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Fw (5): joyfulwrks

  http://bit.ly/2BfKbQ3

Missionary by day, artist by night.

Missionary by day, Artist by night. (or vice versa depending on the locals).   

Here is a glimpse of my portable art studio.

I've learned to keep my painting and photography portable, where ever I am each day. I can work anywhere, at anytime. Buses and subways are great, too.

I don't know what the missionary did before the internet and wifi, but I am very thankful to the ease and convenience it provides the modern-day missionary on the field and off the field. Paul had tent making, I was blessed with art making.

Reflections

The past year proved to be a very different year than expected.  I actually stayed in Nashville most of the year, writing and painting.  While both of these are exactly what I would have done in Asia, they were accomplished here near my children.

2016 proved to be a year of rest, a year of spending quality time with my children and grandchildren, a year of healing and restoration in body and mind, and a year of sitting still before God.

What did I take from the past year?  Resting, sitting still and quiet at the right time is key in our spiritual walk.  It is a time the people around you may feel you have just stopped and they do not understand why?  They do not understand sometimes moving forward means sitting still before God.  There is a season this is essential.  Why?  I will let you know when I see what follows, and how it plays out in the future.

I am back online, and ready to share my daily life as I continue with one goal in mind--missions in Asia.  Those who know me, know the goal all too well and everything it entails.

2017... what comes after the rest and restoration?  I will be journaling in my bullet journals and posting what comes next.  Remember, everything I do this year may not always seem like it, but is all work towards the one goal above.

Here are a few free pages from my printable bullet journal bible reading plan for week one of this year.  Just right click on the image and save it to your computer.  Print as many as you would like for you and others, but do not sell, commercially use, this printable.

  

Matthew 11: Empowering Children and Teens Today!

     John the Baptist is in prison.  He has been there for roughly two years (refer to Matthew  4: 5-12).  While in prison he hears about the activities of Christ, and he sends two disciples with a question for Jesus,  “Are You the One Who was to come, or should we keep on expecting a different one?”  John the Baptist had not yet seen the miracles of Jesus.
     Jesus answered, “". . . tell him what you hear and have seen for yourself, that the blind and lame and lepers and deaf are healed, the dead are raised up, and the poor hear the good news of God's kingdom. Happy is he who has no doubts about me." (Matthew 11:4 - 6)  All of what the disciples had heard and seen were signs of the Messiah (Isaiah 35, 61).
     The crowd around Jesus heard the question and answer.  Jesus addressed them by asking them what they went out into the wilderness to see: a weak, spineless person shaken by every wind of doctrine? Or a man in soft clothing? If that is what they expected, they were mistaken.  Jesus spoke highly of John the Baptist to them saying he was more than a prophet . He was the one Malachi spoke about (Malachi 3:1) who would prepare the way for the Savior.
     Within the teachings in Chapter 10 Jesus sent out his his disciples telling

 them they were as ”sheep in the midst of wolves”.  King Herod had
imprisoned  John the Baptist for preaching the truth into the situation with the king and the marriage to his sister-in-law.
     People do not always want to hear the Word of God because it
contradicts their own will, their wants and desires.  Has there been a time when you knew what you wanted to do was wrong, but you did it anyway?
     How to you change your own strong, stubborn will and desires?  How do you change the thoughts that  lead to these?  If you make up your mind to change on your own, you will find yourself fighting it, and eventually loosing.
     Change from the inside out takes time, but is not as difficult as you may think.  Read the bible, get close to God through prayer and worship.  As you read you will hear a still small voice, a knowing, talking to you.  Your thoughts will become His thoughts.  And, since the change is from the inside, a renewing of the mind, that stubborn, defiant will of your own moves out of the way, and God’s will becomes your will.  It takes time, and a steady diet of the Word, but it will come easily.

Matthew 10: Empowering Children and Teens Today!

     Jesus sends out the 12 apostles in Matthew 10, instructing them to go out to the lost sheep of the house of Israel preaching, healing, and casting out devils.  He equips them with the power to do this, too.
     As a child of God, a born-again believer, every promise in the Word of God is ours.  Every benefit in the Word of God is ours.  If the bible says it, we can have it, if we believe it is ours.  What we see God do for others in the Bible is ours too!  But, we should not forget to share what we have with others.  "Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8 NKJV).  Everything we receive from God, we are to also give.  One of the ways to do this is by being involved with your local church.
   
A preacher I once knew said, "Never pray, 'Lord bless me.'  Instead, pray, 'Lord, me a blessing."  In this way, God will make us a part of His divine plan.