Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Living Life... an update!

I'm writing this note as our family travels home at the end of Thanksgiving Day. Days like today remind me of how much I gained in this life when Christ redeemed me and called me his. My life is much more full, free, and alive than I ever thought possible. How awesome it is to share the love of Christ with others, to offer them hope, life, and freedom forevermore.

I believe that at the proper time, God calls people to himself. He speaks in many ways, and in the case of my life, he used believers who were willing to live and breathe grace and truth into my life. When I had nowhere to live and nowhere to turn, these friends were willing to extend themselves beyond what most would ever do; willing to open their home, their pocketbook, and their lives. Miraculous, undeserved grace...

In the spring Emily & I will be joining a team on a journey overseas. I am awestruck when I consider what God is up to worldwide.  The word of the Lord is living and active - people are finding victory and a saving faith in Christ! REJOICE! This is nothing short of miraculous evidence of the depth of Gods love for us. When people in closed communities come to know the truth, they often find themselves without a family or a place to call home.

Our team will be walking alongside these believers as they bravely continue to share the gospel. We will be encouraging and praying with them as they seek to grow in their faith in the midst of intense persecution. We will be helping them as they develop homes for new believers to come to, to live and grow in their faith.

Our group is even taking books and decor for a coffee shop to help build a meeting place for people to gather to have a great cup of coffee and talk. The culture we are going into is very relational and having an inviting neutral space is desperately needed, with the added perk of providing employment. Emily says it best:

I want to go because I feel like God is calling me there, and when I get there, I am gonna work in a coffee shop and talk to people who know that they can talk to me about stuff they don't feel comfortable talking to other people about. They will hopefully know that they can trust me about this. So, now that you know this, please pray for me during the trip! Emily King (13 years old) (14 at time of trip)

What a privilege it is to equip others to grow in their faith!

We encourage you to practice these things with us here at home every day - Will you also pray and partner with us as we prepare and go?

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Quiet Means...

Mostly, thoughtful.
It has been a busy season here, with lots of comings and goings and happenings; I have been thinking of amazing things to say but never getting them out of my head.

Such is.

Today I'm in a big dreamy mood. God has a grand adventure planned in this life, which is called, aptly, LIVING.

Really, I'm not making this up!

Its not so very complicated. One part sleep, one part eating - the rest comes together in the form of going through your every day. Living - faithfully walking forward into what it is God has purposed before you. Living - sharing what you live FOR with those you live AROUND. Living...

A living plant is continuously growing and producing sprouts or flowers or seeds.

A dead plant decomposes.

Be alive.