Finish Well

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Colossians 1:17- “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.”

It’s the end of the school year and everyone is ready for summer break. For any of you who have ever worked in a school (or attended school), you know how that goes! Students and teachers alike are tired from all the time and hard work they have put in this year and they are eagerly looking ahead to fun summer plans. Our graduating students are talking about packing for college; teachers are preparing for trips to the States to visit family and friends. It’s a time of mixed emotions as some families will be graduating or leaving and it means changes are coming. As we wrap things up here at OCS, may I please ask for your prayers? It’s been a good year and we want to finish our last week and a half well. Thank you.

Prayer requests:

1. That God will hold us together (in every sense of the word)
2. That we will do our best all the way to the end.
3. That our love for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ will increase, not decrease as we are all ready for a break.

Birds and Lilies

Matthew 6:25-27

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

This is my personal reminder that I need to trust my heavenly Father to take care of me. You see, I've been doing far too much worrying lately. I've worried about money, fund-raising, packing, finding an apartment for next year and leaving Oaxaca for a month. It's really gotten quite ridiculous, as if God doesn't know that I have several big things that need to come together.

Like the Bible says, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Worrying only puts me in an anxious state of mind while accomplishing no good. I feel stressed which causes my interactions with others to be strained, instead of showing them the patience and love of Christ. I don’t sleep as well, depression begins to loom over me, and I suddenly feel like God is far away. Do I really want to live my life like that? NO!

Okay, so how do I get to the point where I am putting what I know about God into action? First of all, I need to follow Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I need to talk to God about what is causing the worry and then praise Him because He is a Big God and able to provide for my needs.

Secondly, I need to be responsible to do my part to take care of things. If I need to make phone calls, well then, I need to do that. If I need to venture out and look for a place or talk to people, that’s what I should do. God doesn’t want me to worry and I need His guidance along the way, but procrastination is not a good option either. Proverbs 31:27b tells me that one of the characteristics of a woman of Godly character is that she “does not eat the bread of idleness.” I need to be faithful to do the work God calls me to do everyday.

So, if God can take care of the birds of the air and He clothes the lilies of the field better than Solomon, I believe He can handle me.

A New Beginning

Leviticus 6:12-"The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out."
Last night, I returned from Puerto Vallarta, where I spent the last 5 days retreating on the beach with all the other AG missionaries who serve in Mexico. It was such a treat and my heart feels so full. I am so thankful for the opportunity to meet many truly wonderful people. But most of all, I am grateful to God for the solid Biblical teaching I heard, the sweet times of prayer and for the direction and reminders I received from Him personally.

I am back in Oaxaca, but I feel like I am ready to get back to work. I had the chance to re-focus at retreat and I feel like God is directing me to make some personal changes. I came back with a renewed desire to be more disciplined in specific areas and I am happy to report that day one being back went well. (smile)

While in Puerto Vallarta, our Area Director preached a sermon on Leviticus 6:8-13. I would like to share the main points with you because they touched my heart, and perhaps they will also minister to you. This is just the skeleton of the sermon, but I believe God will fill in the gaps for you.

The OT laws for burnt offerings were:
1. The sacrifice must stay on the altar until it is consumed. (All night)
2. The ashes of yesterday must be removed and put in their place. (Today's fire cannot burn on yesterday's ashes.)
3. Fresh sacrifice requires fresh fuel. (This may not be an exact quote, but Jim Elliot said, "Saturate me Lord with the oil of Your Spirit that I might be Your flame.")
4. Keep the fire burning continuously; it must not go out. (This has to be done intentionally.)

Has your fire died down or gone out? I am so thankful for the chances I had this week to stir that fire back up again. God moved in my heart in ways that I will never forget. And, right now, you also have the opportunity to stop what you are doing and take some time to rekindle the flame you once had for God. I don't mean to preach and I am not the best example to follow when it comes to this, but please don't pass up the opportunity for God to speak to you.

Do not let the fire go out!
Just a handful of the missionaries I got to spend time with this week.