Fellowship....

We had an amazing day of fellowship yesterday.  Rather than normal, we had a big party that lasted all day.  There were lots of friends, family, Chinese and American food, music, singing, Word, good fellowship.  The fellowship time was a great change of pace, but more importantly, a safer alternative for this particular week.  It is fun to watch as this local family has formed over the past three and a half months.  They really have moved towards becoming a family.  "Greater is He is in us, than he that is of this world".  I am glad I am on the side of the "Greater One", and everyday, I have the privilege of seeing so many eagerly pursuing the same.

On the job training :-) ,

Hi,
Today, I discovered that I am going to hlep coordinate a "seminar" for 750 (with.....uh-um....only one month until d-day).  I have also learned that there are more details than I could have ever imagined that goes into this, especially here.  So, if anyone has any suggestion or tips, feel free to send me an email.  One thing I have learned over the past few years here, is to always expect the unexpected, and that I am what I need to be, when I need to be it.  This next month will be an interesting ride, but will be worth it.  I can't wait to see the fruit of such an impact.

Eyes on Me?

While working with two young women yesterday with their English skills, (and they were helping me work on my Mandarin), one of the girls spent most of the afternoon mimicking everything I said, as I said it.  I was trying to read Eph. 1:17-23 in English to the other girl, and the other girl repeated everything I said, as I was saying it.  It was hard to focus on the reading with her right there, repeating everything.  She did not even wait for me to finish a sentence before she began.  She just continued.  It made me think of a child trying to get on someone's nerves by repeating their words.  At least the child usually waits for the person speaking to take a breath before he begins the repetitions.

It took me a bit, but after a while I managed to tune her out and continue the language lesson out of Ephesians.  I have realized,over time, that our sphere of influence (the people around us:  on our jobs, at school, neighbors, etc) is our greatest witnessing tool for spreading the gospel.  As we live our daily lives, (becoming more Christlike) we have a great opportunity to teach others about Him without ever having to even open our mouths. People watch others very closely, especially when they notice something different in that persons life.  They begin to see God's favor, they may not know what it is, but they see it.  They begin to see His Grace, and faith that brings into manifestation the image (and power) of Jesus within us.

People take notice when you always seem to come out on top life's daily situations.  People take notice when they see a family working, rather than falling apart.  People take notice when they see commitment (faithfulness) to a life of Christ.  People take notice when they see others overcome and walk in victory.
It is our daily walk, every step, that creates a testimony unto God.  I ask myself, what do people see when they see me?

Good morning....

Good morning, (evening for you guys in the US)

It is Sunday morning here.  I love Sundays!  (I love everyday, but I really love coming together with my fellow believers.)  It is a very young group (spiritually speaking), who is learning foundational basics.  I love to watch the lights pop on in their eyes as they grasp it with new understanding.  The whole new experience is opening up to them.

I also love to go over and over foundational priniciples within God's Word myself.  It keeps my foundation from settling and cracking.  It keeps me down the middle of His Word.  Some would say, "Don't you prefer the meat of the Word?".  It is meat.  Everytime I go over basic topics of the Word, I actually learn something new, something deeper, with greater revelation than ever before.  This happens each and every time.  It is like pealing an onion, a new layer opens up, and creates a whole new depth of meaning.  The layers seem to never end.  As I mature in the Word, I have learned to never close my ears when a topic I have heard before is being covered in service.  Rather, I open my ears, and pay particular attention to details.  I know I can expect new revelation to come to me.

Mirror Images

I'm not sure of the direction of today's post on  this blog.  So, I am just kinda talking, and we will see where it leads.

I have a lot on my plate this week.  I am trying to create a logo that represents the work of the particular ministry it will be designed to represent.  It is very hard to create a logo for a ministry or anything else, unless you know the ministry and the leader's vision, what they see.

His Word tells us that we are to be mirror images of Him, representing Him--just like the logo I am creating is to represent the particular ministry.  Most of us, though, have not taken the time to get to know who He is.  How can we be like something we do not know.  What are His likes and dislikes?  What is His character?  What is His disposition?  How does He handle situations?  Who does He spend time with?  What type of work does He do?  Where does He do it?  When does He do it?  Is He angry and vengeful?  Is He loving and compassionate?  Is He a stickler about rules?  Is He forgiving?  How can we be ambassadors, acting for and representing, a God that we have not taken the time to get to know.

Maybe most of us do not take the time to get to know Him because many tend to see Him as an untouchable, and unreachable King, separated by the distance of Heaven and Earth.  Or, maybe, many of us just see Him as a figure that we read about just like people and events from our History Books.

Once we take the time, to begin to get to know the sound His voice, the feel of His presence, how to see through His eyes, the smell of His sweet aroma, the taste of His goodness, He is as real as you or I; never separated by distance, but always available within us, waiting ever so patiently to fellowship, to lead us, to guide us, to provide for us, to protect us, and most importantly to love us.

How do you spell ministry?

In Bible School, I was taught that you spell ministry W-O-R-K.  Looking at my to-do list, I tend to agree.  I'm not sure how it all gets done, but it does.  Thank you Father.

Let's see, there is the portrait I am working on drawing for a ministry supporter, I was told yesterday that I need to do a canvas painting for a logo for a ministry I am connected to here in country.  There are the past months photos from services that still need editing, and the photos from a birthday party of a close friend that need editing, there is the counseling protocol manual (that one will take a year or so), the new welcome pkts that need to be designed and created, the ministry introduction packet for when traveling that must be designed to coordinate with a website, this week's powerpoint presentations for the service (both message and praise and worship), several meetings, and too much more to think about at this moment.....of course this does not include prayer time, study time, etc.

My days are busy, and ministry is much like any other job, it is lots of work.  However, I am very blessed to be in a job (full-time ministry) that I love, with the Greatest Love (My Heavenly Father). By doing what I love to do, it makes it easy to go through each day and do what has to be done.  My stress level stays very low, because I enjoy what I do and whom I do it for.  Thank you Father.