My Hope

  This Sunday I was excited to hear a pastor from Kenya speak.    He preached on Jesus’s appointment of Peter to feed and care for his sheep.      15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs."   16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."   17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep. 18 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; bu...

  Do you ever feel pulled in different directions?    I feel like my heart is being torn between three places!    I loved being in Clarkston and ministry and community came very naturally.    I’m missing the people we poured into and who poured into us!    While missing them, I’m also really enjoying being in Bainbridge and love this community.    I’ve found myself at the coffee shop a number of Saturdays (I’m sitting at the Bean drafting this in fact) and at times it feels as though we never left.    If those weren’t enough of a pull, my heart is also ready for Lebanon.    I’m excited to go and to share and see how God uses us there!      I wonder if the disciples felt the same way.    8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Act 1:8 NIV) The disciples wer...

  How do you go about sharing the gospel with people?    I like to share stories and also show a personal application.    God lined everything up perfectly for me to be able to do so, even if it was a little more close to home and nerve wracking than I’d prefer.    Just after moving back to Bainbridge we were welcomed by life in the country.    Tommy had taken the girls for a ride through the woods and they got out to investigate.    Hannah was about 10 feet from Tommy and as he looked down he saw a 3 ½ foot rattlesnake heading her way.    He quickly grabbed a gun, told her to freeze and shot it’s head off.    I’m thankful it was him and not me.    When they came back and told me about it, I was just in awe of God’s protection.    If Tommy had seen it   too late or hadn’t been able to get a good shot, everything could have easily turned out differently.    I was amazed when...

I got teary last Sunday.    Our church asked all the kids to bring their backpacks to church and they prayed over the children and the school year ahead of them.    I forgot the backpacks but thankfully my kids weren’t the only ones up there without them.    As I listened to them talking about the things that will fill their backpacks over the course of the year, I thought about what our girls backpacks represent.    I’m homeschooling them so they’re rarely filled with anything academic.    Instead they’re carry-ons.    I’ve been eyeing them to size them up and figure out which of their most treasured possessions will fit inside them as we go (in case our checked baggage gets lost).    The backpacks will go with us on each of the visa runs and back again for furlough.    I’ve yet to experience the mixed emotions that come with the first day of school for most moms, but I sat there half listening half imagini...

  Lots of people have been asking us what it will be like living in Lebanon.    Because we’ve only visited and talked with other expats there, I’m sure I’ll have a better idea after we’ve actually been there awhile.    I think this photo sums it up well.    It’s the same… yet different. We didn't go inside, but I have a sneaky suspicion that the selection didn't resemble Trader Joe's.  We’ll be living in a major city when we first arrive so we’ll have access to almost everything we’re used to here but shopping will still be very different.    While there were some grocery stores and malls very much like ours here, most of the stores were much more specific.    Instead of huge chain super center, most places you find separate produce markets, meat markets, bakeries, etc.    It wasn’t just food that was like this, we saw stores that specialized in just kitchen décor and appliances, others that only carried bedroom furni...

While we were in Lebanon, we got to spend some time reaching out in ministry. Tommy and I went with a team to Horizon's newest ministry center. It didn't even have doors installed when we arrived but we still were going into the refugee camps to invite families to a service the following day.  We split up into three groups, each with 20 vouchers for food. It was a drop in the bucket in meeting the needs, but it was all the space would hold. I was paired up with a Horizons teammate who could translate and off we went.   We were warmly welcomed into the first tent and began sharing a little. As we visited more and more people came in until the tent was overflowing. The original plan was to visit multiple tents passing out the vouchers but we didn't even have enough to give to the people in the first tent. Some of the people who didn't receive one became upset and it was difficult and heartbreaking to turn them away.   Empty handed, we were still welcomed in...

I’m a mother and one of the things that my kids can do that bothers me most is direct disobedience. When I know I’ve made myself clear and they choose to ignore or defy my command it troubles me and there are usually consequences for them. If I’ve been unclear about my expectations in a new situation, I’m much more lenient.   God expects obedience out of us, and He has made His expectations abundantly clear.   7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.^8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. (Jos 1:7-8 NLT) We read in Joshua 1:8-9 to study and know His word… that we might obey it. God does not expect us to follow instructions known only to Him. We see this throughout script...