Thinking, "Jeff, it's time!" I accepted Christ on April 13, 1997 and was baptized in Christ a week later.  This occurred in an Independent Baptist Church—the first church I’d attended since being hauled to a neighborhood one at Christmas and Easter as a child.  I married my wife, Rebecca, in that church four years later. God’s Holy Spirit moved us on and we currently have a nondenominational, bible-believing, Spirit-filled church home where I facilitate Bible studies and do some teaching, even a little preaching.

I spent eleven-plus years visiting patients as a volunteer in a county-wide Hospice program.  I’ve been an active volunteer Child Advocate for COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL since 2004.  My wife and I are helping fund the orphanage-school of CHRIST VISION MINISTRIES in Uganda, Africa, known as “The Green Valley Orphanage & Student Centre”.  I’m also doing the board member thing, serving on the board of a budding Christian organization called HELICOPTER INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES, H.I.M., since 2014.

But the Lord has focused my mission: I’ve been led to primarily blog about Him, His worlds, and His Word!

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(By the way, I graduated from the University of Oregon in the 1980's with a BS degree in Computer Science.  Until admitting the Truth in 1997, I’d spent my life towing the culturally correct scientific line and blindly believed that the universe is essentially random.  That God is whoever you want “it” to be.  I was lost in the futile self-righteousness of liberal American West Coast culture. But now I thank the Lord for helping me fulfill Paul’s instruction recorded in Ephesians 5:16.  I am “redeeming the time” that was mostly misspent—and PRAISING OUR ONE TRUE GOD.)

Compassion International advocates for poor children.  It's mission is to release children from poverty in Jesus' name.

Compassion is Christ-centered, child-focused, and committed to maintaining perfect integrity.  (Charity Navigator has given Compassion its highest rating each year for over a decade.)  And Compassion serves entirely through local churches, in 25 countries currently.  Providing medical checkups and medications, supplemental food, hygiene training, access to education, etc.

All of this is made possible through child sponsorship--caring individuals sacrificing a little of that with which they've been blessed, to maybe save the life of a poor child.  To certainly give that desperate girl or boy hope!

The Green Valley Orphanage and Education Centre is located in Western Uganda, near its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  It exists to provide a safe, Christian home to some of the many orphans populating the region.  Green Valley provides schooling to the children living there, giving them hope for the future.  As in much of Africa, AIDS—known there as “The Robber”—is the primary reason so many children are losing their mothers and fathers.

===>  You can donate to Green Valley by using the DONATE tab above, then entering a comment using the FEEDBACK tab to tell us you want the money donated to go to Green Valley.  (By default donations go toward this ministry.)   THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

The New King James Version (NKJV) is the version of the Bible used here, unless otherwise indicated.

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When a verse of scripture referenced contains more than one sentence or clause, the location of the specific sentence/clause referred to within the verse may be indicated using a decimal point at the end of the verses’ address. 

For example, ISAIAH 9:6 reads as follows, with the specific address of each sentence/clause shown in parenthesis:

• For unto us a Child is born, (IS 9:6.1)

• Unto us a Son is given; (IS 9:6.2)

• And the government will be upon His shoulder. (IS 9:6.3)

• And His name will be called

• Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

• Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (IS 9:6.4)

The following abbreviations are used here:

SIMPLEST BIBLE BOOK REFERENCE KEY
(©2015  Jeffrey L Carpenter)