Stay in the Word

Christian, stay in the Word!
Leader, stay in the Word!
Missionary, please, STAY IN THE WORD!

There really is no other way. This week I was reminded of this great truth.

Over the years, I have counselled many young women. Today, some of those women are faithfully following God. Some, sadly, are not. What's the difference? The Word.

Take a look at Deuteronomy 17:14-20:
"When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel."
(emphasis mine)

Here is a passage dealing with the law of the Israelite kings. They were given instruction and guidelines for their ruling: basic things, about obtaining horses for personal gain, wives/concubines, riches... all usual issues for kings. These would be "normal" human pitfalls. Eventually, most of these laws were broken by one king or another.

Yet God had given a remedy to keep them from succumbing to these pitfalls... His Word. Each king was to write his own copy of the law and keep it before him constantly. This would help him to fear and obey God, to stay humble, and to prolong his days.

Now, I know we are far removed from being a king of Israel, but perhaps this passage gives us the key to staying faithfully on the path of righteousness. Especially as ladies in positions of leadership, we too need to fear and obey God, stay humble, and prolong our days.

I find great encouragement in writing out verses from the Word of God. It helps with meditation, memorization, and application. However, there are many other ideas for staying in the Word. It matters not how much or little you read, but rather that you are in the Word daily, seeking the face of God. This is how God changes our hearts and lives to be more like Him.

Long day? Stay in the Word.
Family trouble? Stay in the Word.
Financial difficulty? Stay in the Word.
Wrongly treated? Stay in the Word.
Facing pain, illness, and/or death? Stay in the Word.

There are so many stories of Christians who were in leadership falling away into a life of corruption. Ladies, we cannot afford to leave off our Bibles. This is basic, yes, but it is the ONLY prevention from becoming a casualty in the war of the work.

"Sanctify them by thy truth: thy word is truth."
John 17:17

Pressed to His Chest

Stress. It is one thing to which we can all relate. Work stress. Family stress. Health stress. Emotional stress... the list goes on and on. With a premature newborn in the house, and two sick toddlers, my husband and I have been under a lot of physical stress. Long days; even longer nights. Hours of screaming babies. No couple time or dates. We were literally only surviving.

Paul did not nurse; and indeed, it was a lot of work to get him to even take a bottle. He would be diagnosed a "failure to thrive" baby in the States. As I spent whole days just in our room trying to get him to eat, I would be so tempted to give up on breastfeeding and just do formula. I found myself thinking "If I can only make it to _________, I'll be okay." Day after day, just trying to get Paul through one more day.

It is times like this that I remember something my mom once told me. There are always pressures in life: it is up to you whether the pressure becomes stress or not. We become stressed when we try to deal with something ourselves which God does not intend for us to carry alone. Pressures are designed to push us closer to Jesus.

As an encouragement to me, and to share with you all, I have collected some verses together relating to stress and the strength of God (emphasis mine). Please be encouraged to run to Jesus. He really can carry the problem and you- all by Himself! Rest in Jesus and the plan God has for you.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.

2 Corinthians 13:4

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 Peter 5:7

Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Hebrews 11:33-34

Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. 

Psalm 6:2

He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.

Psalm 102:23

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. 

Proverbs 24:10

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Matthew 26:41

I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Psalm 27:13

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:29-31

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord; 

and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Jonah 2:7

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2 Corinthians 4:1

For the which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, 

yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:16

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:9

For consider him that endured the cross, despising the shame, 

and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:3

O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee: or to they faithfulness round about thee?

Psalm 89:8

The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Proverbs 18:10

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Nahum 1:7

Open wide: be satisfied!

Well, our week has pretty much been filled up with the arrival of our newest family member. I had him pretty much to myself, as my husband had to stay with the other boys because they were sick. More than just enjoying a new baby though, it struck me once again how I am in a relationship with God. He is my Father; I am very much to be like this newborn baby. God promises to provide all my needs (and even desires!) if I will just wholly look unto Him and rely on Him.

One verse especially kept returning to my mind:

"I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10

Just recently have I been reading this very story in the Old Testament during my devotions. God brings his people out of Egypt in a miraculous way. They are now "newly born" into His care. They have no army. No stores of food. No water. -All they can do is wholly rely upon the Lord as He provides. Again. And again. And again!

Little Paul doesn't know where the food comes from or how it all works. All he knows is to open his mouth WIDE and it is filled. He has to open wide, or it just doesn't work. It's not, open a little and receive a little; it's all or nothing. Open wide, be satisfied.

This simple truth has put me back in awe of my Heavenly Father. I need to open wide to receive His blessings and provision. There's no room for worry. I am incapable of providing for myself sufficiently; that's the Father's job. He has so much awaiting me, if I would only be open. Wide open. Praying. Trusting. Relying. As a newborn baby. This is the way to perfect contentment.

Different Than I Thought

I was one of those kids who always wanted to be a missionary. Always. As long as I can remember. Even my mom says that as soon as I could talk, I started talking about being a missionary. Something about mission work fascinated me, long before I knew Christ personally. Of course, I read all the stories of missionaries like Isobel Kuhn, David Brainard, Amy Carmichael, and my favorite, Bruce Olson. I dreamed (literally!) of foreign lands, jungles, native people groups, and even other languages. I wanted to work with orphans, start an orphanage, and teach the children how to become productive members of their homeland (as opposed to just housing them until they are too old and then their children end up back in the orphanage).

From forever it seems, my call was to the orphans of Mexico; though my yearly mission trips from age 15 on took me to many different places, thanks to my parents' wisdom. I did go to Mexico- twice! There's a little girl there, well, probably older now, whom I will never forget. Yet God closed that door. I was so distraught, not knowing what to do. At 24 years of age, I was supposed to have my life planned out and on track, right? My mom is a very wise woman and told me that God probably had something else in mind, and if I just kept doing what I knew He would be pleased with, He would show me the next step. And so it was. Six months later or so, I met my would-be husband, who was support-raising to go to Georgia, Europe.

Jude, Barbara, Zachary, & Michael

What??? I'd never even heard of that place! The amount of information on the internet is minimal too. I know; I looked it up and researched as much as possible when I first met Michael. It's not a 3rd world country. Not anymore. In fact, living in the capital city of Tbilisi is much like living in a modern city in America. There are few sacrifices that I had to make. The culture is only a little strange. The language; beautiful and challenging. The people, friendly; though very staunchly religious.

The mission field sure looked different than I thought.

Lately, God has been reminding me of this truth again and again as I struggle with first-term issues:THIS IS MY CALLING.

Instead of natives, I am reaching civilized Westernized people. Instead of orphans, it is neighborhood kids with absolutely no manners or training. Instead of jungles, it's a never ending sea of people and buildings. Instead of quickly absorbing the language, I'm stuck diving deep into textbooks: still feeling quite drowned into our second year.

 I sometimes have to remind myself that I had always wanted to be a missionary, and that this is where God has sent me; my God and His plan has not changed. I can't speak the language (sufficiently). I'm not teaching Sunday school. I'm not playing music in church. We don't even have a "regular" church!!! We learn from several different local churches, led by national pastors, because we want to see how to "make church work" i.e. get it set up and running, in this culture. I'm not out of the house much, so I get little contact with the locals. I'm sending my oldest son to pre-school this fall, so I'm not even homeschooling. I'm not doing anything, really, that I would consider missionary/ministry work.

So, maybe I romanticized the foreign field a little? Or, maybe the mission field just looks different than we tend to see on church power point presentations? One thing I know: this is where God has called both me and my husband, and He has been preparing me since childhood. My children are my mission field. My language textbook is my ministry. My God is still the same God. My calling- yes, still the same. It just looks different than I thought.

So what is my ministry? My ministry is staying refreshed in God's Word, supporting my husband, loving my children, keeping house, and spending HOURS in language. I get bored learning language, I do it so much! Thankfully, God gave me a young lady to disciple whose first language is English, like me, which gives me some sense of "doing something." In the next article I write, I want to share what else God has allowed me to do so I don't go crazy not doing the ministry things that I've done my whole life. Regardless though, fellow missionary; whether your ministry looks conventional or not, whether you feel like a "real" missionary or not, please remember:

Remember God. Remember His calling. Know that you are right where He wants you. Don't give up, for "in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." -Galatians 6:9 

A Georgian Picnic

I used to write about "a day in Taiwan...", and now I want to give you a glimpse into our life here in Georgia, Europe. We had an exciting day on Sunday, spending the day with the church on a picnic. Here are the highlights!


Sunday morning at 9:30, we leave the house for church. The church is meeting at the building first, at 10:00, and then plans to leave together at 11:00 for the park. It is (what an American culture would call) "Sunday school picnic" day.

Arriving at the church only a minute after 10:00am, we find we are the second family to arrive. People trickled in between 10-11:30. About then, I'm asking Michael if we missed something, but he replies that it is just the Georgian way. -And so it is! At 11:30, the pastor's wife and son come in and direct everyone to carpool to the park.

This particular place was a national park, where we were told sometimes there are cows or bears. We did see a cow, but thankfully, no bears! Though there was a large group that arrived at the park about noon, the main food had not yet arrived. Pastor had left at 10:00 to go shopping and was still out. There was a creek that ran through the park, and Jude looked forward to playing in the water. Still, we kept the boys occupied with games, sticks, rocks, and balls, not knowing the plan. As it turned out, that was a good thing.

After staying at this lovely national park for an hour and a half, the group decided it was too hot at this location and moved to the cars to go up the mountain to another location. The boys got a few minutes nap in the car, which was great.

We arrive at the new location about 2:00pm. The group walks a ways into the woods to decide the best place to picnic. Here also, we are told that giant wolves frequent these woods, but only in winter; and I am very grateful there are no snakes! Everyone hangs out chatting, resting, listening to music, and snacking on bread, iced tea, and other side dishes. One of the men starts the grill. Pastor arrives with the meat at 3:00pm to a big cheer.

It takes about an hour to roast the pork and chicken, and then we gather to eat. Though a few plates were available, most ate Georgian style with their fingers or with a stick to hold the meat. The food was very good. (I very much enjoyed a kind-of potato salad that one of the ladies had brought.) It didn't take long to eat the food! Then, we had the Lord's table under the canopy of trees- truly the Lord's house, and a short service with singing.

About quarter to 5:00pm, a desert of watermelons are cut into and served. Michael, my husband, is put in charge of American style picnic games. The kids and young adults played the games while the adults looked on and laughed and cheered. For sure, the egg toss was a new idea to everyone, but they loved the bean bag toss and trivia questions.

At 5:30, we let the church know that, regretfully, we would have to leave, as the boys were exhausted. With looks of surprise that we were leaving so soon, folks got up to have another cup of my iced tea or grab the last of the cookies before we left. It was a quiet ride home, as the boys slept.

By the time we were loaded up, drove down the mountain, dropped off our car guests, and arrived at home once more, it was 7:00pm. The boys were exhausted and protested waking up to get out of the car. I decided it was an ideal time for a kids' Bible show (as I didn't want them going to bed for a nap now), and set the boys down so we could unload the car without the crying. Poor guys!

It was a full but satisfying day. We had a great time, and the food, as always was good. Now we can say we experienced a true Georgian picnic vacation. It was an enjoyable glimpse into the way that Georgians think and plan.

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!

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 -

What Will You Do With Jesus, My Friend?

In the shadow of the Resurrection (here in Tbilisi, Georgia, it was celebrated yesterday), and also because my crazy schedule dictated a re-post; here is a poem to remind us of the purpose of Easter.


What will you do with Jesus, my friend?

Where will you go when your life ends?

Some hear the story at their door,
    because their neighbor their heart implored.

Some read a tract left by the way
    and curse, and rip, and throw away.

Some claim Christ is in their heart,
    but from His truth, their walk departs.

A man who learned Christ as a child,
    but leaves Him, choosing to run wild.

One meets Christ in trials hard
    and prays a promise to restart.

In jail, Christ makes a heart to change,
    their life He starts to rearrange.

Others meet Christ and are never the same;
   they live to honor His holy name.

Because of His love and grace they tell
   His story to others they meet, as well.


My Jesus, God's Son, died for you
   He wants to make your heart anew.

He'll clean your heart, change your life
   fill you with His truth and right.

Christ loves your soul; so He makes
   a promise of heaven to all who partake.

If you know Christ, why not tell
   His free gift to others as well?


What will you do with Jesus, my friend?

Where will you go when your life ends?


© Barbara Hinson, December 2016
please do not copy without crediting the author!

A Little Introduction

Michael & Barbara
Zachary & Jude

“Gamarjoba!” A hearty hello from the European country of Georgia! My name is Barbara, and I would like to introduce you to myself, my family and the work we are doing here in this country.

I grew up on a little farm on the backside of nowhere in Eastern Montana, the second of 4 children. I raised goats, joined 4-H, kept up the house in the summer time, and in general, did what any other country kid did. My parents taught us to do the hard things, do them right, and not quit. They taught us to try food we didn’t know if we would like. They taught us to love and honor the Lord and required church attendance. Their faithfulness to go to church (it was an hour and ten minutes away) really showed their dedication to the Lord. All these things gave me an excellent background to ministering in this country.

From the day I could talk, I knew I was called to missions. I heard the call to reach orphans and abused in Mexico. My parents, though they knew this would mean I would eventually move a world away, always encouraged this dream. It kept me focused. I learned Spanish, attended teacher training classes, gained experience teaching junior church, and planned vacation Bible schools. When I reached college age, I took online classes at home for a psychology/Christian counselling degree, and continued to teach at church and in the public schools. I took several mission trips, about one a year, starting when I was fifteen. I received Christ and was baptized in July 2015.

The second trip to Mexico (I was then 22), I received the clear message that God had closed the door for me to go to Mexico. Feeling confused and a little disheartened, I talked it over with my mom. She very wisely advised, “God may have given you that vision to keep you focused through high school and college (Lord knows you needed that!) and now He has something special in mind.” So true were the words, for 6 months later I met the wonderful man who is now my husband- on his way to the country of Georgia. A year after meeting, we were married. Yay!

After a honeymoon and about a month break, Michael and I plunged right back into deputation ministry (he had started before we met), to raise funding to go overseas. I learned a LOT about God and faith those first few months. We really had very little, but the Lord provided our needs. We completed our deputation and arrived in Tbilisi (the capitol of) Georgia in May of 2017.

The Lord has blessed us with two children: Jude, turning three shortly, and Zachary, roughly a year and a half. They do keep me on my toes, but they are a great joy and help us so much meeting people in this country. Jude is into all things boy: rocket ships, Spider man (how, I don’t know!), dragons, and Patch the Pirate. Zachary is our lovable, happy, mischievous  and daring child who doesn’t know danger and hates to hear the word no.

Right now, we are digging the trenches in the Lord’s battle. (We are learning the language.) The trenches are deep, and the work is long and hard, but it is necessary before we can engage in the Spiritual warfare in this country. The Georgian language is among the hardest for English speakers to learn, having an immense vocabulary and complicated verb structure. The people here are greatly loyal to their Georgian Orthodox church, and are "good" people, but they are totally lost! They are told not to read the Bible and know more about tradition and superstition than about Christ. We look forward to knowing the language well enough to share the gospel with our friends.

I’m looking forward to sharing with you how God works in and through our family.