Busy, Busy, Busy?

My intention was to update this ministry blog every week. Recently, I've realized what a lofty goal that was! Life continues to busy, busy, busy, but we desire with ever fiber of our being to not just be BUSY, but to be PURPOSEFUL in all we do.

Our pastor has been challenging us with this. So often, those of us in Christian ministries feel we need to be BUSY and fill our days being BUSY for God. We have the misconception we are working "for" God, but in reality we should be working WITH Him. For if He is not WITH us as we work, we accomplish nothing but empty busyness. OR we can be still, listen to His voice, follow His instructions, and move mountains!

God is doing great things in us. It must begin in US. Will you continue to pray for us --- that all we do is purposeful and God-centered? That we will listen to HIS voice and HIS plans and say goodbye to any busyness that is not effective? We don't want to be busy for the sake of being busy. If we're busy, we want it to be a busy that is anointed by God and makes an eternal difference.

Fun, Food, Fellowship

Many of you prayed for the Christmas Ladies' Tea Debbie and I hosted before Christmas. It was so much fun to plan, prepare and decorate! Debbie and I hoped to have a big turnout and planned for about 25 women. We baked, decorated, and prepared with much excitment.

The night finally arrived and only 6 women showed up. We soon realized we were going to have a small crowd and decided to make the best of it! First the ladies ate of the bounty we had prepared. Then we played several fun games.

Our theme for the night was "The Gift," so our games revolved around that theme. One game involved wrapping a woman up as a gift and we gave prizes for the most creatively and the most elegantly wrapped lady.

There were 2 teams of 3 ladies, and they really got excited about this game! It was joy to see them giggle and laugh as the wrapped their friends.

As you can see, their creative juices flowed freely and two of the ladies became lovely wrapped presents!

These two ladies were great sports and allowed their teammates to have total creative license! They giggled as much as the rest of us!

After the games, I shared a short devotional with the ladies. As it happens, all the ladies who showed up are Christian women, so I changed the devotional from being evanglistic in nature to one the challenged us as Christian women to humble ourselves as Jesus humbled himself to come to this earth as a tiny babe. It was a special time for all of us.

Although I was disappointed that there were no "new" ladies who attended, during the evening I was reminded that even Christian women need to time to be pampered, loved on, and encouraged in the Word. Although we had planned on this event being evanglistic in nature, God used instead to build up the body of believers who are working alongside of us in many different ways.

After the devotional, it was time to clean up. (This cafeteria and kitchen are in TCC and used by Taylor Christian School for lunch.) The ladies quickly jumped in to help the clean-up go quickly. All six ladies helped Debbie and me make food baskets to take to ladies who couldn't come due to sickness or other conflicts. Then they cleaned off the tables, folded tablecloths, and brought plates/baskets of food into the kitchen. What a blessing to have such help! (Debbie is the lady on the right! She was my co-host!)

And these two ladies were an extra-special blessing. Treasure Berens (L) and Carol Wonch (R) are two retired WGM missionaries who were instrumental in ministries of Taylor Christian School for many years. They stayed and washed dishes, took down tables and moved chairs! What troopers! Although we kept saying they go home and rest, these two ladies stayed until Debbie and I were ready to walk out the doors with everything cleaned up. What a joy to work with such servants of God!

Thank you for your prayers. Continue to pray for us as we look for creative ways to get to know the women of this neighborhood. We won't give up or become discouraged. Little by little, we're trusting God to open doors for seeds to be planted and for His Kingdom to expand here in this little corner of McAllen.

A New Beginning

Happy New Year!

As we were about to enter 2012, I looked at my brother (who was visiting us) and said something to the effect of, "When did the New Year cease to be as exciting for me? Rather than waiting anxiously to see the Ball drop in Time Square, I'm more excited about midnight hitting so I can go to bed!" (That is probably because I have two little ones who don't sleep through the night!)

Although I no longer get excited about the ball dropping in New York, I AM excited about what 2012 is going to hold. We serve a BIG and AWESOME God, and I have no doubt He has some wonderful surprises for us around the bend.

At times it easy in my humanity to begin to stress and worry about some of things we are anticipating in 2012. I look at our list of responsibilities with the ministry, and sometimes I'm exhausted looking at the needs and demands. Sometimes I'm tempted to be tired before I even begin!

ut then God has a funny way of reminding me of WHO HE IS. Today Jayden fell asleep on the couch as he was watching a video. I looked at him and was amazed at how quickly and easily he fell into a sound slumber. He didn't care where he was as long as he was comfy. He didn't have a care in the world! He didn't worry about what would happen when he woke up, about whether or not he would have food to eat, or whether or not someone would be here to greet him when he did wake up! He was resting peacefully.


God nudged me at that point and gently reminded me that I should be like Jayden. Why do I need to stress and worry so much about the future that I'm unable to sleep? Just as Jayden trusts his daddy and me to take care of him, I need to trust my Heavenly Daddy to take care of us. I need to trust Him and rely on HIS strength to get me through 2012. I need to trust Him to care for our needs in 2012, just as He took such good care of us in 2011. I need to trust completely in His love for me and my family and REST in His tremendous care.

Join us in RESTING in 2012. May we be like Jayden ---- without a care in the world. For we serve a RISEN SAVIOR who is MIGHTY and FAITHFUL.