Let us pray.. Lord God, let the glow from your promises light the lives Of all the people here who are feeling tired and discouraged. Remind them of your touch and the sound of your voice. We have been too busy to sit with you, Too anxious to follow or put our lives into your care. Lord, may this season fulfill in our hearts The promise of his saving presence And redeem us
My husband, Ryan, and I volunteered at the Next Door Space this past weekend and had a blast! Our covenant community is volunteering over the course of the next few months and this weekend we worked with the Springles and Hilary Wiebe. As soon as we arrived we unlocked the doors, brought in the food and began setting up. Immediately, I noticed what an awesome, welcoming space it was. The small space was well organized
I told you earlier about my love for missionary biographies -- my admiration for the great men and women of faith who sacrificed everything to travel to unknown lands and share the gospel. They had amazing stories, which I have learned so much from. But, I always wish I could ask them: “How would you have lived if God didn’t call you to a far away land? What if He asked you to stay put?
Here’s a typical scenario: I’m seated in my local Starbucks and from time to time someone taps me on the shoulder and says hello. Perhaps it’s a neighbour or a parent of one of my children’s friends. Perhaps I know the individual’s name. Perhaps I say, “Oh, hey!” back, unable to recall whether it’s Sue or Janet or Michelle and hoping she doesn't notice the look of panic on my face. Maybe I stop tapping
Lord, These are the confessions and desires of our hearts. Hear our prayers. God, we long for a deeper intimacy with you, And a heart that overflows with worship and praise. But we confess that our hearts are often calloused, Our disposition to you, stone-glazed and guarded, Our spirit of praise, so often sleepy and weary. We confess that it’s our overburdened living, Sin sick hearts and brokenness, Preoccupation with success and appearance, And bouts
Here’s the most practical advice I can give you if you want to serve the global poor: sponsor a child. Through Compassion, or World Vision, or any number of smaller organizations, you can give a sum of money each month to provide for the basic needs of a child who doesn’t have enough. It’s a tried & tested, sustainable investment you can make that will transform lives and entire communities. Not only that, it will
When I was a little girl I was obsessed with missionary biographies. Eric Liddell, Hudson Taylor, and Grace Aylward were my special heroes. I read their stories and then read them again -- always fascinated by their willingness to give up their lives for the sake of people they had never met. Years later, those stories inspired me to embark on a missionary journey of my own. My husband Jordan and I visited five countries
What if we thought of the Eucharist as the Table? The place where we were fed. Real sustenance. The stuff that gives us life and strength and nourishes us. The sort of food that sticks to our ribs and erases sallowness and eases our emaciation. The sit-down-and-feast sort of Table. Because we know we need it. That without it, we would starve. And die. What if we thought of the Eucharist as a meal
It’s easy for me to sit behind my keyboard and tell you all the strategies I’m learning about how to be a global missionary from home. But the ugly truth is, I’m not an all-star global missionary myself. In fact most days, thinking about my brothers and sisters around the world is nothing more than an after-thought -- something I need to check off my list before I go to bed. It’s been six months
