A Sweet Aroma

Martha and Jesus concerning the dead things in life….

2013-09-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

We just got back Friday from the Team Retreat - we go on every year. The last three years it took place in the Mountains of Romania. Moldova has no mountains and since we share a language it is nice to go to the mountains.

This year our speaker talked about "blindness" how we can be blind to the things that God wants us to get rid of. Our idols etc. He used Mark Chapter 10: 13-52. I think I will have more posts from this talk but, part of this talk took me back to something I was thinking about in February, a place God took me to, one day in our discussion groups me talked about this questions:

What has failure taught you? Tell us about times when things have not gone as you had hoped and what you learned as a result.

This took me back to support raising on our furlough a year ago - we spent 6 months back in the states building up our support. I went into the furlough with this grand plan, thought, hope, prayer; that we would have all our support by November of 2012.

By Thanksgiving to be specific; that lovely American Holiday where we express our thankfulness.

That date, by the way, came and went, but out of that I wrote the following on February 17, 2013. I knew I had written about this and have been meaning to post it to this blog for some time, but I've been BUSY. (insert chuckle you see why I'm chuckling when you read the post below.)

I do want to add that we are currently 100% supported on our lower budget. We don't have a car yet, but that will come in God's time as I have learned and relearn it is His Will, Way and Time. I'm just along to enjoy the journey.

Our time between going to South Africa and getting to Moldova the first time was a walk of obedience. Everything we learned during that time pointed to being obedient. Up until now it has been about contentment. I'm not sure what the next lesson is yet, or if I'm still working on the contentment one, but anyway - I'm blathering here is the post:

Martha and Jesus Concerning the Dead Things in Life....February 17, 2013:

Contentment and trusting in the sovereignty of God is something
I've decided I need to finally learn or God will continue to try to
teach me about Contentment.

I get it! Be content!

Raising support always puts me in a place that requires me
to fully trust in God's provision.

Paul wrote about it:

God's Provision Phil. 4: 10 - 20

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length
you have revived your concern for me. You were
indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have
learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how

to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have
learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through
him who strengthens me. 14 Yet it was kind of you to
share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves
know that in the beginning of the gospel,when I left
Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with

me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in

Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once
and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit
that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full
payment, and more. I am well supplied, having
received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent,

a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and
pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every
need of yours according to his riches in glory in
Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be

glory forever and ever. Amen.

Here is such a picture of a missionary trusting on the giving of others to do
his ministry as he also depends on God to supply his every need. It is often
scripture like this that gives me confidence that raising support is Biblical.

I really hate support raising, but writing about it, asking and giving
people the opportunity to support us is good and right. It makes us
all part of the great commission and going into the world. Because
through giving to us, people who stay "here" are making it possible for

us to be their hands and feet on the ground in Moldova.  But all that said -
I also need to be content in any and every circumstance.  Not being
worried or fretting about this or that because God will take care of my
needs.  Not my wants - my needs.  Like Paul says it - not that I seek the
"gift," but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.  Giving to him was

part of their fruit that blessed them in the giving of it. God blesses us when
we are faithful to give - not in a (as my pastor would put it) "sugar daddy"
way, but in ways that might be unexpected.

What does Martha and Death have to do with all this?

In my low down times during these past six months of support raising I
get into these panic modes. Because…well, in short, God isn't doing
it my way! Yeah, I know how could He? I think this is because he is
trying to get me and us to understand contentment.

Contentment is:

'acknowledgement and satisfaction of reaching capacity.' The level of
capacity reached may be sought after, expected, desired, or simply
predetermined as the level in which provides contentment.

From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contentment>

During one of these low times - I had been starving myself of the word.
I will admit I did this intentionally because I was getting into this mindset
that if I didn't read x-number of pages of the Bible each day, I was
somehow not a "good" Christian.

I don't advise anyone to try this unless they reach this place.  I did a test of
sorts on myself. How dry could I get without the word, how would I focus on
God without the word.  How would God speak to me if I wasn't in the word.
Yeah, I know kind of dumb - but at the same time it really showed me something.
Because as you know there are people out there that have one page of the Bible,
or have none of the Bible and have only memorized parts of it and they live most
of their lives without the word of God as part of their daily routine.  So I knew in
theory it had to be possible.

Though I will say - we are very distracted in this modern world.  There are so
many ways to forget to seek out God and God's word because we are so
busy by other "STUFF"  and not really important stuff.  I don't know how many
times I might hear that someone is BUSY but then their (or I am) on Facebook
half the night.  SO at least I know that I'm not the only one with this idea of being
BUSY when really I am just occupying my time by being BUSY but if

I would take away that "STUFF" I wouldn't really be BUSY at all.

So here I was starving - myself of the word - but I had all these talks with God.
Or I should say, to God about what my timeline is or was.  How I saw things
playing out.  If things were not going my way - I would think of all the other possible
ways it could go.  In effect making my mind busy.  I did pray a lot.  I also prayed -
"good" prayers and sought God to direct me, but so much of time, the greatest
hindrance we can have to living mission minded is being ourselves and putting
ourselves first.

One day - in prayer God said - "My Word, Sharon."  Okay he didn't say it quite like
that but it was close.  In my heart I knew that what I needed was to stop starving.
So since I was laying in my bed I looked for a Bible and found one.  I turned to the
date that day - since it was a daily devotional and read about Jesus hearing that
Lazarus was sick and him waiting.  He didn't rush to do what Mary and Martha
wanted him to do.  He didn't do it their way.  He did it His way.  He finished up
what he was doing and then when he knew Lazarus was good and dead he
headed their way.

He was 4 days dead by the time he gets there.
4 days in the ground.
He was truly dead.

Martha runs out to him and says: "Lord if you had been here, my brother would
not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will
give you."

Jesus proceeds to tell her that Lazarus will rise.

Martha says - Yeah, sure on the last day he will rise.

Here I imagine Jesus looking into Martha's eyes as he says, "I am the resurrection
and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone
who lives and believes in me shall never die.

Do you believe this?

I love this question - do you believe this? In other words - Where is your faith Martha
dear? Martha says -" Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who
is coming into the world."

Here is the text:

I Am the Resurrection and the Life John 11: 17-27

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already
been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem,
about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to
Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.
20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went
and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my
brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that

whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus
said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to
him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the
last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and
the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he
live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never
die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord;
I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is
coming into the world.”

So I read this and I lay back down and ask,
"Okay, but what does this have to do with our support?

Where is it God, it doesn't seem to be coming on my time table."

God quietly asks, looking into my eyes -
(okay I'm still laying in my bed but work with me here.)

Do you believe this?

Am I the resurrection and the Life?

Do you believe that whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live?

That because you believe in me you will never die?

Do you believe in me?

Are you content to live in me and let me take care of the details?

Are you willing to follow me?
Not follow the world?
Or trust in the world?
Or the way the world sees your life?
Or the things around you?
Are you willing to be content to let me be in control?

YES, gosh it is hard, but yes.

I will learn to be content.

I will learn to let you lead,

I will learn to follow you and to feed the sheep you give me.

To be the aroma that is pleasing to you, not to the world.

I will be who you have created me to be.

Yes, Lord I believe that you are the Christ,
The Son of God who is coming into the world!"

The dead things in life are not my concern -
I am concerned about life and the living.

Time Keeps On Moving....

2013-04-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened since I last updated this blog.
We had a busy summer in 2012 with outreaches and packing up our house.
In Aug. 2012 after our team retreat we headed to the states for 6 months of furlough.
Now we are back in Moldova and it is already 2013!

Time has that way of just moving right along and before you know it it is gone.

FROGGER

2012-06-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

Remember the game frogger?

I do - I am reminded of it every time we leave our house to walk the half mile to the bus stop. On the way to the bus stop we have to cross five lanes of traffic. With three small children in tow it is an exercise in care and sharp eyes. Though there are cross walk signs - pretty much no one stops, and in the off chance someone does stop - you still can't just mosey across the street because some moron will try to zip by in the next lane. More then one life lost here by an unobservant pedestrian. Cars always have the right of way.

They are bigger and well - they hurt!

Meatloaf

2012-06-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Life in another country is interesting to say the least and the longer I am here the more things that once were odd seem normal, but sometimes it is the simple conversations that really throw you off. You realize that in deed I am "no longer in Kansas." Not that I have ever lived in Kansas mind you.

Living in another country and then working with people from all over Europe is also very enlightening. Especially when you get asked an odd question - well at least I thought it was odd.

"What is meatloaf?"

Ahh, "meatloaf?" How in the world do you explain what meatloaf is - in short I said - it is liked a great big baked hamburger. But well it is more than that. I went into the history of meatloaf - ...made to stretch the meat.

Then went on to explain how now there is a kind of art to meatloaf is very different. People have taken a simple recipe and jazzed it up.

So something as well - normal as meatloaf becomes a topic of conversation. Now when well I ever say that again.

I have a few people that I will schedule to have over for dinner the next time I make meatloaf though and then the real education will come with the first bite!

It's Just Cold Here!

2012-02-07T15:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I said I would start to say more about Moldova this year so I might as well get started!

Europe is in the news about the cold weather and I just have to say - IT IS COLD! In the states cold is relative - you have heated houses, you have heated cars and you might experience a bit of cold as you run from one to the other but you don't stand out in it, or live in it. This is why so many people across Europe have died, especially in places like Russia, Ukraine and Moldova. Houses are not well insulated - case in point my house is staying around 53 degrees give or take a degree - though it did get up to 60 today. For you European folk - that is about 11 to 14 degrees! Burr! This is with spending just under $400 a month to heat this house. I've said it once - I'll say it again - "I'm not living in this house next winter." Small fear is that the next house will be worse! Things I've learned:

1. Moldovans and most Europeans don't know what a block heater is!
2. Warm feet equal a warm body - second to that are warm hands. The extremities are very important!
3. When two of your buses pass by you too full of people to take any more passengers and you have waited in frigid temperatures for 30 minutes - it is okay to take a taxi!
4. last but certainly not least - Thank God for the times when you have warm feet and hands and for the four walls that might not keep you toasty warm - but do keep you from freezing to death. 300 + people learned that one first hand.

Pray for all those that suffer through another week of freezing cold temperatures!

Rejoice, In the Lord

2011-12-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

Again, I Say Rejoice!

Lessons from the book of Philippians:

Ever gone through a hard time and wondered why was this happening?

What was your reaction during the hard time, did you fret and worry, did you loose faith, did you cry?

Did you cry out and curse God?

I've had moments where I have done all of that. I am not perfect and I often do not react the way I would like to say I react.

We had a moment not so long ago - where our support levels fell to dangerously low levels. We were encouraged to do all we could to raise those levels by a certain date about three weeks in the future. It was decided if our levels didn't move up in that time we would have to return home to support raise.

The thing about support is it never stops being needed, we were not doing a great job reminding people of their commitment to us and to the work here in Moldova. We realized that we were mostly to blame in why our support wasn't coming it - because while people had said they would partner with us we had gotten busy in the daily living here that we forgot to connect with people back home. We slipped off the radar I think.

Right away my dear husband started making the two mile walk to work in the dark after the kids went to bed to make the calls back to America. I stayed home. Our internet at home wasn't working very well most of the time and at that time it was working awful.

So as he trudged that first night, I prayed. I read my journal - because when your support levels fall that low and you are facing returning home a year earlier than planned you start to wonder,

"Am I suppose to be here at all?"

You feel a bit discouraged, you feel like just when things are coming together and you feel like you are starting to belong that something new comes a long to knock you about again.

My doubts, my worries, rear up and I had to decide how was I going to face this?

In fear worrying each night that we would be returning home before planned or what?

I turned to the word, I'm not sure how I decided on what book to read but I settled in Philipians, and I am so glad I did.

If you haven't read Phillipians recently - go get it and read it.

It is that good.

The whole book spoke to my situation, spoke to my trust of God, of my willingness to let him do the work and the worry and to really trust him. It didn't mean that the support would all come in, what it meant was even if it didn't that I could rest in the fact that God is in control.

Makes me think of my favorite Psalms - 46

When my brother died in 1996 God gave me this Psalms as a rope to cling to. When bad things happen or I start to stress out about something I turn to this Psalms to remind myself that it isn't about me, or the situation I happen to be in but it is about the big picture. I am to rest, truly rest in God and allow Him to work things out.

While this doesn't mean we can sit back and do nothing it does mean that we can move forward in prayer and with a hopeful expectation of God's provision and or that in the end it will all make sense.

Our support levels while a bit low are no longer dangerously low, our supporters came through for us. It just reminds me again that we are not here on our own strength that we are only as strong as our supporters - because without them we would not and can not be here!

Thanks for your support, both financial and prayers! We are so thankful for you!

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
(Philippians 4:4-9 ESV)

Two very different books: Two radically different messages

2011-12-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

This year I have read many books - but none that I have pondered over more than the two books below.

I'm not even sure how to write the thoughts I think about these books.

I have since reading Book 1 of the yada yada prayer group read through book 6 and book 7 the last in the series I should read before the end of the year. (shh it is a Christmas present.) But when I read the first book I wasn't sure I liked it. Maybe because the lead character is too much like me, she seems to have many of the same thoughts I have. But what I love about the series is that these are "American" women. The diversity of the group speaks to the "melting pot" of American culture and how messy a melting pot gets! This group of women are faced with the challenge of how does a prayer group move into putting their prayers into action. Putting the words into deeds and doing that while working, raising families and growing spiritually. These are women with questionable pasts, tragic futures and whom form a bond of friendship with each other that changes their lives forever. I can't promise you will love the series but you will grow to feel like these women are real women - because they are in a way all of us.

The Yada Yada Prayer Group (The Yada Yada Prayer Group, Book 1)

My reaction to reading this book while reading Yada Yada - well lets just say they are completely different. First of all the above book is fictional but reads like "real" life. The Heavenly Man, will really I wish this book was fictional, only in the awful things that happen to this real live person. I'm glad this book is true because of how Brother Yun inspires, shocks and humbles me! I can't say that I've read a missionary Biography where the person suffered more and did not die. God is glorified and I am amazed at the underground church in China. WOW!
The Heavenly Man: The Remarkable True Story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun

As I was reading these books I really felt that I was to learn something from each of them. Not sure exactly what yet - God doesn't call all of us to suffer the way Brother Yun suffered but he does ask us to be ready to.

Am I ready? Hmm maybe more in the way the ladies suffered in Yada Yada - (there is some suffering in this series) - but my prayer is that I would be capable of withstanding the suffering that Brother Yun bore.

Musings on Spiritual Growth

2011-12-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

This summer we took in a puppy that was abandon by its owners. It was left in a box to die. A friend of ours found it on the side of the road half dead.

For the first few weeks we fed it from a bottle with goat milk and yogurt. As I was feeding this puppy from a bottle and as the puppy grew, I wondered on my own spiritual growth. Moving from the milk to the spiritual meat in God's word.

After a few days I had to start giving our puppy real food - meat - dry dog food soften with the milk and as she started to gobble this up I ended up taking away the bottle milk. At first she didn't want to change from the bottle, I had to spoon feed her the real food to show her how it would satisfy her so much more than the milk. She grew and began to eat her food quicky and soon she didn't need the milk at all.

What is the difference between spiritual milk and spiritual meat? Why do we need the meat, why do we need to grow up? What happens if all we consume of God's word is milk? What does this say about us spiritually if we don't move beyond milk?

If we stay on an all milk diet we may grow but we won't have any muscle. God's word is like that - the more we consume of it the more it changes and strengthens us.

What does spiritual growth look like? What does the Bible say about growth? What does this mean for me?

I don't have all the answers - these are things I am still learning and growing in myself. I have not had all the meat there is from the word.

For our puppy - it meant that once she was laying at deaths door - but the milk revived her and caused her to grow stronger. The meat then caused her to develop and mature. She ended up growing far larger than we ever realized she would.

We don't have the puppy anymore - she has been moved to grow further in a country village. But while she was with us she taught us that true growth comes from the meat in life not the milk. That true growth isn't easy and sometimes requires hard decisions like giving away a beloved puppy so that human relationships can thrive and improve.

What about you? Are you satisfied with the milk or do you want more meat?

The day we said Goodbye. We do miss her!

Welcoming Fall!

2011-10-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

I planned this post a month ago - I should change it to anticipating winter. Fall here in Moldova is very nice. The grapes came into season and for the first time I realized where the fake candy grape flavor comes from. The deep purple grapes actual taste just like that. The seeds aside, the taste was fabulous! I can't even explain it but just go out and eat a grape Lifesaver and imagine it being the flavor of a real grape!

The leaves are changing and falling covering the walkways and creating a nature carpet. Moldovan Churches have all held their Fall Festivals thanking God for the provision that as been laid up for winter.

The Ukrainian Grandmother next door is canning the harvest from her huge garden. One day her grape vines were heavy with fruit the next day they were picked clean. She is stealthy like that working in the in between while I am busy with other things.

We started homeschooling for the year on Sept. 6 and are currently enjoying the middle ages.

God has been teaching me in his word with Philippians that in all things He has a plan to work out for my good. In that as life still presents its problems I am working out rejoicing always.

Soon we will have lived in Moldova a year. I've hesitated to write much about my impressions this first year as we adjusted and learned the language. Growing in our understanding of the country and culture. I think I am ready to share more about life and ministry here in Moldova in future posts.

The Lord is My Shepherd - His Spirit is water to my Soul!

2011-08-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

I wish I was perfect - wouldn't that be awesome to be perfect.

To never say or do the wrong thing.

To just wake up every morning and know that your every response to someone would be just the right one.

The perfect words to every situation would fly out of your mouth without thought.

Every action, deed and thought would be beyond question and reproach.

I am not perfect!

I'm struggling now.

- Struggling with everything it feels like a big weight of nothingness has settled over me and well spiritually I know that this isn't from God. I'm so not right within myself that I wonder what am I doing?

What does God's word say about this?

I've not been in the word lately! I've been avoiding it actually - what does that say about me? I have been praying but most of my prayers are about God helping me through a situation. Or helping me figure out what to say and how to say it. What to do. Asking God to forgive me for my not so nice thoughts and feelings as of late.

I think that most of this just means I'm normal.

A Christian, not in the word, under stress and full of emotional responses as my first line of defense. Seriously, I've cried all I can today.

While I haven't been in the word lately, I had been studying the 23rd Psalm.

Studying it along with a book written by W. Phillip Keller.

I'm such a sheep!

The Shepherd Trilogy: A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm / A Shepherd Looks at the Good Shepherd / A Shepherd Looks at the Lamb of God

I'm glad that I was studying this before this time in the valley because I can see how much of a sheep I am! During this time without water, when my enemies seem to be other sheep kicking me. Why do we sheep do that to each other? Why do I do that to other sheep?

I am a sheep in need of rest, I am a sheep in need of a good Shepherd.

In need of a Shepherd that during this dry time is waiting for me to meet Him up in the meadow. Better yet is waiting for me to allow Him to safely lead me to this quiet place of rest.

The song Better is One Day - is going through my mind. The part that talks about

Your Spirit is Water to My Soul!

There it is the water that I need that everyone needs. Good thing I don't need to be perfect or I'd be doomed - well damned really.

Let this be Water to your Soul too!

This is true for me - is it true for you? Is one Day with God better than 1,000 somewhere else?

Water to your soul?

Oh things are not suddenly perfect now.

I'm still not perfect,

right now I still feel down and my spirit is still heavy the valley is still a bit dark.

But there is that meadow over there and I'm going to head to it because

He is a good Shepherd.

And well He is perfect.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my dshepherd; I shall not ewant.

2 He makes me lie down in green fpastures.

He leads me beside still waters.1

3 He grestores my soul.

He hleads me in ipaths of righteousness2

for his jname's sake.

4 Even though I kwalk through the valley of lthe shadow of death,3

I will mfear no evil,

for nyou are with me;

your orod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You pprepare a table before me

in qthe presence of my enemies;

you ranoint my head with oil;

my scup overflows.

6 Surely4 goodness and mercy5 shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall tdwell6 in the house of the Lord

u forever. (ESV)

Water from the Well

2011-08-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

One of the outreaches this summer was the trekking outreach. One day our guide had a friend he wanted our team to meet at a well. This friend I’ll call him Peter and he always have lots of good conversations about the Lord and the end times. He wanted us to meet Peter and to talk with the other man that was with them. The meeting was at a covered well with a picnic table on the edge of a field in Southern Moldova.

Reflecting back I find it interesting that the entire conversation took place at a well. Jesus met the women at the well and he knew her sin. She realized that He was the Christ. She then told everyone who she had met and many people through this sinner came to know Jesus.

At this well the first gentlemen - I’ll call him Bob. He wanted to bring up all these issues concerning conflicts with other nations, between nations and wars. Since I am an American he brought up 9 11. We tried to steer the conversation to himself and his own relationship with God, but he didn’t want to go there.

During this conversation with Bob - a drunk man from the field came to see what was going on - he may have heard us singing. I’ll call him Dan. He wondered in disrupting the already confusing conversation and added more confusion. Then he wondered off. Then he came back and sat down. He smelled strongly of alcohol.

I told Bob that I could sense his heart was for peace and that his concern was for people. That the word of God says that all nations will bow and know that He is God. God will judge the nations. That in the end we all go in front of God alone. That we were there because we were concerned about him.

Then 1 Peter 1 - 2:2 was read. The entire tone relaxed after this, the confusion seem to dissipate. It was very interesting the calming effect the scripture had.

The gospel was clearly shared. Dan the drunk man heard some of this but it was like he was fighting himself. Did he stay and listen or did he run off. You could see on his face sadness and heartache.

I felt a strong impression to share with him about my own brother and how he died of a drug overdose. About how he had told me that he wanted to stop the addictions but that ultimately it killed him. I was just about to start when suddenly Dan got up stood looking off into the distant field and said. “My brother died right over there...” He started to cry.

Wow - I knew then for sure that I was to share this.

Through sharing this connection of loosing our brothers, we were able to get at the root of his addiction. When he stopped drinking the pain of his brother’s death would overwhelm him and he would start drinking to numb the pain. I told him he needed to let the grief come he needed to cry for his brother. That the drinking was ruining his life and would cause his death. There was more said and shared with him. By the time we left there was hope on his face.

It was suggested that a Bible study be started with our guide and these men. Pray that they do get together for fellowship and to discuss God’s word.

Pray for both Bob and Dan that they allow God to change their hearts.

Pray for the men of Moldova - it is so hard to be a provider here. God made men to need respect, to have a desire to provide for their families and when you can not provide because there is no work... When alcohol is cheaper than water and sold in large quantities a country ends up with a whole host of family and social problems.

Moldovan men need purpose and hope.

When Jesus met the women at the well - He told her that he could give her living water. Living water the one that makes us not thirst again.

The water from this well is only found in Christ.

LETTING GO

2011-05-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

There is an American Resource Center here in Moldova where anyone can go and sign up to check out books and movies that are American. Meaning the movies are all in English and most of the non-fiction movies are Historically about the US. There are computers that can be used and you can print out 20 pages a day if they are related to topics concerning the USA. I for some reason find that funny.

The kids are happy because they have a lot of kids movies and I am happy because they have grown-up movies and TV shows as well. I checked out House, M.D.: Season Six. House interests me because he is so anti God and yet he himself has a bit of a God complex. He is completely irreverent and sometimes I really dislike him. But mostly I feel sorry for him. I know he is a character in a show but sometimes I think about the writers. What are they thinking when they write these shows. When they portray God and religion in general in such a negative light. There are so many episodes where a great discussion about God, sin, evil, good and the meaning behind it all is just waiting to be had.

What is and isn't God's "fault" I find it all kind of fascinating really.

One episode was about a Vietnam Vet from Canada - who had his hand cut off while trying to save a boy. The episode is called "Tyrant" because this Vietnam Vet is very angry and mean. He makes House back down which is not usual. During an angry conversation with House he explains that he is still holding that boys hand 35 years later and is in a lot of pain all the time because he can't let go of that boys hand.

House in his usual way goes into the man's house, drugs him and forces him to put his stub into a box, which he has rigged with a mirror, so when he puts in his good hand he can see a mirror image. Making it look like he has two good arms. House tells him to squeeze both hands like he is holding on to something really hard and "If you believe in God pray that this works and while your at it you might ask him why he let you loose your hand to begin with."

So he squeezes both hands really hard and then House says, "Now, let go!" He lets go and starts to cry because for the first time in 35 years he has no pain.

No pain - for 35 years he had pain and now it is gone. Can you imagine the sweet release of living with something for 35 years and having that pain removed by Letting Go! Really Letting Go!

In what ways do we not let go? How do we hold on to pain in our lives and relive them. We relive our mistakes, we hold on to grudges, we choose to be angry about things we can't control.

House tells him - ..."Ask God why he let you loose your hand." - Sometimes those kind of things are hard - why does God allow these bad things to happen? Why did one of my team members get leukemia? Why did just this weekend another team member got married and then the bus that was taking some family members and friends from her village home had an accident and the only fatality was her sister. ON HER WEDDING DAY! WHY?

Is God big enough for these questions? Is God strong enough? Are we wise enough to know that DEATH, SICKNESS and PAIN never make sense because it wasn't part of God's plan. That God did not create a world of pain, sickness and death but that we created that. That instead of pointing at God and blaming him we have to bow our heads and pray that God gives us the strength to praise him through it.

That Christ's death on the cross - there He took that PAIN, SICKNESS and DEATH and that we don't have to suffer forever anymore. That this debt is paid and we can choose it freely. We can LET GO and let God be in control.

When someone dies we hurt and are in pain because this is not the way we were created to be. We were created to be in fellowship with our God, to walk with Him, to talk with Him and to cling to Him to live with Him praising Him forever.

I had a dream not to long ago and it won't leave. I've shared it with a few people and I will share it here. I am in a car in Moldova (I think) and the road is very rough. I am not driving the car - I don't know who is but the car feels somewhat out of control. We leap off an embankment and fly through the air. (I know this can't end well.) But in the midst of it I start praising God. I am thanking Him for how good He is and that even though I know that I will probably die I want to die praising Him.

Then we seem to skip like a rock skipping on a pond of water hitting the ground and bouncing back up into the air again. Then we land smack dab in a bunch of mud. (There is a lot of mud in Moldova.) I open the car door and suddenly there are people all around me talking in a language I can't understand but I can't contain myself I have to share the gospel so I just start asking. "Do you know Jesus?"

I've thought about this dream - I wasn't driving because I am not in control of my life, but I am in control of how I respond to the situations that happen around me. I can choose to praise HIM, or I can choose to blame Him. Thankfully in my dream I chose rightly. My aim is to do that when I am awake too.

Lets Let Go and Let God!

Devotional: For Easter

2011-04-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

He is Risen!

We rotate who does the weekly women’s Bible devotion at work - we have been working through learning from the women of the Bible. I was given Mary Magdalene.

I had things I thought I knew about her but what I found out proved to show that she is an excellent women to study the week before Easter!

Who was Mary Madalene?

She was a Christ follower! (Mark 15:41)

Her name lets us know that she was probably from Magdala in Galilee

She was healed from 7 demons (Luke 8:2)

She was a key witness to Christ’s:

Death: (Matt. 27:56)

Burial: (Mark 15:47)

Empty tomb: (Luke 24:1-10)

First one to encounter the risen Christ: (John 20:18)

As a women and a disciple of Christ myself, I always love when I find gems like this in God’s word.

Here was a women so devoted to Christ that she was there at the cross. I can only imagine that once Mary Magdalene was healed she recognized who Christ was and that was the only place she wanted to be was near Him.

Can you imagine suffering with “7 demons” it may have been a number of physical or mental illnesses, or it could have been actual demons but regardless she was free from her infirmities. She was healed, she was forgiven and she knew that Jesus was worth her devotion.

She was a witness at his Death - there at the cross. Can you imagine the oppression when Jesus took our sin upon himself and died. The weight of all that sin darkening the sky, the utter darkness. I can’t really even imagine it. When all the weight of the world’s sin was paid by the ultimate sacrificial lamb and the curtain in the Holy of Holy’s was rendered from top to bottom. Only God could have done that!

When the body was taken away and she saw it laid in the tomb and she knew because of the Sabbath she couldn’t treat Jesus' body the way she would have wanted. So she went home and waited for the Sabbath to be over.

When she approached the empty tomb, wondering how they could roll away that heavy stone. Wondering - thinking about all she had learned as she followed Jesus - what did He mean, “In three days I will...?” What did he mean by that. Grief stricken and then the stone is already rolled away. Running inside and - He is gone. Where is He she asks the gardener.

“Mary!” (John 20:16)

Not a gardener - but her Lord! Rabboni!

Clinging to Him - not wanting to let Him go ever again. But his quiet voice saying tenderly, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father...” John 20: 17.

What I am struck by here is Mary not recognizing Jesus until He says her name. Then she knows that this is her beloved. The lover of her soul. She knows without a doubt who He is and her immediate reaction is to cling to Him.

In John 10: 1-3 it says: “Truly, truly I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

He calls his own sheep by name and the sheep hear his voice!

She heard his voice call her name and she knew this was the one to cling to. Here was truth in the flesh, risen from the dead, worthy of her utter devotion.

He told her what to do - John 20:17 ...”go to My brethren and say them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.”

And what does she do - she runs to the disciples announcing, John 20:19 ...

”I have seen the Lord...”

This is what our own response to our own encounter with the risen Christ should be. We are also witnesses to His work in and through us. Here was a women utterly devoted to Christ, she followed Him, she learned from Him and she told about Him. She is a awesome example for me as a disciple of Christ’s to share with others...

“I have seen the Lord.”

He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

My Bible Reading Plan

2011-04-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

I've used many plans to read my Bible.

The current plan that I am using is Professor Grant Horners Bible- Reading System.
How is that for a title?

What Professor Grants suggests to do is read 10 chapters a day. Yes, I said 10. He says to get one Bible and stick with it. Read the 10 chapters briskly but with understanding. Don't get bogged down, don't journal. Not that your not thinking but your going to be coming back over these books quicker than in any other Bible reading plan you've ever done. Your going to become so familiar with your Bible as you continue with the plan.

So what are the 10 chapters
1. The Gospels you read through them over and over.
2. Genesis - Deuteronomy
3. Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians,
   Philipians, Colossians and Hebrews
4. 1 & 2 Thessalonians 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon,
   James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude and Revelations
5. Job, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon
6. Psalms
7. Proverbs
8. Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings,
   1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
9. The Prophets
10. Acts

What I like about it - I like that there are no dates on this plan. I don't ever have to feel behind. I pick up where I left off and read as much as I can. Some days I don't read all 10 in one day. I might read 5 one day and 15 the next or I might end up reading 3 chapters in one book because I just love it so much and in the end I end up reading 9 chapters total but not of the whole 10 list. This is a flexible plan you could read 5 in the morning or 5 at night. I do jot notes down - right in my Bible though I know some people would be aghast to do that. I have nice wide margins and my Bible was made as a study bible to be written in and highlighted with symbols and colored pencils. I've been using this plan since January and I plan to stick with it for a long time.

Other "systems" I have used in the past are:

The One Year Chronological Bible NIV (One Year Bible: Niv) is one that I used for many years. This was my devotional Bible not the Bible I brought to church with me. Since it was in Chronological order I found it really helped me focus on the Bible as one whole historical account not just random books. There is a logical sequence of events.

The One Year Bible NLT (One Year Bible: New Living Translation-2) I would do this one when I got tired of doing the Chronological Bible this is not my favorite format but it is good to get you in the habit of reading the whole Bible in a year.

I once did something similar to Horner's system which was to read:
1. The Books of the Law
2. Everything between the Law and Psalms
3. Psalms
4. Proverbs
5. Everything after Proverbs up to the Prophets
6. The Prophets
7. The Gospels
8. The rest of the New Testament

I did this for a period of about 3 months then my life changed and I dropped it and went back to the Chronological Bible. I think that Horner's suggesting of reading Acts each month is a good one since it is such a missional book. He says if you don't know why you should read through Acts each month - that just shows why you should read it every month.

Developing the habit of reading through the Bible in a year was one thing that really grew me as a Christian and my walk with the Lord. I can't say I have less questions but I do have a richer understanding of God and my relationship with Him did deepen.

Surprised by Grace

2011-03-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

The Big Fish - Phillip Ratner

I'm almost finished with this book Surprised by Grace - about the account of Jonah - You know the one about the prophet that doesn't want to go, the boat, the storm, the big fish, three days in the belly of the beast and then spit out on the shore.

Most of us have heard about Jonah or seen the Veggie Tales movie but have you ever really thought about it?

Well Tullian Tchividjian has. As he walks us step by step through the account weaving into his retelling historical artists paintings, sculptures and from Herman Melvill's Moby Dick he extrapolates on Mapple's sermon he helps us to see what God is telling us through Jonah's life - his human life, someone who loved God yet ran from him, a sinner, a prophet, and ultimately shares something about God and ourselves.

A quote from the book:

"God owes no explanation to Jonah (or to us) for what he has done with the Ninevites. But in his overflowing grace, he works to help Jonah (and us!) to understand it all better. God is still coming after Jonah (and us!) to teach us more about his grace.

"God never gives up on you. There's no one whose patience and forbearance toward you will ever be greater or longer lasting than God's. Your wife or husband won't be this patient with you - your kids won't, your friends won't, your coworkers won't, your pastor won't. They'll all fail you at some point. You'll feel dehumanized, cheapened, discouraged, depressed, or radically disappointed by everyone and everything in this world.

"But not by God. Nothing and no one will ever be as patient and forgiving toward you as God is. In all of existence, God is the only reality who refuses to give up on those he knows.

"In unforgettable events and imagery, the story of Jonah reveals how this perfectly patient God pursues fugitives - a God who has every right to give up on rebels like us and to move on, but doesn't. It's a story that reveals forever the heart of God for sinners from every race, every age, and every social class."
- Tullian Tchividjian in his book Surprised by Grace - (pages 138-139)

Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels

Video from Author

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ

2011-03-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading this devotional - you can download it free from here:
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ

I really liked this walk through of who Christ is.

He isn't a hippy Jesus that we can contain in our pocket bringing Him out to comb His flowing hair like some kind of Ken doll. He is the Savior, He is Mighty, in Power and He is worth knowing. Not inventing our own version of who He is but loving Who He really is. This is a very Biblical look at Jesus. Come See and Savor Him.

Devotional: Psalm 34:8

2011-03-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

God and His sense of Taste

How can we Taste and Know Him?

Psalms 34: 8

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

God and the sense of Taste

When taste is mentioned in the Bible it is often paired with the word honey there seems to be a metaphor between the taste of honey and our relationship with God.

What is the figurative meaning of this honey?

I’m always struck by the imagery in Revelation 10:10 of the account of the scrolls and honey in. I always imagine this giant angel straddling a lake holding this huge scroll. That I am there - in the position of (John) and I have to eat that scroll. For whatever reason the scroll is easy to eat as it tastes good like honey but when it hits my stomach it gives me the worse heart burn. The taste is then bitter. What were the words in that scroll? The bitterness did it come from the knowledge of the world turning it’s back on God? Was it about our time or was it about biblical times? Or could it be about both? How would that sit in your stomach? How did that sit in John’s? That knowledge? I imagine it is me and how it would sit in mine.

Okay so what?

God wants us to taste Him, through his word. To develop a liking for his word even when it is bitter. The knowledge given to John by the words on that scroll were sweet. God wants us to know him, to taste him through his word - The Bible. To taste and know that the Lord is good. Better than honey, better than the sweetest honey comb.

My response to this is what

How can I taste God, what can I physically do. With my mouth with my body to be a living sacrifice to him. Tasting God ....

For some reason I am thinking of:

The prodigal son.

I’ve been thinking about this - since hearing my husband read the account to my daughter Lucy from one of our children Bibles. The story illustrates how the son asked for his inheritance and left and then after experiencing the world, realizes how good he had it with his father and goes back to him ready to grovel and be a servant in his house. The father has missed his son and when he sees him from a long way off runs to him and embraces him.

How good of a Father - he throws a cloak of a master on him, kills the fatted calf and has a party. He is ecstatic his son is home.

That is such a picture of our world and God. God is the father - we are his “Sons.” He came and died for us all and we can all have part of his inheritance. There is in fact two inheritances. We have the gift of this world from our Father and then if we choose we can take part in the gift of our inheritance in heaven.

Like this prodigal son - we can reject the Father’s heavenly inheritance and take what we can get right here and how. We can reject his authority in our lives and live the way we want and forsake the inheritance of heaven or we can live under our Father’s loving authority working for him and gain not only the inheritance of heaven - the treasure that we are storing there - but we can enjoy a loving relationship with our Father.

So what does this have to do with taste?

Taste and see the Lord is Good -

Taste and see that God has your bests interests in heart.

If you are not a prodigal - don’t be like the older brother - jealous of those who come into relationship with God after living a life of sin. Rejoice with the Father at their coming home. Seek to find those prodigals and introduce them to your Father and spread the gospel of Christ.

We can live our lives with a bitter taste in our mouths or we can taste the honey that is from God’s word and live as a sacrifice to God.

Our taste gives us such joy - lets use it to taste the Lord and see how Good He is.

Packing, sorting and going! We leave soon!

2010-10-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

We fly out Nov. 9th!

That's right the day is finally here - we have been very busy! We received a deadline for our support on Sept. 8th and had to have our funds to go by Oct. 1. I wanted it to arrive by my 38th birthday on Sept. 24th and it did!

We have the support we need to head overseas. Yeah!

Needless to say I have not been a very good blogger.

Busy packing, sorting, piling, cleaning up the mess from all that. Trying to cut down on stuff! So much stuff and we have gone through this before and I hate this part.

5 tickets = 10 bags at about 50 lbs. each that is about 500 lbs. of stuff. I wish books didn't weigh so much or that we didn't love books so much! Then there are the carry ons.

clothes
books which includes homeschool stuff
toys

All this for 5 people! For two years!
Agh!

There is so much I want to write about and several unfinished blogs to finish and post and I will get to it.

JURY DUTY

2010-09-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

I had Jury Duty for the months of July - Sept. 2010 I wrote a letter to be excused for Aug and Sept hearing nothing I assumed I asked too late. July we were called in and I ended up on the Jury. We heard the opening statements then adjourned for lunch. When we returned they had us wait in the jury room for about 45 mins. Then they brought us into the courtroom and told us the case had been settled.

This gets me thinking about my own guilt. My own sin that I take to my judge and who then takes it and covers it with His blood. He puts it as far as the east is from the west.

On the jury I was called to be impartial to hear the facts of the case and then render a judgment guilty or innocent. I believe in the judicial system and even though I had my thoughts from the opening statements I was wondering what the defense was going to do to give us evidence or a cause to say he was not guilty.

My not guilty pardon from my Heavenly Father is so clear in:

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his only and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not parish but have everlasting life.

God loves us so much that He came down to earth and died for us! I marvel at that love. His love for us is so real and so tangible that if we believe in Him, he gives us eternal life.

God knows everything there is about me - the good, bad and the ugly. Yet, He forgave me. He continues to mold me and to shape the future. How amazing is that.

I got called into Jury duty again in September only to find out that I had been excused for August and September. It would have been nice if someone would have told me. I never thought to ask if I had been excused.

It is the same with God. He has excused everyone who believes in Him and the work that was done on the cross. That the debt for our sins has been paid by Jesus Christ.

I ended up showing up to a place I didn't have to because I never thought to ask. I never called the Court and asked if the judge had excused me. I ended up showing up to a place I never had to go to. If I would have asked I would have found out that I was forgiven.

There are a lot of people who are going to be showing up somewhere when they die that they don't expect because they never asked if they had been excused. If the "pardon" had come through. They never went to the judge and told Him that they believed He had the power to forgive them. They end up taking the penalty on themselves because they just thought if they were good, nice and didn't hurt anyone they would end up being not guilty.

Confess with your Mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe....

I ended up staying that day of jury duty and then called to see if I was now still excused or if I had now lost that. They said I didn't need to report for jury duty any more. By that time I was kind of frustrated because I had resigned myself that I was on jury duty and I kind of liked it. This may be a bit of a stretch but, isn't that the way sin kind of is in our lives. We know it is wrong and yet we continue to return to it again and again.

I have been freed from my sin, but yet the world offers so much of it to us on a platter. We need to take each thought captive and flee from sin. I used to tell my neice to keep her running shoes on. I thought of Joseph when he was being suduced by Potiphar's wife and how he ran.

That is how we need to be with sin - we need to know when to run from it. We need to be active in capturing each thought and responding to sin with the word of God ready on our tounge. The only way that happens is when we are in right relationship with Him.

If we don't pray, if we don't talk to God, if we don't read his word are we in relationship with Him? If our life is all about ourselves and the things we want to do and the places we want to go then have we truly trusted God with anything?

There is a video my husband showed to me once - of a guy and a girl that are walking and they come upon a stagnet stinky pond - they are disgusted by it. Then a guy pops out of the middle of it and is shouting happily. They ask him what is he doing in there. He looks around and realizes that he is in the middle of this yucky pond and then doesn't know what he is doing there. So they tell him to come out but he is unable to get out of the pond. So the guy goes to help him. He gets him out of the pond and all three of them are standing on the shore and the guy that they got out of the pond thanks them - then goes back into the pond and dives under again. The girl tells her friend to come on come out of the pond he says yeah I will then turns around and dives back into the cess pool. She can't believe it. They say the don't want to be in the middle of all that "yuck" but they keep jumping back into it. Sin is like that - we look at it and say gross but when it comes time to really give it up we just don't want to.

The last day to call in for jury duty was Sept. 28th. I had set my phone for it and when it went of I called just to see - not planing on going in but wondering what was going on. The call in report was that our term of jury duty was over.

We all are appointed one time to die and then comes judgement. Have you truly trusted your life to Christ? Have you went to the Judge and asked him to pardon you. The truth is it is already granted but if you don't go to Him and ask to see it and trust your life to Him it won't be granted to you. You will pay the price which was already paid for you. Is anything worth that?

Breaking the Borrowing

2010-08-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever borrowed something because you didn't want to buy it and then break what you borrowed so you just ended up buying it anyway?

It is strange how you feel when you break something you own yourself and when you break something you have on loan from someone else.

I would have been upset had we just bought it and broke it but some how it was worse that it belonged to someone else who took the risk to lend it to you.

That is the risk isn't it when you loan something out that it might not come back in the same shape as when it went out.

When I let someone borrow some thing of mine I do expect them to take good care of it. To watch over it to treat it with care. When I get something back in worse condition I think ill of that person. I don't trust them, I think how could they borrow this and give it back in this condition?

We can almost perceive that if they treat my stuff like that - then they must view me that way?

Okay maybe not. Sometimes people don't think they just use something not considering how it looked when they got it.

My daughter at the age of 4 was allowed to wear someone else's outfit. It was a special kind of outfit. It was a little bit big and by the end of the evening the cuffs were muddy and the material was of such that I was afraid to clean it myself. I ended up giving it back via a third person who said not to worry that she would explain. I still think of that and hope she did explain and that I would have washed it, if I had known how to wash that kind of material.

The Bible says to be not a borrower or lender. It also says to give when someone asks, in fact to give more than they ask. Is this a contradiction? I don't think so.

Ultimately the Biblical message is - don't lend something out to someone without being willing to actually give it to them. If someone asks you for something they are in need of give it to them freely not expecting it back. In this way you are giving them more than they asked for. If they give it back to you take it back as a gift or say no it is yours.

I am not saying this is easy and I still say if I borrowed something I should give it back in better condition then it was given to me. So if I break something that was 30 years old then I should go buy a new one as close to the original as possible. This isn't always possible, but it should be our goal.

The influences of life

2010-08-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

I have all these thoughts rattling around in my brain that I want to get time to blog, but the days keep slipping by! I can't believe how fast this summer has gone.

I've been thinking a lot about "Influence." It is a theme that keeps popping up in my head and one that I plan to write more about in the future. So much of the accounts in the Bible have to do with influence. The influence of God, the influence of a mother, wife, husband, people in general. Each book of the Bible could be a study of this word. Who is influencing who in this book, chapter or verse.

As a wife, mother, friend, sister, daughter - I influence those around me. Am I influencing them for good or for evil? Am I influencing myself for good or evil as well? How is God trying to influence me - change me, mold me into something He sees!

This topic of influence will come up more!

I am working on my third devotional about God and the 5 Senses - Taste. I haven't settled on a verse yet, but it is interesting to note how much the word honey comes up when looking at our taste. Honey is truly a wonderful creation! Taste and see how good! I'm excited to share what God reveals to me.

I am also in the middle of trying to read five books! Three of them are about American Sign Language interpreting. One is about raising global nomads. The last one is a devotional for kids. Thankfully a few of them I can keep almost a month since they are inter-library loan.

I also have more stories from South Africa I want to share. Though we have been back from South Africa a year already - there are still more fun stories to share and information. We learned a lot about HIV/AIDS - that I want to share about. Also just world faiths and how to share with people from other faiths.

Stories from Africa: Rural South Africa - Lessons learned

2010-07-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

This will be my last post about my outreach to Rural South Africa.

It is always interesting a year after the fact to look back and see how something changed you or grew you in some way.

The Rural Outreach by far was the most physically challenging for me with three kids to take care of, ministry to accomplish and our first team to learn to live with and love. (Picture at Right - Trust in God Church in Mabarhule, South Africa)

I look back and really only remember that - "The Family" made it.
We survived for 17 days with all 5 of us in a tent. (Our tent was the one on the right side of the photo at left.)
We did ministry - and made an impact on the people around us. Could we have done somethings better, or differently - yeah. Was it hard, yes, was it fun, yes, was it interesting yes. Would I do it again - yes! Wow I don't know if I would have said that the day we left.

We left by the way on my 8th Wedding Anniversary - waiting for the base van to come pick us up. We had all the tents and camp packed by 10 am and then proceeded to wait until 6 pm and the pitch black night before we got ourselves into the van for the 6 hour ride back! That was a frustrating day.

Now almost an entire year later - I look back at that whole experience as such a time of growth, uncomfortable as it was - it really showed me that we could endure through anything. Is that my ministry of choice? I don't think so - I would rather live in a two bedroom cabin then a tent full time. But cooking over a fire wasn't too bad - of course I did have a team to help carry the load. Alone as a family might be a different story.

I am curious as I look into the future what I will see as the benefit of the waiting we are doing right now. The changes we are facing the new direction we are going and the ministry that seems to be waiting for us.

God is so interesting in how he challenges our perception of what he wants us to do with our lives. How he calls us to obedience and then just asks us to trust Him through it all.

Are we willing to be sent? If so are we willing to go where he calls us to go.

I am a planner by habit - I like to see my life stretched out before me and kind of have a good idea of how it will all play out. I can change, but I don't really like change to happen to quickly and I like a bit of a warning. God continually calls me to stop that planning to put my trust entirely on Him and if I can trust him here in comfy Aberdeen, South Dakota then I really should be able to trust him anywhere. Out of comfort in Rural South Africa, in comfort of the expected path of ministry, and "Oh," in the unexpected detours that will ultimately lead us to where He wants us to be in ministry.

So what does this have to do with Rural South Africa - As our first Outreach with our Mission Organization it taught me to go with the flow, stop trying to control everything in my family, depend on the team. Team life isn't always easy - different people have perspectives on life that are in direct conflict with your own - even though they too love the Lord. It was hard being the mom and I think for Tony being the dad - because we never got the down time that our teammates enjoyed. Though they probably enjoyed less of that down time because we "The Family" were on their team. I can honestly say that I don't think we would have made it without the team. Not then, not under those circumstances. We needed the team. I guess I do hope they ended up needing us in some ways too.

I know they learned something - even if it was only how to change a diaper.

The Rubber Band of Faith - Ouch!

2010-07-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have times when the amount of faith you have seems so small that it feels like a rubber band about to snap back at you at any moment? I have those times.

Lately, I have those times a lot.

Raising support is about the hardest thing I've had to do.

I've been praying for God to release the funds for us to be able to go to our field assignment in Moldova, but I know that for whatever reason I have something to learn in this waiting.

The positive things from waiting have been complete dependency on God for everything, a lot of time spent together as a family, and as a couple.

The longer we wait the more we depend on God - when we first got back from South Africa we had a lot of people helping, feeling led to bring us food, we had people help buy our family Christmas presents, and giving us gift cards to the food store. This is a very humbling place to be. I was reminded by someone when I said - this is hard to not be the giver but to depend on others - that "The worker is worth their wage." This is biblical but still hard - is this pride? Probably.

Then I think, when I am giving out food baskets on the field - will I not understand more when someone doesn't want to take the food but does out of necessity? I am sure this time of waiting will help me see their need from a more personal place.

God continues to give us just enough and every once in awhile surprise us with a gift. I just got a free meal at a fast food restaurant - which I decided to drive through out of speed and convenience not because, in all honesty, I should have or could afford to do so that day. But God surprised me. We ended up getting our food for free because their machine could not read the credit card or debit card I had. It was their machine not my cards. When they told me to just go get the food and I wouldn't be charged for it I was surprised and as I drove away I offered thanks to God. He provided what he didn't even need to provide.

As a family we have spent more time all together then I can ever remember. There are times when I look at my husband and have said, "Just go." Not always in the nicest tone of voice. Does that surprise any of you? But for the most part we have realized how much of a family we are. My husband truly is my best friend. We share everything together and as we learn more about each other - trusting each other our relationship is deeper because of it. This will most certainly help us on the field.

Our children are enjoying time with Daddy in a way that they wouldn't have if we had gone right onto the field. We have through this last year and half learned more about each other's strengths and weaknesses. We are learning more how to love each other and live together. There is no way that this could be seen in the negative.

Then why do I say that I struggle with faith? Sometimes I get caught up with how long something is taking to happen. I truly believe that God is in control - but sometimes I think that if God is behind something there should be no waiting involved it should just happen. There should be a time limit. That if we really belong on the field then we should already be there. I know that my husband has had at least one person say that if we were meant to be on the field we would already be there. I struggle with that. If that person is right - then why do we still feel so strongly that we are not to stay but to go. If this is true then why does our house seem to stay rented. As I pray and ask God where the rest of the support is to be found - why do we continue to feel that perseverance is what He is asking of us?

I am reminded of Abraham and Sarah as they waited for their promised son. They knew what God had told them, they knew that God would be true to his word - they knew this. Then why did their faith waiver? Why did they struggle with how long it was taking?

God clearly - wanted them to know it was him doing it not them.

They tried to speed it up and go around the mountain in their way. Sarah - like many women - felt that maybe it was her. I know that many times even myself I see Sarah as a women who made a suggestion that was against God's plan. She offered her handmaiden to her husband, I say to her why - why are you doing this!

What do you think as a human, as a women, Sarah felt like. Maybe she felt she was the problem. She never could have children, in a culture where not having children was always the women's fault. I am sure she felt desperate, she influenced her husband. To remind you of this conversation here it is:

Genesis 16: 1-2 ESV

[16:1] Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. [2] And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

I wonder if there was more discussion on this - or did she say it and Abram was like - "Hot dog!" Some how, I think there might have been a bit more dialogue about the whole thing.

So what does this all have to do with me? I think this account shows a fundamental problem with being a sinful human. We get in front of God. We think we see all the answers, that we know best, that if God just gave it over to us and followed our lead that we could do it better than Him.

But going back to Sarah the moment her plan was put into action was probably when she first regretted it.

[3] So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. [4] And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. [5] And Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!”
(Genesis 16:3-5 ESV)

Do you think that maybe Sarai - secretly hoped that she was forcing God's hand. That She not Hagar would conceive and that God would be given the glory? But God didn't do that, but his plan had not changed.

[Isaac's Birth Promised]
[15] And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. [16] I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” [17] Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” [18] And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” [19] God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. [20] As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. [21] But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”
(Genesis 17:15-21 ESV)

13!

Thirteen more years passed - it says in Genesis 17:25 that Ishmael is 13 years old. This story both encourages me and scared me.

I want to be on the field ASAP - but God's timing is the best timing. I want to get in front of God and make it happen. I know what I do in my own strength will not work. God's hand must be in it!

I know on the field I will need to trust God's timing. I know that this waiting period will make complete sense. I know that God has put in us this desire to do his work overseas. So many confirmations in our lives about this. My conflict of faith always comes when I take my eyes off of God and His plan. When the noise of the world and the voices of the people around me that want it to happen in a timely business manner. When I get asked the questions:

"Your still here." "When are you leaving?" "When do you think you'll have a departure date?"

I would love to answer those questions with this answer:

"We leave next week." What joy will be in that statement!

Just as Sarah finally held her baby boy - named laughter!

If I continue to trust in the promise that God gave us and trust that his timing is perfect my faith won't waiver.

Pray for me that I would continue to trust God's plan for my family.
That I will trust in God's perfect timing. His - Will, Way, and Time.

Stories from Africa: Rural South Africa - Bucket Bath 101

2010-07-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: A Bucket wash really depends on each individual person.

Supplies: Bucket, shampoo, soap in soap container, wash cloth or scrub, cup and towel.

1. If your a girl waring a skirt, which comes off over the head is very handy! Also removing any undergarments before going to the "shower" makes changing in a wet and sandy "shower" a lot easier.

2. Remove clothing

3. Use wash cloth and/or cup to get all wet, make sure your hair is soaked.

4. Wash hair - don't use too much shampoo.

5. Wash your body.

6. Splash water over body to remove soap doing hair first, be extra careful to not get any soap in the water.

7. Leave a small amount of water to rinse sand out of the shower shoes.

8. Get dressed by standing on shower shoes, slip on skirt and top put other clothes on in a dryer location.

This was our shower on the Rural outreach and you can see our tent in the right corner.

Devotional: Psalm 95

2010-07-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

God and His sense of Hearing

How can we be a joyful noise?

Hebrews 13: 15-16

Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

God and the sense of hearing

My parents are both Deaf, because of this I have always been very aware of my hearing. Hearing is more than a sense when it comes to the word of God. It is also something that comes from the heart, eyes and ears as well. I could argue how the sense of taste and touch are also ways we hear God.

A sacrifice of praise to God isn’t just a vocal utterance, but a state of being as well. When we offer to God a heart set on worship - I believe He Hears it on a level that we can only imagine. We don’t have to have beautiful voices set in harmony. He hears the guttural utterance that we cry out in worship as well. He hears the hands lifted up in silent worship as in the sign languages of the world. They are all pleasing to Him.

What is a Joyful noise to god?

Often we think of worship as the time of singing that precedes a sermon in church. Worship is a joyful noise to God! In the Psalms we see lots of references to a joyful noise.

Psalms 95, 98, 100

Psalms 95: 1 - 7a

[Let Us Sing Songs of Praise]

[95:1] Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

[2] Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

[3] For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

[4] In his hand are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

[5] The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

[6] Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

[7] For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

(Psalm 95 ESV)

This Psalm covers a lot of ground.

Is God worth of our worship? Yes! Why?

vs 3 - For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods.

vs 4 - In his hands are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.

vs 5 - The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

vs 6 - Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

Okay so what?

How does that connect back to Christ?

vs 1 - Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Our Salvation comes from God through Christ Jesus. In 1 Cor 10:4 the scriptures says ... “the Rock was Christ.” The “Rock” is also a common OT name for God (eg. Deut 32:4, 15, 18, 30-31).

vs 7 - For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

John 10:14-15 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

My response to this is what?

God hears our worship in whatever way it is uttered! Hears it as we express it from within ourselves. Worship is more than a song we sing. It is an attitude of the heart, the mind and our innermost being. There is a lot of noise out there that isn’t joyful. The noise of self condemnation, the noise of our children, of the dirty dishes and so much more. We live in a noisy world where the goal seems to be to drown out the sound of God in our lives. We focus on the worries in life. The worries of when we will get to do this or that, or the worry about affording certain pleasures.

What it comes down to is this. God hears us - he cares about us, He knows our thoughts before they are expressed in our own mind. That is pretty amazing.

The word says that God knows the number of hairs that are on my head. Matthew 10: 30-31 But even the hairs of your head are numbered. Fear not therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

If he knows even that about me how much more does he want me to worship Him. He does not need our worship - He wants it.

We all have needs in our life, but our wants give us the most joy.

Think about it. God WANTS to hear your worship! Wow! let us go praise Him now!