Under Construction

Viewers:  This blog is new and I've already been talking with you about the goals of this site. But I've been a little sporadic with my posts.  Therefore, this site will be under construction for a little while, but not too long.  Hopefully there will be posts in each category updated once a week.  i.e.

Monday:  Talk Over Tea
In this category we get to the point with issues, ideas, points of view, digging into scriptures, putting it all together and growing in knowledge of what this is all about.

Wednesday:  Colorful Insight
This gives an outlet of creative expression of these ideas and realities, and perspectives and puts it into a format of picture, paintings, poetry, or video.  This gives us a time to reflect and process.

Friday:  Missionary's Journal Entries
Having been involved with missions off and on, I've journaled some of my experiences.  This category will also contain other missionary's personal experiences and thoughts.  What better way to learn than through experience.

This is a journey I want us all to take together!  I want your input, your thoughts, your experiences!!

" But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

Look for my blog to be ready to go around the end of November or start of December

God Bless

Thinking about Death, Life...

(Archive Journal Entry: Russia 09/09/06)

There are these times when I find myself thinking about death.  Like a little child, we don't want to believe it happens, but it really does.  It might be today, tomorrow, next week, in 10 years... I will have to face death.  But, by thinking about the reality of death... makes my thinking about the reality of my relationship with Jesus Christ.

It makes me question if I have truly trusted and believed that Christ can save me from eternal death- and the heart rejoices because I know that what I have living in me is real... Now that makes me ponder on how I actually live the reality of my life.  Do I just go up to people and smile and say very shyly that I love Jesus?  Do I get stuck in a pattern where my spirit goes numb- wake up every Sunday, sing the songs, open the bible- not really reading it, and sitting during the service while the preacher proclaims the truth and the instructions to be transformed- yet not respond at all.

What should the reality be?  I know this for sure... for me to keep my eyes on Jesus, not looking to the left or the right- or Satan will surely pull me down.  I should wake up each day and seek to fall more in love with the Saviour- to draw closer to Him.  With this understanding how can I live a dull life?  It shakes the soul.  Now, since Christ is in me, He puts a love in me that I never had before- a love that would do anything for another person.  so I walk around seeing so many faces... so many... and I wonder how many of them have thought about death, and how many have found the victory over death in Jesus... I wonder how many of them feel like they are doomed- that there is no hope at all.    I wonder if they have tried to convince themselves that they won't face death- and try not to think about.  It will always be something scary to think about, but to know the rest of the story, the victory after the physical death, ... it brings an overwhelming joy and peace to the soul. 

So, in conclusion, I see that the reality for me is to live in the truth- to be a light to this dark, cold world.  To be as real as I can be about the love I found when I was 13, changing my destiny right there, for eternity.

Death is real- Jesus is real.

Legacy

Something we all ponder on sometimes is... I hope I did the right thing, ..or ... I hope this is the best... or I want to make a difference... or I don't want to waste anymore time...  this song is expressive of this determination that each of us carry within us.

Lyrics:

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...

Talking it Through

To find an answer, you must ask the question.

My main answer I'm trying to find and sharing with this blog is: what is MISSIONS?

Maybe you have been asking these questions
Maybe you are interested in missions
Maybe you are asking yourself, where is this this found in the scriptures?
Many questions, curiosity...

I hope to post more regularly on this blog, but I'm trying to read through a few books.  Maybe you want to join me in diving in some books.  Here are a few I'm looking at right now (some I'm reading, some recommended to me, some being interpreted to me):

• Missionary Call, by: David Sills
• Reaching and Teaching, by: David Sills
• Breaking the Missional Code, by: Ed Stetzer & David Putman
• Missiology, edited by: John Mark Terry, Ebbie Smith, & Justice Anderson
• Preparing for Christian Ministry, edited by:  David P. Gushee, Walter C. Jackson
• Theology and Practice of Mission, editor: Bruce Riley Ashford

To all of you reading this, please share with me your thoughts, and other recommendations of reading sources I could search with, and scriptures for encouragement.

In the midst of reading, gaining clarity, seeing the bigger picture, I've been gaining more and more peace about where I stand personally with missions..and I'm still working on it.  This is hopefully good for a broader audience than just myself.

So Let start to Talk it through....

Innocent Curiousity: starting out

(Archive Journal from 2007)

"Where does the mission start?  Does it start by traveling across the world and experiencing a new culture?  I have ventured out seeking out what "missions" is and continue to...

First I watch a slideshow of a missionary, hear a powerful speech about their experience, I give my ten dollars to mission offering, I go to distrubte clothes and food to those in need, I hand out tracks, I share stories that would be told at a bonfire while someone plays the bongo drums...

But you know what- where was the mission created through all these things?  Well, in the heart, if it is not real, it's not real!  In the midst of my continuing search, I'm tempted to put on some kind of super hearo mask, it causes me to be cliche' and not genuine.

Throw all of this away!  I find the true meaning of missions when I enter my home and intereact with family members, when I get into deep discussions with my co-workers, when I invited an un-believer to church..."

Purpose

We all have a purpose

We all have a mission

But what does it mean to be a missionary?  Where did the word come from?  What does it mean to be called?  How do you know if you are called?  And if so...what's the next step.  This blogsite will hopefully paint a picture of understanding... a journey taken to better understand these questions that we sometimes tend to put on a backshelf or give a quick answer to.

Join me as I go on a mission for the meaning of MISSIONS.

In My Tree

In my tree, I would daydream
ALL DAY LONG
I would climb a branch, pick a leaf
And sing a song

A song of words with no rhyme or reason
By chance it might be about that leaf
Or the changing of season

I would peek through the top of the tree
And see
A flock of white clouds float by
Then I would sigh...
... God maybe You're in those clouds
up there
or somewhere in the air
I just want to say to You
What You created is beautiful

Then there was silence... nothing
From Him, was I missing something?

So I went to church with a friend
Wore just the right shoes, dress, and headband
I said the right words, gave a sweet smile
But I wanted to know this God all the while
After pretending and playing dress-up
I finally gave up

I surrendered

I found God as real as could be
In my brokeness down on my knees
I realized the price that His son Jesus paid
My sins on His cross so there could be a way

A way to be forever with Him
Jesus said, "I am The Way"
So with a change of heart, I entered in
To a covenant of love with my God and my King

Now I can sit in my tree and sing
With a purpose, knowing what He did for me
He's not only in those clouds, in this tree
He's alive and living in me!

Now in my tree, I daydream
About how awesome my Creator is
He is mine
And I am His
ALL ETERNITY LONG.