Through Every Season

Month: October 2011

Why and How to Pray for Missionaries

I have this pamphlet.  I don’t remember where I got it, but I love it.. 
I love it because it’s prayer points are so insightful. 
There is so much in it that we can not only pray for missionaries,
but for our leaders, pastors, friends, family, and ourselves.
I was so happy when I found it on line to share with you.
The link above includes a pdf file you can download.
Go check it out.
Here are a few highlights and my thoughts:
We cannot work independently 
We need God.  We need each other.
There is much to discourage and frustrate the missionary.  
• Language Disparity
• Customs and Culture
• Unfamiliar Food 
• Climate
• Lack of Results
I’ve experienced all these just moving state to state.  Embracing all these 
differences was so much easier in Thailand than in some of the places 
I’ve lived in the US.  I think partly because I expected them there and partly 
because it’s so easy to remember that you have a “mission” while in a foreign country.
It is not long before we are again forced to face up to the fact of 
our own sinful flesh. We then recognize afresh how human we are! 
It’s rough to learn what we are really like. 
So true!
Pray that the missionary will experience fellowship with God in new and satisfying ways.  
Amen!  Loneliness is such a struggle for me.  “Moving” is such a bitter/sweet word.
Our mission is to be servants to all. 
Amen.  Amen.
Spiritually, there must be doctrinal stability through the study of the Bible and its
 application to our daily living. Mentally, we must learn how to combat 
Satan’s great tool of depression. Emotionally, we need to 
strike a happy balance between becoming too calloused or too sympathetic.  
Pray that the missionary will get his true identity and self-worth from 
who he is in Christ and not from success or 
what others think or say about him. 
Pray that the missionary will have a heightened sympathy and 
insight into the heart-needs of those around him. Pray, too, that he will have insight 
and heavenly wisdom to know what God would have him undertake, 
and how he would have him go about it. 
His gracious fruit must show in our lives, or our work will accomplish nothing. 
Unless we have daily communion with our Lord, the pressure will result in failure..
 We must keep spiritually fresh if we are to glorify him. 
Pray that God will keep the missionary in that condition of health 
that will best glorify him.
We need wisdom to train and teach our children in ways well-pleasing to God 
and in full accordance with his Word. Pray that both parents will be godly role models 
and will do all they can to help their children develop godly self-worth. 
Pray that parents may have wisdom in providing for their education.
Let’s remember to pray.
Love,
Jenny

Busy Week with Mitch and Nana

I decorated for fall for the first time.  
I think I am normally just too busy with school this time of year.  
 I bought these flowers last December at 80% off with 
the intention of making a wreath.  At least I got them out.. 
and I made the pumpkins from scratch with some found wood.
Back in in 2003, after we’d just moved to Florida, I ended up with 
second degree burns on my right arm after opening this pressure 
cooker while it was under pressure.  I was tired, wasn’t thinking clearly, 
and couldn’t find directions on how long I should cook the fresh 
corn on the cob I had just bought from the vegetable stand.
 We decided to make chili for Mike’s parents one night last week, 
and I took some time to look up the best way to cook dried pinto beans, 
because ever since I started making my chili in the crock pot 
my beans had been coming out crunchy – yuck!
I found the national bean council’s suggested method for 
“gas free” soaking:  Wash, cover with water, boil 3 minutes,
 cover, set aside over night, rinse, cook.

Then I stumbled upon a you-tube video on pressure cooking beans,
and decided to conquer my fear and try it out.  It worked great!  
Just 12 min. under pressure and they were done.  
Way better than 2 hrs. simmering on the stove. 
Can’t wait to try out some more recipes. 
While the chili was simmering in the crock pot, we got to go 
to an open house at Mike’s work.. first one they’ve had one in years.
All the kids had off work and Mitch and Nana had just happened to plan 
their visit at the right time.  It was great to learn about what all his office does.
We’d planned to pick up our favorite BBQ another night..
only to discover that Chuck Wagon was closed because they had a booth
at the 45th Annual Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention.
How fun.  We had no idea what we’d been missing all these years.
Gatherings of fiddlers playing blue grass while dancing.. gospel singing.  
Banjo, dulcimer, dobro, harmonica.. all ages.. competing for the title of
 Tennessee Valley Fiddle Champion.  Food, arts and crafts, perfect weather.. 
Can’t wait to go again next year.
Saturday we went up to Fort Payne to show Nana Little River Canyon Falls.
 The weather was perfect all week.
 And Fall was really starting to show it’s colors.
 We took the scenic drive.
 Saw some hawks.
 Had a really good time.
 Got a few pictures.. but the sun wasn’t especially corporative.
 Sunday afternoon we had a partly cloudy day 
and decided to try for a family picture.
 Took a ton of pictures.. this was the last one.. somehow the last one 
usually turns out to be the best one.. glad we took “one more”.
Our eyes are a little squinty.. but it’s better than last year.. we never got one.
It was great seeing Mitch and Nana.  Judi won every game she played..
didn’t matter who her partner was.  The boys had a couple of days
off work and it was great to get in some family time.

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