civil War that supposedly freed the Black slaves was only a small start.  The many years that came thereafter were still a brutal, cruel struggle as illustrated in the pages of The Ladies Hall by Vanessa Miller.

The serious issues regarding slavery and the ongoing climb up the steep and slippery sloped mountain to justice and equality was fought in blood, sweat and tears, as well as many words.  We see this through the eyes of three, true-life stalwart and determined ladies, their names that should not be forgotten.  They were Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper and Ida Gibbs Hunt.

In fact, in an addendum of this book it mentions a book that Anna wrote later in life, and a quotation about freedom, which is in US passports!  I found this wonderful.

Moving on, these ladies, I discovered through reading this book, worked tirelessly and bravely despite the many obstacles stacked against them, namely because of their gender and skin color.  But thank God, for them!

It will be noted that the terms Miller uses like 'Colored' and "Black" are not as insults nor to give offence, rather they were terms used in the 1880's era.  Thus, they reflect the time frame of this historical novel that has been set mostly in the town of Oberlin, Ohio and at Oberlin College.

Some of the story will bring you to weeping - at least it did for me.  The trial and joys created swimming emotions.  I'm real glad though, that I had opportunity to read this work, which, I believe, has been well researched, bringing its awareness of the struggles that many whites would never even think could happen, or at least admit to.

I feel that this book would bring many folks everywhere encouragement and hope to press on in ones' still current color struggles.  I sure hope so!

I was well satisfied and grateful to have been able to read and review this book.  It's been one of those books where I wish there could be more stars to give but the highest rating is 5, and that is a lot.  Therefore, I give it a 5-Star rating!

                                                ~ Eunice C.,  Reviewer/Blogger  ~

                                                                May 2026

Disclaimer:  "I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Read review on Goodreads.

Prayer - O LORD, My Strong Habitation (Psalm 71)

 

Have you ever heard of the place called Goma?  It's in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  The citizens live in constant terror for their life.  Let's say a prayer for them.

OH Lord, we are so heartborken for the people of Goma and for Your family, our brothers and sisters-in-Christ.  But we put our trust in You especially for these people, Your Church in Goma.  They undergo so much trauma and terror at the hands of the M23 and other factions.  Deliver Your people in Your righteousness.  Help them escape, deliver them from the wicked, unrighteous and cruel godless men.

Be a strong habitation for them, in the terrors by night and by the arrow that flies by day (see Psalm 91:5).  

Be their rock and fortress.

In times of great fear help them to sing priase, to stay steadfast in You, all the day long.  Their enemies speak against them and lay in wait for them.  Make haste to help them Father God!  Send Your protecting angels, swift and mighty.  May Your grace, their fears relieve.

Confound and confuse their adversaries, those that seek to hurt and harm them, who outnumber them and come forcefully upon them.  Scatter these enemies.  Be instead, their strong habitation, we ask, once again.

Bring Your righteousness and salvation to rule and reign among them.  Help them to go on with courage and in the strength of the Lord.  You, Oh Lord, who do great and mighty works by Thy great power, rescue them.

May Your name be praised not only among Your people, but among their neighbors and others they meet because of what you do and have done on Your peoples' behalf.

Increase Your greatness among them and comfort them on every side.  May they sing praise again and again and so that their tongues will tell of Your righteouness all the day long, especially when those who seek to harm them are put to shame.

Get the last laugh Father, as through Your people, the terrorists are brought to their knees confessing the name of Jesus!  

It is our hope and would be to Your glory, honor and praise.  We ask all this in Your Son Jesus' name.  Amen.

                                             ~  ERC  July 2026  ~

Based on Psalm 71 KJV and at the encouragement of Brother Andrew and Al Janssen in their booklet, PRAYER The Real Battle, Chapter 6.

Sing, Wonderful Grace of Jesus, along with the Browns, and Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow, along with Michael W. Smith.

Prayer - The Good Shepherd (Psalm 23)

 Lord Jesus, You are my Good Shepherd.  You make me lie down in the green pastures of Your word on which I can stand because Your promises are sure.  Your still waters - the water of your Word - of which I can drink, are refreshing and renewing. They restore my soul, and lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake.

I'm so very thankful for Your presence with me in the valley of the shadow of eeath.  In times of evil You are with me.  And even though it may not feel so good, the fact that when I go astray, Your rod and staff bring me back and I'm comforted that I'm back and walking with You again.

In the midst of my enemies, You have prepared a table for me despite them.  You anoint my head with oil for I am one of  Your sheep and royal priesthood.  You've set me apart for use in Your service,  Jesus my King.

In this I see Your goodness and mercy which follow me, and that all the days of my life.  I have seen this again and again and so I trust You with my future too.

I do so look forward to dwelling in Your house, LORD, forever though.  Thank You, Good Shepherd, for You did not run away but willingly laid down Your life for me and You never leave me alone.

You are worthy of all honor and priase!

Thank You.

Amen.

                                                    ~  ERC  July 2026  ~

Based on Psalm 23 and John 10:1-18 ESV.

Sing, The Lord's My Shepherd, along with New Scottish Hymns.