I blog for the persecuted church. I agreed to tackle the task of writing at least twice a month about the topic because I felt it was important to remind myself (and my children) regularly about how lucky we are to live in a free country. Yes, Christians are sometimes mocked in the movies or the political world. But, our life isn't on the line the way it is in other countries. We remain free to practice our religion of choice in America. When you look at the horrible crimes taking place against Christians in other parts of the world, it makes one ponder, Would I be able to be so courageous if I was asked to denounce Jesus or die?

Since last January (approximately) the children and I have been reading Jesus Freaks by dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs as part of our morning devotional. The book is filled with personal stories of Christian martyrs who have stood up for Jesus and faced death and persecution. The stories come from the Bible, 1500's Flanders, 1990's Indonesia, 1940's Romania, 1950's North Korea and on and on. They span all age groups, both genders, and all parts of the world. Yet, the martyrs have one very important commonality -- their total devotion to Christ. It's that aspect that fascinates my children most. We live in an age where faith is taken for granted, especially in America. Because we are so free to worship Jesus, we often don't.

Read more true martyrdom stories by visiting the persecution blog , a web site maintained by The Voice of the Martyrs. There is also information on this site for bloggers who would like to join the "Blogosphere" program.

Here are two more great books you might want to check out: Jesus Freaks Volume 2: Stories of Revolutionaries Who Changed Their World Fearing God, Not Man (Jesus Freaks #2) and Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries.

Until we meet in the teachers' lounge again,

Linda W. Kelley

www.Christian-Parenting-Source.com