Every Job a Ministry

We look up to those who have answered the call of full time service in local churches. They deserve honor, respect, and above all our support and prayers. We may feel we have little to offer to the body of Christ to advance His kingdom. Truly, God will use as vessels those who are available and willing to do as He directs. Ask Him where you can best minister to others. Most congregations and communities in their midst have many needs waiting to be met. Tell your pastor you are ready to help in any way you can. Every job done for Jesus is a ministry. “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men (Colossians 3:23 NKJ).”

Many wrongly believe ministry is only the role of leaders of the flock. The Lord holds opportunities for each of us. We can influence lives of people our pastors could never reach. Some churches regularly do a ministry search, using questionnaires to determine the best place to fit each volunteer. Leaders can then fill openings in teaching, outreach and ministry. Do you enjoy working with children, youth, or adults? Teachers and assistants are always in demand. Have friends commented that you have a flair for decorating or cooking? Hospitality is a valuable ministry and your gifts can touch many. Do you realize the numerous needs of the elderly? Many have household and yard work chores; women would appreciate simple vehicle maintenance. What about your day job? It becomes a ministry when done to please the Lord. Every job can be a ministry; find your place, roll up your sleeves and keep busy!

Planting Seeds of Character

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 5:15

Webster defines character as: moral or ethical quality; good repute; qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity.

I define it as ‘what you do when no one is looking.’

Every night, when I pray with the boys before they go to sleep, I ask Jesus to help them to do the right thing, even when no one is looking. I want Carson and Chase to be men of good character.

And those seeds have to start taking root, today. They have to be boys of good character and then teens of good character to grow into men of good character. It won’t happen overnight. And they won’t just wake up one day, when they are 30 years old and be moral men.

And it won’t happen on their own. They need God’s guidance, and our constant nurturing.

Bobby has started a garden. He’s turned part of our back deck into his own little flowering domain. He has herbs and vegetables and fruits growing. He even spent the day screening in his section of the deck, so Zeke can’t get into his plants and eat them.

Bobby is spending a lot of time with those seeds. He’s watering them and he’s protecting them and eventually, they will produce good fruit. But it will take effort and care.

Just like our little boys. What we put into them today – will produce a fruit later on. And with God’s help, those little guys will be strong trees of good repute!

Father, you give us so many examples in our daily life, to learn how to walk in your ways. Thank you for the lessons … always the lessons. And Jesus, thank you for blessing me with a family that I love so very much. And nope, we’re most certainly NOT perfect, but you love us anyway. Lord, thank you for the good seeds that are growing inside of Carson and Chase. Nurture them Lord and let them produce a harvest for you!

I Love You Jesus.
In Your Name I Pray,
Amen

God Bless You!

Love,
Joyce

My Life In 30 Seconds!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY6cDRzpzPs

Overwhelmed By Love

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
I John 4:7

Today I turned 50 years old. When I was a child, 50 seemed pretty old. As I’ve aged, the number still seemed to be a pretty significant number, in my mind. A couple of weeks ago, I was reminded that my birthday was approaching. I really didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to say I was 50 years old.

Maybe because if I was really 50, I shouldn’t still mess up so much?

Oh, I mean well, but some days I feel like a kid with my ups and downs and life stuff.

Maybe someone who is 50 should be more responsible – more mature.

Maybe being 50 would mean that I shouldn’t bounce so much?

Maybe it would mean that I shouldn’t drink too much coffee and be silly?

Maybe it would mean that I was on the ‘down’ side of life?

I’m not really sure what I thought would happen. I just knew I wasn’t looking forward to it.

What if? …  always an interesting question.

But then … I felt God saying to me .. “EMBRACE YOUR DAY … EMBRACE YOUR LIFE … EMBRACE ME!”

Okay … I can embrace God .. I want to embrace God. But … do I want to embrace 50?

Okay God … I’m diving into 50 – HEADFIRST!  It’s only a number, and if you gave me this number, for this day, for this year, for this time. I’M IN!

I accepted dinner out with my two best friends … MEXICAN … a good time PROMISED!

Okay … that was easy enough.

Dinner cooked by Bobby … I can invite a couple of friends … okay … I always enjoy that.

Then I decided all I really wanted for myself was to have a pedicure … I LOVE PRETTY TOES.

So … Thursday, after work, I went and got my Pedicure … and I was happy!

I came home to cards in the mail … surprise money! WOW … how very special that someone loved me enough to remember my birthday with a special gift.

Then my friend, who had had to leave the country suddenly two weeks before arrived back to her home. I was so excited to see her when I went to take care of her dogs. Even though she was leaving again shortly, I felt relief that she was back and ready to close the chapter of her life here in Naples.

I can go on and on …. from the time I awoke today, to even now sitting here on the couch beside my Bobby, I have been surrounded by love, people who I love, people who love me, people who love Jesus.

Dinner out with my friends turned into a WONDERFUL SPECIAL EVENING!  They threw me a surprise party and instead of dinner with 2, God turned it into a blessing of dinner with over 30!! I was tongue tied, I was so surprised. I’d never had anyone throw me a surprise party before and it was just the BEST evening … spending time with so many people that I love and appreciate!

I believe God gave me a glimpse of heaven today and I am so very thankful …GOD IS LOVE.

Today … LOVE FOUND ME.
TODAY … LOVE FLOWS FROM ME.

Father … thank you for filling me with LOVE … thank you for such a special family that you have given to me. Thank you JESUS for giving me a New LIFE through You.

And thank you to all my friends … I truly do love you!

God Bless you!

Love,
Joyce

The Choices You Make Today …
Will Affect Your Tomorrow!
http://www.alifedecision.org

Allies

Ever notice how most Christians look for “fellow sojourners” or “allies” in the church?   But what if a church doesn’t teach that the heart is central, or that the spiritual battle is real? Many churches focus on programs, busyness, social causes, teaching “sound doctrine” and so on. Nothing wrong with any of that, but take the heart out of “church” and it can become soul-killing. Where do we learn how to walk with God, from and with the heart?

Take it a step or two further.   How do you get to know several hundred or even several thousand other people beyond the superficial Sunday morning “Hello” and “Goodbye”? Where do you do “life together”?  How do you pray for one another, specifically and strategically?  When and where do they learn your story, and you learn theirs?

It could be in a small group. An “organic church.” A home fellowship, “cell group” or “fellowship hour” or a “growth group.”   Whatever you  call it, it has to be real and “bite-sized.”  It has to be small enough, yes, intimate enough to form authentic alliances.

It has to be in “a company of Christians.” These people must be open to being moved and changed by the works they’re reading, the parties they’re throwing, the plans they implement, by the stories and shared lives of the group. These clubs or groups or fellowships or friends don’t gather just to critique or plan or hang out, but to be transformed.  (See Romans 12:1,2.)

Do you have allies like that? If not, ask God to lead you to people who share a similar vision. Pray. Then – initiate.  Open your heart first.  Then open your doors… and watch God work.

Shared by Kristine.

The Agora

agora n. , pl. -orae ( ) or -oras . A place of congregation, especially an ancient Greek marketplace. A gathering place; a place of assembly. The marketplace; public square.

In ancient Greek society, the central gathering place was called the agora; it was the ‘place of commerce, information, and ideas.’ At the heart of the city, good were sold, artisans interacted with others in their trade, and people gathered to debate political, philosophical, and theological matters. Most Western countries have no place comparable to the agora. It wasn’t quite the same as the shopping mall, boardroom, fitness center, Elks Club, bar, or Starbucks. The agora was all these places combined.

Observes Dan Allender in The Healing Path:

“We are to go to the `streets’ (the word used in many English bibles to translate the word agora) and invite to God’s party any who will come (Matthew 22:9-10, Luke 14:23). Because there is no central agora today, we are to go wherever people hang out, conduct business, talk, eat, drink, dance, and gossip to invite others to taste the gospel.” (p. 241)

So.  Where is your “agora”? Where’s your passion? Where do you listen, delight, ask questions and probe the mysteries of the universe? Where do you go where you hearts says, “I love it here,” and “No, I won’t let evil win. I will stand and fight the effects of the fall”? Where do you stick your neck out? Where do you serve someone unrelated to you, your church, your group, and your small world? Where do you “hang out” regularly and “invite others to taste the gospel”?

Shared by Kristine.