One Thousand Gifts - Chapter 6

The vlog for Chapter 6 (What Do You Want? The Place of Seeing God) of Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts is now online.  Wow, where do I begin?  The words Ann penned for this chapter seem to be meant for me... like God talking to me.

Let me start here... these words on page 104 caught my eye:

But this is the woman I am becoming.  That eucharisteo is making me - fulfilling thanks vows to God. I am starved and the feast makes me wild.

Over these past few months, I have become that woman too!  It wasn't until I started counting gifts that I realized how starved for God I was... starved to see Him in everything... and realizing that I can not fully live, wildly live, until I see Him in all things.

On page 108, Ann's words brought me back to the time that led me to start my 1,000 gifts list.  It was also summertime, the summer of 2010, a time when my heart was sore and when I so desperately wanted to see and feel joy.  Here are her words:

A summer of pain. Always the running. A summer of grace.  Always the revelation.  Pain is everywhere, and wherever the pain there can be everywhere grace, and yes, Jesus, I am struggling and I get turned around but I think I know, at least in part, what I want.  If I had never run, if I had never fallen, and here, I am not sure I would have known with blazing clarity.  I may not know all that it means, but this is what I want.

This kingdom laden with glory, this, the pearl of great price, the field I'd sell everything to possess.  This is the pearl that crams me with a happiness that throbs, serrated edge, pit open wide for more of His glory.

The only place we have to come before we die is the place of seeing God.

This is what I'm famished for: more of the God-glory.

I whisper with the blind beggar, "Lord, I want to see" (Luke 18:41).

That's my moaning pulse: "See. See."

Beauty from ashes... with the ashes from this past summer, I have been able to see beauty.  To see... Beauty!  To see that God wanted our family to unwrap more of His love, to unwrap beauty, for the last, the least, the forgotten, and the forsaken.

Here are more of Ann's words... you'll see why this chapter is so meaningful to me:

I want to see beauty.

Beauty is all that is glory and God is Beauty embodied, glory manifested.  This is what I crave: I hunger for Beauty.

Because that is what I am made for - to give Him more glory.  More eucharisteo, more.  And not only yesterday.  But today - manna today or I starve.

... omnipresent God is Beauty who demands worship, passion, and the sacrifice of a life, for He owns it.

... faith is always a way of seeing, a seeking for God in everything.  And if the eyes gaze long enough to see God lifted in a thing, how can the lips not offer eucharisteo? The truly saved have eyes of faith and lips of thanks.  Faith is in the gaze of a soul.

I now realize that I've actually been counting gifts way before I typed gift #1 on this keyboard, I just called them by a different name --- I called them beauty from ashes moments.  Here are some more of Ann's words...

The art of deep seeing makes gratitude possible.  And it is the art of gratitude that makes joy possible.  Isn't joy the art of God?

Don't I give God most glory when I am fully alive?  And I am most fully alive beholding God!

Longing to gaze upon the Beauty of the Lord and to seek Him, the place where all the joy spills from.

Praying with eyes wide open is the only way to pray without ceasing.

So today I pray with eyes wide open, beholding beauty because He is Beauty!  With a grateful heart for...

#351 - #360

~ Chapter 6 of One Thousand Gifts.
~ The season of pain and disappointment, the summer of 2010.

~ All the beauty-from-ashes moments that resulted.

~ Starting my 1,000 gifts list.

~ The waiting and the anticipation.

~ Spiritual growth and more maturing.

~ The woman I am becoming... wildly living eucharisteo.

~ Eyes to see beauty because of The One who is truly Beautiful.

~ Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow...
~ Great things He has done and will do!

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God! 

So Much Beauty...!

Overwhelmed.  Speechless.  Awed.  That's how I am feeling this morning.  There are so many "beauty instead of ashes" moments happening all around me... I don't even know where to start writing!  I can most definitely say this though --- my God is indeed an awesome God!!!

So, where do I begin?  How about starting with... "There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:10 (ESV).  Remember the lady (Ms. X) who ended up in the hospital whom I blogged about last week?  Well, my sister and I continued to visit her a few more times over this past week.  Yesterday, as I prepared to leave my house to head to the hospital... the Holy Spirit nudged me to bring along a Bible for Ms. X.  So I did.

I would say that Ms. X was the most spiritually hungry yesterday ever since we first met her over a week ago.  She indicated that she wants to have a relationship with God... she specifically asked how she can talk to God everyday!  That provided my sister and me with an opportunity to pray and read the Bible with her!  She prayed along and read the Bible too!

My sister talked to her this morning and Ms. X informed her that the Bible is now her most favourite book... along with the Our Daily Bread devotional that I brought her last week!  Please continue to pray for Ms. X as there is still no clear diagnosis... and she is facing the possibility of dialysis!  It is understandably a scary time for her... without any family or friends around... but she now has peace knowing that God will always be with her!!!

A seed planted.  A new creation.  A new daughter of God.  Truly beauty instead of ashes!

Next story... if you have been following my blog you'd know that God has recently led our family to become involved with a ministry to under privileged children living in the Jane/Finch area of our city.  It has been a blast... we are sooooo humbled that God would use us in this way! 

Well, this morning, I met a friend for coffee.  I don't even remember how we got to this topic but she ended up telling me that, as a teenager, she spent a considerable amount of time in Jane/Finch!  I had no idea that was her past!!!  Well, I said: "Funny you mentioned Jane/Finch... I have to tell you something!"

So, I started to tell her how God brought our family to become involved with UrbanPromise and how they are doing great things in the Jane/Finch neighbourhoods!  One of the neighbourhoods they work in, Driftwood, is exactly where my friend used to hang out at.  Coincidence?  I think not.

My friend continues on to tell me that she's had this feeling of being unfulfilled in terms of the way she is currently serving God.  She wants to do more.  She's always wondered about going back to Jane/Finch and making a difference... but she's never known how or where to start!  She had tears in her eyes... she's wondering if... through our involvement with UrbanPromise is the way God is bringing her back to Jane/Finch!

Awesome God-appointed coffee date.  Exciting possibilities.  A life going full circle.  Again, beauty instead of ashes!

So... as you can see, it's been an exciting couple of days around here!  Tomorrow is another exciting day coming up --- Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes are being collected at my kids' school!  Can't wait...

Here I am.  Lord, send me!

Hanes It Is! :-)

A very cool God-thing happened today... and I'm going to attempt to tell the story here.  Although I don't think that I can accurately capture the amazement I felt (still feeling!) in words, I will try my best...

On Thursday of last week, a woman (let's call her X) was found passed out in her apartment here in Toronto.  She ended up in the hospital with what she later finds out to be partial kidney failure.  She lives alone and keeps to herself.  She has no family nearby.  Her closest relative is a sister who lives in California.

On Saturday, I went to Wal-Mart to buy underwear.  I grabbed two packs --- a total of 13 pieces of underwear.  At the checkout, the cashier told me that underwear are final sale items.  No returns.  After paying for them, I thought to myself... I think I *might have* bought a little too many!?!  Oh well... too late.  Final sale, remember?

Yesterday, X's sister who lives in California is frantically looking for someone here in Toronto who could visit and help X at the hospital.  She tells a friend, who in turn tells another friend, who emails a guy who attends my sister's church.  This guy then forwards the email to my sister... thinking she'd be the best person to visit X at the hospital.  Very quickly, by the end of the day, my sister was in contact with X's sister in California!

At around lunch time today, my sister decides to call me.  She didn't want to go to the hospital alone and was wondering if I would like to go as well.  So... off we went... to visit a stranger at the hospital!  Bizzare, but true!

We had a good visit.  X was moved to tears... she was thrilled to know we speak the same Chinese dialect as her!  When we were about to leave, she told us that she is very happy we went.  We left her our phone numbers and promised to be back again tomorrow.

When I got home, in my inbox was an email correspondence between my sister and X's sister.  She was wondering if we would be so kind to bring X a pair of slippers and some underwear tomorrow when we go back.  X was taken to the hospital so quickly last week that she didn't bring anything with her!  She specified that the underwear needs to be size 8 Hanes.

I emailed my sister back... I told her this may sound weird... but, I happen to have some new size 8 underwear sitting in my closet drawers... you know the "might-have-bought-a-little-too-many" ones!  I also have a pair of slippers I received as a gift last Christmas that I never used.  I told her I would just bring them tomorrow...

So, I head over to my closet drawers to take the underwear out.  I could not believe my eyes!  At Wal-Mart, I had just mindlessly grabbed two packs of my size without looking at the brand.  This afternoon, I paid attention to the brand for the very first time... and they are... you guessed it... Hanes!!!

Unbelievable!!!  Hanes it is!!!  Size 8 Hanes!!!

This is yet another one of those beauty instead of ashes encounters that God has been graciously allowing me to experience these past few weeks.  You see, I know without a doubt that if hubby and I were still busy with our previous ministry involvement, my answer to my sister's request to accompany her to the hospital would have been: "Sorry, I'm too busy. I can't spare any time!  Find someone else to go with you."

Instead, today... I had the time... and, in turn, I was able to be a part of an amazing God-thing!

Please pray for X.  The doctors don't have a diagnosis for her yet... and it's been almost a week since she was found passed out in her apartment.  X is not a believer.  Her sister in California is and her wish is for X to open her heart to Jesus as her personal Saviour.  Please pray that X will see Jesus in my sister and me as we continue to be His hands and His feet!

This is a story I will remember for a very long time... it has truly been one amazing day!!!

Here I am.  Lord, send me!

Thinking Deeply...

I read a blog post by Ann Voskamp yesterday and I haven't stopped thinking deeply...

The blog post really was just a continuation of my thoughts... I've been thinking the same thread of thoughts for weeks now... since experiencing beauty instead of ashes!

Here are questions I ask myself: How do I fight the middle ground?  What is my response because a non-response is a response just the same?  Am I losing this fight?  Will I become too comfortable living in the middle?

The world, your community... even your family — they are going to try to push you back to the middle. North America feels pretty comfortable in the middle. Balance, everyone says. I don’t know what Jesus is going to say to you... How He might direct your life now… just don’t assume He wants you to live in the middle. Be open to the possibility… Of something radically different.

Powerful words... reaching down into the depths of my soul.

I grew up in a third world country... I've seen with my own eyes what it means to have nothing.  Then my parents moved us to Canada... ranked as one of the top ten best places to live in the world!  It is in living here for the past 22 years and raising a North American family of my own that has me thinking I have become comfortable with the middle ground... 

Last night... I asked hubby what our family's response should be... how are we distributing God's wealth to those who have less... how do we make sure we don't pass down to our children a legacy of being comfortable in the middle ground.  

It was an interesting discussion.  Lots to think about.  Hoping for action to follow.

Here I am.  Lord, send me! 

Should Just Stop Counting...

So... I've decided to just stop counting for now... stop counting the number of empty Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes that are leaving my doorstep and going to the homes of families from my kids' school community!  I stopped counting at 350 shoeboxes and 195 families.

In exactly two weeks from today... all the shoeboxes will be coming back filled!  That's when I will count them!!!

In the meantime, we have started folding shoeboxes in preparation for the Shoebox Packing Party that is happening here at our house with three other families!!!  Together, we are aiming to pack 70 shoeboxes that day!







My son and I went shopping last night for things to fill the shoeboxes. The excitement is building! It was our first of what will be... maybe three or four shopping trips!!!

Finally... here's a video clip from Operation Christmas Child Canada.  What an amazing story!!!  This is why our family packs shoeboxes each and every year!  Over the last 17 years, it has become one of our best loved family traditions!



Here I am.  Lord, send me!

Our Thanksgiving Weekend...

It is already Monday night and the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is almost over.  For my Facebook status today, I wrote: I am thankful for "beauty instead of ashes" and for the simple graces that my God gives! Happy Thanksgiving to my family and friends!!!

Our weekend was jam-packed with activity... so much excitement and so much action!  We have sooooo much to be thankful for... words aren't adequate enough to express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for His bountiful blessings.

Here are a few highlights from our weekend...

~ 3 more Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes were requested by a family from my kids' school over the weekend taking the total up to 346 boxes!  God just keeps adding to the total --- He has definitely successfully blown my socks off on this one!

~ On Saturday, our family and 15 of our family and friends went to the Daily Bread Food Bank and volunteered to sort food.  This is in celebration of hubby's 45th birthday!  We are so thankful that many of our family and friends who came to help also brought along food to donate.  Others who couldn't join us donated food as well.  It was a very fun afternoon celebrating and fighting hunger both at the same time.  To top it all off... we even made the news --- both in print and on air!  Of the many, many people there volunteering, we are still wondering why the news reporter would pick our group to interview.  God must've wanted our story to be heard by many more!  Very humbling thought.

~ After volunteering, we had Thanksgiving dinner here at home with the family of hubby's sister.  Great times!  I successfully made too much food yet again.  Burp!

~ Sunday, we took my sister's kids to a local petting zoo.  It's been a while since we've been there and it was so much fun!

Here are my kids with their little cousins posing with the pony.  

And here I am overcoming my *dislike* of animals and leading the pony on which my nephew is riding on. I'm always amazed at what we, adults, would do for cute little children!!!

~ Today, we went on a nature hike in the woods to soak in the wonderful Autumn colours!  The trees are ablaze with God's artistry... so captivating!!!  We took along our camera and tripod... and took a few family pictures.  We got quite a few good ones that we plan to include in our year end family newsletter.  Here's a sneak peek:



Well, another Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone... but, the thankfulness will definitely be staying!  As it says in James 1:17 (NIV) --- "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  So thankful for that.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!! 
 

I Spoke Too Soon...

So... it appears that I spoke too soon this morning!  My children just stepped in the door... home from school... with more request slips for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes!!!

The new total is now at 343 shoeboxes and 190 families participating!!!

When I look at those numbers, I must admit that I can hardly believe it.

OK... here comes the confession.  When my kids initially thought of the idea of introducing this project to their school, I was skeptical.  First of all, I didn't think that their principal would even go for it. It is a public school after all and with all the political correctness going on these day... I thought the chances are slim that he would embrace a Christian organization like Samaritan's Purse.  God quickly proved me wrong... the principal approved the project even before my kids could really explain to him what it was all about!  He, apparently, already knew about Operation Christmas Child and had packed shoeboxes before.  :-)

Then, my kids went on to set a goal of 200 shoeboxes!  My skepticism got the best of me once again.  In my mind... I had set an "attainable goal" of 50 shoeboxes.  I know, I know... I should be ashamed of myself for my lack of faith!!!  I feel like Peter when he walked on water.  What did Jesus say to him again?  Oh yeah... Jesus said:

“You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

---Matthew 14:31 (NLT)

I went along with my kids' goal... and silently prayed that God would not disappoint them!  Well... you all know the rest of the story.  God proved me wrong once again... we are now having to go back to the Collection Centre once again to get more shoeboxes!

343 shoeboxes.  190 families.  Beauty from ashes.  A lesson in faith.  God is sooooo good!

Here I am.  Lord, send me!

305 Shoeboxes!!!

Can you believe it!?! My kids' school community has together requested 305 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes as of this very moment. I just came home from dropping off the shoeboxes at the school. They are going home to the families today!!! Plus, a few more requests are expected to trickle in today and throughout next week... this is sooooo exciting.  I am beyond excited!

Let me just say that I am sooooo proud of my kids! From two children to a community of over 165 families coming together to pack shoeboxes for children living in poverty. What a God-thing!!! I count it a blessing, an awesome privilege, that my children can be Jesus' hands and feet in this way. Words aren't adequate enough to express what my heart is feeling right now... I thank you, Heavenly Father, for beauty from ashes moments! This is truly one of them.

Brian Littrell's song In Christ Alone comes to mind right now... (It is on the Playlist on the sidebar of this blog if you want to listen to it.)

♪ ♫ In every victory, let it be said of me.
My source of strength, my source of hope is Christ alone. ♫ ♪

This is the lesson that I want my children to learn from all of this... that their source of strength and their source of hope is Christ alone... that their every victory is for the glory of God alone!

Here I am. Lord, send me!

How To Behold Beauty

I see beauty in the colours of Autumn --- my favourite season!  This photo shows the maple leaves just starting to change into their attractive Fall colours... a sight that I will not get tired of beholding each time the month of October rolls around!  I snapped this picture during a hike through a conservation area near our home this past weekend with my family.   

Speaking of seeing beauty, in my blog roll this morning are these words from Ann Voskamp...

We see God when we let go. When we let go of the visible, papery skin that surrounds our moments, then we see the sacred jewel gleaming just underneath everything.

When we cup the thinning, fragile places, the places worn right through, the dying and flaking away and hardly-holding-together-places, this is when we see the amber of Holiness.

Stripping away the sheath of self, this is how we see God. In a lace of brokenness, light dances with shadows.

Indeed... this is how I can see God... this is how I can behold beauty!

God is teaching me many things these few months.  Lessons that guide my todays and will shape my tomorrows.  Hard lessons but essential ones.  Molding me closer to becoming the masterpiece that HE designed and purposed me to be.

Here I am.  Lord, send me!

24 More and Other Exciting Things...

Twenty four more shoeboxes have been requested by my kids' school community for Operation Christmas Child bringing the total to 272!  We have run out of shoeboxes and I am having to go get more at the Collection Centre tonight.  I think I will get 75 more just to be on the safe side. :-)  Words can not express the excitement that this household is feeling!  God is truly gracious to us... this is truly beauty from ashes!

Speaking of which... plans are starting to take shape on how our family can tangibly get involved with the ministry for under privileged children at Jane/Finch.  This is an after-school ministry where 25-30 children return everyday for Bible study + worship, homework help, snacks and just to hang out.  God loving, Christian leaders reach these children with the goal in mind to raise a leader in order to restore their community!  I received an email last night from our friend who is the Site Supervisor there... again, exciting opportunities to impact the lives of those who are truly needy!  One item on his list of things that we can be involved in excites me the most... and that is to get Christmas presents for these children!!!  You can be sure that our family will start working on that project right away once we are finished with Operation Christmas Child.

Another beauty from ashes item worth mentioning is happening this weekend --- Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada.  Our family will be going to the Food Bank and volunteer to sort food this coming Saturday.  This is to celebrate hubby's 45th birthday!  Well, get this --- we invited family and friends to join us and 15 of them said YES!!!  I am sooooo thrilled and sooooo excited.  Among these 15 people are 3 ladies from my workplace... God truly is turning people's hearts towards the things that matter most to Him!   

God is truly taking our family to heights we've not seen before and places we've not been before!  I am in awe... we are truly humbled that God is gracious enough to allow us to be a part of these beautiful God-moments!

Here I am.  Lord, send me!

248!!!

TWO HUNDRED FORTY EIGHT!  We just finished tallying all the request forms that came home from my kids' school today --- 248 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes in total have been requested by families in our school community!  Plus, more request forms are expected in the next couple of days...

248 more children who live in poverty will receive a Christmas present this year because of this endeavour.  This year, the majority of these shoeboxes will be heading to Haiti!

My kids are beyond excited.  They surpassed their goal of 200 shoeboxes!  Wow!  So humbling.  So exciting.  So cool!!!

I am one proud mama!  My heart is happy and I know that God is smiling!  Truly beauty from ashes...  I couldn't have asked for a better outcome!  God is good.

Here I am.  Lord, send me!

Just One More...

Just one more blog post on this truly very exciting day... I love the verses from Lamentations 4:21-24 (NLT) which say:

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

My God truly is faithful!  After posting the previous blog post this morning, our snail mail arrived.  In the pile of letters is one from the Founding Director of the Jane/Finch ministry that I wrote about in my previous blog post.  In the letter he shares about one of the Site Supervisors having to choose between feeding the children or taking them on a fun trip.  Of course, making sure the children aren't hungry is the choice that was made!  The fun trips did not happen...

The letter is yet another confirmation from God letting us know where He would like us to get involved at this time... where we should be giving our time, effort and resources!  One of the topics we discussed this morning with our friend was precisely what the letter outlined... how we can help to make the extras like fun trips, better quality snack items, tutoring help happen in this ministry.

You see, God is clearly speaking to our family.  We must follow!  There is no other way.   

Here I am.  Lord, send me!

Hello There, October!

Well, wouldn't you know it?!?  It's October already.  I welcome your arrival, October... I am actually quite excited to see you.  It's only the very first morning of October and it's been an exciting one already to say the least... before I start writing, let me contain my excitement and compose myself first as I try to catch up to God's speed here!  :-)

Okay.  Deep Breath.  Big Grin.  I think I'm all caught up now! 

You see... yesterday was the official ending of our involvement with a ministry that was near and dear to our hearts... one that our family nurtured like a newborn baby!  Sometimes in life, we encounter disappointments... things just don't turn out the way we expect them to.  The thing is... how things turn out is exactly how God intended it to be all along.  We are puzzle pieces that He is putting into places of His choice in order to complete HIS BIG PICTURE.

So... today marks a new month, a new start, a new beginning.  Best of all, God's steadfast love and new mercies accompany these new things!  One ministry assignment ends for us yesterday and a new one sprouts up today... how much more exciting can it be!  Truly beauty from ashes!

If you're a regular on here, you know that over the summer months God led us to be involved with a ministry for under privileged children in the Jane/Finch area.  That experience has opened our eyes to who the truly needy are in our society!  How can we sit back in our comfortable suburban settings and lifestyles when these needs are calling out to us?

Well... this morning, God arranged for hubby and me to meet up with our friend who is the Site Supervisor of the ministry at Jane/Finch.  We chatted and encouraged each other.  He helped us see where we can fit in to help and serve in this ministry!

Exciting.  Humbling.  Amazing.  God is good... HE has successfully knocked our socks off once again!!!

Our family is very much looking forward to this new leg of the journey.  Life is full of surprises... God is full of surprises... that is what makes life exciting!

Here I am.  Lord, send me!        

Beauty Keeps Coming...

Beauty from ashes... life has been full of beautiful things lately in spite of the ashes!

Information about our second Compassion correspondent child arrived in the mail! A boy this time --- 7 year old Junior from Honduras. My son quickly volunteered to be Junior's pen pal! This is going to be a beautiful thing... it already is!

Operation Christmas Child was successfully launched at my children's school! I am soooo proud of my kids... this has been an awesome project for them to introduce to their school. Now we await shoebox request slips to come back from families this coming Monday... the goal is for the school community to pack 200 shoe boxes! My daughter came home from school today all excited. She told me that one of her teachers is going to get the people on her street to pack shoe boxes with the school as well... how cool is that! This is going to be a beautiful thing... it already is!

God does make all things beautiful in His own time... this is making me break into song...

♫ ♪  In His time, in His time.  He makes all things beautiful in His time.  Lord, my life to you I bring.  May each song I have to sing.  Be to You a lovely thing.  In Your time!  ♪ ♫

Here I am.  Lord, send me!

It's Friday...

... and I'm feeling tired from what has been quite a busy and interesting week.

This week consisted of a mixture of events and happenings... mostly good, but a few emotionally draining ones too! Hubby and I are also on the cusp of a decision that we need to make imminently about ministry involvement... requiring lots of our time talking it through... making sure we are listening properly to what God is telling us. This verse from Philippians 3:12-14 (The Message) comes to mind right now:

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward --- to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

Looking towards the weekend... it's going to be an exciting one!  First of all, hubby turns forty-five!!!  I read something on Facebook this morning that very appropriately describes my hubby.  Here it is --- Happy Birthday to... 

... a wonderful man, who helps balance my whole world; who isn't perfect, but is perfect for me; who works hard and would do anything for me; who makes me laugh; who is my best friend; who I want to grow old with; and who I am thankful for every day!

I am blessed beyond measure to have my hubby in my life. Each day, I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a wonderful gift!

This weekend, we'll also be helping a young family organize their home. This young family is struggling... depression has hit their home. They've indicated that it would be a tremendous help to them if we came and helped to organize a certain area of their home in order to lessen the stress. I don't claim to understand depression... but my heart goes out to this young family.

This, of course, is another one of those beauty from ashes moments that God has been gracious enough to drop on our family's lap these days. We cherish each of these assignments... and eagerly look forward to the next one!

Speaking of the next one... the first packet containing information on our first Compassion Correspondent Child arrived in the mail! Her name is Geydi. She is 12 years old and she lives in Honduras. Our family is excited to start writing to Geydi on behalf of her sponsor... truly beauty instead of ashes!

Here I am. Lord, send me!

Yet Another Glimpse of Beauty

I can tell you right now, this one's BEEEEEEAUTIFUL! Wow... I am in awe that God would be so gracious as to let me in on this beautiful thing!

So... here it goes. Today we visited the home church of some good friends of ours. As part of the teaching time was a skit. I recognized one of the actors right away. She briefly attended one of the Bible studies I led a long time ago... talk about "a blast from the past!"

When she came to Bible study, she was a seeker. She stopped coming after her brief time with us... she left still seeking. I lost touch and didn't know what had become of her... I wondered many times. Recently, I heard from a mutual friend that this lady had found Christ and has found a home church to attend regularly.  I was thrilled! 

Fast forward to this morning... the church we visited was that church! I approached her after the service. She could hardly recognize me... it was that long of a time ago and our encounter was that brief! I refreshed her memory... and her face lit up! She said that those few Bible study sessions sparked something in her... and this church was where "it all came together" for her.

Wow... I'm a firm believer that God does not waste anything. This morning, God allowed me to see this truth firsthand. Truly beautiful! The thing is... we wouldn't have visited this church if we were still busy with our previous ministry involvement. Interesting how God's timing works, isn't it? I say... this is one of those beauty from ashes moments!

Speaking of this church visit... we loved it! It is one of those churches that fit the description in Acts 2:42-47. It's a place we wouldn't mind calling home...

Here I am. Lord, send me!

More Glimpses of Beauty...

Glimpses of beauty are sprouting up everywhere!  I think God's intention all along was for me to have eyes to see opportunities to bring beauty to people and places around me when He recently took away an ongoing ministry that's near and dear to hubby's and my heart.  You see... taking away that ministry freed up A LOT of our time.  Time I didn't realize I was spending not bringing beauty into this fallen world.  Time I now use for things that matter more eternally.

Beauty from ashes...

Here are some of those glimpses of beauty...

~ With school now in full swing, I am thinking about the 10 under-privileged children who received backpacks from my son's Birthday Backpack Drive.  Beautiful!

~ Last night, my kids launched the Operation Christmas Child campaign at their school.  The response was heart-warming!  Everyone was so enthusiastic!  My kids have set a goal of 200 shoe boxes which I thought was a lofty goal... teachers and parents alike are saying that there will be at least that much that will come in!  I am already thinking about the children in 3rd world countries who will receive a Christmas present this year because of Operation Christmas Child and my heart smiles!  Beautiful!

~ Hubby's birthday is around the corner.  To celebrate this occasion, as a family we are choosing to participate in the Daily Bread Food Bank's Thanksgiving Food Drive by volunteering and also by bringing in non-perishable food items.  We decided that we would invite friends and family to join us!  We are overwhelmed by the response... as of this blog post, there are already 13 people signed up to volunteer and food items pledged to be donated.  Together, we will have fun, celebrate and fight hunger all at the same time.  Beautiful!

As you can see, I've been busy --- a good kind of busy!  Beauty from ashes... one family's quest to make the world a better place, one step at a time!  God is so good!

Here I am.  Lord, send me!

First Glimpse of Beauty...

Yesterday, I wrote about beauty from ashes --- how God has allowed a ministry assignment of ours to burn up into ashes and how I am looking forward to seeing the beauty that arises from the ashes.   

Well, as you know, I've been following a team of bloggers who traveled to Guatemala recently with Compassion.  In one of the blog posts, I read about just how important it is for these children to receive letters... unfortunately, some sponsors never write!

My daughter is our family's designated letter writer to our Compassion daughter, Annu.  I can't imagine us not thinking about writing even a single letter to her!  My daughter's goal is for Annu to become the coolest kid in the Child Development Centre where she belongs because she the kid who receives the most letters! :-)

So... here's our first glimpse of beauty from ashes... because of our previous ministry involvement coming to an end, we have found extra time on our hands!  That's always a good thing, right?  Well... we have signed up with Compassion to become correspondents!  

Correspondents write to sponsored children whose sponsors do not or are unable to write to them!  How cool is that?  We have asked for four children to correspond with!  When matches are found... we should be receiving information about the children in the mail fairly quickly.

We all know how powerful words can be.  Now, our family can use our words to bring beauty into the lives of these under privileged children by writing letters to them.  We can't wait to start... we'll all be writing now, not just my daughter!

Beauty from ashes...  Here I am.  Lord, send me!   

Beauty from Ashes...

Here is a verse I read last night in my blog roll...

... to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.
--- from the NIV, Isaiah 61:3

Made me realize... this has been a whirlwind several months for hubby and me. Heartache-ishly hard. Unexpectedly harsh. Painfully hurtful. Over these months, we have seen an exciting, promising, full-of-potential expectation seemingly go up in flames. Now, all we see is ashes... complete with the hows, whys and what ifs.

This was an expectation that was solid and sure... one we believed was where God wanted us to pour our life into. The work involved was hard, yet exhilarating; tiring, yet exciting; slow, yet encouraging! We were loving it. We were right in our element. But seemingly... in just a few short months... all we are left to deal with is ashes.

I went on a walk with a good friend yesterday... we chatted... my mind cleared up and I came home energized! As I sat back down and got on my computer last night, I saw the verse above... beauty instead of ashes!

I think that is God's message for me...

Because... quite interestingly, I was talking to my sister the other night about this same topic and she said to me: "In His time, God makes everything beautiful!" Coincidence? I think not!

I do see that... I really do! God has been showing hubby and me over the summer months how else He would like our family to serve Him. Very exciting ways, I might add. I just didn't think it would require us to "finish up" with one assignment in order to take on a new one! ;-)

So... it looks like a new leg of this journey is starting up. I am looking forward to seeing the beauty that rises up from these ashes. As we wait on the Lord, our family's prayer remains to be...

Here I am. Lord, send me!