God is amazing!

I have to admit, even after knowing Jesus all these years and seeing Him work in the most incredible ways, I am still often amazed at the things He does, at the ways He pulls things together and moves on our behalf.

In just this past 2 weeks I have seen the awesome hand of God at work in many ways:

• unexpected checks in the mail
• connection with an Indian man whose vision for ministry is the same as ours
• 20 people coming to the altar for prayer and to signify their desire for more of God in their lives
• 3 days of confession, prayer, and crying out to God by leaders of this base (there were business matters discussed and decided on as well, but the whole attitude of our time together was one of vulnerability, humility, confession of sin, and desire for God to have His way more fully in our lives)
• prayer times where I received clear and encouraging words and pictures from the Lord on how to proceed in ministry
• words given to me to speak to others (sometimes words of encouragement, sometimes words of confession, sometimes words that express my need for their help)
• guests that use our spare bedroom (housing here on the base is very tight) and we find an immediate connection - this past week we have had the base leader of Kiev, Ukraine in our home

I don't think our heavenly Father minds that we are amazed, and even surprized by His deeds. After all, we are but dust, and He is mighty; He is powerful; He is limitless; He and His works are far above anything that we can ask or imagine. So why wouldn't we be amazed.

How I long to see God's amazing miraculous touch on John's (eldest son, age 33) eyes. Oh that God would fully restore his vision!

Mother's Day Blessings

Wish I could have had my terrific kids and their families pop in for a visit on Mother's Day, but distance prevents such things. It was so good to hear from them by telephone, receive their gifts, cards and greetings. I don't know if all mothers feel it, but there's a bit of a forlorn feeling to Mother's Day when your children and grandchildren are far away. But at the same time, I rejoice for my daughter and daughters-in-law who are now being treated with special honor and recognition on this special day.

Here are some snapshots of
my beautiful granchildren...

Can you tell which children belong to which of our four kids?

Do you have it figured out yet?

This one belongs in the mix, too.
Grandson "Daniel" (coming to the family soon, we hope)

These next snapshots are not pictures of family-but of new friends we are making here on the Montana YWAM base.

Grace (from India) and Doris

Friends from India, Ukraine, Kenya and S. Korea

International Night

Again this week we had a delightful time celebrating the diversity of the nations and rejoicing together in all that God is doing in the world. In this video you see Gladys (from Kenya) doing some African dancing. Other Africans joined her eventually, but by then my camera chip was full. I wish you could come and experience it for yourself.

Tables were set up throughout the lecture hall with nationals serving foods from India, Nepal, Taiwan, Germany, Canada, Thailand, Africa, The Netherlands, China, Japan, Guatemala, South Korea, New Zealand, Ukraine, and USA. It was delicious. As you may expect, the Indian dishes were our favorites. But the soup served at the Germany table was exceptional, many of us kept going back for more.

The Way of the Cross

Many of my fondest childhood recollections of spending time with my Dad, or just watching him go about his day, are of him singing, or humming, or creating songs. The lyrics of one of the old hymns he would sing (and of course we sang it often in church as well) goes like this:

I must needs go home by the way of the cross,
There's no other way but this,
I shall ne'er get sight of the Gates of Light,
If the way of the cross I miss.
Chorus: The way of the cross leads home,
The way of the cross leads home,
It is sweet to know as I onward go,
The way of the cross leads home.

"Father, I want to think rightly about the cost of being Your disciple. I want to have the moral muscle to take the path of the cross. I desire a tough and fibrous faith (as Tozer puts it). I do not want to be counted among the delicate, brittle saints who must be fed on a diet of harmless fun in order to keep them interested in Christianity."

A.W.Tozer says: "Our Lord called men to follow Him but He never made the way look easy." Indeed, quite the opposite. Jesus said: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me."

Tozer asks: "When will Christians learn that to love righteousness it is necessary to hate sin? that to accept Christ it is necessary to reject self? that to follow the good way we must flee from evil? that a friend of the world is an enemy of God?"

A Sabbath

"Help me, Father. This pace is more than I can keep up with. Every week's schedule is building momentum; I barely finish with one activity or meeting and it's already time to rush into the next. How do those around me, here on the base, and those on our team, carve out even 15 minutes in their day for you, Lord? I certainly haven't been doing a very good job of it lately. Help me, Lord. Help me order my days and my hours (and my commitments) aright.

I feel I've lost all sense of margin. There is no white space left on my page. Show me, Lord, help me see what's important to You. Help me recognize what's of You in the opportunities that abound. I'm feeling crushed by the pace, exhausted by the spoken and unspoken expectations. Father, I need to hear from You!"

As I retired to bed early last night and pondered the pressure I'm feeling because of the pace, the Lord reminded me, asked me, really: "So, when will you take a Sabbath?" I know it's up to me to guard (and keep) a Sabbath--no one else will do it for me. I decided that in the morning I would tell Arthur that I needed to take today as a Sabbath.

We had been asked a couple weeks ago to lead intercession for the IPHC (Introduction to Primary Health Care) school from 8:00 - 8:45 am, then I was scheduled at 9:00 for blood work in Sommers to get my Cholesterol checked. So now all that is done, Arthur has gone to the office and I will stay home, resting, observing Sabbath, and spending time with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

"I look to You, Lord. I worship You. I find help and strength, comfort and peace in Your presence. Speak to me, that I may know Your perspective on how to use my time and energy according to Your will and calling on my life -- and not according to all the needs and opportunities I see around me. Thank you, Father!"