Legendary

This past week I had the opportunity to go to Ecuador on an Operation Christmas Child distribution trip.

To say the least it was amazing!
In just a few short days my team and I had the opportunity to take part in six different distributions in the Manta and Puerta Viejo region of Western Ecuador.

We visited churches, a Samaritan’s Purse Hospital, a woman’s Prison and a school, and in every location we gave out gifts that were used like a boombox proclaiming to the children that JESUS LOVES YOU!

I wish you could have seen the faces of the children and experienced the joy of the leaders who love these children. The use of a simple gift was just astounding to me, as I saw the power that it packs when given in the name of Jesus!

The whole time I was in Ecuador I kept thinking about how amazing it was that in this very country some 50 years ago one of the single most tragic missionary killings took place not far from where we were.

It’s a story I grew up hearing about, and actually is one of the main events that God used in my friend and ministry partner’s life that caused him to dedicate his life to God’s service. To say the least it was a powerful time for me this past week.

Every distribution we went on I kept thinking about the word legendary, because that is exactly what happens when we step out and serve Him…God becomes more and more legendary in the lives of people, and His fame spreads!

Read the rest of the article at Leadership Reflections...Brent's blog

Our Jealous God

We know Jealousy as a green-eyed monster that destroys relationships and feeds egos. How can our sinless God say in Exodus 34:14, "The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a Jealous God?"

When God uses the term, "jealousy," He is using a human expression that we can understand. However, His jealousy is without sin or selfishness. God's jealousy is not a compound of frustration, envy, and spite, but is "praiseworthy zeal to preserve something that is supremely precious."

God's jealousy is not, "I want what you have because I don't have it." It is rather, "I love our relationship and I will protect it at all costs." He is jealous at the intrusion of other lovers - idols. God is married to us in covenant relationship through Jesus Christ - He will not tolerate whatever attempts to intrude into that relationship.

Aren't you glad that God loves you with a zealous, passionate love and He will not let you go to another?

Should we then also be zealous for our relationship with Him and guard it as a passionate response to His love?

Enjoy the passion of a zealous God who is jealous for His relationship with you.

Thriving in His love ~ Bob

Ready to Curl Up with a New Book?

MID-WINTER BOOK CONTEST!

"Do you have important decisions to make regarding family, career, ministry? Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with daily choices that sap your strength?

The 10 Best Decisions a Woman Can Make encourages you to tap into God's power and grace in fresh and new ways.

Find your place in His plan as you:

> gain confidence regarding the value of your time and efforts

> stop pleasing people and start pleasing God

> find a positive place to direct your creativity, energy, and enthusiasm

> assess your strengths and weaknesses, skills and talents

> realize how precious you are to the Lord"

ENTER THIS CONTEST NOW!

1. Click on the comment link right below this post.

2. Look for the Leave Your Comment box on the right side of the page. Type your thoughts there.

3. Go to Choose Your Identity. Click on Name/URL and type your name there.

4. Hit the PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT button.

All entries will be thrown into a hat! The recipient of Pam Farrel's book will chosen on Monday, February 8th, at 7 pm (eastern time).

Have fun!

Linda

*** MONDAY EVENING UPDATE ***

Congratulations to the winner of the contest - Linda Dixon!

"Keep Your Emotional Clothes On"

Trust issues.

You've been hurt so often and so deeply in the past that you can't even imagine developing new relationships. Yet, you are lonely. Envious of those who seem to effortlessly surround themselves with friends.

Cocooning yourself isn't working, is it ...

That's because we were created to live in community.

Leslie Vernick writes, "Don't give all your trust to every person you meet. In other words, keep your emotional clothes on until you have known someone for a while and she shows you her trust worthiness. Often we can be attracted to people who ooze personality and charm, but lack godly character. That kind of woman might be a fun person to hang out with at a retreat or social event, but without godly character, she will not make a good close friend. "

Be sure to read her post ... great insight in learning how to understand and adjust your relational "internal radar" when it's on "high alert."

Bottom line? You can learn to be discerning. You can learn to trust. You have something to offer. You can be a friend.

Relationships? They're worth the work ~

Linda

Depression & the One You Love

If there's anything worse than experiencing the agony of depression, it's watching helplessly as someone you love is suffering with this illness. It's common for the onlooker to feel incredible levels of frustration at not being able to "fix" the problem. Or to think that the sufferer should be able to just "snap out of it."

The helplessness that both parties experience can lead to unimaginable anger on both sides, which does not lend itself toward hope or healing.

Reassuring support, not condemnation, is what is needed. A key step is to surround yourselves with a team of trustworthy people - health professionals, family, friends, and pastoral support. Please don't travel through this dark place on your own. Rid yourself of the shame or guilt or fear that keeps you from reaching out for supportive companions.

Cheri Fuller writes about the journey she and her husband took together through his depression. Her tips on recognizing the signs of depression, offering acceptance and love, encouraging exercise, and the importance of caring for the caregiver are helpful. She also makes an important point in recognizing that anger is often a component of depression in men.

Christ walks with you through the valley of illness. He will never leave. He will never forsake.

There is hope. There is healing. There is life after depression.
Linda

Depression Help Center

Unplugged

I've been unplugged this past week, down in Florida with a dear friend and her family. Lots of rest and walking. Delicious food. Some fun adventures. Hours of easy reading ... and heavy-duty journaling. Stimulating conversations. And a day at the ocean ... complete with a white sandy beach, swimming pelicans, and a shore laden with beautiful sea shells.

I'm recalibrated and refreshed after grabbing a few glimpses of warm sunshine here and there, and am ready to roll again. Being unplugged was a very good thing for me.

Here's a bit of what we'll be looking at in future posts -

the "perfect" parent fantasy

finances & medical crisis

the impact of caregiving on families

sex

coping with a loved one's depression

burnout

the Church's fascination with numbers

sabbath-keeping

Delighted to reconnect with you again ~

Linda

Hands & Feet of Jesus

Besides my role with Creekside Ministries, I am also on staff with Samaritan’s Purse.

I serve as a Regional Manager for the Mid-Atlantic States with Operation Christmas Child.

Samaritan’s Purse is an organization that God is using on the front lines and often as a first wave of relief in the name of Jesus in areas that are experiencing war, famine, disease and natural disasters around the globe.

Every day since the earthquake in Haiti, I and the other Samaritan’s Purse staff have received daily reports on what SP is doing in response.

Here is a brief video update that gives an inside view at the SP command center. Please continue to be in prayer for the people of Haiti, and those who are on the ground being the hands and feet of Jesus.

I encourage you to watch this video and keep the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse and the people of Haiti in your prayers, and click on the picture to give specifically towards Haiti relief or one of the other projects that Samaritan’s Purse is involved with.

God bless you,
Brent

"This Whole New World"

This letter arrived yesterday ... Please pray for this former counseling client as she begins her journey to Bible School in the days ahead.

Praising God for miracles ~

Linda

"The past couple of years I filled my life with sex, drugs and alcohol. Searching for a purpose and attempting to satisfy my hungers. Until I decided to do what in my mind would be the mature and responsible thing. I stopped using drugs and alcohol and got an apartment with my boyfriend. I was going to get my GED and work. And I thought that was it, I would just continue living my life and that would be satisfying enough. Little did I know, or may I say little did I think, that continuing to have unprotected sex could lead to something much bigger.

Two months after I moved into my apartment I found out I was pregnant. Oh my goodness! A baby!! Yes, I was pregnant! A couple of weeks after I found out I was pregnant I also found out I had Chlamydia. What a shock! I went into denial, because of all the excitement of a new baby I didn't even think of worrying about my boyfriend sleeping around. He told me he hadn't. Thankfully there was a pill that we were able to take to kill the sexually transmitted virus. Along with the excitement of the baby, a lot of confusion arose. My mom and my boyfriend thought it'd be best to 'get rid of it.'

Something inside me told me I could never do something like that, I knew the baby was alive. I always dreamed of having a baby. This little thing I wished for probably my whole life was planted inside of me. The thing is my situation around me wasn't how I imagined; I had just enough money to get by, no high school diploma, no car, and really no knowledge of the real responsibilities of raising a child. I had no idea that taking care of someone else's child and raising a child were two different things. I had taken care of plenty of kids, and babies before. My final decision was to keep my son even if I had to do it alone.

My boyfriend decided to stay with me after my decision to keep the baby. Things were going along pretty well, I had an apartment, a baby on the way, I was taking GED classes, why wasn't I happy? Something was missing. Now I can look back and see that all this time these empty emotions and trials in my life that were turning out empty were God stirring in my heart. The things that I thought satisfied me no longer had any meaning. For example, sex or kissing or touching - none of them made sense anymore. I started to look for things like actual interaction and communication between my boyfriend and me. As a matter of fact, all my relationships around me were so empty and unfulfilling. I began wondering, what is love?

So I didn't know what love was, but I found out real fast that what my son's dad and I had wasn't it. We fought a lot, and I know he was having affairs and I began to cling onto him, searching him to be all I needed. Things continued to get worse and we had given up. He moved out and when our lease was almost up I decided to move to New York, where I would stay with my mom. We continued a somewhat of a long distance relationship. Still things weren't right, and I don't mean the circumstances. Something was stirring so deep inside me almost making me oblivious to the circumstances.

May 26, 2009 - it reached the time to deliver my son, my contractions were five minutes apart. So my mom and I slowly traveled to the hospital. My labor had started Sunday night and continued until this Tuesday morning and the whole time there was a peaceful presence around me. Almost like it was protecting and guiding me. Telling me it was alright. I had no clue the news that was about to come true. I arrived at the hospital and as the nurses started checking me in neither of the two could find a heartbeat for my son. Strangely my communications switched, from talking to the people around me to talking and communicating with this Spirit that had been guiding me. It was God. (All the people around me including my mom heard the news and quickly reacted with their emotions and became almost frantic.)

God filled me with this peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding. He told me it would be ok. He told me my son still lives, to be patient with the nurses and to just listen. He guided me. He guided me through my whole delivery; He had guided me through my whole pregnancy. (Up until this moment I thought I had control over everything.) God took me through the rest of the process at the hospital. He kept me as I held my son's lifeless body, earthly body. He held me as my family came to see my son at the hospital, as they wept and cried, He kept me close to Him. God guided me as we made plans for the funeral; He took all things into His control. He carried me through the reuniting of my son's Dad and I, and carried me through the day of my son's funeral. But wait, folks, the story doesn't end there. After my son's death, God opened my eyes so that I may see!

God revealed to me this whole new world, this BIG new picture. A world I on my own couldn't understand or comprehend. I was given a sight that would never allow me to doubt His presence. Never allow me to doubt of the true reality of this world. A few weeks after my son passed away, I asked Christ into my life and I was soon baptized! I accepted Him, as my Lord and Savior!

'He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion
until the day of Christ Jesus'
Philippians 1:6.

Taking the Difficult Road

The need to extend forgiveness is such a huge burden being borne by many of the people I talk with. Very few "presenting problems" include "I need to forgive someone." But more times than not, it's not long into the conversation before it's fairly obvious to both counselor and counselee that there are some forgiveness issues that need to be dealt with that are causing grief, pain, anxiety, anger, fear, depression, and a whole host of obstacles to healthy, joy-filled living.

Anne Jackson talks about forgiveness and reconciliation in a recent post. Her musings are well worth reading, and I would encourage you to take the time to read through the dialogue that follows to get a feel for what people are struggling with. Chances are you won't have to read too far before you'll come across something that resonates deeply within your own life experience.

Bottom line?

Until I forgive, that person still wields some sort of power over me, calls the shots in my life, and nudges Jesus from His rightful place on the throne. He alone is the only One who has the right to powerfully impact the deepest part of who I am.

Reconciliation?

That's another story. That usually takes time. And that's ok. Jesus said that "by their fruits you'll recognize them" {Matthew 7:16}. Some people are not safe for us to be around - they cause us emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical damage because they, themselves are not healthy and whole.

For others, the journey to reconciliation might be 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. The most important thing is that we can stand before God, agreeing with the Apostle Paul when he wrote, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone" {Romans 12:17}.

Isn't it time to allow the Holy Spirit to mend your hurting soul? To release the perpetrator who has brought you such great heartache - and still controls you in so many ways? To choose to take the difficult road toward forgiveness?

Just as Jesus did as He traversed that long, horrific path to Calvary.

Forgiveness? Reconciliation? It probably won't be easy. But it can be done. He showed us how to do it.

I know it's possible.

Been there, done that. More than once.

Linda