Guest Blogger: Choosing Garbage Over Gourmet

We have a very smart chocolate lab named Jake. Jake can do several tricks and we think he can sometimes talk. However, Jake has a problem with not only getting into our garbage, but also our neighbors’.  

Jake’s morning meal is a special  mix of “Heavenly Harvest Holistic” dry dog food, a can of sliced chicken & gravy with added Omega 3, & his daily vitamins.  These special ingredients help him with a skin problem he tends to have and gives him much needed relief from rashes & itching.   

One morning, I looked across to our neighbors' house and caught Jake in their trash. Jake’s breakfast stood untouched as I marched him to the pen to stay for several hours.   

How silly it was for Jake to dig in garbage when he had a great meal waiting for him---a meal meant to nourish him and help keep him healthy.   How many times, though, have I “dug in the garbage”? How many times I had looked for solutions on my own, when God has already provided what I needed?

Jesus is the living water and He has already provided Himself so we will never have to thirst again.  Yet, when we try to find our own solutions, instead of seeking Him through His Word & in prayer, we are guilty of digging cisterns that leak.  

Jeremiah 2:13 – “For My people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And have dug their own cisterns, which leak and will not hold water.”

  

Prayer -- Help each of us to drink deeply of the Fountain of Living Water and that we will “splash over” into the lives of others.

______________

*photo above is of my son Ryan's dog, Bento. I didn't have a photo of Jake :).
Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Caregiver Chronicles: When Short Becomes Long

. 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Caregiver Chronicles: When Short Becomes Long

(If you're new to these stories, there are a few links below to get you caught up.)

Ryan (my son), family, friends, the farm, animals, ministry, writing. Life was busy and fun and full to overflowing. I needed to slow down some, even I will admit that, but I thought life was just about perfect.

And then...

Jamie, Sam's wife died two years ago and his slow decline in health turned into a rapid plummet downward. The speed and severity stunned me. 

On June 26th, 2017, when Sam moved to my house, I assessed his situation. He was so near death that I doubted he could live more than a few weeks. That's how bad it was. 

As a physician, I can only formulate a prognosis based on the situation at the moment. I couldn't imagine the difference love and personal care could make. It's been shocking.

My dining room is now Sam's "suite." He gets three meals a day, plenty of protein, and he no longer has to manage the affairs of daily life. 

He's thrived. He's gained enough weight that his pants no longer fall down without a belt. His waistbands are getting snug. He smiles more. Jokes some. Says thank you. Sam loves this new life of his, partly because it's relieved so many burdens. 

I haven't found it quite so easy. I'm up almost every night at least once, and usually twice (or more) to help him. I'm preparing more meals than I ever dreamed I'd prepare, and planning my schedule around an elderly neighbor who requires a major undertaking to transport outside my home. Because he's in my dining room, and he rises late and retires early, moving around my house has been sharply altered, as have my routines.

Can I be honest here? I love Sam, but I don't love getting up in the middle of the night, emptying potty chairs, or lifting a wheelchair in and out of my truck. I don't love that, because I can't leave him behind, I rarely have more than a few minutes to myself. 

Who would?

I don't love that I can't make a spontaneous trip or just dash to the grocery. Even a trip to the feed store, which I'll make today, will begin by getting Sam dressed, fed, and ready, loading him into the wheelchair, transferring him to the truck, lifting the wheelchair partly over my head, and putting it in the truck. I'll do it all again in reverse to get him in the store, make my feed purchase, then repeat to get him back in the truck. When we get home, I'll do the unload one more time. Finally, I'll go to the barn to unload the feed and put it in bins.

When I'm done, I'll get back to my "real" work, because I'm still working full-time from home. 

It's huge to me, but there are thousands of people giving care in their homes everyday. They do the same things I do, and without complaint. They're just as tired.

I say all that to tell you I've had an epiphany this week. Sam's health has improved. He's very frail but I've stopped checking to see if he's still breathing. He requires intense and personal around-the-clock care, but he can move his own legs into the bed now. 

He's dying, but he's not likely to die in the next day or two. Or the next week or two.

I've come to terms with the reality that this short-term-mission trip has turned into a long-term one. It's not going to be over any time soon.

Last night, Sam flipped through channels, trying to find Wheel of Fortune. He was completely disgusted that football had replaced Wheel. I roamed back and forth, doing chores. I paused to help him with the remote and realized something huge. 

I'm going to make it through.  

We've reached a kind of routine that, though hard, is manageable. I'm not in this alone. People have given helped when I've needed it. God has answered every prayer. There's been a provision for every need and, when a new need arises, there'll be a provision for that, too.

Intense caregiving for my neighbor wasn't my plan for this stage of life, but I've surrendered to God's plan. There's more than enough peace to see me through. More than enough strength. More than enough love.

No matter what you face, you, too, can find this same peace, strength, and love. You, too, can have joy in the midst of a hard time. The linchpin is surrender to God's plan and His ways. When we allow Him to direct our paths, He does more than we can imagine to help us through.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6 
____________________
If you're new to this series, here are links that might be helpful: Keeping My Word and When the Time to Move Finally Comes

Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The High Maintenance Missionary and the Forgotten Anniversary

. 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

The High Maintenance Missionary and the Forgotten Anniversary

Gaby and Katie Correa mentioned their one-year ministry anniversary recently. We were in MOT (Missionary Orientation Training) together, so I instantly thought that my anniversary was probably coming up, too. When I looked at the calendar, I realized it had come and gone.

August 15, 2016, I walked through the doors of Global Outreach and took my place in the second office on the left. I had expected to be a "digital" missionary and expand my online ministry. At the last minute, I was switched to being a prayer missionary. I didn't have any idea what I was about to do, and no one else did either. 

It didn't take me long to realize that the new prayer missionary was in desperate need of prayer. A few friends at church laughed and called me a "High Maintenance Missionary" because I constantly asked for prayer, but they prayed. The title stuck. 

The Empty Nesters at First Baptist Church in Starkville, Mississippi offered to pray for me every week. I've probably worn them out with prayer requests, but they've prayed and God's answered. Not one single prayer request has been unanswered. 

Jay White's Sunday School class join in the pray effort, and has prayed for me every week, along with Old Bethel Church, the Sisters of Strength, and numerous others. 

This year would've been impossible without their prayer support. 

I like to see a tally of work done, but I don't have time to count, so I'm leaving that to God. Here's a little summary of what He's done this year.

The Untapped Power Grid Project has connected senior adults with missionaries in the field as committed prayer partners and intercessors. We have facilities in three states and wonderful volunteer coordinators who do a marvelous job of keeping the connections fresh.

I've spoken countless times on topics ranging from prayer to outreach in the Middle East to learning to hear God's voice. (The picture above was taken on my second day at Global, when I spoke at Sherman Baptist Church.)

The in-your-place, at-your-pace study of Hosea was the first online Bible study I wrote. It was finished just about the time I joined Global. The community that formed celebrated completion of the study with an in-person evening at my home.

A few months later, the James online study was completed. (I'm currently converting it to a print format.) I don't know how many people did each study, but those online studies have had more than 5000 views. 

I spent three weeks in the Middle East and fell completely in love with the region and the people. God did huge things on that trip, and I'll be going back before long for another three-week stay.

Fellowship of Christian students meets monthly with students at the Fillmore Center during the school term, and I had the great blessing of being a part of the adult team that helped.

Groups came together for a variety of projects at our Home Office, and one of those groups packed more than 500 personal care packs. All of the packs have been delivered to people in need. 

The blog continued the steady growth it had enjoyed since it began in 2013. It has doubled again over the last year and reaches around the world.

All of that sounds like a lot of busyness, and it was. More important, though, is that God was in that work, and He gave an increase. Lives were impacted, hearts were softened and changed. People came to Jesus for the first time, they allowed Him to draw them to a deeper place, and heard his voice for the first time. 

For a while, I kept tally of the people who made commitments, but I soon realized that God wasn't in my accounting. He didn't want my numbers. He wanted my surrender. That's what I tried to give Him. 

When my neighbor, Sam, needed more care than I could give with him in his own little house, it was clear he needed to move to a place of greater care and equally clear that the place was my home. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was the right one, and God helped me do it. I don't deserve any accolades for this hard work, because I simply obeyed and moved my work to home. 

The amazing thing about taking care of Sam is that ministry has flourished. I've emailed missionaries, prayed for them, encouraged them, and recruited more prayer for them from the start, and that hasn't changed since I've been working from home. If anything, the quality of the interactions has improved. The Caregiver Chronicles, stories from the adventure of taking care of Sam, has been my most-read series, with literally thousands of views.

My life as a missionary looks nothing like I expected, though I'm not sure what would. I certainly didn't expect to end the first year at home, caring for an 87-year old neighbor who could do little for himself. I didn't expect to serve by emptying the bedside commode multiple times a day or lifting Sam by the belt to help him (sometimes very nearly drag him) from chair to bed. I didn't expect to need sitters to leave my house or to carry Sam with me everywhere I went when sitters weren't available. That's not a complaint. It's my reality.

God's done a lot this year. It's all precious, even this season of working from home and taking care of Sam. 

What I treasure the most, though, is what He's done in me. I'm learning the meaning of servanthood in a new and deeper way. It's not a way I would've chosen, but it's the path God's given me. I'm learning how valuable little acts of love are for one who has so little. I'm seeing in real time how important my attitude is as I serve. 

I'm not sure I'm excelling at the job of servanthood, but I am sure of one thing. It's driving me to my knees, and to surrender, in a new and deeper way. 

I'm quicker to ask for prayer for myself, quicker to confess my faults, quicker to admit my inadequacy. I'm less afraid...about what people think about me leaving medicine and doing this, about how my future will unfold, and how I'll make it financially without "doctor money." 

I've been awed by the generosity of the body of Christ and I've seen our partnership in a new way. 

I know, without a doubt, that none of what's been accomplished is about me. We've worked together and God has done it. All the glory, honor, and praise goes to Him. 

Thank you for loving me through this first year, for partnering with me, for praying me through, and for sharing in all the fruit God has given. 

"He must increase, but I must decrease..." John 3:30 

_______________

Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Hurricane Irma: Waiting for Destruction but Praying for Peace 

. 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Hurricane Irma: Waiting for Destruction but Praying for Peace

Irma is on my mind. 

I love the islands, the slower pace, and the simple way of life. I was married on Jamaica, vacationed in the Virgin Islands, and have friends and fellow missionaries in the Bahamas, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. I have family and friends in Florida.

I dread the devastating destruction that a category 5 hurricane can cause. There's nowhere I want Irma to make landfall. I've seen people praying God will shift the storm to the east. This morning, it appears Irma has shifted a little, but it won't stop the storm. It will put a different set of people I care about in harm's way. 

I'm praying the storm dissipates and doesn't make further landfall at all, even though it's already hit St. Martin and St. Barth. The livecam videos I've seen so far this morning look terrible. "Engulfed" is one description being offered of the storm's path through those islands. 

I don't want devastation for any island, any group of people. I hope you don't, either. 

This morning, I'm reminded of the nighttime storm that developed in the Sea of Galilee two centuries ago. It seemed as if the fishing boat they were in would surely sink. The disciples panicked. Jesus slept. 

When they roused him, He rolled off his makeshift cot, stood up, and raised His holy hands. "Peace, be still," He told the storm, and it did. (Mark 4:39) The storm stopped and the disciples moved from panic to a holy fear of the God-man before them. 

"He controls the wind and waves?" they asked each other in wonder. Yes, He does, they realized.

And He still does. Whether it's a storm of trouble in our lives, the aftermath of a storm that's recently hit, or a storm in the ocean that's raging toward land, our God can still command the storms.

As we await Irma's destructive force, please join me in praying what Jesus did when the storm threatened destruction so long ago. Peace. Be still. 

While we're praying peace for the storm, let's also pray that for ourselves. Peace. Be still. Ponder the majesty and wonder of the One who created and sustains this world and all that's in it. Bow before Him and thank Him that He hears our prayers and answers. 

Peace. Be still...

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

Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: When You Want to be a Ninja Warrior but You Think You Can't

. 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

When You Want to Be a Ninja Warrior but You Think You Can't

Sam Wiley loves to watch television. It's pure torture to me, but, last night, I agreed to watch the Ninja Warrior competition with him. Sam cheered the competitors on, groaned when they fell, and marveled when they hit the red button.

They were remarkable athletes. No doubt about it. Even the people who slipped and fell were impressive. I appreciated that they competed against the clock and their own abilities, instead of each other. I love it that their fellow competitors cheered them on in a rare kind of camaraderie.

I wondered how much time they had to spend training, how much money they invested in the equipment at home, and whether or not the training and competition took them away from their families. Some of those questions were answered in videos that showed homemade equipment and children alongside parents as they trained. It sounded as if the competitors had full-time jobs in addition to their training.

The warriors were experts at running, jumping, swinging, and climbing. I can understand the allure, but not even for a second did I imagine myself grabbing a propeller, swinging over to a red rope, hanging on, and flying through the air so I could hop onto a landing pad. 

What I pondered, instead, as I watched the athletes compete, was whether it was possible to be a Ninja Warrior of Faith. Could we train so that we could be experts in faith matters? 

Yes, we can, no matter our age or physical condition. You're never too old to be a Ninja of Faith. 

The required skills are trust, obey, love, and forgive. If you think that sounds easy, think again. 

Ninja Trust is not simple trust. It requires taking leaps of faith to follow God anywhere, even when friends and family think you may have lost your mind. 

Ninja Obedience means doing the hardest thing imaginable, simply because God asked you to do it. 

Ninja Love means loving the most unlovable person you know, in the same way you love yourself. 

Ninja Forgiveness means forgiving the one who has not only wounded you, but wounded the one you love more than anything...the one who has taken away the one you love the most.

Can we be Ninjas of Faith? Yes. It's possible, but it's hard. There's never a day off. It requires extreme sacrifice and extreme effort. It requires the kind of more-than-human strength only God can provide. 

The reward, however, is much more fulfilling that hitting a red button. The reward is the joy of seeing lives changed, hearts healed, families restored. When we obey God like a ninja, it impacts our loved ones and our world in ways that are astounding. 

Today, consider the possibility of training as a Christian Ninja Faith Warrior. Wouldn't you like to be the one who obeys the most? The one who takes the biggest risks for God? The one who impacts the world for Christ? 

Dwight L. Moody was a shoe salesman when he heard Henry Varley say these words: "The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him." 

Moody resolved to be so fully surrendered that the world would see what God could do. He became one of the greatest evangelists of the 19th century, wrote several books, founded a publishing house, and started a Bible college. 

We serve the same God Moody served. We, too, can surrender as he surrendered and see God do beautiful works through us. 

First, though, we must accept the work of obedience and faith and press on, even when it's hard. I'm willing to accept the challenge. Who's with me? 

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 nasb

_____________

Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: The Problem of Keywords and Key Words

. 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

The Problem of Keywords and Key Words

I thought I'd use last year's Labor Day post as a repeat today, but it turns out I've never posted a special blog for this holiday. And I'm not again. Maybe next year.

As part of my preparation for the new website, I'm looking at the keywords for which people search. Today, "Labor Day" will likely be one of them, but I'm not prepared to meet the need. Unfortunately. That will mean lower views and less web traffic.

I googled keywords this morning to get an idea of what people have been interested in lately. in 2016, the 100 most googled words included things like motherless, plenty of fish, babe, nudist, news, and bikini.(1) 

The most used words on my blog are quite different. Jesus. Love. Disciple. Faith.  Obey. Surrender. 

I've begun to ponder how to write truth about people's interests, and this came to mind:

Jesus arrived as a babe in a manger, but He wasn't motherless. Instead, Mary was completely surrendered to God. She taught her God-man Son to be surrendered, too. 

Here's the good news: Jesus came to be the sacrifice for all our sins and to save us from eternal death. If we accept Him as our Savior, He will cleanse us from sin and transform our lives. 

Once, when Jesus called simple fishermen to follow Him, He began by putting plenty of fish in their empty nets. They knew it was a miracle and those fishermen spent the rest of their life following the Miracle-Maker. We should, too. 

I'm not sure that's what Blake (my awesome consultant) had in mind when he suggested I write with an eye on keywords. 

No matter which words we search, the most important key words are found in Scripture. Love the Lord above all else. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. 

If we get those right, we'll have the words that matter most. 

"Jesus replied, "this is the most important: 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord, 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.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these." Mark 12:29-31 bsb 

(1)http://www.pagetraffic.com/blog/most-popular-keywords-on-search-engines. Accessed 9/4/17

__________________

Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: Eight Days of Hope: When Believing Results in Doing 

. 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.

Eight Days of Hope: When Believing Results in Doing

I got sidetracked this morning and ended up with Rahab the harlot. My intention was to read James in The Message paraphrase, then move to my study Bible. A phrase in James 2 caught my attention, though, and I couldn't get past it. 

"that seamless unity of believing and doing"

The phrase was used to describe why Rahab helped the spies. The spies knocked on her door, shared their story with her, and she believed them. 100%. No doubt. Because she believed, she acted. 

It was that simple.

It's supposed to be that simple for us, too. Because we believe, we should act. But do we? 

Let's be clear about something. Scriptural "doing" does not mean clicking on social media posts. The seamless doing that comes from believing involves moving away from our electronic devices and encountering flesh-and-blood humans who are hurting and in need. 

Ponder that for a moment. 

Sometimes our action is as simple as gathering supplies for a homeless care pack. Sometimes that action involves leaving home to go to the other side of the world. Sometimes, our believing carries us to our fellow Americans in desperate need of help.

Hearts are never more open than in times of crisis. People in Texas are still in the midst of the Harvey battle and the recovery will be ongoing for years, as those of us in post-Katrina Mississippi know very well. 

We can help, and we should.

Eight Days of Hope, headquartered in Tupelo, MS is a wonderful organization providing disaster relief and rapid response. They already have boots on the ground in Houston and they could use our help. Follow the link to their website. You can learn more and sign up to help. Not everyone has to hammer and paint. Some people are needed to help in the kitchen, as well. 

I've volunteered with them before, and it was an amazing experience. These men and women love God and love their neighbor, exactly as Jesus said. They live out "the seamless unity of believing and doing" on a daily basis.

Let's let our belief spur us into action, too. Take a few days away from your "usual" life and help out. If you can't go, give. 

We can make a difference in the life of someone in crisis, but only if we allow our belief to blossom into action. 

Here's a hard question that we all must answer: What work are we doing that gives evidence of our faith? 

"Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?" James 2:24 The Message 

"You can see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone." James 2:24 nasb

_____________

*photo above (courtesy of Diane Coleman Becroft) is of 8DOH volunteers in Houston this week.

Please like and share to extend our digital reach.

In case you missed it, here's the link to yesterday's post: When You Give Up Techniques to Pray Powerful Prayers

. 

If you feel led to partner with this ministry (US, Middle East, the digital world), here's the link to give your tax-deductible donations: Global Outreach Acct 4841 

Or you can mail your check or money order to: Global Outreach/ PO Box 1, Tupelo MS 38802. Be sure to put Account 4841 in the "for" line.
#8DOH #eightdaysofhope