A few days ago Jenn wrote about valuing our free speech here in America. Today I wanted to direct you to a brand new website that has been set up by the Family Research Council called Stop Thought Crimes Laws.

The following tidbit of news is from our friends at Mission Network News.

This morning I was at my churches weekly prayer meeting (yes, we did meet this week) and I was very encouraged as we got to pray for the persecuted church and the many trials our brothers and sisters face on on daily basis.

Have you heard the great news? Bibles Unbound has just celebrated it's first birthday! In case you missed the special email announcement that The Voice of the Martyrs sent out a few days ago, I wanted to let you see it. Celebrate with us!

This morning I was listening to one of my favorite radio shows online - Wallbuilders Live with Rick Green and David Barton, and David Barton said something that really was a surprise. He said that American colleges are now persecuting Christians on campus. He also said that he doesn't use the term persecution lightly...which is why I thought I'd mention this to you today.

Many of us take for granted free speech in the West. However, some troubling legislation has recently touched many free nations including England, Canada and Australia which has threatened to limit that right and awakened citizens to the need for action. Christian World News recently conducted an interview with an Australian pastor who was adversely affected by such legislation. Click below to watch this report on Australian Pastor Danny Nalliah.

Since it's Monday (again), I thought it might be fun to open the week with a question to you all. How was your weekend? Is there any news you have heard about Christian persecution that you've been thinking about? Is there anything in the media that has caught your attention today that we should know about?

I've been thinking all day about what I have wanted to share with you today and I finally decided that I want to share with you my discouragement about how few Christians in America, that I know of, really pray.

This week I read a disturbing story reported by Compass Direct News, of Muslims in Nigeria who are kidnapping Christian teenagers and converting them to Islam. The news article chronicled the details of Victor Udo Usen, a 13-year-old and member of the Christ Apostolic Church , who was kidnapped in November 2006 in Sokoto, Nigeria. Even though I have heard of similar incidents in other places around the world, Victor’s story moved me with compassion. As a parent myself, I cannot imagine going through what his family has endured.