2017 in Retrospect

“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

- Philippians 1:6

It’s hard to fathom that a new year is upon us. It seems like I just wrote my annual retrospect for the previous year and now it’s time for this year’s! In all honesty, the retrospects are more for me than anyone else. They help me reflect on the blessings of the Lord and what He has done in my life. Many times reflecting on these memories make me smile or remember special moments from what I share. It is always a good reminder to me of Philippians 1:6 that “…He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it...” There’s definitely some more completing going on, but day by day His blessings are evident. So…you ready for a look back at 2017? I know I am!

Work

Per the SBC Chief Parliamentarian’s nomination, I was awarded the (unofficial, but official-to-me-and-that’s-all-that-matters) SBC Nerd of the Year! That shoe sure fits me! In all seriousness, though (and forgive me for saying the same thing every year), I love my job and where I work. I love the Southern Baptist Convention. I love working with our SBC entities. I love meeting new people who are a part of our denomination. I love helping to preserve history (which is the main part of my job). And I love seeing, hearing, and experiencing all that we are doing to advance the Kingdom. If that makes me a nerd, then so-be-it. I gladly accept it and you can make me a t-shirt and give me some nerdy glasses!

As with every year, the major event for work was the SBC Annual Meeting. This year we held our meeting in Phoenix, Arizona! Yes, it was hot…but not as hot as the week after we left when it got into the hundred-degree weather. The annual meeting was pretty eventful news-wise. If you’re interested, you can check out more information about that on our Baptist Press website. The reasoning behind our making news, however, caused some strong emotion within the arena. One of my jobs at our annual meeting is to coordinate the microphone monitors and pages. If they have any issues with people who come to the microphone to speak, they come consult with me. Due to the emotion in the room, let’s just say I was consulted quite a number of times this year. It’s not my first rodeo dealing with passionate people, but it is always a little out of my comfort zone. Everything worked out, though, and I think next time I will bring the essential oil “Stress Away” with me and have it on an ongoing spray cycle so that it can calm people down…ha ha!

The annual meeting also brought me my first midnight print-run. I’d hear stories from back in the day about our daily publication being sent off at midnight, but I’ve been blessed over the past two years to not have to experience that tiredness. Not this year! While waiting for some content that was being discussed in a late meeting, I had to hold the printing until midnight. It worked out, but let’s just say the next morning I was Tired (with emphasis on that capital “T”). It’s part of the experience, though, and my philosophy is “take-it-as-it-comes and enjoy every minute” and of course I did!

Throughout this year there were also some other projects and special events that I got to be a part of at work. We celebrated our 100^th Anniversary as an Executive Committee and somehow, my photo made the Baptist Press news release about our anniversary party…but I didn’t know until I read the article. It’s just all around a wonderful place and family to work in and with and I cherish every moment!

Our Executive Committee, and my job, wouldn’t exist without your giving to the Cooperative Program! Thank you to all those who support SBC causes, including ours! We strive to do our best for you as we all cooperate together to spread the good news of Christ through all we do.

Church

Brentwood Baptist may be a big church, but when you find your niche, you really have a good community of people that surrounds and supports you. For me, that community is the children’s ministry (and no, not just the kids). I love the people I work with at the church and enjoy serving with them throughout the week. I am still the 5^th grade Sunday School director/teacher and love being a part of these kids’ lives at such a pivotal age. It is so neat to watch the transformation that happens in their lives from the start of our class to the end of our class. Although rather large, our class affords these kids the opportunity to get to know one another (they’ve all never been in the same class before) before they begin the student ministry where everything else will be new and unknown.

Our children’s ministry revamped our Wednesday night program this year and it has turned out to be a very popular and intriguing program in which we’ve had many kids come to be a part. Named “Impact,” this program appeals to kids’ gifts and talents and offers 8-10 varying classes (art, sign language, construction, sports/games, cooking, etc.) for children to choose and learn how they can serve God and make an impact for Him through that task. My role in this new program is as the missions class leader (does that really surprise you?). It has been THE BEST to get back into that role of teaching kids missions and I have loved opening the world to my group of kids. I have also gotten to coordinate missions nights for the whole Impact group once a month and that has been really great as well. The classes are semester-long, so beginning in January, I will have a new group of kids to teach and I can’t wait!

Taught kids about how missionaries use henna hand art to tell Bible stories

Ministry

This fall I worked with the TN WMU and their annual children’s missions conferences. We went to three locations across the state and I got to watch children learn and grow in their missions knowledge. I had the opportunity to write the mission fair activities which was fun for me, especially when I saw my ideas become reality at the mission fair! I also had the chance to be the host in the opening/closing session a couple of times which, although out of my comfort zone, was fun and different.

I discussed last year that I had started working with Begin Anew of Middle Tennessee (formerly Christian Women’s Job Corp) and this job continued in full force. As the childcare coordinator for the downtown Nashville site, I led the childcare workers in caring for children whose mothers were being tutored in order to pass tests to obtain their high school equivalency degree. I really am inspired by these women who seek better lives for their children by working so hard to pass these tests. This year I was able to witness two moms who I have watched walk this journey graduate and the smiles on their faces were nothing short of huge! We recently found out that one lady who has been with the program for ten years passed her last test after taking it 16 times and will get her high school equivalency degree! I screamed when I heard the news! Glory to God!

With all that said, it hasn’t always been easy. Spiritual warfare and outside influences have ravaged these ladies, as well as their children. My heart broke quite a number of times to hear of deaths of loved ones, hospital stays, as well as just day-to-day stories. It has been a blessing for me to be light in these dark times for, especially the kids. I pray that the things I taught and the attitudes I held were ones that brought light and planted seeds in their hearts.

I decided later in the year that, with my full-time job increasing in demand, all I am involved in outside of this ministry, as well as other factors, that it was better for me to take a step back from this ministry for the time being. I will go back in a few months as a volunteer, but my time as the childcare coordinator has come to an end. It will be strange not being there weekly, however, I know that for me, this is the right decision at this point and that God will provide a new way for me to use my gifts outside of work and church. I can’t wait to see what that might be!

Family

A lot happened with my family this year. As far as my parents, my dad worked his first full year at FBC in Enterprise, AL. In June, my mom finally joined him, quitting her job at the adult daycare in East TN, of which she loved so much. It was the right thing, though, because they needed to be together! Our family home in East TN is still on the market and we hope it will sell soon, if you don’t mind we’d appreciate a prayer or two about it.

Meredith continues to live in Atlanta as an auditor. She has gotten really involved in a Johnson Ferry church plant called Christ Covenant and absolutely loves it. She’s on the nominations team as well as the greeter team! This summer, she took about a month long trip to Asia to visit some friends. She also visited her Compassion International sponsor child in the Philippines. The pictures from that trip would just melt your heart!

Lauren had a very eventful year. At the beginning of the year, she was a part of a college fashion show where she designed clothes for children with special needs. She won the “Best Children’s Wear” award for her designs. I have to tell you; I was nothing short of beaming with pride watching her dream become reality at this fashion show. The models of her designs were awesome too, it was so so amazing! In May, Lauren graduated from college! We all traveled to Liberty University to watch her graduate and who should show up to her graduation, but the President of the United States! Ok, President Trump wasn’t just there for Lauren…but still, hearing and being in the same vicinity as a sitting president was pretty cool.

Following graduation, Lauren moved in with me for the summer in Nashville. She served as the intern of my church’s special needs ministry. She got to plan a couple of events, as well as work with special needs children, which of course you know she loved! It was such a blessing to have a family member close by this summer and I am so grateful that we were able to share the summer together (when we were both in town, of course)! Following the summer, Lauren got a job as an event coordinator for Liberty University and moved back to Lynchburg to begin her new job there. She hit the ground running and has been super busy planning and organizing various events for the school (especially weddings).

The biggest family change this year was that we got a dog! Ollie (Oliver) has been such a blessed addition to our lives and we all love him so so much! We got him in May and Lauren and I raised him over the summer. Puppy raising is H.A.R.D., but the kisses and snuggles make up for it!  Ollie loves to be around people (not so much dogs) and so Lauren and I found that it would be better off for him to live in a place where he could get a lot of attention. Since I live alone, and Lauren has roommates, it was decided Ollie would live with Lauren in Virginia and I would have visiting privileges J We own him equally, but this is honestly, the best arrangement for him right now because he would be so lonely in Nashville with me gone all day until late afternoon. As I write this, however, I am spending some quality time with this sweet one and he is snuggled against my leg taking a nap with his little tongue sticking out – it’s soooooooo cute!

I wish my whole entire family could be together more often, but we make sure to make the most of each moment that we are together – most recently at Christmas (which I hosted at my place). It was such a special time of being together, remembering old memories, making plans for the future, and of course, loving on sweet Ollie! I look forward to the next time we are all together and hope that it will be very, very soon!

Thirty

This year I turned the big 3-0! Gosh, that doesn't even seem real, but it is. I had a wonderful birthday and my sweet friends took me out to get a makeover. Ollie was also a sweet part of my birthday gift, and later in the year, I traded in my car for a really cute, used, blue Honda HRV (since my old car had been around in my life for 10 or so years). I'm so grateful for all God has done for and in me these past thirty years and look forward to what He provides for me, especially in this new decade!

Prayers

As always, I greatly appreciate your prayers as I continue to serve the Lord in all I do. Pray for inspiration and determination in my work at the SBC, as well as for our 2018 summer annual meeting that the Lord will give us all strength during those long days, but that He will ultimately be glorified and exalted in all that happens. Pray for me as I continue to teach kids at church and that they will have mission-minded hearts and minds to reach their friends and neighbors for Jesus. Pray for me as I take a step back from the ministry I have been a part of for a couple of years; please pray for a renewed spirit and that God will show me the next path he has for me in serving Him outside of work and church. He is such a good God and I cannot wait to see the doors He opens for me in the coming year; pray those doors will be evident to me.

Thank you for your prayers for my family; they mean so much and I hope that you will pray with me that our East TN house will sell soon so that we can close that chapter of our lives.

Word of the Year

I attempt to choose a word each year that sums up the ending year; it’s always interesting to look back at the words I’ve chosen and see how beautifully they summed up that year’s events. I’ve thought a lot about this year’s word and what I have chosen is the word “FOCUS.” This year I placed a lot of focus on my job, on the various classes I have taught at church, on the Begin Anew ministry I worked at, on raising and watching a puppy, on living life on my own in a big city, and much more. I have also focused a lot on my relationship with Jesus. I have more to focus on in my journey with Christ and I plan to carry this focus with me into the new year.

I will say this about focus. It’s important to be focused on what you do because it helps you to constantly examine what is going on around you. When you focus, you evaluate things and strive to make them better. I have to have focus quite a bit in my job at the SBC because I am responsible for publications in which things need to be accurate and complete. There are times that my focus falters and mistakes happen, but it’s through those mistakes I learn. In life, it’s the same way. Being focused in life means that you pay attention to the things going on so that your life (especially in Christ) is of one accord and complete in Him. There are times that your focus may falter, but it will be through those seemingly tumultuous times that you learn and grow in your knowledge and your faith in Christ.

Remember the verse at the beginning of this blog? “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it!” He’s going to complete the good work in our lives…we just have to stay focused on Him and keep on keeping on! 

In 2018, I plan to keep on keeping on in the Lord and I know that the desires and dreams that I have, He will be faithful to complete; I just have to wait upon Him and stay focused!

Here’s to you 2017…2018, I’m focusing in on you!

All He Wants for Christmas is You!

"Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."

- 1 Peter 4:10-11

Near your Christmas tree sits an invisible gift, wrapped in unique packaging that is truly one-of-a-kind. This gift is for the gift-recipient as well as the gift-giver. This gift was known before it was formed. This gift is fearfully and wonderfully made. This gift was made in the image of God. And this gift has something to give to the One who created it. Yep – you’re right – this gift is YOU!

God has gifted each one of us with so many different gifts and talents – some we know and some we may still need to figure out – but ALL that He wants us to use for {and thereby giving back to} Him! 1 Peter 4:10-11 tells us that depending on the gifts God gives us, we should use them to serve others {and in turn Him} “so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything.” Ephesians 2:10 says that “we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” Although physical gifts, the Magi gave what they had to Jesus, and Jesus gave us the greatest gift of all time - His life for ours. How could we not give our all for Him?

Do you have a gift or talent? Are you using it for {or giving it back to} the One who gave you the gift? This Christmas, let your gift to Jesus be a new resolve to give the gifts He’s given you for Him. All He wants for Christmas is you!

'Tis the Season to Advent

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." - Deuteronomy 6:6-7

One of my favorite memories about Christmases past is my parents doing Christmas Advent calendars with me and my sisters. It was always exciting to open the little doors or books and discover the truth that it held. When we were little, they were simple pictures that depicted the Christmas story, but as we grew, they became more devotional. It was a great way for us to learn the story surrounding the birth of Christ and have a hands-on experience doing it. Recently, in looking for advent-related material for children’s lessons, I’ve come across some really well put together Advent calendars for families and thought I would share:

“The Wonder of the Greatest Gift” by Ann Voskamp ($27.00) – Interactive book (based on the Jesse tree) that opens to reveal a 13 inch tree, to hang the daily ornaments you will open each day. Devotional book is included as well. I saw this recently at the LifeWay store and it looked really cool.

“An Illustrated Advent for Families” by Illustrated Children’s Ministry ($10.00) – Combines the love of coloring with the advent stories. I would recommend this for older elementary aged children as the illustrations are quite intricate and would be more of a challenge to color. From what I can tell it is a weekly devotional with activities that could be spread out throughout the week.

“Journey to the Manger” by Focus on the Family ($10.00) – Interactive calendar containing puzzles, stickers, and a poster. I’ve not personally seen this, but anything with stickers makes preschoolers and elementary aged children really happy. :):)

“O Holy Night – A Build-It Yourself Nativity Scene & Advent Calendar” by Focus on the Family (FREE) – Each day, along with a devotion, children will receive a new Bible character/object that relates to the Nativity story and by the end of the advent calendar, they will have made a whole nativity scene! More info at: http://focusonthefamily.com/Advent (probably want a colored printer and lots of cardstock paper for this…)

“Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Guide” by FaithGateway (FREE, helps to own a copy of Sally Lloyd Jones’ Jesus Storybook Bible) – This guide has printable pictures/references that relate to stories found in the Jesus Storybook Bible (which is a fantastic book to have for your family) that you could display in any way you choose (suggestions are provided). More info at: http://www.faithgateway.com/jesus-storybook-bible-advent-c…/

“LifeWay Kids Family Advent Guide” by LifeWay (FREE) – A weekly family devotional that also contains daily Scripture readings relating to the Christmas story. There are also hands-on ideas to reinforce the weekly theme as well as life application questions. More info at: http://www.lifeway.com/…/Kids/c/N-1z13zg1Z1z10cb8/Ne-1z141o2

There are also SO many more advent calendars out there – these are just ones that I’ve come across in looking for activities for my lessons and I thought I would share. Whatever you do or choose, just make sure that your kids understand the reason for this season – the gift of our Savior! The Lord commanded us to teach his truths to our children (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) and so we shall.  

Happy Adventing!

Adventing at 1 1/2 years old!

Right Living in an Unright World

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.” – 1 Timothy 6:11

Outside of work, my life revolves around kids. Not my own, obviously, but rather around the kids I teach throughout the week. Whether these children be church kids or inner city kids, one thing is the same about every single one of them – they’re watching me. Ok, that sounded a little creepy, but it’s true. They are watching every part of my attitude, behavior, and body language. I hope that what they see through me is righteousness. It’s sure not what they see in the world, though.

These past days, weeks, and months have been riddled with talk of people living unrighteously. Some have behaved in ways – in their past and in the present – that are unrighteous; hurting, scarring, and letting down those around them. Some have spoken unrighetously – in person or on social media; giving others the impression that this is the way society interacts with one another. Our world has people that have unrighteous thoughts; creating and developing content that tempts people to live sinful lives. It’s a royal mess.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul tells him how crazy the world is and will be; he urges Timothy to make sure that the things that he teaches and the lifestyle he displays is that which is sound in Christ (1 Timothy 6:2-10). Speaking as a mentor to mentee, Paul encourages Timothy, “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). He’s reminding Timothy that no matter what goes on around him, no matter how unrighteous society becomes, to strive to be a person who constantly and consistently pursues righteous living.

News flash. The stories we hear and see are only going to continue and will probably get worse. That’s what sin does – it infects and festers continually. That’s why people need Jesus and his forgiveness of those sins. Paul for sure knew unrighteousness wasn’t going to let up. The theme of righteous living is all through 1 Timothy and continues even into 2 Timothy. Paul, however, offers hope and a solution for how to help Timothy, and us in the world we find ourselves in; he says:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

Whether it be with kids or anyone we encounter, it should be our ultimate aim that they see righteous living through us and know what it means to live as Christ in a world that shows them the opposite. Like it or not, they’re watching and it’s up to us to determine what they’re seeing. May we strive to live right in this insanely, unright world.

Waiting in {Life's} Traffic

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks Him.”

- Lamentations 3:25

An overturned garbage truck shut down the interstate this morning and made a normal 30-45 minute commute a right-at-2 hour commute to work.  Needless to say everyone did a lot of waiting on the Nashville roads this morning.  As one of the people stuck in the crazy traffic this morning, I …along with the rest of Nashville…can be witnesses for the fact that waiting is not fun! 

It’s like that in life sometimes too, isn’t it?  Waiting can be very hard and not fun, especially when it’s something that you want so terribly to happen.  Before I got my job in Nashville, I waited for a long time until God gave me this gift that is my dream job.  I applied to job after job within organizations of the SBC because I felt like that’s where God wanted me, but none of them ever panned out.  That time of waiting was hard because I felt like I was missing out or that I wasn’t hearing God correctly; I doubted myself and my capabilities; I even just thought about giving up on the whole thing.  Through it all though, I kept hearing a still small voice – not even audible – that told my heart to wait and keep doing what I was doing because even better things were in store.

Waiting may be wearisome, but God gives us strength (Isaiah 40:31).  Waiting may be confusing, but He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Waiting may be hard, but God gives us courage (Psalm 27:14).  What He asks of us in the meantime is to trust Him and to keep on following and serving Him day after day after day until the He gives us what we have waited so long for (Psalm 37:4, Proverbs 16:3).

After a few years of waiting, God, out of the blue, gave me the gift of my job with the very SBC organization that helps every single one of the other organizations I applied to – I call it my dream job because it was something that wasn’t even on my radar, but as it turns out was the exact, perfect fit for me!  Lamentations 3:25 says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks Him”… and oh, how good He is to me!

So…don’t get frustrated or start blaring the car horn if you are stuck in a “life traffic jam” right now, just keep waiting on the Lord and before you know it that road ahead of you will clear out and God will take you to who knows where!

Whatever My Lot...

"...thus says the LORD, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."

- Isaiah 43:1-2

We all have situations in our lives that we don’t understand.  Whether it be a sickness or the loss of a loved one or an unexpected job loss or loneliness – someone at some time is faced with one or more of these situations and cannot for the life of them understand how they ended up there.  

I was struck by this thought recently as I sang the song “It Is Well with My Soul,” especially the line “whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say…”  As I sang that particular line, I was keenly aware of how strong those words are and how difficult it can be to mean them.  The Bible is full of God’s promises to order our steps and plan out our lives.  I don’t understand why difficult times happen.  It doesn’t make sense to me why one of my friends who is my age was recently diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing chemo.  I can’t understand why jobs are terminated with no explanation and families left with nowhere to turn.  The feeling of loneliness is one that is very easy to get people down and discouraged because they feel like they don’t matter to anyone.  

Life is hard and it doesn’t always make sense … to us.  Notice that qualifier.  Who does it make sense to? God. He’s got everything all planned out (Jeremiah 29:11) and will work it for good (Romans 8:28) – not necessarily our good, but His.  What He asks of us is our patience (Romans 12:12) and our trust (Proverbs 3:5).  Those two words are easier said than done, but it’s what He requires.  We won’t, however, have to go it alone – He says in Isaiah that when we go through the hard, difficult, and confusing times that He will be with us (43:1-6).  

So when you go through hard and confusing times in life, don’t just ask God for His help in your situation, also thank God for His presence and praise Him for His promises.  He will give you the strength and wisdom in your situation; it just may take a little time.  “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.” May it be so.

Shaped by the Cooperative Program

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. – Galatians 6:9-10

I may be a young Southern Baptist, but my life has been shaped by the Cooperative Program – an initiative begun by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1925 to help support missions and ministries locally, nationally, and internationally.  When people, through their churches, give to the Cooperative Program, the money doesn’t just go to one specific area or place, the money is sent to state convention missions and ministries and then a certain remainder of that (depending on the state) is sent on to the national level.  Once that money reaches the national level, it is then portioned out to five different areas of Southern Baptist life.  See the chart at the end of this blog post to understand exactly what these five areas include.  It is in some of these different areas where I see the story of my life and realize just how much the Cooperative Program has shaped me. 

Theological Education: Without the Cooperative Program, my dad would have been unable to attend seminary.  When I was six years old, my family moved from western North Carolina to Louisville, Kentucky so that my dad could pursue a Master of Divinity degree at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; something he had dreamed of since he was a teenager.  It was there he was able to learn and develop a passion for ministry; later passing that knowledge and passion on to me.  The Cooperative Program made it possible for tuition costs to be reduced for him so that he could attend and have a solid education at a seminary, and still be able to support and provide for me, my sisters, and my mom.

My family at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary ('97)

International Missions: Without the Cooperative Program, my family would have been unable to go to the mission field.  When I was ten years old, my family was called to Hong Kong as missionaries; a calling that my parents had since childhood.  At the time, many people questioned my parents as to why they would move themselves and their three daughters to a completely different country, away from family and friends.  Their response – “It’s the best thing we could do for them.”  They were so right.  Living overseas and watching the Great Commission being literally lived out before my eyes changed my mindset and my heart most definitely for the better.  The Cooperative Program made it possible for the International Mission Board to send us overseas and provide for us halfway around the world.

My family as missionaries in East Asia ('99)

SBC Operating Budget: Without the Cooperative Program, I would not have the opportunity to be in the job in which I currently work.  I am employed by the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention as the Publications Specialist, a job that I regularly call my “dream job” because of how much I love this denomination.  When I was a younger adult, I didn’t really know about the Executive Committee, but came to learn about it through attending the SBC Annual Meetings and volunteering as a Page.  The Annual Meetings helped develop my knowledge of the Southern Baptist Convention and invoke an even greater passion for it.  The Cooperative Program makes it possible not only for me to have a job here, but it also makes it possible for events like the Annual Meeting to happen so that the denomination can continue to grow and flourish.

Volunteering as a SBC Page at the 2012 Annual Meeting in New Orleans

It’s so humbling to sit back and look at the short story of my life and see how the Cooperative Program has shaped it.  Without the Cooperative Program, so much of what my life is today would have never been possible – I wouldn’t know the things I know, love the things I love, or dream the way I dream without it. 

We young people may not say it enough, but thank you Southern Baptists for believing in and giving to an initiative where you may be unable to see the fruits of your gifts.  Still today, your gifts are making dreams for theological education, international missions, operations of the denomination, as well as national missions and representation in the political arena, possible and able to continue. 

What kind of legacy will you leave behind? One where God is a close second or where He is number one? One where you go to church whenever you feel like it or one where you invest yourself in His work in His house? One where you keep to yourself or one where you shine His light in your words and actions? Let’s be resolute in continuing to support and uphold a legacy of giving so that the Cooperative Program has the chance to do and shape even more lives for the furtherance of the Kingdom.

Galatians 6:9-10 says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”  Your gifts to the Cooperative Program allow good to happen all across this world.  Don’t grow weary in your giving; you are making a difference, you are impacting lives for the Gospel, you are shaping lives – just like you have shaped mine – and one day we will all reap the gift of gathering together in heaven to worship the God we serve as one body, united in Him.  What a day that will be!

Blessings from Raindrops

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:9

Corrie Ten Boom said, “Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is perfect preparation for the future only He can see.”  It’s easy to look at this quote and think about the good experiences and how those have prepared us for future events.  But it’s hard when the experience God gives us is a hard one – one where we find ourselves in a valley of grief, loss, and heartache.  

It goes against our understanding to imagine blessings coming from difficult times, but they most definitely can.  These blessings won’t be immediately visible and it may take some time before you fully understand why God allowed you to walk through the valley – but His “ways are higher” and His “thoughts are higher” (Isaiah 55:9).  AND God will be there to walk the valley with you; going before you every step of the way (Deuteronomy 31:8). 

God is a good, good Father, full of compassion, mercy, and grace and even the hard experiences He gives us are preparation for the future only He can see.  Remember - He knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and He works all things together for His good (Romans 8:28)!

Abba Father – thank you that Your blessings come from raindrops, Your healing through tears, and that the trials of our lives are Your mercies in disguise.  Claim Philippians 4:8 today and think of all the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy things He has blessed you with!