Outside

Yesterday I painted some of the outdoor white trim on my house. I do not enjoy being outside so painting the outdoor trim was not pleasant. I do like to paint but only inside. Generally speaking I enjoy any kind of painting but for some reason painting outside took most of the fun out of the job. I know most people look for a reason to be outside and even enjoy it but this was not my idea of a good time. I love projects and I am not afraid of a challenge but they are all inside. As I painted, wishing that the sun would stop glaring in my face, I thought about how we all have to do things we don't like to do. Life isn't always fun, easy or comfortable. I'm different, I know that. I feel at home in an airport and I feel my best eating food I have never had before. Yet being outside in the sun irritates me. God knew just what I needed yesterday. He was stretching me, taking me outside of my comfort zone, making me go "outside". It's good for us to do things we don't want to do. I guess it's called growing up.

In the Trash!

I was reading in Hebrews this morning and my eye seemed stuck on this one verse, " So watch your step, friends. Make sure there's no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God."(Hebrews 3:12 Message)
I kept reading the part that says "unbelief lying around" and began imagining "unbelief" as if it were old socks, dirty dishes, or newspapers lying around my house. You know... the stuff no one wants to pick up and take care of. I could visualize the dishes, socks, and newspapers but what about "unbelief"? And yet it is true, we leave it lying around in our mind and in our heart. Sometimes the worst thing we do is pick it up only to speak our "unbelief" and lay it inside of someone else's heart and mind. Lets make it a point today to pick up our junk. I don't want to get tripped up and I certainly don't want to trip someone else up. Lets put "unbelief" where it belongs...in the trash!

Pulled in a million directions

I was feeling pulled in several directions. I am sure you know the feeling, someone wants your attention while the phone is ringing and another person is tugging at your sleeve. By the end of the day you want to collapse but there are several more projects that demand attention and before you know it it's after midnight...again. Since I am not a night person "after midnight" is not nice. That is just how I felt last night and I was visualizing those feelings and saw myself being pulled left and right back and forth. I could see my arms and legs being stretched further and further and feeling like I just might split in two or maybe three pieces. Then I knew that God had an answer for me. I could feel God drawing me toward Him but instead of feeling pulled in yet another direction I felt embraced and whole. I need to remember this, the next time I feel overwhelmed by so many of life's demands, I need to take a moment and draw close to the One who keeps me all together.

Failure

I am no stranger to failure. It seems we are all destined to fail at some point (or points) in our life. I have one failure that I have to face day after day. Several weeks ago I decided to repaint my bathtub. This didn't seem like a terribly hard thing to do. I read the box and thought, "Oh I could do that easily." I set aside the day to do the work and as the box instructed, I scrubbed and sanded, rinsed and dried the tub until I had prepped the surface and it was ready to paint. Taking my premixed spray cans I sprayed and sprayed. With every layer the tub looked better and better. Now only 2 short months later the tub is pealing and bubbling all over looking worse and worse with patches of peeled paint over top of a nasty looking tub. Failure screams at me every time I take a bath and clean the tub. I had been so sure I could do this job.
Today, as I finished my bath, I couldn't help but think that this tub fiasco is much like other events in life. Often even after much hard work the result is failure. For many these failures define them. However what should define us is the courage to try again and to not give in to the voices of defeat. I'm not going to let a bathtub dictate to me how I feel or convince me of failure. This tub won't win...if I have to I can take a sledge hammer to it and take it out. Then we'll see who wins.

Best Bed and Breakfast in the World

Last night we stayed in a lovely Bed and Breakfast in Millersburg Ohio. You can take a peek at their rooms on this site http://www.thebarninn.com/ . We had the privilege to stay in the room called Memory Lane. It is much more beautiful than the photo shows. The room is spacious and the bed was oh so soft. It also includes an inviting fireplace and comfy sofa and recliner. The remodeled barn is filled with beautiful antique furniture and the decor is rich and inviting. When we arrived, we were greeted by Loretta, the warm and friendly hostess. She showed us all around and explained the yummy treats that were available. There were chocolate chip cookies and some kind of flaky berry jumble bars, all homemade. I had one of the jumble bars and it was melt in your mouth good. What can I say about breakfast. It was all fresh homemade goodness paired with the new found friends from all over the country. If you ever have a chance to go to Millersburg, make sure you stay at the Barn Inn. You will love it.

Why Do I Live

Some one asked me the other day, why do I live? The question wasn't something philosophical but an honest, soul searching, gut wrenching question. One that begged an answer that gave true validity to that person's life. Surprising to me was the fact that, throughout the years, I have been asked that same question by several others. Why do I live? Why do you live? For me the answer is simple. I live because I am dead, you see I died to myself years ago (yes, it is true that old self often wants to resurrect itself, nevertheless I am determined that it is dead). Like the Apostle Paul I can say, "The life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Why do I live? I live for Him. I don't have to understand how valuable I am, I just have to know that I am valuable. I don't have to have a reason to live, just a determination to live, knowing that my life has worth and it is important because someone greater than I choose to give me worth. The Bible tells me that there is no greater love that that which is shown when a man gives his life for a friend. Jesus Christ gave his life for you and I. The price He paid indicates our value. Oh yes there are places to go and things to do, but they don't determine the value of one's life. You have value because you are loved. My reason for living isn't wrapped up in what I can do or what I have done but rather in who I am and who loves me. So if you also wonder why you live, meditate on Jesus' love for you instead of meditating on your failures and lack of abilities. Think about God's goodness instead of the vanity of life. The reason I live? It is to return the love to the one who loves me most. That sure takes the pressure off from my day!

Boiled Peanuts

I mentioned boiled peanuts the other day on Facebook. I was surprised at the responses that I got. On and on the comments came. I couldn't help but think how special such an insignificant thing like boiled peanuts could be. For one moment in time several people were united in one cause... the love of Boiled peanuts. Who would have guessed that so many people would be interested in the lowly peanut? It made me think about all the people in the world who think they are insignificant, lower than a peanut. So many people have no purpose, no goals, no happiness. They feel so low at times that eating dirt would be a luxury. If you are one of those don't forget, someone cared enough to die for you. You are not alone and definitely not insignificant. The book of Matthew tells a story about a great merchant who sought after a treasure. When he found the treasure he sold all he had just to buy that treasure. Jesus is the great merchant and he found you, His wonderful treasure. He sold all, even his own life, to purchase you. Hmmm...this is so much better than boiled peanuts.

Ministry update

Fred and I are traveling right now. This is the way we spend most of our summers. As many of you know we work in Africa and also the Philippines. Every summer we take some time to visit friends and churches that support us and this is currently what we are doing. Fred is also working diligently on editing the video Bible school classes that we produce. This is a lot of tedious work and it takes hundreds of hours to complete one class. Please pray with us that this work goes smoothly. I have also been finishing my third book. I am hoping that I will have this book published by the end of this month. The title is "The Only Way Out Is In". I am very excited about this project. It has been a lot of work and so many friends have helped me. I couldn't have done it without them.
Many people ask me what we do in our mission work. Fred and I both teach at Bible schools and churches in Africa and the Philippines. It has been our great joy to regularly teach in established Bible schools, run by local African/Philippine ministries. We have the privilege of working with great pastors and leaders. We have established and help supervise/maintain over 40 Video Bible schools across West Africa. We also hold pastor's seminars, women's conferences and work closely with an orphanage in Benin.
Our daughter Marie-Louise is planing to go to Honduras in August this year and this will be her first mission trip with out us. Please pray for her. She will be traveling with Mike and Becky Ingole. She is very excited about going and we believe this will be a great trip for her. Fred is leaving for Africa late August/early September. He is holding several pastor's conferences and teaching Bible school. Please pray for him and his plans. I will leave for Palawan with a team in late October, after Fred comes back from Africa. I am currently booking my fall schedule. (I am available in the USA while Fred is gone) I have a few dates left open. Please pray that everything works smoothly as we juggle all of our programs. We plan to all be back together in the USA for the holidays.
Thanks for your prayers...

Loved

I made a new friend yesterday. I love making and keeping friends. It seems to me that in this day of hustle and bustle we forget some of the most important things and one of those things is to look into the eyes of someone while they talk and listen to their heart. As I was listening to my new friend, I saw her deep yearning for God and also the struggle she experiences because of often being missunderstood. I saw someone with deep compassion for others and also a fear of failure. I watched her as she spoke and God began to show me how vital this one person is in the Kingdom of God. How often I have overlooked someone because I was too busy or just didn't pay attention. I made a new friend yesterday because I stopped long enough to look deep inside and see the real person.
God, help me to truly see people, to look deep and feel and understand like you would have me do. That's what being a friend truly is...after all, that's how you treat me.

Popcorn

We made popcorn today. Funny how even popcorn has changed in the last several years. I remember when I was young and we would take a big kettle, pour some salt, oil and popcorn kernels into it, put a lid on it and the shake shake shake it over a good hot stove until all of the corn had popped. Eventually the hot air popcorn maker emerged and out of the spout of the new electrical appliance came flying popcorn, fat and guilt free. Then the microwave changed everything about popcorn. All that is necessary for a perfectly seasoned bag of popcorn is 3 minutes in a microwave oven and viola, an instant snack! Everyone in the family can have their choice plain, sweet, or salty, high fat or low. You name it there is no end to the choices. However one things stays the same, not all the kernels pop. Some pop into light, tasty, delicious puffs, however some just burn, some do nothing, and some turn into little tooth breaking stones. It doesn't seem to matter if it's a hot stove, hot air, or microwaves, not every kernel responds to the process.
God, help me to respond to your process. I don't want to do nothing and I don't want to become burned out and hard, but I want to bloom and expand until I am everything you want me to be. Thank you Lord for the process, teach me to respond to you!

Overcoming

In Revelation 3:21 we read, "To him who overcomes..." I don't know about you but when I read that, I think of all kinds of things to overcome. No one is exempt; we all need to overcome, stress, finances, family issues, you name it we even need to overcome food! Our need to overcome daily is endless. If I only think about the things to conquer I could become discouraged but the very fact that I am promised a reward if I do overcome gives me hope that it can be done. Praise the Lord! I am an overcomer. You are an overcomer. We don't have to settle for defeat. You or I might lose a few battles but that doesn't make us losers. An overcomer even overcomes defeat!