The Mission Field

 "And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15

There is a lot of talk about missions, foreign missions specifically.  There are people for it. There are people against it. 

As our church is about to send a team of missionaries to Haiti, I am reminded that we are all called to spread the gospel.

 

At our church, there is a sign above the door.  As you exit through that door, you read, “You are now entering your mission field.” That is our reminder that we are not to leave the story of Jesus at the church door.  We are to take him with us wherever we go. 

One of the things I distinctively remember is a comment made by someone when the church was contemplating expanding the building. The comment went something like this, “I like my little church the way it is.” 

Folks, that is frightening.  What if everyone felt that way?  We would cease to spread the love of Jesus to others.  His kingdom would stop growing.  How many of us would not know Jesus today if someone felt that their church was just fine the way it is?

I remember well a day many years ago, when I was invited to our church.  Jeff and I were at his parent’s house. Mr. George Crabtree visited them.  There we were painting the pool deck, and  Mr. Crabtree invited us to church.  Shortly after he left, the phone rang. It was my mom telling me that my grandfather had just passed away.  Now, you may see no connection here.  But for me, I see God coming into my life at this point.  A man I didn’t know invited me to church.  God calls my grandfather home.  I didn’t know Christ as my savior.  I see God working in all this. George is now our family’s deacon.  I thank God each day that he invited us to church.

Then there is Wanda Hale.  She is a retired teacher who was working in my school.  She would rave about this interim preacher and tell about how the church wanted him to be their next preacher, and we really must come hear him preach one Sunday. She didn’t nag me about it. She invited me again and again.  I thank God each day that she invited us to church. 

There is this friend of mine from high school, Amy Jo, that went to church all the time. I didn’t.  She had her Sunday school class pray for me.  I was furious with her because I didn’t think there was anything wrong with me.  There was. I was a sinner who didn’t have a relationship with Jesus.  Years later, I sent this friend a letter telling her, “Thank you for praying for me.” 

There are countless others that have shown me Jesus in one way or another. Holly invited us to revival.  Glenda started a Sunday school class for young families just starting to get involved in church.  There are those that have led Bible studies, said prayers, and offered words of encouragement. There are those Gideon’s who handed out tiny New Testaments in school and on the street corner at college.  I am thankful for all of those people who were following their Christian calling:

"For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”" Romans 10:13-15

Those people were being missionaries in their own backyards.  But I honestly believe in my heart that people are called to be missionaries in foreign lands.  God’s word says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."(Matthew 28:19) God has called people to be foreign missionaries to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

Not all of us are called to do that.  Some of us are called to teach Sunday school or lead Bible studies.  Some of us are called to be worship leaders by singing or playing instruments. We are all called to do something. Somewhere. 

It is so important that we support those who are called to be foreign missionaries.  We can support them with money and prayer.  God has called them according to His purpose.

If you are not called to be a foreign missionary, you can do so many things in your own community.  Find a way to volunteer. Get involved with your church.  Do something that is going to spread the love of Jesus. 

 

If you don't support foreign missions, let me ask you this. What are you doing for local missions? 

 

 

 

I would like for you to pray for our Haiti mission team.  Each night at 8PM join in prayer with our church as we ask for their protection, guidance, and that soul's will be saved, lives will be changed.

 

Haiti Mission Trip

Please remember to pray for our Haiti mission team. 

They will be leaving tomorrow.

Haiti Mission Trip

We have an amazing group of men and women from church who will be going to Haiti on Saturday for a mission trip with Orphan's Heart.  Please be in prayer for our team and that lives will be changed in the name of Jesus!

Don, Graham, Brad, Brandy, Cindy, Teresa, and Jennie

It has been amazing to hear the stories of how God is already working.  When Brandy did my hair last week, she told me about how God works in the hearts of people here before they even leave. Brad also mentioned some wonderful ways in which God has provided for them and the children they are going to help.  God is so good.

I am so proud to call this team my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I am proud of them for answering the call to GO beyond the church pews to be the light of Jesus.

The Frazzled Female Week 2

This week we have focused on keeping a positive attitude.

Oh, I'll admit, sometimes that is hard!

This past week a couple of things have happened that could very easily cause one to lose heart and be negative.

First, we had progress monitoring meetings at work. My meeting was set up on the second day. I had heard how horrible some of the other meetings had gone, that the teachers came out feeling attacked and worthless. I had a choice to make, I could either expect the worst and go in on the defensive, or I could go in with a positive attitude and roll with it.

I chose to go in with a positive attitude.

Now, I am not saying that the meeting was perfect and I was never attacked about my abilities as a teacher, but I was able to handle the situation and take it all in stride.  I didn't come away feeling disgusted and disappointed.

Now if I had gone in expecting the worst and having a clear dialogue as to how I would respond to negative comments, the meeting may have come out differently. I definitely would have come out feeling worse than I did!

The second thing that happened, didn't happen to me, but an elderly couple in our church.

Tuesday afternoon, severe weather struck our community.  We gathered our students in the hall until the all clear was given.  We thought everything was OK until I learned that a home in the county had been destroyed.  It was the home of Mr. Will and Mrs. Eleanor from our church.  Thank God they were not home, but in Nashville with Mr. Will's family.  However, rescue workers were searching for their bodies because both vehicles were home and the couple was no where to be found. 

When interviewed by the news stations, both Will and Eleanor were very positive and up beat about the situation.  Their church family and community friends had come to their aid, packing up what was not damaged and taking it to storage for them.  Mrs. Eleanor told us this afternoon that they have been offered 3 houses to rent while they rebuild.  She said, "Will and I are strong people, but this is all God. He is blessing us in so many ways. I don't know why this happened to us, but He does, and we just have to trust Him."

Now, this elderly couple has so much to feel negative about. We would almost expect them to with their home of 20 years and vehicles and so many personal items destroyed. But Will and Eleanor have chosen to be positive and see God at work through this.

My point is that we do have a choice. We can choose to be negative, or we can choose to be positive. Our attitude is a choice. 

Sometimes we feel entitled to our negativity, that so much has happened to us, and we are just so pitiful and don't deserve all that we have laid out before us.  I think we all have moments like that. If we do, that is fine, but we must move pass that....quickly.  We have to choose to see the beauty in the midst of darkness, the flowers among the weeds, the love behind the hurt. 

It is hard, but possible. We can do anything through Christ.  We must ask for His help.  We must make having a positive attitude a daily choice until it becomes who we are. 

***

I am so excited about meeting with our study group tomorrow night. I am so thankful I'm not sick anymore!  Most of the ladies should be there, although we had almost 20 last week, that wasn't the entire group. 

I do have a prayer request...

Please pray for our team of five (Brad and Brandy, Janice, Teresa, and Cindy), who will be leaving Saturday to help build an orphanage in Haiti. I am so excited for them.  Pray for their safety, health, and for lives to be changed!

To Haiti, With Love

We have a team from our church preparing for a mission trip to Haiti. I am so excited for them and what they are going to be able to do.  Tonight before church, we were able to make Salvation Necklaces for their trip. What a blessing it was to be part of that.