Evangelism/ Ministry
Because We All Need MORE Expectation, and Counting My Blessings
This week began with great expectation as Monday was the official {estimated} due date for baby #7. And although the children have been told that a due date is not concrete, and that God alone knows the perfect time for baby to join our family, there was all around disappointment when Monday came and went with no appearance.
{Angel crocheted the booties!}
Tuesday was the same.
And Wednesday the children all protested Daddy going back to work after his two days off, because, “What if baby is born today?” In a family where babies are born right here at home, Dad’s attendance is manditory. After all, when the last baby came before the midwife could arrive, Dad became the baby catcher. ”Not a problem, kids.” {He only works 8 miles away.}
Knowing that this baby could literally be born any day has slowed everything I do to a day by day status. “If I go into labor later today…”
Do I want to eat this food and chance being sick during transistion?
Do I want to go into town?
Have I kept up with my laundry? {because a home birth produces a lot of laundry and I will be relying on someone else to do it… don’t want the regular chores to fall behind.}
Are my living spaces tidied up? {Because babies always bring company!}
Is my pantry stocked so we’re good on food for awhile? {Which reminds me, we need toilet paper.}
Are all my birth supplies in place?
Is the infant car seat by the door?
Have I given this baby to God today?
Are all my children getting enough one one one attention? Because a baby changes everything. Littles will feel the change the most, but everyone’s place will end up shuffled and you never know how children will grow up with another personality in the home, more responsibility, more love to spread around and more family to share it.
*Breathe* Am I ready for this?
Another weekend comes, and my husband’s time is spent in long hours of serving youth groups and college groups, and the roads freeze, and we’re under a winter storm watch? So maybe today is not the most ideal day to have a baby with a midwife who has 3-1/2 hours to drive.
I pray.
God has a way of using life to drive truth deep, transforming hearts.
This… this is just a taste of what I should be doing every day of my life. Taking one day at a time, and living in great expectation. Swelling in sweet anticipation…
… of His return.
Jesus said, “Look, I am coming soon!” Revelation 22:7
And only God the Father knows the day and the hour.
What if He comes today?
Am I living a day at a time, watching for Him? I think I’ve become too caught up in this life.
If He comes today, Am I ready for it?
Am I taking up my cross daily and living the blue print He has for my life?
Is my armor on? Am I loving well?
Am I tenderly and intentionally discipling my children?
Am I loving and respecting my husband? Am I using my gifts to His glory?
Am I taking care of the poor and the widowed, reaching out to the lonely and oppressed? Loving my enemies and praying for those who persecute me?
Am I sharing Jesus with everyone I can?
The list of ready is long, and life is full of urgent distractions. God is right in the middle of the mundane. Am I finding the gifts? Am I living in expectation?
I’m joining the multitudes over at aholyexperience today, counting my blessings all the way up to 1000 and beyond.
64. There is comfort in GOd’s all encoumpassing sovereignty.
65. Every day can bring the anticipation of my Savior’s return… am I ready?
66. angel’s choice of reading materials~ I did not read worthwhile, faith building/character building books as a teen. Her “extra” reading this week was “The Backyard Homestead.” She’s learning about the wonders of plants, raising animals=God’s provision for us, and she’s loving it.
67. My husband’s days at home. It is so good to be together as a family.
68. Little letters and ‘maps’ from Abigail, all colored and folded and taped up presents for Mommie.
69. My big kids, taking down their ‘thankful list” journals each morning. They are developing a habit of thanks.
Joy Dare: 3 things found in Christ
70. New mercies, every morning, like manna at the throne of God for me to draw near and gather.
71. I don’t have to live my life alone, but have God’s help every day of my life.
72. A new name~the old sinner is gone, the new in Christ has come, and He refines me more each day.
Joy Dare: 3 Things Blue
73. Those small, blue, blue bird eggs we’ll find in the nesting boxes come spring.
74. The sky on a clear day.
75 The new blue nightgown, soft and warm, on clearance at Kohls.
76.Seeing my niece ice skate on my driveway. What an idea!
77.The gift of a new friend who took time to visit us.
78. A phone call from Grandpa, and his faithful prayers.
79. Good memories that now outnumber the bad.
80. Angel made cookie-cutter cookies and all the children excitedly decorated their treats.
81. The gift of creativity.
82. So many Ella hugs this weekend.
83. Big girls laughing, working side by side.
And so much more!
May your week be filled with sweet expectation.
~Linda
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Be Strong and Courageous
Courageous is a buzz word in Christian circles right now. Created by the Kendrick Brothers in partnership with Sherwood Films, the movie Courageous is aptly named. It depicts 4 men—law officers and friends—who think they are good fathers until one of them comes face to face with tragedy and turns to God’s Word for comfort. As he scours the scriptures he finds that God has a great deal to say about fathers’ roles and responsibilities which he had never before realized.But with knowledge comes greater accountability. This man, along with his friends, resolve to rise to the honor they’ve been given as fathers, promising to encourage and hold one another accountable, and discover that sometimes the greatest challenge is getting back up after you fall.
The dvd, a copy of the resolution, and other resources for Godly manhood are available through Vision Forum. (We are affiliates of Vision Forum–any purchase you make helps support our family in ministry.)Joshua was to lead their nation into the Promised Land. And then began the pep talk:
“Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” ESV
Share Read More“but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”Isaiah 40:31
Fear will cripple your leadership…
essons to Live By: Fear Will Cripple Your Leadership
When you fear, you cannot trust. When you cannot trust, you cannot lead. When you cannot lead, you are ill-equipped to guide those around you. Remember one thing: no matter what situation you face, you will always enter into it with some level of fear. No matter what situation you go through, you will always leave it with a measure of fear. Fear is there, but when you let it overtake your commonsense, and start predicting your future, then you will find yourself in troubled waters.
Read the whole article here. Read MoreCamp JIM Youth Camp Promotional Video
There’s nothing new about living by the seaons, but being camp ministry missionaries, the seasons are just a little different! While summer youth camps are a recently wrapped up and most people are looking forward to the traditions autumn usher in, we at camp are already thinking of summer again.
Camp JIM’s 2012 Youth Camp Brochures are hot off the press. The theme is “HOLD FAST.” Also, Chris Griffith has been busy learning his new video software, and just released our 2012 youth camp promotional dvd. This video will be used in conjuction with staff recruitment trips, and we’ll share it with families and churches our family will travel to visit with throughout the winter and spring.
We had fun, learning and growing during Camp JIM’s 2011 summer youth camps. Check it out by clicking on this link!
I had the video embedded here for you to watch, but it was playing automatically… Go check it out.
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God be the Solution
I hear Abigail’s small 2 year old voice singing the words she memorized the first time she heard them.
“Woah-oh-oh… God be the solution… Woah-oh-oh, we will be your hands, be your feet…”
I know she likes the tune. It is catchy. I pray she grows to understand the words.
I want her to understand them, feel them, live them.
To stare not fight
The Mercy for the need”
He gave them His breath.
Christ laid down His life for them no less than He chose to lay it down for me.He told me to love others as He loved me.
Me. Wreched and filthy in my own sin.
Me. stumbling around in the dark, lost, a child of wrath and God’s enemy.
Yet He loved me, and I BELIEVE.
He saved me from the consequences of my sin by removing my sin from me.
He adopted me and made me His heir.
Now I am God’s girl.
As that precious 2 year old daughter of mine likes to say,
And now, being adopted by God, how could I ever sit inside my comfort zone and ask what God is doing to answer the cries around the world? Jesus gave His life to fill the greatest need every human being has… the need for a Savior. But He didn’t stop there.
Look a little deeper.
God’s kingdom is not contained within geographical boundaries. It is not exclusive of one language. The kingdom of God exists wherever He is the King of one. It is a kingdom carried in the hearts of the children of God, to be carried to the ends of the earth. His kingdom is revealed every time His children show Godly compassion and demonstrate active mercy. His banner over us is LOVE!
* Do you see people with needs?
* Has God given you the ability to meet their need?
* Do you know someone who needs to hear the Good News?
“Only You can mend the broken heart
And cause the blind to see
Go Forth…
BE the BLESSING.
Motherhood is a Calling (And Where Your Children Rank)
talk about your children. Why you shouldn’t have had them, how you could have
prevented them, and why they would never do what you have done. They want to
make sure you know that you won’t be smiling anymore when they are teenagers.
All this at the grocery store, in line, while your children listen….
Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a
calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It
is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you
time for. Read more over here!
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