Leaps of Faith, Bounds of Love
December 27, 2022
Hello again, friends! I hope you’ve had a wonderful Christmas! It is pretty incredible to celebrate the wonder of Jesus coming to earth to make a way for us and give us eternal life, isn’t it?
My heart has been full having Jins home for the last two weeks and especially in having him home in time to enjoy Christmas break as a family and all those special times that surround the holiday. As he shared the month-long adventures he had in Dubai and India, it was an encouragement to me, assuring me that as always and without fail, God has a plan and purpose for everything. If you would like to read about his trip, you can read all about it at www.christforalltribes.com/missions.
In reflecting on the last year, my mind and heart are filled with a mix of thoughts and emotions, much of which is dominated by gratitude. It was a year unlike any other our family has had. There have been a lot of unknowns and first-time experiences and quite a few unexpected new friends and divine appointments. Lots of blessings along the way.
When we were in India from January to May of this year, we had no idea what change of plans were going to come about. God brought us to a place of surrendering our plans and hopes to His will. And when He spoke to us about working with a church camp and led us to LifeChange Camp in Clinton, Missouri, we were ready to follow and take that leap of faith. Seven months later I can look back and see His divine hand on everything. It has been a place that God prepared and we could serve as a family and a place of spiritual training for not only Jins and I, but for our daughters as well. How thankful I am that they could be immersed in a godly atmosphere! As Jins went on two mission trips in the past few months, LifeChange has stood with us and been a sending and commissioning ministry to us as well.
Being a couple of hours away from our land near Branson also allowed us to meet our builder, who we truly feel has been chosen by God to build this house that will be our future ministry base. Framing on our house has begun and we are likely three to four months out from it being completed. There is light at the end of this tunnel!
In the process of listening intently for the Lord’s leading in each step to take, we have also grown in our faith of His provision for what He has called us to do. We have felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to to examine the motivation of our hearts as we shared with others about the ministry that God has called us to. We agreed that we never wanted to “sell” Jesus or promote our ministry in a way that would compel others to give towards it. That is not what He called us to. He is able to provide and in the past months we have experienced His provision in completely unexpected ways through people and resources we never would have imagined.
As we seek the Lord for our future and purpose, we come back to His words to us. It has everything to do with following Jesus’ example and obeying his greatest and clearest of commandments. Love God, Love others. With our whole hearts, souls, and strength. I often hear others say and I myself think that if we obey the first commandment “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all strength,” that everything else will follow. It should follow.
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Leviticus 19:18
Do you think it was important to the Lord that we should love others and put aside grievances and any other thing that would hinder us from doing so? There is so much hate and unkindness in this world. Christians should be the example, but we fall short. The Lord has been impressing on my heart lately the theme of loving one another. There are so many scriptural exhortations, commands, and encouragement to love one another, build one another up, pray for one another and put others first.
I have seen many Christians get hurt by others and put up a wall, leave the church and live a life of relational avoidance. The Christian life should not be one of isolation and shutting everything and everyone else out, while waiting for His return.
If the devil wanted you in church, he wouldn’t work so hard to keep you away from it.
Can the world look at your life and see your love for others? Can others look at your life and see a reflection of Jesus?
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:35
When we think of heaven, we think of being forever with the Lord and in loving communion with Him. But I believe there is going to be a lot more emphasis on being in loving communion with others than we realize as well. Our hearts should be about building on that, too. Self has to come last. For myself, I know where this has to start. It has to start with me.
Lord, help me to love others. Give me a heart to love others the way that You love them. Help me to put others first, to be concerned for others and not to let bias or prejudice come in the way. Give me a heart to forgive. Make me a kingdom builder. Help me to follow your example. In Jesus name, Amen
On a fun note, one thing I enjoyed about the last year was having time to read like I had not had in a long time. Kindle Unlimited proved to be a very wonderful thing while traveling and not being close to a library. They also offer free months of membership to new subscribers and frequently offer discounted membership thereafter. I found myself drawn to Biblical fiction, as well as spiritual classics. I would like to share some of my favorite books for anyone who is looking for recommendations. They are not in order from most to least, because I truly enjoyed all of them. And so, here is my end of the year book review!
1. The Chronicles of the Kings – A series of five books by Lynn Austin
These books brought the Bible books of Chronicles and Kings to life incredibly through a fictional perspective. There are many “what might have been” scenarios and the story telling was impressive and riveting, yet the author stayed close to scriptural truth. This was an unforgettable series.
2. Egypt’s Sister by Angela Hunt
This fictional story gave the Israeli perspective of Queen Cleopatra’s reign. I found it to be fascinating, the history well researched and the story well written. I almost did not start reading it because I’m not attracted to books with the types of cover this one had, but I went with the reviews and wasn’t disappointed.
3. The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright
A classic gem of a story set in the Ozarks. Not too long, which made for a short and sweet read. I loved it and plan on buying a physical copy to keep on a shelf in our house.
4. Heaven – The Place We Long For by D.L. Moody
This book spoke to my soul and I quoted it in one of my blog posts. This was also a short read – it will strengthen your faith if you are a Christian. If you are not, it will give you a lot to think about.
5. Land of Silence and Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar
Two beautiful fictional stories of Biblical New Testament women. These were wonderful depictions that again, brought the Bible to life and were a delight to read.
6. Until We Reach Home by Lynn Austin
A fictional story of Swedish immigrants that touched my heart with its’ depth and Christian message. This one brought me to tears at the end.
7. Waves of Mercy and Legacy of Mercy by Lynn Austin
As you may have guessed, Lynn Austin has become one of my new favorite novelists. This was a set of two books about Dutch immigrants that again, had a wonderful message woven throughout of forgiveness and love and obedience to the Lord.
8. The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer
I quoted this book in my blog as well this past fall and found it to be encouraging, strengthening my relationship with the Lord.
9. The God Chasers by Tommy Tenney
Another book I referred to in a blog post – it was very encouraging to my pursuit of God.
10. Enter His Gates – A daily devotional by Charles F. Stanley
A great daily devotional that leads the reader into “a daily journey into the Master’s presence.”
I pray that you have had a wonderful Christmas and a blessed year of walking closer with the Lord. I look forward to touching base again next year and sharing about what God is doing in mine and my family’s life. Without a doubt, it will be an adventure; may it always be by His spirit.
Inviting A Holy God
November 20, 2022
Happy Thanksgiving week, friends! Its a different kind of week for our family with Jins on a mission trip in India and the girls and I at LifeChange Camp. I find that if anything can cultivate a spirit of gratefulness, it is considering the past and Psalm 77 set my heart on fire this week. It made me reflect on the things God has done in my life and the miracles He has done, to count the many blessings.
Here is a fun fact about our family’s names. A friend at church asked me last week what our last name is and it is never a simple answer, as we all have different last names. In India, a wife is supposed to acquire her husband’s first name as her last. Children acquire their father’s first name as their last. Jins’ last name is his father’s first name, which is Ulahannan. When we married in India, my name should have become Rachel Jins, but I didn’t change my last name right away and by the time we looked into it, I had my passport, visa and a difficult to come by Indian residential card that had my maiden name on it. So, I stayed Rachel Householder and every time I looked into changing it to Jins, I found that it was going to be such a big undertaking with the legal documents I had, that I gave up on it. Our girls are Jada Jins and Joanna Jins. All that being said, I am so thankful for the precious people the Lord has given me who are my family. However, gratefulness is not what the theme of this post is about. I am going to back up to the last couple of week’s pondering.
A couple weeks ago, I was thinking about Solomon’s dedication of the temple and the more I thought about it, the more curious I became about the ceremony, the worship and the prayer prayed. This was one event in Israelite history when it was apparent that Yahweh was pleased. Join me in examining some key points in an event that the God who created all, responded in a visible show of His approval.
SETTING THE STAGE FOR A HOLY ENCOUNTER
King Solomon built the temple, detailed in 2 Chronicles Chapter 3 and 4. In Chapter 5, he placed the furnishings and silver and gold articles dedicated by his father David. Chapter 5 also describes to us how the elders of Israel, heads of the tribes and chiefs of the families, priests, Levite musicians and singers came to the temple, sacrificing more animals than could be recorded.
Although we do not sacrifice animals, we can bring a sacrifice of our time, shifting away from the other things that capture our time and attention to give it fully to Him. Maybe there are things in your life that have become more important to you than they should and to give them up would truly be a sacrifice. Consider what you can give up to honor Him.
The priests brought the ark of the Lord into the most Holy Place in the temple and when they had withdrawn, they were joined by more priests and musicians and all began to worship. Verse 13 says: “The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:
“He is good; his love endures forever.”
And what happened then?
Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.
2 Chronicles 5:13b-14
The people consecrated themselves in preparation. They sacrificed. They made music and sang in praise of His goodness and His love that endures forever. And to this, He responded by filling their man-made temple with the cloud of His glory. He came down to meet them.
There is much to be learned here. Come to the Lord prepared in heart. Make sacrifices. Come in praise and acknowledgement of His goodness and love.
Then King Solomon blessed the people and before He made a prayer of dedication, he stood in front of the altar of the Lord in front of all the people. He spread out his hands. He stood on a platform that he had made and knelt down before all the people and spread out his hands toward heaven. He acted in humility.
His prayer of dedication found in 2 Chronicles 6:14-42 speaks multiple times of repentance and requesting the Lord’s mercy. He asks that the Lord hear the prayer of the people when they turn from their sin and repent and that He uphold their cause and forgive them.
Wise Solomon knew that it was inevitable that these people would get themselves into trouble eventually. Verse 36a says:
“When they sin against you – for there is no one who does not sin-”
And then he continues in verses 36a-39:
“…and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, “We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly”; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you.”
His prayer speaks of the knowledge that the way to reach God’s heart is through contrition and repentance. I am reminded of the words of King David:
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
Psalm 51:17
And after this prayer of contrition, dedicating the temple and asking the Lord to come and dwell there and to hear his prayer, the Lord gave this incredible response:
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshipped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3
I imagine if I saw that, I would be on my face, too. But isn’t such a visitation of the Holy, what our souls long for? There is much more to be taken from these chapters, but these points are what I have lingered on and I hope that it will be a blessing and encouragement to you as well.
You may also be interested in reading these words from 2 Chron. 7:12-22 when the Lord appeared to Solomon one night after all these things had taken place. If only King Solomon had wholeheartedly stayed the course. We would all do well to meditate on this passage and keep it in our hearts.
Living Word
November 3, 2022
I want to start off this post with a testimony of God’s faithfulness. Since Jins came back from Brazil, we have been praying for God’s direction for the next step to take. The build of our house is coming along very slowly, so we know that we have time on our hands before we get to settle in anywhere. We prayed about an invitation from Norway to go as a family for ministry, but felt like the answer on that was “not yet.” As we waited, one day a couple of weeks ago, Jins felt like God was asking him to go to India. We prayed about it and having peace, we made the preparations for him to make another solo trip, while the girls and I stay here at camp and continue with serving and school. Doors opened for him to also stop in Dubai along the way and he will be leaving next week.
Along with leaving our business in Wyoming, we also left our source of income. We have both strongly felt that if God has given us this calling to His ministry, that He will provide and that we should have faith in His provision. When Jins went to Brazil, we booked his airfare with our money, but he was praying that God would provide for the trip. He wanted to see a miracle. Two hours before he left, we were given a check for $2100. A couple weeks into his time in Brazil, someone else sent $1000. It was exactly the amount he had been praying for.
This time, Jins told me he was praying for the funds to cover his trip to Dubai and India as well. One day after we booked his tickets, a check came in the mail from someone that we didn’t expect for about $2700, exactly what he needed to cover the trip. How small we are when we think that it is hard for God to provide for what He calls us to. Don’t worry about sharing your needs with others; go directly to the Source.
I can’t wait to update you on what God will do on this trip – look for an update in a month or so on www.christforalltribes.com.
Now, about that “Living Word” …
For the past few weeks, the phrase “living word” of God has been something that I could not shake and spent some time searching the Scriptures on the topic. This was not a new phrase to me. I have heard it referred to in sermons, books, and Christian conversation many times. Isn’t it funny how you can hear and read something that is present in your life and it doesn’t sink in all the way, but when the Holy Spirit reveals it to you, it is as though the shutters on a dark room have been opened wide and you hear it an see it like never before.
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.
1 Peter 1:23
I remember reading the Bible through a couple of times as a teenager, but not regarding that it could be as alive to me in a way that God could speak directly into my life through the very same words He had spoken to Israelite men and women thousands of years ago. I had in my mind that those words were to them and in many cases only for them. I didn’t have the understanding that many portions could be very personal to me.
The last few years these unconscious beliefs have been shattered as I have gone to my Bible in the mornings with a different approach, asking God before I even open the book to reveal Himself to me and to speak to me. He waits to speak into our lives in a very personal way through His words if we will only seek Him.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
I think if any verse ever revealed that the Christian life is a life of death to self, this is it. How many times have we said or done things without even thinking about it, that are not pleasing to God, that are in essence a sin? Sometimes it only takes minutes, other times it happens that night, or the next day or even later than that, but His Word comes to the believer, judging our thoughts and attitudes, convicting us of wrong and brings us to our knees in repentance. It is alive and active in every area of today’s every day moments.
Last week, while our girls were working on school, Joanna, our youngest daughter who is ten, asked me where Isaiah 42:16 was in the Bible. She started to look it up, but thinking it was a ploy for distracting from her schoolwork, I asked her to look it up when she was done. Later in the day, I was prepping food for dinner and Joanna came to me and told me that God had been telling her about a verse since the week before. She told me it was Isaiah 42:16. This time she had found it and proceeded to read it aloud to me.
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
Isaiah 42:16
I got chills as she read it aloud to me. I don’t know what this means for her life, but I believe that God spoke to her and meant it for her. Jins encouraged her to write it down so that she could remind herself of this word from God to her later on.
Are you hungry?
I believe God has put something in us that makes us hungry for Him and hungry for His words. How blessed we are that He does not disappoint!
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 8:3
And with this feeding on His word, comes responsibility. We cannot remain unchanged, living as we did before, going back to sins we have been convicted of.
Observe the commands of the Lord your God…
deuteronomy 8:6a
These words of God are our lifeline – not one of them is of little importance. Jesus promised us this:
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
matthew24:35
If they cannot pass away, are they not alive?
“Remember Lot’s Wife”
October 15, 2022
This post begins with quoting the very words of Jesus from Luke 17:32, “Remember Lot’s wife”. He was speaking about the coming of the kingdom of God and about the day that He will be revealed. In the verses preceding it, He explains that “It was the same in the days of Lot, when people were eating, drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all”.
I can’t help but think of those of us living out our day to day lives now. Business as usual. Sometimes it feels like we are just like the squirrels who run about constantly gathering. We get caught up with storing up for the future, always looking for the next thing that we need or want, working towards our goals. And then in the middle of all this, at any moment, He could and will make His appearance when He is revealed.
It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife!
Luke 17:30-32
Most of us know that in Genesis chapter 19, it is written that God sent angels to Lot and his family and told them to flee the city because they had been sent to destroy it for its wickedness. After the angels had led them out of the city, they instructed them in verses 17-22 to flee for their lives and not to look back. But in verse 26, it says:
But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Genesis 19:26
What must have drawn her to look back with longing? What could have tempted her as you and I could be in the same situation? We are not above it or Jesus would not have reminded us to remember her. Was she thinking of her comfortable home that was filled with a lifetime of belongings? Jewelry and heirlooms that had been passed down over the years from her family? Lot and his family were wealthy, so wealthy that he had to part ways with his uncle Abraham because there was not enough room in Canaan for the both of them to live together. It says in Genesis 13:6 that “the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together”.
There is an excellent little book by A.W. Tozer called “The Pursuit of God”. In Chapter 2 – The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing, Tozer writes about the shrine in man’s heart that was intended to be only for God, but in our fallen world, we have put gifts which God has given us, “things” on the throne. The chapter contains so much powerful truth. The book is free to read on Kindle – you can read it here.
Jesus instructs us in Matthew 6: 19-20 on this topic of “things”.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:19-20
Our house near Branson is in the beginning phases of construction. Recently we went with friends to Kansas City to tour a “Parade of Homes” just for fun and to get some ideas. We walked through some very beautiful homes full of fine furnishings and while I found it all very sensational, I came away thinking about how easy it is to become consumed with the pursuit of it all. And I prayed that God would keep my heart from allowing our future home that He is giving us to become more important that what is eternal.
What is the key? This morning I came across the following verse:
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
1 John 2:28
Continue in HIM. Surrender daily, hourly if need be. Take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor 10:5b). Spend time seeking Him, waiting for Him, praying to Him and reading His Word. Continue in Him.
Gentleness and Humility
October 11, 2022
Welcome friend! If you’ve followed my story, you know by now that I love my early mornings with Jesus and coffee and so, that is where this blog post springs from. Just want to share some of my thoughts and meditations from God’s Word from the last few days. Over the weekend, I slowly read and prayed my way through 1 Peter and when I came to chapter three on Sunday morning, I paused at verse four:
Your beauty should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
1 Peter 3:4
Those first six verses of 1 Peter, chapter three, encourage women to go against everything that the world tells us we should fight for. Ever in our face through social media, TV, movies, politics and movements, female empowerment applauds anything but gentleness, quietness and humility. It crosses the border of equality and pushes to gain the upper hand.
As any girl, I appreciate clothes and makeup and what they do to help my appearance, but God’s Word teaches that these are of the least importance when it comes to true beauty. What makes a woman truly beautiful comes from what is in her “inner self”. It will not fade.
Continuing on in verses 8-22, the apostle Peter exhorted not only women, but everyone to “do good in gentleness and humility”. These qualities sometimes feel so hard to grab onto and truly, we cannot embody them without the power of Christ working in us. He has set Himself before us as the ultimate example.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart…
Matthew 11:29
He was and is “gentle and humble in heart” and that is what He asks us to learn from Him. Jesus had and has all authority and power and yet we have no greater model and guide in meekness. He was and is perfect and holy. May God remove the pride from our hearts and help us to repent and take on His gentleness and humility.
May our speech reflect that heart in us. I listen to myself and have to close my eyes and ask God to help me with my mouth much more often than I would like.
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Proverbs 15:4
May we never forget that our Lord’s eyes are on us. As those around us take note of our character and attitude of our hearts and are a witness to the God we serve, much more so is our God who sees it all. He is near, knowing every thought in our mind and every intention of our heart. And that is where the fear of the Lord will guide our life with wisdom.
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Galatians 4:5
As proud citizens of our country who tout patriotism and feel it our duty to stand for our God-given rights, it is good to be reminded that even in this, we are to be gentle and humble. Never have we been encouraged by God’s Word to display rebellion, hostility or an angry attitude. We can still stand for what is right, but do it in an attitude of gentleness and humility.
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate and always to be gentle toward everyone.
Titus 3:1-2
What do you think of when you hear the word gentle? I think of a manner or attitude that intends no harm whatsoever, whether in intention, word or act, but exhibits tenderness and care. May God give us wisdom from heaven and a heart to embrace all that He wants us to be. And what about the word humble? I think of a manner or attitude that places self in last place and considers others as more important than myself. Here are the Oxford definitions to both:
If you are human like me, it is not easy to have an attitude or heart of gentleness and humility towards everyone. It is also not easy to respond to every situation in that spirit. It requires coming back to the Lord and asking for His help, repenting of responding in the wrong way – sometimes much more often than I’d like to admit. And with great thanks to His infinite mercy, He who promised never to leave or forsake me, forgives and helps me to change. I believe all He is looking for is a soft and willing heart.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate (or gentle), submissive (or open to reason), full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
James 3:17
Thanks for joining me in this study and meditation on the gentleness and humility that comes from Christ. I pray that it will go deep into your heart as it has in mine.
Blessed Are The Pure In Heart
August 20, 2022
Late summer in the northern Ozarks has brought cooler temperatures. The forested acreage of LifeChange Camp that we currently call home carries on its breezes the songs of birds and on one hand, I find a calm has come over my spirit. On the other, I am at unrest as my heart yearns for more of God and seeks to find Him. I also find myself wondering how it can already be two months since my last blog post.
A lot of things have happened in the past two months. Camps continued and we enjoyed so much being a part of them. At the end of July we made a trip to Wyoming to collect our belongings that we had left in a storage unit. But that part of the trip became the thing of least importance as we reconnected with friends and felt the burden of what they were going through. It became apparent that God had brought our family there to be an encouragement to friends who were dealing with division in the church. As we prayed with them, bore their burdens and joined with them in fellowship and a unity that only the Spirit can bring together, we were blessed.
In the first couple of weeks of August, upon our return to Missouri, we met with a few friends here that share a hunger for God, that desire to be close to Him and have heard His call to come closer. These friends have also felt His leading towards ministry and service to Him and their callings echo our own. None of us have the full big picture of what this calling will look like, but resolutely understand that we must pursue the first steps in obedience to what we have heard from the Lord. We all know that our ultimate destination is forever with the Lord in His kingdom. It is an exciting time of continuing to grow in our faith.
One thing we see, as we enjoy sharing in the fellowship of other believers who are so hungry for God and wanting to grow closer to Him and walk closer to Him is that there is inevitable division with those who do not. There is unquestionable division in the church and among our friends and relatives. It is as Jesus said it would be and we see that many are complacent and comfortable, not wanting to grow or leave that comfort zone, wanting to have both God and hang on to the world at the same time. It is my prayer that people will seek God’s face and His alone.
Once, years ago when I managed a lodge, my boss told me, “I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this, but you are very black and white.” In that particular conversation, the comment was not intended as a compliment, but I stayed with my convictions. Before God, I knew that as a manager, I was to abide by black and white rules to the best of my ability and understanding. And it should be the same not only professionally, but in every area of my life and relationships. There shouldn’t be “gray” areas in our life. If there are areas that we are not certain what the black and white is, we can rely on the Holy Spirit to make it clear to us.
Jins was recently perusing the books in the Camp office and picked up “The God Chasers” by Tommy Tenney. We began reading it together and found that the theme and lessons in the book resonated with all that is in our hearts right now.
“A God chaser is an individual whose hunger exceeds his reach.”
Personally, I feel like I am no longer satisfied with where I am at spiritually and in my relationship with God. I want more. I want much more. Lately, I have been pondering what it means to be pure in heart.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
Matthew 5:8
How can I be pure in heart? The more I search it out and meditate on it, the clearer it becomes that I cannot without God. And I truly cannot if I don’t strive to continue to move closer to Him. I found such encouraging words in Psalm 19:9-13:
“The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. “
The closer I get to God, I find He reveals to me sin in my life that is separating me from Him, even when I thought I was “all good”. One faint glimpse of Him leads us to repentance and brokenness. It reveals to me how unworthy I am and how worthless are all the worldly things are that I gave importance. It reveals how ridiculous any pride that I carry, even unknowingly in my heart.
I don’t know about you, but I want more and I’m not about to give up on this chase after the Lord. Let’s be willing to get out of our comfort zones and run after Him with all of our hearts.
Something else came about in the last couple of months. Through a friend of a friend in YWAM, a door opened up for Jins to go to Brazil and he will be heading down for a five week trip starting on August 23rd. He will be in Sao Paulo and Maringa for the first week and then on to a tribal area in the Amazon rainforest in Porto Velho for the remaining four weeks.
It will be a first mission trip for Christ For All Tribes, one that we anticipate to be a first of quite a few solo trips as the ministry begins and grows. We will be sharing more about this on www.christforalltribes.com in the coming months.
The Reality of God’s Nearness
June 20, 2022
In this season of mine and Jins’ life, we have watched God’s prophecy unfold and a new piece of the story come to fulfillment in the last week.
The Lord had given us a prophetic word through a pastor friend that He would give us a house in a new place and that we would have a room set aside in that house for pastors. He also said that there was already someone there to take care of everything and all the aspects for us.
Well, it has been a challenging, trying journey to where we are at this point. There were times we wondered if we had misunderstood God’s leading and we were only supposed to buy a home, not have one built. However, no matter how many homes we looked at online that were for sale, we had no peace about the idea of buying one.
As we waited on a bid from a different builder, we only had peace that this house that we wanted to build on the land we had bought was the one.
And so, after discussing the bid and meeting the builder, we are back on for having the house built near Branson this year. The timing is God’s perfect timing and upon meeting this builder, we can see and understand that he is the one meant to build this house.
Another thing that has become clearer over time is that this house is not just going to be for us. To be honest, we never wanted a big house! Even though we don’t know it’s full purpose, we do know that it will be used for God’s glory, be a place of hospitality and prayer and a house that will be a blessing to others. I’m reminded of Psalm 67:-2:
“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us – so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all others."
Back in February, just one day after we closed on our piece of land and bought the house plan, Jins shared Deuteronomy 8:10-14 with me and it felt like God was speaking directly to us.
“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”
I feel as though we have come to our promised land and the Lord has good plans, but we must never forget that He has done everything for us.
And so, with these things happening, we are also at peace that we are exactly where we are supposed to be in Clinton, Missouri at LifeChange Camp where we are serving. There have already been quite a few divine appointments and many wonderful people blessing our life. We also see that there are many people that are going through challenges in life that we can encourage and be a blessing to. We believe that the Lord has orchestrated our paths to cross and He is bringing everything together for His glory and the expansion of His kingdom.
I would like to share something that has been on my heart for the past month or more and ask at this point, have you ever witnessed or experienced a miracle from God in your life? If so, did it strengthen your faith? Did it affect how you approached life afterwards?
I witnessed a miracle early in my life, when I was about nine years old. My grandma was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had begun chemo therapy. She was a woman of faith and a lot of people were praying for her. She believed that God could heal her. I did not understand how serious her situation was, but one night I heard my Dad crying and knew something was wrong. I later learned that the Dr. had told my Grandpa that one of the cancerous tumors in her body was the size of a grapefruit. The Dr. told him that he should start making funeral arrangements. Well, not long after that, they ran another scan and although they could not explain how it happened, that very large tumor along with the others were completely gone. She was healed and has lived cancer free since.
Over time, and being so young, the power of that miracle faded in importance in my life. I thought of it as my Grandma’s miracle. I didn’t think of God’s powerful touch as something that could directly alter my life later on when I was struggling as a teenager. I had not developed the relationship from which a miracle from the Lord would spring yet. We need to remind ourselves as well as share with others about what God has done in our life instead of storing it on a shelf and forgetting about it. It reminds us that God is watching over our lives and of His power. It reminds us of the reality of His nearness. And we need to seek Him and continually come back to Him.
Have you noticed that kids, especially smaller ones want to know that their parents are watching them as they play or want them to respond when they get hurt? Children always want to know that their parents are proud of them when they achieve something, no matter how small. They ask, “Mom, are you watching?” “Dad, did you see what I did?” “Are you looking?”
In much the same way, we all want to know if God is watching us, if He sees all that we are going through. We long for an intimacy and nearness from Him that tells us He is close and see’s our heart, what we are going through and is there to help us.
Lately, during my morning devotions, God has been revealing to me how He sees our hearts, what is in them and that there is nothing in our life that is unknown to Him. He is so close, and closer still when we seek Him with all of our hearts. The following verses have jumped off the page as I read.
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chron. 16:9a
“The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” Proverbs 15:3
“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind.” Jeremiah 17:10a
An important daily prayer that has changed my life and will change your life is to approach our Father with confidence and ask Him, “Lord, reveal yourself to me. Reveal your love for me. Help me to see you. Display your miracles in my life. I believe that You are real. I need you and I commit my life into Your hands. In Jesus name, Amen.”
Of course, there is so much more that you can add. The important part is relationship with our Lord. When we run after Him with our whole hearts, He will show Himself to us. How wonderful is the Lord our God! How close, how caring and loving of our souls. We can always be assured that He will never leave us or forsake us.
The Lord’s Purpose
May 20, 2022
The monsoon rains are just getting started here in Kerala and the miserably hot weather has turned to damp coolness, bringing a lot of relief. There is an abundance of ripening jackfruit and papaya to enjoy here at my mother-in-law’s home, as well as stalks of bananas from the neighbor’s trees that we buy. I watch the news and and chat with friends in the States, feeling as though I am so far removed from everything that was familiar.
During the past seven weeks and also since my last blog post, we spent a lot of time seeking the Lord, clinging to Him, casting all of our cares upon Him. Our souls experienced ups and downs, feeling as though we were being tested, yet feeling refreshed and strengthened every time we came to the Lord. Our hearts longed to follow the Lord’s leading to Missouri, but we could not see how it was going to happen. Doubts came as well. We knew that God had not led us this far to abandon us, and yet our adversary the devil is also often right there to ask, “Did God really say?”
A couple of weeks ago during prayer, I felt the Lord impress upon me the memory of tent revival meetings and family and church camps that my family used to attend when I was a girl. I felt that it meant something for us and began to seek out such ministries in Missouri to see if there was somewhere that we could fit. We faced lots more closed doors and I began to feel like giving up when at last, I somehow came across a retreat center called LifeChange Camp in Clinton, Missouri. It turned out that it was the one and everything came together for us to join their ministry for an indefinite season of time.
And all of a sudden, we only have a few days before we fly back to the States, for the next phase of this journey that the Lord has led us on. A few times in the past week, I have been reminding of this verse from Job 42:2:
“I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted."
Once again, we are in awe of The Lord’s purpose prevailing in our life and humbled by His constant faithfulness. And in everything that has happened in our lives, we are made more aware of the reality of His presence, His unfailing nearness. Sometimes we think that He is far away, but then He gives us a glimpse of Himself and we see that He is right there bedside us all the time. The first 10 verses of Psalm 139 are ones that I have been meditating on:
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
I don’t have enough information to share about the status of our future house in Missouri, but am believing in faith that in the coming months, I will be able to share something about that too. For now, we will be serving in the northern part of the Ozarks and trusting in the Lord’s faithfulness, leaving every plan, hope and dream in His hands.
I feel like the following has been our theme song for the last couple of months. So many good truths to keep in our hearts!
Wait for the Lord
April 25, 2022
When we first came to India in January, I read a book that I had brought with me, one that someone had given to me, called “Storm Warrior”. I now find myself thinking back on the truths on those pages, as our family faces a storm of our own. Every great thing that God calls us to and wants to accomplish in our life, seems to come with opposition, obstacle and a storm of some kind or another. In fact, we can count on it and should not be surprised when they come.
When we came to India, we came with the knowledge and plan that we would buy land in Missouri, our builder friend would start the build of the house and we would return near the end of the house build. We would also begin ministry and missions ventures between now and then.
Well, the week after we returned from our trip to Goa, excited about ministry and the new phase we felt God was taking us into, plans began to come to a halt. Our builder friend let us know that our house plan and permits were approved and he also gave us a final estimate on the build of the house that came in much, much higher than we had originally discussed and than what our budget allows. This was due to the economy, demand and inflation – the price of materials has skyrocketed, so we agreed that for now, we would have to wait until the price of materials comes down, realizing that this could be quite a ways into the future.
Next, since we would not have a house to come home to and it is also very much in our hearts to go forward into ministry, we began to write to missions bases in locations we felt drawn to, as well as in the States. To any place we have written, there is either no ministry to participate in, no place to stay or no reply. Every door has been firmly shut.
Lastly, we received notification that our return flights have been canceled to the States. Thankfully, we were refunded, but this came as the final stop to all the plans we had made. And we began to wonder what in the world we are going to do.
It took a couple of weeks of letting it all settle in, coming to terms with the feeling of disappointment, the frustration of having no control over anything. It took a little time to remind ourselves that God is in control and there is something very precious and important that comes from a time of waiting that we would not have paused for on our own. It has driven us to seeking Him with all of our hearts, more than before and as always, learning to trust Him more.
About a week ago, I felt His voice assuring me during a time of prayer, “Behold, I make all things new! I am doing something new.” What peace of mind there is in trusting that He’s got this! It brings us to what we should be doing no matter the state of mind or situation: thanking Him for everything and leaning into Him with all of our being.
"They sought God eagerly, and He was found by them." 2 Chronicles 15:15b
We find ourselves praising God, seeking Him, surrendering to Him and now, waiting for His lead and an open door. Waiting is not easy. We’ve had plenty of that in the last couple of years. But we have to trust Him, trust that His timing is perfect. His plans are perfect.
"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." 2 Chronicles 16:9a
Friends, if you’re going through a time of discouragement when you are pursuing the Lord with all of your heart, join us in getting excited! Count your blessings. Read your Bible! Put on the garments of praise. He is more interested in relationship with us than in making sure that we know the exact course of the coming months and years. He already knows every step ahead of us. He already knows our ultimate destination. He is our destiny!
And who can know except for Him, maybe these delays that we consider inconvenient are His way of protecting us from unforeseen troubles ahead. So, while I would rather share with you one victory after another and one exciting achievement after another, I felt it was important to share the discouragements and disappointments as well. He is in all of it, whether we see it or not.
I should also say that, we are, of course welcome to stay here in Jins’ family home for as long as we like or want – his mother would love nothing more, actually. But it takes some setting aside and waiting to see what God will do in His time with all the other yearnings, plans and expectations that He had put into our hearts. One day at a time. For now, I will look to Him as I start each day with His Word and a cup of chai instead of coffee.
I leave you today with Psalm 27: 14:
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."
Every Act Sets Us Free
March 29, 2022
A couple of weeks ago, my family and I decided to take a two week break from home school and go to Goa for vacation and visiting friends. This time that we had in Goa felt like an unexpected crossing over and transition into the ministry we’ve felt called to for so long. Since January, we have been in Kerala, praying and waiting on God, feeling that He is preparing our hearts, as we anticipate stepping into the ministry that God had called us to. When we went to Goa, longtime friends asked Jins to share at a house prayer, a cell group from their church and then on Sunday, asked him to share his testimony. God’s anointing came on him and it was very powerful. Again he shared God’s word and his testimony at another house prayer.
For the Sunday service, there were new visitors that came to the church who were Hindus. One of them was really interested in hearing about Jesus and had a lot of questions. He came to our friends’ house that evening and spent time with Jins, asking him, “How can these things be?” Again, the night that we left, he came to see us one last time and Jins was able to share with him more about Christ and pray for him. Since we had met him the first time, he said that whatever he did, wherever he went, he felt so strongly that Jesus was with him.
When we went to a house prayer meeting, the husband and wife who hosted had been converted from Hinduism to Christianity ten years before. Their son and daughter-in-law living with them are still Hindus. Right after the meeting, the son came back from work and we were amazed that he sat down and let Jins share the Gospel with him personally, which he had not allowed before. He listened with tears in his eyes and we could see that God was speaking to him.
We can see that there is a big harvest ready and people are hungry for God. I was moved and encouraged as I listened to Jins sharing his testimony and encouraging people. We realized from people’s responses that we all as humans are fighting battles in this life – constant and internal. We may look fine on the outside, but inside our spirits are warring against the attacks of the devil against our weaknesses. We long for hope, for rescue. And our Savior is there, waiting for our call to move in power on our behalf.
Jins shared encouragement with people about spending time in God’s Word and obeying it. Something we have been seeing in our own lives and the lives of other Christians is how every act of obedience to God’s Word sets us free – if not in some small way, often in big ways.
Personally, forgiveness may be one of the most difficult areas of obedience that I face. To say, “I forgive” is easy, and even if it is not easy, it is only one part of the process. Forgetting is not so easy, especially when it is a repeat offense or some memory brings up the offense, even from long ago. Jesus knew that we would need this reminder from Matthew 18:
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
It is not that anyone has done me any great wrong, but my human nature is to take small things personal and hold on to them, and in my mind, think that I need to protect myself by putting up a wall that will not allow it to happen again. There are things that I have crossed off in my heart and mind from long ago as “forgiven”, but something or someone can bring it to mind and remind me of the wrong, maybe without even realizing it. That is when I have to pray and ask God to help me to forgive again and put it away again. Otherwise, I am bound in some way, whether I realize it or not!
While we were in Goa, a song kept coming to my mind. I realize now that God was speaking to me through the words of this song Forgiven by David Crowder:
I’m the one who held the nail
It was cold between my fingertips
I’ve hidden in the garden
I’ve denied You with my very lips
God, I fall down to my knees
With a hammer in my hand
You look at me, arms open
Forgiven, forgiven
Child there is freedom from all of it
Say goodbye to every sin
You are forgiven
I’ve done things I wish I hadn’t done
I’ve seen things I wish I hadn’t seen
Just the thought of Your amazing grace
And I cry, “Jesus, forgive me!”
God, I fall down to my knees
With a hammer in my hand
You look at me, arms open
Forgiven, forgiven
Child there is freedom from all of it
Say goodbye to every sin
You are forgiven
I could’ve been six feet under
I could’ve been lost forever
Yeah I should be in that fire
But now there’s fire inside of me
Here I am a dead man walking
No grave gonna hold God’s people
All the weight of all our evil
Lifted away forever free
Who could believe, who could believe?
Forgiven, forgiven
You love me even when I don’t deserve it
Forgiven, I’m Forgiven
Jesus Your blood makes me innocent
So I will say goodbye to every sin
I am forgiven
When we struggle with forgiveness, it is good to remind ourselves (or allow God to) how freely we have received forgiveness and how undeserving we are. It then becomes easier to release forgiveness. We all are sinners. We all battle the devil. We all can overcome “by the blood of the lamb and the words of our testimony”. All God’s blessings and all that we receive from Him should not end with us. It should not stop there. We are meant to be a channel of those blessings and gifts.
One of the best Christian books I have read aside from the Bible is “Overcomer” by Dr. David Jeremiah. It really encouraged me a lot and I highly recommend it. The summary below will give you an idea of what you will find in it’s pages:
“You were not made to live in disappointment, disillusionment, and defeat; God has given you the tools to live a life defined not by your trials but by your victories. In his book, Overcomer, David Jeremiah offers his insights on one of the most quoted but least understood passages of the Bible: the apostle Paul’s admonition to the Ephesians to take up the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).”
As my family and I have been excited about starting the ministry that God has put in our hearts to reach out to the lost and unreached, I have felt challenged to look outward more. As we take our eyes off of ourselves more, and look to the needs of others, the fire inside of us burns brighter. We are more free to be used of God. Every act of obedience, every act of love sets us free.
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Matthew 23
I hope that you will be encouraged by this short chapter in my walk. As we said goodbye to friends in Goa, they wondered when they would see us again. I said, “If not on the earth below, we’ll see you in the sky above!” When we belong to Jesus, we move towards an eternal goal, knowing that we do not wander aimlessly in this world. In the journey, He has plans for us, use for us. Thankfully, He does not leave us to find our way in the dark – He is there to give us direction and speak to us, to lead us on. How great is His love for us!
If you would like to read our testimony, in which my husband’s is included, please visit The Back Story.
Where Is Your Treasure?
February 3, 2022
A couple of years ago, I began to prioritize time every morning, just to spend alone with God and committed to reading the Bible during that time, before I went to anything else. It is not as if this was a new concept in my Christian walk. But in the busy years of working and raising young kids, I had shamefully let that fall low on my list of priorities.
With the administrative responsibilities our business along with a mother’s morning household chores, it took intentional effort to get up earlier and not go to anything else first, namely emails and accounting as I was accustomed to. I used Our Daily Bread’s Bible in a Year plan as a guide. I came to God’s Word with a prayer, “Lord, reveal Yourself to me. Speak to me through Your Word.” It has changed my life. I start this post with this, because it is where I draw my assurance in writing the following.
In this season of life, my husband and I have sold our Inn, left the hospitality business and we are currently visiting my husband’s family in India. We are also praying for God’s leading in the next step. We sense His preparing work in our hearts, stirring in our spirits. For the last week, Heaven has been foremost in our thoughts and conversation. I began reading an e-book I found on my Kindle reader by Dwight L. Moody called Heaven: The Place We Long For and reading portions to Jins here and there. The highlighted section from the book below touched our hearts so much.
This message also comes at a time that we have been focused on buying property in Missouri(the place we so strongly feel God is leading us to move to). In finding a beautiful piece of land, we have also been communicating with the builder and firming up plans for the house to be built on it. It is exciting to think about and to imagine what it will be like, to dream about all the details. I have saved countless ideas and things we like on my Pinterest boards.
It is a strong contrast with the message above, though. It is as if God has been saying to me, “I am giving this you, but it should not be more important to you than your future home in Heaven and the purpose I have for your while you’re on earth.” The obsession with the house has slowly stopped occupying so much of my thoughts, as I leave it in God’s hands and answer Jesus call to abide in Him and commune with Him.
Earthly things are not going to satisfy us. I know that as much as I look forward to it, that lovely house is not going to make me happy. The truth is, I have been blessed so much; if you had told me when I was twenty all that I would have all that I now possess, I would have imagined myself completely happy. Regardless of each milestone of success, somewhere inside, I thought the next goal would make me happy. Being promoted to a higher position at work did not bring lasting joy and moving our whole life to another state for a really great job did not do it either. Acquiring a home and business and running it successfully for five plus years did not bring perfect fulfillment either. I have come to the realization that the next big thing is not going to make me happy. Nothing in this world is going to satisfy my soul’s deepest hunger but Jesus.
I recently saw the below article from Business Insider; it stood out more than any of the other headlines.
If all your hope is on what you can attain in this world, this is pretty sad news. But when your hope is grounded in Christ, you will completely agree without disappointment that you’ll never be able to get enough because everything here is temporary. Our destiny is not here!
I am not trying to ignore the fact that we should be wise stewards of what has been given us here, or that we should be thankful for each blessing. If there is one thing we should have every day, it is an attitude of thankfulness. Remember where everything has come from – James 1:17.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
This work that God has been doing in my heart, also touches an another aspect of earthly living. Prioritizing what is important and being concerned with what others think. Whose opinion do I value and why? The more my relationship deepens with Jesus, the more I am concerned with what pleases my Lord than anyone else. I used to worry about what others thought when I prayed, if my prayers were spiritual or intellectual enough. Now, my only concern is what my Father in Heaven thinks.
This verse from 1 Samuel 16 has brought much encouragement in my life:
"The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Although not always intentionally, we tend to look at and judge others spiritually from earthly eyes. We don’t pay attention to the nobody, but give higher importance and esteem to those who speak well. A couple of days ago, during my morning Bible reading, I was struck by these words that Jesus spoke to the crowds following him and to His disciples:
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
My mother-in-law here in India is a widow and she has brought another widow woman to live with her whom she hires to help her with chores on the small farm. It is a life of caring for the two cows, chickens and caring for the plants and property and household chores. It is a life that they both love.
The name of the widow woman who lives and works here is Somya Chechi. She was a Hindu before and when she gave her life to Christ, her family and grown children wouldn’t have it. They took her to the Hindu temple and she was injected with something strong that was supposed to make her forget everything in the past. Instead, it made some of her teeth fall out. She did not forget that she had given her life to Jesus. Her family had her put in a mental hospital for six months., saying she was crazy. A Pastor later helped to bring her to live with my mother-in-law.
I have never in my life seen someone who works as hard as she does or who exemplifies humility so completely. She is a tiny little woman, the same size as my twelve year old daughter. She smiles easily and shows concern for others in the way she speaks. Although my mother-in-law has prepared a room for her with a comfortable bed, she sleeps on the floor in the house, sometimes next to my mother-in-law’s bed. She gets up around 5am and begins working, never laying down to take a nap and doesn’t stop until late at night, after everyone else has gone to bed. She never drinks a glass of chai or eats food until she is sure that my mother-in-law has had something first. She does everything quietly and never draws attention to herself. She is not someone you would take notice of.
In the workplace we often hear things like, “that’s not in my job description” or “I’m not getting paid enough for this.” I look at this woman and see someone who is not working for a paycheck, someone who is working as unto the Lord. I told my husband, “If ever anyone has stored up many treasures in Heaven, it is her.”
Here is another excerpt from D.L. Moody’s aforementioned book, which by the way is free on Kindle: Heaven: The Place We Long For
May the prayer of our hearts be always, “Only You, Jesus and You alone.” I pray that this post will be an encouragement to you and if you are not already, set aside those worldly cares that weigh us down and seek the only One who can fill your heart to overflowing.
I leave you with this beautiful Malayalam song (there are English subtitles). I hope it blesses you and carries you close to Jesus.
You Still Do Miracles
January 7, 2022
None of us like going through difficulties or having smooth plans upset. We pray for things to go well. Running into problems and unforeseen obstacles in any situation is the last thing we want. But smooth sailing is not where you would typically see God work a miracle. He appears in mighty power in the midst of a storm, when we are calling out to Him, because He is our only hope in a situation when no one else can help us.
After we sold our home and business in Wyoming , we booked tickets to India from Springfield, Missouri for January 3rd. We left Wyoming on December 13th and began a long winter road trip through Montana to visit family in Idaho. After four days there, we went on to Central Oregon to spend time with friends and after one week, began the last and longest leg of the drive to Missouri. It seemed like a miracle to get there after dodging winter weather all along the way.
It felt as though we had entered the promised land upon arriving in Branson, Missouri after praying about it for so long. We looked at property and found a neighborhood we really liked and met with the builder who had stayed at our Inn only a couple of months before. Everything was falling perfectly into place. Josh, the builder, even offered to let us park our car on his property while we were going to be gone for six months.
On that note, we began our journey to India. I’ll back up a bit here to explain that before 72 hours before traveling, which happened to be on Friday, on New Year’s day, we tried everywhere in the area to find an opening for covid testing and everywhere was booked except for a pharmacy in Springfield. I called ahead to make sure that this test would be sufficient for travel and they assured me that it was.
Once we had the negative results, I used the online United travel center and uploaded those as well as other required documents. We also had to do this on the Delhi airport website and carry a printout for proof. Everything was approved online and okayed for travel.
We took the airport shuttle from the hotel early on the morning of the 3rd and went to check in at the United ticketing kiosk. The agent took all of our paperwork and documents and immediately let us know that the type of covid test we had taken was not the type required for travel to India. She said that she could not issue boarding passes and send us on because of that. She asked us to sit down and wait while she called the Help Desk.
In those moments of waiting, I was reminded of the words and melody of a song I had listened to just a couple of days before and they comforted my anxious thoughts and gave me assurance of Whose hands we were in. That’s the Power of Your Name – https://youtu.be/pYjppzHLt2s
Jins and I checked online and saw that the Chicago airport, which was where we were to connect next, had PCR covid testing. We pleaded with the agent to just get us there and we would get that test upon arrival. After talking with someone at the Help Desk again, she agreed and changed our ticketing only to Chicago and let us know that we would have to pick up all of our checked luggage there and then re-check it if we got the negative test results.
I spent the entire flight in prayer, asking God to send the right person to help us in Chicago. The words from that blessed song echoed in my heart and gave me hope.
Upon arrival in Chicago, another United agent said that yes, we should get the PCR test and pointed us in the right direction. It was outside the airport, so I stayed with our youngest and all of our luggage, while Jins went with Jada, our oldest and found the place. He soon found that not only were the tests $225 per person, but they were all booked for the day. Our connecting flight to Delhi was about seven hours away. We were overwhelmed by the dilemma.
After deliberating, I told Jins that I would just try another check-in kiosk and see how far we could get. I started at a self check-in kiosk and after entering our information, the screen indicated that we would need an agent to continue. A nice woman came and checked all of our documents and entered the final information on the screen and printed the boarding passes.
We checked our bags to our final destination in Cochin and as we waited in line for the security check, Jins asked me, “Rachel, what just happened there?” I knew, we both knew. That is the power of our God, moving on our behalf. He still does miracles.
We were a little fearful that there would be problems upon arriving in Delhi, where we would enter India and connect for our final flight. However, it could not have gone smoother. They only wanted to see the approved printout from their website and never asked to see the actual test results.
A couple of days after arriving at Jins’ home in India, I reflect on all that happened and I can only conclude that it was this same Jesus who performed daily miracles in the Gospels, that had also performed a miracle for us. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I would not have chosen to go through the stressful situation, but because of it, I saw the power of His name make a way for us.
Set Your Eyes On Things Above
December 10, 2021
Around the first of December of 2020, our youngest daughter Joanna, at the age of eight, told us that she had a vision in which God took her up and showed her heaven. At first we were skeptical and asked if she was sure and told her that it’s a sin to make things like that up. She told us that she wasn’t lying and that it was true. She told us about it with clarity and didn’t hesitate as she told us what she saw.
Joanna said that she saw a castle and the front of it had golden pillars. She saw Jesus and He had brown shoulder length hair and teal colored eyes. He showed her around heaven and He showed her what hell looked like too. It was a big hole.
She saw shining angels who played with her. She described it as a bright place, because God is bright. I asked her if he was bright like the sun (because that is what scripture tells us). She said that He is even brighter.
She said that Jesus showed her her Indian Grandpa and Grandma April (my mother). She said Grandma April was more beautiful than before. She said that Jesus told her He would be bringing all of us home to heaven sooner than we expect.
My heart thrilled to this honest account of God’s glory and His promise of hope. Now, about a year later, I find myself reflecting on it again; thankfully I wrote down the details in my journal at the time or I would have forgotten. More and more these days, I find myself looking into the sky, listening for the sound of His coming. I can’t get enough of the scriptures that describe the eternal King. I recently re-read the first chapter of Ezekiel, absolutely mesmerized.
I even view the night skies, glorious sunsets and the beauty of nature differently than I used to, searching for a reflection of the One who created it all, breathed life into it all. When I hear the wind and thunder, I perceive it as literally being orchestrated by Him. There are countless Psalms that describe it as such and you can google the scriptural references that say so!
His coming is so very near, my friends. Let’s get ready, prepare our hearts and live in expectancy. Spend time in the Word, as if our lives depend on it, because they do. Let us be baptized in the Holy Spirit and pray in the Spirit constantly, because our souls depend on it.
I say we, because I need encouragement in all of this as well and I’m a weak human being. It is so easy to become consumed with the things and cares of the world and to lose focus on what really matters, the relationship that matters most. And in order to stay focused, we must spend time in the Word every day and devote time to prayer and worship.
As I felt God leading me to write my testimony and start this blog, I wondered why. There are countless books by very talented, spirit-filled servants of God. There are countless blogs, social media posts and devotionals that testify powerfully of Him. By the way, First 5 is an incredible devotional resource that I highly recommend. I read the Word and know that nothing else need be written, and that it is complete on its own. So much has been written that I wonder what new insight could there be or could I possibly have to offer, but I have heard and felt the Spirit’s urge to act in obedience and I cannot ignore that. Let God use this simple girl if it is His will.
And so, I invite you to join me as I launch this blog and lean into the Lord, seeking Him and posting what the Holy Spirit puts on my heart. I don’t know how often it will be, but I know that it is going to be on His schedule.
What is on my heart in this season, is what my husband and I remind each other of often these days- fix your eyes on things above. How amazing that God would speak to our little girl in a vision about the reality of eternity waiting for us that are His.
Colossians 3 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Life By The Spirit 