For I Was Hungry

Sandwiched between two typically child-centered holidays, falls Thanksgiving. The sun is sparse and the stress of the upcoming holiday season is approaching. Is it truly possible to cultivate a spirit of gratitude during all the chaos?

Enter a post about charity. Thanks to Kelly for the #FridayFive prompt, because its often when we truly consider others that our issues are put into proper perspective.

One of my issues? Being away from my computer too much, leading to an inability to get this written in time for the link-up. Even still, this is a blog I want to share with the world, or at least the small portion who join me here.

Being the spreadsheet geek I am, a tab in my check register excel document is devoted to charitable giving by the year. I have so many charities I respect, I like to know when I gave to each so that when the opportunity arises I can give to the one which has gone the longest without a donation.

Many are local charities; who knows better about the needs of the community than those who live and serve here. I've even received personal letters from the director of one such ministry, when she realized they were serving my cousin - and mentioned me to him as well!

Her group, The Philadelphians, serves in east Tennessee prisons. Donations help them lead Bible studies for the incarcerated. 

Local causes also win a place in my heart for selfish reasons too. When the money I give goes back into the community, I can trust that my $$ are being well used - rather than going to the 3+ figure salaries administrators make in some of the larger organizations.

During my last marathon training cycle, I noticed yard signs boasting "Work Provided by LIVE-IT." This group maintains a database of community needs and opportunities to serve. Both those seeking assistance and those desiring to serve can find their needs met with this group. 

Projects include building ramps onto houses of the disabled, light maintenance for the elderly, and shifts to work in the groups thrift store. Jay and my father have taken donations to the store, and were met with great attitudes reflecting the love of Christ (after having their items turned away by a different group.)

Some needs, however, must be met by larger organizations. Currently I donate a small monthly amount to help support the Tavianos, my favorite missionary family. They are serving a town in Cambodia through the IOC and the Hard Places Community. 

If Marla's name sounds familiar, then perhaps you have been around when I joined many of her bloggy read-alongs. While never having the opportunity to meet them in-person, I enjoy seeing her photos of the people they are building relationships with while serving Jesus in the country they love.

For each charity, I have linked to their websites. In the case of the Tavianos, however, there are a couple of different options. 

Marla is a fabulous author (ebooks these days) and purchasing a book (via Amazon or some such retailer) helps her support their mission. In fact, she has a brand new book out. 

After a heart attack left her husband Gabe with debilitation anxiety, the family had to fully rely on God for each breath - sometimes literally. I want you to buy the book, The Storm: When Anxiety Rocks Your Marriage & Your World (its only $2.99 on Amazon).

Sometime this month I plan on reviewing the book and giving a copy away, but why wait??

Also on the global scale, I love the heart behind Compassion International. Several years ago for Valentine's Day, Jay and I researched together and decided to sponsor a child through the organization.

Since then we've traded letters with Suman, now 11 years old, via his Compassion center in India. I keep his drawings on the refrigerator until the next one arrives.

The work done by the missionaries at Wycliffe Bible Translators is essential for sharing the Gospel to unreached people groups. These laborers for the Lord can spend years learning the native languages of regions which don't have a Bible translation in their native language.

Once they are fluent in the dialect, they can then begin the translation process and bring the Word of God to people who otherwise haven't heard the gospel.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

I hope you'll click through and read more about each ministry and how it supports kingdom-building. For me, fulfilling tangible needs is essential for anyone hoping to make a difference in this world and bring glory to the name of Christ.

35‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’  Matthew 25:35-40 

 

I'd love for you to toot the horn of your favorite charities in the comments. Why do they stand out to you above other options?

Fiesta Time Again!

Once again Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies hosted the Sevier County Food Ministry Fiesta. My parents and I decided to join the fun, and headed up to Gatlinburg after work on Monday. Unfortunately my husband is a poopy head Jay had to work and couldn't join us, but I had enough fun for the both of us.

First we registered for door prizes, then it was time to peruse the silent auction items. I wanted to bid on these guys, but the home owner's association of our community wouldn't be too thrilled with them.

We didn't take home anything from the auction, but it was fun to look through the items they had. A couple items interested me, but thankfully for the Ministry, the bid price went too high for me.

 The aquarium itself hasn't changed much since the last time we were there, so we didn't spend a ton of time on the exhibits. I did, however, enjoy snapping several pictures as we walked through.

I attempted a family selfie on the shark-tank conveyor belt, but the area wasn't light enough for the picture to turn out.

In addition to seeing all the featured creatures, my dad and I enjoyed the hands-on experience offered by this hard-shelled dude. My mother yelled to startle me right as I was about to touch it, so I got her back by flicking the water in her face.

A good hand washing later (as instructed by the signs surrounding this particular tank), and we were headed into the main hall to hit the buffet.

Thankfully the menu included ground beef and chicken, rather than marine life. (Although the final dish I did not partake of might have included shrimp).  As the event name suggests, the fare included tacos, nachos, rice and refried beans. I may or may not have gone back for a second helping of beans, queso, and nacho chips.

We ended up running into and enjoying dinner with my dad's sister, his niece and her hubby (plus their baby twin grandkids) as well as another nephew with his wife and kids. Yes, you read that right. I have a first cousin with grandkids. His family is crazy-big, plain crazy, but also fun.

As we sat around talking, we heard the winners of the door prizes. My mom won a "penguin painting on a black background" we imagined something along the lines of a velvet Elvis, only replacing Elvis with a picture of a penguin.

Instead, she got this:

In case you couldn't figure it out, that's the artist MoMo on the right. And her (his?) painting on the left. Who knew penguin art was a thing?  Of course my smarty-pants father questioned if the white streaks were paint or penguin poop.

All-in-all, a fun night for a great cause!

Inventory of Gifts

Having grown up in the church since 9 months before I was born, I'm very familiar with those Spiritual Gift surveys. I'm not sure who writes the questions or determines the answers, but I've always felt like it was the equivalent of taking a quiz in my latest Seventeen magazine.

I could skew the tests, providing a more favorable outcome. Or else just be straight forward yet not leave with much greater knowledge than I already have. Either way my gifts never fell into the "nursery" or "church kitchen" categories, so I felt like any special abilities I had weren't very useful in my church context.

In my twenties, I really struggled to find a place to fit. Given the married/singles segregation in the church, I found myself thrust into a label which felt more like a prison sentence. Whatever gift the Holy Spirit endowed upon me when He saved me at age 8, I prayed that it wasn't connected to the "gift of singleness" Paul talked about (and our teachers defaulted to, as a lame way of assuring us we weren't the island of the misfit toys).

At age 34, having counted myself as a follower of Christ for 26 years, I'm still not sure I know what my gift is. I'm pretty sure translating what British actors are saying doesn't count as the gift of tongues. I once had a Bible Study teacher suggest my gift could be mercy. I'm still making fun of her for that one.

Late last year my Bible study leader asked if I would be interested in teaching the class in the future. I'm not shy in the least. Add to that my love for reading and comprehending the Bible and she got a solid maybe answer from me.

I prayed about it, asking for humility and wisdom. A few weeks later, I found myself agreeing to teach in January. Given a variety of dates, I chose one without looking at the content our quarterly study guide had already laid out.  

Much like those in the Bible who cast lots, the lesson was chosen for me rather than me choosing the lesson. The subject? Lust.

I think it goes without saying, but the lesson was a difficult one for me. Not because lust is top on my list of sins - unless coveting a husband who cooks falls under the "lust" category. (Our study guide didn't seem to think so, but some other commentaries on the original words used for both covet and lust did.)

Rather this lesson was difficult because I'm a prude, and this is one of those sins most aren't willing to fess up about. Typically we have an easy conversation in class - prompted by our great teacher with scripture shaping the direction of the talk. Thankfully, though, they weren't completely silent on the matter, and I managed to make it through the class mostly unscathed.

What followed, however, surprised me. On the drive home, I received a text from the teacher asking if I considered teaching a spiritual gift. I didn't make as much fun of her as I did the teacher who suggested mercy, but I did brush off the suggestion.

Only she really is an incredible teacher/disciple maker, and pushed me further. If not teaching, then what is my spiritual gift? 

I'm still not entirely convinced, but the most recent BuzzFeed quiz puts Teaching, Knowledge, and Giving at the top of my list. I'm not sure what I think about the results. But the follow up test? Totally spot on.

Do you know your spiritual gift? 
How did you go about discovering your talents - supernatural or otherwise?

For the Craft Impared

In the Pinterest age, it seems as if everyone is trying their hand at projects. What's a girl who's craftiness peaked at Kindergarten to do?

The turkey I made for my darling last Valentine's, when he requested I spend $0.00 on his gift

My passion is for the writing. For all of our sakes, I sure hope I'm better with words than construction paper and glue! I have 2 people to whom I hand-write letters once a month. Some months are more of a challenge than others. This past month, I struggled to find make the time to write my cousin a letter. I ended up with a one-pager, but added it in a cute Valentine's themed card.

Where does a Pinterest #Fail like me get such cute cards? The Dancing Elephant! These 3 girls (along with their parents) have a heart for Cambodia. The money they raise from their cards, magnets, and other designs go to helping children over there.

 

For the sake of transparency, I want to state outright: I'm not getting compensated for this blog. They didn't even ask me to write it. I just love the work they do, and admire the reason they do it! The rave reviews don't end with me!

Now I have a new problem - how do I confess to my cousin that middle school girls have more skill and creativity than me?

I made it disappear

I feel as if the Missional Minded Monday posts should make a comeback. One of the most difficult parts of living on-mission in everyday life is that everyday life gets in the way. Serving others takes thought and effort. Quite frankly, sometimes I barely have the energy to get through the day and finish all my standard tasks, much less seek out things to do for others.

A week or so ago, a friend sent a link about panhandlers in our nearby big City. It wasn't groundbreaking journalist, but rather a reminder of what we all know. Not all people asking for money are homeless. The money doesn't always go for food. They aren't always approaching with bad intentions.

The agreed upon best course of action (in the conversation that followed between my friend and I) was to keep a bag in our cars. Crackers, bottled water, and a rain poncho would make good items to have on hand to give out if approached. Also, these are things that would easily save if we weren't making frequent trips into the City.

If I'm honest, I didn't think about it again after the conversation. Since Jay and I moved, I'm further from the City and I don't make trips as often as I use to. I never made up the bag as discussed. Even if I had, it wouldn't have served me this weekend. HOWEVER that doesn't give me a free pass for my actions.

Dinner club with friends - the holiday edition - involved dinner in the Old City, followed by a Christmas play in a storefront downtown theater. Jay didn't go with me, and since the move its no longer practical to meet and carpool. This meant I walked from the parking lot (across the street and down just a hair) to the restaurant alone. In the dark.

So when I was approached by a woman asking for money, I freaked and did something I detest. I lied. Dressed in sparkly pants, a fancy jacket, carrying a designer bag, I told the lady I didn't have any cash on me. Truth be told, I have $13 cash in my Coach wallet.

I have no doubt I took the safe course of action. Stopping on a dark street alone isn't a smart idea. However, as a Christian "safe" shouldn't be my goal. Should it?

I encountered a woman who told me she had not eaten in 2 days. I turned a cold shoulder. And did nothing. Where was God's love?

How do you handle situations like this? What could I do differently? Should I always assume right motives and trust God to protect me? Do you have a game plan for addressing the need?

Seeking First Things First

I struggle with prayer.  As a Christian, I should pray.  I should want to pray, to open the communication channel with my Creator, to bring the petitions of others before Him.  My struggle isn’t with the intellection portion of prayer at all, but rather putting it into practice.

Sure I’ll offer up a prayer when someone puts a request on twitter.  I occasionally even use a prayer request app on my phone to keep track.  I’m even reading a book about putting away books and just sitting alone with God.  How’s that for irony?

I’ve tried praying in bed (I fall asleep).  I’ve tried praying while running (I see a squirrel and get distracted).   I’ve tried praying while driving down the road (then I get stuck behind a slow moving tourist and lose my religion).

Seeking God is a latch-ditch effort. 

I’ve grown weary.

He has told you what is good
and what it is the Lord requires of you:
to act justly,
to love faithfulness,
and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 HCSB

My friend Marla started another read along a couple of weeks ago, discussing the book(let) Deeping the Soul for Justice by Bethany Hoang.  I’m weary in life, and didn’t really want to take on one more thing on my plate.  The book promised to be a quick read, weighing in at just 48 pages.  The subject matter, however, is a weighty one.  The whole point of the book (as I understand) is to open our eyes to injustice surrounding us and to take action.

I joke that Marla prayer-pressured me to join up.  I enjoy reading, blogging, and making new friends.  Only God knew how badly I needed this.  The first chapter doesn’t deal with justice at all, but rather starts at the beginning.  Funny how I easily skip this step.

We cannot begin to change the world in Jesus’ name without consulting Him first.  We need His strength.  His direction.  Anything less with result in a worn and weary spirit. 

So today, I will follow the advice in the book on solitude.  I will follow the advice of the book about justice.  I will start this day – the day that will end with me attending my 2^nd funeral in a matter of 6 days -  seeking God.

*deep breath in*

Lord Jesus Christ

*deep breath out*

Have mercy on me

have a blessed day

I've been guilty of it.  I think if we were honest, most of us have.  Too intimidated to share my faith boldly, I've tried to sneak it in.  Akin the over exaggerated "Merry Christmas" greetings around the holidays, "have a blessed day" is one way we go about it.

Blessed connotes more than just general pleasantness.  Blesses means to encounter God, and come out the better for it.  Let me jump quickly to my point, lest ye think I have a problem with the word itself.

Picture it - my office*, a few months ago.  A lady woman comes into the office to submit a formal complaint.  She often took a certain road as a short cut to church, in an attempt to bypass tourist traffic.  For the past few weeks, she'd notice the appearance of something unsightly on one of the front porches she passed.

Her visit was to demand we do something about it.  The building inspector explained our role in was focused on keeping the City safe, not pretty.  As long as the item wasn't presenting any safety hazards, there wasn't anything we could do about their choice of front porch décor.

(source)

 

This answer did not satisfy her, but she finally realized she was getting no where. As she was leaving, her countenance changed.  Like a flip of the light switch, she smiled and said "Have a blessed day" and turned to leave.

*I do not speak for my employer. Any opinions are mine. My employer doesn't trust me to speak for them.*

Is it any wonder so many Americans are put off by Christians.  Far from the persecution others face, often times we are hated because we are hateful.  We are called to love (Matthew 22, and a host of other places) not to whine, complain, and tattle in the name of Jesus. 

(1 John 4)

 A few weeks (months?) have passed since this incident but I was reminded of it a few days ago at the grocery store.  I found a cashier with no one in her line (a miracle, when you live in a heavily populated tourist area) and began unloading my groceries.  She didn't greet me with a "hello" or even so much as a smile.  She looked miserable. 

As I paid and finished up the transaction, she handed me my recipe.  "Have a blessed day."  I was taken aback.  If she truly meant it, then what had she done to bless me?  The exact same thing I had done for her - nothing.

The body of Christ must act, not just speak, if we want to reach people in his name.  I don't single these women out to judge them, but rather show how we all fail Him - sometimes without even realizing it.

I am just as guilty as them, if not more so.  I'm selfish, short tempered, and legalistic.  I don't seek relationships with Him or with His people nearly enough.  To not be hypocritical, I have to do more than hit "publish" on this blogpost.  I have to change.

 Lord help me!

Missional Minded Monday - I Got Nothin'

I've been sick since the end of last week.  Makes for one very selfish chicka.  Not only have I earned a "that doesn't sound very Jesus like" comment from Jay, but I haven't even bothered to look around me for evidence of others sharing His love.

 

 

 

How have you been a friend this past week?

Living Their Faith

Rather than discussing what I've done wrong this past week in my attempts to live missionally, I thought we would all be better served to discuss what we've seen others do right. 

I've had 2 very clear examples, one from someone very near and dear to me.  The other is a complete stranger.

When scheduling his hair appointment (his niece owns a salon), Joyce asked how the family was going.  Being the king of over-share (yes, like father like daughter) he launched into his knee woes, my mother's need for arthroscopic surgery, my Mamaw's fall and subsequent shoulder problems - all as a stressor on top of the big deal of Zach's cancer diagnosis/treatment.

A couple of days ago, Joyce called the house and asked my dad to stop by her shop.  The lady who's hair she was doing had overheard them talking about Zach's cancer diagnosis and wanted to do something to help.  Instead of the trite "I'll be praying for him" she put her faith into action.  While praying for him, she made Zach a prayer quilt - a gift both practical and thoughtful in nature.

Every time he takes the quilt to a chemo treatment, or wraps up in it at home, Zach has literal proof of the love and prayers by which he's being surrounded.

Another touching example of faith in action I witnessed at a funeral this past Monday.  For several years, a local attorney struggled with a rare blood disorder.  I attended his funeral on Monday with my mother.  She had worked with him, and counted him among her friends.  After he became ill, even after moving to another state to await a transplant, she kept in touch. 

As we walked through the line, I watched as my mother introduced herself and I watched as the expressions on the faces of each of the family members changed.  Each time, their face went from the blank look of a mourning family accepting generic condolences, to a look of recognition and appreciation.  Repeatedly, they thanked my mother for being a good friend and source of support.

My friends, that is what living missionally is all about.  In what ways have you witnessed the love of Christ in action?

Open to Suggestions - Missional Minded Monday

I hope to make Missional Minded Monday a regular feature around here.  Keeping it in the forefront of our minds, and as Mari said just little bits of love and putting others first is the best way we can show God's love.

After last week's wonderful *cough* example of how I gave up my Diet Cherry Pepsi to show Jay Jesus's love (only for him to give it back to me), I thought I would share my big fat fail for this previous week.

For my triathlon training, I've been doing one long cycle outside to log time in the seat and get use to my bike gears.  The for my 2nd bike ride of the week, I head to the gym and take a cycling class.  This helps build my strength and confidence - tackling imaginary hills isn't any where near as depressing when it gets really steep.

To reserve a bike, patrons can call as early as an hour before class.  With a limited number, the classes often fill up.  I called at 11:30 on the nose and snagged a bike for the 12:30 lunchtime class.  I arrived a few minutes early and got in a nice easy spin to warm up. As the class started, all the bikes filled up.

5 minutes into class, another cycler arrived.  The instructor asked if she had signed up for class, she had.  The instructor then asked who in the class hadn't.  No one volunteered.  Going person by person thought the list, the instructor attempted to match the sign up sheet with the faces before her. 

Give up yours.  A voice within me said.

But. I argued

Do it, give up your bike. 

That's not fair.  I was here first.

They'll be another class, another opportunity.  Do it.

Hmf.  I put my head down and kept riding. 

a pouting reinactment

As the instructor began to call names, one of the regulars got off her bike. 

 Your name is on here, you signed up.  The instructor told her.  You don't need to give up your bike.

Its okay, she can have it.  She said, and grabbed her stuff to leave the class.

Its a humbling experience seeing someone willing to do something I knew should be done, but was unwilling to do myself.  I was also humbled when I realized how small and petty of thing I was asked to do, yet I still said "no." 

Talk to me.  What missional opportunities have you encountered?  Whether you rose to the challenge or not, I think its good to discuss them so others can be aware of things we can be doing to show Christ's love.