“O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so…” Psalm 107:1-2. Truly, we can give thanks unto the Lord for His goodness and His and ever enduring mercy. I thank God for His continual blessing in my life and mercy that never ceases. This reminder keeps me in a spirit of praise to God as I reflect on His wondrous works in my life.
These wondrous works not only come in physical form, but also in spiritual form. The Lord is using many things in my life right now to grow me and make me more into His image. This month has also been spiritually refreshing. The Lord gave me the opportunity to visit with old classmates from the ABC basketball team (in Jax for a tournament) and with two dear men from the college—Dr. Anderson and Mr. Rinker (in town to present the ministry). Those were blessed times of fellowship.
The youth service went very well! I was pleased with how the teens pulled together and seemed to enjoy serving in the evening service. I believe it was a blessing to the church as well from the many positive comments I heard. Who knows, we may have another youth night very soon!
Prayers would be appreciated for my friends, Jim and Shelley Dinsmore. They are away from their home in Petén as they are in Guatemala City, awaiting the arrival of their baby girl, Eden. Please pray for a safe delivery for Shelley and for a healthy baby girl! Read more of their updates at:
jimanshelley.blogspot.com
Psalm 107 was mentioned in the beginning of this letter. Four times throughout the Psalm the Psalmist writes, “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31). I pray that we would all take time to examine our lives, consider the Lord’s wondrous works in and through us, and praise Him for all he has done…and will do!
Keep on serving til’ He comes
“Oh that I may never loiter on my heavenly journey!”—David Brainerd
Monday, 27 February 2012
Thursday, 2 February 2012
What If?
When we think about it, “What if?” is a question that plagues many of us. What if I don't find a job?--How we will pay our bills? What if I fail?--What will people think of me? What if my child doesn't survive?--I couldn't make it another day. What if I don't make it through this year?--What if...?
I would venture to say that all of us have struggled with these “What if” questions in life. Its human nature to worry about our circumstances and hope for a good outcome; no matter what we are facing. Today, I am reflecting on the loss of missionaries John and Wanda Casias this Wednesday (2/1) who served in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
When John and Wanda surrendered to serve in Mexico over 30 years ago, do you think they faced some of these “What if” questions? I'm sure they did. Just as many do, if not all, who choose to serve the Lord at home and abroad. What if they don't like me? What if they don't receive my message? What if my family is harmed? What if I am killed?
As a missionary, these thoughts have begun to cross my mind. Could this happen to me? What about our friends and family who are serving abroad, specifically in Mexico and Latin America? Are their lives at risk too? The answer is yes. You see, John and Wanda joined the ranks of faithful servants who continued to the end; even to the point of death. Their names join the list of other servants of God such as: Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, and Pete Fleming.
What prepared these servants to face death such as they did? I believe it was because of such a total and committed focus on Heaven and glorifying God, rather than living for self and earthly things. Their minds were “set on things above...not on things of the earth.”
I was reminded today of a very pertinent passage in Hebrews 11. Consider these words:
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.--Hebrews 11:13-16 (emphasis added)
So, as we reflect on those who have gone on before us and face these “What if” questions in life...let me remind us all that we too seek a country; a better country; one that is heavenly. I believe these dear servants who gave their lives realized this. May we all seek to live for that city to come. May God grant to us the grace to live a Philippians 1:21 life, no matter the cost; a life that is God-glorifying, Heavenly focused, serving Him...because, that's all that matters.
I would venture to say that all of us have struggled with these “What if” questions in life. Its human nature to worry about our circumstances and hope for a good outcome; no matter what we are facing. Today, I am reflecting on the loss of missionaries John and Wanda Casias this Wednesday (2/1) who served in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
When John and Wanda surrendered to serve in Mexico over 30 years ago, do you think they faced some of these “What if” questions? I'm sure they did. Just as many do, if not all, who choose to serve the Lord at home and abroad. What if they don't like me? What if they don't receive my message? What if my family is harmed? What if I am killed?
As a missionary, these thoughts have begun to cross my mind. Could this happen to me? What about our friends and family who are serving abroad, specifically in Mexico and Latin America? Are their lives at risk too? The answer is yes. You see, John and Wanda joined the ranks of faithful servants who continued to the end; even to the point of death. Their names join the list of other servants of God such as: Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, and Pete Fleming.
What prepared these servants to face death such as they did? I believe it was because of such a total and committed focus on Heaven and glorifying God, rather than living for self and earthly things. Their minds were “set on things above...not on things of the earth.”
I was reminded today of a very pertinent passage in Hebrews 11. Consider these words:
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.--Hebrews 11:13-16 (emphasis added)
So, as we reflect on those who have gone on before us and face these “What if” questions in life...let me remind us all that we too seek a country; a better country; one that is heavenly. I believe these dear servants who gave their lives realized this. May we all seek to live for that city to come. May God grant to us the grace to live a Philippians 1:21 life, no matter the cost; a life that is God-glorifying, Heavenly focused, serving Him...because, that's all that matters.
Friday, 13 January 2012
New Beginnings
A new year has begun! Well, it did 13 days ago...i'm just a little behind I guess. The first of this year, I began serving full-time as a missionary intern here at Victory Baptist Church here in Jacksonville, FL. The Lord has already been working mightily and I'm greatly looking forward to what He has in store.
My main area of ministry here at the church is to serve as the youth leader. It's a new experience for me since my focus in college was missions. I'm learning as I go, but overall I'm enjoying very much serving with these teens.
The picture here is from our "hobo party." Aside from our Wednesday night program, we usually enjoy one big event a month. Our big event this month is Ice Skating! We are going to a local rink this Saturday, the 15th.
Please pray for our youth group; for unity and growth. We all (leader included) have areas we can grow in. There is great potential in these teens and I'm looking forward to seeing how God works. Also, please pray for an upcoming ministry opportunity in February. Our teens will be holding a special Youth Service on the 5th, in the evening service. Many of them are excited about it; but most are a little nervous and apprehensive. I'm excited! And, I know it will be a good experience for all of us.
There are many exciting things in the days ahead. Of course, my main goal is to make my way to the mission field. And all this year, I will be taking steps toward that. I will be sure to share the steps along the way.
In this new year, I've been challenged with a thought regarding our commitment to follow the Lord. In Luke 9:62 Jesus said, "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." I'm praying that I myself, and all of us, will remain faithful to our commitment to follow the Lord and serve Him. Keep your hand to the plow!
My main area of ministry here at the church is to serve as the youth leader. It's a new experience for me since my focus in college was missions. I'm learning as I go, but overall I'm enjoying very much serving with these teens.
The picture here is from our "hobo party." Aside from our Wednesday night program, we usually enjoy one big event a month. Our big event this month is Ice Skating! We are going to a local rink this Saturday, the 15th.Please pray for our youth group; for unity and growth. We all (leader included) have areas we can grow in. There is great potential in these teens and I'm looking forward to seeing how God works. Also, please pray for an upcoming ministry opportunity in February. Our teens will be holding a special Youth Service on the 5th, in the evening service. Many of them are excited about it; but most are a little nervous and apprehensive. I'm excited! And, I know it will be a good experience for all of us.
There are many exciting things in the days ahead. Of course, my main goal is to make my way to the mission field. And all this year, I will be taking steps toward that. I will be sure to share the steps along the way.
In this new year, I've been challenged with a thought regarding our commitment to follow the Lord. In Luke 9:62 Jesus said, "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." I'm praying that I myself, and all of us, will remain faithful to our commitment to follow the Lord and serve Him. Keep your hand to the plow!
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Uncharted Waters
I'm writing to announce that this coming Saturday, the 17th, I will be moving to Jacksonville, FL. I am moving there to begin an internship at Victory Baptist Church. I will mainly be working with the youth group, but there will be many opportunities for involvement in the church and christian school.
I am really looking forward the new experiences and various ministry opportunities. But, as the the title says, these are uncharted waters for both myself and the church. Neither of the parties is totally sure of how things will go, but we are both excited about the possibilities!
I will keep the blog up to date with all that is going on throughout the process. I'm excited to see how the Lord leads throughout this new experience and these "uncharted waters."
Serving the Lord...that's "all that matters."
Jay
I am really looking forward the new experiences and various ministry opportunities. But, as the the title says, these are uncharted waters for both myself and the church. Neither of the parties is totally sure of how things will go, but we are both excited about the possibilities!
I will keep the blog up to date with all that is going on throughout the process. I'm excited to see how the Lord leads throughout this new experience and these "uncharted waters."
Serving the Lord...that's "all that matters."
Jay
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Fuel on the Fire; Miles on the Odometer
WOW!
That's about all I can say after the two great weeks I just had in Guatemala! As I mentioned in the last post, the purpose of the trip was mainly to do some planning for the future. But, the truth is, the things that I wanted to accomplish didn't really take all that long! In fact, I found that some of the best conversations and advice came in car rides while we were traveling or as we sat down to eat around the table. I guess that in my mind I had imagined Jimmy, Shelley, and myself sitting around a table, pencils in hand, sipping on coffee, while sketching out the future (HA!). With their schedule (raising twin, 2-year-old boys)...
...things can be a little busy. Nonetheless, they were awesome hosts! I really had such a great time visiting with them. They are a great blessing to work with and learn from.
I mention "Fuel on the Fire" because I feel like, after this trip, the fire or burden to be in Guatemala that I have has only increased. Not only that, I have such an excitement for the future that is ahead! Since God has started working in my heart for Guatemala, I had always imagined myself just working with Spanish-speaking people. Last summer, I had an introduction to what is going on within the Kekchi ministry in the Peten. This summer was like a full-blown immersion into the Kekchi ministry! You see, as I mentioned before, to me this trip was mainly going to be a planning trip. Jimmy had mentioned that we would be doing some Kekchi village outreaches, but I did not imagine what lay ahead! The second week was so much like fuel to my fire!
Yes, there was adventure: horseback riding into villages...
...crossing a river in canoe...
...or riding for hours in the back of a truck on dirt roads.
But, the most rewarding and wonderful part was to be able to minister in those villages. What a blessing that was!
I also got to meet so many wonderful Kekchi brothers and sisters in Christ!
So, all of that is to say: I believe that involvement in the Kekchi ministry will be just as much a part of my ministry as Spanish church planting; which makes me very excited! God also provided an opportunity for ministry at a Spanish speaking church! I had the opportunity to preach in the Primera Iglesia Bautista Monte Sion in San Benito. What a great privilege!
Well, I don't have much to say about the second part of my title. I think its pretty self-explanatory! For a cheaper flight, I drove to the Ft. Lauderdale, FL area to fly our of that airport. I also had some time to visit with my aunt and uncle who live in the Pembroke Pines area. Upon my return, Uncle Mark gave me the opportunity to share about Guatemala during his Wednesday night service.
As I drove north to North Carolina, I stopped in Jacksonville to visit with the Carswell's (Shelley's parents). But, I also got to catch up with some cousins I haven't seen in a long time! The picture is of Chris and Melissa and their family. Melissa is the oldest Brown cousin and I am the youngest. I was actually the ring-bearer in her wedding!
I greatly enjoyed spending time visiting with them! Chris has been teaching the teen boys in their church and asked me to teach the class for that Sunday morning. What an opportunity! And, it amazed me that God was still providing ministry opportunities even on my way traveling home! (2,000 miles on the odometer later, I arrived at home).
I am so thankful and very excited for what God is doing in my life right now and how He is leading. The future is exciting. And I am going to keep serving Him as I continue to move forward. After all, that's ALL THAT MATTERS.
Monday, 11 July 2011
A Week From Today
One week from today, I will be in Petén, Guatemala! As you could guess, I'm pretty excited about that! I'm really looking forward to catching up with Petén family and getting a lot accomplished.
Here we all are: Shelley, Jimmy, Silas, Jonah, Myself, and Becca (who can't make it this time, but is actually ministering in Honduras this week!)
For the two weeks I will be in Petén, I hope to glean from the age-old wisdom and advice of Jimmy and Shelley ;) This short trip will be like a pre-deputation trip for me. In other words, I will try to get some things organized and settled to help in the support-raising process.
Some of the planning to be done:
-Team assessment
-Ministry Goals
-Financial planning
-Forming a budget
-Deputation tips
-House hunting/pricing
-Vehicle pricing
-Whatever information may be helpful!
Of course Jimmy also said, "I have a box of things labeled 'FOR JAY.'" So, I'm sure he will keep me busy with that (whatever it may be)! Overall, I'm greatly looking forward to this trip and the time I get to spend with my good friends and future co-workers. Please pray for God's blessing and guidance during this time. I look forward to keeping the blog up to date and reporting how things are going.
Keep serving God...after all, That's ALL THAT MATTERS, isn't it? God bless you all.
Here we all are: Shelley, Jimmy, Silas, Jonah, Myself, and Becca (who can't make it this time, but is actually ministering in Honduras this week!)
For the two weeks I will be in Petén, I hope to glean from the age-old wisdom and advice of Jimmy and Shelley ;) This short trip will be like a pre-deputation trip for me. In other words, I will try to get some things organized and settled to help in the support-raising process.
Some of the planning to be done:
-Team assessment
-Ministry Goals
-Financial planning
-Forming a budget
-Deputation tips
-House hunting/pricing
-Vehicle pricing
-Whatever information may be helpful!
Of course Jimmy also said, "I have a box of things labeled 'FOR JAY.'" So, I'm sure he will keep me busy with that (whatever it may be)! Overall, I'm greatly looking forward to this trip and the time I get to spend with my good friends and future co-workers. Please pray for God's blessing and guidance during this time. I look forward to keeping the blog up to date and reporting how things are going.
Keep serving God...after all, That's ALL THAT MATTERS, isn't it? God bless you all.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
Urgency and Uncertainty
I regret that it has been so long since I've posted anything in the blog. But, the past few months have been somewhat of a blur. The Spring (and final) semester seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, I was walking across the stage to receive my diploma! The day of graduation, I left for two weeks of ministry and travel with "Jubilate," Appalachian Bible College's English Handbell Choir. It was really a good time of ministry as well as meeting many people all throughout Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia. It sure was a great pre-cursor for deputation travel!
I am currently back at home working as well as serving however I can in my local church. God has provided so many opportunities already! This summer, I began a Wednesday night class called "Ranger Jay's summer nights" as we learn a different lesson each week through nature. Its a great time! I also had the opportunity just last week preach in our monthly service at the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission. I'm very grateful for that opportunity. And this week during our Vacation Bible School, I have had the opportunity of driving a mini-bus to bring in kids from our neighborhood. I have greatly enjoyed that opportunity!
But, the reason I am writing this blog does have to do with the title. First of all, a sense of URGENCY to get to the mission field has been increasing in me all throughout my final semester. Now, it is even greater since I have graduated! It seems like, more and more everday, my heart wants to be in Guatemala! But, it has been somewhat of a personal struggle for me. My mind is telling me, "You're done with school and ready to go. What's holding you back??" But many times I've talked to others and they encourage patience, saying something along the lines of, "You've got a lot of life ahead of ya! There's no need to rush." My pride makes me feel like the little boy in the Sunday School class who says, "I want to be a missionary when I grow up!" (I'm in the picture on the far right.)
All the while, with this sense of urgency, there is also UNCERTAINTY. Many things are not clear to me at the moment as far as when I will get to Guatemala and details along with that. But, I don't expect them to be clear. God will make things clear in His time. All I can do is trust Him with the details. I am "confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in me will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6).
What I am doing now is moving forward as I prayerfully consider decisions and my future. Part of that is a two week planning trip to Guatemala. From July 18-Aug 2, I will be with Jimmy and Shelley Dinsmore as we do some team planning and as they help me with field preparation. I tend to think of this trip as a "pre-depuation" trip. Other matters that are on my plate at the moment are completing a mission agency application and planning for a ministry internship after I get back from Guatemala.
With all this being said, I realize that this is kind of like a simple equation. URGENCY + UNCERTAINTY = TRUST (in God). Not only that, I have a joyous expectation of what God will bring to pass in the future to come! Although at times I may feel like it's going to be ages before I get to Guatemala, I know that time will probably fly by as it has with recent events. I will be there before I know it! And I look forward to that very much!
I am currently back at home working as well as serving however I can in my local church. God has provided so many opportunities already! This summer, I began a Wednesday night class called "Ranger Jay's summer nights" as we learn a different lesson each week through nature. Its a great time! I also had the opportunity just last week preach in our monthly service at the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission. I'm very grateful for that opportunity. And this week during our Vacation Bible School, I have had the opportunity of driving a mini-bus to bring in kids from our neighborhood. I have greatly enjoyed that opportunity!
But, the reason I am writing this blog does have to do with the title. First of all, a sense of URGENCY to get to the mission field has been increasing in me all throughout my final semester. Now, it is even greater since I have graduated! It seems like, more and more everday, my heart wants to be in Guatemala! But, it has been somewhat of a personal struggle for me. My mind is telling me, "You're done with school and ready to go. What's holding you back??" But many times I've talked to others and they encourage patience, saying something along the lines of, "You've got a lot of life ahead of ya! There's no need to rush." My pride makes me feel like the little boy in the Sunday School class who says, "I want to be a missionary when I grow up!" (I'm in the picture on the far right.)
All the while, with this sense of urgency, there is also UNCERTAINTY. Many things are not clear to me at the moment as far as when I will get to Guatemala and details along with that. But, I don't expect them to be clear. God will make things clear in His time. All I can do is trust Him with the details. I am "confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in me will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6).
What I am doing now is moving forward as I prayerfully consider decisions and my future. Part of that is a two week planning trip to Guatemala. From July 18-Aug 2, I will be with Jimmy and Shelley Dinsmore as we do some team planning and as they help me with field preparation. I tend to think of this trip as a "pre-depuation" trip. Other matters that are on my plate at the moment are completing a mission agency application and planning for a ministry internship after I get back from Guatemala.
With all this being said, I realize that this is kind of like a simple equation. URGENCY + UNCERTAINTY = TRUST (in God). Not only that, I have a joyous expectation of what God will bring to pass in the future to come! Although at times I may feel like it's going to be ages before I get to Guatemala, I know that time will probably fly by as it has with recent events. I will be there before I know it! And I look forward to that very much!
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