Archive for the 'Encouragement' Category

Tearing Down High Places- Part 1

Published April 6, 2012 Encouragement , Grief , Marriage 3 Comments
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My mother-in-law died last year, just before Christmas. This year, we’ve walked through the one year anniversary of her promotion to glory. In some ways, it feels surreal. After all, it wasn’t our first time to celebrate the Savior’s birth without her presence. As missionaries serving far from our families, that is actually the norm. But we couldn’t call… or video Skype… and just knowing that Dad was facing a second Christmas without her? …it made my heart ache. It also reminds me of a heart-aching lesson the Lord taught me in that season, a lesson about the cost of gifting sacrificial love.

When we returned to our place of service in July, 2010, we knew my husband’s mother’s health was fragile; we never dreamed she’d see her Savior face to face before that Christmas. Thankfully, Tim was able to make a whirlwind trip back to the States for that Thanksgiving, spending it with his parents, and having the opportunity to say a final earthly goodbye to his mama. I know that time, while heartbreaking for the rest of us who couldn’t go and be with Mom/Grandma, was a treasured and precious time for both my husband and his parents.

While he was gone, I started scheming. Our 16th wedding anniversary was coming up shortly after his return… We hadn’t gone away together, just the two of us, for over 8 years… A friend volunteered to take our kids for the weekend, to let us get away to a lovely-for-West-Africa little resort literally just minutes away from our house for the weekend… Offers like that don’t grow on trees! What’s more? We actually had a bit of surplus in the budget and could afford to retreat, together…

As I said, I started scheming… dreaming… anticipating time… just the two of us… after some very long, difficult and stressful weeks apart. I was excited; friends were excited for me – for us. Raising eight children – the youngest of which was just winding up nursing – busy lives, and a limited budget? That meant that those sorts of opportunities truly were few and far between. Then factor in the reality that even thinking about all the prep work required to leave this family often discourages any desire to do so. But this time? I was more than ready. One night, while chatting on-line, I quietly typed these dreamy ideas to Tim as our littlest one slept on my lap, sweet little hands cupping my face. He seemed as excited about this little get-away as I was… and I couldn’t wait for him to be home.

Literally, just days after he left the States and returned to Niger, his mother’s situation turned critical.  It was not long before the decision was made to remove one of the gentlest, sweetest women I’ve ever known from life support. Tim was devastated… we all were… There’d been unexpected moments of hope- talk of transplants and even some plans for the future. So, while not unexpected, reality still seized us by surprise, accosting our already aching hearts.  We couldn’t afford another trip home that quickly for him to attend her funeral. As Tim grieved, he started talking about wanting to just get away from the city, away from all of the people asking him how he was doing and the well-meaning but sorrowful, sympathetic looks directed his way. He wanted to take our older children to a wild game park/reserve and just camp out for 2 or 3 days, accomplishing in his mind two things: 1) escape and time alone with his big kids who are much better than his wife at living in, enjoying… the present moment and 2) scoping the place out and seeing if it might be a place we could vacation as a family.

If he took this camping trip, however, our just-the-two-of-us-get-away simply wouldn’t… couldn’t… happen. He decided – and it wasn’t the decision I wanted.

I was hurt. Hurt soon turned to anger.

I sullenly nursed anger and wounded pride (After all, what would I say to all those friends with husbands who would never choose something over a weekend away with their gal?) until a still small voice gently confronted me, stopping me in my internal foot-stomping tracks and prolific self-pity party. The Holy Spirit pointed out that my hurt-turned-angry feelings sprang from jealousy more than anything else. I had wanted to be the one Tim turned to in his grief. I wanted him to need me above all else, to choose me as the one upon whom he’d lean. In reality, he was telling me he needed time alone and away with THE Comforter. That truth should have delighted my heart… but it didn’t.

So what do we wives do when the Lord shows us that we’ve tried to set ourselves up as our husband’s idol, expecting our man to have needs met by us when he should be running first to God? In the Old Testament, the Israelites are commanded to tear down and destroy high places tempting idol worship. (Deuteronomy 12:1-5 is an example.) The word translated tear down is, in other places, also translated “utterly destroy,” “obliterate,” “make perish completely…”  I see no other choice than to choose to die to self and free my husband from this subtly insidious expectation that he worship, adore and run to me first and foremost. To love well, I must obliterate that idolatrous construction of my expectations for what our marriage and our friendship… our relationship… will look like.

It is one thing to recognize that you have “high places” – areas that tempt you to worship someone or something other than God. It is another to realize, as you examine your life, that the Holy Spirit is gently pointing out high places I have constructed for my husband… my children… my friends, etc.?  

Might He be showing you one or two?

If so, how do we go about tearing down those places?

(Post by: Richelle)

Jesus loves me, this I know…

Published March 4, 2012 Encouragement 5 Comments

Sometime the tiniest gestures are what make me feel especially loved by my husband. Perhaps it’s a little love note left on the bathroom mirror, or him coming home with a piece of my favorite lemon pie or the cactus-lime juice that I so enjoy, or his chivalry when he offers to lift or carry something for me even though I could do it myself. Those little moments display his love, attentive care, and desires to bless me, and I feel so loved!

The other day I had a silly little moment that made me feel loved by God in that same sort of way. I found not just one, but two varieties of coffee yogurt at our local grocery store! It felt as if God was leaving me a little metaphorical love note since coffee yogurt has been one of my favorite breakfast foods since childhood and is something that I never expected to find here in Russia. Who in America even likes coffee yogurt other than me?!  I texted my husband a note saying, “Jesus loves me! I just found two kinds of coffee yogurt here at the store!” and as silly as it sounds, I really felt in that moment that Jesus was showing me the depth of his intimate care, even down to the tiniest detail of sending my favorite breakfast food all the way here to Russia.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17… Certainly this verse relates to deeper things than coffee yogurt at a grocery store in Russia, but those tiny things often speak so loudly of the ultimate gift of His love perfect love for us. 

In what ways has God recently shown you His attentive and intimate love for you personally?

(Post by: Ashley)

Ambassadors, Bread, Fish, and Motherhood

Published February 9, 2012 Encouragement , Motherhood and Ministry 3 Comments

Have you ever struggled to believe in the value of your contribution to your ministry as a mom? This feeling will certainly differ widely among us for many reasons, but from my experience, even though I believe our whole family is called to ministry, once I finish devoting my necessary time and energy to my family, there is not a whole lot left over to pour out elsewhere, meaning that this issue has crossed my mind many times. Some older mothers have told me that it gets easier as kids get older, and from others I have heard that this is not the case. Whatever the future may hold, I know that with 3 kids ages six and under, our normal family life is busy and tiring.

Though I wholeheartedly believe that my first priority aside from abiding in Christ is to love and serve my family, as I’ve wrestled with the issue of my own personal role in ministry, I’ve become convinced that God has me here in Russia for a specific reason. Yes, probably the majority of that reason for now is to support my husband and raise my kids, but I think He has other special things here prepared for me specifically to do too!

By the simple fact that we do not live life in a vacuum but are surrounded by others in community, whether or not we have a big visible ministry responsibility, we have been given gifts and opportunities and people in our lives to purposefully invest in.  I believe that God planned and placed each of us exactly where we are for special and unique purposes.

Some of us might have official ministry roles, and some of us might have a quieter daily-life ministry of keeping our eyes open to the needs around us and looking for open doors to share Christ with friends and neighbors and shopkeepers, etc., but the fact is, we are all ambassadors for Christ! You have been entrusted with vital ministry designed just for you (or you for it), whether or not you get a paycheck with your name on it or ever organize any sort of formal event.

I think it is so important to remember that, yes, we’ve been called as a family unit to our ministries, but also very much so  as individuals to be His ambassadors wherever in the world that we are.  But do you ever find it hard to believe that you are actually contributing much of consequence? All sorts of little lies love to try to plant themselves in my mind along those lines. Things like, “You have such little time, how is anything that you have the time or energy for going to make any sort of difference?” or “With your language abilities, how are they ever going to hear the gospel fully, let alone have their hardest questions answered?” and so on.

Over the past few years, the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 has taken on such dear significance to me. I feel like that is exactly what my ministry outside of my home is like at this life stage. I am that kid, with an inconsequential little sack lunch that on its own could do nothing to satisfy the appetites of that overwhelming crowd. But we all know this story so well! In Jesus’ economy, 5 loaves and 2 fishes means a filling meal for 5,000 men, plus even more women and children, and left overs for tomorrow! Why should I let the size of my offering prevent me from giving it to Jesus in faith?

I fully believe that God has given us just enough to offer back to Him to equate to nothing short of a miracle.  We may see results right away, or we may wait a lifetime and never know what was accomplished by our efforts, but we must never forget stories like the feeding of the five thousand, as well beautiful promise like this from God’s word:

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:10-11

God can use us to accomplish the miraculous if we humbly yet faithfully give our small offerings to Him by seeking to love our neighbors both in word and deed. The only way we cannot be fruitful is to keep our offering to ourselves, believing them too insignificant for God to use.

How have you felt about your personal call to ministry as a mother? Do you ever struggle with whether or not you are able to contribute anything of worth? What is one thing this week that you can do to offer a fish or loaf to Jesus? Be encouraged friends, God desires to work in great ways through YOU!!!

(Post by: Ashley)

Tuesday Topic: Encouragment from the Word

Published January 31, 2012 Encouragement , Tuesday Topic 7 Comments

From Noelle in Kenya:  What Bible verse has strengthened or encouraged you the most during your time as a missionary mom? I have had chronic tummy problems since moving overseas, and am looking for some perspective and encouragement from God’s Word. Thanks!

(If you would like to pose a “Tuesday Topic” question, please email it to formissionarymoms@gmail.com . Provide your blog address if you would like to be linked to, and specify also if you would like to remain anonymous. Thanks!)

Guest post: Serving From the Mess

Published January 16, 2012 Encouragement , Hospitality 4 Comments

My little girl crawled behind me as I ran into the kitchen to grab a piece of bread to give her for an improvised breakfast. I wanted to keep running—from my own stench. But I supposed I should return to my surprise guests who caught me finishing up an early morning workout.

My 3-year-old son saw the bread and wanted one, too. So, I excused myself again to get one for him, looking longingly at the bathroom—its promise of cleanliness calling out to me.

I returned, and smiled, though the sweat rings were still wet on my t-shirt, and my hair was plastered all greasy and sweaty on my head. I racked my brain for the polite thing to do in this culture. Excuse myself for 10 minutes so I could shower and just hope the kids don’t cry and pound on the bathroom door like they often do? Excuse myself for five minutes to change into the more appropriate long pants and long-sleeved shirt, and run a comb through my hair? Excuse myself for 30 seconds to go scream my embarrassment in a locked room?

But nothing felt right and they didn’t teach me what to do with 7 a.m. visitors in language school. And so I sat in my smelliness, hoping my guests had stuffed noses.

They must not have minded because they stayed for a couple of hours and we had one of the best conversations I’ve had since moving to Indonesia six years ago. Though we differ in our religions, we talked about beliefs and life and struggles and faith.

To be completely honest, even when I get a shower in, I spend my days here messy. Sweaty from the relentless tropical humidity. Covered in spit-up or sticky granola or flour from making bread. Confused at words I don’t yet know. Annoyed at something that goes wrong, then annoyed that I’m annoyed since I really want to face all this with grace.

My kids are sometimes fussy, or rude, or just shy. And I am sometimes fussy, and rude or just shy. And though some cultural stress eases as the years pass, I have managed to counter balance that with extra challenges of having kids, and therefore, multiplying all that mess.

And yet… when I learn to serve out of the messiness and receive the grace I wish I always gave, I live the Gospel Truth in its purest essence. When I open my home up to others, even when dinner is boiling over on the stove, I am demonstrating the importance of relationship over works. When I share my struggles, my own heartbreaks with those whose own souls hurt daily, I show the need we all have for a Heart Healer. When I act from my own sin, then return, humbly seeking forgiveness, I seek what I want to offer others—a second chance…and a third one and a fourth.

And I pray that His aroma overcomes my own stench; His grace shows through my need; and His plan is made perfect despite, and maybe just maybe, through all my messiness.

What does messiness look like in your life? What has it looked like for you to strive to continue to serve from the mess?

Rebecca Hopkins lives in Indonesia with her handsome Mission Aviation Fellowship pilot hubby and two cute kids. She blogs about Living for More in a World of Less at www.borneowife.blogspot.com .

Guest Post: What is Your Drug of Choice?

Published January 12, 2012 Encouragement , Furlough 2 Comments

Today please welcome a special guest post from a dear friend, Cheryl, who served for over 11 years in Eastern Europe and Russia and recently transitioned to a new ministry role State-side. She originally posted this here on her blog, and I am grateful for her willingness to let me share this post with you!

Today I am about 17 days away from my next visit to my native land.  There is a baseline anxiety that has already become a part of daily my subconscious processes.  Part of it comes from a normal, physiological reaction to transition.  I am gearing up for a 22 hour journey, the duration of which my mind will be filled with details that must be processed and prioritized in order to navigate my way home.  This anxiety is compounded by the fact that I travel the whole way on standby.  It is a privilege I am grateful for, but it does add to my stress level.

The main source of my anxiety comes from the reality of my “normal life” there, though.  Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE going back home.  The biggest reason is that I get to spend a lot of time with my family.  It is hard to be away from them!  We are close (relationally as well as geographically – apart from me, that is), we spend lots of time together, and we are fun… at least we think we are fun!  I also look forward to time with my friends and ministry partners.  It is great to catch up on life, hear the latest, and share what is going on with me.  And then, of course, there is Mexican food, Target, Starbucks, Bahama Bucks, Red Raider Football, The State Fair of Texas, The Dallas Cowboys, The Texas Rangers, movies, non-stop television coverage of news, sports, …..  The list goes on and on.  The root of my anxiety – distraction.  White noise.  The bombardment of things that keep me from focusing.  The fact that these are pleasures and treats that I don’t have access to most of the time makes it even harder to resist.

Don’t get me wrong!  I battle distractions living in Russia, too.  Here’s an example…

I wake up this morning after  collapsing exhausted in my bed last night.   I was anxious to spend some quality time in stillness and quiet – time with my First Love.  But… I had a pounding headache.  To be able to focus, I decided to take some pain killers.  That meant I needed to eat something.  Coffee couldn’t hurt either.  I stumble to the kitchen.  While the coffee is brewing, I might as well put the clean dishes away.  By the time the last glass is in its proper place, the coffee is ready.  Coffee and cereal in hand, I go back to my room/living room and decide to catch up on the news while I eat, drink, and wait for the medicine to take effect on my head.  I barely notice the fading headache as I take my dirty dishes to the sink.  Wanting to keep the kitchen clean, I turn on the hot water, wash the dishes and think, “The floor sure is dirty.  While the hot water is on, I might as well mop the floor.”  Mopping the kitchen led to mopping the rest of the house.  In “cleaning mode”, I also start some laundry.  How many hours have gone by and I have yet to stop and enjoy that stillness that I longed for as I awoke?  Frustrating, but remediable.  I finally stopped everything and sat down in silence.  Enjoying the peace and the reminders that without Him I can do nothing, He doesn’t want my good works or activity, He wants my heart…..  The stress evaporates in gratitude.

So this was how my battle with distraction looked here.  As I already mentioned, in the States, it is much harder to put aside those rare pleasures and stop the inundation of noise and activity.  If my life is sprinkled with distraction in Russia, it is immersed in distraction in America.

If I am bombarded with distraction, convenience and entertainment in America, you could say that I am bombarded with darkness and reality of suffering in Russia.  In Russia, my daily routine involves walking miles to and from work, the store, friends houses, all the while experiencing the “scent of homelessness” and the harsh reality of survival.  Both have the potential to draw my heart and focus away from things that are most important.  However, I find that the potential distractions in Russia can also serve to drive me back to my purpose and meaning in life – my inability to make a difference without the power of God, my desperate need for Him – and the desperate need of those around me.  In the US, the distractions – even the news – seems to lull me into forgetting the pain and suffering of a world so desperately in need of hope and life.  I rarely think of the Cora people in Ethiopia whose lives are sustained by a landfill of putrescence.  I forget about the dilemma faced by a mother in Pakistan – deciding whether to give her children dangerously dirty water to drink or to let their life-endangering, energy-draining thirst continue to go unquenched for yet another day…  It seems like the few voices that remind me of these realities during my short stay in America are hard to hear.  The signal to that transmission is weak.  And, if the issues were really that serious, Fox News would break in with a special report, right?!?!

No, reality is hard to come by in America.  Reality is hard to deal with in Russia.  I need grace wherever I am.  I need constant reminders that there is more to life than what I see, smell, taste and hear.  That perspective only comes with stillness and abiding.

So, what is your numbing “drug of choice” when it comes to reality?  How do you fight distraction and focus on what is most important? 

(Post by: Cheryl)

New Years Goals

Published December 30, 2011 Encouragement , Holidays 8 Comments
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There is something beautiful about the new year and the possibilities that it brings with it. I love setting goals and dreams, so new years resolutions have always been about dreaming big and setting my goals high for the coming year.

Often these goals inspire me to love God and my family more deeply, but everything in life has a season. This season of goal setting for our family looks much simpler than in years past. We just welcomed our fourth child into the world and are in the process of raising support and moving to South Sudan. With our house filled with the noise brought by four children under six, it is easy to think of many good goals for the coming year.  I could categorize these goals into categories such as educational, financial, spiritual, family, marriage and many more,  but instead I find myself stepping back and trying to simplify my goals into what is really important for our family.

This year as we cuddle our newest addition and look toward moving to another continent, I find myself seeking to do three things; to  that ensure my family has clean clothes to wear,  clean dishes to eat from, and to begin each day with time set aside to know God more.

I have the opportunity to set the tone of my home, this tone can be one of organization, chaos, stress, or peace and this tone overlays every activity or disruption that life brings (especially life in another culture). But the best tone that I can give my family is one of gratitude and worship which comes only from seeking to know God. Other responsibilities and goals are important but if I can focus on this one main thing, the other pieces fall into place.

When I say that my goals are to simply to seek God (and feed and clothe my family) it is not that I do not value things such as my children’s education, our support raising process, housework, finances, or marital relationship with my spouse, rather it is that I cherish those things so much, meaning that I choose to do the one thing that makes them all work together. Simplifying goals also helps me focus my time and efforts on things that truly matter and challenges me to let go of the things that do not. At the end of the day I can look back and see a home that may not be as clean as I had hoped, a to do list likely full of un-checked boxes, and I can measure success not by what is unimportant, but by what matters. If the tone of my home is one of gratitude and worship, the other items become details of lesser importance.

What about you?  What are some simple goals you mothers have as you look to set the tone for your family this coming year?

(Post by: Amie)

Guest Post: Surviving the New Adventure

Published December 15, 2011 Encouragement , Missionary Mom Issues , Transitions 5 Comments
(Jolene, who has been serving in Ukraine for the past ten years, has kindly offered to share this honest and deeply encouraging post that I think will strike a cord, either in our past or present experience, with each one of us serving overseas. And what a blessing for moms preparing for the field to learn and store up this wisdom for the future!)
You have waited many years for this moment.  You surrendered to the mission field, graduated from Bible college, spent many months on deputation, and now you are headed to the field!  Life could not be more exciting, more adventurous!  The moment you have anticipated, dreamt about, and talked about is finally here.
When you get to the field, it is exactly as you dreamed.  Everything is so different, yet so intriguing.  The people live differently, shopping takes a whole adventurous day, the local language sounds just like you stepped into a foreign film setting.  It is a lot to take in, but you are basking in the thrill of it all.  “Yes, this was exactly what I had in mind.  This is exactly what I have been looking forward to all of my life,” you reflect.
The people do quirky things, and you think it is charming.  Things happen that you just know the people at home will not believe, so you write home about it with great pleasure, knowing your friends and family will be just as amused as you are.  You journal each day (whether on paper or on your blog) about the incredulous things you are seeing and experiencing.  This is the life!
And then, a few months down the road, those funny things slowly start to lose their humor.  They start becoming ordinary, and the excitement that got you through those first few months starts to subside.  You have thrown yourself whole-heartedly into learning the language, and you are coming to the realization that learning a language is a much slower process than you anticipated.  After all, you have been here nearly a year and still cannot say an intelligible full sentence correctly.  People still ask you where you are from everywhere you turn, especially whenever you speak.  Winter comes and it is bitterly cold (or even the opposite extreme and in the 90′s!)…. not at all like back home.  Christmas Day arrives and you might find yourself completely alone or, at best, with another missionary family; and well, quite frankly, you are slightly disappointed because you were not able to celebrate like you know your family was celebrating at home.
Living on the mission field becomes harder and harder, and suddenly you look back and realize that it is no longer an adventure.  Those customs that were “cute” to you at first are, really, just rather annoying.  After all, don’t these people know that there are better ways of doing things?
And slowly, little by little, the adventure has worn completely off.  Life trudges on and does not always take the directions you had anticipated.  People are not asking “What must I do to be saved?” like you always dreamed they would.  In fact, if they were to ask, you would not even be able to tell them.  “Does everyone realize how hard it is to learn a foreign language?” you wonder as you think about how embarrasing it is that you have not been able to lead one person to Christ’s sweet salvation yet.
The letters from home stop coming as often, and everyone expects that you have settled into a happy, little routine.  And you have… except that you feel kind of stuck.  “This is where I am supposed to be, but I did not realize it would be so lonely.  Every time I open my mouth to speak, people hang onto my words trying to understand me like a mother watches her toddler trying to speak.”  You feel foolish and want to crawl into a shell and hide.  And it does not help that you do not understand anything that is being preached at church either.  You, the “great missionary” who left all behind to serve Christ, even start feeling un-churched.  Of course, you sit faithfully in every service (while training under a veteran missionary) but still only catch words here and there – certainly not enough to feel conviction or encouragement.  You miss your home church; you miss traveling to the greatest churches of America and being in the greatest Missions Conferences ever to be conducted.  Forget all of that… you just miss hearing English everywhere you turn!
Slowly, discouragement sets in.  “I will never fit in here.  I will never speak this language correctly.  I will never adapt to the way they do things, etc…“  And then you find that you are in a place you never thought you would be.  After all, was it not you who, when you talked about foreign missions to children’s Sunday school classes, watched as those small eyes widened in wonder at the adventure of taking the Gospel to a foreign mission field?  Was it not you who gave touching testimonies to ladies’ groups about your burning desire to reach these people?
But, oh, dear young missionary wife!  You are crossing a bridge between two mountains.  The first mountain is the one you left back home, and the second mountain is the one you will reach once you start making friends and learning to adapt in your new home.  But, right now you are caught between those two mountains, on a shaky, rattling, swinging bridge.  It seems so much safer to turn around and run back to the first, comfortable mountain that you left not so long ago.  But, if you will just endure and keep taking one small, shaky step at a time, one day you will find that you have reached the other side.  And, it is a beautiful mountaintop, filled with the greatest pleasures and beauty one could ever imagine!   From one who has made it to that second mountain, I encourage you to hang on!
I often wonder, if young missionary wives understood this transition process… from adventure to loneliness and change and, finally, to adaption, would there be more missionaries who made it through those first, transitioning years?  Most missionaries who give up on their calling, do so during the first four or five years.
I also wonder if praying friends back home truly realize the lonely tears that are shed during that transition period.  If they did, I am sure they would be more faithful to write little notes and send little care packages to those young missionary families.  If you are one of those praying friends, let me encourage you to find a missionary family who has been on the field anywhere from one to five years and focus on that family.  And when the devil comes and tries to rattle that already-unsteady bridge, the missionary family will hold on tighter and take another step forward…. another step toward their future of staying.
Where are you today on this journey? Are you on the first mountain top preparing to leave? On that shaking, rattling, swinging bridge, feeling lonely and discouraged? On that second mountain top of adaptation? Let’s join together in praying for our dear sisters in Christ who are crossing that bridge. And if you are looking on that bridge, do you have a minute to share a word or two of encouragement to spur your sisters on?
Post by: Jolene

Making time with God

Published December 3, 2011 Encouragement , Missionary Mom Issues , Prayer 4 Comments
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God greatly desires relationship with us and for us to continually acknowledge and experience His presence. We need His love, encouragement, and instruction and to be filled by His Spirit in order to succeed each day in what He has called us to do! How do we do this when the duties of motherhood don’t really come a with a whole lot of spare time or freedom from interruption? Here are some of my ideas, but what I’d really love is if you could share your wisdom and ideas in the comments! Let’s encourage each other to make our relationship with the Lord of utmost importance and priority!

1) Pray or listen to sermons while doing laundry or dishes- One of my dear friends here has a collection of little spiral note-pads by her sink, and on each page she has different prayer requests. Some are for our team, some are for our ministry, some for family, some for friends… She spends her dish washing time praying through those requests.  Another thing that I love to do sometimes is to listen to sermons on my computer as I do the dishes.

2) Listen to the Bible in the car or on headphones as you walk if you’re traveling alone- There is really something amazing about listening to God’s word!  I have heard many people say that it is good to engage as many of our senses as possible when learning, as it aids in understanding and retention. This is true for study of the word! If you haven’t already, I think you will be surprised at the little nuances that you pick up while listening that you might not catch as easily while reading. You may also find that you remember it even more easily! (And as a quick note, you can listen to the Bible for free at Biblegateway.com . I’ve been listening to the ESV version, also during dish time, and though I don’t really love the narration style, I still find that I get a lot out of it!)

3) Memorize scripture with your kids- Find verses that you would like to memorize that you can also teach to your kids! It is so great for  both us and for our children to store up God’s word in our hearts, and it is more fun to do together! One thing my daughter and I like to do is choose a verse and then draw a picture or make a craft that goes along with it. Again, engaging with the word through various means helps with memorization.

4) Pray or meditate on scripture as you wait- If there is a place where you often find yourself waiting, either in line, or for a child to get out of a lesson, etc, (living in a former soviet country, the post office immediately springs to my mind!), perhaps designate that time as a time for prayer meditating on memorized scripture.

5) Listen to praise music at home- You can be busy at home doing pretty much anything, but the words of worship songs can serve to edify you and the rest of your family throughout the day.

6) Post scripture around your home- I have seen many beautiful pieces of art lately where people have incorporated scripture into their home decor. Whether it be something artistic in a frame, or simply a verse on a note-card on your bathroom mirror, having scripture around your home gives you opportunities to reflect on scripture all throughout the day.

7) Set aside time when the kids are sleeping or are otherwise independently occupied where you will make a habit of reading the Bible and praying- This is not really an easy thing to just squeeze in wherever, but we simply need to be spending time in the word each day!  Other “needs” should come after our need to be with God, and though it is often easiest to push to the edges of our schedule, meeting with God and being in His word is the most vital of tasks. We cannot live and continue to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit without this source of strength, truth and communion with the Lord! I was recently reminded that if you do something each day for 7 weeks, it is more likely to form a habit. If you struggle with making consistent time for study of the word, pray and make a commitment to read your Bible and pray every day at about the same time for 7 weeks and see if it doesn’t become much more of a habit after that time!

Ok, like I said, those are a few ideas, but I’d really love to hear other things that work for you! Please share your ideas!

(Post by: Ashley)

Homesick

Published December 1, 2011 Encouragement , Grief , Missionary Mom Issues 7 Comments
Tags: ,

This is our 11th year in Niger, so it really shouldn’t catch me by surprise, yet it does.

Every year.

Just before my September birthday, I find myself moody, easily angered, tearful, rapidly frustrated by the idiosyncrasies of living here, and continually questioning God. My husband remarks on my unusually temperamental nature, wondering if I’ve been getting enough sleep. My kids know that I’m going to fuss at them about the messy state of their room – and on particularly bad days, the state of the entire house. Others words that would normally roll right off like water on oil penetrate and hurt, whether intended that way or not. Oversensitive, glum, fatigued by everything about life in this land, I plug along for another month or so.

Then one day, usually sometime in early November, the sky changes from unrelenting sun and faded blue to bright but cool blue, a breeze blows and most days there is a morning haze of harmattan dust or fog over the river. I look for my single cozy sweater to wear while sitting on the terrace and drinking my morning tea. The children (and sometimes even their daddy) dig out socks to wear with their flip-flops. Orange squash are plentiful next to the bridge on the far side of the river. And yellow leaves begin to tumble from one particular type of tree.

And I remember.

I remember why I’ve felt so not me. I’m homesick. Fall is my absolute favorite season of the year, beginning from my birthday and lasting through Thanksgiving. The chill in the air, snuggly sweaters, hiking boots and hot chocolate… Hayrides and bonfires, roasting marshmallows, harvesting apples and fresh mulled apple cider… College football (any football, really) vivid and vibrant colors gracing the trees, piles of raked leaves and giggly children playing, and deer season… Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and all the delight of friends and family at Thanksgiving… Autumn arrives back home, leaving me here, melancholy and nostalgic, wistfully longing for favorite things I miss, and on those really hard days, evoking regret for this decision to live, work and minister in this place.

As one living in an adopted home that is far away and so different from what I’ve always considered home, bouts with homesickness are not surprising. What is surprising, to me at least, is the strength of that longing for another place, my place– and the guiltiness that wells up within because in this moment, I’m not content where God has placed me doing what He has called me to do. I don’t doubt that I’m where I’m supposed to be. I simply don’t want to be here. If I let this continue, I’m stepping into sin.

At least once I remember, once I’ve recognized the problem, I know what to do. It really isn’t a 1-2-3 list of steps to follow to banish homesickness. I wish I could wave some sort of biblical wand, like the fairy godmother in Cinderella, to erase that longing for another place, but I find that for me, it is actually a process of confession, choosing contentment, thankfulness and praise.

I first recognize that, while that feeling homesick is not a sin, my resulting discontentment and ungracious attitude towards God and others is. I repent and confess, remembering that contentment is learned. It is also a choice I can make each time someone or something tempts me to let disgruntlement consume. After setting things right with the Lord, I also have to admit my sinful behavior and ask forgiveness from those who’ve been hurt or offended by my season of short temper, spiteful words and other “yuckiness” boiling over.

Then I begin to give thanks. Homesickness is living at least one thing the Savior knew quite well: a longing for another place that never quite goes away. In that opportunity to share in the earthly experience of the Lord, I can begin to give back to God a sacrifice of praise, a gift of gratitude and obedience. I think of words in Philippians 3 and Romans 8:17:

“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…”

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

That longing I feel for another place? It brings to mind so many blessings that I could never begin to number them all. People, places, poignant memories, precious moments, perfect splendor as I regard God’s handiwork… all are priceless treasures. I do have a choice: I can mope and complain that I can’t live those moments every minute, that I can’t metaphorically grasp them all in my hand all at once… or I can be overwhelmed and overcome by infinite mercies and graces bestowed each day and then let my cup of praise and thankfulness run over.

I can also permit this yearning for home remind me of an ever growing longing for my forever home and the awesome presence of God – directing my thoughts upward, near to the heart of God, toward heaven and eternity.

The Lord, in His grace, allowed me to remember a bit sooner this year. Maybe that means I’m making progress!

How has homesickness appeared in your life? Would you have a moment to share a bit and encourage others with how God has led you personally through these tough seasons? Would anyone appreciate prayer as they walk through a time of homesickness? Let’s all be praying today for our sisters around the world who are facing this heartache right now.

(Post by: Richelle)

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