A plane, a wrench, a pen, and a spatula ---

What do these have in common? All of these and more can be tools for ministry! Check out my latest post on the MAF Blog .

Speaking of ministry tools, I have found a really cool tool that is ministering to me! Cool beans! Last year about this time I was already falling behind in my New Year's resolution to memorize more scripture. I never lost my conviction that I needed to be more consistent in my efforts to hide God's Word in my heart, but I needed a little accountability and a little bit of affirmation. Nothing material, just the pleasure of having a way to visualize my progress so that I felt encouraged instead of discouraged. Sort of like when our kids are little and we make a chart with their learning and behavior goals or their chores and we give them little star stickers to put on the chart each time they make progress. Silly? Yes. Effective? Yes.

Memverse is a web site for folks who want to memorize Bible verses but it has a lot of other features as well. You can read a daily devotional from Spurgeon, keep track of verses you've already learned and periodically review them so that you retain them, practice your new verses, see what the most popular verses are that others are learning, read the Memverse blog, and see your progress! I am not receiving anything for recommending Memverse and they have not asked me to. They do not even know I am writing about them. I'm just so excited about this tool that is a perfect fit for me that I wanted to tell others about it. If like me, you made yet another resolution to memorize more scripture, Memverse is free and does not require any downloads, so give it a try!

Who's Stolen My Heart?

Friday we went to the orphanage in Kimbondo with my friend Myndii.  That's not us in the vehicle above, but that IS what the kids do when they see us coming.  We always get a great reception.  A few people have said to me that they think I am doing a good thing for the kids by going to the orphanage and playing with them.  The reality is that it is good for me on many levels and I am probably more blessed than the kids are by my visits.  Spending a day with them really puts any problems I am facing into a different perspective.    And the welcome I get from them each time I arrive is so fun!  It's a little like the old Cheers tv show where everyone hollered Norm's name each time he arrived.  They know I am there just to be with them and it's a big deal to them.  

Myndii knows some songs in Lingala and started singing to a few little ones.  Before long, a group of children had pulled chairs over and were sitting around her and singing along.  Every time she stopped they asked for more.  One boy caught my attention because he was singing with a big smile on his face and obviously having fun.  I asked him what his name was and he said "Dieu Merci (Thank you, God)."  Dieu Merci has a sweet spirit and tons of potential.  Pray for him!

Pray for this baby too.  I am not sure about gender but I call her a girl because I don't like to say "it." She's new at the orphanage.  The kids who have been here a while never look like this.  She tried to cry when she saw us and no sound even came out of her mouth, she is so weak.  I rubbed her chest and tummy and talked to her but was afraid to pick her up without asking the doctor and he wasn't around.  It is really heartbreaking to see kids in this condition.

Nori, one of the staff members, asked me to take a photo of her with some of the kids.  The staff and older kids put the little ones up on this wall all the time.  We always were amazed that none of them ever seemed to fall.  Right after I took this, the little guy third from the right face planted on the concrete below.  I picked him up and was really surprised not to find any chipped teeth or any blood.  He cried for a while and then fell asleep in my lap.



Remember the 52 Challenge?  The bad news is that I am not keeping up with the goal to memorize a verse each week.  The good news is that I am still plugging along.  I try not to beat myself up with guilt and instead remind myself that the spirit of the challenge is to motivate people to hide God's Word in their hearts.  It's all about knowing God, not about the tally marks.

My newest verse leapt out of the pages at me the other day and really bit me:

"How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" - John 5:44

Everyone likes to hear an occasional "well done!"  I'm no exception.  If praise from others had no effect on us, Satan would lose one of his most valuable tools for luring us down the wrong path.  I've been thinking about my motives a lot since God showed me this verse.  How much of what I say and do is carefully worded or planned to prompt others to praise and admire me, and even worse, to do so instead of praising the Father?  Am I trusting God to know when I need encouragement and provide it?  There is a song I like a lot by Leeland, in which he sings to God: "You've stolen my heart! Yes, You have!"  Am I so in love with God that his praise means more to me than the praises of people ever could?  

Learning About Lent

Lent (Photo credit: Fr. Stephen, MSC)

Growing up, all I knew about Lent I learned from my Catholic friends who gave up things like bubble gum or soda for several weeks. None of the Baptist churches of my childhood taught or practiced Lent. Here in Congo, we attend an international Protestant church with people from all over the world representing multiple denominations. One result of this is that I hear more about Lent.

Curious, I did a little reading up on it. Lent is not just about giving up something. Observing Lent is about drawing closer to Christ, spiritual discipline, and preparing for the Easter celebration of Christ’s resurrection in the same way that celebrating Advent prepares us for Christmas. It keeps our focus off the secularisms and commercial trappings and on our Lord. Lent is meant to bring about repentance and renewal. It’s about reflecting on and grieving over our sins – something we don’t hear about too much anymore. That one got me. Do I grieve over my sins? Elliot Ryan wrote: “Perhaps, after we examine our hearts and lives, we will be led to cry out to God as David did, ‘Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me’ (Psalm 51:9-10).” (My new verses for this week's 52 Challenge)

I know repentance is not an annual thing but something I should practice continuously. However, I think having a season of reflection and self-denial and spending that time and energy we would normally expend gratifying ourselves in prayer instead could be valuable and beneficial. I’ve decided to observe Lent this year and see what God will do.

What about you? Were you taught the observance of Lent while growing up? Or recently? Do you believe observing Lent is a good thing?

Sources and related articles:
Why You Should Celebrate Lent - Elliot Ryan's article
Journey to the Cross - excellent devotionals for the Lent season
What is Lent? - a good explanation of the origin and purpose of Lent

My Funny Valentine

What do you do when your turn to bring snacks to Bible study falls on Valentine's Day?  You make cupcakes of course!  A while back I found a rare treat - real cream cheese on sale for a somewhat reasonable price.  I therefore decided to make my first ever red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  Naturally, in the best interests of the ladies in my Bible study group, I had to test them since this was an untried recipe.  Oh, my, these are good.  Maybe I still have time to make something else to take to Bible study.....

I found the recipe on the internet, here.  I have no idea who she is, but she makes incredible cupcakes.

My Valentine gift this week was so awesome!  To quote a song we used to sing in Brownies when I was a girl, "I am sure you couldn't guess it, if you guessed a long, long while."  Drum roll please.....I got a 12-volt light in my bathroom that runs off a battery!  No more shaving or doing other bathroom stuff in the dark!  Hubby finished installing it and we decided we like it better than the light that runs off the electricity because now we can see both sides of our faces in the mirror!  Ok, it's a strange gift.  But I love it!

I am still working on memorizing Isaiah 41:13 for the 52 Challenge.  I've almost got it.  Next I'm going to learn Psalm 141:3 "Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips." Nuff said about that one.

The 52 Challenge

image created with Crisp Linens kit by Kathy Woolery of Scrapbook Max!

This week is topsy turvy. I am homeschooling a couple of extra children this week, beginning yesterday, so I went to the orphanage Monday instead of my usual Friday in order to give them a consistent schedule. We took a few toys with us and when the staff saw them they brought out more toys from storage so there would be plenty to go around. We had one of those "See and Say" toys where you pull the handle and it makes animal sounds to match the pictures. The kids liked that but they were more interested in their discovery that the holes on the back where the toy was screwed together were just the right size for all their used lollipop sticks. Sort of like tinker toys. As always we had fun. I was mostly over my illness but still fatigued and those giggles were good medicine!

We are grateful no one else in the family caught my illness! Please pray for our electricity. Once again the electric company has simply cut the line to our street altogether because they didn't want to come out and fix the problem. We have friends trying to help but don't know how long it will take. It can vary here from a few hours to several weeks.

I found a blog this weekend that began a challenge in January to memorize a Bible verse each week for a year. I know it's February but the author encouraged readers to join the challenge any time and just continue until we learn 52 verses. So who is up for a challenge? Check out The 52 Challenge.  I am going to begin with this one:

Isaiah 41:13 - "For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.'"

I love the image this verse gives of God taking hold of my hand.  As a parent, I remember taking the hands of my children when they were little to help them navigate without falling if the pavement was rough, to keep them from straying into dangers like traffic or crowds, and to make them feel secure.  When I tell my kids not to be afraid and that I will help them, it is because I mean it.  I am watching out for them and protecting them and I desire for them to trust me.  I can picture God telling me "I've got this," and taking my hand to guide me and keep me from stumbling, whether through my dark house and neighborhood because the power is out, or through the darkness, chaos and oppression of this crazy world we live in.  And I'm reminded that when He tells me not to fear, it is because He will help me.  He's in control.  He's holding my hand, and He's "got my back."