Today.

As I sit writing this today, a precious friend of mine is going through something no parent should have to go through, planning a funeral for her son.  Heart wrenching and just totally wrong.  There are no words at a time like this to comfort or heal.  Yes, Jesus cares, yes, He is present, yes, God heals and all of those spiritual things; but let’s face it, the physical and emotional hurt is bad and it just sucks (sorry Mom, sometimes we have to use sub-standard words). 

Many have faced losses recently, whether tragic and sudden or slow and painful, yet losses none the less.  It’s grief. Denial. Anger. Hurt. Bitterness. Memories. Celebrating a life.  Repeat.  We think about conversations we have had with our lost loved one, places we went, things we did, plans for the future...then sadness that those plans will not be fulfilled how we expected.  We reflect on the life, what we have learned from the one we lost and we laugh and share all the stories that make us giggle remembering good times.

One thing I believe we can take away from these experiences is this, don’t wait. Say what you need to say!  Love people. Make a difference.  Share Jesus. Don’t wait to tell everyone who means anything to you how you feel about them.

As we laid to rest a dear sweet saint years ago; I remember very vividly the story that was told about her and her family.  It was something they lived, making sure that every word counted.  Whenever any one of them was parting from the other, whether just heading home from church or traveling to a country a world away, they would always say to one another, “See you at the house.”  The sentence was far more than 5 little words.  It meant, ‘I love you, you mean the world to me and even if this is the last time I see you on this earth; I will see you on the other side.’

Call your loved ones.  Maybe you need to make amends with someone, forgive, or be forgiven.  Do it, don’t wait.

My love and prayers to you, Teresa.

See you at the house, Josh.

The Lord is my shepherd;

I have everything I need.

He lets me rest in green pastures.

He leads me to calm water.

He gives me new strength.

He leads me on paths that are right

for the good of his name.

Even if I walk through a very dark valley,

I will not be afraid,

because you are with me.

Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.

You prepare a meal for me

in front of my enemies.

You pour oil of blessing on my head; 

you fill my cup to overflowing.

Surely your goodness and love will be with me

all my life,

and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23 NCV

m

Clutter

Clutter.

We all have it.  

As we begin to clear out closets, drawers, rooms and the garage, we realize how much 'stuff' we have accumulated in the 9 years we have lived in one place.

Having everything we need is a comfort most of us afford; for even more of us, having everything we want is a luxury.

It begs the question, why do we keep so much stuff?  Sometimes even hoarding things...like paperwork, books, 'sentimental' items...just to name a few.  Maybe it's because we don't want to deal with it when it enters our home, maybe the clutter belongs to another family member and we are waiting for them to take care of it.

I have to admit, the clutter is totally overwhelming.  If not for a very good friend who is gifted at seeing a task and knowing where to begin; I may be inclined to just walk away from this mess and wait until it's crunch time to deal with it.

Clutter can be spiritual as well.  How many times do we feel that twinge of the Holy Spirit to do something or take care of a situation, and we put it off until later?  Often times, we know what it is we need to do, we know what is right, but we ignore what we know and do what we want anyway.

When we pile on the spiritual 'stuff,' it can become overwhelming to even know how to get out from under it.  Many times, we may just walk away from the spiritual things (i.e. the church, Christian friends or even God) because we just do not want to deal with our own stuff.

I love the word picture here in Matthew 3:12: 

'He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.'

He is where you start.  You see, what happens when you come to Him, you allow HIM to be the organizer and the detailer.  He will do the de-cluttering.  When you let Him; He will take care of the junk.  The old things that you deemed so important don't seem so earth shattering anymore.  He will change your 'want to.' 


2 Corinthians 5:17
'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.'

De-clutter.  Not just your home, but most importantly, bring your spiritual clutter to the One who is the Master of the mess.

m

First Reaction

We are experiencing some very interesting and unique times in our lives.  Preparing to go to the mission field full-time invokes quite a range of questions from friends, family and even acquaintances.  It is kind of funny to me what the first reactions are.  I wonder if any of the disciples went through similar situations, well, except the hair color!

What?
You are going where?
Where will you live?
What do the kids think about this?
How long will you be gone?
When will you move?
What will you do with Ellie?
How will you get paid?

And a popular one:
What will you do about your hair?

My absolute all-time favorite first reaction to the news of our accepting a mission call comes from a child, well, a tween.  We have a sweet friend who wrote us a letter asking if she can set up a table at our church to have a bake sale.  She intends to sell cookies and cinnamon rolls (which she specified she will make from scratch) in order to help us raise financial support.

Wow.  Now that is a reaction I'd love to duplicate.  Her first response was, 'I see a need.' This is a kid who gets being part of the solution and wants to do her part.  I love it!

Don't get me wrong,  the curiosity from others is well-meaning and we feel blessed to have people in our lives that fully support following God's call wholeheartedly.  I just cannot help but learn a lesson from our little friend.  Why do I sometimes call into question a motive, when I should be asking 'how can I help?'

The truth is this about our missions call.  We have been praying and asking God for wisdom and guidance for years.  If you know us at all, you KNOW that we would not make this kind of decision overnight.  We have sought God and His guidance alone.

Our prayer is that our first reaction to His plan would always be, 'I see a need' and 'how can I help?' Whether the idea is popular or not was not the question.  How will it all come about, we don't know.  God guides, He provides.  He has proven faithful to His followers for centuries, to our family for more than 100 years, to Brian and myself as a couple for 20 years.   We trust He will continue.  We covet your prayers and your first reaction.

Below, I'm answering the above questions.....just for the curious.

What?  Yes, we are moving to Africa.
You are going where? Yes, Africa, Swaziland, to be specific.
Where will you live?
In a home, not a mud hut or tent with a thatch roof.
What do the kids think about this?
They have been part of the process, and while they will be giving up luxuries, they understand they will gain plenty.
How long will you be gone?
Currently planning on 3 years. (Jan-Oct-Swaziland, Nov-Dec-US)
When will you move? We plan on leaving in January 2013
What will you do with Ellie? We have arrangements with a close family friend to care for this 4-legged family member.
How will you get paid?
We are currently seeking monthly supporters and speaking at a few churches to raise our prayer and financial support.

And a popular one:
What will you do about your hair?
This is a good one.  My very special salon girl (Misty) has been on alert and she is helping me by getting my hair color to take with me AND teaching Brian the basics of trimming my hair ;) Love her!

Most importantly, will you pray?

If you would like to know more or learn how you can be involved in joining hands in ministry with us, visit:
missionswazi.org

1 Corinthians 1:4-9
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus,  for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you,  so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by Him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

m

Pound, Pry, Pull

[Confirmation the Lord is moving both of our hearts in the same direction, when Brian and I write similar thoughts.  

I have asked him to be my guest blogger today. ]

There have been times as I worked on a project that I have reached into my tool box and in that moment the tool I needed was not available. I am a son, and have a son, so I am well aware of who likely saw that tool last. Yes, I could complain about not having the right tool, I could even stop the project and go searching for the right tool, maybe even buy or borrow a new one. There have been times though that I have actually used a wrench to pound a nail into a board or a screw driver to pry something apart; even a set of pliers to pull out the bent nail my wrench just hit. I will admit,  I have used tools to accomplish a task for which they were not designed. Pound, pry, pull; the bottom line was, I got the job done even if it took a little longer because I used a different tool than was intended.

As the owner of the tools I can choose to use any of my tools as I see fit. If the right tool is unavailable for the job at hand and I need to get the job done, then I can choose to use the next best tool available. In that project, it is not the tool that decides if or how it is used. It is the owner of the tool that makes the decision.

I often wonder how God’s kingdom would be impacted for eternity if we chose to understand these truths. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have submitted my life to be His tool and He can choose to use me anyway He sees fit.

If God had a tool He intended to use for a kingdom task and it was not available, can he choose to use a different tool? Maybe it would help me in my journey to ask myself which tool am I choosing to be? The one that is available or unavailable? Do I bristle up when the Lord reaches for me, slipping out of His grasp with my own self-will refusing to be used. Do I yield to His will? And if I happen to be the next best tool, can God still do amazing things for the Kingdom with and through me? 

I have been asked on more than one occasion why in the world would I choose to leave a ministry position I love... serving a church family that loves me and my family? Why would I leave a place so close to the ocean, right on the Gulf of Mexico with all of its outside activities on or near the water?  Why would I choose to part with most of my earthly possessions and move my family halfway around the world to live in a third world area that has the highest HIV/AIDS rate of any country on the globe? 

In those moments with those questions I can only reply that as the Lord’s tool He has the authority to use me anyway He chooses.  At this time, for this task, He has chosen to use us in this way. I believe that He knows the end result and I am only a part of the project. A tool in His hand to pound, pry and pull with as He sees fit.

Brian

Paddle Partner

{I am not a canoe-er, kayaker or any kind of paddle boater, whatsoever. So when I say, 'we took the youth group canoeing,' I mean, I sat in the boat and ducked, dodged and did my best to help steer our canoe away from branches.}

Many lessons can be learned on a canoe trip down the river.  For instance, who you choose as a partner is critical.  Does your partner have the same goal as you or does your partner's goal for the day look more like a bumper boat party?

So step 1- choose a good partner. Enough said.

Step 2- get a game plan.   Exactly which side of the boat do you paddle on?!! You might want to know that paddling left takes you right, and vice versa.  Good knowledge to have when you are heading in the direction of a tree trunk.

Step 3- COMMUNICATE with your paddle partner.  The two of you will have a smoother ride down this river if you anticipate the obstacles together, or even better, trust the front rider to shout out which direction is best...after all, she has the best view on that canoe!

Step 4- don't panic....well, ok, scream a little if you need to (I sure do), but don't rock the boat!  You can do this!

Step 5- when you do hit the obstacles in the water, and you WILL hit them, paddle together to get yourself turned around and headed in the right direction.

Step 6- enjoy the ride.  Really.  It can be both leisurely and stressful, but the best strategy for canoeing is ride the current.  Over-paddling can get you in worse trouble, you could end up going around in circles or flipped backwards or upside down!

I'm sure you've got the point of this illustration by now.  Many lessons.  Christian living.  Marriage. Friendship.  Mentoring. Teamwork.  Really good stuff for life.

During one point in the trip, one set of youth 'paddle partners' said to the adult chaperones, 'Hey, can you go ahead of us, so we can see how you do this and know what route to take?'  Seriously good advice for the generation following us.  Let us help you map the river.  We know at what points you will need to make adjustments, duck or dodge obstacles that are in your way.

This is what we do as followers of Christ.  Follow Him.  Some further down the 'river' than others, but ultimately, all rowing in the same direction.

m

Change of Direction

I grew up in a glass house. You know, the ministry kind? People looking in, your family is watched....good example or not! As a teenager, I made my decision. I was NOT going to marry a minister and my life would NOT be dictated by glass walls.

Hhhmmmph.

Little did I know, God was preparing me all that time to do just that, live life with people looking in.

When Brian and I married, almost 20 years ago, we had great plans. Business opportunities, great sales training and skills, on our way to acquiring wealth.

God's plan; however, turned out to include wealth of a totally different kind. Brian had been working in management with a company who decided to eliminate his position. (There is a much longer version of this story, if you ever want to know it!) Following losing his job, many long nights of prayer and counsel, we took a position in full time ministry....right where I said I would NEVER be. BUT GOD prepared our hearts and He directed our path.

A church in Pensacola took a chance on an inexperienced pastor more than 9 years ago. Our family has grown, not only physically, but a tremendous growth spiritually as we have led the faithful people of our church. We love the people and we are blessed to be loved in return.

Once again, here we are, a change in the direction of our path.

Several years ago we met a couple, Harry and Echo VanderWal, who were doing mobile medical mission work in Swaziland, South Africa. We were intrigued. We spent time with them and had annual visits upon their return to the US. In God's providence, we had the opportunity to serve along side them when in 2010 we took our family to Swaziland for a month long mission trip as well as the celebration of the centennial of the Church of the Nazarene. One night, while staying with the VanderWals in Manzini, Swaziland, they shared with us their miracle campus dream concept. Their desire was (and still is) to have a clinic, a home for themselves, a commercial size kitchen and eating area, small cottages where work and witness teams would stay when they came to serve and finally, they pointed out a small home, possibly for 4, that they would like to have a pastor living there on staff. I though my heart would beat out of my chest or I might throw up. I thought then, 'this is a place we can serve.' I had no idea that God was planting the seed in me to return 2 years later.

Our hearts have been drawn to the work Harry and Echo are doing with their organization, The Luke Commission. And so, after years prayerfully considering the timing, we now have been asked to pastor with The Luke Commission. How humbled and honored we feel to be serving in such a capacity.

I could not have prepared for what God continues to teach me in this glass house life. These God lessons and blessings have been far more valuable than the world's definition of riches. Obedience is the real wealth.

We covet your prayer and support as we prepare to go in January 2013.

This blog will begin to be linked to a website my family is creating. It will turn into more of a journal of God's stories. I look forward to writing them.

As was written on the fly leaf of Brian's great-grandfather, Harmon's bible:

“Lay any burden upon me; only sustain me. Send me anywhere; only go with me. Sever any tie, but that one which binds me to Thy service and to Thy Heart.” ― David Livingstone

Matthew 28:18-20 MSG
“God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 NRSV
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.' "

Go as He commanded.

m

Be Our Guest

Our church is all abuzz, our home is flittering with activity. We are preparing for guests. Our local church celebrates 50 years of God's faithfulness this coming weekend. We have invited those who have been part of our church family to worship and fellowship with us, thanking God for all the lives that have been touched throughout the ministry of the church.

You know the feeling of anticipation and excitement when company is coming; cleaning, shopping for supplies and getting meals prepared...waiting for your special guests to arrive. It is such a joy to experience fellowship with each other.

I wish we felt like this every weekend. We have an opportunity at every gathering to make a difference in people's lives.

Think about it from the guest's perspective. Don't you love it when you go to visit someone and they have made provisions for your stay? Don't you feel special? I know I do. When you see that beds have been prepared, towels laid out, coffee or your favorite drink purchased, it makes you feel like your host or hostess was anticipating your arrival!

Our home and church are extensions of one another in a way. As Christians, we are extensions of Christ. Loving people and being hospitable should flow naturally from us because of our love for Him.

And so it goes with our spiritual lives. Ready yourself for worship. Prepare your attitude and spirit to meet with Him, more than Sundays! We worship Him with how we live our lives. When you are in the right spirit, anticipating His arrival, surely you will feel His presence and sense His touch. He's the most distinguished Guest you will ever host, and He wants an Everlasting stay!

Let me encourage you today, if you don't know Him, invite Jesus to be your Guest. If you are already a believer, welcome others to know Him too.

Hebrews 13:2 MSG
Be ready with a meal or a bed when it’s needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it!

Philemon 4-7 NASB
I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake. For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

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