Christine Caine spoke at The Global Leadership Summit last week about leading from a place of hope. Have you ever lost hope? I have, many times. Circumstances can affect perspective and alter our vision. The goal can get lost in red tape. But God has a plan that will never get sidetracked; He is working to bring people to Himself. He doesn’t want anyone to miss eternity with Him!
Christine told the story of going in to an area where human trafficking had robbed women of their freedoms. One asked her, “Why didn’t you come sooner?”
That heartbreaking question rings out from all kinds of suffering hearts around the world, from people who need the hope of Jesus Christ. Is it daunting? Absolutely. But Christine reminds us to focus on that one that needs help; and then the next one, and the next. We live in difficult times, but the Lord placed us into this generation for a purpose. We were born for this moment to proclaim God’s love and mercy to a new generation.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to hear this pint-sized woman with the Australian accent. Her passionate call to risk-taking action was a good jolt to the senses, and a reminder that we are Light-bearers in the darkness!
Sally
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High School graduation is a Rite of Passage in our culture. A Diploma is the key that will open many a door of opportunity. Yet it also signals the letting-go of our children into their own stories. In Toy Story 3, when Andy’s mom stood in his bare room and looked around, the tears started rolling down my cheeks. He was packing up for college and leaving home. One of the hardest things about watching my children grow is also watching them separate themselves from me. Yes, I know that’s as it should be, but it’s made me think a lot about who I am, outside of being “mom.”
Where do you find your sense of self? Is it tied to your job, or family, or intelligence? Is it found in what you can do, or in what you’ve accomplished? The Lord created each of us with distinguishing traits and talents, but they don’t define us. He defines us by the relationship we have with Him! That relationship gives me the security I need, in order to let my child fly from the nest and try his own wings in the world.
Paul tells us to let go of the past and press on toward the goal. Even as Andy let go of his childhood toys, he was able to find a new freedom to embrace adulthood before him. And that’s just what our kids need, in order to soar!
Sally
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Are there times in your ministry when you need to revitalize the dream? We all go through those low points. We get stuck and realize our rut will require new tools to reinforce solid footing, in order to reach our goals. Click here to find out how animals can point us to the next step…
Sally
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A friend asked for this recipe. It takes some time, but is well worth the effort! Enjoy!
Hawaiian Chicken
--Melissa McEntire
1 large can pineapple slices
1 ½ c. pineapple juice and water
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube
¼ tsp. ginger
¾ c. cider vinegar
1 c. sugar
seasoned flour
6 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Coat chicken with flour; fry until brown and crispy. Place in baking dish; set aside. Drain pineapple, save juice and add enough water to make 1 ½ cups liquid. Put this in saucepan with all other ingredients except for cornstarch and ½ cup of pineapple-water mixture. Bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in reserved ½ cup liquid; add to boiling mixture while stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Pour over chicken and bake uncovered 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Add pineapple slices and bake another 30 minutes. Serve with rice.
Blessings to you on this special Fathers' Day,
Sally
What do you do when someone hurts you so bad that you think you won’t recover? Because my husband is a pastor, I am often asked how to forgive when those feelings of hurt and resentment continue to surface. I guess people think we have it all together, but we struggle with forgiveness too. So, the best thing I can do is to share what I have learned along the way.
What happens when friends hurt friends? Grace needs to be extended to each other. We all have a different perspective on life and work out of that lens. What we see may be something that is invisible to another. What they see may be blatantly obvious to them but a blind spot for us. And sometimes, it may just be a freak occurrence. When my toddler went through a biting stage, I received some harsh criticism from the mother of another biting toddler. Those angry words stayed with me for years. But Colossians 3:13 commands us to forgive as the Father has forgiven us. I surrendered the bitterness to the Lord and asked Him to help me forgive her.
But I had a hard time forgetting what she did to me. Is forgiving, forgetting? No, I don’t think they are interchangeable. Why can’t we forgive and forget? Maybe God doesn’t wipe away the memories, so that we’ll learn to depend on His power to forgive. My favorite example is one from Corrie ten Boom. Years after she had been released from the concentration camp, she met one of the prison guards who came to hear her talk on love, forgiveness and the power of God to heal. Yet, here he stood in front of her, hand outstretched and asking her to forgive him. Corrie said in that moment, all of the horrors of watching her sister die in captivity resurfaced. Wanting to recoil, yet knowing she had to make a choice, Corrie cried out to God for the strength to forgive him. When she extended her hand, Corrie experienced God’s power pour through her. She knew that she had to forgive and be forgiven.
If we have a hard time forgetting, then does God hold our sins over us, waiting for the next slip-up? NO! 1 John 1:9 says that the Lord is faithful to forgive when we confess to Him. Psalms 103:12 tells us that He throws them as far as the east is from the west. That’s an endless distance! Maybe God lets us remember, so that we won’t continue to fall into that same pit. Or, maybe it’s so that we’ll remember our own depravity and have compassion on others. It’s easier to forgive someone else when I know I’ve made the same mistakes. And my propensity to be judgmental changes drastically, when I see how much I’ve needed forgiveness throughout my life.
Forgiveness is a process. Peter thought he was being generous when he asked the Lord if seven times was enough opportunity to offer forgiveness to someone else. How surprised he must have been to hear that he could never quit forgiving. Jesus used that moment to teach us a parable about forgiveness. It has to be a wholehearted event, even if it takes 70 tries!
Sally
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Our Mission Team made the newspaper! They have an extended stay in Uganda. Hmmm. The Lord is getting more mileage for His money. 
I feel strongly that they will have an impact, even with this change in plans! See their blog here.
And the newspaper article here.
Thanks for your prayers!
Sally
My daughter didn't believe me when I told her there was a song about Africa. She especially didn't believe me, after I tried to sing it for her! But Dan & Joyce rescued me, by telling me it was by Toto, a good old '80's tune. And it has been running through my head nonstop for the last month, as our Team prepared for their departure to Uganda. So, this one's for Anna!
Keep up to date with the trip, at the Team blog. It's been great getting their perspective and seeing the world through the descriptions they leave there!
Sally
When Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what Caesar is due,” do you think He was looking ahead to the future when an economy would be so upside down that our piece of the pie wouldn’t even be as big as a grain of salt? We may not like the financial path our government’s on, but we still enjoy the benefits of a free country.
What’s on your profit/loss statement? Does it reflect thrifty lessons learned this year, or emergency funds diverted, that had been allocated for a vacation? Did you spend money to grow in any way, or just watch those dollar signs disintegrate? The value we assign to our daily expenses will reveal the things that are important in life. I’ve heard that a check register is a good barometer of our values, because we spend money on the things we cherish. Maybe that‘s why Jesus said, “Put your treasures in heaven, where they won’t rot or get moldy.”
How’s that working for you, to keep your financial house in order? Do you have a particular system to help you stay accountable with your pennies, dollars and cents? As the kids grew, we tried different methods to teach stewardship. Larry Burkett has banks for kids, books for teens and systems for adults to learn good spending habits. Ron Blue speaks about wise budgeting, and Crown Financial has groups that work together to curb checkbooks gone amuck.
Why is it so important to keep our money reigned in? Because the habits of an individual affect the habits of a family, and the habits of a family affect the habits of a neighborhood, and the habits of a neighborhood affect the habits of a town, and the … You get the picture! What is spent by one, affects the whole country. If we don’t learn to live within our means, then we can’t expect our government to do so either. So, maybe we can find creative ways to save money. Mary Hunt actually suggests living below your means, in order to get ahead of debt. How about carpooling to work? Or growing some of your own food? Even a little spice garden can flourish in a windowsill!
Proverbs says the wise will learn from others. Choose someone to follow today, and increase your bottom line!
Sally
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The Uganda Team is having a Packing Party next week! They have school supplies, medical aids and building materials to load up in tubs and suitcases. Hubby & Daughter have been laying out clothes and buying boots, Imodium and snack bars. The list of things to prepare is endless.
One of the suggestions our missionaries made, is to “come without expectations.” When entering a different culture, it’s important to be flexible. Time tables change, food presentation is different and the language can be a barrier. But the traveler who comes with an open attitude and a heart to learn will benefit the most.
The school’s
I guess I can also apply those thoughts to an upcoming Writers’ Conference. Be flexible and willing to learn. I’ve never believed I could write fiction, but I’m beginning to think that fiction techniques would strengthen non-fiction story telling. We all love a good story; it would be wise to learn to spin that tale with good mechanics.
Are you packing your bags for a trip this spring? What would you like to bring along to help your adventure go smoothly? Or maybe you’re looking for a trip that would give you a chance to help others? Check out the work teams that will be building two room homes in
Bon Voyage,
Sally
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