You Can Give Without Loving...

...but you can't love without giving! How much am I giving? How giving is God. Out of curiosity I did a word search and the word Give comes up some 1,400 times in the bible. Sandra recently did a devotional on Giving and it was amazing to see the list of the things God gives us. I will share more of that in the next couple of weeks.

Sandra has really blossomed on this trip so far. She has become quite the evangelist and speaker. Here she is sharing her testimony at a church service. We call her, "La Pastora." That's Pastor in Spanish. I guess that makes me a Pastor's Husband.

Father, you've blessed me with an amazing woman! Thank you.

The Altars of our Past

I was challenged by a teacher this week to ponder the question: What are the altars of your past? Or, what were the different points in your life in which you knew you were in the center of God's will for your life personally? I challenge you to think back on these and write them down. To get you thinking, I thought I'd provide my list:

• Led in prayer of salvation with my brother-in-law Mark in early 1985 and 1986. While the seed may not have fallen on fertile soil, it was planted.
• Attended, "Arise With the Guys," prior to becoming a "Real Believer" and received a vision of the Lord and heard His gentle whisper say, "Everything is going to be OK, Ron."
• The day my wife and I both went forward for prayer at River Valley Church to seek prayer for a deeper relationship with the Lord.
• Accepted Christ at the New Union and clearly sensed the Holy Spirit's presence.
• Played on worship team at River Valley Church and continued to feel the Holy Spirit's presence at work in my heart/life.
• The day my pastor threw out the sermon and sought prayer and support from the congregation. Something powerful happened in me witnessing sincere humility.
• Prayed for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit for the first time. More than anything, I was amazed that God would want to give me that gift, although I wouldn't receive it until 3-4 years later.
• Played at the AG General Conference at Cedar Valley Church - powerful to see so many pastors freely worshipping their God.
• Wycliffe Missionary spoke at our church and I sensed the Holy Spirit's presence in an amazing way.
• Began memorizing scripture and hiding God's word in my heart.
• God's call to Missions began stiring in my heart.
• Received several confirmations of His call.
• Began leading worship at Celebrate Recovery.
• Got laid off from my job Summer '04 and went on first missions trip to Monterrey, MX.
• Spent 5 days at Wycliffe Bible Translators learning about the organization and the wonderful people that run it.
• God began guiding us to sell our house, quit my job and go begin a DTS at the YWAM base in Monterrey, Mexico.
• God confirmed my place in Monterrey and told me to, "Grow where you are."
• Sensed God's direction to go on outreach to Thailand.

I honestly didn't mean to make it that long, but you can see, it has evolved over time and the leading and direction from the Lord and the Altars themselves have become more specific and refined. I once heard someone say that God doesn't see our lives as if they were a snapshot, he sees them as if they were a motion picture (like on a video camera). I do think it's important, though, to look at the altars as snapshots in time of where we've been at different points in our walk with God.

Father, I thank you that you've given me the altars in my life, you've given me my testimony, and I thank you that you sent your son to die for our sins and to leave behind the Holy Spirit as our guide.

More November Outreach

Here's the children's room at the church we've been attending for the month of November. Sandra has been getting more involved with Children's ministry and our children aren't arguing a bit. I've been noticing, though, that every Sunday, the kids get cake (seems like it's always someone's b-day) and we don't get it at the big church. I'm going to have to talk to the pastor about that! jk

God, I thank you for a home-away-from-home church. I pray for our pastors here and back home and ask that you'd continue to give them wisdom and insight as they do your work. I also ask for breaks for them so they can return to their ministry refreshed and renewed. Holy Spirit, fill them with your living waters and I pray that the burdens of ministry wouldn't become too great.

We don't belong here...

Here's a thought. When we surrendered our life to the Lord, God swapped the old us out and put in a new. Oftentimes, the flesh of the old us overrides the new us, but we are really Citizens of heaven more that we are citizens of this earth.

During intercession, God has really been putting, "New Love," on and into my heart. He has been speaking it to me and others. In Spanish, it is tranlated, "Amor Renovado," which means renewed love. Reminded me of Revelations 2:4, "Have you foresaken your first love..."

November Outreach (cont.)

Here is a picture of the new church.
Built accross the street from the old church pictured in yesterday's post. It has been exciting to be part of this congregation. The picture on the right is the inside of the church (yes, that's my lovely wife Sandra chatting with some of the ladies after Sunday's service).

The pastor and his wife are awesome and we've enjoyed getting to know and serve under them. Sandra has been working with Children's ministries and I have been leading worship on Sundays. They are moving from a more traditional style worship service to a more contemporary style. I am doing my best at learning new songs and leading worship in Spanish. It has been challenging and fun at the same time.

November Outreach

Among the many outreach activities we have planned for the month of November, among them is attending different local churches in the Monterrey area and supporting the pastors and their congregations. Attached is a picture of what used to be the church we are attending before they bought the lot accross the street and built their new building (about 5 years ago).

Talk about humble beginnings. As you can see, there is a lot with a very small building. The structure was temporary and has since been taken down. Tune in to tomorrow's blog for a picture of the new church. It is quite a difference.

Comfort vs. Character

Does God want me to be comfy? I'm being challenged by that this week. Then I heard this quote:

"God is more concerned with my character than my comfort."

- Andy Landers, DTS Teacher and Base Director, YWAM Nashville

That challenges me on days that I miss our friends and neighbors back home, our old house in Minnesota, my former career and the relative security of having a paycheck. Then I'm told, God cares more about my character than my comfort.

While doing Children's Ministry during outreach, it struck me to see the joy on this little girls face upon receiving this coloring book. The title of the coloring book is the heart I want to have

Ok, I'll stop whining for now.

Lord, I think you for the calling you've placed on my life. I pray that my witness would not only speak to unbelievers, but that it would also speak clearly to believers about the joys and rewards of bringing a family out on the mission field. I pray that even now, you would begin speaking into the hearts and lives of so many families we know to want to do something radical for you.

The Apple of Your Eye

Our teaching all week this week is on the Father Heart of God. Here is a brief recap of today's lecture:

• Merciful - Psalm 145:8 - The Lord is gracious & compassionate, slow to anger & rich in love. He is spring-loaded with forgiveness. (See Hosea 11:8-11)
• Faithful - Psalm 139:17-18 - His thoughts for us outnumber the grains of sand (that's a lot of thoughts), and in Isaiah 49:15-16 He's inscribed our name on the palm of His hand.
• Generous - I will later share a devotional Sandra did on all the thing's God gives us. It is amazing
• Affectionate - See Song of Solomon
• Accepting - Romans 5:8 - While we were sinners, Christ died for us. God wants us! Interesting to note, when Jesus refers to our father in Matthew 5-7, he doesn't refer to God as "his father," or, "the father," he refers to Him as, "Your Father." Now that's good news!

Father, I am amazed by the fact that I am the apple of your eye (Psalm 17:8). I pray that I may live with the confidence of knowing that.

DTS Life

I thought it would be appropriate at this juncture to provide an overview of what a typical day of DTS looks like. M-W-F usually goes something like this:

• 7:30am Breakfast
• 8:30am Worship
• 9:30am Class (each week with a different focus, this week it's, "The Father Heart of God")
• 11:00am Break
• 11:30am Class
• 1:00pm Lunch
• 2:00pm Free-time (homework time)
• 4:00pm various other activities
• 6:00pm Dinner
• 7:00pm Free-time

T-Th usually go something like this:

• 8:30am Breakfast
• 9:45am Prayer/Intercession
• 12:00pm Study Time
• 1:00pm Lunch
• 2:00pm Meetings, misc.
• 4:30pm Class
• 6:00pm Dinner
• 7:00pm Class
• 8:30pm Head for home to tuck the children into bed

In addition to maintaining that schedule, we also have a book report due about every 2 weeks as well as scripture memory verses due on a weekly basis. We are currently up to 19 verses and will be at 23 by the time DTS is over. We have to turn in a journal on a weekly basis recapping the key points from the teaching, our study of the YWAM values as well as a summary of what God's been speaking to us in the past week. It's a full schedule, but God is doing amazing things in the midst of it!

Thank you Lord for making this possible!

Dad, I want to be a missionary when I grow up!

What does a new missionary on the field say when his 7-year old son makes such a declaration? Well, I'm still processing it. Of course, I gave Him the encouraging pat on the back, but part of me is curious to see if this isn't just a passing thing like being a fireman, policeman, etc. One thing is for certain, he's got a heart for outreach. He jumps right in, participates in dramas, dances and puppet shows and will get right up and pray for newly converted believers with his dad. What a heart!!!

Sincerely,
One proud dad!

Destiny?

I'm not referring to the 80's show Dynasty, but Destiny. What is God's destiny for my life? Now there's a question to ponder. Well, I know it's got something to do with Jesus, Music & Spanish. Right now I'm using all 3 on a daily basis. Perhaps I am living His destiny for my life (at least right now).

God, thank you for bringing me here to Mexico and thank you for working out the infinite details to make it all possible. I ask that you would bless those who so faithfully came and stood alongside us and continue to do so! I have nothing without you.

Serious Inquiries Only

Here's a teaching that is worth noting. Salvation is free, at least initially, but pursuit of an intimate relationship with God is going to cost us something. We won't really get to know God through casual inquiry. He wants, "Serious inquiries only." After all, 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."

Father, may my heart be nothing less than fully committed to you today.

Speak to me, Father

I asked Him that question during intercession today and guess what, He did. He reassured me today that His dreams for us are so much bigger than mine! He also reassured me that He's building up our family for His purpose.

Gabriel (3 yr old) in a rather interesting interchange today informed me that there were children trapped in houses and they needed help getting out of them. It was pretty amazing to hear this 3 year-old boy in touch with God's heart. I just love the way God speaks to and through children.