We are working on getting our stuff packed and taking care of all of those little details that are involved in moving, and it can be very VERY difficult! In some ways things are easier because we are not keeping very much of what we own, so we don't really have to do anything with those things. We are planning on having an estate sale on May 13 & 14, and selling all of our furniture and most of our belongings. There are some things that we are storing with my parents in Florida, but we really want to limit what we store there, so we are really trying to limit those stored items to things that are REALLY special to us. That leaves us with what we are taking to Honduras with us... 2 boxes per person, no more than 62 linear inches per box. It is very difficult to have to go through all of our things and be discerning about what is really important and necessary, but we're making a lot of progress!
As the time for us to go gets closer (5 weeks!), we are working through our lists of things we need to take care of, and this is all becoming more and more real to all of us. There are times when we are super excited, times when we feel super scared, and other times when we feel super sad about all that we are leaving behind. We have made some wonderful friends here in Omaha, and it will be very difficult to have to leave them and everything that is familiar to us. We have to continually remind ourselves that we are being obedient to God, and that although it's difficult, it is always "worth it" to follow Him.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
I became friends with a lady at church several years ago, and we really hit if off. We enjoyed doing a lot of the same things, and started spending a fair amount of time together. It was really nice having a close girl friend to hang out with, but then things changed. I started to feel like I was being used by her. We would go to a movie or lunch, and she didn't have enough money, so I would pay for her, which was okay, but it didn't really get reciprocated, and she was never thankful. When things got rough, she was nowhere around, but when things were going good, she was always around to get her share.
I was thinking about this friend the other day, and it occurred to me that our relationship was a lot like my relationship with God at times. It's easy to just take, and not give back, and it's really easy to just "use God" when I need Him, and not have a daily relationship with Him, no matter what. These thoughts really convicted me of how important it is for me to rely on Him every day, in every situation, and to show Him how thankful I am to Him for saving me and for giving me an incredible life. None of us likes feeling used... and I'm sure God doesn't appreciate it either.
I was thinking about this friend the other day, and it occurred to me that our relationship was a lot like my relationship with God at times. It's easy to just take, and not give back, and it's really easy to just "use God" when I need Him, and not have a daily relationship with Him, no matter what. These thoughts really convicted me of how important it is for me to rely on Him every day, in every situation, and to show Him how thankful I am to Him for saving me and for giving me an incredible life. None of us likes feeling used... and I'm sure God doesn't appreciate it either.
Friday, April 8, 2011
As the time for us to leave gets closer and we pass our prayer cards out, we hear a lot of comments from people who say that it’s great that we are answering God’s call and going out into the mission field. While that’s true, lately God has really shown me that there are many different mission fields, and all of us who are Christians are called to follow God onto the mission field. God may have called us to a different country, and while that’s exciting and scary, we have friends and family who have been called to even scarier mission fields right in their own homes.
My friends, Kim and Sam, were asked to go out onto the mission field in January of this year. Right after the new year started, Kim was diagnosed with lymphoma, and they went out onto the mission field of cancer. Since we have switched churches and our lives have changed a lot, I don’t get to see Kim and Sam very often, but I have been blessed daily by reading Kim’s blog and seeing how God is working in their lives through this journey.
Cancer as a mission field? It may sound strange, but in many ways it is similar to going to a foreign country. Kim and Sam are facing a whole new world of doctors and treatments, and Kim’s body has undergone many changes due to the cancer and treatments. Living the “cancer life” is like living in a foreign country. They could have chosen not to accept God’s calling to this field, and instead could curse God and turn their backs on Him, but instead, they have risen to His calling, and are turning this ordeal into a blessing for others. I have no doubt that many people who never would have gone into a church will hear their story and read Kim’s words, and realize that they too can turn to Christ in the middle of their struggles.
My niece and nephew, Anna and Joshua, were also unexpectedly called out onto a new mission field in January. Anna and Josh have 2 very adorable and spunky boys, and were excited to be expecting their first daughter, who they named Evelyn Rose, when they found out that Evelyn has some serious problems, and may not even make it to her very first birthday. Again, they could have chosen to not accept God’s calling and instead to be angry at God for allowing this to happen to their precious daughter, but they are choosing to use this as a way to draw others to the sweetness of Christ.
We are all called to serve God and to be a witness for Him in many different ways. There are many different types of people, and it’s going to take different types of people to reach them for Christ. The mission field that God has called our family to is in Honduras, Kim and Sam are called to serve God through cancer, and Josh and Anna are called to witness to others through the unstable health of their unborn daughter. Even if you aren’t faced with a huge life altering plan, you can still change people’s lives through your mission wherever you are.
One day while I was buying groceries after a particularly stressful day, during a particularly stressful time in my life, I really was wondering if God even cared about me or my situation, and I felt very lost and alone. I honestly wasn’t sure that I even wanted to keep trying to live the Christian life. As I checked out, the cashier handed me a Hershey’s bar along with my receipt, squeezed my hand and told me, “Hang in there – God loves you!” (I have one of the most transparent faces of anyone, so my mood is usually pretty obvious…) That small action had a big impact on me, and really showed me that God does care, and He puts people in our lives to lift us up and show God’s love. We usually won’t know the impact of those little things we do, but that cashier’s impulsive kindness may be what kept me trusting in God, and gave me the strength to hang on. She was a missionary right there at the Kroger store….
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.
My friends, Kim and Sam, were asked to go out onto the mission field in January of this year. Right after the new year started, Kim was diagnosed with lymphoma, and they went out onto the mission field of cancer. Since we have switched churches and our lives have changed a lot, I don’t get to see Kim and Sam very often, but I have been blessed daily by reading Kim’s blog and seeing how God is working in their lives through this journey.
Cancer as a mission field? It may sound strange, but in many ways it is similar to going to a foreign country. Kim and Sam are facing a whole new world of doctors and treatments, and Kim’s body has undergone many changes due to the cancer and treatments. Living the “cancer life” is like living in a foreign country. They could have chosen not to accept God’s calling to this field, and instead could curse God and turn their backs on Him, but instead, they have risen to His calling, and are turning this ordeal into a blessing for others. I have no doubt that many people who never would have gone into a church will hear their story and read Kim’s words, and realize that they too can turn to Christ in the middle of their struggles.
“ What if at this point in time, when I have had to realize I have no control of my life, and hand everything over to God and trust him, I take these so-familiar verses as actual step-by-step instructions, not just nice sayings? Can I really not worry about anything if I pray about everything? I’m going to try to find out.” – Kim 1/7/11
(You can read more of Kim’s blog at: http://kimlovessam.wordpress.com/)
Kim and Sam
My niece and nephew, Anna and Joshua, were also unexpectedly called out onto a new mission field in January. Anna and Josh have 2 very adorable and spunky boys, and were excited to be expecting their first daughter, who they named Evelyn Rose, when they found out that Evelyn has some serious problems, and may not even make it to her very first birthday. Again, they could have chosen to not accept God’s calling and instead to be angry at God for allowing this to happen to their precious daughter, but they are choosing to use this as a way to draw others to the sweetness of Christ.
“Having felt the searing pain of being asked to give up a child, my response is so different to reading again that God CHOSE to give up His only child! ...and for me, the little girl I'm being asked to give up will go straight from the safety of my womb to the permanent safety of His arms (unless God gives us a miracle!). But for God, when He gave up Jesus, He sent Him here, knowing he would die a brutal, public, shameful, undeserved death. God knew that Jesus would be mocked his whole life, even though He was the Son of God. And God still chose to give up His Son, to prove to us His love. Jesus agreed to it, because He loves us THAT MUCH!”
– Anna, 3/28/11
( You can read more of Anna’s posts at: www.annapianoruth.blogspot.com )
Evelyn Rose
We are all called to serve God and to be a witness for Him in many different ways. There are many different types of people, and it’s going to take different types of people to reach them for Christ. The mission field that God has called our family to is in Honduras, Kim and Sam are called to serve God through cancer, and Josh and Anna are called to witness to others through the unstable health of their unborn daughter. Even if you aren’t faced with a huge life altering plan, you can still change people’s lives through your mission wherever you are.
One day while I was buying groceries after a particularly stressful day, during a particularly stressful time in my life, I really was wondering if God even cared about me or my situation, and I felt very lost and alone. I honestly wasn’t sure that I even wanted to keep trying to live the Christian life. As I checked out, the cashier handed me a Hershey’s bar along with my receipt, squeezed my hand and told me, “Hang in there – God loves you!” (I have one of the most transparent faces of anyone, so my mood is usually pretty obvious…) That small action had a big impact on me, and really showed me that God does care, and He puts people in our lives to lift us up and show God’s love. We usually won’t know the impact of those little things we do, but that cashier’s impulsive kindness may be what kept me trusting in God, and gave me the strength to hang on. She was a missionary right there at the Kroger store….
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
How Did we Get Here?
About four years ago, two seemingly unrelated events happened that would shape our future. The first was that Gordon was forced to go on disability because his muscular dystrophy had progressed to the point that he wasn't able to keep up with his work at Scott's. We knew that God still had a plan for Gordon and for our family, but we really weren't sure what it was, so we began praying and seeking God's leading for this next chapter in our lives.
Around that same time (the same month even!) my cousin Chris and his wife Maria were called to Pena Blanca, Honduras to plant a Calvary Chapel church. They have worked in the local bilingual school while working in the church, helping to build it from the ground up. From the beginning of their ministry, they have invited people to join them and come see how God is working in Honduras. In the summer of 2009, the girls and I had the opportunity to travel to Honduras to visit them and see what God was doing.
Within the first couple of days, all of us felt a very strong feeling that this was more than just a short term mission trip. It is hard to describe, but it seemed like this is where we were supposed to be, and it was a very exciting feeling. The only problem was that I was pretty sure that Gordon, who is not a big fan of change, would have nothing to do with coming to Honduras. I called him and told him about what we were doing, and I told him that I was feeling like this was a place that we needed to come back to, possibly long term. Much to my surprise, he said that we would have to pray about it, but maybe that was what we were supposed to do. I was surprised and encouraged! Anyone who knows Gordon knows that only God could make him even consider such a huge change.
When the girls and I returned home, we began discussing the idea as a family, and we all began fasting and praying and seeking God's guidance for us. We received confirmation over and over again that going to Honduras was what we were supposed to do. At first, we thought we would go for a year and then go back to Florida where my family lives, but then we were convicted through James 4: 13 - 17 that we needed to be open to God's leading, and not put our own limits on God. Right now we have committed to a minimum of 18 months, and we are open to whatever God leads us to do at that point.
It was the fall of 2009 that we were sure that we were supposed to go to Honduras, and we thought that we would be moving there in September of 2010. We started relinquishing our responsibilities here in Omaha and working towards moving, but we started to realize that God had a different timeline for us. I tend to like planning things and I like to be able to know what I will be doing, and I needed to learn to just trust God and not rely on my own plans.
In the time since we've felt called to Honduras, God has worked in all of us, even allowing our dog, Conan, to be trained as Gordon's Service Dog, so that he can travel with us to Honduras. Conan passed his tests and is certified, and even has a cute ID badge with his photo on it! The timing has been perfect, and we feel ready and excited about heading into this next chapter in our lives!
James 4:13 - 17 Now listen, you who say "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
Around that same time (the same month even!) my cousin Chris and his wife Maria were called to Pena Blanca, Honduras to plant a Calvary Chapel church. They have worked in the local bilingual school while working in the church, helping to build it from the ground up. From the beginning of their ministry, they have invited people to join them and come see how God is working in Honduras. In the summer of 2009, the girls and I had the opportunity to travel to Honduras to visit them and see what God was doing.
Within the first couple of days, all of us felt a very strong feeling that this was more than just a short term mission trip. It is hard to describe, but it seemed like this is where we were supposed to be, and it was a very exciting feeling. The only problem was that I was pretty sure that Gordon, who is not a big fan of change, would have nothing to do with coming to Honduras. I called him and told him about what we were doing, and I told him that I was feeling like this was a place that we needed to come back to, possibly long term. Much to my surprise, he said that we would have to pray about it, but maybe that was what we were supposed to do. I was surprised and encouraged! Anyone who knows Gordon knows that only God could make him even consider such a huge change.
When the girls and I returned home, we began discussing the idea as a family, and we all began fasting and praying and seeking God's guidance for us. We received confirmation over and over again that going to Honduras was what we were supposed to do. At first, we thought we would go for a year and then go back to Florida where my family lives, but then we were convicted through James 4: 13 - 17 that we needed to be open to God's leading, and not put our own limits on God. Right now we have committed to a minimum of 18 months, and we are open to whatever God leads us to do at that point.
It was the fall of 2009 that we were sure that we were supposed to go to Honduras, and we thought that we would be moving there in September of 2010. We started relinquishing our responsibilities here in Omaha and working towards moving, but we started to realize that God had a different timeline for us. I tend to like planning things and I like to be able to know what I will be doing, and I needed to learn to just trust God and not rely on my own plans.
In the time since we've felt called to Honduras, God has worked in all of us, even allowing our dog, Conan, to be trained as Gordon's Service Dog, so that he can travel with us to Honduras. Conan passed his tests and is certified, and even has a cute ID badge with his photo on it! The timing has been perfect, and we feel ready and excited about heading into this next chapter in our lives!
James 4:13 - 17 Now listen, you who say "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
God is good!
After months of waiting, that day is finally here... we got an offer on our house today! I am so excited that I feel giddy, but at the same time, after all of this waiting, it almost doesn't seem real. The most exciting thing is that, although it seemed like endless waiting, the timing was exactly perfect. We really thought that we would be heading down to Honduras last fall, but God had other plans, and at times, we started to get anxious, but every time we did that, God sent reminders through sermons and Bible studies, and our personal quiet times, etc., to show us that we needed to be still and wait on God because He loves us, and His timing is exactly perfect.
Through our waiting, each of us has grown a lot, and God has shown us things that we needed to work on in preparation for our service in Honduras. It has been exciting to see each person grow individually, and for our family to flourish in ways we never have before. Alyssa has applied to and been accepted into an intensive discipleship program, and she will be going there before joining us in Honduras, probably joining us in December, but we'll have to wait and see when God sends her to us. We are excited about her desire to grow into a Godly woman and to be all that God wants her to be, and we are thankful for God's timing in this as well... she was accepted just days before we got our offer!
Today the girls and I drove down to Kansas City with some of our closest friends, and had one of the best days I've ever had... great fellowship and tons of laughter all day long. On the way back, Gordon called to tell me about the offer... the icing on the cake! This morning, we had spontaneously decided to go to a church that Lee, our reliable GPS, selected for us, and the sermon was titled "Wait", and was about waiting on God... the message for this phase of our lives. Although our house has sold, the message is one that all of us obviously have needed to have drilled into us; that God is infinitely more wise than us, and we need to depend on Him, and not try to get ahead of His plans for us.
These next 8 weeks are sure to be crazy, but we are all excited to see how God will continue to work!
Isaiah 40:30-31 Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and young men shall stumble and fall; but those who wait in the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall soar on wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not be faint.
Through our waiting, each of us has grown a lot, and God has shown us things that we needed to work on in preparation for our service in Honduras. It has been exciting to see each person grow individually, and for our family to flourish in ways we never have before. Alyssa has applied to and been accepted into an intensive discipleship program, and she will be going there before joining us in Honduras, probably joining us in December, but we'll have to wait and see when God sends her to us. We are excited about her desire to grow into a Godly woman and to be all that God wants her to be, and we are thankful for God's timing in this as well... she was accepted just days before we got our offer!
Today the girls and I drove down to Kansas City with some of our closest friends, and had one of the best days I've ever had... great fellowship and tons of laughter all day long. On the way back, Gordon called to tell me about the offer... the icing on the cake! This morning, we had spontaneously decided to go to a church that Lee, our reliable GPS, selected for us, and the sermon was titled "Wait", and was about waiting on God... the message for this phase of our lives. Although our house has sold, the message is one that all of us obviously have needed to have drilled into us; that God is infinitely more wise than us, and we need to depend on Him, and not try to get ahead of His plans for us.
These next 8 weeks are sure to be crazy, but we are all excited to see how God will continue to work!
Isaiah 40:30-31 Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and young men shall stumble and fall; but those who wait in the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall soar on wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not be faint.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)