Saturday, June 30, 2018
Monday, June 25, 2018
In the Eye of the Storm
We are currently in the rainy season in Costa Rica. Pretty much every day, from 2pm-until, it rains....hard. One afternoon, the storm was pretty nasty: loud, cracking thunder, terrible lightening, and quite the downpour. As were were preparing to walk out the door for yet another doctor appointment, I caught my son standing in the garage, watching the storm and singing:
Lately, I've felt like my sails are torn due to being tossed in every direction. Just a glimpse into the waves tossing our family around the sea of life: My son is having academic testing which will take three hours a week over the course of three weeks; my daughter somehow in just a short time developed a cavity leading to a partial root canal and crown; my husband fell getting out of an Uber, stepping the wrong way and hurting his knee; and, I am having some tests run at the hospital for a problem that has shown itself just in the past three weeks....and, as I write this blog, instead of preparing to take my daughter to get that crown, she's sleeping because she's sick...again. So, the crown will have to wait until another day. All of this in the midst of language school.
You see, I'm one of those people who makes the big decisions in life pretty quickly with not much concern of the unknown; on the flip side, I'm also one of those people who can get down when the everyday small nuisances of life just.keep.coming. Last week, I was in that place. I was exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. You know...we've all been there. And, it wasn't the "big things" weighing me down, it was the slap of one wave after another hitting me in the face every time I tried to get back up. But, as I heard my son singing that song, God reminded me that He is my anchor; He does guard my soul; and His love surrounds me.
He surrounds me with His love through the love of His people:
My family and I are in language school right now, which means we have a couple of hours of homework each night that make navigating these obstacles difficult at times. But it also means we have a community of missionaries and students willing to step in and help however they can. There are other students here who are experiencing greater trials: bed rest due to difficult pregnancies; children having broken bones; moms/dads having unexpected surgeries; and battling the constant stomach problems that go along with living in another country. And, yet, God is faithful through it all. He has already created a way to help one another: the Body of Christ. If none of us here went through difficulties, we wouldn't know what it means to carry one another's burdens.
He is my anchor because of His character
All of these things are happening our first year on the field--while we are in language school with this "soft landing." When we go to Mexico, we will not have the same type of community that we have here. A fellow student was on bed rest for two months with her twins. So many of us cooked meals, babysat her one-year-old, sat with her to keep her company, brought groceries, etc. She told us during her baby shower: "I was so frustrated with God's timing with this. Then, I realized had we still been in the states or already been in Uraguay, we wouldn't have had this support system that God has provided for us here. God's timing is perfect." We can hold onto Him as our anchor because we know He is working all things together for our good and His glory.
He guards my soul by sending encouragement through the unexpected
We have a doctor on our school campus who serves us missionaries with his time. His parents were missionaries. He loves us. He gets us. He's making sure we get well and tries to keep us well so we can serve well.
When Ethan had emergency root canal and reattachment of his tooth due to an accident two weeks after we arrived, the school found a dentist who spoke English. Not only that, the dentist came in on her day off to do what she needed to do for Ethan. She was wonderful. The dentist Emily saw last week loves the Lord (and speaks English too!) She said before we left: "I can't do her crown today because the infection is all the way down to her roots. But, in the name of Jesus, I claim she will not have an infection next week so we can finish." God puts strangers in our path to encourage us whom we would have never met without these trials.
Our teachers have a heart for the Lord, for us, and for our families. Even though their goal is to teach us Spanish, their heart is to see us serve the Lord every day of our lives, in all of the little frustrations and big successes. So, when these frustrations and difficulties arise in our lives, they pray for us. They are praying for our families. They push us to keep going while giving us the space we need to take care of ourselves and our families. Our teachers encourage us to press on for His glory.
Does life always work out like this? Do the waves always become calm? Do the storms always cease? Are there always people in our lives who drop everything to rescue us? No, not always. But, we have an Anchor far greater that can keep the boat steady as the waters move around us and can calm our soul when our sails are torn.
"In the eye of the storm, He remains in control.
In the middle of the war, He guards my soul.
You alone are the anchor when my sails are torn.
Your love surrounds me in the eye of the storm."
Lately, I've felt like my sails are torn due to being tossed in every direction. Just a glimpse into the waves tossing our family around the sea of life: My son is having academic testing which will take three hours a week over the course of three weeks; my daughter somehow in just a short time developed a cavity leading to a partial root canal and crown; my husband fell getting out of an Uber, stepping the wrong way and hurting his knee; and, I am having some tests run at the hospital for a problem that has shown itself just in the past three weeks....and, as I write this blog, instead of preparing to take my daughter to get that crown, she's sleeping because she's sick...again. So, the crown will have to wait until another day. All of this in the midst of language school.
You see, I'm one of those people who makes the big decisions in life pretty quickly with not much concern of the unknown; on the flip side, I'm also one of those people who can get down when the everyday small nuisances of life just.keep.coming. Last week, I was in that place. I was exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. You know...we've all been there. And, it wasn't the "big things" weighing me down, it was the slap of one wave after another hitting me in the face every time I tried to get back up. But, as I heard my son singing that song, God reminded me that He is my anchor; He does guard my soul; and His love surrounds me.
He surrounds me with His love through the love of His people:
My family and I are in language school right now, which means we have a couple of hours of homework each night that make navigating these obstacles difficult at times. But it also means we have a community of missionaries and students willing to step in and help however they can. There are other students here who are experiencing greater trials: bed rest due to difficult pregnancies; children having broken bones; moms/dads having unexpected surgeries; and battling the constant stomach problems that go along with living in another country. And, yet, God is faithful through it all. He has already created a way to help one another: the Body of Christ. If none of us here went through difficulties, we wouldn't know what it means to carry one another's burdens.
He is my anchor because of His character
All of these things are happening our first year on the field--while we are in language school with this "soft landing." When we go to Mexico, we will not have the same type of community that we have here. A fellow student was on bed rest for two months with her twins. So many of us cooked meals, babysat her one-year-old, sat with her to keep her company, brought groceries, etc. She told us during her baby shower: "I was so frustrated with God's timing with this. Then, I realized had we still been in the states or already been in Uraguay, we wouldn't have had this support system that God has provided for us here. God's timing is perfect." We can hold onto Him as our anchor because we know He is working all things together for our good and His glory.
He guards my soul by sending encouragement through the unexpected
We have a doctor on our school campus who serves us missionaries with his time. His parents were missionaries. He loves us. He gets us. He's making sure we get well and tries to keep us well so we can serve well.
When Ethan had emergency root canal and reattachment of his tooth due to an accident two weeks after we arrived, the school found a dentist who spoke English. Not only that, the dentist came in on her day off to do what she needed to do for Ethan. She was wonderful. The dentist Emily saw last week loves the Lord (and speaks English too!) She said before we left: "I can't do her crown today because the infection is all the way down to her roots. But, in the name of Jesus, I claim she will not have an infection next week so we can finish." God puts strangers in our path to encourage us whom we would have never met without these trials.
Our teachers have a heart for the Lord, for us, and for our families. Even though their goal is to teach us Spanish, their heart is to see us serve the Lord every day of our lives, in all of the little frustrations and big successes. So, when these frustrations and difficulties arise in our lives, they pray for us. They are praying for our families. They push us to keep going while giving us the space we need to take care of ourselves and our families. Our teachers encourage us to press on for His glory.
Does life always work out like this? Do the waves always become calm? Do the storms always cease? Are there always people in our lives who drop everything to rescue us? No, not always. But, we have an Anchor far greater that can keep the boat steady as the waters move around us and can calm our soul when our sails are torn.
Friday, June 22, 2018
Help! I'm homeschooling! part one
 |
| Some Rosa art from third grade. |
Here are three things that I think are foundational to a homeschool family.
Determine that you actually want to teach your children.
Homeschooling is not for everyone. If you are going into it half-heartedly or because of peer pressure, don't. Decide what is best for you, for your family, for your ministry. Not everything has to be figured out before you start, but you need to be sure homeschooling is what God has for you and your family. My advice is to ask, seek, and knock in God's Word to find His plan for your family. If you determine homeschooling is the right option for you, move forward with confidence.
Do what is best for you as a teacher.
 |
| Some junior year Rosa art, a drawing of her horse |
This may seem a little backwards. We are, after all, supposed to put others first. When you decide to be the teacher, though, you need to make it work for you. You have to make decisions about curriculum and teaching methods based on your own skills and preferences.
Don't we do this in other areas? Take cooking, for example? Ask ten different women how to make fried chicken. There will be ten different recipes using all different kinds of tools and cooking methods. The results are generally the same, fried chicken.
Just as we use our own skill set when we cook for our family, we do the same with teaching our children. Consider your own strengths and weaknesses. The more comfortable you are in your own skin as a teacher, the better your students will learn. Don't try to be someone else or fit yourself into the "perfect teacher" role.
Decide who the teacher is.
 |
| Patrick and Vicki Weimer |
Will you, the mom, be the single educator? Your husband might like to teach, too. Mine taught Bible, science through junior high, karate, wood shop, car mechanics, and other electives. You could incorporate people in your area to help you teach certain things. Also, there are a variety of on-line options available now. My personal opinion is that using a combination of all of these gives a student a well-rounded education. I'll talk about that in a later post, though.
These three things may help you establish the framework for your homeschool. I hope there is something helpful there. In future posts, I would like to share things I have learned about choosing curricula, taking standardized tests, having an umbrella school, making a school room, and other things that have been a help to me.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Homemade Sausage Gravy
Gravy is so much easier to make than most people believe it to be.
The hardest part is just waiting for all that deliciousness to be ready!
We make this every Saturday morning for brunch!
I love how easy it is to adjust this recipe for the amount of people eating. Also if you like thinner gravy just add more milk!
What you'll need
One ounce of fat (butter, margarine, bacon fat, oil....whatever fat you have)
One ounce of flour
One cup of milk
Sausage
In a medium pot melt butter and add flour. Mix until you get a thick paste.
Slowly add milk until you get the desired texture.
Add cooked sausage and season gravy to taste.
If you don't have sausage then just season gravy with salt and pepper and sausage seasoning.
If the gravy is lumpy, whisk until smooth.
If you like thinner gravy then add more milk. But, if you would like your gravy thicker then add less milk.
Serve this gravy over warm biscuits, chicken fried steak, hash browns, or even waffles.
Check out my YouTube channel for my biscuit recipe.
Amber Wells
Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬
Sunday, June 17, 2018
A Fruitful Vine
Psalm 128:3
"Thy wife shall be as
a fruitful vine by the sides
of thine house:"
A vine makes any building look beautiful. Here in Thailand, I often see corrugated tin shacks that are completely covered with beautiful blooming vines. Some pink, some white, some mauve, but all beautiful and sweetly scented. Sometimes it's a cucumber vine or a bitter gourd vine. I also see grand houses with bougainvillea crawling up the house in grand bursts of fuchsia and white.
No matter how grand or lowly the house, a beautiful vine makes an improvement. A vine changes our perception of the building. A vine covers imperfections.
What a beautiful picture of marriage. My husband is the building - my life, the vine. We have the opportunity as wives to beautify the lives and ministries of our husbands. No matter how grand or lowly the man, we can be a help and a blessing to him. No man is perfect, but we can help balance out and beautify those imperfections. I'm not saying that we join in sin with our husbands as Sapphira did. She became a partaker in sin while trying to cover it up. I'm saying that we should be our husband's best friend and do our best to make him look good. And let's face it - we do change people's perception of our husbands - either for the better or for the worse. Now that reminds me of some promises that we all as wives have made .....
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Facing the Critics
Last month, I posted about Toppling the Pedestal. What about when there is no pedestal? What about the times when our critics are numerous and we feel like no matter what we do or say, it will be wrong? We’ve all been there at one time or another. These times can be especially painful for those of us who are in ministry.
We give so much of ourselves to others. We know we are not perfect, but sometimes the people that we serve expect us to be. We know that we didn’t do what we are accused of doing. We know we didn’t say what we are accused of saying. For those of us on foreign fields, we have literally “left all” to serve these people and at times the appreciation that we might long for just isn’t there.
What do you do during these times? In 1 Samuel 30 David faced this kind of a situation. We are told that David “encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” There are several things we can do to encourage ourselves in the Lord during these times.
1. Get our eyes off of the offense, accusation or sacrifices we are making and get them back on the Lord. Last year, I was reminded by a retreat speaker that we serve an audience of One. God knows our heart. He knows what our motivations are. He knows what we did or what we said. He is acquainted with all our ways. (Psalm 139) In the grand scheme of things, this is what really matters.
2. This is the time to spend extra moments with the Lord in His Word and in prayer. Some of the most precious times I have had with the Lord have been during times of facing critics. I remember several years ago going through a particularly difficult time. The Lord gave me Psalm 31:19, 20. “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” I have clung to these verses so many times since then. When I am spending time in His presence, the harsh words, misunderstandings and false accusations seem to fade from view.
3. Guard against bitterness. Hebrews 12:15 says, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.” Bitterness can affect a whole family, ministry and beyond. One thing the Lord has been teaching me is that it can affect so many areas of my life and health. At the previous mentioned retreat, the speaker quoted someone that defined bitterness as “drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” That has stuck with me over the last several months. I pray regularly that the Lord will help me choose not to drink the poison!!
4. Remember the “Blessed.” I have been spending some time in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 recently. There is so much comfort, encouragement, and conviction there. I fall short in so many ways, but then I come to verses 11 and 12. “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” I know that I can’t compare myself to the prophets of old. I haven’t endured anything even close to what many of them endured. I can’t help but wonder if some of the things spoken against me falsely as I am trying my best to serve falls into this category. If so, I am to rejoice and be exceeding glad because my reward is in heaven!! That’s definitely something to encourage any heart!!
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Taro Four Different Ways - With Video
Taro grows in tropical climates. It’s a root, with leaves like huge elephant ears.
Most of the time the people here, in Papua New Guinea, just boil taro root. But my family isn’t a huge fan. We’ve experimented, and experimented, and experimented. With the help of my brothers’ and dad’s honest opinions and helpful input we’ve come up with four ways to make taro that we actually enjoy!
Just some more information on taro.
If the taro has been freshly dug, the sap may sting your hands. I’m not sure why this is, but it burns. If the tarp is fresh just wear gloves. In the video, the taro I used was a couple days old. The sap had dried out a little, so it didn’t burn my hands. Another thing, taro has a sponge texture. The older it gets the more likely it’s gonna be to get moldy. If your taro has pink or green or brown spots, cut them out, if it goes pretty deep your taro is probably too old.
If the taro does not get cooked all the way the sap may burn your mouth. Just make sure the taro is cooked through and you’ll be good to go!
We have four different ways to cook taro in this video.
1. Taro hash browns
2. Pita, type chips
3. Thin chips
4. Sourdough wedges
The taro hash browns are so easy to make! Just shred the taro and cook it on a hot cast iron pan with a little bit of oil. Sprinkle taro with salt if desired. When underside has browned, flip, and let the other side brown. When both sides are browned, serve and enjoy!
These have a slightly sweet flavor, but just barely. The texture is very similar to potatoes.
Taro pita chips are a great alternative to pita bread chips. They are gluten free, and taste amazing!
Just slice the taro to the shape and thickness desired. Then fry in hot oil until edges start to brown.
Remove and serve with hummus or cream cheese or whatever you have on hand.
Thin taro chips are a great alternative to potato chips. They have a great texture, and are firm enough to dip up French onion dip, ranch, or veggie dip.
Using your box grater, thinly slice the taro, or if the power is on and you have an electric sliver, de that.
Fry in hot oil until edges brown. Remove, drain, enjoy!
Sourdough wedges are my personal favorite! We just dip the wedges in sourdough starter/batter and then fry in hot oil. The sourdough makes a nice crispy outside and has great flavor.
I could eat those plain all day! My brother likes to smear chili paste on his. That also taste amazing!
I hope you try some of these different ways to make taro. I’d love to hear what they call taro and how they cook it in your part of the world!
Please comment below and let me know your thoughts! I’d love to read your ideas! If you would like a certain video, please feel free to comment below and let me know!
Amber Wells
Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬
Monday, June 11, 2018
Closer to the Source
We have been blessed thus far with two children and one on the way. It is amazing to me how different two children can be even though they have the same parents, upbringing, and looks. I mean, I know that everyone is different; but to see it in my two sons at a very young age is completely different. God is an awesome Creator!
My oldest son, Jude, is 3 years of age. He's mostly a social light, loves to play with trains, and likes to go see new places and things. He likes everything neat, clean and tidy and will avoid pain at all costs. He is extremely curious and has a bit of an engineering mind. Already he is picking up letters, in both languages, and is eager to read. However, you sit him down to a meal at the table, and he is TOTALLY disinterested. He eats to stay alive (because we make him eat, as any good parent of course) and not really for the enjoyment of it. - Unless it's ice cream!
My second son, Zachary, is not quite 2 years old. He is into everything so much that we tease we should have called him "Trouble". He goes from one "off limits" thing to the next. Yet, he has picked up language here in Georgia much better than his brother, has intense and genuine emotions, and loves to get dirty. Pain doesn't bother him. He also LOVES to eat. Though he's still having some lingering issues with food texture, he really can put food away! He already eats more than his brother, and if we get out snacks, he sidles up real close so he can sneak a bite.
When the boys go up to "Bebia's" house (a Georgian Grandma), Jude sits on the couch to watch cars or trains or some other multi-film cartoon while Zachary heads straight for the kitchen to look for any goodies left out on the table. These boys are as different as can be!
Yet to me, it is always amazing. If I get out crackers or chips, I give one to Zachary. Usually though, he's not satisfied with just one. He wants one for each hand. Then a handful. Then, he gives up trying to hold enough and attempts to climb on my lap or squeeze in next to me so that he can get to the bag of treats himself. He wants to get closer to the source.
It humbles me to watch him and reminds me of what my relationship with my Father should be. I shouldn't be satisfied with just one chapter in His Word, just one blessing that He sends, or just one service at church. I should be going for two, then a handful, then, why not? Just sit on His lap. After all, He is the source. The only way to get to the source of joy and blessings is to have a RELATIONSHIP with the Giver.
Our spiritual appetite is just like our physical one: the more we give it of something, the more it wants. If you watch a lot of television, you tend to want to watch even more. If you eat a lot of junk food, you crave more. If you prefer carrot sticks, then they're your go-to food. If you grew up with meat and potatoes at every dinner meal, chances are, you still want that meat and potatoes. Yes, we can change our appetites. We can train them, curb them, sometimes yes, force them into a new habit.
It is the same spiritually. The more we read God's Word, the more we want. The more of Jesus we have, the closer we desire to be. The more we fill our lives with choices that are pleasing to God, the easier it is to do the next time... not because the choices will be easy, but because our spirits are strong, walking in the Spirit.
So, I strive to desire to be closer. I must schedule/choose/prioritize to make time for God. Whatever it takes. Not just for one nugget of feel-good booster, but for the whole bag! Even in a busy life and amid the craziness of little ones, I must not neglect the most important Person in my life. The Source is waiting. There's so much He has in store!
My oldest son, Jude, is 3 years of age. He's mostly a social light, loves to play with trains, and likes to go see new places and things. He likes everything neat, clean and tidy and will avoid pain at all costs. He is extremely curious and has a bit of an engineering mind. Already he is picking up letters, in both languages, and is eager to read. However, you sit him down to a meal at the table, and he is TOTALLY disinterested. He eats to stay alive (because we make him eat, as any good parent of course) and not really for the enjoyment of it. - Unless it's ice cream!
My second son, Zachary, is not quite 2 years old. He is into everything so much that we tease we should have called him "Trouble". He goes from one "off limits" thing to the next. Yet, he has picked up language here in Georgia much better than his brother, has intense and genuine emotions, and loves to get dirty. Pain doesn't bother him. He also LOVES to eat. Though he's still having some lingering issues with food texture, he really can put food away! He already eats more than his brother, and if we get out snacks, he sidles up real close so he can sneak a bite.
When the boys go up to "Bebia's" house (a Georgian Grandma), Jude sits on the couch to watch cars or trains or some other multi-film cartoon while Zachary heads straight for the kitchen to look for any goodies left out on the table. These boys are as different as can be!
Yet to me, it is always amazing. If I get out crackers or chips, I give one to Zachary. Usually though, he's not satisfied with just one. He wants one for each hand. Then a handful. Then, he gives up trying to hold enough and attempts to climb on my lap or squeeze in next to me so that he can get to the bag of treats himself. He wants to get closer to the source.
It humbles me to watch him and reminds me of what my relationship with my Father should be. I shouldn't be satisfied with just one chapter in His Word, just one blessing that He sends, or just one service at church. I should be going for two, then a handful, then, why not? Just sit on His lap. After all, He is the source. The only way to get to the source of joy and blessings is to have a RELATIONSHIP with the Giver.
Our spiritual appetite is just like our physical one: the more we give it of something, the more it wants. If you watch a lot of television, you tend to want to watch even more. If you eat a lot of junk food, you crave more. If you prefer carrot sticks, then they're your go-to food. If you grew up with meat and potatoes at every dinner meal, chances are, you still want that meat and potatoes. Yes, we can change our appetites. We can train them, curb them, sometimes yes, force them into a new habit.
It is the same spiritually. The more we read God's Word, the more we want. The more of Jesus we have, the closer we desire to be. The more we fill our lives with choices that are pleasing to God, the easier it is to do the next time... not because the choices will be easy, but because our spirits are strong, walking in the Spirit.
So, I strive to desire to be closer. I must schedule/choose/prioritize to make time for God. Whatever it takes. Not just for one nugget of feel-good booster, but for the whole bag! Even in a busy life and amid the craziness of little ones, I must not neglect the most important Person in my life. The Source is waiting. There's so much He has in store!
Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
- Anonymous -
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Friday, June 8, 2018
" Come Apart"
"COME APART"
“My family is more important to me than the Tohono O’odham
people are”. That was a statement that
slipped out of my mouth as our family was returning home from Sunday morning
services recently. It had been a great
service and I felt like the Lord had been glorified in all our efforts that
day. But I was tired. Actually, mentally and physically exhausted. In
our long drive home that day I had been looking at the beautiful desert before
me and talking to God in my heart. It
was pure accident that what was in my head had slipped from my mind onto my
tongue before I could stop it. I know
many of you can relate when I say that from the time our family began
deputation to the point of this outburst, our family had been in a constant
work mode. Our days filled with
conducting church services, Bible Clubs, meetings and days with no appointments
filled with preparing for the ones that do.
And while I adore every O’odham person we minister to, I must admit I
was starting to feel jealous of the people God called us to. They were getting more of my family than I
was. Likewise, they were getting more of
me than my family was. It’s not a fun
place to be.
In Mark 6, Jesus sent out His disciples with many things to
accomplish for the kingdom of God. The
disciples did not slack in what Christ tasked them with but worked hard in all
they did. So much so that they didn’t
even take time to eat. They had seen
great things happen, but they had also seen a lot of heartache. In returning to Jesus to share what all they
had done, He saw that mentally and physically they were tired. But instead of telling them “get back out
there” or even giving them strength to carry on, Jesus declared a time to rest.
“And He said unto them, come ye yourselves
apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and
going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Mark 6:31
My declaration that Sunday morning did startle my husband
and daughter but when I clarified my meaning, they agreed, and my husband
declared a time of rest! While we didn’t
have the finances to take an awesome vacation, we do have camping
equipment. A few weeks later we took a
few days to go camping and not do a lot but relax, enjoy each other, worship
God and create ways for taking better care of ourselves
God has been so kind to call and supply for each of us to
minister to the people we serve. He
doesn’t want us short term, He wants us for the long haul. It is our responsibility to not only take
care of our ministry equipment, the people we serve but also ourselves to see
this through. Here are a few ways we can
accomplish that:
Schedule weekly “Us” time. Whether it’s individually or as a family,
there needs to be at least one
day each week on the calendar that work is not
allowed. A time to recreate, reflect or
rest so that we
can renew ourselves for the next week of ministry
responsibilities.
.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle. In our fast pace schedule, you may not be
eating healthy, not exercising
and not maintaining a healthy sleep
pattern. A healthy lifestyle will help
not only physically but
mentally. Bottom
line, if your body is not taken care of it will run down and you won’t be of
much
good to your ministry.
Maintain individual time with God. Days can get fast paced and fly by. Before you know it, the
day is over, and you
haven’t had any time with God. Jesus
shared the importance of spending time
at His feet in Luke 10:41 “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen
that good part, which will
not be taken away from her.” It’s a “needed”
time. Working in a ministry and not having a healthy
relationship with
God will soon lead to a premature death of your ministry.
Let us not ever forget that God loves us as much as He loves
the people He called us to. He called us
to be servants not slaves. Our family’s
time off revived us and energized us to keep going. I pray today each of you will take time for
yourselves and your family so that God can work through you for many years to
come!
BY: Julie Ford
Tohono O'odham Nation
Thursday, June 7, 2018
It ALL Works Together for Good?? Really??
But what about when we mess it all up?
God has a plan—there is no doubt about that, but can we mess up His plan? I mean we sin; doesn't that mess things up? Does Romans 8:28 really always apply? The Scripture says "to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." I mean don't we all try to "love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength." And aren't the Christians "the called according to His purpose?"
Growing up, I learned many things about the Bible in the church where I attended as a little girl. As I went into my teen years, my family changed churches, and I began to "grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour..." I learned many things that I had not learned in Sunday school. My view of the world changed, and I realized that God had a place for me; I knew that He would have me be the wife of a pastor or missionary (and I gladly surrendered to whatever God wanted from me in the future).
When I became sixteen, I realized that a job was in my future. Coming from a poor family, I desired to continue to attend the Christian school where my parents had enrolled us with some money my dad had received as a payout from an accident; but that money was gone now, and there was no way to pay the bill. I worked to pay my school bill, pay for a few personal items, and give my tithes and mission offerings.
While working, I met many people. One guy that I met, who I was pretty sure was not a Christian, asked me out on a date. After turning him down on a number of occasions, he asked me out in front of several people and pled his case as "going out on an innocent lunch date." My parents had no rules for me as far as dating; and, against my better judgement, I agreed. After it was settled, he told me that he would pick me up on Saturday afternoon for lunch; and he told me that he planned to ask me, while we were out, "why it had taken me so long to say, 'yes'."
Disclaimer here**I do not condone, or encourage, in any way, a Christian dating an unsaved person.*
The day of the date came; and although I had prayed all night that we would get too much snow to go out, he still arrived to pick me up. We had a nice lunch, and on the way home, he asked me the question that I had been running over again and again in my mind. I answered him simply, "Well, I am a Christian, and I believe that Christians should only marry Christians, and you should not date someone that you cannot marry."
His response was, "Oh, I know, unequal in yoke and all that stuff." In shock, I asked him where he had learned that; and he answered, "My grandma and aunt are always preaching to me." As I found out later, they were praying always for him too.
To shorten the end of an already long story, that guy got saved a few months later, after attending church every time the doors were open and realizing his need of salvation. He was called to preach a short time after that (I had never told him about what I thought God had for me in the future), and we were married about a year and a half later. As we went into missions, I bought him a new wedding band with a phrase from his favourite passage of Scripture (Ephesians 1:6, 12 & 14) imprinted on it. The passage says, "That we should be to the Praise of His Glory."
The Bible also gives us examples like Jonah who ran from God; but after God used a fish to teach him a few things, I dare say that Jonah preached with more passion after the encounter with the fish than if he had never run from God in the first place. Then there was David. How could we ever see any good come from adultery, murder, a dead baby, and the many other consequences from his sin? Well, many have been comforted, encouraged, and helped over the years as they read David's heart in the Psalms as he repented and begged our Lord for cleansing and forgiveness.
PLEASE DO NOT get me wrong and think that I am trying to say that any mistakes or sin that we do is ok because God will "fix it." The Bible is clear in Romans 6:1 & 2 that we should not sin even though there is grace for when we sin. However, just a few chapters later in the end of Romans chapter 8, after he tells us that "All things work together for good..." He tells us that He is conforming us to the image of His Son (vs. 29), is justifying us (vs.33), is loving and keeping us (vs. 35), and that we are made "more than conquerors through him." (vs. 37)
My point is...when you sin or make a mistake, don't beat yourself—Satan and the spiritual wickedness in this world does enough of that. Ask for forgiveness, then seek to live holy as He is holy...and leave the "working it all for good" to Him. We cannot mess up His plan. He has it all under control!
By Sherrie Lester
God has a plan—there is no doubt about that, but can we mess up His plan? I mean we sin; doesn't that mess things up? Does Romans 8:28 really always apply? The Scripture says "to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." I mean don't we all try to "love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength." And aren't the Christians "the called according to His purpose?"
Growing up, I learned many things about the Bible in the church where I attended as a little girl. As I went into my teen years, my family changed churches, and I began to "grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour..." I learned many things that I had not learned in Sunday school. My view of the world changed, and I realized that God had a place for me; I knew that He would have me be the wife of a pastor or missionary (and I gladly surrendered to whatever God wanted from me in the future).
When I became sixteen, I realized that a job was in my future. Coming from a poor family, I desired to continue to attend the Christian school where my parents had enrolled us with some money my dad had received as a payout from an accident; but that money was gone now, and there was no way to pay the bill. I worked to pay my school bill, pay for a few personal items, and give my tithes and mission offerings.
While working, I met many people. One guy that I met, who I was pretty sure was not a Christian, asked me out on a date. After turning him down on a number of occasions, he asked me out in front of several people and pled his case as "going out on an innocent lunch date." My parents had no rules for me as far as dating; and, against my better judgement, I agreed. After it was settled, he told me that he would pick me up on Saturday afternoon for lunch; and he told me that he planned to ask me, while we were out, "why it had taken me so long to say, 'yes'."
Disclaimer here**I do not condone, or encourage, in any way, a Christian dating an unsaved person.*
The day of the date came; and although I had prayed all night that we would get too much snow to go out, he still arrived to pick me up. We had a nice lunch, and on the way home, he asked me the question that I had been running over again and again in my mind. I answered him simply, "Well, I am a Christian, and I believe that Christians should only marry Christians, and you should not date someone that you cannot marry."
His response was, "Oh, I know, unequal in yoke and all that stuff." In shock, I asked him where he had learned that; and he answered, "My grandma and aunt are always preaching to me." As I found out later, they were praying always for him too.
To shorten the end of an already long story, that guy got saved a few months later, after attending church every time the doors were open and realizing his need of salvation. He was called to preach a short time after that (I had never told him about what I thought God had for me in the future), and we were married about a year and a half later. As we went into missions, I bought him a new wedding band with a phrase from his favourite passage of Scripture (Ephesians 1:6, 12 & 14) imprinted on it. The passage says, "That we should be to the Praise of His Glory."
So what does this have to do with "All things working together for good?" I carried around a lot of guilt for a while for going out with him, and I can even remember thinking before he got saved—I am really messing this up. My point is that there was no question that I loved God and that He worked in spite of my human frailty. My husband has taught me so much, and I am a better Christian today because of his influence in my life.
The Bible also gives us examples like Jonah who ran from God; but after God used a fish to teach him a few things, I dare say that Jonah preached with more passion after the encounter with the fish than if he had never run from God in the first place. Then there was David. How could we ever see any good come from adultery, murder, a dead baby, and the many other consequences from his sin? Well, many have been comforted, encouraged, and helped over the years as they read David's heart in the Psalms as he repented and begged our Lord for cleansing and forgiveness.
PLEASE DO NOT get me wrong and think that I am trying to say that any mistakes or sin that we do is ok because God will "fix it." The Bible is clear in Romans 6:1 & 2 that we should not sin even though there is grace for when we sin. However, just a few chapters later in the end of Romans chapter 8, after he tells us that "All things work together for good..." He tells us that He is conforming us to the image of His Son (vs. 29), is justifying us (vs.33), is loving and keeping us (vs. 35), and that we are made "more than conquerors through him." (vs. 37)
My point is...when you sin or make a mistake, don't beat yourself—Satan and the spiritual wickedness in this world does enough of that. Ask for forgiveness, then seek to live holy as He is holy...and leave the "working it all for good" to Him. We cannot mess up His plan. He has it all under control!
By Sherrie Lester
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