Remembering my Jimmy

Greetings to my family and friends,

I woke up this morning looking at a special verse on my wall....

Be still and know that I am God ( Psalm 46:10)

So I laid there for some time, thanking God for my life and family and the blessing of so many friends.

I asked God to bless me with His wisdom this day, like I pray each day.

Today, especially, I want to shine His light on the people I love, who are sad and missing Jim on this day, the 3rd anniversary of his death.

That would also make it the 3rd anniversary of his new life with Our Father in heaven!! I am so blessed to have that assurance.

I believe and trust all the promises that God has made to us in the bible.

So that means for the last 3 years, Jim has been in perfect health, with a new and perfect body, free of all his medical problems.

That when he isn't singing praises to God he is out playing at least 2 rounds of golf each day, with no cart and his kness don't even hurt!!

I have tried to imagine it all....personally I think it's impossible to wrap our finite brain around the whole concept of Heaven. That doesn't mean I don't believe it exists, I have faith that heaven exists.

I know that Jim asked God to be Lord over his life, so when his life here on earth ended his new life in Christ began.

Hebrews 11:1 says... Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen, it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

So, as I consider God and His plan for each of our lives, I can look back and count it all joy.

James 1:2-7 ²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

So I believe in God's sovereignty and I have faith in His plan for my life. I am grateful to know that He is in control and not me. God knows how I would mess things up!

These past 3 years I have asked God to guide and direct me, to stay close to me because I know I need Him more than I need anything else!

James 4:8 says... draw nearer to the Lord and He will draw nearer to you.

That is my deepest desire and pray for each one of you reading this....to draw nearer to the Lord and find Him there, right where He's been all along, waiting to give you comfort and strength.

Thank you God for your son and for your promise that you will never leave us nor forsake us ( Hebrews 13:5)

Women of Worship

W.O.W. Women of worship...what a blast we had last night!

Several weeks ago some ladies from church were talking about getting together for some 'girl time with God' and before we knew we had created a 4 week WOW event.

Kathy and I wanted to have some time with the girls and God before we returned to Mozambique.

So this was a night designed for women to pray and sing. To share what was on their hearts, and lift each other up in the name of Jesus.

We started with worship...and it was so great! I love to worship I think more than anything else!

Kathy loves to play her guitar and worship to the Lord more than anyone I know!

How perfect that God would bless me in such a way....my own personal worship leader!

Talk about passion....Kathy has got to be one of the most Godly passionate women I know. Most people see her passion when she is worshipping... it's very hard to miss!!!

But I have been blessed 'above and beyond' these past years. I get to see her Godly passion on a day to day basis. Here in the states as well as her passion for the people of Mozambique!

I am inspired by her dedication to follow exactly what the Lord is leading her to do each and every day, no matter what.

So with Kathy leading our worship....let's just say we were all inspired!

God bless Maggie for her beautiful voice as she sang with Kathy. We were also blessed to have the Shaner girls, Bethany and Naomi playing the bass and drums! They were fantastic!!

We then had a short devotional time, we spoke about Passion.

What is our passion, what motivates and inspired us?

What does the passion of a Christian women look like?

To be so passionate that we would take on the world with no thought for ourselves. That we would willingly strive and sacrifice for what is good and right.

Some shared about the passionate women of God that has been modeled in their life, a friend or relative. It was such a sweet time with women who love the Lord, and I was so blessed to be a part of it.

Worshipping the Lord is what we were created for.

Isaiah 43:7 says 'whom I created for my glory'.

Psalm 86:12 'I will praise you oh my God with all my heart, I will glorify your name forever'.

Can't wait till next week!! Thursday at 6:30-8pm at MBC!!!

Please come and be blessed!

6 weeks left....

Am I excited about heading back to Mozambique in 6 weeks? Absolutely!

Am I ready? Not exactly!

Thank God we have 6 weeks left to get ready!

I got back to Iowa today after having spent the last 6 days saying my goodbyes to family and friends in NY. It was a great trip, but I have to admit it feels good to be back home.

While there I had the opportunity to......

~ catch up with a few people I have not seen in a very long time.

~ have lunch with my dear dear friend.

~ enjoy my step son's music at a Benefit for Hospice in memory of his dad.

~ love on my grandson Ben!

~ be blessed with time alone with each of my daughters.

~ have lunch with my son and got to meet his friend.

~ got to read and play with my grandson!

~ have time to share with my uncle and cousin about God and His love and work in my life.

~ have coffee with my aunt, and dinner with my brother and his wife.

~ talk about Mozambique at St Luke's Pot luck supper.

~ have coffee with a Godly young women that God has allowed to be a part of my life.

~ to share my testimony and build relationship with my daughter's church in Binghamton.

All that in 6 days.....no telling what God has planned for these next 6 weeks!!!

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through HIm who gives me strength...

Thank you Jesus, and thank you all for your prayers...I need them!!

7 Weeks left!!

Oh my word... I can hardly believe that we return to Mozambique in just 7 weeks!

We have been busy buying things that we know we need to take back with us.

Plus, picking up things to bring back to our friends and family in Dondo.

It's so fabulous thinking about returning and what God has planned for us this year.

God is so good to bless us with life here in the states and then to allow us to experience life in a country with so very little.

We have been looking at videos and photos from Mozambique as we prepare for church presentations and things, and it has made us even more excited and anxious to get back.

I trust that most of you know when I use the term 'we' I am referring to Kathy and I.

Let me remind you who Kathy is...

Kathy is my colleague. She too spends 6 months out of the year in Mozambique with me.

She of course is more than just my colleague, she is my dear friend who I trust with my life. Then God made it so in my heart....that I would do absolutely anything for her as well.

She claims she 'can't do her job without me', but I know that God put us together because I could not have done what He has asked me to do these past 2 years without her!!!!

God has given us both an equal passion for the people of Mozambique. That's really the point, it's not about us, actually it has nothing to do with us, but everything to do with HIM.

He blessed each of us with a unique set of gifts and skills, then He wove our lives together in a Christ centered friendship and asked us to walk along this path.

Our path has us ministering to people both here in Iowa and in Dondo. Amazing!

We are just a couple of nobodies....that God decided to bless ( abundantly) and use for His glory. Thank you Jesus!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down his friend can pick him up. But pity the man who falls has no one to help him up.

God always has the perfect plan in place....I pray that you all have come to accept this simple truth. God Bless you all

Vertical Blessings

Well, I did it, I survived Boot Camp!

Yes, yes, thank you all very much.

Seriously, it was intense, and extensive, a long 2 day seminar but well worth it!

In the 30+ self study hours I logged in prior to attending the seminar the most significant thing happen.

I came to accept that it's truly biblical to raise support.

If, in fact, I believe that God has called me to share the gospel with His children in Mozambique, then I must also believe that He has called me to raise support to accomplish this.

Where ever Paul traveled, spreading the gospel, he was 'assisted on his journey' (Romans 15:24)

'and then to have you send me on my way to Judea' (2 Corinthians 1:16)

There are numerous references in both the Old and New Testament which make this point clear.

What impressed me was the idea that my support is really from God!

It's a 'vertical blessing'.

Yes, people actually support the vision and the ministry that the Lord has called me to, but they are giving as God has called them to give.

They are giving out of obedience to God.

As God blesses my ministry in Dondo, He also blesses each one who has listened to the Lord and given sacrificially.

Don't you just love the way He has this all worked out for us?

So my job now is to continue to pray and seek His will as I step forward in His strength to accomplish this next step on my journey. To ASK for help!

James 4:2 'we have not because we ask not'