Archive - Personal Growth RSS Feed

You can be an Answer to Prayer

September 20, 2011 in Leadership, Personal Growth with 3 Comments

Last Friday, we were invited to a birthday party for another missionary kid who has recently moved to Mexico from another Latin American country. He would be turning six years old, and his name is Nathan. Our Nathan was so excited to get to play with another six year old boy who speaks English (our kids have lots of friends, but they all speak Spanish).

Friday was a holiday for us (Mexican Independence Day), and to be honest I didn’t really want to go out on a day when I could just hang out at home all day. But we went to the birthday party anyway. When we got there, I was happy we went because we were the only family with kids who were at the party. Our kids had a blast playing with the four kids from the other Nathan’s family.

The other Nathan’s mom said to us, “You guys are an answer to prayer. We have people in the USA who have been praying that our kids will find friends here.”

Continue Reading…

King Hezekiah’s work

April 29, 2011 in Personal Growth with 1 Comment

Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and faithful before the Lord his God. (21) And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered. - 2 Chronicles 31:20-21

I want to be like King Hezekiah. As I read this passage this morning I thought about what verse 21 meant and how it applies to my own life and work. 

Hezekiah did his work with ALL HIS HEART. He sought God first, doing what was right in His eyes. Then he worked hard at it, toiling with all his heart, and he prospered.

I have to ask myself if I am working as hard as I possibly can. If I am doing everything I can to get the job done. If my whole heart is in it. There is no room for half-hearted work. I must be all in.

I read a quote the other day by Lowell Thomas, “Do a little more each day than you think you possibly can.” I think that Hezekiah would agree with that quote. We must work with all our hearts. What we are doing is too important for anything less. There is no time for procrastination.

May We Never be so Happy…

March 10, 2011 in Personal Growth with 0 Comments

Today we woke up to a lot of rain and gloomy skies. A quick check of Facebook showed a lot of our friends complaining about the rain. It made me remember this song by Andrew Peterson called “The Land of the Free.” The whole song is incredible. I love the end where he says, “May we never be so happy that we forget about our home, our home in the land of the free.”

Time management and IKEA

February 2, 2011 in Personal Growth with 0 Comments

Ingvar Kamprad is the founder of IKEA, the furniture store. I was recently looking at an infograph comparing him and Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, and I came across this quote from him, “You can do so much in 10 minutes time. Ten minutes, once gone, are gone for good. Divide your life into 10-minute units and sacrifice as few of them as possible in meaningless activity.”

That is pretty good advice. It reminds me of Psalm 90:12, which says, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

What are some things that are meaningful that you can do in 10 minutes? How many of those 10 minute increments do you spend in meaningless activity? I wonder how many of those 10 minute increments I spend in meaningless activity. I sure don’t want to waste my life 10 minutes at a time.

Summer Camp and Seminary

January 22, 2011 in features, Personal Growth with 0 Comments

Yesterday I came home from the last course I have to take to finish my MA in Theology from Columbia International University. I’ve been taking courses there for longer than I care to admit, and I’m relieved and excited to have endured this long to finish.

CIU’s extension program requires all participants to take at least 50% of their classes on campus. These courses are usually taken in the winter or the summer as intensive, week-long courses. Despite the travel cost and scheduling problems, I love this option.

I was sitting with a group of my classmates on Friday at lunch, and we started talking about how Seminary classes at CIU were similar to summer camp. I had an eight hour drive staring me in the face, and I still was happy to squeeze an extra 45 minutes into my time there. I think I’ve figured out why.

Being at CIU is a time to be with like-minded individuals. We are all involved somewhat in ministry leadership positions. Our time at CIU, despite being mentally exhausting because of 8 hour class days also gives us time to no longer be in our ministry positions. We are just “the guy I sit next to in class.” It’s great to step out of a leadership role and become just another guy. It’s exciting to hear what God is doing in the lives of other people. And it is definitely exciting to sit with some of the greatest academic minds in different fields.

I’m glad my last week is over, but I know I will miss the week-long trips to Columbia, South Carolina. Those times will be fondly remembered, along with the friends I’ve made during my time there. Who knows…maybe I’ll keep studying…just for the fun of it.

Completion

January 11, 2011 in features, Personal Growth with 0 Comments

There are two things I’m working on (among many) right now. One is to finish reading the Bible again (I didn’t make it in 90 days), and the other is to memorize the book of Philippians.

There is a huge difference between reading the Bible as rapidly as possible, which gives you a great idea of the grand scheme of the Scripture, and memorizing verses. Both are equally challenging.

Today I was reviewing Philippians 1:6, which is one of the verses I remember from a long time ago.

It says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

The truth in this verse shook me, reminding me that God will bring to completion the good work He has started in me. He’s not done with us yet. He’s still working on us. We are His workmanship, but He will complete us in the day of Christ Jesus. It reminded me of the song I used to sing in Sunday School as a child:

He’s still working on me
To make me what I ought to be
It took Him just a week
to make the moon and the stars
The sun and the earth and
Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient He must be
He’s still working on me.

Thank God for reminding me that I have not arrived. I still have many things that I need Him to complete. But I’m glad He’s started on me, and I’m happy that He is the one who will bring that good work to completion.

An Unlikely Gift at the Best Time

November 9, 2010 in Personal Growth, YMI with 0 Comments

For the last few months our financial support has been low. We had to pay Youth Ministry International back for the plane ticket to the YMI Summit in France, and our reserve funds have disappeared. I was speaking about this with Anna, the administrative assistant at YMI, and she reminded me that God would provide for our needs.

A few days later, I received a message from her telling me that we had received a $400 special gift for our ministry. Her message (although she didn’t say it) had “I told you to trust” written all over it. I thank God for reminding me that He is in control and that He will provide for all our needs. He is faithful to us always.

Page 4 of 17« First...«23456»10...Last »