Sometimes i can get really discouraged in this ministry. I know I shouldn't....I should focus on the goodness of God and not on the circumstances or even the lack of 'fruit'....but sometimes it does hit me and I think, "why am I doing this?" It doesnt' happen often, but discouragement in the ministy does happen every now and then.
The past few days I have received some pretty discouraging news about some teens and families that I have worked with in the past. Seems it always comes in "waves". It's the classic 2 steps forward, one step (sometimes two steps) back. I think of the time and energy invested in those people and get bummed that it seems all a waste. Even though I know, deep down inside, it's not a waste....that we, as Christians are supposed to continue to do good.....my flesh feels the sadness and the frustration in it all.
Even tonight, as I sat at a local restaurant celebrating a friend's birthday, I found myself overcome with that discouragement. One friend shared news of a former camp staff that has strayed away from God.....at the same time, the 'birthday girl', someone I have counseled, studied the Word with, and spent hours listening to her, ordered her second round of drinks and made plans to go out dancing at a local club later. My heart was heavy the rest of the evening....the drive home was long.....my night is sleepless.
I am discouraged, yet, at the same time, I am not overcome.....I am saddened, but i am not defeated. I know that tomorrow I will still get up, head to town and to a basketball game (the birthday girl's daughter's game) and I will continue on in relationships....even the ones that are hard.....knowing that God is faithful and I am not to grow weary in doing good. I will continue to love, to teach, to encourage and to exhaust myself in the Lord's work....failure or success will not change who God is.....
BUT, Lord, if you see fit to bring along some encouragement and even a little bit of "fruit", I will be ever so thankful..... :)
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Putting Feet to Our Prayers
I would not say that my prayer life is the greatest.....out of all of my spiritual disciplines, that one is probably the weakest. I'm faithful to pray for friends and family when they need it, but as far as a "talking with the Lord" and really just conversing and opening up to Him, I don't do that as well.
But my friend Nanette, she is a prayer machine! She is actually amazing at most aspects of a spiritual life.....I love to spend time with her because she challenges me, encourages me, teaches me, listens to me.....when I walk away, I feel like I want to go and dive into the Word, read a book, write in my journal, etc. I've learned many different things from this dear friend....to write down everything would take weeks. Just our discussions on Romans alone would fill a book! But recently, I learned a very simple yet valuable lesson from her.....
We were at our weekly prayer meeting. Everyone was sharing requests....some heavy, some more practical. Bruce, our maintenance guy shared one in particular. He had lost his glasses while working one day....as a result, he could no longer drive and some of his normal day to day things. He didn't seem too distraught, but I knew he wanted to find them badly. They were very particular prescriptions so he really didn't want to go through the hassle of going to Phx (where his eye doctor was) and getting a new pair. So I wrote it down, we prayed for that and the many other requests from the morning, and then all went on our separate ways. Later that day, I was walking on camp and Nanette drove past me, asking if I had seen Bruce. I hadn't, but asked her if I could help. She said that she has been at the maintenance shop for the past hour or so, looking for his glasses....she had found a pair and wanted to know if they were his. She drove off, continuing her search for Bruce and I continued my walk home. But the whole time, I was struck by what she had done. All of us had heard his request, wrote it down in our prayer journals, then left......Nanette did all of that PLUS, decided to go down to the shop and actually LOOK for them. It seemed like such a simple thing, yet I was struck by the simple obedience and faith of it all. How often do I hear a request, or much less, MAKE a request and then just sit back and wait for it. Now I am a firm believer of "expecting" great things out of God, but how many times do I expect Him to do it all, while I just sit back, lazily, and wait.
Nanette showed me that God actually expects great things from us as well....that was kinda mind boggling to me at that moment....even though it is a simple truth. Nanette put feet to her prayers and instead of sitting around and waiting for the glasses to magically appear, she got up, put aside her scheduled tasks for the day and went looking for the lost glasses. She put her own agenda aside for the needs of others and she allowed God to use her, in a very humble way. Even when I tried to tell her this, she blew it off and said anyone of us would have done it. The thing is, we didn't.....she did. And in that small act, she taught me so much about our relationship with God, the Almighty.
And just to say, I found out later that the pair of glasses she found did not belong to Bruce....so she went back down there again and spent a big chunk of time looking, until she finally found them. :)
But my friend Nanette, she is a prayer machine! She is actually amazing at most aspects of a spiritual life.....I love to spend time with her because she challenges me, encourages me, teaches me, listens to me.....when I walk away, I feel like I want to go and dive into the Word, read a book, write in my journal, etc. I've learned many different things from this dear friend....to write down everything would take weeks. Just our discussions on Romans alone would fill a book! But recently, I learned a very simple yet valuable lesson from her.....
We were at our weekly prayer meeting. Everyone was sharing requests....some heavy, some more practical. Bruce, our maintenance guy shared one in particular. He had lost his glasses while working one day....as a result, he could no longer drive and some of his normal day to day things. He didn't seem too distraught, but I knew he wanted to find them badly. They were very particular prescriptions so he really didn't want to go through the hassle of going to Phx (where his eye doctor was) and getting a new pair. So I wrote it down, we prayed for that and the many other requests from the morning, and then all went on our separate ways. Later that day, I was walking on camp and Nanette drove past me, asking if I had seen Bruce. I hadn't, but asked her if I could help. She said that she has been at the maintenance shop for the past hour or so, looking for his glasses....she had found a pair and wanted to know if they were his. She drove off, continuing her search for Bruce and I continued my walk home. But the whole time, I was struck by what she had done. All of us had heard his request, wrote it down in our prayer journals, then left......Nanette did all of that PLUS, decided to go down to the shop and actually LOOK for them. It seemed like such a simple thing, yet I was struck by the simple obedience and faith of it all. How often do I hear a request, or much less, MAKE a request and then just sit back and wait for it. Now I am a firm believer of "expecting" great things out of God, but how many times do I expect Him to do it all, while I just sit back, lazily, and wait.
Nanette showed me that God actually expects great things from us as well....that was kinda mind boggling to me at that moment....even though it is a simple truth. Nanette put feet to her prayers and instead of sitting around and waiting for the glasses to magically appear, she got up, put aside her scheduled tasks for the day and went looking for the lost glasses. She put her own agenda aside for the needs of others and she allowed God to use her, in a very humble way. Even when I tried to tell her this, she blew it off and said anyone of us would have done it. The thing is, we didn't.....she did. And in that small act, she taught me so much about our relationship with God, the Almighty.
And just to say, I found out later that the pair of glasses she found did not belong to Bruce....so she went back down there again and spent a big chunk of time looking, until she finally found them. :)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
A New Year
Usually I am beside myself with excitement for this time of year....I love a clean slate, list making, setting goals...all the things that come with a new year. But for some reason, this year, I am very low key about it. I'm thinking it's because over the past few years, I have been met with pretty significant failure in all my "goal setting" and the like. I have not had the usual success rate in this area since I've moved to the full time mission field. Not really sure why.....I do know that my plate is MUCH fuller than it has been in years past. I WANT to do things that will improve my life (lose weight, read more, spend more time with family), but when it comes down to it, basically all I can do is keep my head above water and just do the next thing. I'm tired.....
So this year I am hesitant to make my usual lists and goals....
Maybe I will get more motivated after a few days of rest....
I do have ideas....I do want to lose weight, exercise more, play more games with my kids, take time for friends, get more sleep, read more non-fiction, pray more, learn to play the guitar, etc.....Lord give me wisdom as I seek to do the things that glorify You....you have given me 'time', help me to use it in the best way!
So this year I am hesitant to make my usual lists and goals....
Maybe I will get more motivated after a few days of rest....
I do have ideas....I do want to lose weight, exercise more, play more games with my kids, take time for friends, get more sleep, read more non-fiction, pray more, learn to play the guitar, etc.....Lord give me wisdom as I seek to do the things that glorify You....you have given me 'time', help me to use it in the best way!
WInter Retreat
Well, we just finished up a 5 day winter retreat here.....what a great ministry (and an exhausting one!). We started on Monday and what is usually an hour long registration ended up being a 4 1/2 hour long one....we had more kids (double!) than we have ever had....180 teens showed up...wow! At first we started a waiting list (some kids even decided to go home because of the long wait) but then we just decided to take everyone and trust in the Lord to provide the room, the food and the staff.....and of course, He provided. It was very cramped but "cozy" seemed to work for us! It was a blast!
And along with the large number of campers and the crowded dining room, there also came more ministry opportunities. I can't begin to tell all the talks I had with campers, all the struggles I heard about, all the pain that they carry. But the Lord was good and through lack of sleep, my foggy brain, and my many responsibilities, I loved every minute of it....and the promises and the Word of God are so powerful and amazing.
Although the retreat is over (although it was extended a day due to a huge snow storm), our work is not. I will be in touch with several of the girls I spent time with....some will just be accountability, some more intense (dealing with physical abuse issues, parental problems, etc)....I am praying for a GREAT deal of wisdom over these next days, weeks and months. It seems like I am never allowed to forget the many, many needs out here among the native american people....but that's a good thing, I guess.....it keeps me from getting lazy or nonchalant in my responsibilities to share the love and power of Christ. I look forward to every opportunity!
(and I also look forward to catching up on sleep!!)
And along with the large number of campers and the crowded dining room, there also came more ministry opportunities. I can't begin to tell all the talks I had with campers, all the struggles I heard about, all the pain that they carry. But the Lord was good and through lack of sleep, my foggy brain, and my many responsibilities, I loved every minute of it....and the promises and the Word of God are so powerful and amazing.
Although the retreat is over (although it was extended a day due to a huge snow storm), our work is not. I will be in touch with several of the girls I spent time with....some will just be accountability, some more intense (dealing with physical abuse issues, parental problems, etc)....I am praying for a GREAT deal of wisdom over these next days, weeks and months. It seems like I am never allowed to forget the many, many needs out here among the native american people....but that's a good thing, I guess.....it keeps me from getting lazy or nonchalant in my responsibilities to share the love and power of Christ. I look forward to every opportunity!
(and I also look forward to catching up on sleep!!)
Friday, December 3, 2010
Spent some time reading about Abraham this morning....I'm challenged and convicted as a result.
"Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3b)
I've read that statement many times and always thought, 'wow, what an honor to be mentioned in the Bible because of your faithfulness'. The story of Abraham has always been one that teaches us of a great, faithful trust in God.....one that I just seem to read about, but never really grasp the concept that "I" can have that kind of faith....it almost seems 'fairy-tale' like at times: a man who spoke with God, who was chosen by Him, witnessed a miracle, was willing to sacrifice his son, etc.
But this morning I read about this 'faraway-like' faith and was challenged by it instead of just impressed by it.....
"(Abraham) Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither at the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." Romans 4:18-22
Abraham wasn't just born with this gift of amazing faith....there were many things he DID in this process of living by faith.....he believed, he was not weak, he considered, he staggered not (my favorite one!!), he was strong in faith, gave glory to God, and was fully persuaded.....that's quite the list! Living a life defined by faith is not easy....it required work. And it's also not JUST for the heroes of the Bible...it's available to us...today.....
"Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus, our Lord, from the dead;
Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification." Romans 4:23-25
We have the opportunity to live a life defined by great faith.....it's not just a fairytale faith. It's real, it's required, and it's available.
I make a 'to do' list almost every day....I have to, to keep up with all that needs to be accomplished. Today, I still have a list to make....I need to do laundry, pack, finish up some Christmas gifts, exercise, etc....but today, I am also adding a few more things to it.....
...believe in the promises of God
...consider who HE is, not who I am
...stagger NOT at His promises
....but instead give glory to Him
....and live a life fully persuaded in the power and goodness of my God!!
"Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3b)
I've read that statement many times and always thought, 'wow, what an honor to be mentioned in the Bible because of your faithfulness'. The story of Abraham has always been one that teaches us of a great, faithful trust in God.....one that I just seem to read about, but never really grasp the concept that "I" can have that kind of faith....it almost seems 'fairy-tale' like at times: a man who spoke with God, who was chosen by Him, witnessed a miracle, was willing to sacrifice his son, etc.
But this morning I read about this 'faraway-like' faith and was challenged by it instead of just impressed by it.....
"(Abraham) Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither at the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." Romans 4:18-22
Abraham wasn't just born with this gift of amazing faith....there were many things he DID in this process of living by faith.....he believed, he was not weak, he considered, he staggered not (my favorite one!!), he was strong in faith, gave glory to God, and was fully persuaded.....that's quite the list! Living a life defined by faith is not easy....it required work. And it's also not JUST for the heroes of the Bible...it's available to us...today.....
"Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus, our Lord, from the dead;
Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification." Romans 4:23-25
We have the opportunity to live a life defined by great faith.....it's not just a fairytale faith. It's real, it's required, and it's available.
I make a 'to do' list almost every day....I have to, to keep up with all that needs to be accomplished. Today, I still have a list to make....I need to do laundry, pack, finish up some Christmas gifts, exercise, etc....but today, I am also adding a few more things to it.....
...believe in the promises of God
...consider who HE is, not who I am
...stagger NOT at His promises
....but instead give glory to Him
....and live a life fully persuaded in the power and goodness of my God!!
Monday, November 29, 2010
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God..."
Almost all of us have memorized this verse.
We use it at camp all the time......I've used it when I present the Gospel.....my kids memorize it at Awana......we all know it.
But like so many other verses, we pull it out of the chapter, memorize it, and seldom ever think about where it came from again. It is powerful enough to stand on it's own.....I've personally seen it open wide the eyes of a lost person as they finally realize all their efforts have been in vain....it's a life changing verse.....
But what about the 'good news' that comes after that verse? Few people seem to mention that....including me. But as I was reading through chapter 3 of Romans, taking in all that Paul was saying about faith and the law, about our position and our righteousness (or lack of..."there is none righteous, no not one!"), I came across the familiar verse, reminding me that we all fall short of His glory. I was reminded that "His glory" is what we should be aiming for....not praise from man, not rest from work, not the "right thing", not even our own satisfaction.....but our goal, our aim should be to glorify God!
But there is a comma after the phrase '...come short of the glory of God,'......that means there's more.....
"being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"
That is good news....that's the hope. That we have been FREELY justified through Christ...the gift from God....so that we might declare His glory! (that's my "nutshell" version....there is SOOO much stuff in this verse...take the time to study it word by word...it's worth it!!!)
Our goal is to glorify God.....AIM for that daily....let all the other stuff fall away. If I could only truly grasp this and live it out in my life.....wow.....
Almost all of us have memorized this verse.
We use it at camp all the time......I've used it when I present the Gospel.....my kids memorize it at Awana......we all know it.
But like so many other verses, we pull it out of the chapter, memorize it, and seldom ever think about where it came from again. It is powerful enough to stand on it's own.....I've personally seen it open wide the eyes of a lost person as they finally realize all their efforts have been in vain....it's a life changing verse.....
But what about the 'good news' that comes after that verse? Few people seem to mention that....including me. But as I was reading through chapter 3 of Romans, taking in all that Paul was saying about faith and the law, about our position and our righteousness (or lack of..."there is none righteous, no not one!"), I came across the familiar verse, reminding me that we all fall short of His glory. I was reminded that "His glory" is what we should be aiming for....not praise from man, not rest from work, not the "right thing", not even our own satisfaction.....but our goal, our aim should be to glorify God!
But there is a comma after the phrase '...come short of the glory of God,'......that means there's more.....
"being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"
That is good news....that's the hope. That we have been FREELY justified through Christ...the gift from God....so that we might declare His glory! (that's my "nutshell" version....there is SOOO much stuff in this verse...take the time to study it word by word...it's worth it!!!)
Our goal is to glorify God.....AIM for that daily....let all the other stuff fall away. If I could only truly grasp this and live it out in my life.....wow.....
Saturday, November 27, 2010
THANKSGIVING
We were blessed with several Thanksgiving gatherings this season....part of having a divided family. But it was good and I'm thankful for my diverse family....Mom is always helping in the kitchen...even when it's not her kitchen!
We had more than enough food....a big spread and there were over 20 people around to eat it and no one left hungry!
Turkey, ham, sweet potato casserole, macaroni and cheese, broccoli salad, broccoli casserole, dressing and gravy, rolls, strawberry jello salad, rolls and more.
My plate was empty!!!!
I spent a lot of time outside (it was a very warm, 70 degree, November day!) making crafts with the kiddos.
We made "thankful" placemats.....we all wrote down, on colorful leaves, the things we thankful for....it was fun (and funny) to see what some of the kids wrote down......
I am thankful for my family and the little time I'm able to spend with them. We are separated my many, many miles, but that doesn't seem to hinder our "fellowship" when we do finally manage to meet under the same roof!!!Because our times together are so far and few between, I cherish them all the more.
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