Need I Say More...

It will be Thanksgiving in a few days and I intend to fully enjoy time will with my family.

A Beautiful Sight!

A well-worn bible is a beautiful sight! Taped up, tattered pages, rubber banded together and jammed with notes is a good sign of a well-studied, well-loved bible. What condition is your bible in, could your bible use a little more "alone time" with you?

How beautiful are the feet...

WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED...

"Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed. And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS!" the Bible, Romans 10:11-15

God's heart is for the Nations

Not all countries are open to the Gospel. We have many missionaries that will be traveling to countries that are considered closed, which is why I have been unable to disclose some of their "real names" or which part of the world they have been called to. My fellow missionaries will be headed to Haiti, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Cambodia, Venezuela, China, Tanzania, Peru, Ireland, Germany, Turkey, Sudan, Kenya, Mexico, Afghanistan, Nepal, Russia, Bahamas and the USA Navajo Nation. Please pray for them and their families. Pray that God will use their lives to bless people all over the earth.

Missionaries in Disguise!

These friends are almost as colorful as my former Lady Bug friends, but they're a lot more fun and you don't have to vacuum them up at the end of the day!

The friendly neighborhood Exterminator came today to spray all the housing units for bugs and spiders. I learned a lot more about bugs than I really wanting to know. For example did you know that Lady Bugs are on the endangered species list? Ooopps. Also, you should never vacuum them up. Lady Bugs produce protective oil when they feel threatened which can make your vacuum cleaner smell horrid for days! Oooops again.

My friendly Exterminator (is that an oxymoron?) told me that there are 2.5 billion insects per every human. Hey, that's interesting because there are approximately 2.5 billion people in the world who have never hear about Jesus, which is why I am here in this Lady Bug invested apartment.

You never know when you'll have an opportunity to share the Gospel. The bible says we are to be prepared to give account for our faith, we are to be ready in and out of season......even bug season!

Help, I'm Being Invaded!

Today was the first day of my last set of classes at the Center for Intercultural Training (CIT). We are studying Church Planting, especially focusing on rapid church planting movements or saturation church planting. When I returned to my apartment this afternoon, there had been a sudden, saturation movement of LADY BUGS in my house! There were about 50 or 60 of them dotted all over my white living room walls. That's kinda crazy! Not sure where they came from or how they got into my house since all the windows were closed. Oh well, things are never dull around here.

The Power of Encouragement!

Tokens of love and concern from my friends.

To those of you who understand the power of an encouraging word, thank you so much!

Is suffering in contradiction with the goodness of God?

The Bible Has Something to Say About Suffering
(As Reflected in 1 Peter)

Jesus is our model as we look at the nature of God. He is the perfect reflection of the Living God. God’s great love is demonstrated through the sacrificial life and death of Christ. It was the willingness of Jesus to suffer death that we as Believers are able to experience spiritual life. “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made us alive in the spirit”, 1 Peter 3:18. The very purpose and ministry of Christ involved suffering.

As followers of Jesus, our lives should reflect the same nature. We willingly subject ourselves to the living God, knowing that we too will be rejected at times. Jesus, “the choice stone, a precious living stone” was rejected and became a stumbling stone to those who were perishing. Although Christ was rejected and suffered unjustly at the hands of men, He endured patiently and faithfully unto the end. He entrusted Himself to the One who ultimately judges righteously.

As followers of Christ we are referred to as living stones. Our lives will not be exempt from suffering, in fact as a point of identification with Christ we are called to the same ministry of suffering. The suffering itself is not the end results, it is the patience and love we demonstrate through the process of suffering that honors God. We are given the opportunity to reflect God’s character through the process.

Jesus willingly chose to endure suffering for our sake to bring about an eternal benefit. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by His wounds we are healed”. Jesus patiently endured, not returning evil for evil or retaliating when threatened. The long suffering patience of a holy God is demonstrated through the meekness of Jesus. He became a bond slave, purposely forfeiting all of His rights. When we respond to testing trials or distresses in the same manor as Christ did, we honor God. He finds favor in us when we faithfully endure. Our faith is compared to fine gold that has been refined in the fiery furnaces. It results in praise, glory and honor to God.

Through suffering we are exhorted to remember our position in Christ. We are not to be fearful or intimidated by circumstances. God considers us His chosen possessions, holy and loved. He has rescued us by grace out of darkness and into His marvelous light. At first the ministry of suffering appears to be in contradiction with the goodness of God. However we see both qualities displayed simultaneously through the person of Christ. Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, was compelled by love. It was His good pleasure that He should suffer for us.

Missions & Martyrdom

Original article was posted on PIONEERS website on August 27, 2007

Missions & Martyrdom
How do we balance risk and responsibility in world missions?
by Steve Richardson

Steve Richardson is President of PIONEERS-USA For more information on PIONEERS, visit http://www.pioneers.org/.

A Korean short-term mission group of 23 were taken hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan recently. At the time of this writing two members of the group have been killed, and the lives of the others remain in jeopardy. Our hearts go out to these hostages and to their families. We pray with them for a speedy release.

This tragedy is yet another vivid reminder of the cost of doing mission in today’s world. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Do we really believe this? Are we willing to pay the price?

Growing up in the jungles of New Guinea in the 1960s, I witnessed first hand the great cost of the mission advance in hundreds of tribal cultures. It was a cost paid in sickness, sweat and tears. I knew martyrs like Stan Dale and Phil Masters, killed by the Yali tribe, and others who lost their lives in airplane crashes in the unforgiving New Guinea highlands.

What can we learn from the experience of our Korean brothers and sisters?

1. There is still a high price to be paid for the advance of the gospel in unreached areas. This has not changed in 2,000 years, and it never will.

2. There are many places in the world, especially in Muslim regions, that do not enjoy the freedoms we take for granted. The lack of liberties and suffering of Christians in these countries should be a major concern to all of us.

3. Churches should pray for much wisdom when planning to send short-term teams to volatile places. I’ve traveled in Afghanistan and sped across the desert into Baghdad, Iraq in 2003. I have felt the dangers first hand. While risks will never be eliminated entirely, there is value in association with an experienced mission organization that has knowledgeable personnel on the ground to advise and protect.

4. Prayer is absolutely essential. Any major advance of the gospel comes only through victories won in the heavenly realms.

5. The “fear factor” must never prevail. We must serve courageously and boldly, joining the ranks of those who by faith “conquered kingdoms, administered justice and gained what was promised ... ” (Hebrews 11:33).

May God give His people wisdom and courage to stay faithful in a dangerous era.

Steve Richardson is President of PIONEERS-USA For more information on PIONEERS, visit http://www.pioneers.org/.

Last year at this time I was in Myanmar...

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and burden is light." Matthew 11: 28-30

A year ago I was serving with a medical team in Myanmar. We were only there for one month. The heat was sweltering and the work challenging, but the blessing of being an extension of God's love made it a life changing trip.

Today I am bundled up in a blanket watching the autumn leaves dance across the road, studying the principles of cross cultural communications at a Missionary training center! This is a huge life transition for me. A year ago I was employed, lived in my own home and my only task for the day was raking leaves in the front yard!

I have been at CIT for almost three months. It has been a time of study as well as seeking God's direction for my next steps. It has been rich and wonderful. The classes have been excellent even though sometimes I feel like I've been given a sip of water from a fire hose!

Your prayers are greatly appreciated as there are many times when the reality and consequences of these life changes overwhelm me. It is a humbling thought to know that the great and mighty God of all the nations, invites me to participate in His Kingdom work....loving people. This is an impossible assignment apart from Him. Pray I stay yoked closely to Him as He leads me through this process.

Maintaining Healthy Margins

I Don't See Any White Space!

At some point in time you may have noticed how difficult it is to read a paper that has no margins. Hopefully you are not actually trying to read this crazy paper, as I only wrote it to demonstrate a point. Margins are very important. Some people write all over their whole paper and leave absolutely no available space. If you haven't stopped reading this yet, now is the time! Jump down to the large print below and continue reading. Their many words spill over to consume every conceivable inch. They stretch to very edge of the sheet of paper leaving no margins at all. Seeing such a letter may cause you to panic. If you haven't stopped reading this yet, now is the time! Jump down to the large print below and continue reading. You may even become fatigued by the very thought of having to read such a thing. No matter how interesting the topic may be, when there are no places to rest your eyes it becomes an exhausting chore. At some point in time you may have noticed how difficult it is to read a paper that has no margins. Hopefully you are not actually trying to read this crazy paper, as I only wrote it to demonstrate a point. Margins are very important. Some people write all over their whole paper and leave absolutely no available space. Their many words spill over to consume every conceivable inch. They stretch to very edge of the sheet of paper leaving no margins at all. Seeing such a letter may cause you to panic. You may even become fatigued by the very thought of having to read such a thing!

White space is the area of a document or letter that is purposely left available, uncluttered with text. Some of us live our lives in the same way that this paper was written without any "margins" or "white spaces". Our busy lives spill over to the edges or margins of our day. For many, this happen EVERY DAY. This type of chronic over extension of our personal or business life is harmful and although we may be aware of the serious consequences of living beyond our margins (emotional, spiritual and physical) are we doing anything to address it?

As a Christians I am not exempt from the stresses of this world. I live in a society that places great value on those who accomplish much. We esteem those who are able to withstand great pressures over prolonged periods of time. We rewarded them with important titles, positions of responsibility and sometimes we even give them a BONUS.

I am learning the importance of living with margins. I need them! They need to be intentional built into my life, or I’ll have none! The lack of establishing healthy margins (or boundaries) will eventually result in burnout or other serious ailments.

Here is my problem, there is a disconnect between what I know and what I do. I think my actions, not my words, reveal my true core beliefs most of the time. In the privacy of my own heart, perhaps I still foolishly believed these following statements to be true:

1. That I am indispensable
2. That I am the only one able to complete the task
3. That I am only as important as my last success
4. That my value is directly related to "how" or "what" I am able to produce
   
   For Me To Maintain Healthy Margins

1. Remember it's not about ME
2. Remember sometimes the right answer is NO
3. Remember it's okay to ask for help
4. Remember to depend on God's strengths and abilities, not mine!
5. Remember times of solitude are necessary and valuable
6. Remember REST IS NOT A SIN
7. Remember my value is not ultimately determined by others, but by a loving God
8. Remember Jesus!

My Grandaughter, Codie Rae

Approxiamtely 5lbs 5oz at the time of these photos!