Doors

As this 2015 closes out and yet another year is gearing up for take-off, I am in disbelief that I will be taking off to the Dominican Republic on January 22. Not sure how that came up so quick.
I'm excited beyond comprehension, but also very, very terrified.
I've been to the DR many times, but it has been about 3 years now since I last stepped foot on the country's grounds. Each time I'm filled with such emotion and inspiration as I work not only alongside the people I went there with, but with the people who are there, embracing us in return.

The excitement side of me recalls beautiful sunrises over an impoverished community, and the incredible range of emotions that stir as I daily faced a new challenge and/or realization. The children are so vibrant and content in who they are and where they are from, and challenge your thinking in the "have to have it all" mentality. Adults are no different. Welcoming, loving and embracing as you exchange smiles in lue of the language barrier. They again, have you asking yourself "what am I missing that makes them so happy?"
Then there are the evenings together as a team, diving into the Word that God has laid before us in ways we never get the opportunity to do back home in the midst of busy lives and chaotic schedules. Tears, laughter, opening up. Before you know it, these crazy people become your family and you are lonely without them once you get home. (Though, I literally married one of them, and made him my family...)
The evenings and mornings are just splendid. Nothing beats a morning, listening to the roosters crow upon the sunrise and sipping the coffee while God intimately moves you in ways that you didn't think possible. My, oh, my...I wish I could bring this experience home to give others a taste of it, but nothing compares. I think it may be the beauty in the midst of the differences, encompassing the simplicity of it all. So simple is this time, yet so driven and authentic.

Then, there is the terrified side of me. The side that questions everything. The stepping on a plane when blood clots have invaded and taken captive of my life. The leaving my baby girl home for that long. The unknowns of life back at home. It almost crushes me. Am I doing the right thing? Am I pursuing the right path?
I'm terrified of leaving the states after what happened 2 years ago.
There is a whirlwind of emotion that tangles itself up in the excitement, and brings me back down to earth when I loft on the memories of this sweet, beautiful place.
What if I do something stupid? Say the wrong things? Make a wrong choice?
All of these questions explode in my mind.

But then I remember how Christ grabbed my hand and guided me here. He has this. He has opened doors wide for me before. He has slammed them before I was dumb enough to step through them (although at the time, I was so upset and angry for those doors not working out). He has literally pushed me through doors before when it all seemed so wrong. But without going through those doors, I wouldn't be who I am today, or have the strength and faith that came with the hardships of those doors.
Again, He stands there, with this door WIDE, and I mean, WIDE open, holding out His hand and offering it to help usher me in to where I'm so unsure of going. He's put pieces in place, and people and contributions where they need to be to get me here. (I can't THANK YOU all enough!) He has given me every reason to hold on to His hand and go. Just go.

So, on January 22, I will be going. For the first time in 3 years, I will be returning to the DR, with a different strength, and health, and different worries than I had 3 years ago. I know He is faithful, and He has  proven this to me in so many dramatic ways since the last time.
Be in prayer for my team, my family, me, and God's direction as we do what He needs us to do. Some would question us going at all, but He has His reasons, and I know never to question that.

Hungry

I've been hungry lately. 

I don't mean physically hungry, because trust me, I've gotten my fill this month between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

No, my friends, I mean the ultimate and most painful kind of hunger. 

The hunger for God's Word to saturate my mind.

The hunger for God's presence to throw me to my knees.

And the hunger for a lost world to fall so deeply in love with it's Creator, that it freaking hurts lately. 

I am so hungry. I'm hungry for Christ-followers to start denying what they want, and do whatever it takes to drive a life-altering Truth into the lost, not in a Bible-thumping, intimidating, arrogant loser- sort of way, but in a loving unconditionally, so full of light despite life's darkness attacking - sort of way. 

I yearn to see passionate people giving up the fights within the church body, to pursue the battle that lies before us in this world in bringing the message. 

I am famished by the lack of faith and passion portrayed around me. For the love, quit fighting the battle of what your cozy church, life, job, spouse, children, home, programs, look like and SEEK FIRST the Kingdom! Surrender all of those things in His timing for His sake, and let Him provide. 

NOW is the time to seek Him, to share His love, to fight the battle in His Name, and to chase passionately after Him. 

This world is temporary, you guys! How will we ever realize this, and then get others to, if we are busy making comfortable lives before surrendering to His mission for our lives? What do those who aren't following Christ think when we don't even pursue Him in our daily lives? Why would they want to jump into that? We could lose this whole world tomorrow, and then we're left with nothing. God is eternal. He has given me a unique look at how short and questionable this life is. Please, please, please, don't waste it. Life is not about cars, jobs, money, spouses, kids, houses, achievements, "success", but about a surrendering to His cause. 

Please don't hear me wrong- all of those things are not bad, but we are to SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of heaven, and these things will be added. 

So if you're spending your time hunting for a spouse, or getting to the top of the career ladder, or pouring every ounce of energy into a program that is precious to your agenda, or working to earning an achievement that isn't going to count once this life is over, I urge you to pour that time into a mission that has lasting, eternal ripples instead. First chase Him. Surrender it all to Him. Give it up for His path. Then allow Him to bring you all of those other wonderful things in His time. When your heart can be content where it is in Him first, then He will bring you the rest. 

Get moving and do something! 

Mother's Heart

I don't wish for her to make the team one day. I don't long for her to be popular or win contests. She will accomplish much, but that is not what matters to me. Her life is more than being my daughter, and more than the achievements she will earn. I don't even hold a passion for her to make top grades or be aligned with the right schools. She's so smart at 20 months, but I'm not concerned with that either. While these things aren't bad by any means, they will come with seeking first His Kingdom and His plan.

No, I don't hope, wish, or even pray for these things, but for her to find her safety and security on the lap of her Heavenly Father.
I long with my whole heart for her to be so ridiculously passionate for her King that all her other passions are reflecting Him.
I yearn that she has a faith that shines and glows everywhere she goes so that others wonder why she is filled with such inexplicable joy.
When life pushes her around (because it will), I pray that she knows where to look and Who to reach to.
I pray she is surrounded with friends who push her to be full of the fervent faith that is disappearing from our world.
I don't want anything to matter to her as much as the things of Heaven.
I want her to reach the broken, love the outcasts, and set the alternative for what this world has to offer to those who need to see it.  
God, touch this little one to follow in the passions of Your heart.

Why We Value Kids in Church

 
Sometimes I have a hard time trying to figure out why our kids don't matter as much as they should in our churches. Here is why I think they should:

1) They are our future. Our kids will be the next generation of the church. On an single church basis, they will one day be a deacon, an elder, the secretary, the youth pastor, the pastor...I grew up surrounded by awesome kids programs and I have strong belief that those programs are a lot of the reason I hung on to the idea of church. I grew up in our GEMS program, which was amazing being that I was never an outgoing kid. Every summer I looked forward to VBS programs and having fun learning Bible verses in a way I could understand - and I hold on to some of those today in the same way as I learned them then. Youth group was huge for me too. I don't think I would have ever went to church without going to youth group. Now, I'm the secretary of a church and am a huge advocate for our kids. The impact of kids' ministries is so important and real!


2) Catch the kid, catch the parents. This one sounds creepy, but it's true. Kids who love kids' church will bring their parents to church. When they go home and rant to mom and dad about Wednesday night Awana or GEMS, parents tend to want to see more. Sometimes, kids will drag their parents to church because they don't want to miss Sunday School. Parents love that their kids are taken care of and show great respect for churches that put kids first. Now that I'm a parent, this is a MUST for us. If I know my baby is being taken care of in a safe place and will grow up learning some life-applicable teachings from God's Word, that is a win in my book.
Safety is a must too. By safety, I mean no random adults wandering through my child's classroom and area. Just because everyone knows Joe Smith in the church doesn't mean the first-time dad knows him, and he shouldn't be just walking through his kids' area unless he works with the kids and has proof of it. If Joe Smith is an elder, first-time dad doesn't know that and will probably look twice and wonder why they're in there. Same with anyone not wearing Children's Ministry ID and attire. A safe place for JUST kids is a must. (See more about that below). Turn off the safety, you might as well turn on a big sign saying "we could care less about the kids of our church". This is the biggest turn off for new parents.


3) Kids will be the next generation of the Good News. Kids pick up on everything. They will grow passionate about God if they see how passionate we ware about Him and how much we care about them learning about God. God tells us to teach His Word to our kids, and when we fail to pass that along, we miss the mark and we face a dying generation of the Word. How is this not important? Proverbs 22:6


4) We learn from children. The faith of a child is the purest and most open. Adults put on the blinders, create biases, and question every word they hear and read. Kids take things as they hear and see them. When we approach God in such a way, we are so open to His imprinting and molding of our lives. This is why it is also important to teach children while they are young and open. Matthew 18:2-4


5) Jesus commands us to value our kids. Check out Matthew 18:2-6. It speaks for itself.



What we should be doing about it:

1) Give kids their own, safe place to come. Just like us as adults, kids love to go to church when there is something for them. Many adults love to go to church...when there is something they can take away. I heard this conversation just this week. Yes- we need to go to give back to God too, but growth is a very important aspect of this too. If we cram our kids in the smallest room in church and have it packed full of stuff made for adults, what does that say about our value for our kids? Safety, as I ranted about above is HUGE.


2) Kids need new, exciting, curriculum. This can be a tough one in churches because curriculum is so much of the cost. But, how much does your church pay to have a pastor  teach a new message each week? I doubt the pastor uses the same messages year after year. I'm pretty sure if he did the people would probably start seeking another place of worship. How is it any different for our kids and youth? We need to value our adults, but I believe we need to value our kids even more. Giving them fresh, new stuff each year is a big part in creating the excitement in them for Children's Ministry.


3) Value those who value the kids. Volunteers and staff who work with our kids and youth are detrimental in growing faith-filled kids. It's hard to know the background kids come from and the adults that are in their lives, but you can guarantee they are getting some positive influence through the people at their church. This is to be a constant in their inconsistent worlds, and that is so valuable to our kids today. Treat volunteers and staff as inferior who work with our kids and you might as well kiss your quality kids and youth ministries goodbye.


What do you think?

My Essential 6

It's been a year...wow. One year ago this very Sunday evening I was helicoptered to Grand Rapids with a 7-inch pulmonary embolism (yes, I have a picture of it), unsure of whether or not I'd live to see the next day. In that time I learned so many things, including just how much of a keeper my husband is and just how many people we have that care about us. I can't even express how many people I had coming from all walks of life pouring into me and my family during that time. Probably people I didn't even realize were pouring into us were. But as I reflect back on that entire process and part of my journey in life, I have learned some other very valuable things. I call them my "Essential 6" as I carry myself through this world:

1. Christ will always be my center. Period. He is always my number 1. When He is my number 1, nothing else in this world can touch me. I have always strived to make Him my number 1, but after all of this, I realize that as long as I keep Him number 1, I don't have to care what others think of me or what in this world can possibly harm me. No matter what happens in this life, He is always there and He will carry me through.In turn, because He is the center of my life, everything I do is with and through Him. I enjoy the things I love, but glorify Him and thank Him through and for them. Anything that could possibly compromise Him being the center of my life or take away from Him, I count out. Do I still slip up? Of course. But refocusing myself from time to time is always in order anyways. With Christ at the center, nothing will ever ruin me.(Matthew 6:33; Romans 8:31)


2. Nothing is impossible with Him. I repeat, NOTHING. I wasn't supposed to have my own child, and I did. I probably shouldn't have survived a 7-inch pulmonary embolism, and I did. I have a rare heart defect that faced tough odds back in 1986, but I overcame that. Why? Because HE did. Because nothing is impossible with Christ. He will bless you immensely if you just put your all into Him. I won't lie when I say that these things were a hard hill to climb, but beating the odds feels pretty good and I know that doing that myself would have ended in failure. Simply saying "I trust You, Lord" isn't always simple at heart. But when you truly believe He can overcome, things change. (Matthew 19:26)


3. Forgiveness is a must. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people hold grudges that last their lifetimes. Grudges are held against other believers, family members, non-believers, friends, etc. I see these people literally fall apart in character and spirit because they let one person's opinion or actions get to them so deep. Grudges, I have learned, never hurt the person you have them against, they hurt you. I have learned that life is too stinking short to live in such misery of a grudge, especially if it's against a family member. I have disagreements with people all the time and many I would love to just dangle over their heads, but I have come to learn that for the sake of my health and for the sake of the faith, I have to either admit I'm wrong or agree to disagree. I know there are the "non-negotiables" when it comes to the faith, but when you've beaten the dead horse over and over again, and the opposing party knows your stance on it and still won't budge (on an individual level), you just need to agree to disagree and move the heck on. Fighting about it constantly puts a bad taste in someone's mouth about how Christians really are. Grudges tend to get in the way of love. And speaking when you don't have love behind your words is just annoying. (ask 1 Corinthians 13) You don't have to accept a lifestyle, but sometimes you just need to back off if they know where you stand already.(Ephesian 4:31-32)


4. Humility is key. This ties in with number 3.When you let go of your pride and allow humility to soak through every situation and relationship, things end up going so much smoother. Sometimes, you need to count yourself as less before you can build others up - not in a demeaning, hate yourself kind of way, but in a "I don't know it all, and I need Christ to grow me" sort of way. Going into something with a prideful attitude turns others off. In my experience, working with people, no one wants to be approached with your "I'm right, you're wrong" attitude. Rather, they seem to respond better to a "how can I help you" attitude. Of course, in a fallen world, you will find people that take advantage of you and do everything they can to drain you of what resources you have. That is where the "God doesn't help those who don't help themselves"mentality could come in as helpful. Humility and strength is how Jesus taught, and it is huge in growing today. (Philippians 2:3)


5. Trusting in Him will bring you the best blessings. There was a time before Lucy came that I really questioned what God wanted me to do in the kids department. I struggled with not knowing if I should pursue having my own children or giving it up on the spot. I always had a glimpse of God when I thought about this, however. I can't really explain it, but it was almost a voice in the back of my mind saying, "Just trust Me". And let me tell you, it was the hardest thing for me to just let go and let God. The fact that I became pregnant so quickly though, was an indicator of exactly what God wanted of me. It is the best decision and the hugest blessing He could have ever given me, and without trusting Him, I wouldn't have Lucy. So when you question your next step, turn to God and allow His perfect plan to flow amazing blessings on you, because our plans may seem great, but His are far greater. (Proverbs 3:5-6)


6. We have no time to waste. This one is my biggest conviction, and perhaps my biggest challenge, but getting our faith stories out there to a world in desperate need of God's love is huge. Your life is short (trust me, I know), and any day it can be taken from you. It can be a living testimony to someone near to you, whether you know it or not. Your story is the most effective way of getting His love out there. Tell it and share how God has moved in your life. Don't let the "crap" that happens to you become a hurdle to your faith, but another chapter in your story and how Christ used it to strengthen your faith. The time is now. (Luke 8:39)


I thank you all again for your continued prayers and encouragement in my life. I hope that Christ can use me to be a light for Him, because He has sure used all of you as I have endured quite a year. Look forward with the tools He has given you, but don't dwell on the hardships of your life without using them to move ahead.