Quotes from Perspectives

My DH and I are taking a course called Perspectives. In this class, we have the opportunity to read lots of articles on missions and hear from speakers which combine to give us a better perspective about missions. I guess you see how it gets its name. Anyways, here are two quotes that stood out to me in the past two weeks.

"Expect great things from God. Attempt great things from God." William Carey

"Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle but you shall be a miracle."

As a mother, I have often prayed for my children to be good, forgetting that I also needed to pray to be a better mother. As a teacher, I have often prayed for my students to be well behaved and learn easily, forgetting that I also needed to pray to be a better teacher. Even though I know the quotes were directed towards missions, I believe they can apply to all whether we are in full time missions or not. I often have too small view of God thinking of what I can handle, not of what God can handle through me. This is something I hope to change.

God, Thank you that you are a God that we can expect great things from. Thank you that you are also not only interested in our circumstance but in who we are becoming. God, I pray that you will make me a stronger woman. I pray that you will give me the power equal to the tasks that you have for me. Amen

See Saws

At recess as a kid, we loved to go on the see saws. We would go up and down until the teacher would blow her whistle to have us come in. But we didn't always just go up and down. Sometimes we would try to balance the see saw. We would either try to do it by putting people of the same weight on each side or putting more then one person on each side to balance it out. Of course there was always the approach where you had one person on each end and then one person in the middle. This middle person would scoot back and forth until the see saw achieved perfect balance.

This past week has reminded me of a see saw. On the one hand, I can see all the things that God is doing through MAF and I want to join God there. I want to be a part of it. One the other hand, I am reading about all the hurdles still ahead of us if we make it over this first one and I am not sure. Then I am up again because it is amazing to be around so many people who are being faithful to God's calling and I know so many of our friends and family are praying for us. Then I am on the down end, thinking about what if... But in the middle of it all, I have the middle man. He is teaching me to be content where I am and not be so worried about the what ifs and hurdles. He promises to bring peace that surpasses all understanding when I bring my prayer and petition to him. He promises that nothing can take me away from His love. He promises that He has a plan for me. When I let Him, He brings perfect balance into all the ups and downs of life.

Dear God, Thank you for your promises. Thank you for the journey you have each one of us on. Let us not forget you have a perfect plan and will be with us each step of the way. May we rest in your peace. Amen

A New Do

As many of you know, N and I have been busy getting ready for our trip to Idaho. In the midst of it all, I decide I need to get my hair cut and luckily she has one opening that fits my schedule before Friday. What is it about a new hair cut that makes a girl feel better? A hair cut make me feel all new and together whether I really am or not. Since I am going to be meeting new people this week, I thought I could use all the help I could get. So the appointment is set. I am ready to go but... Isn't there always a but in life? I am fascinating my 7th period class with the ends and outs of trigonometry when I look up and see my husband in the hall way. It ends up they forgot to do one of the blood tests that I need for my trip. I need to go today before 4:30 the time of my hair appointment.


School gets out. I gracefully send my students off and then race to my car. Can I get my blood drawn and my hair cut? I can sure try. I arrive at the doctor at 4:00 sharp and am out of there by 4:18. Isn't God good? I run to my car and arrive 5 minutes late to my appointment. Since the hair dresser is my neighbor she forgives my late arrival. 45 minutes later, my hair has been shampoed, cut, and styled. I feel like a new me especially after the hurdles I went through to get there.


It got me to thinking that God is the process of giving his children New Dos. In II Cor 5:17 which says " If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old is gone, the new has come." The great thing is that to get God's do you don't have to jump over any hurdles. Jesus took care of all that on the cross. All you simply have to do is ask. Ask to be forgiven. Ask to be renewed by His spirit. And even after we have asked that first time, I find myself coming back to His feet needed to be cleansed, needing to be refilled, needing more of Him. I can then come away confident that Jesus being a part of me makes a better me.



Dear God,

Thank you for your saving grace. Thank you for the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit. Fill me with your Spirit today. Give me a new DO that is from you. Amen

Take aways from Titus

Okay this blog has been in my head since Christmas. I went into Christmas break both mentally and physically exhausted. I had been working long hours and on top of that some of my students had been emotionally draining. While in Tenn. for the break, I dropped off Nana and the kids at church for Sunday school and treated myself to Starbucks. It was just what the doctor ordered. Listening to praise music on my iPod, I poured out my heart to God and somehow found myself reading the book of Titus.

Here is my prayer from reading Titus:

God, help me to be reverent in the way that I live. My I teach what is good. Help me to love my husband and my children, to be self controlled and pure, busy at home and to be kind and subject to my husband. Help me to find a balance between my work and home.

May I make the teaching about God Our Savior attractive by the way I live. May people see God in me. Amen

Two take aways that were God's gifts for me in my situation:

1. God's grace teaches me to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self controled, upright lives in this present age while I wait for the blessed hope -Jesus. I am waiting for my blessed hope Jesus and in the meantime, I am to somehow love on these teenagers that are apart of my daily life. My words affect them. I often need to speak the truth in love but I need to make sure that is what I am really doing not just reacting to the situation.

2. Do what is Good. I need to be about the business of doing good. You know it works. When I am focused on doing good, I am not focused on myself. I am focused on others. When I am doing good, I am more likely to extend grace. Something else I noticed about doing good that it is not the opposite of doing bad. It is a conscious effort to put the needs of others before what I want to do. Plus it can be fun.

Each year I have a verse that I like to try to live out and this year it comes from Titus. Titus 3:7 says " This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone."