Rosilind Jukic's Blog, page 90

10 Ways to Go On a Mission Trip Without Leaving the Country

Does the idea seem crazy to you?

I would have to me several years ago, too.  I mean, don't you have to at least leave your house, your neighborhood, your town and most of all your country to become a missionary?

As we learned last week, a missionary is one who carries the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are lost.  You can can be a missionary right on your own street. And we heard from our dear sister Patsy about how she visits the prisons and carries the gospel to a literal "captive" audience.

Here are some more ways you can become a local missionary today!

1. Host a children's Bible club at your house.  This is one of the most practical ways to reach out to your neighbors.  You will give the moms a short break during the day, entertain their children and be sharing the gospel as well.  This will also give you an automatic open door with the parents, while planting a seed into little, impressionable hearts!

2. Visit nursing homes. This is a segment of society that is shamefully forgotten and shoved aside. You can bring Christian magazines, books, CDs or cassette tapes; but please do not forget to take some quality time to sit and talk with them.  You never know how this kind and thoughtful gesture will open the door for you to share the gospel.

3. Host holiday events in your home.  Think about it.  Holidays are a time when people are especially open to the gospel.  For Thanksgiving you can take a few moments to share about the founding of our nation and the history behind Thanksgiving Day.  At Halloween, you can simply give children a safe place to be. This is a prime opportunity to reach out to families - so that their children are not out on the streets.  Christmas and Easter are obvious times to share the gospel, as their history lies in Jesus Christ Himself.

4. Begin a mom's club. Arrange for a teenager in your church to watch the kids in a local place such as a neighbor's home or even just entertain them in your basement or front yard.  Then plan something fun for the moms to do - or just sit and chat.  Believe me, it wont take long before you will see open doors to share the gospel.

5. Join a local mission outreach to an inner-city in the States.  Many churches are doing American mission trips. They cost less money, and yet you are reaching out further than your own city and neighborhood.

6. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen.  This is another segment of society that is tossed aside. Many homeless and poverty-stricken people are in that situation because of bad choices, and many others because they simply fell on hard times. Whatever their story, one element remains the same - they need Jesus! And when you feed a hungry man, you often earn the right to speak into his life!

7. Volunteer at a local inner-city outreach or Teen Challenge center.  These are outreaches that often lack personnel and funds and yet they are doing an important work - reaching out the outcast of society: troubled teens, prostitutes, drug addicts, alcoholics, and people that are generally hardened by life. 

8. Volunteer at crisis pregnancy clinics, post-abortion counseling centers and on crisis hotlines.  These are places where people are looking for help. They are searching for answers and are ready to listen.

9. Blogging is a method to spread the gospel without ever leaving your home.  If you have a lot of extra time on your hands, put your writing to good use for the Kingdom. There are tons of ways to get your articles out there through blogging communities, blog parties and of course...

10. Social media.  Social media is one way you can evangelize all around the world from your computer.  Visit online communities and forums.  It is truly amazing what people will share online - and so often they share out of desperation and a cry for help!  If you are a night owl, this is a prime method of evangelizing.  Get into forums and chat rooms, and just sit back and read what people share.  You will see doors open all by themselves. 


You see, your own city and neighborhood are filled to the brim with opportunities to share the gospel.  All you need do is take the first step!



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Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Free to talk FridaysClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Ask a Missionary: Reader Question #1

Reader Question: How do you know for sure that you are meant to go on a mission? Do you get scared?


This is a question that I am sure is on many people's minds.

My answer to the first question is two-fold.  I would first suggest that you take a short-term mission trip or connect with a humanitarian aid organization that would allow you to do a 2-3 week trip.

Before hand, I would encourage you to spend a significant time in prayer, seeking God as to where He would like for you to go, and praying that He will reveal to you if foreign missions is His call for you.

The idea of short-term missions is wonderful because it it will give you a glimpse into a culture that is far different from your own, and often places you in an environment where you are more sensitive to the Lord's voice.

I would, however, encourage you to choose a trip where you will be in one place for the entire time, where you can partner with a local church as this will give you a broader perspective as to what full-time missions is like. 

When you return home, commit to prayer what you feel God spoke to you during your trip.  You may even want to share it with your prayer partner, husband or pastor and ask them to pray with you.  Commit to praying for this for one year.  

If you are sensing a true call from God, the call will only be stronger after that period of time.  If this is not God's plan for you, I have full faith that He will reveal this to you.


As for your second question: Do you get scared?

I will confess that I had moments of anxiety before I left to move here.  This is completely normal.  Anyone who plans to completely uproot their life and move to a nation where the customs, language and the entire lifestyle is different, and claims they have not experienced an even small amount of anxiety, is not living in reality.  *grin*

One thing that will aid in this is to do some research before you leave.  Locate fellow missionaries in the same town - or at least country - where you are planning to serve and contact them.  Making some contact with local missionaries will make your first year somewhat less stressful. 

Also, if you can locate a community of fellow missionaries with whom you can freely share, it will also be helpful as you try to hurdle some of the common first-year difficulties.  During your first year you will have thousands of questions and you will experience a wide range of emotions. Having a fellow missionaries who can help you through this season will be worth more than you will ever know!


I hope this has helped answer your question.

 

Do you have a question related to missions?  Feel free to contact me via email, comment below or visit my Facebook page to ask your question.  It will be featured here during our fall Answer the Call series!

   




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M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Free to talk FridaysClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

The Forgotten Mission Field + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a link up party #18

Hebrews 13:3
Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners...

In 2009, I felt that God wanted me to go to the local prison in our city. I cried. I did not want to go. Our local prisons are so crowded. Made to house just 800 detainees, the Quezon City Jail currently holds a little less than 3,000 men. It is so full that inmates sleep on the floors, on the stairs, crowded in little corners, and even holes in the ceiling!  Big, strong men fear to go in there. Prisoners are not placed in jail cells. When you visit, you mingle with them.  My mother saw me crying, and she asked why. When I told her, she said, “You have to go. If no one goes with you, I will go.”
This started when the son of one of the members of our community was imprisoned due to drug charges. He was just 23 years old. We would visit him occasionally, bringing food and Christian books for him to read. Then an old lady, Sister Betty, who had been ministering to the prisoners for 13 years, asked us to fill a time slot for religious instruction that had opened up when a group of seminarians decided to give up. That was when God spoke to me clearly. 2009 was also the year the Word for our covenant community, Ligaya ng Panginoon (The Joy of the Lord), was “An Open Door! Walk Through It!” We decided to walk through bravely!
We were the unlikeliest bunch ever! We did not even speak the local dialect fluently! After the teaching, we would lead small groups where we would share and ask questions. The prisoners were very honest. An inmate would say that he was there because he stole something, raped someone, or killed someone! Most of the men were heavily tattooed, and weighed down with problems. 
Here is what my sister Peggy wrote at that time, “But God can use even the most unlikely person, and the more I go to the jail, the more I grow in love and compassion for the inmates. So now, I am comfortable to sit among a small group of inmates. Many of them are very young, young enough to be my sons. Many of them are innocent and waiting for their hearings, waiting in such distressing surroundings.
But, in spite of this, in the midst of the many men who are there, I have seen men wanting to accept Jesus and asking me how; I have seen teary eyed inmates listening to me share, and men who are just so glad to have someone - anyone, visit them there. I have heard them share how light and happy they felt after forgiving those who caused them to be in jail unjustly.

Indeed, it is a joy to see God working through this ministry and to visit Jesus in (what Mother Teresa calls) His distressing disguise. "I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:36 


For Christmas 2009, we were asked by the prison coordinator to give a party for 100 inmates and provide 250 gift bags. At first I was quite overwhelmed thinking about where we would get the funds for this. However God provided that too! Many were willing to help.
For the party, we had hotdog sandwiches, fruit salad, pancit (noodles) and water.  Our gift packs for 260 inmates included a pair of shorts, a bar of detergent, a towel, soap, toothpaste, shampoo, crackers, cookies, 3 packs of noodles, a chocolate bar, coffee, and a gospel tract. One inmate said that our gift packs were good enough for two! They were as happy as children to receive it and we could see them looking through their loot and waving to us and saying thank you. We were also able to give token gift packs to the guards and rehab office workers which included gospel tracts also.  
Every Christmas thereafter, we would prepare for 300 prisoners. Once, an eye doctor came to give out reading glasses because we found out that some inmates couldn’t read their Bibles. Another time we brought lots of toys of different kinds for the inmates to give as Christmas gifts to their children. We would source plastic pails that inmates use as their “lockers”.  We asked for funds to provide chairs for their chapel.  We collected long sleeved shirts for the inmates to wear to their hearings. We gave out Bibles until we found out that Gideons International donated Bibles regularly.

Sometimes community members decide to spend their birthdays with the inmates. Roy Racela shared after his celebration, “In my small group were two suspected thieves, one suspect for aggravated murder, one for murder, one for rape-kidnapping-murder and one for rape of his grandchild!  Yes, these are indeed difficult people to minister to. The message I gave was for them not to lose hope, that God is a merciful God and that they should never stop praying no matter how hopeless the situation may look like. And that there are people who continue to pray for their welfare and will provide them some measure of comfort by spending time with them and to listen to their stories. And the only way this message will get through to them is by continuing this ministry with everyone's support.”When God calls you to do something, He also gives you companions. My husband, my sisters, my sisters’ husbands, members of my community came. I remember that when my sister asked her husband if he wanted to go, Charlie exclaimed, “Are you crazy?!!!”  But now, my brother-in-law Charlie, is the most faithful, visiting the prisoners every week, even if no one goes with him, preaching the Word of God to them.
And lastly, here in Charlie’s own words: “We take advantage of the fact that we have a captive audience for 2 hours. There is no escape from us. We start out with worship supported by an inmate music ministry group. Then as the Spirit leads, we give teachings, exhortations and personal testimonies. Every week we provide a simple snack and give basic necessities, such as soap and other toiletries.
Little did I realize how God had been working in us and using us for His mission, until one Thursday, I received a letter scribbled on cigarette wrappers:“…Nawa’y huwag kayong magsawa sa pag-tulong at panga-ngaral sa katulad naming kapos palad at nakalimot kay Lord. Pero unti-unti akong nahuhubog sa mga aral at pag-intindi sa mga salita ng Diyos. Dito ko nalalaman ang katotohanan, ang tungkol sa mga salita ng bibliya na dapat sundin ng mga taong tulad ko, na naligaw ng landas…” (I hope you will not tire of helping and teaching us who are underprivileged and who have forgotten the Lord. Little by little I have been formed by the teachings and understanding the Word of God. I learn the truth here, about the Bible verses that we who have lost our way, should obey...)
We have learned firsthand that indeed God will empower us beyond our limitations and use us to do His work. And in doing so, we have experienced many delightful moments in this ministry:We have heard inmates share how prison life became better for them when they started reading the Bible.We have heard them share the joy they felt after forgiving those who put them in jail.We have seen men wanting to accept Jesus and asking us how.We have experienced the joy in leading them to Jesus.They have so appreciated what we have shared with them that, believe it or not, there have been some inmates who have approached me, asking me how they can join our community, Ligaya, after they get out of prison.”

Patsy Paterno is a member of a Covenant Christian Community,Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon (The Joy of the Lord ) in the Philippines.She has been serving in the local prison ministry since the year 2009.Her blog, HeARTworks, is her faith journal.





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M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Free to talk Fridays Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Are You Called?

How do I know that I am called to be a missionary?

How do I know where I should serve on the mission field?

What should I do to become a missionary?

Which school should I attend to become a missionary?


These are all questions people have asked me at one time or another. And over the next three months we will answer these questions and more.
When we hear the word missionary, our mind instantly calls up images of Amy Carmichael in India or Gladys Alyward in China.

We think of those poor Westerners serving in native bush villages, living in grass huts and eating live bugs - or something similarly awful.

And while missionaries such as these have sacrificed much - and many today still do (we shall hear from such missionaries during this 3-month series!) - this is not what defines a missionary.  It is not required that you leave your native homeland and travel to foreign lands where culture and language are unfamiliar and strange.  Becoming a missionary does not require you to sell your home and leave your loved ones behind.  



What is a missionary?

Originally it meant a person who set out on a mission.  A person who was dispatched for a certain duty. 

In Matthew 10, Jesus sent out the twelve disciples to bring the gospel to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel".  And in Luke 10 he sent out seventy others to "every city and place where He Himself was to go".

These were local missionaries. 


In other words, the answer to the first question is: 

if your heart is beating, you are called to be a missionary

Jesus has given you a mission: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature". Your neighborhood is a part of the world.  Your work place is filled with "creatures". Everywhere you go, you are walking on a mission field.  

Everything you need, you already have. God's Word and your own testimony. 

God's Word is the gospel - irrefutable, undeniable, inerrant, living and active. 

Your testimony is the power you need to overcome the enemy and his arguments: "They overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony".  



If you feel a desire to go to a foreign land?  Start now.   Don't wait until you are there.  (Hint: Next Monday we will explore various ways you can "go" from your home.)  Because a missionary is far more than a title.  Wearing the title "missionary" does not instantly make you a missionary.  

Have you taken Jesus' commission to heart?

Do you have a burning desire to see the lost everywhere (including those on your own street and in your own family) saved?

Are you careful to watch for signs that indicate that the person you are speaking with is searching for answers?

Do you regularly share the gospel?

Have you led at least one person to Christ?

If you have answered yes to most or all of these questions, you are an active missionary! 

We are all called!

While the Word clearly teaches that some are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, all are called to fulfill the mission Jesus set forth.  Some will carry out that mission in their own neighborhood, some will carry out that mission in another part of their own country, while others will make the sacrifice to leave everything familiar behind to carry His message to those in foreign lands.

Same call

Different path

You are called.  Now, answer the call and go!



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M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Free to talk FridaysClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

A Life With Joy + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party

Every once in a while you happen upon a post that touches your heart in a deep way.  It makes you chuckle softly and then cry a little.  And by the end of the article you feel like you know the characters personally and intimately. In this case, I do know the characters personally.  I had the distinct privilege of having them in my Sunday School class when they were little and watch them grow up into beautiful women - and the sweet girl in the story forever made a lasting impression on me. I will never forget her for as long as I live.

When I finished reading Tiffany's post, I knew I had to share it with you all! If you have a special needs child, you will relate to this story very well.  I have chosen to only share a excerpt of the story with you because I want to also acquaint you with Tiffany and her blog My Story (so far). I hope you will click over and read the remainder of the post.  You will not be sorry.

So with no further ado: 


"A few short weeks after my first birthday we welcomed a new addition to the family. Her name was Joy. Born like other babies, she cried, she slept and messed her diaper. Little did my parents know that her brain was not like other babies. At age 2, Joy was still not walking or talking. After a lot of testing, doctors said she may never walk or talk, she would be a burden.


At age 5 Joy walked just fine and did what she could to communicate. We all learned basic sign language, which helped but only a little bit. She did a lot of grunting, pointing and crying. We all got frustrated trying to communicate. But I think it was hardest on Joy.


Doctors told my parents that Joy will not have the mental capability beyond a toddler…"  

To read the rest of A Life With Joy click here

A little about Tiffany:
Hello! I'm Tiffany Angell. I've been blogging a little over 3 months and I'm really enjoying it. I just celebrated my 5 year wedding anniversary with the love of my life. We have 3 beautiful kids, Michael (4), Emily (3) and Sam (1). Being a 28 year old stay at home mom of 3 young kids, I don't have a lot of down time to write. But I've always enjoyed writing (even though I may not be very good at it). I write mostly about life. I enjoy God, my family and the company of good friends.
Blog: My Life (so far)
My Life (so far) Facebook Page




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And now for the party!!! Featured Post!! Kim from Woo Dee Wow had the most views last week on her post "I Found You In the Bible" The Specs! Link up as many posts on any subject you desire (except giveaways)

Link up those posts that you wish would have gotten more attention Come on - you know what I'm talking about.  I'll be linking up a few of my own, too.  
Link back to A Little R & R with the button or a link
Visit the post just before yours 
Invite your friends to join the party

The party runs from Wednesday through Saturday
 
So link up and have fun!

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Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Free to talk Fridays Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Loving Like Jesus - For Kids

I don’t know if there ever was a time when the concept of love was so misunderstood; when hearts could be so cold; when young people felt so abandoned and forgotten, or when children felt more confused and rejected. My heart breaks as I read the horrifying statistics of teen suicide, promiscuity, addiction, bullying and the overall hopelessness that drives them to lead such risky lives.
All for the lack of the one thing they do not even realize they are missing… Jesus’ love.

Click > here < to read the rest of this post!
Today I am writing at Good Morning Girls as I present the children's materials the Children's Resources team and I have put together for the new upcoming  GMG online Bible study.






Be sure to enter the giveaway for my dad's book Discovering True Identity!  Information on the giveaway here!


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Reverence the Word

The Keepers at Home Series:
1. Keepers at Home
2. Be @ Home   3. A Woman of Discretion
4. Where Modesty Begins   5. An Oasis of Homemaking
6. Am I a Good Mom?
7. A Freed Woman
8. Submissive Obedience
9. A Woman's Head
10. Reverence the Word
It has been a challenging summer for me as a wife and mom.  In June, the Lord took me to Titus 2 and began speaking to my heart about what my role as a home-keeper means to my family. 

As I dived into the short, 2-verse passage, it became increasingly clear to me that I have a lot of growth to do.  It is so easy to talk about what the Bible says about submission and respecting our husbands as the head of the home, but putting it into regular practice requires great discipline of heart, mind and tongue.  Three areas that often work against us as we strive to be the wives and mothers we are called to be.

It seems that Titus 2 women today fight this battle on many fronts: to start we struggle to reject feminist philosphies and the overwhelming media distraction that vies for our continual attention and often prevents us from giving to our homes and families as we should. And if that isn't enough to make you crazy, we are bombarded with magazines, blogs, websites, and forums that all seek to define what a good mom is - and we feel like we will never measure up to the image of today's supermom.

But why is this so important anyway?  Why the emphasis on modesty and discretion?  Why burden us further with the continual talk of homemaking?  Doesn't it almost seem cruel to heap more pressure on wives and moms, when there is already so much pressure?


The final statement in this passage from Titus 2 answers the question as to why this is so important.  

And that's what is so great about God.  He doesn't give a command without giving the "why" behind the command.  


Titus says: "That the Word of God not be blasphemed" .  

What on earth does that mean?




It means: the world is watching us; it is watching our families and our children. 

Are our families functional? 

Do we respect our husbands or air their dirty laundry? 

Do we train our children to be polite or allow them to talk back to their elders? 

Are our homes functioning as they should or are they in continual chaos? 

In a world of reality TV that thrives on negative drama, dysfunction, and lack of discretion of massive proportion, I believe the world wants to see that there are families that make "family" work.  I believe that is why the Duggars have remained so popular.  


But this isn't the extent of it.  


The world knows that we are called to be different.  It expects  us to function.   And when we fail in this area, we negate the validity of God's Word in their eyes. It is then that they feel the freedom to mock Jesus Christ, the Bible, Christianity and Christians as a whole. 

And we see this today. Don't we?


How many sitcoms and movies take cheap shots at Christians, mock the Bible, make fun of Jesus Christ, and show no fear at all in doing so?

They blaspheme the Word of God. 


No, it isn't all women's fault. That would be unfair.  The Christian community as whole shares the blame.   But we play an important role, as the one who keeps the home functioning as it should and as the one who spends the majority of the time training and guiding the children - we do bear a tremendous amount of responsibility in this area.


My prayer is, as I wrap up this challenging series, is that Christian moms everywhere are challenged to raise the standard.  Not only in the aspect of how we perform, but primarily in the aspect of how we live, what we believe deep in our hearts, in the area of our convictions and the principles that determine how we live our lives day after day.

That those around us will see the truth of God's Word lived out in our lives with honor and reverence!



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Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, Mercy Ink, Character Corner W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace Th: Thrive at Home, Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy F: Faith Filled Friday, TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Free to talk FridaysClick HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Love Like Jesus + A Little R & R Wednesdays - a linky party #16

If there is anything I have been learning in 2013 it is about what it means to truly love like Jesus, to show grace like Jesus...

...and how very little I actually display that in my own life.


The best place to learn about how Jesus loves is in His Word

And the best place to allow our loving "skills" to be sharpened is by fellowshipping with other human, erring Christians who keep you on your toes.

Isn't that true?

You get to put that true love and grace into practice right away - the minute you walk out the door.


Good Morning Girls is gearing up for their fall study and registration has already begun!

To register, visit GoodMorningGirls.org and follow the instructions.  To join a group go here.


Did you know that Good Morning Girls is in my part of the world?



We have a Croatian-Bosnian-Serbian chapter made up of 5 groups.  Last session I trained 4 leaders who are now leading their own groups. The women were so excited about being able to study God's Word together online, and they grew so much from the accountability it provides.

We also have our own blog!

We even have a translation team now! 6 women translating all of the materials!!

To join a one of our Croatian-Bosnian-Serbian groups you simply visit our Dobro Jutro Djevojke Facebook Page and leave us a message!



****





And now for the party!!!
Featured Post!!
 
Wanda from The Watered Soul had the most views last week on her post "Who's Got My Portion".
The Specs! Link up as many posts on any subject you desire (except giveaways)

Link up those posts that you wish would have gotten more attention Come on - you know what I'm talking about.  I'll be linking up a few of my own, too.  


Link back to A Little R & R with the button or a link


Visit the post just before yours


Invite your friends to join the party


The party runs from Wednesday through Saturday
 
So link up and have fun!

**************

Be sure to enter the giveaway for my dad's book Discovering True Identity!  Information on the giveaway here!


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Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women,  Mercy Ink, C haracter Corner  W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace, Mommies POV  Th: Thrive at Home,  Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy  F: Faith Filled Friday,  TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Free to talk Fridays

Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

A Woman's Head

The Keepers at Home Series:
1. Keepers at Home
2. Be @ Home
3. A Woman of Discretion
4. Where Modesty Begins
5. An Oasis of Homemaking
6. Am I a Good Mom?
7. A Freed Woman
This post contains affiliate links!

These past two weeks have garnered some very interesting and diverse comments.  I have been challenged, myself, to examine my own heart and life - my own actions as opposed to my beliefs, because it is one thing to speak your beliefs but quite another to live them out day after day.

I think it is important to remember two things:

1. Paul admonished husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for it.  This is not a verse to hang over our husband's head, but it is critical if submission is to work as it should.  In another place Paul instructed husbands and wives to be submitted to one another.

2.   I purposely did not address the husband's role in my posts, as I have been focusing solely on Titus 2 and speaking directly to women.  Titus' instructions here are to women alone and no where in the Word does it qualify the command to submit.  No where do we see a verse "Obey and submit to your husband except in circumstances when he doesn't love you as Christ loves the church." 

However, I do firmly believe that if a woman is in an abusive situation she must leave for her safety and the safety of her children.  This doesn't mean she should divorce him. That is another conversation for another day.  But to stay is inviting severe consequences. Please know that while the Word commands us to submit and obey , it does NOT command us to remain in a dangerous situation. 

Anyone who instructs a woman to remain in an abusive situation does not have a clear understanding of Christ and the commands of scripture!

I find this verse in Titus 2 so very fascinating.  Every word is rich and full of meaning.  But this part of the verse I find particularly interesting, deep, and profound.

"That they admonish the young women to...be...obedient to their own husbands." Titus 2:4-5

Do you believe that every word in the Bible carries meaning?  Is there any word in the Bible that is there by coincidence?

I believe that we can take every word in the Bible at face value.  So why does Titus say that young women should obey their own husbands, as opposed to someone else's husband?

Think about it.

Are there times when we have taken on a ministry role despite our husband's reluctance or outright opposition?

Are there times when we have chosen to attend a company dinner, when our husband preferred we stayed home with him and the family?

Have there been times when we sought out the counsel of our father or a spiritual leader without the permission of our husbands to share our private matters?


Any time we go over his head to please another man: boss, ministry leader, father, brother, pastor - whomever that man may be; any time we seek counsel of another man without our husband's permission or presence; any time we seek out biblical and scriptural clarification without our husband's permission or presence, we run the risk of not being obedient to our own husband.

"That they admonish the young women to...be...obedient to their own husbands." Titus 2:4-5

We are actually more prone to this than we think.


Have you been guilty of obeying a man who is not your husband?  Me, too.



I have been so convicted by this passage.  And yet, I realize that my choice to obey my husband, even at the expense of disappointing or even angering another man, actually works to protect me! It protects me from possible commitments that may put unnecessary strain on my family and counsel that may counteract the vision God has given my husband for my family.

Anytime we go above our husband's head, we remove the protective covering God has perfectly designed for us.

What about those situations when we sense that He is not allowing us to fulfill a role we feel God has called us to?

Pray!  Prayer works in amazing ways.

1. Pray God's will.  The best prayer to pray is: "Let your will be done".

2. Pray for change.  First and foremost pray for God to change your heart.  That your heart aligns with God's perfect and present will.  Perhaps what you feel God has called you to is a role for the future, not now.  Perhaps there is more to that call than you know, and He needs to change and prepare you for what lies ahead.

3. Pray for your  husband.  Pray that his heart aligns with God's will. Pray for God's wisdom on him to lead the family. Pray that he have clear direction to guide the family.

I more convinced now than ever before about the power a wife has in prayer for her husband.  And an excellent resource on this topic is Stormie Omartian's book The Power of the Praying Wife.



And Titus closes off his instructions to women with: "That the word of God may not be blasphemed."

I can't wait to delve into this next week as we wrap up this powerful series on Titus 2!  I hope you'll join me, and be sure to check out the above links to the previous posts in this series.



Be sure to enter the giveaway for my dad's book Discovering True Identity!  Information on the giveaway here!


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Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women,  Mercy Ink, C haracter Corner  W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace, Mommies POV  Th: Thrive at Home,  Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy  F: Faith Filled Friday,  TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Free to talk Fridays Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .

Discovering True Identity Giveaway!!!!

The Discovering True Identity Giveaway begins today!
You can find the giveaway at these three blogs:

Simply Helping Him

WholeHearted Home
and 
Reading List

The week following the giveaway Discovering True Identity will be discounted 40%!!
Hop on over to these ladies blogs and enter to win!!


Receive more articles like this from A Little R & R right in your mailbox!
Enter your email address:


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#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Receive blog posts via MailChimp!* indicates required Email Address * Email Format htmltextmobile '+msg+'

Linking up with some these blogs:
M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, Playdates at the Wellspring, Mom's the Word; Matrimonial Mondays, Momma Notes  T: Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women,  Mercy Ink, C haracter Corner  W: Women Living Well, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Deep Roots at Home, My Daily Walk In His Grace, Mommies POV  Th: Thrive at Home,  Serving Joyfully, I Choose Joy  F: Faith Filled Friday,  TGIF Fridays, Faithful Fridays, Free to talk Fridays Click HERE to find out how you can receive a copy of my book 14 Days of Agape for free and purchase Worship the Father and Discovering True Identity .