Sunday Afternoon Fun

It's Morning....

My ministry morning consisted of coffee, congee, and planning team building...  

How to Walk on Water

Matthew 14:22-33 

Getting Aquainted

Tentmaking on the Mission Field

Birthday card in the Etsy shop.

 All In a Day's Work
Part of being a missionary for some missionaries is what we call 'tentmaking'.  In my case, this is where the missionary supplements the support from missions partners with other work on the side to bring in monies necessary to stay on the mission field in another country.

New Father's Day card in the shop.

Today, my granddaughter, Little Ladybug, and I created a few printable greeting cards to add to my online Etsy shop.  Each week I add Fine Art Photography prints, watercolor paintings, drawings, digital designs, greeting cards, and other crafts to the "OriginalWorks by Joy" Etsy site as part of what I do on the mission field.  

 

Another new Father's Day card.

May 24, 2015 from Joy

Preparations for sharing the "Empowering Children and Teens Today!" ministry materials is well underway.  While it is designed for use on the mission field in Asia, an outline version is available in English here on this blog, on my facebook page (JoyfulWorks International Ministries), and my instagram (@joyneasley).

WHY?

To share what is going on in the missions work here, giving all those back in the USA a chance to see what is being created and how the Gospel message is being spread.

Also, I have noticed the need for busy, busy, busy leaders in churches everywhere spend so much time tending the sheep, they often neglect (at least to a degree) to prioritize tending to their own spiritual needs first.  

The #DailyRead in English will provide church leadership, and volunteers a guide to go through the bible in three years, book by book (One year New Testament, and two years in the Old Testament) with optional additional reading designed to help leadership/teachers/volunteers grow and multiply.

ENJOY your daily time with God in His Word.  Each week's #DailyRead will be posted on Sundays, with a bonus post (Memorizing Ephesians in a Year) every Wednesday.  

GrownUps Welcome Too

Get Ready! Starting Soon!

Together We Do More

Ephesians in a Year: Week 2

The Gift Within You

Memorizing Ephesians in a Year

Watercolor Ministry

     One of the many items on today's agenda is designing a postcard for ministry partners.  With a beautiful, sunny morning available, today made a great day to sit outside and paint postcards in watercolor of the Chinese Lotus Flower.

     Here is an image of a few paintings drying in the sun on clothes pins:

     Most of my artwork and photography is designed for use in ministry, and when appropriate is also made available in my Etsy shop for purchase.

     This image is one of many prints you will find available at OriginalWorks by Joy .  These works provide a little extra income while working on the mission field.

     Visual artwork and photography are skills that are used daily in the field, and with partner communication.  Many times artists have trouble fitting into both the world job market, and this is often true even more so on the mission field.  However, if a visual artist/photographer sees his skills as a gift to be applied in ministry, the artist can move forward in confidence sharing with ministries the call of God on their life and how it can be applied to effectively communicate God's Word to both the non-believer and the believer alike.

     You only need to go to Instagram or Facebook to see how we are an image driven people.  Art speaks, and helps to communicate the Gospel Message in every culture.  History shows us how art and faith are intermixed.

     Often a missionary will apply tent-making (as I have) to supplement partnership financial support, when support is not enough to adequately sustain the daily living expenses and ministry of the missionary.  The visual arts provide a means for the missionary to conduct business and still have a the adequate time necessary for ministry work.
 
     I personally find artwork and photography to be therapeutic while in high demanding field of missions work overseas.  I can work on something for ministry (for example:  the children's curriculum illustrations), use the same image for sales in my Etsy shop, and wind down from a busy day all in one activity.

     I have enjoyed sharing a tidbit of my day today with you!  ---joy  neasley


   

New Season, New Goals and Priorities

     I just spent the past year with my family in the good ole USA.  Now it's time to return to missions in Asia.  

     While I also worked on curriculum for children's ministry and other children's and youth ministry materials this past year (one can only rest so much each day...LOL) for Asia, much time has been spent in prayer, vision, planning, and more.  

What are the goals and priorities?

1.  Continuing in the Empowering Children and Youth Today materials for Asia. 

2.  Communication with partners:  blogging, postcards from Asia, quarterly e-newsletters, Facebook and Instagram, Simply Prayer.

3.  Financial support raising:  raising faithful monthly partnership, Etsy Shop.  

In prayer this week, I have been led to these verses many times:  Joshua 1:7-9

7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips;meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”