FALL: EFFECTIVE    

ef·fec·tive   / əˈfektiv/

adjective: successful in producing a desired or intended result.

The Care & Development mission statement is to: 

Forge a healthy culture that glorifies God and empowers you to thrive in effective and sustainable service. 

This season we are focusing on the word “effective” in our mission statement. 

Have you ever taken part in an effective exercise or language learning program? What made it so? To decide something is effective, one has to know for what one is aiming. The result needs to meet the expectation. Do you know what effective looks like in your ministry?

Since we are talking about ministry, it makes sense to ask how would Jesus define effective. The following example is just one instance where we see Jesus give His disciples a clear set of expectations and we then see their response. (You can apply this to other passages)

(Jesus) called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. Luke 9:1-2

so...

Luke 9:6 ...they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere... 10 On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. 

He told them what He expected and they did it. He gave them the parameters. Then they reported back to Him all they had done. 

We like to measure things. Numbers help us see where we are and help us measure if what we are doing is getting us to our desired or intended result. We see numbers recorded throughout the Bible. Here are just a couple of examples: 

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. Acts 2:41

For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” Luke 9:14

My grandfather was an architect and numbers really spoke to his heart. His Bible is full of marked passages dealing with numbers. Numbers especially speak to the heart of those God has purposefully designed with that bent. But we have also seen that numbers can be deceiving and even misleading. I tend to be more inclined to measure effectiveness by the impression I have about someone or something. This is the way God has wired me. Again, impressions can be misleading. Was my grandfather superiorly designed? Was I? 

As is so often the case, we truly don't want to swing too far in either direction. But numbers or no numbers, how do we know that our actions are effective? 

What if part of effectiveness is simply learning to live trusting and aligned with the ways God has given us to live? 

I have a conflict with a team member- I lean in, love, and work through it in humility. I mess up on an assignment- I fully own it (understanding my value and worth aren't affected) and move forward in a spirit of teachability. 

What if part of effectiveness is fully showing up in my relationship with God and others? Bringing my full self to all that I do? (Work as if working unto the Lord, not people) 

"Showing up".  It sounds kind of ambiguous. I think showing up means that I bring my true self- the real me- to the Lord. I ask Him to search me and lead me. My part is to align with and follow Him. I also bring the real me to those around me. Ooh! Even if I am not perfect? Yes. I am not trying to be something or someone I am not. Honest is a good place from which to grow. I walk with the Lord and share my ideas with my team (even if my ideas aren't chosen, or they are changed). I grow in the gifts God has given me and share them with His body (my team, the church, my family and friends) SO THAT His body is built up.  

Surely part of effectiveness has to be that I am actively engaged in throwing off what hinders and entangles me so I can run with perseverance the race marked out for me, right? We are the light of the world and are to let our light shine SO THAT people see our good works and praise our Father. We are light. He has made us so. The things that hinder, the things that are not true, cover our light. We must do whatever it takes to unhinder ourselves and return to what is true because of  WHO is Truth.

We are the creative children of a very creative God. We come up with all kinds of amazing ideas for achieving ministry goals. We need to do this. There is no cookie cutter approach in the Kingdom of God. We have been uniquely designed by the Master Artist and have been given gifts, experiences, and bents toward certain things. Each person and each idea is heard and valued.

You matter. You matter to the Lord and you matter to the world! He put you here at just the right time. Maybe part of effective service is as simple as faithfully and fully showing up and trusting Him to be who He says He is and to take care of you as well as the results. 

-Jamie

SUMMER: THRIVE    

verb  : to grow or develop well; flourish

The Care & Development mission statement is to: 

Forge a healthy culture that glorifies God and empowers you to thrive in effective and sustainable service. 

This season we are focusing on the word “thrive” in our mission statement. 

I can still hear my mother’s words: “Bloom where you’re planted.”  She was encouraging me to live and grow in the present, be content with where God had me in that season and focus on developing my own pastures instead of longing for greener grass in others. In other words, she wanted me to thrive.

This is 100% easier said than done.  We’ve all heard the phrase, “I don’t want to just survive, I want to thrive.” Surviving is simply existing through hardship while thriving means growing and developing through hardship. 

When comparing these two words, I can’t help but think of Psalm 1:3 and John 15.  In order to continually grow and develop, we must be nourished by planting ourselves by streams of water and by staying connected to the Vine which gives us life. 

It’s a simple concept, but not always an easy one, especially in the whirlwind of everyday life. Jesus said, “IF you remain in me, YOU WILL bear much fruit.” (a.k.a grow, develop, flourish—thrive!) This is not only a promise, but our answer to the question, “Am I thriving or surviving?”

-Rachel

SPRING: EMPOWER    

/em·pow·er/  verb  :to encourage and support the ability to do something

The Care & Development mission statement is to: 

Forge a healthy culture that glorifies God and empowers you to thrive in effective and sustainable service. 

This season we are focusing on the phrase "empowers you" in our mission statement. Let's be honest, God is the one who truly empowers us. He is the one who is able to keep us from stumbling and also to transform us. As His people, our part is to believe Him, trust Him, and walk in His ways (to engage our faith). 

Consider:  In what areas do you need encouragement or support in this season?

... what is your part in the forging of a healthy culture?

Our heavenly Father is at work in His world for His glory.  He invites and wants us to be with Him!  He has not called us to crawl into a box of what a minister "should" look like and do. No, our heavenly Father, who loves us and created us in Christ Jesus for good works, put things in each of us and gave us experiences that have shaped who we are. As we follow Him, He asks us to surrender all to Him, to trust Him and His goodness even when we cannot see it clearly. 

So often I think we get it backwards. We want to DO something for God, then look at our Father to see His pleasure at what a good job we have done. But God has flipped this process upside down. God invites us to keep our eyes on Him, our hand in His, and to walk with Him in what He is doing in and through us. And He has put His very Spirit in us to will and to work according to His good pleasure. We are not alone. That is some good news!

So how do we as His children empower each other? How do we, in His name, encourage, support, sharpen, and speak the truth in love for the building up of the body? How can we help each other ..."hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.  And ... consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:23-25)

Empowering is not cheerleading. It is real and true and not easy. I believe this takes a willingness and humility to learn to have difficult conversations well, it takes leaning in when things are uncomfortable, checking our motives and our own lives so we can engage rightly, and honoring the other person as worthy of my discomfort so they can be built up.

Empowering looks like honoring the person in front of me as God's beloved and honoring what the Lord is doing in their life... treating them as an adult-capable of discerning the Lord's voice and of doing hard things. And it means that though I fully understand they can do hard things, I also know that they don't have to do it alone.

As difficult as it can be, we are sometimes given the honor of bearing witness as our brother or sister walks through suffering. This is hard. We so desperately want to fix, do, or say something that will make a difference. Jesus told us we would have suffering in this life. And He told us to take heart because He has overcome the world. God is doing things in each of us FOR our good. So when someone is suffering or struggling, how do we come alongside them to be a source of strength as they "struggle well"?

Here are a few thoughts about how we might do this based on how Christ treats us:

PRAY Christ prays for us! And we have the honor of lifting one another up to the One who is able to do all things and who is at work in our brother/sister.

BE with them He is WITH us. He is compassionate and present. Just being with someone is a great source of encouragement. 

LISTEN Jesus LISTENS to us. He is a truly safe place to "unload". Learn to be a good listener- to listen in a way that helps you grow in your understanding of who they are and what they are experiencing.  Jesus often asked people what they wanted Him to do for them. I love that Jesus asked so many questions. Good questions help to open us up so we are able to see what is in our hearts- to bring what is in the darkness to the light. We can start with 3 good questions:

1) What happened/ what is going on?

2) How did you feel/ how are you feeling?

3) What was/ is the hardest part?

DO Our Lord PROVIDES for us and He SERVES us. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.  We cannot carry someone else's load, we each carry our own load, but we can help each other bear burdens. Maybe you could offer to go with them to an appointment, to pick up something for them, to bring over a meal during a busy season, to provide childcare for a much needed date night... Again, we honor the person by asking what would be helpful to them/ if _____ would be helpful rather than just assuming we know what they want or need.

SPEAK He SPEAKS truth to us. Almost without exception it is best to only speak once we have done a lot of listening. When we do speak, we need to speak the TRUTH in love. Our words have the power of life and death. This is no small thing! We must point them to the truth of who God is while acknowledging the reality of their situation. And we must hold fast to the truth that:

“(His) grace is sufficient for you, for (His) power is made perfect in weakness.” 

 2 Corinthians 12:9

You alone have the power to choose life for yourself. Christ came for you to have life to the full. Our "empowering you to thrive" as a care team can include providing/ connecting you to information and resources, listening, walking alongside you in your journey, and reminding you that you can do hard things and that you don't have to do them alone.

May we love each other well!

-Jamie

Further reading:  2 Corinthians 12:6-10

WINTER:  GLORIFY GOD    

Check out this Bible Project video or the podcast series

or this article from Got Questions  

Further reading: Psalm 71

Consider: how you glorify God in your life, ministry, on your team, etc. How do we glorify Him together?

The Care & Development mission statement is to: 

Forge a healthy culture that glorifies God and empowers you to thrive in effective and sustainable service. 

God is the one who empowers us. He is the one who is able to keep us from stumbling and also to transform us. As His people, our part is to believe Him, trust Him, and walk in His ways (to engage our faith). This season we are focusing on the phrase "glorify God" in our mission statement. 

May we glorify God together!

-Jamie

Further reading: Psalm 71

FALL:  HEALTHY CULTURE     

Health \ˈhelth\ , according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".

cul·​ture  \ˈkəl-chər\ the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization

Jude 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Ephesians 4 

Romans 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. 

Colossians 3:12  Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

The Care & Development mission statement is to: 

Forge a healthy culture that glorifies God and empowers you to thrive in effective and sustainable service. 

God is the one who empowers us. He is the one who is able to keep us from stumbling and also to transform us. As His people, our part is to believe Him, trust Him, and walk in His ways (to engage our faith). This season we are focusing on the phrase "healthy culture" in our mission statement. 

Whose definition?

Whose definition of "healthy" we are using? As believers, we surrender to God in everything- our Lord, and His definition of ...well, everything. It is tempting to adopt the world's definition of healthy culture, but we must look to Him. Where can find our definition of healthy culture in Scripture? 

Acts 2

Ephesians 4

John 13:36

...what other passages can you think of?

My coach, Leah Sequeira, has a whole training on finding our identity in Christ and part of the workshop is examining how we view ourselves in relation to others.

Imagine a triangle: God is at the top. He is the Light. He is the focus. He is greater.

The base is made up of God's people:  We are His creation, image-bearers, and because we are in Christ, we are fellow light-bearers.

When we compete with each other, feeling threatened-  puffing ourselves up- we elevate ourselves, which is not God's design. We were not made for that.

When we compare ourselves to others- feeling less than- we degrade  ourselves, which is also not God's design. We were not made for that.

We all experience one (or both) of these shifts multiple times throughout the day. We are human and we live in a fallen world. BUT! We have the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things, prompts us, and helps us. The goal is to come back to truth and true identity quickly, not that we never experience the imbalance (we are human after all).

Try one of the following this week:

1) In the evening take some time to reflect on the day. When did you feel/ see yourself puffing up/competing and when did you feel/notice yourself shrinking back/ comparing? Don't worry about judging it. Bring it to God. Ask for His help to remember who HE is- His character, who you are- your identity in Christ, and to see the person(s) you were competing/comparing with as FELLOW image bearers experiencing their own journeys. Maybe there is another story going on than the one you had playing in your mind? Maybe they were having a bad day? Maybe there is another way to look at what happened. Verbally (out loud if you can) replace your trust in God's love for you and goodness towards you.

2) Take a moment to check in throughout the day (same process as above)

When you wake up

Midday

Before bed

3) At the end of the week (same process as #1)

Which one will you try? I encourage you to put it on your schedule.

Maybe you want to read one of the one another passages mentioned above (or that comes to mind now).

Would you take a moment, do me a favor, and just ...

breathe deeply

praise God for who He is- name some of His characteristics you are especially grateful for right now

acknowledge that He is worthy of all glory

thank Him for how He created you- He completely knows you and carefully knit you together on purpose, for His glory (Psalm 139)

thank Him for the people in your life- the ones who sharpen you through encouragement as well as those who challenge you-bringing dross to the top ;) He LOVES you. You are His beloved child. He is faithfully completing the GOOD work He began in you (Phil. 1:6)

ask Him to help you keep a healthy (His) perspective on who He is, who you are, and who others are

and REST in HIS finished work and the confidence that your identity and significance are secure in Him

A healthy culture that honors God is not going to just happen. It will cost each of us our comfort and preferences. The invitation to us is to forge together "(throwing) off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And (running) with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Considering) Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that (we) will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1b-3)

May we pursue a healthy culture together!

-Jamie

Further reading: Hebrews 12

SUMMER:  FORGE     

forge |/fôrj/    create

Jude 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Hebrews 12: 1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

The Care & Development mission statement is to: 

Forge a healthy culture that Glorifies God and empowers you to thrive in effective and sustainable service. 

God is the one who empowers us. He is the one who is able to keep us from stumbling and also to transform us. As His people, our part is to believe Him, trust Him, and walk in His ways. This sounds soooo easy, right? So why would we put the word "forge" in our mission statement if He is the One doing the heavy lifting? 

Tension

Forging is not a simple process. It requires, sweat, time, energy, and often heat.  Forging involves bending and hammering so that the metal is strengthened. And here is the tension: In Christ, we have entered into rest-rest from striving, proving, or earning salvation. We are secure. And we walk in His ways, strive toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal,  share in His sufferings, take heart, etc.  Jesus promised that in this world we will have trouble, but that we can also take heart! He has overcome the world.  We have to choose the narrow road, not the easy one. As His disciples, we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). We surrender to Him and His ways, and we trust that He really is good. 

Forging also involves getting rid of excess- removing the metal that is not part of the intended product. Here again we feel tension. We are absolutely new creations in Christ. We are also learning to walk in the new life that is ours... "forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead" (Phil. 3:13).  Jesus says,  "narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life"(Mt. 7:14). Throwing off the baggage that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles is necessary for running the race, for working in ministry, for living the abundant life that IS OURS IN CHRIST. 

What relationship needs a difficult conversation? Forge! Consider what wisdom or counsel you need in order to have the conversation in a healthy, Biblical way that will glorify God?

What step of faith is God calling you to in support raising or other area of ministry? Forge! What encouragement or support do you need?

What project needs to be completed or is looming overhead? Forge! What training or other resources do you need to get it done? 

What behavior or habit gets in the way of you pursuing unity with your team? Forge! How can you humbly and directly address this? One idea us to ask this question: "Is there anything you would not want to share with me/say to me? ...May I ask why/ what I am doing that would keep you from doing so?" (BE WILLING and humble to hear what they say. Do not be defensive. Take what they say and consider it before the Lord and those you love and trust).

What pain are you holding onto? Forge! Bring your pain to the Lord and allow Him to heal it. He may want to use a Christian counselor or a friend who listens well and will point you to Him.

What false belief are you holding onto? Forge! Examen what your actions and reactions are revealing what you truly believe. Ask people who know you well and love you enough to tell you the truth about blind spots in your behavior that contradict what you say you believe.

Forging demands our participation and our humility. A healthy culture that honors God is not going to just happen. It will cost each of us our comfort and preferences. The invitation to us is to forge together, "(throwing) off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And (running) with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Considering) Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that (we) will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1b-3)

May we forge together!

-Jamie

Further reading: Hebrews 12

WINTER:  MINDSET     

mind·​set | \ ˈmīn(d)-ˌset  \    1. a mental attitude or inclination  2.  a fixed state of mind

Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Something I have been thinking about...

I heard someone once say that we do not take someone captive and simply throw them in prison without testing to see if they are a friend or a foe. It just doesn't make sense. But this is exactly what we do sometimes with our thoughts. 

Our thoughts are so important. What we think about shapes us. And God has a lot to say about our thoughts and about what is good for us to dwell on.

Just because I have a thought, doesn't mean it is mine or that it is something I believe. When a thought pops in my head, I can dismiss it or I can take it in. Putting it next to the truth of Scripture, I can test to see if it is a friend or a foe, a truth or a lie. I can CHOOSE life and what I entertain in my mind. I can choose to believe God instead of a lie. It is when I linger on the thought, take it and dwell on it, that it becomes mine. The question is: what do I linger on? What do I "set my mind on"? 

Something that has made a big difference for me lately is to have a "go to" response when a negative situation or thought happens. It isn't super brilliant, but it has helped me so much. My response is simply:

God loves me. He is good. His ways are good. I can trust Him and I get to choose my response.

I am choosing to set my mind on the truth of what He says about Himself (and me), even when I do not see it. I am choosing to believe Him.

As His people, we get to bring everything to Him, we surrender and look to Him. He is good. He loves us. He knows what is good for us and what is not. His promise is to complete the good work He began in us (Phil. 1:6). May we be willing participants, trusting His loving correction and His good ways! 

Take time to consider and answer with the Lord: What is your mind set on? What is your first response to trouble or boredom? Do you take time to reflect and bring your thoughts before the Lord? Do you really believe He loves you? Do you believe what He says about you? about others? Do you find yourself dwelling on the past? Spend time worrying about the future? Have stories going on in your mind about what MIGHT be going on currently (versus what is really happening- that might involve having a real conversation with someone else)? Intentionally consider where you spend most of your thought life: past-regret, anger, bitterness, ... future-worrying, fearful, imagining worst-case,... 

We are transformed by the renewing of our minds. It is SO important to pay attention to what He tells us to think about, the attitudes we should have, and the perspective we have about Him, ourselves, and others.

Lord, teach us to be still and to be with You, acknowledging You in all our ways. Help us look to You, and to go when and where You send us, sharing You along the way, obeying and teaching others to obey all You have commanded, knowing You are with us always. Thank you for the amazing minds you have given us! They are truly a wonder. We love you. Help us to know Your love for us and to love You even more!  Amen.

What has helped you? Where do you need to grow in MINDSET? How do you practice setting your mind on Him and acknowledgement of God's very presence with you? What is ONE way you can do this today? 

-Jamie

FALL:  WITH     

/wiTH/ preposition- accompanied by (another person or thing).

Immanuel: God With Us

...our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”

Daniel 3:17-18, 24-25

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were told to bow to the idol King Nebuchadnezzar had made. If they refused, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace (heated 7 times hotter than usual). They confidently informed the king that God was able to deliver them, but if not, they still would not bow to the idol. They were thrown into the fire.

And God indeed delivered them... in an unexpected way. Though they did eventually walk out of the fire unscathed, God's deliverance occurred first in His presence WITH them IN the fire. 

Living in the coastal village of Msambweni, Kenya, I struggled daily and begged God to just "show me my ministry". I knew that if I had a clear sense of calling and what I was supposed to do, everything else would fall into place. I would be content. (This was the first two years on the field. If I could go back and put my arm around my younger self, I would say, "be gracious to yourself, you are learning to live here." But I digress...)

My husband, Chris, ended up in the hospital in Nairobi and we spent the next six months away from the people we believed God had led us to serve. This season was one of navigating bewilderment as well as physical pain. Hadn't God called us to pack up our young family of 7, leave a secure career and known culture, move across the ocean, learn Kiswahili, and make a life sharing Jesus among the Digo people?

During our stay in Nairobi we learned something that changed us: God calls us to HIMSELF first and foremost. We were called to be WITH Him in what HE is doing in HIS world.

13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. 

Mark 3: 13-15

There is a lot going on in the world. Too much time spent thinking about all that is wrong, scary, divisive, painful, or lacking in this/your world often spirals into a sense of isolation. At some point, many ministry workers express feeling alone, which seems ironic as our work is with people. This deeper sense of isolation, when left unspoken or unattended (in the dark), can grow and lead to hopelessness and burnout. 

During His time on earth, Jesus modeled being with His disciples. He called them to Himself to BE WITH HIM. They would share key moments as well as everyday moments WITH Him. They had access to Him. And then HE sent them out.  

And, as His followers, we are sent into all the world to go, make disciples, baptizing them..., and teaching them to obey all He has commanded. AND HE IS WITH US ALWAYS...

Jesus also sought intentional times of being alone...with God. I have grown to believe God's "with-ness" is the key to resilience. Resilience is defined in the dictionary as "the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness." Building resilience is a key topic in mission conferences, books, and articles. It can indeed be built. We can learn to become more resilient, and it involves being uncomfortable.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had to go into that furnace. God did not keep them from it- HE WAS WITH THEM IN IT.

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

Isaiah 43: 1-2

What I am hearing Him say is that trouble and hardship are to be expected... John 16: 33, "in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world", and James 1: 1-3, "Count it all joy...when you face trials of various kinds, because the testing of your faith produces endurance..." We will have troubles AND His presence is what makes the difference. I know this sounds super simple- even basic. But can we take a moment to think about what this means...

The living, all-powerful God is WITH us. 

I believe showing me His "with-ness" is one of the main things God was doing during my time living in Kenya. In my story, had I taken myself out of the place He had led us to live, I would have missed finding Him with me in the flood and fire. I often tell people that living in Kenya was one of the hardest things I have ever done, AND I am SO glad I did it. 

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which translated means, God with us. (Matthew 1:21-23)

Lord, teach us to be still and to be with You, acknowledging You in all our ways. Help us look to You, and to go when You send us, sharing You along the way, obeying and teaching others to obey all You have commanded, knowing You are with us always. Amen.

Where do you need to know He is with you? How do you practice awareness / acknowledgement of God's very presence with you? What is ONE way you can do this today? 

-Jamie

SUMMER:  Remember  - re·mem·ber   /rəˈmembər/ verb

have in or be able to bring to one's mind an awareness of (someone or something that one has seen, known, or experienced in the past).

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you

from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls;

all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,

    and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:5-8

So often in God's word we are encouraged to remember... recount... rehearse what God has done. Maybe, just maybe, it is because it is so easy to forget when circumstances are stressful, when we are in pain, or when things are busy, full, or even comfortable. It is just easy to forget. I want to share something I am trying that I hope will be helpful to you.

Occasionally I have trouble sleeping at night. I do not like it! Sometimes I have ideas racing around in my head, sometimes I am sad or frustrated about a situation. Whatever the cause, it eventually drives me up and out of bed. I am a journaler, so I will often go to my cozy chair and pour out my thoughts on paper. I began to notice that I often grew more melancholy, the lies were taken in a little easier, and I often felt overwhelmed. Some of you have already figured out what I just couldn't see in the wee hours of the night- tired thoughts are not always true or helpful thoughts. 

As a church we have been reading through the Bible. Words like "remember, return, recount", and a host of related words have stood out to me. And I decided to start something new. I decided to start remembering and listing what He has done, who He is, the truth about who I am, and what He says about others. I do acknowledge and tell the Lord that I am mad, frustrated, sad, confused- whatever is keeping me up- and verbally give it to Him to hold for the night. I can revisit it in the morning when I am fresh and not so tired. Choosing to focus on Him and remembering His steadfast love and faithfulness has been changing my sleepless nights. 

**If you know me, you know I am NOT telling you to stuff down your sadness or frustration. I am not even saying that I will practice this every time I cannot sleep. Sometimes lament is what is necessary- even if the hour is late. What I AM saying is rather than have the habit of trying to process deep emotions in the darkness of night, I am trying to develop a habit of remembering His character AND process the deep things when I am more clear.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me,

    bless his holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits...

Psalm 103:1-2

-Jamie

FALL:  SURRENDER   

"Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will." Mark 14:36

We moved this month and it hit me harder than I thought it would. We only moved a few miles away, WHY was I taking it so hard? I couldn't sleep, I cried a lot, and I saw myself retreating, wanting to withdraw from people. My journal entries from that time are full of melancholy words. We were experiencing changes in several areas, making big decisions with our children, and leaving a home that had been provided in a very sweet season. I felt like I was going backwards. Interest rates are down, people are BUYING houses; we are in our late 40's, we "should" be buying, not selling! In addition, we had friends going through an ugly divorce, conflict between believers, rioting, death, anger, suffering, suspicion and lack of understanding... these outside realities wrapped me up and I felt crushed beneath their weight. The move was the proverbial straw. I thank God for the straw. I needed the breaking. I needed to see that hope is not ever found in a policy, a political structure, the will of people, nor an earthly home.  

I recently read the story of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane. Our pastor would be preaching the text in Mark 14 that day and I wanted to prepare. As I read, I was struck by how Jesus was described- He was "greatly distressed and troubled". The text goes on to say that Jesus told His disciples, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch." WHAT?! Jesus, those are some strong, some "dramatic" words. I stopped and sat with the impact of what I had just read... "even to death." (pause, let that sink in for a minute)

Jesus told His disciples how He truly felt-what was going on inside.

Jesus asked His disciples to "watch". Um, what? Watch. I have glossed over this word so many times in reading this passage. "Watch as I go through this agony". Our pastor brought this out in his sermon as well. He pointed out that Jesus gave them instructions in what to do while He was in His distress. When we are around people we love who are hurting, our first response is usually to go TO them, to try and comfort them. That is a good thing. I liked that Jesus was kind in His telling them what He wanted. But also, "watch"? Yikes. That is hard. Watch me suffer. Stay. Don't look away or leave. 

The word "witness" comes to my mind. It has weight. Witness my emotion. Witness what I am going through. I am not asking you to fix it or even to say or do anything. Bear witness. 

Then Jesus, falling to the ground (!), acknowledging His relationship with Abba, Father, acknowledging God's power, "all things are possible for You", asks that the cup might be removed from Him. He knows what is coming. He understands the weight of what lies before Him.  (pause and let that sink in)

"YET not what I will, but what YOU will" 

Victory. Jesus, asked for what He wanted AND He surrendered. He entrusted Himself, knowing the excruciating pain and suffering that lay before Him, to the will of Abba, Father.

Hebrews 12 recounts this victory with hindsight, "...for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising its shame..." 

Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, endured hostility from sinners so that we may not grow weary or fainthearted (Hebrews 12:3). He allowed His disciples to witness His "dark" moment, when He was distressed and troubled to the point of death, and we have this vulnerable moment of our Savior to guide and encourage us during our times of suffering and distress. 

About a week after we had moved, I was once again unable to sleep. Earlier that week I did some things I had been avoiding- I started walking in the mornings (sunshine and exercise) and I asked some close friends to please pray. I shared with them what was going on and the grief I was experiencing. As I sat on my couch that night, in this new house, I reminded myself, once again, that I am a steward of the gifts God gives-not the owner. God is good and can be trusted. His love is steadfast. And I read Psalms 42 and 43. The part that stood out was

Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me;

let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy,

and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

God's word, a lamp to my feet and a light to my path, reminded me that HE is my hope. My time in this world is but a breath. What can I do but follow Him? Even if it seems like foolishness to mankind. In that moment, I surrendered. I remembered that my worth is not found in the things I do, the things I own, nor the opinion of others. I am His. He is my Abba, Father, able to do all things, and His will is...period.

May we find a few friends, and build real relationships with them.

May we share our burdens and ask for what we need, not putting our hope in what people can or will do (the disciples fell asleep...3 times, remember that?)

May we bear witness in each other's lives...not shrinking back or inserting ourselves unduly. "How can I love you well?" is a question I am learning to ask.

May we cry out to God- knowing our relationship with Him, His ability, and His character, authority, and wisdom. May we "make our requests known to God". 

And may we surrender, entrusting ourselves to Him, the One who loves us most and is most worthy.

-Jamie

SPRING:  TRANSITION   

Transition is the process of adapting to change. A period of transition begins as soon as I know a change is coming. 

CHANGE, TRANSITION, AND WHY IT'S HARD | Tanya Crossman

The past six months have been an insane season of transition for me. Comically enough, as I’ve been taking up speaking engagements in various countries the number one topic I’ve been engaged to speak on has been – you guessed it – transition. And now, of course, the northern hemisphere is in the throes of transition season – many people are moving on to new locations, and many more are watching them leave.

Transition is everywhere – all around us. But what is transition?

I find it helpful to contrast change and transition. They are related, but different.

Change is an event.

Transition is a process.

Change is an event. It is the moment in time when I go from this to that, here to there. It is when I leave, when my friend leaves me, when I start at a new school or new job, move into a new home. Transition is the process of anticipating and integrating that change.

As I wrote in Misunderstood:

“Change is physical – a new location, a person who is physically absent. Transition is the process of handling the emotional fallout of physical changes“

KEEP READING

MAY: ENCOURAGER  |  Jeff Jackson

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A FACE TO FACE MISSIONARY ENCOURAGER

In more than 32 years of navigating within the world of global missions and missionaries, I can honestly say that I’ve never met a missionary who wouldn’t eagerly set apart the time to meet face to face with someone who wanted to get to know them and hear about their ministry.

INVITATIONS ACCEPTED

During the years my family and I served on the mission field, my guess is that around 80 different people took the initiative to invite me alone–or my wife and I together, to meet with them.

Every one of them told me that they wanted to get to know to us and to hear about our life and ministry on the mission field.

Having someone show that level of interest in us and our ministry was incredibly encouraging and we went in to each meeting eager to get to know the people who invited us and to share our story with them.

PARADOX PRODUCED

And yet, although we felt blessed in a variety of ways at the time we said good-bye and began the drive back to where we were staying, in many cases, we experienced the paradox of feeling blessed and discouraged at the same time.

Why?

Because more than half of the people who told us they wanted to get to know us and hear our story, would begin by asking us a great question that we were eager to answer.

But at the first pause in our answer or description of something, they would spring board from a word or phrase we used and launch in to a lengthy description of what was going on in their lives.

KEEP READING

April - RESILIENCE   |    Sarita Hartz

My first year on the mission field I experienced spiritual abuse, discouragement from others, debilitating sickness, isolation, culture shock, lies, theft, betrayal, setbacks, harassment, vicarious trauma, depression, and fatigue. As a single woman then, I went through most of this alone.

And yet, somewhere within myself, I found the courage to continue on in my purpose for another 6 years, work through a period of burnout, and then through my own journey of healing, became a celebrant helping others heal. This was partially due to just plain stubbornness, but also due to something I didn’t have a word for yet.

Resilience.

We can all agree that the unique challenges of living on the mission field or running a ministry test your limits.

Everything from high expectations of self, to constant stress, feelings of failure, secondary trauma, past/childhood trauma, and unmet expectations from others that you’re some sort of missionary hero, combine to form a deadly cocktail.

Most missionaries begin with a strong passion for helping others and yet we often lose sight of the fact that God cares about our hearts and healing more than He cares about “our mission.” 

Resilience is one of the key factors that can make the difference between sustainability and burnout.  KEEP READING

February - STABILITY

The particular line of work we have all chosen is definitely not stable by its very nature.  We should have expected that to be the case based on our organization’s name alone.  Mobilization infers movement.   So is stability out of reach for us?

stability  [stuh-bil-i-tee]  noun

Fixed, steadfast, unvarying, firm; the strength to stand or endure; placed so as to resist forces tending to cause motion.  

As I considered these definitions I realized that stable external conditions are not required to achieve stability.  A stable coastal home is such because it endures and withstands the punishment of hurricane winds, not because it never experiences severe storms.  

January - TENSION

Surprised?  The word tension doesn't usually invoke positive images. My mind immediately thinks of tension headaches or hypertension.

In reality, our lives require us to hold so many facets in tension, but we can be relieved to discover this can be a healthy tension.  

Maybe you would prefer the word balance.  I tend to avoid that word because it has always seemed so boring to me.  I guess I lean toward extremes and the idea of balance seemed to want to tame that.  That's my rebellious nature at work I guess.  But that's another post.