Are YOU a Missionary?

I know that we are each called “according to His purpose,” and that our goal should be to discover what “His purpose” for our lives might be.
Now I certainly have never felt that I was called to be a missionary, but the subject came up again in my morning study. . .(Into His Marvelous Light by Oswald Chambers) and as always when the subject comes up, it just doesn’t leave my brain for the rest of the day.
Perhaps the reason it lingered so long today is that my beautiful sister in law is leaving for Haiti in a couple of weeks on a missions trip with her church, or perhaps the Lord has something he would like me to understand about my mission.
That is where I find myself, so without going into the whole long definition of missionary, I will say that I liked this explanation the best. . .a young couple with a “mission” to share Jesus with others.
How much more difficult could it be.  After all, shouldn’t that ultimately be our “mission?”  Not to share what we believe about Jesus, but to actually share the experience of Jesus. . .and allow others to decide for themselves what they believe.
My prayer is that I will be on a “mission” to share the marvelous love of Jesus wherever I go. . .and whatever I do. . .in Jesus Name. . .amen!

Running the Race is a Little Overwhelming Sometimes

For several years I have written and designed Bible Lessons for children.  I have a drawer full of lessons, and notes for lessons.

I am passionate about it. . .messages I hear, songs I listen to, news stories. . .so many things trigger that automatic thought. . .I gotta write that down. . .that would make a great lesson.

Not only am I passionate about writing the lessons, but my heart also grieves for burned out, overwhelmed, under appreciated Children’s Ministry Workers. . .who are doing the very best they know how. . .and yet are left to feel that their efforts always fall a little short. . .so, when we knew were going to travel full time, my eventual goal was to be able to offer encouragement to Children’s Ministry and Youth Ministry Workers along the way.

That is the goal. . .and the desire. . .and yet, when I would begin to work on the plan (read organizing stacks of lessons and notes into some type of order) I would feel so overwhelmed, I would just close the drawer and move on to an easier project. . .

and then, in my morning Bible Study, I read. . .

Hebrews 12:1 let us run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.

PATIENCE? are you kidding me Lord. . .I don’t think you really blessed me with very much of that. . .seriously!  I want it done, and I want it done now. . .Oh, and I’d really like it if it could be done my way please. . .there. . .now, that’s better.

OH, I don’t get to do this my way. . .this is an endurance race. . .really?  Cause when I look at that stack in that drawer, it even looks like more endurance than I got. . .actually, it gives me knots in my stomach.

Oh, I need to start at the VERY beginning. . .organization. . .oh, organization I’m really, really good at. . .I’m pretty sure I can do that one. . .

and so it’s gone. . .my discussion with the Lord about this task. . .starting at the beginning. . .building up the muscles. . .spiritual exercise for a different type of race than the one I’m used to running. . .

I have a feeling lots of liniment (prayer) will be involved in this endeavor. . .but here we go. . .got the three ring binder, and the hole punch out. . .step one – organization!

Are you Standing in Your Own Way?

God has a plan

He has a perfect plan

He says it in His Word

 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, 

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

 plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

So, what are God's plans for you?

Do you even know what they are?

Do you ever stop long enough to hear God's plan for you?

God's plan has not changed. . .he knit you together, 

and wired you for a specific mission. . .

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

 before you were born I set you apart;"

Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

I challenge you to find that mission

To declare that mission. . .

To schedule time in your life to focus on that mission,

with laser beam precision, focus. . .

nothing else matters, 

Only God's Plan for Your Life Matters 

Are you willing to make finding "Your Mission" a priority?  

Listen to Martha Munizzi sing:

 "I Know the Plans I Have For You"

The Desire of My Heart

In all my years of working in Children's Ministry, I have always preferred to teach fifth and sixth graders. . .they were old enough to comprehend lessons that were beyond just basics. . .they had great opinions about life. . .and they could do projects by themselves.

I never dreamed I could prefer any other age, until we went to help with a Home Missions Work. . .and as you know. . .when you are just starting out, you work where you are needed. . .so I was asked to work with the teen class.

What a fantastic experience. . .not something I would have ever chosen to do. . .but wow, they were awesome.  About half the class really had no Biblical Training, so we were starting from scratch. . .

No problem.  They were open to discussion. . .they had strong opinions about right and wrong. . .they were more than capable of analyzing a scripture, breaking it down, and basically preaching themselves a sermon with very little input from me.

I was very, very impressed. . .so now as we travel full time, and visit different churches. . .I find myself studying that age group, and I wonder what their take on living for God is?

I wonder if you broke them down into small groups, and mentored them in how to study the Bible, and showed them how Biblical facts tie together. . .I wonder if they could "get it" a lot sooner?

The desire of my heart is to find out the answers to these questions.  Please pray for me as I undertake this journey!

Join me on my new FaceBook Page:  Falling In Love With Jesus. . .each day I try to offer a quick uplifting point. . .whether it be a link to an article, or a beautiful saying. . .I look forward to meeting you there!

The Candle Lighting Your Darkness

I love the Women of Faith blog so much that I have it automatically sent to my Google Reader each morning.  That way, I don't need to think about it. . .it's there. . .I can read the thought for the day. . .it only takes a few seconds, and it almost always leaves me contemplating some aspect of my walk with God.  

This morning's thought, Survival Tips, and excerpt from Sandi Patti's book Falling Forward, really caused me to stop and to wonder. . .

I wonder how many have been to that dark, dark place. . .to that place where you seemed so alone. . .where it seemed that no one. . .not even God cared about where you were?  


To a place so dark, there was not even a flicker of a candle shining to give you hope.


Where do you go when you reach that place? 


I thought of my sweet precious, sister in law, who, when her only child was stolen from her by a drunk driver, admitted in her writings, that she was unable to pray for an entire year. . .and yet, finally, finally a glimmer of light began to shine through.  


What is your glimmer?  


What is going to get you through those dark, lonely times?


Is the assurance that God is there, even when He seems, far, far away going to be enough to get you through?  


As the article said, it may take just having a check list to get you through each step of life, until finally you can reach that place where you know that God is there. . .He says, "I will NEVER leave you, nor forsake you."


In our darkest moments, clinging to that promise may be only thing that gets us through.


If you have been to that place, can you offer some hope to others. . .just a glimmer of what got you through?


Join me on my new FaceBook Page: Falling In Love With Jesus.
Everyday, I try to share a quick uplifting link that I have found.

God Don't Make No JUNK

When I was about twenty-five, a minister spoke directly to me during his sermon when he said, "God loves you, just the way you are."

I don't think I knew that. . .I had heard it, but until that moment, I don't think I believed it.

That one sermon, changed my life, my sense of self worth, and my relationship with God. . .

Don't ever let anyone tell you that you are not worthy, you are a precious jewel, God's treasure. . .I know the plans I have for you. . .God said this about you before you were even born. . .

So you get out there,

You feed your mind on what is pure, and good and holy, and the rest will take care of itself.

Take one moment to renew yourself. . .and your relationship with God. . .you are worth it.

Don't let the desire for perfection be an excuse for never finishing. . .

Your Personality is What We See

but. . .what is really underneath?

I love the analogy in today's My Utmost For His Highest .

We admire the beauty, the tranquility, and the peace of a tropical island, because that is the portion that is exposed.  In the same way, we often admire people, because we only see the portion that is exposed.

A tropical island is actually a mountain that has poked it's head up above the ocean.  It's foundation may be composed of any myriad of components.  Just as the island must have a solid foundation on which to build, and to become awe inspiring, so must you have a solid foundation.

What is your foundation built upon?  What does that secret part of you, that only you know about, consist of?  

Lord, my prayer today is that my foundation continue to be built solidly upon your truths, and that the portion of myself that is seen by the world will reflect your beauty and your glory. . .in Jesus Name.  Amen.