Packing up our booth at Southern Missouri Assemblies of God Ministry Network Conference Wednesday afternoon I received a tiny but very significant to me message from the Lord. He knows me well. He speaks in ways that I hear.
Dove dark chocolate with almonds is my favorite, but I rarely buy them. I want to maintain a healthy weight and I don’t want to spend the money for it. It’s a treat. I bought some to share at our conference booth. Just as I finished packing the last of our materials I opened one of the remaining chocolates to eat. The message inside read, “It’s your call.”
This is the Lord’s way of reminding me that I am indeed called to serve in Micronesia. We are headed in the right direction.
I am reminded of the Dove dark chocolate with almonds message I received from the Lord in 2012. (This is not a regular occurrence.) Interesting that those significant messages of confirmation both at the very beginning and the near end of my time in Warrensburg came in the same manner. In the beginning He said, “You are exactly where you are supposed to be.” He said it right after my then 6 year old Aaron had been bitten by a bug and had asked why we came here and had stated that this was a dangerous place. Now as I near the end of my time here the Lord says to me, “yes, this is indeed my leading.”
I confess. Sometimes I wish the Lord would paint his direction boldly on the wall. Even so, I feel loved and seen when I hear His gentle whispers of I’ve got you and I’m right here with you on this journey of life.
As of March 10, 2023 we are officially missionaries with Assemblies of God World Missions preparing to serve in Micronesia. We are excited, to say the least!
Itineration: Over the next year or so we will raise funds and gather prayer partners here in the U.S. A vital part of our missionary appointment is the privilege of partnering with church leaders stateside to aid their missions programs. We look forward to connecting with individuals as well as churches.
Our Mission: While the overarching mission is to see the church established wherever it is not, our part in Micronesia is to help see a Bible school for the training of pastors reestablished on Pohnpei. It has been seven or eight years since there was a Bible school available in this field.
Baby Steps: Once our budget is raised John Mark, Isaac and I will move to the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. Our first three years are to be spent laying the groundwork for our 2nd term. We will study the local language (Pohnpeian), learn the culture and travel to other Micronesian islands to build relationships with church leaders.
Partnership: We invite you to partner with us. We need intercessors to pray regularly for the area of Micronesia, our mission, our family, and our team. Keep yourself informed by signing up to receive newsletters here .
Partner with us financially by submitting a faith promise and paying monthly or by making a one-time donation. We must raise budgets both in monthly pledges and in one-time gifts before we can be cleared to leave for the field.
Invitations: We would love to meet with you. We are available for church services, for small groups, for children’s or youth services, men’s or women’s. We are happy to serve, whether that means simply sharing our call for three minutes or preaching a full service. Please reach out and let us know how we can best support the missions program of your congregation.
If you are like me and find comfort in knowing you are not the only one whose mind takes frequent mini-vacations, then this post is for you.
One thing about me; I love everything sweet with nuts. I was trying out a Pinterest recipe for pumpkin pecan custard bread pudding. Pumpkin AND nuts plus streusel and a cream cheese drizzle on top. Perfect! My buttered 9×13 filled with just under 16 oz stale bread chunks I’d prepared earlier in the week, I mixed the custard (half and half, milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and spices) and poured it over the bread. I figured the reason it looked so dry was that the recipe called for 16 oz French bread and my bread had completely dried out. The lighter weight must have caused me to add too many bread cubes. No problem. Mixing up a little more custard, I was nearly finished pouring it when I realized my first failure. No sugar in the 2nd batch. No problem. Brown sugar and a touch more milk added to the end of the 2nd pour of custard would remedy it. I was toasting the pecans for the streusel top when the greater oversight dawned on me. The unopened can of pumpkin puree was still there on the counter!!! I was making pumpkin pecan custard bread pudding minus the pumpkin!
Do you feel better yet?
I made a 2nd pan since I’d signed up to bring pumpkin pecan custard bread pudding to the potluck. This time I put the pumpkin in the custard first! For those who, like me, hate to waste anything, you’ll be glad to hear that I later salvaged the 1st pan by dumping it all into a big bowl and mixing in the pumpkin before baking it.
In case you aren’t yet feeling sufficiently better about your vacationing mind, get this.
While I prepared bread pudding, the beans I pressure cooked the previous day were reheating in the InstaPot. This was my first time using the InstaPot on slow cook. I normally use manual pressure cook. After 3 hours on slow cook, my half-full pot of beans was BARELY warm, so I switched to pressure cooking them. Midway through I was sitting in the next room mixing streusel to top the bread pudding when my son mentioned steam coming out that he thought odd. Without looking, I explained that a little steam slipping out before the pressure builds up enough to seal it is normal for this pot. When the end of cycle beeped, I was shocked to discover no pressure to release. I lifted the lid straight off. What?!?!?
You probably guessed it?
The silicone seal for the lid was sitting in the drainer where I’d left it that morning after washing. Oops! Silly me.
Was reading this morning about the man after whom we named our oldest son. John Mark and I scoured our name book sifting through various combinations full of meaning. Daniel we selected for its meaning. Charles was in honor of both my father and John Mark’s father. Then, of course, the family name, Allen, had to be included.
Daniel, according to our book, meant God is my judge. I wanted my son to be a man who, like Daniel in the Bible, would always do the right thing, because he would honor God above all others. I wanted him to stand up, not in a haughty, in-your-face manner, but in a God fearing and respectful way.
This is what the Bible says about Daniel. “He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy.” The description is not that of other Jews. No, this was the way his fellow administrators described him. The queen mother of Belshazzar said, “[He] has within him the spirit of the holy gods.”
I admire Daniel’s attitude toward King Nebuchadnezzar. “I wish the events foreshadowed in this dream would happen to your enemies, my lord, and not to you!” The king did not honor God. The nation was an enemy to Israel. Nebuchadnezzar himself had wiped out Jerusalem and exiled Daniel’s people, yet Daniel showed him honor.
Surrounded by people that bowed to many gods and worshiped their king as a god, Daniel’s regular habit was to pray in his home three times a day only to the one true God. When it became known that his prayer life could land him being torn limb from limb by lions, he did it anyway. He could easily have closed the windows, but no. He had always prayed with the windows open. His way of standing was to do just what he had always done. This was not flaunting his prayer life. It was simply being faithful.
Thank you to all who have given to help make this trip to Italy possible. We are now two weeks away from departure and have raised 91% of our budget. We’ve come a long way in a short time!
In addition to fund raising, we’ve been gathering supplies. Our international driving permits arrived in the mail last week, and suitcases are beginning to fill. There’s no time like the present to review the most current regulations on what can and cannot be carried on a plane. Planning to order Euros from our bank tomorrow. Praise the Lord for a great exchange rate!
We ordered five Chromebooks that were requested for the school’s computer lab. They are scheduled to arrive this week. These will replace hand-me-down laptops that are beyond due for upgrade.
We ordered some of the medical supplies needed for Isaac. Since insurance will not approve any extra in advance, this stretches our original budget very thin where we had hoped to have more to pass on to our hosts. We know the Lord will provide. We requested Isaac’s endocrinologist send one-time prescriptions for Omnipod 5 and insulin needed. Still waiting on confirmation before we can pick those up. Prayers appreciated in that direction.
Thanks again for your gifts and prayer support. We could not do this without you!
Came across my favorite passage of the book in reading Ezekiel today. I remember the first time I heard it. Can’t tell you who spoke in chapel that day nor their sermon title, but I can tell you it changed my life.
I invite you to read that passage again and let it sink in. God is not up in the sky anxiously waiting for a timer to go off so he can finally wipe out all the wicked people and dance all over their graves. On the contrary, he is holding out, giving them as much time as possible, because what he really wants is for them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live.
This is the heart behind the gospel. God sent his Son, Jesus, because he does not enjoy killing people for their sin. Rather, he loves sinners and wants them to be saved, delivered and healed. I am convinced that there is absolutely no one so far gone into sin that God’s love cannot reach.
If you have not yet received the precious gift of salvation, it is not too late. You have only to ask. Just talk to God. Tell him you believe that his Son, Jesus, paid the price for your sin. Tell him you are sorry for doing things your own way and ask Jesus to be your Lord. This is how you receive the gift of eternal life.
As of July 1st we are at 34% of our budget. Thank you to all who are supporting our ministry financially.
We had a yard sale yesterday to help raise extra funds to buy new Chromebooks for International Christian Academy in Rome. We raised $342 of the $515 needed. That was a good start.
While setting up the yard sale, I was surprised to discover that I already had an Italian flag 🇮🇹 in my decorating supplies. Had to save that one. 😊
Thinking about rest this morning. I started my day at 7:30 am. Since I’ve been working diligently over the past month on increasing my emotional intelligence, I noted an anxious feeling about having slept that late and admitted to myself that this is my norm. Unless I start my day particularly early, I feel anxious.
You’ve heard the expression, “I have a love/hate relationship with [insert topic].” When it comes to rest, I just haven’t built that relationship at all. I have put all my eggs in the basket of accomplishment and efficiency. Anything less than perfect efficiency and I cannot rest. Exactly how much time do you think I reach perfect efficiency? Yeah, that’s why rest does not come to me.
Recently I pushed past the point that my body said it was time for bed, and I got what I call “overtired.” Then I couldn’t sleep. For about a week and a half I couldn’t sleep much more than two hours in a row. Up and down all night. I finally started praying about it, and the Lord answered my prayer by letting me sleep better this week.
For me, MariNelle’s message Sunday was so timely. If it was not for anyone else, it was definitely for me. Finding Rest.
I had memorized Matthew 11:28-30 summer of 1991 with Teen Missions, so I quoted as she read the verses.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I caught several things from her message.
First was a good question. “Were you only created to do what you have natural capacity for?” No. I believe God uses both my natural strengths and my weaknesses. To be honest, I think he gets more pleasure out of using my weaknesses.
Second, “Christ’s rest is not a rest from work but in work.” I’ve had that idea for a long time. I don’t want to live my life just waiting for vacation. I want to build a sustainable lifestyle that includes rest. In one measure at least, I have succeeded. My quiet time with the Lord is my place of rest. When I am getting that consistently, I can endure anything.
Third, Jesus said, both that he would give rest and that I would find rest. That passage seems backward. Jesus said, “take my yoke”. The word yoke conjures an image of hard labor, heavy plowing, sweat pouring down. Contrast that with Jesus promise, “you will find rest.” I think the secret is that to take up Jesus’ yoke one must lay down the one they’ve been carrying.
I left service Sunday challenged to ask Holy Spirit what should and should not be on my calendar. I am feeling encouraged to be in a growth process. I am learning rest. I am growing in ability to sense Holy Spirit’s lead on small decisions like what I put on my schedule.
Thank you, Lord, for your grace on my life. It is a pleasure to walk with you.
I come from a very individualized culture. Though I know it’s true, my mind has a hard time grasping that for most of the world the group matters more than the individual. I read of Asian cultures that value family honor above all. During the height of COVID, when in Missouri I heard so many decrying government regulation regarding face covering and vaccination, I was told that in Japan everyone cooperates with such things because they value the group above themselves.
Considering group mentality, how many times have I read the New Testament and marveled how quickly leaders were to stone or at least threaten to stone someone who spoke words the group considered dangerous. Apostle Paul was beaten or stoned numerous times for preaching the gospel before it was accepted by community leaders. Before that he was the one dragging people before the Sanhedrin and having them imprisoned and more for defecting from the group in power to follow Christ. It seems the culture of Jesus and Paul’s day had little individual freedom.
While I marvel at the lack of personal liberty in Jesus’ day, the “ah ha” comes when I read in Scripture the history surrounding the exile. Before exile the people as a whole stopped worshipping the Almighty. They bowed to all kinds of idols and more. The result, nearly everyone died as God’s wrath was poured out.
Today in Ezekiel 9 this caught my attention.
To the end there remained those who mourned the turning of their culture away from Yahweh. I wonder how many of those who survived the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar were those “who weep and sigh”.
I’ve been taught the Bible my entire life and have studied on my own since my teen years. I am now 47, and it was only last week that the low number of exiles hit me. I sat jaw dropped for a full minute I think. King David took a census at the end of his reign and found 800,000 in Israel and 500,000 in Judah (2 Sam 24:9). That was only the fighting men, not the Levites, the women & children or those unable to fight. Contrast that with the number taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 52:28-30), 4,600 total!!! WOW! . . . Let me say that again. WOW!!! That’s roughly ONE THIRD OF ONE PERCENT!!! I always wondered how in the world people survived the siege of Jerusalem for over two years. Now I know. They didn’t.
Considering these numbers, it begins to make more sense why in Jesus’ day the religious leaders were so quick to kill anyone they saw as violating God’s law. They took seriously the consequences individual sin could have on the group.
Point to ponder: In what ways has my individualistic western culture shaped my view of the world that do not line up with the culture of Heaven?
In my head I know that every day is a day for thanksgiving. I know that and I practice that. Gratitude is part of my internal culture. Some days more than others I just feel it in my bones. God is SO good to me.
This morning I sit in my quiet place reflecting, listening, communing with my Heavenly Father. I have spoken my thanks to Him. Now I want to share publicly.
Do you ever stumble across a place in your heart that is just dark? I’m not talking about something you are intentionally shutting off from the Lord, not about secret sin. I just mean a place where there is no light. A hopeless place.
As a believer, I like to think that light shines in all the places of my heart. I have trusted Jesus as my Savior since my youth. His Spirit resides in me. Eternal life is mine. That life is now, not just after I die.
God took me as I am. He didn’t wait for me to get every area of my life straight before He took up residence. He walks with me. He holds my hand, so to speak. I’m starting to think this is my life message.
While I generally have a positive and hope-filled outlook on life, there has been exactly one area cloaked in darkness for years. Twenty-three plus years into this, I had given up on ever being happy in my marriage. I consciously committed myself to staying, but my marriage remained a place of pain. I could see my own brokenness but could not fix it. I could worship the Lord and could commune with Him in my quiet place. I could work hard at my job and could volunteer at church and in the community and feel good about those things, but at home I hurt.
In January the missions department told us they would postpone our application for a year and that one of the three reasons was to give us time to work on our marriage. On the way home I said out loud to my husband that I would go to the counseling they recommended but that I had absolutely no hope that it would do any lasting good. I knew that our leaders were right in their decision, and I was oh so grateful that they offered us resources to help instead of simply showing us the door. I just had no reasonable expectation that things could really change.
Inside that two hour ride home hope began to stir in my heart. I trust the Lord. I just do. It might be a gift. I started believing that God was going to do a miracle in my life and that I would give hope to other women who have given up on intimacy.
As the time approached for our ten day intensive with Ministry Resources International, doubt closed in. How much difference could I expect after ten days when I had 23+ years under my belt? While I couldn’t believe for real connection, I did trust God.
One morning the first week of receiving ministry, I walked alone. In my heart I “looked” at that dark pit inside of me and said to the Lord I was afraid to go down there. He reminded me that He was right there with me and would hold my hand all the way. He did.
Indeed, I experienced a breakthrough day eight. God is good to me. He is so faithful. When He says I will walk with you, He means it. When He holds your hand you can go anywhere, even dark pits in the heart.
I am beginning a new leg of my life journey. This time I’m holding two hands, Jesus’ and my husband’s. We are in this together. We have a long ways to go and mountains to climb. The goal is not a destination. The goal is connection along the journey. As long as we stay together we win. By God’s grace I will learn to love not only those at a comfortable distance but also the one who is close enough to get under my skin.
I say “thank you” all the time to the Lord and to other people, but now I grasp for stronger words. This morning my soul pours out gratitude.
Thank you, God, for your mercy on my life. You are the very definition of faithfulness. You blessed me with a husband who is loyal even through years of disconnection. You gave us leaders who see value in broken people. Thank you for intercessors helping fight the spiritual battle for our breakthrough and for believing counselors to walk beside us, who listen to your voice and depend on Holy Spirit. Thank you that we have been able to take this time away to receive ministry. Your light now shines on that once dark place in my heart. I have a new hope. Now I can fight the good fight.
Abba, may my life bring you the glory you deserve. Amen.
To the Ends of the Earth 