Blog Post for March 2017--Yahweh-rohi--the LORD is our Shepherd

"The LORD is my shepherd.  I shall not want." (Psalm 23:1)
     The Scriptures say over and over that we are like sheep.  Likewise, there are many references that speak of God and Christ as our Shepherd.  What makes the difference for sheep is the shepherd.  Sheep are helpless,timid, and feeble.  They require constant attention and meticulous care, have little means of self-defense and easily fall prey to predators.  Without the constant care of the shepherd, they will go the wrong way, eat the wrong food (nibble right off a hillside to their deaths), and lap up the wrong water.  Do you see any similarities with humans?  It does make you wonder why God created such dull-witted creatures.  Perhaps because in His sovereignty He wanted us as His people to understand our complete poverty of spirit and our desperate need of a shepherd.  He loves us so much and no other name of God has the tender, intimate touch of this name. Yahweh-rohi--the LORD my Shepherd is a special name for God that brings great comfort to our souls.  Yahweh is glorious in majesty--all-powerful and full of splendor.  Yet the wonderful grace of our God is such that He can condescend to such a relationship with His creatures--that of a shepherd to his sheep.

Ezra getting cuter every day!

You might have guessed by now that the next name of God being studied in Sher's Bible study is the name Yahweh-rohi--the LORD, my Shepherd.  I never tire of studying the names of God--and each time I do--I marvel that God desires for us to know Him and has revealed the many names to help us know His nature and character more deeply.  

      As we become more busy and involved in activities, the time seems to go faster.  Is this a sign of aging?  Each week we say, "I can't believe it is Sunday already."  We are so grateful for our Shepherd's watchful care and provision for us and our family. We are thankful that He is watching over our family in the states while we are here.  How grateful  we are to the Lord for providing this wonderful opportunity to be in Thailand and work with our international church.  Our perspectives have been broadened, and our lives enriched by meeting so many people from different cultures. I'm so glad that we are a team and that we can share in this experience together.

What a wonderful gift and blessing of our loving Lord we can be here with Matthew and Audrey and watch Ezra grow and develop.    We think Ezra gets cuter every day. (And we're not biased at all).  My husband, son, and daughter-in-law planned a very special day for my birthday.  Matthew and Audrey prepared a superb meal with Dairy Queen ice cream cake for dessert.  Matthew made a beautiful table to place the hot pot and drinks, etc. when we have guests--like the Bible study. My family in the states took good care of me as well--bringing a gift with them in January to save for my birthday.  I feel very blessed to have such a loving, caring family who find ways to express that love in tangible ways.

This week we will celebrate Audrey's birthday.  I hope it will be as special for her.  How thankful we are that we can be in a foreign land and celebrate special family times together.  God is good!
     Please be in prayer for Dave as he faces a medical procedure to remove a large kidney stone.  We are hoping he will have the procedure done at the end of April. He will need to be in the hospital for a few days--if all goes well.  Pray that they will be able to remove the stone without too much difficulty and for peace prior to and during the procedure.
  Also, please be in prayer for 2 families that work here with New Tribes Mission who were in a very serious car accident.  Mary is very critical condition and was  taken by medical evacuation ambulance to Bangkok.  Their 3 grown children are flying in from the states.  The other woman in the car did not survive the accident--so pray for comfort and peace for her family.   Please be in prayer for both of these families.  
     Faithful Heart is again this year sponsoring a retreat for their staff.   Last year I taught English classes for their staff retreat.  This year Dave will teach 2 seminars--one on marriage and one on anger. (Do Christians ever get angry?)  Please be in prayer for this time and for all who will be sharing in the retreat.  

Lunch after church with a dear family in our church

Adjan Ra and I in Thai lesson

We so appreciate and covet your prayers for us.  Please pray:

• That we can continue to master the language so that we can communicate more effectively with Thai people
• For Dave's kidney stone removal
• That we can efficaciously love and encourage the people in our international church
• That we will be the light of Christ wherever we go and whatever we do
• That the Lord will keep us safe.  This recent accident reminded us of how dangerous the driving is here.
• Matt and Audrey and their ministry at Faithful Heart (Please continue to pray for 10-year old Benjamin who needs a kidney transplant)
• That the Lord will give us health and strength to do the tasks He places before us.
  

February 2017--The Peace of God

   

Some of the beautiful flowers of Thailand

Have you ever pondered the fact that some of our most well-known and used Bible verses are the most difficult to live out?  Philippians 4:6-7

      "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your    needs, and don’t forget to thank him for His answers.  If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus." Living Bible)  

It seems no matter what our age and experience of life, we find it difficult to experience the peace of God--especially in life's challenging times--but also in the small frustrations of life that constantly assail us.  We are learning, I think, from many of the missionaries in our international church to have peace and "go with the flow."  It is also certainly the Thai way.   "Mai ben rai" is the favored expression meaning no problems, no worries--it's all O.K.  

     How do we truly experience the peace of God in our lives?  What does that look like?  I was recently asked to give my reflections on the peace of God in difficult circumstances, and as is usually the case, I was greatly blessed in my reflections upon this topic. One couple in our church very suddenly found out they had to leave after being here seven years.  Another single woman also found she has to leave and go to a different country.  Both of them, though disappointed, exhibited a peace and trust in the Lord who directs our steps.  Their spirit and attitude has been an inspiration to me.  Could I respond in such a manner in their situation?  Yahweh promises in Jer. 29:12-13a "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you."  I think this seeking the Lord wholeheartedly defies a casual relationship.  It speaks of an intimacy that is developed by continual communion and it speaks of commitment, priorities and choice.  And once we develop this intimate communion with our Lord, we find peace--no matter the chaos that swirls in our midst.  We can never avoid strife in the world around us, but with God we can know peace. (Isaiah 26:3)

I believe Scripture refers to this intimate communion as abiding.  " I am the vine, you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.  Apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)  Cynthia Heald explains it this way, "To attach our delicate, fragile selves firmly and permanently into the vine in order to receive His strength and security. It is choosing to spend time with Him in His Word and in conversation with Him."

     We have had a very busy couple of months.  We had Heidi, Jay and Liesl and Evie here with us for 8 days.  What a exceptionally blessed time we had with all our family together.  We were so thankful for them making the trip.  The girls were excited to see their cousin Ezra.  In giving him a great deal of attention, they were rewarded with big smiles.  We have hearts full of wonderful memories.  (Bleum Ji--happy hearts).  We squeezed as much as humanly possible in 8 days , and they got a good taste of Chiang Mai and Thailand. (Closest mountain and beautiful view of the city, the elephant camp, the zoo--where the girls fed a hippo and giraffe; a tuk-tuk ride; beautiful flower gardens and of course some of the wonderful markets with hand-crafted items; as well as some of our favorite restaurants)  As soon as they left, we were off to Bangkok to renew our visas.  When we returned, we had a special visit with dear friends from our church in Mansfield.  We were glad they were able to join us in Church and also see some of the CM sites.  Again, our hearts were warmed and encouraged by this visit with special visit with long-time friends. 

The promise of Scripture is that God's presence sustains us in ways we cannot fathom or understand. (Exodus 33:14)  I (Sher) love studying the Hebrew names of God.  In Psalm 91 we see 2 of these names dovetail together in a beautiful, comforting passage. "He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High (El-Elyon--the supreme omnipotent) shall abide (rest)under the shadow of the Almighty.(El-Shaddai--the all-sufficient one for our every problem and need)."  When we face even the most difficult moments of our lives and seek  shelter in our God, He casts a shadow over us sustaining us.  Many times we are not aware of the Lord's provision and care--but that presence is there--circling our lives and providing for us in the shadow He provides--and therein is peace.

We covet your prayers; we so need them--so thank you in advance.  Please pray:

• Continued health and strength that we may be faithful to God's calling here
• Medical procedure for Dave
• That we would reflect our Savior in the lives of everyone with whom we come into contact(forgetting to pay the taxi driver is not considered to be a good example)
• That our Lord would effectively use us in our international church(we love the flavor of our international church but constantly saying goodbye continues to be difficult)

Being Grace-Givers December-January Blog

     Hope everyone had a special Christmas with loved ones and friends and we pray God's richest blessings in the New Year.  There is not much Christmas celebration here--not the many reminders everywhere you look but New Year celebrations and gifts are common.  So we have giving gifts to our neighbors wishing them a Happy New Year (Swade bpee mai).  Of course if you give a gift to a Thai, you will most likely get one in return, but we want to in all ways reflect our God and be grace-givers.
      Grace is something frequently talked about in Christian circles but often difficult to apply in our daily lives.  We, who have experienced the grace of God so magnificently in our lives should be liberal in giving it to others.  However, at least in my own life, I'm afraid this is not always so.  I have been strongly convicted by a book by Richard Blackaby called Putting a Face on Grace.

What grace of our loving Father that we could be here not only with Matthew and Audrey to share in this place and culture but that we could also be here with sweet Ezra.  I'm not sure how much he cares yet about the Buckeyes, but with his grandpa and Dad he will soon have no choice.
      Here's some of Richard Blackaby's thoughts about grace:
"We can give grace to others by looking at them through the same grace lens God does.  We know no one has arrived yet.  Just as God continues to apply grace to people's lives each day, so we must view the work of grace as a process.  That means we don't show grace only for a while or mete it out as deserved.  We open our lives up to become a conduit of God's grace.  For until you give it away, you'll never fully grasp the reality of God's grace."  
      We are enjoying God's call to this place for many reasons though there are often challenges and difficulties.  We are getting more acclimated and constantly learning new things.  One of the difficulties is having missed the funeral services for both of my parents.  On December 22nd, my dad went home to be with the Lord. (Just 5 months after my mom)  I will greatly miss both of them.  I was blessed to have loving, godly parents and blessed to have them for so long. (Dad was 93 and Mom was 92), but I can't help but  realize that a significant part and phase of my life is now gone.

    My dad (both my parents) set a great example for us in faith, diligence, and commitment.  I am grateful for a godly heritage.  My dad often worked 2 jobs to provide for his family.   In 70 years of marriage, they knew the meaning of commitment.  "In sickness and health"--my dad lovingly cared for my mom when MS made it difficult for her to get around.  "For better or for worse"--these were not mere words but a commitment to stick together no matter what.  My dad was a loving, caring father devoted to his wife and family.  He loved giving and serving others--whether it be from his ample garden or helping someone to repair a car, a lawn mower, a machine, or really any item.  We do not grieve like  those who have no hope,"(I Thessalonians 4:13) but we do grieve our loss.  Our conviction and hope is that because of Christ, we have the assurance of eternal life.  I believe my dad is now united with loved ones that have gone before and one day we will join them.   Our loss is heaven's gain; my dad is in the presence of the Savior he loved and served.

Beautiful display honoring the king

Grace,,.
Builds up;doesn't tear down
Gives what is undeserved
Is costly
Gives without expecting anything in return
Emphasizes mercy not justice
Helps people become more like Christ
Doesn't condemn or give up on people
We are so grateful for God's grace in our lives.  May the Holy Spirit of God enable us to be a conduit of grace in the lives of others.
      We had a wonderful celebration of our Savior's birth with our international church on Christmas day: Powerful message from the Word of God, Great music and worship, and the high light for me, 23 people from different countries quoting Luke 2:10-11 in their native tongue.

We enjoyed fellowship at our home for lunch with several friends form church--some of them single people with no family here.  It was a blessed time together.  One of those single people was Heide--a Filipino--we met at Santisuk English School in Bangkok.  She was here with us for 4 days,arriving on Christmas Eve.  We had a great visit with her.  While she was here, we visited Doi Su Tep, one of the closest mountains here in Chiang Mai.  We ascended about 200 steps to see a great view of the city.

Young village children, in their tribal costumes are happy to have their pictures taken with you.

We are very excited about the arrival of Jay, Heidi and the girls on January 14th.  Pleas pray for their safety in travel.  We continue to covet prayers for us that we may be effective ambassadors of Christ in this place.  May we be grace-givers.  May we open our lives to God so He can fill us with His love and mercy.  On our own, we could not do it.  Please pray:

• For health and strength so we can effectively minister.
• For wisdom in making a decision about Dave's kidney stone
• Discernment to provide support and encouragement for the people of our church
• To effectively reflect God's grace to all people we meet

God is still...and is always faithful

November 2016 Chiang Mai, Thailand

(One year in Chiang Mai--To our God be all praise and glory for His provision, comfort, and care)
"O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago." Psalm 25
     
     In some ways, it is hard to believe we've been here for a year.  We are feeling much more familiar and at home, but we also realize that we still have much to learn and understand about this place.
      Just after our last blog on the faithfulness of our God, it seemed we were bombarded with some difficulties--again not major--but requiring time, effort, and  some stress.  We had seen God work and provide in many ways as we completed necessary tasks for our stay here.  We were grateful for the faithfulness of our great God.  When we were feeling a little under attack during a rough week, I recalled our blog on the faithfulness of God.  I told several people that I felt as if our words were being tested.  Did we truly mean them?
"Catch for us the little foxes, the little foxes that can ruin the vineyards." (Song of Songs 2:15)  Little foxes are an example of the kinds of problems that can disturb or destroy a relationship or affect our spiritual life when we follow our feelings rather than the facts about God and the truth of Scripture.  Rather than relying on our immediate thoughts, we can verify their accuracy or challenge their inaccuracy by the Word of God.  We need to focus on His words, His truth--not our feelings or emotions.  Kay Swatkowski says we need to Verify and Trust.  First verify our thoughts by looking into God's Word and then trust what He says is true.  Verify and then trust.  2 Cor. 10:5 "May I cast down arguments and every vain thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ." For years, this verse has been part of my(Sher) prayer ritual.  When it comes to our own internal thinking process, we are quick to trust, but often we don't verify.  We assume that what we think and feel is accurate, but quite often it is not.  God's thoughts are not our thoughts--His thoughts and ways are higher--different from ours.  (Isaiah55:8-9) Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."   Challenging our own thoughts is a lot of work--sometimes it's just easier to believe what we are thinking, even if it causes misery.  

Ezra holding his favorite story

So, we reread our words on the last blog--and proclaim: yes we meant every word and no God did not zap us to see if we meant it.  Verify and trust.  God is always faithful, but that doesn't mean everything in our lives will be smooth with no problems.  Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble."  The challenge is to verify and trust!  We need to challenge our thinking and allow God to refine and transform us through the difficulties.  We had to make an emergency run to the hospital for Dave with kidney stones.  The same week I had to return to the hospital with a bronchial infection--and on that day I fell in our Mubahn where they were doing some construction.  I had a black eye, some cuts and bruises but no broken bones.  Dave has a large kidney stone that cannot be passed, but currently it is not obstructing or causing pain.  Please be in prayer for some decisions in the future concerning all this.  That same week, we had another issue back in the states that was causing us some stress and concern.  But God was faithful in all of it, and we have much to be thankful for in the midst of all these little foxes.  Verify and trust!

Things of Note Recently! 

Dave  and I celebrated one year in Thailand on November 7th.  We went to a lovely resort with beautiful flowers and sculptured gardens.  This is Thailand!  We took a long walk and had a lovely dinner.  

Anniversary Dinner

We were able to, along with Faithful Heart Foundation, to sign an official book in our district government office to express our appreciation of and honor for the king in his passing.  We were very thankful for the opportunity to do this.

We enjoyed(Matthew, Audrey, and Amy especially) a visit form the states with Audrey's parents.

They enjoyed for a few weeks sweet little Ezra! (What we continue to enjoy and thank our God for as His blessed gift). Every good and perfect gift comes from Him!

 We attended a Thai Christian wedding at a church located on the campus of a Christian University here.  It was a lovely service.  We could only grab words here and there (If only they would speak more slowly--ha ha!), but PraJowl (God) over and over--we understood.  Dave took careful notes because just last Sunday he performed his first wedding.  On the first week of our coming, he performed a funeral, and on the anniversary of our first year--a wedding.  This wedding was for a young couple in our church, and it was held at night at the home of the groom's parents.  It was a beautiful evening, the decorations were lovely, and we think it will always be a special memory of 

our time here in Thailand. 

We will not accomplish great things for God here in Chiang Mai, but our prayer is that we will be faithful to the tasks He places before us--that we will be faithful in sharing the love of Christ and of serving others in His name.  We continue to covet your prayers to this end.  Please pray:

• That we will be faithful in the daily, small things
• That we will love and serve those around us with the love of our Savior Jesus Christ
• That the love of our Savior will shine from our lives to reflect on the lives of those around us
• That we will minister effectively to those in our church body--so that they can effectively transform lives through their various ministries. (Col. 3:17)
• For possible medical procedure for Dave in the future--for wisdom and peace
• For health and strength that we might faithfully fulfill our calling here.  Of His calling here, we have no doubt, but we need continual wisdom to discern exactly what that looks like.
• For Matthew, Audrey, and Ezra and Faithful Heart Foundation.  Shirley, one of the directors of the foundation, just came through some surgery with good results--pray for continued healing.
• For Benjamin, the young orphan who is critically ill--a part of Faithful Heart
• Love and prayers!

October 2016   The Faithfulness of our God
"I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh praise the greatness of our God!  He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all His ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He."
     As we approach the one year mark for being in Thailand, we are reminded of the faithfulness of our God.  Thailand is a very special place--especially Chiang Mai--but living in a foreign land involves challenges and difficulties at times.  I realize more and more how much I had previously taken for granted.  For example, I have a very nice and skillful man who cuts my hair, but I can't get him to cut it like I want--and he speaks good English.  We had some difficulties with our Internet recently--our lifeline right now and major means of communication.  We were concerned to be able to communicate our difficulty to the company.  And these are, of course, minor things in the scope of life but troublesome nevertheless.  Sometimes the communication is an issue and sometimes they just do things differently and we must adapt.  When in Rome...We find ourselves trusting--relying on God more--maybe actually living out the faith and trust that was often fluent in our vocabulary but not always exemplified by our actions.   Issues arise, and we say, "God you brought us here; we trust you to provide and meet our needs."  And our God proves Himself faithful when we look to Him and rely on Him to help us.  Back to our Internet issue.  Before my morning walk, Dave mentioned that he had prayed about our problem.  He said, "I almost felt it was too small an issue to take to the Lord in prayer, but I believe God wants us to take everything to Him in prayer."  I had just finished my walk, was coming around the corner and what did I see but a TOT (our internet provider) truck parked right across the street from our house.  Needless to say, we were thus able to  resolve the issue very quickly.  I'm not saying everything goes perfectly smoothly without bumps, but in the midst of these challenges, our God is faithful.
"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God."
The Hebrew word for faithfulness is emuwnah and means firmness, fidelity, steadfastness.  The Greek word for faithfulness is pistas and means trustworthy, sure.  Employees as well as employers often fail to live up to expectations.  Politicians, of course, often fail to live up to their campaign promises and the increase in the divorce rate demonstrate many who do not remain faithful in this most important of relationships.  Although people may break their promises or fail to live up to their word, God is faithful in all His ways.
2 Timothy 2:13 "If we are faithless, He will remain faithful for He cannot disown himself."
Only one is faithful to fully keep His covenant and loving kindness, and that is our Lord God.  

Ezra looking debonair

  

In what ways is God faithful?

What a cutie  

• Our God is faithful and compassionate every morning.  (Jeremiah 3:21-23)  We live in a fallen world, people do wicked, things, people disappoint and fail us, and justice is not always just.  But there is one who is faithful and compassionate.  His mercies are new every morning.  "This I recall to my mind," says Jeremiah, "...and therefore I have hope."  Each morning may we place our hope in our faithful, loving God whose compassions never fail.  He alone can satisfy our every need.  He alone is trustworthy and true.

     We accomplished two important items for our stay here in Thailand.  (God was faithful to before us and provide).  We  have our temporary Thai license!  Due to the kind help of a friend who has been here longer, we had a itemized list of things required.  It took time and patience, but we just kept checking off items on the list and finally accumulated everything we needed and went to the office.  The time we went was perfect, and we were able to complete the process in a relatively short time.  We were even able to help a Thai lady married to a French husband. (she spoke some English)  She was having difficulty finding out what was required for her husband, and we were able to share our list.  Thank you, Lord for going before us and allowing us to help and bless someone else in the process.  When we left, a huge line had formed.  Thank you, Lord for being spared the long line this time.
 We did our first 90-day reporting here in Chiang Mai.  We were concerned that we seemed to be missing one item.  Again the Lord provided two very nice, kind Thai ladies (Most Thai people are this way) who helped us through the process.  We had to make a trip to the other immigration office in the process, but there wasn't a line in the building we went to and again a kind, gracious lady helped us.  We received the required paper, headed back to the first office and completed the process. Yay!
    God has graciously given us a gift!  What a gift and blessing to be here with our precious grandson! (Of course we are happy to be with his parents too). If you don't mind my saying so, he is adorable--and now that he is smiling--even more so!  It is not only a blessing to be with him and hold him and love on him, it also warms our hearts to see what good parents our children are.  Each time we left MN, with our son Jay and daughter-in-law Heidi, we thanked God for the excellent job of parenting and spiritual training.  It's nice to witness this again.  Audrey is such a natural, caring mother (She had lots of practice with nieces and nephews).   And Matthew is a great dad; he found an unusual hold on line from a pediatrician, and when Ezra's crying, this hold seems to work wonders.  They are an effective team as parents.  Aunt Amy is good at this hold too!

Our darling MN girls

     I had fun planning a baby shower for Audrey and Ezra and was surprised that 24 people came.  We had a brunch, and a friend from the church made a motorcycle out of diapers--with a stuffed elephant on top, of course.

  I have begun my Bible study on the names of God once again and am so thankful for the opportunity to do it here.  I am enjoying being under Dave's preaching again.  He keeps busy preparing messages, visiting in the hospitals, counseling, meeting with our leadership team, etc.  We have also been attempting to have church people in our home regularly for fellowship in order to get to know our people better.
    This week we are planning to have a nice family originally from Singapore in our neighborhood for dinner.  English is their national language, and I think they like having someone with whom they can communicate in the neighborhood.    We are looking forward to this time.
      Our lives have definitely been enriched by the variety of people from different backgrounds and cultures that we have met here. How we thank God for this experience; our lives have been enhanced and our perspectives deepened. We are thankful for our wonderful Thai teacher--an excellent teacher and a beautiful woman of God--so gracious and kind with our efforts at Thai.  We have a couple who have been missionaries for many years in several countries--Thailand being one.  I just finished reading the story of their experiences.  What amazing stories, what astonishing accomplishments--and talk about the faithfulness of our God.  They have many examples of God's faithfulness and provision over the years; their lives demonstrate the faithfulness of God when we respond in obedience to His call upon our lives.   We also had the blessing of meeting a remarkable young woman from India.  What this young woman has accomplished in her 25 years is amazing.  She felt God's call for missions at an early age and has been so faithful to that call.  What a beautiful spirit of Christ is reflected in her life; we enjoyed hearing her story.  She is now my helper in preparing communion and is coming to my Bible study.  We continue to be humbled by such people--and can only offer ourselves to be used as His vessels as He sees fit.

Our new friend, Maria

Adjan Ray--our wonderful Thai teacher

      Please pray:

• For health and strength to fulfill God's purposes for us here
• Pray that the light of Christ may be reflected in our lives.
• Pray that we will be faithful servants of our faithful God.
• Pray that we will be an encouragement and support to the people who attend The Gathering.
• Pray that we will be used of our Lord in this place--may we demonstrate the love of Christ to all with whom we come into contact.
• Pray for Matthew and Audrey and Ezra and their ministry to orphans
• Pray for Audrey's sister, Amy, who is teaching at the International school here.
• Benjamin, one of the orphans in Faithful Heart Foundation who has been very ill

August 30, 2016 Chiang Mai, Thailand

What a joy to announce the arrival of Ezra Jonathan Pound, our first grandson!  (Although most of you already know through social media)  How grateful we are that the legacy of our youngest son, Jonathan, now lives on in our grandson, Ezra.  What a great blessing of our loving heavenly Father to be right here with him.  In our totally unbiased opinion, he is the most adorable little boy ever!  

Grandma and Ezra

Grandpa and Ezra

     As we age and life becomes more challenging, we can often feel our best and most productive times are behind us.  But as I look at this fresh, new life, I am reminded that our greatest task is before us--to encourage future generations to walk in faith and to help advance the spiritual heritage that is ours into a new generation.  Deuteronomy 4:9 "Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.  Teach them to your children and to their children after them."  What an important role we have as grandparents--to nurture the next generation in the the faith walk. I have been encouraged by a book called A Grandmother's Prayers by Kay Swatkowski. I know my parents and Dave's parents aided us in nurturing our children in things of faith.  I was so often overwhelmed by the task and so aware of my deficiencies as a human being.    As I  observe my sons today, I am quick to thank God for his grace.  They are amazing men of God--despite our foibles, but I know their grandparents prayed faithfully and am well aware of the impact of such prayers.  I am especially grateful that, whether near or far (as I think of our precious granddaughters back in MN), we can be engaged in the lives of our grandchildren in the most important of ways through prayer.  These prayers join our hearts and faith to them as we commit them daily to our Lord and Savior.

Beautiful flowers throughout our neighborhood

Colossians 3:17 "Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through Him."  St. Irenaeus said, "The glory of God is a human being fully alive; and to be fully alive consists in beholding God."  Isn't that the key to our lives as Christians; we are here to glorify God and to give the reason for the hope we have in Christ.  Consequently, whatever our age, and wherever we are, we can seek to bring glory to our God to the best of our ability and through the sanctifying work of His spirit. "May those who come behind us find us faithful" (Steve Green-"Find Us Faithful") and may they continue the walk of faith as we faithfully pray for them.

     Our church, The Gathering, experienced a first--a church picnic!  We are constantly thinking of ways to unite our international, multicultural church as one body.  Many come infrequently as they are busy ministering in other places.  It is often a time of refreshment for them to worship with fellow believers in English.  One team of 15 people worshiped with us recently on their way to minister in another country.  One of my dear friends who came to my Bible Study and was here for a year is returning to her home country.  I will miss her.  She is a dear sister in Christ.  Praise God some of her family recently came to Christ. 

Audrey and baby Ezra--one of his first outings and Amy, Audrey's sister

 I think she likes the hot dog!

 Another couple who just recently joined with us and was excited about helping us with a prayer ministry--told us that their mission agency is moving them to a new field.  Such is the nature of the international church.  Barry Gaeddert (London) says,  "At ICC, I always saw our job to train people to go into the world.  They were with us for one year, or two or three years.  And then they often went to places around the globe.  So our job was to invest spiritually, help them grow in their walk with God, to learn about their gifts and how to use them... and then to send them on more mature than when they arrived."  Edmund Haroucourt said, "We leave behind a bit of ourselves wherever we have been."  May we leave some of Jesus in this place and may we impact those who know Christ to a deeper walk with Him.  "But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ." 2 Cor. 2:15

Please pray:

• That we will be an encouragement and blessing to the people who attend The Gathering.
• For Dave in his preaching that he will speak to hearts what they need to hear as he is directed by the Holy Spirit.
• That we will be the aroma of Christ to all the people with whom we come into contact --our neighbors, clerks where we shop, etc. and that the Lord will provide opportunities to share Christ.
• Pray that the Lord will use us here to His glory.
• Pray for language work that is hard and laborious. May we persevere and practice-- practice!
• Pray for our grandson Ezra (health, strength and protection) and for his parents who are working hard to be wonderful parents.
• Amy, Audrey's sister, who is teaching this year at Grace International School here in Chiang Mai.