How great it is to meet together with other believers and share in fellowship and praise!
Since I have been back in the States I have met with many of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
- On November 12-15 I met with many CSI missionaries, staff, and other members of the CSI family at the CSI Staff Retreat.
- I have met with members of my home church.
- I have met with past team members.
- I have met with future team members.
- I have met with possible future team members.
- I have met with staff at our Muncie office.
- I have met with future CSI Jamaica staff.
- And over the next few days I will be meeting with another future team, a supporting church, and a possible supporting church.
All of these opportunities have been, and will be, times of praise to our Lord. I don't understand how some believers can get together and not enjoy themselves, but it happens. When I get together with other believers I expect Christ to show up; I expect to have a great time of praise, worship and fellowship. Shouldn't we all expect the same when we gather together in His name? (Of course part of the problem could be that too many Christians often fail to meet together in Jesus' name.)
"Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people." Psalm 111:1 (NLT)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
It Often Happens
Have you ever had a great God-moment and then come up with a wonderful idea about some ministry you could do or be involved in that would allow you to serve God with all your heart?
Did you then jump into it with both feet, whole-heartedly, with no reservations, with all of your faith, with no plan as to how to carry out that ministry, without seeking God's direction and will, and without asking God if that was what He wanted you to do, but instead asked God to come along on the journey that YOU were starting?
Did it seem to go well at first?
You were excited! You didn't know how God was gonna work it out, but you "knew" He was gonna open some great doors of ministry opportunity!
Others offered words of caution, but you were confident that you were doing what was right!
After a short time you may have started to struggle and wondered why God had not blown the doors wide open for you to be able to succeed in this new ministry that you were so jazzed about starting!
A short time after that you started to realize that you may have allowed your emotions to lead you in a direction that was close to the direction Christ was trying to lead you, but you were now nowhere close to where He wanted you to go.
You knew that you needed to change what you were doing, but didn't know how you could admit to everyone else that you had made a terrible decision and went out to minister in Jesus' name without actually taking Jesus along with you.
IT HAPPENS!
From time to time we, as Christians, experience a great God-moment and get excited about the possibilities!!! But we have to be careful and use the good sense that He has given us. We have to take the time to get on our knees before Him and seek His direction and will for our lives and the ministry He has for us to do. He will give us His vision for His ministry if we will allow Him to lead us instead of allowing our emotions to take control.
"Where there is no vision the people perish." (Prov. 29:18)
Did you then jump into it with both feet, whole-heartedly, with no reservations, with all of your faith, with no plan as to how to carry out that ministry, without seeking God's direction and will, and without asking God if that was what He wanted you to do, but instead asked God to come along on the journey that YOU were starting?
Did it seem to go well at first?
You were excited! You didn't know how God was gonna work it out, but you "knew" He was gonna open some great doors of ministry opportunity!
Others offered words of caution, but you were confident that you were doing what was right!
After a short time you may have started to struggle and wondered why God had not blown the doors wide open for you to be able to succeed in this new ministry that you were so jazzed about starting!
A short time after that you started to realize that you may have allowed your emotions to lead you in a direction that was close to the direction Christ was trying to lead you, but you were now nowhere close to where He wanted you to go.
You knew that you needed to change what you were doing, but didn't know how you could admit to everyone else that you had made a terrible decision and went out to minister in Jesus' name without actually taking Jesus along with you.
IT HAPPENS!
From time to time we, as Christians, experience a great God-moment and get excited about the possibilities!!! But we have to be careful and use the good sense that He has given us. We have to take the time to get on our knees before Him and seek His direction and will for our lives and the ministry He has for us to do. He will give us His vision for His ministry if we will allow Him to lead us instead of allowing our emotions to take control.
"Where there is no vision the people perish." (Prov. 29:18)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
More Just Stuff
It feels like forever since I have posted. Guess I will post a little something now.
My niece, Marcy, had a baby Monday. Jentry Jo Pribyl was 7-lbs 15-oz, 21-inch. I got to see and hold her tonight. She is a pretty baby. Marcy and Cris did good. They will hopefully get to go home on Friday.
I will be hitting the road next Tuesday (1st) and heading towards KY and IN. I have some speaking engagements, and will be visiting with some team members from the past year who have been to Jamaica, as well as visiting the CSI office in Muncie. Please pray for God to go before me and for safety as I travel.
Also, be in prayer for the rest of my time home. I will be speaking in a few churches as I try to boost my support. The financial difficulties that have affected others over the past year have affected my monthly support as well. Please pray with me that the Lord will provide me opportunities to speak to those whom He has already prepared to join me as ministry partners, as well as to encourage others who may have fallen away from their monthly giving. Since God called me to serve, I will trust Him to provide.
Gotta go.
My niece, Marcy, had a baby Monday. Jentry Jo Pribyl was 7-lbs 15-oz, 21-inch. I got to see and hold her tonight. She is a pretty baby. Marcy and Cris did good. They will hopefully get to go home on Friday.
I will be hitting the road next Tuesday (1st) and heading towards KY and IN. I have some speaking engagements, and will be visiting with some team members from the past year who have been to Jamaica, as well as visiting the CSI office in Muncie. Please pray for God to go before me and for safety as I travel.
Also, be in prayer for the rest of my time home. I will be speaking in a few churches as I try to boost my support. The financial difficulties that have affected others over the past year have affected my monthly support as well. Please pray with me that the Lord will provide me opportunities to speak to those whom He has already prepared to join me as ministry partners, as well as to encourage others who may have fallen away from their monthly giving. Since God called me to serve, I will trust Him to provide.
Gotta go.
Friday, November 13, 2009
What Do You Do????
What do you do when.....
...you don't feel like doing anything?
Do something anyway.
...you don't feel like being kind?
Be kind anyway.
...you don't feel like doing housework?
Do housework anyway.
...you don't feel like staying married?
Stay married anyway.
...you don't feel like praying?
Pray anyway.
...you don't feel like reading the Word?
Read it anyway.
...you don't feel like spending time with God?
Spend time with Him anyway.
...you don't feel like serving Him?
Serve Him anyway.
Sometimes we need to remember that LIFE IS NOT ABOUT FEELINGS!!!!
...you don't feel like doing anything?
Do something anyway.
...you don't feel like being kind?
Be kind anyway.
...you don't feel like doing housework?
Do housework anyway.
...you don't feel like staying married?
Stay married anyway.
...you don't feel like praying?
Pray anyway.
...you don't feel like reading the Word?
Read it anyway.
...you don't feel like spending time with God?
Spend time with Him anyway.
...you don't feel like serving Him?
Serve Him anyway.
Sometimes we need to remember that LIFE IS NOT ABOUT FEELINGS!!!!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Just Stuff
Jamie and I went to Kingston on Monday and took care of some business for the container that is coming down this month. Then today we went back to pick up papers that we were told were ready to pick up for another purpose. But, they were NOT ready. (It happens more often than you may think.) So we did some shopping and had lunch.
This coming Thursday Jamie and I will fly to Florida to meet up with Nick and Jody and much of the rest of the CSI staff from Haiti, North America, Muncie, and members of the CSI board for the CSI Staff Retreat. I am looking forward to a wonderful time of reconnecting and fellowship with fellow servants.
Following the retreat I will be headed home to OK for 6 weeks of HMA (Home Ministry Assignment). During that time I will try to make it out to the Midwest to visit some of the churches that have sent teams to Jamaica this year, as well as visiting with many of my supporters at home.
And now for an update on my mouse hunting adventures..... I have not caught any more mice, or seen any evidence of them in the last week. So far so good. (Word must have gotten around among all the other mice.)
This coming Thursday Jamie and I will fly to Florida to meet up with Nick and Jody and much of the rest of the CSI staff from Haiti, North America, Muncie, and members of the CSI board for the CSI Staff Retreat. I am looking forward to a wonderful time of reconnecting and fellowship with fellow servants.
Following the retreat I will be headed home to OK for 6 weeks of HMA (Home Ministry Assignment). During that time I will try to make it out to the Midwest to visit some of the churches that have sent teams to Jamaica this year, as well as visiting with many of my supporters at home.
And now for an update on my mouse hunting adventures..... I have not caught any more mice, or seen any evidence of them in the last week. So far so good. (Word must have gotten around among all the other mice.)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
RATS!!!
Well, actually mice. And more than I first had thought.
See, my front door has a gap at the bottom between it and the floor, and one of the tiles on the floor has a piece missing, so there is a nice sized hole for mice to come in through to "visit" me. (It's really cool when I am watching TV in the evening and catch site of one out of the corner of my eye.) I ran one out the door Monday night and started looking around and found evidence of activity (you know, droppings). So Tuesday I bought 2 boxes of sticky traps (4 traps total) and placed them in 4 areas I figured would be the best for catching mice. And whad-uh-yah know, I heard a squeaking well before bedtime!! CAUGHT ONE!!!! And it was on the trap I had placed just outside the door. I left him where he was just in case he had invited friends over, but I was hoping that would be the end of the mice. Nope. As I got around and ready for bed there was another mouse on another sticky trap. He had evidently sidestepped his cousin at the door and obviously didn't get the hint. 2 mice caught before bed!!!
Yesterday morning I disposed of the uninvited guests and went about my day. When I got home I placed a trap just inside the door, right in front of the hole. I really thought I had rid myself of rodents the night before, but I wanted to make sure. I went to bed confident that there would be no more mice since none had come in during the evening as they had the previous evening.
As I got out of bed this morning and made my groggy way into the hall I turned and glanced toward the front door.... "Is that a rat?" I thought to myself. As I turned on the light I realized it was not a rat but 2 mice side by side. Yep, that is now a total of 4 mice in 2 nights. I knew it was a good idea to put the trap in front of the hole. They evidently had run right in and gotten stopped in their tracks.
See, my front door has a gap at the bottom between it and the floor, and one of the tiles on the floor has a piece missing, so there is a nice sized hole for mice to come in through to "visit" me. (It's really cool when I am watching TV in the evening and catch site of one out of the corner of my eye.) I ran one out the door Monday night and started looking around and found evidence of activity (you know, droppings). So Tuesday I bought 2 boxes of sticky traps (4 traps total) and placed them in 4 areas I figured would be the best for catching mice. And whad-uh-yah know, I heard a squeaking well before bedtime!! CAUGHT ONE!!!! And it was on the trap I had placed just outside the door. I left him where he was just in case he had invited friends over, but I was hoping that would be the end of the mice. Nope. As I got around and ready for bed there was another mouse on another sticky trap. He had evidently sidestepped his cousin at the door and obviously didn't get the hint. 2 mice caught before bed!!!
Yesterday morning I disposed of the uninvited guests and went about my day. When I got home I placed a trap just inside the door, right in front of the hole. I really thought I had rid myself of rodents the night before, but I wanted to make sure. I went to bed confident that there would be no more mice since none had come in during the evening as they had the previous evening.
As I got out of bed this morning and made my groggy way into the hall I turned and glanced toward the front door.... "Is that a rat?" I thought to myself. As I turned on the light I realized it was not a rat but 2 mice side by side. Yep, that is now a total of 4 mice in 2 nights. I knew it was a good idea to put the trap in front of the hole. They evidently had run right in and gotten stopped in their tracks.
After I got ready for the day I disposed of the vermin and started wondering how many mice will attempt to violate the privacy of my home tonight. I still have one more trap and will definitely place it at the front door.
I have caught 4 mice because I prepared myself to do so. In a round-a-bout way it makes me think about serving our Lord. We have to be prepared to do so when opportunities arise. Many times we know ahead of time that we will be serving Him in some way before we do it. Maybe it's preparing to teach Sunday School or Bible study. Maybe it's preparing to go to the mission field, or pack a shoe box for Christmas, or serve a meal at a shelter, or.... You get the idea. We prepare ourselves when we KNOW we will be in a situation to serve God.
BUT, what about when we DON'T know we will be serving Him? There are times when opportunities arise to share the love of Christ with a person who is hurting, to share the Word of Christ with someone who is searching, to serve our Father at the drop of a hat, and we must be prepared even for that. We must be prepared to serve Him when we are not expecting to.
The following verses tell us as much.
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
1 Peter 3:15
"Be ready to spread the word whether or not the time is right. Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach."
2 Timothy 4:2
Be prepared...
NO MATTER WHAT!
NO MATTER WHEN!
NO MATTER WHERE!
NO MATTER WHO!
Be prepared to serve the Lord at all times! Stay in the Word! Be in prayer! Serve always!
I have caught 4 mice because I prepared myself to do so. In a round-a-bout way it makes me think about serving our Lord. We have to be prepared to do so when opportunities arise. Many times we know ahead of time that we will be serving Him in some way before we do it. Maybe it's preparing to teach Sunday School or Bible study. Maybe it's preparing to go to the mission field, or pack a shoe box for Christmas, or serve a meal at a shelter, or.... You get the idea. We prepare ourselves when we KNOW we will be in a situation to serve God.
BUT, what about when we DON'T know we will be serving Him? There are times when opportunities arise to share the love of Christ with a person who is hurting, to share the Word of Christ with someone who is searching, to serve our Father at the drop of a hat, and we must be prepared even for that. We must be prepared to serve Him when we are not expecting to.
The following verses tell us as much.
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
1 Peter 3:15
"Be ready to spread the word whether or not the time is right. Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach."
2 Timothy 4:2
Be prepared...
NO MATTER WHAT!
NO MATTER WHEN!
NO MATTER WHERE!
NO MATTER WHO!
Be prepared to serve the Lord at all times! Stay in the Word! Be in prayer! Serve always!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Have you ever seen a sinner explode?
Jonah fled
Jonah swam
Jonah was swallowed
Jonah was vomited
Jonah was humbled
Jonah went
Jonah preached
The people were spared
Jonah was angry
How often, after finally saying okay, do we serve God expecting one outcome, but get an outcome that is totally different than we expected? When Jonah finally gave in and did what God asked him to do, I think he went into it expecting the people not to change. But when the people DID change, when they turned toward God, God was merciful and spared them. Jonah was angry because these horrible sinners from Nineveh didn't explode, or even catch fire, but were given God's grace. Never mind that just a few days earlier God had given Jonah the exact same grace and mercy.
I know that I am guilty of serving God while not expecting people to turn towards Him... expecting God to burn the sinners to the ground... not expecting God to shower down His grace and mercy on the unchangeable sinners... ignoring the fact that He showers me with His grace and mercy every single day. May I serve Him with the understanding that He is ready to jump at the chance to forgive a repentant heart, and that I not be disappointed when I don't see a sinner explode.
"I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God." Jonah 2:6
Jonah swam
Jonah was swallowed
Jonah was vomited
Jonah was humbled
Jonah went
Jonah preached
The people were spared
Jonah was angry
How often, after finally saying okay, do we serve God expecting one outcome, but get an outcome that is totally different than we expected? When Jonah finally gave in and did what God asked him to do, I think he went into it expecting the people not to change. But when the people DID change, when they turned toward God, God was merciful and spared them. Jonah was angry because these horrible sinners from Nineveh didn't explode, or even catch fire, but were given God's grace. Never mind that just a few days earlier God had given Jonah the exact same grace and mercy.
I know that I am guilty of serving God while not expecting people to turn towards Him... expecting God to burn the sinners to the ground... not expecting God to shower down His grace and mercy on the unchangeable sinners... ignoring the fact that He showers me with His grace and mercy every single day. May I serve Him with the understanding that He is ready to jump at the chance to forgive a repentant heart, and that I not be disappointed when I don't see a sinner explode.
"I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God." Jonah 2:6
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