Should I Give To The Poor?

As many preachers for centuries have said, a giving spirit is one of the most vital assets of a Christian. A wise seasoned missionary, Bob Johnston, once told my husband the two most important things to teach on the mission field are; (1) Teach them to pray and (2) teach them to give. Our desire to give is one of the quickest indicators of where are heart lies.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21

I am often convicted and conflicted by young children's desire to give totally unimpeded by selfishness. As I watch my daughter play with her little friends, I see this frequently. Yes, they like all children will bicker over the toys they want but within the same few minutes they may want to give that same friend one of their own toys, "permantely". Or they may ask to give all of their allowance to the offering or to buy gifts for others. When I hear this I am tempted to interfere, "No, no,no...that's nice but you really just want to give a little and keep the rest for yourself." But shame quickly follows as I realize this beautiful spirit that I am tempted to squelch. I strive to zip my lip and groom the giving spirit that the Lord is growing in my child. You see age can sadly wear away that open generosity children possess.

Then as many missionary wives can attest, when you move to a very poor country the ministry of giving can again become conflicted. When you live in places where the majority of the country has less money then you have even though you probably would be considered poor by most Americans your mind-set about giving can begin to be altered. Many of us live in places where people beg for a living and will do it with such force and abruptness that it leaves little room for a spring of compassion. Your heart strings can become dulled as they physically pull at you and yell in your face or jump in your car window or follow you for streets to get money from you. When people maim their children and refuse them an education so that they can go and beg for them, it can boggle your understanding of who is in "true need". And the biggest danger of all, when you live in a place where if you give too many things, unsaved people will claim to trust Christ and faithfully and happily follow your "religion" in search of what other crumbs the rich foreigner will drop. And beyond marring the chance of sincerity you rob them the privledge of growing their own faith in Christ as they bring their burdens to him and HE provides their needs. I will tell you what a beautiful, miraculous thing this is to witness and how sad I would be to withhold it from someone.

 

As an American this kind of culture can be extremely shocking. In a place where if you even make eye contact you will have a follower for the remainder of your shopping trip, you can't always be the American version of polite. In a place where people have no problem at all bluntly asking you to give them large sums of money, pay for their children's education or loan them money for any number of reasons you have to find a way to survive in this culture. In the beginning for me I felt like I had to turn off every sense of compassion to survive. But I was deeply conflicted over this for years. Should a Christian be someone who doesn't possess compassion?

Obviously, the answer is no. But what do I do with my compassion and how should I use it? I definitely don't want to steal someone's chance to see Christ for who He is and the salvation he brings and not just a "Rich" foreigner who bears His name. I certainly don't want to cripple their Christian life by taking any chance for them to come to Christ with their needs and build their faith. However, I would be convicted and confused as I would read verses about the poor.

Ex 23:11"But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard."

Deut 15;7 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

Prov 14:21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

21:13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

28:27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

Every time as I would read these verses I would begin to analyze the poor I come in contact with on a regular basis. My mind would go to thoughts that many of us have about the poor and needy that beg for money around us.

"Do they deserve help?"

"Are they truly in need?"

"Should I give?"

In the Bible it does have a lot of verses indicating people should have compassion by allowing the poor to work for money or provisions. There is also verses about how we shouldn't eat if we don't work. But then there are still so many verses stating how we will lose Gods blessings if we have no compassion on the poor. So how do I follow the Bible's teaching about the poor and have peace in my heart about my actions.

 

From all that I have heard from Christians in America as they are approached by homeless people requesting help or handouts the struggle for peace with our conscience is a world wide problem. We are stateside at the moment and just a couple of weeks ago some friends of my husbands from his gym were asking his advice on this very thing. They, like most of us, had been approached by someone requesting money. They declined based on the principle of not knowing if the person deserved it or needed it but was then plagued continually after from guilt. He was able to help them with this, with some of the very things the Lord had taught me through the last few years on the mission field.

I'll tell you the two things about giving that the Lord has taught me from His Word while on the mission field.

(1) Not all giving is monetary. As someone from a financially blessed country it is very tempting to think that all that giving refers to is money. But I think it's vital to remember that there is so much we can give; our time, our love, our kindness, our friendship, our prayers, our compassion, our money and best of all the gospel. We should be willing to give any and all when the Lord leads us and we should pray for direction as we are presented with each need.

(2) Follow your conscience. After many years of confusion, I finally realized that I may not be able to figure out all the details and facts but I can follow my conscience. I would rather give because I thought I should and feel at peace in my heart, then to deny giving because of confusion over accuracy and be plagued with guilt. This isn't deep or fancy. It's extremely simple and basic. But many times the best truths are.

This doesn't mean that I give to every beggar or person who requests money from me but I also don't guard my heart from having compassion to give when the Lord leads me. And you know what? I have never once felt guilty for giving when I felt the Lord burdening my heart to give. When serving in a poor country, we do strive to pray and use discernment on a daily basis. As we are surrounded by so many needs begging for attention, shouting for attention, we surely need the Lords leading on how to love, how to give and how to lead others to trust Christ in every way.

As we just went through this Christmas season, where so many of us our reminded of the greatest gift and the greatest giver, I wanted to look back and remember the lessons God has taught me about giving. I hope this has been some help, from one struggling giver to another. When the opportunity presents itself by those who request us to give, whether everyday for some of us or on those few occasions by others, let us give in every and anyway the Lord leads us and rest in a clear conscience.

 

 

 

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My Christmas Miracle

My miracle from God – 94 days in the making:

As some of you might recall, Thailand suffered from a huge flood back in 2011.  I was living in the Rangsit area at the time which is about 45 minutes north of Bangkok. The flood waters took weeks to move down to our area from up north. And although we were assured we would be protected by the 30-foot dike that was built  surrounding our village and the large university we lived next to, we watched the news and talked to neighbors daily debating on whether we should stay or leave. 

Eventually on October 20th we learned the water had reached the village just north of us.  Our team was evacuated from our homes that night . We were told that if the flood waters entered our homes it shouldn’t get higher than a foot or so. We had just a few hours to get as much as we could stacked on tables or moved upstairs. It was impossible to move everything, but I felt confident I had gotten the most important things to safety before we left. We evacuated to a town 3 hours south of our homes that was outside the flood zone and assumed we'd have to stay there a few days until the water passed. 

Several days later I found out the water filled my area including my house with over 6ft. of black, acidic, sewage water. No one thought it would get that high or stay as long as it did. It would be 57 days before the water left, and we were able to get back into our homes. Sometime during that time we were evacuated, I remembered about my Christmas box, and my heart sunk knowing it hadn’t made it out of the storage area under the stairwell. Inside a large box I store my tree, all my ornaments, stockings, etc., and that year I had added the most precious thing to it – my grandparents’ nativity set. I’d always wanted one and was so pleased to be given it in February that year when my Grandpa passed away. There were other things along the way that I would remember and wonder if they had made it to safety, but I was most disappointed about the nativity set. Every now and then, over the time while we were waiting, I prayed that somehow the Lord would let me have it back.

My fellow missionary's house after the water had receded a few feet.

Eventually on December 16th the ground was dry enough to bring a moving truck in to collect what we could salvage from our homes and bring it to Hua Hin where we were going to relocate. My landlords came, as well, that day and brought many workers to help clear out all the trash. The workers sifted through the “rubbish” – furniture, curtains, books, supplies, tools, etc. that had just disintegrated in the black grungy water and become a huge pile of mush. As they worked, they kept things they thought they could use. What they couldn’t use or didn’t want, they loaded up on the back of a pickup truck and hauled it to the dumping area outside of the village. That day they took out five truckloads. We only had five hours to pack the house up, and the doors for the storage area was still too swollen to open. Although I knew it was ruined, I was praying somehow the Lord had preserved the small nativity set. It was a crazy morning, and my mind was so foggy with everything, but as we left, I asked my owner to look for the Christmas box when the door had dried out and they were able to get into the storage area. A few days later I left for two weeks to have Christmas in New Zealand. 

Large snake tracks in the mud left behind.

Every kind and color of mold was growing on everything.

Many times over the next couple of weeks I thought about that nativity set and asked the Lord to work a miracle. When I arrived back in Thailand I made an appointment with my landlady to meet her at the house so I could have a look around. At the time we were driving the three hours back each Sunday to have church, and so we scheduled the appointment for the first Sunday I returned. On that day she had to cancel, but assured me that everything was gone except for a dog cage they had managed to salvage. My heart sank to think that there was no way I’d ever get the nativity set back and to know it would be another week before I could return to check. We made an appointment for the next Sunday. It was almost as devastating to drive into my area as it was the first day when we packed the house up. The area still looked like a war zone. People were not living in their houses yet. The black sludge lines had not been scrubbed away. The trees that died had not been cut down, and the grass had not yet started to grow. It looked so horrible. 

Sure enough when I went into the house they had cleaned out all the rooms. I stuck my head in the stairwell area and used a light to search the far corners hoping that somehow my nativity set had fallen out of the box and was left behind. As we chatted and walked around the house I couldn’t help but thank the Lord for such a lovely home He had let me live in, and thank Him for the things that I was able to save. Eventually we made our way outside the back door and around the side yard. When we came to the far side wall, I saw a small gold Christmas ball, a little Christmas pillow, and a Styrofoam box lying next to the house. I knew then that my large Christmas box was broken up and probably shoveled into the trash piles and trucked away. My landlady said in the end it took over 12 truckloads of rubbish to clear out the house. 

A little further up were several piles of wood, broken chairs, and a couple big plastic bags they used to haul things in. Then I noticed a small clear grocery bag full of rubbish that had another gold Christmas ball inside it. I reached down to pull it out and guess what was next to it - one of the pieces of my nativity set. I screamed and started crying. I ripped the bag open and out fell a bunch of trash. In it were five of the nativity set pieces. I couldn’t believe it!!! Mary and one of the wisemen were missing. We had just started to search around the area, when a friend turned the piece of Styrofoam over that was near the wall and in it there were the last two pieces sitting snuggly in their spot. I kept shouting “ขอบคุณพระเจ้า “ “Praise the Lord!” There were tears, as you might expect, and my landlady hugged me and kept saying she was so excited, and she couldn’t believe it! She kept saying that these ornaments were meant to be with me. I told her that God had protected them for me… that He was the one who did it. 

My landlady just couldn’t believe it because there was no real reason why that little bag of rubbish hadn’t gone with all the other stuff or why that Styrofoam box wasn’t included in the pile. I knew the reason. God knew how precious it was to me and for 94 days He had been “protecting” it -“hiding” it. Protecting it from the acidic water that was so strong it stripped the color from the couches and shredded heavy denim curtains. Hiding it from the workers as they sifted through my things. Hiding it from the shovels as they loaded up the rubbish into the back of the trucks. Protecting it as it sat there on the side of the yard for several weeks until I could come. One friend said, God must have had an angel keeping watch saying with every shovel load, “No, not this bag, guys.” “No, not this bag.” 

What an amazing God I serve to care for seven little things in such a huge flood for 94 days. What a miracle.

My Princess, Be Pure (Part 2: Setting Your Standards)

Our mother/daughter overnight trip was going better than I could have ever imagined. The day had gone perfectly. We had eaten dinner and now we were in the hotel room. We got dressed in our comfortable pajamas and sat down on the couch to relax. After taking a few minutes to unwind, it was time for Session 2: Setting Your Standards.

This past year, I had read a book that immediately rose to be one of my favorite parenting books of all time. It was Cary Schmidt's "Passionate Parenting."

The book was a wealth of wisdom, practical advice, and encouragement for parents. One section even covered a few suggestions for Bible passages to discuss at the very talk my daughter and I were about to have. So that's where I started with Session 2. Again, she grabbed her notebook and pen.

My daughter and I read through Proverbs 5. That chapter gives a perfect picture of the "strange woman," her methods and motives, and the destruction that accompanies her. So from verses 3-5, I created a chart comparing the strange woman and the Spirit-filled, Spirit-led woman. The Spirit-led woman is the standard to set.

We talked about the power a woman has over a man and how we can use our bodies, our words, our actions, and manipulation to bring men down. Or we can use modesty in actions, dress, and attitude to support men in their spiritual growth. We talked about the consequences to men if they choose the house of a strange woman (vs. 7-14, 22-23.) Then we talked about the beauty of purity in the context of marital intimacy (vs. 15-21.)

After that, we flipped the page to Proverbs 7, and we quickly went through it to see the methods of the strange woman as well as the wake of destruction left behind her.

Session 2 took about 25-30 minutes. I kept it light, and didn't spend too much time on each point. It was pretty easy to see the heartbreak of the strange woman and the beauty of the Spirit-filled woman without much explanation.

Then it was time for a break and our leftover Krispy Kreme donuts! We made some chai tea and hot spiced apple cider.

Time for Session 3: Set Your Boundaries

(To Be Continued)

Set Your Standard (Proverbs 5)

I. The Strange Woman vs. the Spirit-filled, Spirit-led Woman Chart

II. The Consequences of the path of the strange woman

     A. vs. 9 lose honor

     B. vs. 9 become entangled in bondage

     C. vs. 10 lose money

     D. vs. 10 lose leadership (servant)

     E. vs. 11 flesh and body bound (addiction/pornography)

     F. vs. 12 regret

     G. vs. 13 guilt

     H. vs. 14 separation, lack of unity, feeling alone

III. Beauty of purity in marital intimacy

     A. vs. 15 husband and wife- pure and enjoyable

     B. vs. 16 impacts others

     C. vs. 17 exclusive

     D. vs. 18 blessed and joyful

     E. vs. 19 satisfying and tender

     F. vs. 20 Why would you give that up for temporary selfish pleasure?

     G. vs. 21 God sees all

Set Your Standard (Proverbs 7)

I. vs. 5 the lure

II. vs. 6 the witness

III. vs. 7 the target

IV. vs. 8 the trap

V. vs. 9 the illusion of secrecy

VI. vs. 10 the temptation (immodest dress, voice, and actions)

VII. vs. 11 the signs

VIII. vs. 12 availability (virtuous woman is rare)

IX. vs. 13 no boundaries

X. vs. 14-20 the preparation and lie ("happiness in sin")

XI. vs. 21 the manipulation

XII. vs. 22 the fool

XIII. vs. 23 the price and pain

XIV. vs. 26-27 the path littered with destroyed lives

My Princess, Be Pure (Part 1: Setting Your Goals)

She is now thirteen, and she is totally beautiful... inside and out.

I watch her life unfold, and her life challenges me to be a better Christian and a better mom. Modesty, grace, compassion, gentleness, and discretion shine in her. She reminds me of Christ. She is my daughter.

Our relationship is close, open, and honest. I love being her mom. That role takes priority in our relationship at this time, but I also love that our relationship has bloomed into a beautiful friendship. I love being around her. I love that she values my counsel immensely and trusts me. That is part of the reason that our recent, special trip was such a treasure.

It was time for a special mother/daughter talk. (You know, the talk that is really uncomfortable, but a mom has to do it.) She is maturing, changing, and growing. It's my privilege to guide her through these changes. I want to do my job right. My heart aches with a longing to do it right!

So she and I scheduled an overnight trip. We wanted to go somewhere that would be fun and memorable. I certainly didn't want it to be all seriousness! I had chosen to save this special time for when we were in the States on furlough. We wanted to go to Pigeon Forge in Tennessee. Early Thursday morning, we set off on our adventure. I let her choose all the restaurants. For breakfast, she chose Krispy Kreme donuts. One of her donuts was a snowman!

The drive to Pigeon Forge was stunning. Some of the fall leaves were still hanging on to the trees. It was two hours of beautiful scenery. For the first hour, we just enjoyed each other's company. Then it was time for the first session of our talk. I had divided our talk into five small sections so it would be easier to digest and not so overwhelming.

Set Your Goals
Set Your Standards

Set Your Boundaries

Set Your Affections

Set Your Life

Set Your Goals

I waited until the transition into the new topic was natural and easy. When I told her it was time for the first part of our talk, she reached in her bag and grabbed a notebook and pen. She was ready and eager! (This is so much like her. To her, if it's worth her time for listening, it's worth the time for writing down to remember!)

I told her to grab the book I had tucked between the seats. It was a book of hers that she had read many times and loved called The Princess and the Kiss by Jennie Bishop.

It's a beautiful story of a princess and a special gift... her first kiss.

Many would-be suitors come to try to sweep her off her feet by offering her different things: romance, riches, etc. The story shows the value of letting wisdom guide instead of letting the heart take the lead. It encourages treasuring purity as well as listening to the counsel and wisdom of parents. It was a great launching point for our first session. I knew the book well, so as she read it out loud I was able to follow along while driving.

We talked about purity and how purity wasn't just "until marriage." It's life-long!

We talked about how it was also OK if God called her to a life of being single.

We talked about her not just WAITING for the right one, but learning to BE the right one, and trusting God to handle the rest. We talked about focusing on her relationship with the Lord instead of obsessing over a relationship with a boy. We talked about how girls are very easily led by emotion, how the heart is deceitful and wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), and how we have to learn to be led of the Spirit and through Biblical wisdom instead of our hearts. We talked about how the spiritual relationship is the strongest link in a marriage and how the emotional and physical relationships are the weakest. I explained the marriage triangle. The closer the husband and wife grow to the Lord, the closer they get to each other. So she needs to seek and pray for a spiritual relationship when she begins seeking the mate God has for her.

Then we talked about what she would look for in a husband. The book gives several different scenarios of dangerous, would-be suitors as well as a great example of a godly young man. From that example, she began thinking about the godly traits that she would be looking for in a potential mate. She wrote the list down in her notebook. It wasn't a list of perfectionist demands, but a wise list of godly character traits. Her list was more focused on the condition of the heart than simply behaviors. Bible verses were flying! Verses about being unequally yoked, slothfulness, etc. She had learned these verses throughout her life.

It was things like: he must be saved, respect authority, respect the God-given role of the parents in his life as well as hers, hardworking, faithful, love God and His Word, be teachable. She thought carefully about each thing she wrote down. Does he love God and is he pursuing a closer walk with Him? Is he hungry for God's Word? She set her goals.

Ultimate goal: To glorify God

Purity for Life

Make her relationship with the Lord priority at all times

What to look for in a potential mate

And session one was complete in 40 minutes.

It was time for less seriousness! We arrived in Pigeon Forge. Our hotel was very close to the Christmas Store, so we went shopping! We found crazy ornaments, including these donuts! We decided not to buy the donuts. Staring at those everyday certainly wouldn't help our diet!

After shopping at the Christmas Store area shops, we grabbed some lunch and then went to WonderWorks.

It was a perfect place for adventure and fun! We loved it! We spent hours there. And when we were finished, it was time for dinner. She picked the next restaurant.

After dinner we went back to the hotel. The hotel room was fantastic. My husband had made the reservations and made sure it was a room worthy of such a special trip. There was a king size bed and a very comfortable couch... the couch was perfect for talking!

Time for session 2: Setting Your Standards!

(To be continued)

Set Your Goals

I. The Princess and the Kiss

II. Setting goals

     A. Glorify God

     B. Purity for Life

     C. Following God's lead

          1. God's Word

          2. Parental guidance and authority

          3. Counsel from other godly leaders

     D. Strong marriage foundation

          1. Spiritual relationship vs. physical or emotional relationship

          2. Led of the Spirit, not of the heart

     E. What am I looking for in a husband?

          1. Dangerous temptations (Looks, personality, money, romance, attention)

          2. Godly character traits

          3. Wisdom versus Pharisaical demands

     F. Singleness is OK

III. Write down goals

Tips:

*Let the conversation be very conversational as opposed to a deep study.

*Let the daughter come up with her own list. Guidance is ok, but if it is Mom's list the daughter will not value it in the long run.

*If you choose to do a special trip (which I highly recommend,) make it a special time and filled with fun. It should be a relationship building time just as much as a teaching time.

When I Became a Robot

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

The doctor was speaking, but it was as if my mind had disengaged.

"I need my husband in here. I can't make this decision."

When my husband came in, the doctor explained the situation again. The look on my husband's face parroted the look I had on my face mere moments before this. Once again, we found ourselves heading down a path we had not planned. It seems to be a theme in our lives.

A few weeks earlier, I had noticed a fluttering in my chest. I assumed it was mild heart palpitations. For some reason, I decided to check my pulse. I checked it three times just to be sure I was correct. Sure enough, my heart rate was only 44 beats per minute.

Giveaway Winners!

Before announcing the winners, I must apologise for the delay.  I had planned to announce the winners on November 14, but then I got sick.  I very rarely get sick, but when I do, I really get sick.  I was out of commission for over 2 weeks.  I had also planned to do a Thanksgiving blog hop, but because of being sick I was never able to do that.  My apologies, but hopefully giving away these copies of our book will make a few of you happy!  

And the winners are...

Misty Cross

Justine Stelzig

Jill Timms

Aimee Noelle

Starr

If you are winner, please email me - thebauerfamily(at)hotmail(dot)com   and I will have your book in the mail to you this week.  (Please note, these are coming from Australia and will take about 2 weeks to arrive to you.)

If you are not a winner, but would still like to read the devotional you can click here for the pdf copy.  We have someone currently working on an eBook version!  If you are interested in a hard copy, I do have a few left.  Email me at the address above and we can work out a price.

Thank you all for reading our blog.  We hope it is a blessing and an encouragement to you as you glimpse into our life on the field.

B. O., Bad Breath, and the Mission Field

Many years ago, a pastor from our home church visited us in Spain. Later, we listened to a cassette tape of a report he gave about his trip. What did he remember? The pungent odor of sweaty bodies as our young people were flapping around, playing Ping Pong. What an impression!

One of the huge adjustments for us as we arrived on the field in 1984 was unpleasant smells. Fish, meat, urine, sweat, and tobacco assaulted our noses. You could hardly turn a corner without bumping into a “cloud” of some kind! (Thankfully, it’s better today.)

The missionary who goes abroad will never tell you what it’s like to be on a crowded bus of beachgoers with their armpits in the air and no deodorant. He’ll never tell you how he closes his nose off so he can ignore the smells and minister to the people. She’ll never share that she sometimes sniffs perfume on her wrist just to make it through a church service while surrounded by sweet but stinky bodies.

Bad breath? Garlic seeps through the pores—and the mouth. Onions are the least of our worries! Some people smell of wine strong enough to make you think you’re in a distillery . . . and everyone stands about a nose length from you and talks loudly! Poof!

What does it take to love people?

                                                    

If we’re honest, it takes a lot of grace.

I can’t imagine what it was like for Jesus. Sinless, spotless, perfect, God—and everyone else was full of nasty sins. Jesus walked in dust and filth, He smelled some awful things, and yet, He loved people. He looked past their dirt and sweat and sins, and He loved their souls. Jesus touched lepers. He healed the woman with the issue of blood. He gave up sleep and food and went to the needy—and let them come to Him. The Samaritan woman and the woman caught in adultery didn’t deserve His compassion, but they experienced cleansing and freedom. Jesus loved perfectly.

He is love.

Every missionary woman must learn to love like Jesus: overlook the unpleasantness and care for souls. Notice needs and be compassionate. See people as they could be in Christ—new and whole and holy. Rejoice when a sinner is redeemed. Care for the unfortunate.

I don’t know why Jesus chose to use people as His hands, but He did. He uses the “weak things”—those of us who dab our wrists with perfume so we can enjoy being with others. He uses the pastor who’s allergic to minister to chain smokers. He uses redeemed sinners to build bridges to lost sinners.

A missionary was continually angry with the natives for messing up the nice things he had in his house. The natives' offenses ranged from setting wet glasses on hardwood furniture to throwing napkins on the floor. He would lecture, and he would complain. The natives didn’t respect his fine furnishings. . . . This missionary left the field.

When we first arrived in Spain, our co-worker wisely told us not to be too proud of our new car. He said, “Soon, kids will take rocks to it and scratch the paint. Soon, it will have dents in it because people don’t pay attention how they open their doors, and they’re not careful inside, either. Your car is a tool for ministry.” And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (1 Corinthians 4:7b).

In some places in the world, the native houses are more like shelters than homes. Especially in years gone by, missionaries experienced all aspects of their life being in a fishbowl. The curious people peeked in at windows and doors day and night.

Do we truly love people?

Do we love them, even though we smell their garlic and B. O. and think they have strange customs? Do we love them enough to share life with them? Do we love them as Christ loves them?

Are we living examples of Jesus’ love?

Loving people is the result of loving God. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40).

The next time you’re surrounded by a "cloud,"

remember to show Jesus’ love . . .

and make sure there’s a spot of perfume on your wrist.

Furlough Fitness Part 9: Having Your Cake, Holiday Hope

Having Your Cake

We went to the gym for a fellowship meal after the service. The tables were packed with delicious foods... foods full of fat and carbs and ooey gooey yummy calories. I scanned the tables and found options that fit in my eating plan. Then I got in line prepared in my mind what I would put on my plate. I would move through the line quickly so that the smells and sights of the food would not lure me in. I zoomed quickly past the dessert table ignoring its precious contents. For me, it's not about will power. It's about not giving myself opportunities to give in to temptation! The farther away I am from junk, the better!

So I sat down at the table in a sweat. I had just dodged a major bullet. I refused to look in the direction of the goodies I had left behind untouched on those tables.

Then a lady sat down beside me. Her plate was piled with things that oozed deliciousness. I kept my focus on my veggies and baked items while sipping on my water. She and I began to talk. It was a pleasant conversation. But then the conversation turned to my weight loss.

"You have done so well. I am proud of you." Her compliment encouraged me and made it easier not to think about the cheesecake I would not be eating. Then she said, "I really need to eat better and exercise." She began describing her weight loss woes. I wanted so much to encourage her in this area. I was trying to find the right words to say when she rose from the table and headed to the desserts. When she returned, she came with a plate packed high with desserts. Her words were still ringing in my ears, "I really need to eat better..."

And that's when it hit me.

I figured out the weight loss dilemma that plagues us all. We like to "have our cake and eat it too." We want to lose weight without giving up the things that put the weight on our bodies. We want to be healthy without the sacrifice of time and energy. We want the best of both without the loss of anything treasured.

Choose.

That's what we don't want to hear. We don't like to choose. That's why we like buffet bars! We can have a little of everything and not have to choose!

And this "have our cake and eat it too" problem isn't just in eating and weight loss. It's in every aspect of our lives.

Jesus told us we can't serve God and mammon. We have to choose.
Joshua declared to the children of Israel to "choose you this day" between God and their idols.

We cannot have our cake and eat it too. We cannot get healthier while clinging to the lifestyle that makes us so unhealthy.

If I could encourage anyone in the realm of losing weight, getting physically fit, and striving for a healthy lifestyle for God's glory, I would say this one word...

Choose.

What is more valuable to you? That piece of cake or getting healthy? That pile of food or getting fit? I love desserts and junk as much as anyone else. But I know that eating those kinds of foods frequently will sabotage my greater goal of getting healthy and losing weight. So I must choose.

Make a choice and then pursue it. Don't be double-minded. Don't stagger back and forth. Being double-minded will discourage you more than anything because you will not see progress.

Choose.

"Everyone wants the product,

but few want the preparation."

-Pastor Kenny Baldwin preaching on Noah

"When God Shuts You In"

Kristine's Corner

Kristine's Exercise Shirt

My time on furlough is coming to a close. By God's grace, I will be returning to the field at approximately the same size as I was when I left last April. Since I began blogging with Charity in August, I have even dropped most of the furlough pounds I had put on initially. I'm now working diligently to get the rest off before I arrive home.

The keys to my success were avoiding sugar, exercising faithfully, getting enough sleep, and starting fresh the next day even if I messed up the day before. I will be able to jump right back into my normal exercise routine when I return home, and I can't wait to cook in my own kitchen for the first time in months! We had an amazing furlough, and I am excited and ready to get back to work in Indonesia! Look for my official furlough update next month!

Holiday Hope

Charity:
Our family had two Thanksgiving dinners. We had one with my Mom and Granny on Thursday and one with my husband's family on Saturday. One was a stellar success in eating, and one was a disaster. But I know what things made the difference.

Thursday was the success. Here was my plan:
I took two plates through the line. One plate was a regular dinner plate and one was a container. As I went through the line, I was only allowed to put an item on one plate or the other. I couldn't put any item on both plates. One plate was for my lunch, and the container was my dinner. I had to use proper portions, too. The other part of my plan was that I agreed to post a picture of what I ate for some of my fitness friends to see. That gave me accountability. I told these same friends about my commitment with the plates.

 Lunch and dinner plates

The execution was perfect! I did it! I ate a yummy Thanksgiving meal without gluttony. 

Granny and Mom

But then came Saturday. I started off the day right... healthy breakfast and snack. But for lunch my plan was to just pick the healthiest option in moderation. In other words, I figured I would just "wing it." No accountability. No predetermined boundaries like the plate plan.

So I got my plate and picked wisely. Modest portions. But then I went back for seconds... and thirds... We sat around fellowshipping, and the smell of the food was amazing. It called to me, and it was right there for the grabbing! Ugh!!!

Lesson learned. Thanksgiving foods are always a huge temptation for me. It's a tougher setting than buffet bars or your typical church fellowship. I love pumpkin pies, and gravies of all sorts, and cheese just makes the world go round.

Note to self... set boundaries. Vocalize those boundaries to others who can help with accountability. Never try to "wing it" with things that are a known temptation.

Kristine:
This was my first Thanksgiving in America in four years, and may be my last for quite a while. I wanted to relax and enjoy the special holiday with my family. The only "plan" I used to prevent overeating on Thanksgiving was to wear a fitted shirt. That way I wouldn't want to eat so much that I felt uncomfortable in it. It worked, too!