Perspective

 

 I woke up and did a load of laundry this morning in my bargain $25 washing machine after ours broke down!  It proceeded to flood all over the floor because it didn't detect when it was full.  As I mopped the floor I cried and thought,  "Why me????"  I'm trying to save every last penny for our call to missions.  Why does everything have to go wrong when I'm trying so hard to do good.  And then it hit me as if someone slapped me up side the head....A friend just posted about "Perspective" because today is Good Friday!  Jesus came to live among us and do good and what did we do?  We tried Him, beat Him, tortured Him and crucified Him.  He accepted this so that we could live a life of forgiveness.  So forgive me Father for pitying myself when there are so many in this world without a 1/8 of the luxuries that I live with. 

And a remarkable side note.....as soon as I stopped crying and realized that I have a personal Savior that loved me enough to die for me.....Brian noticed that a part had come unplugged that caused it to overflow. He plugged it back in and it works beautifully.  So thank you Jesus for blessing me when I remember to give my life to you!

"No Fear In Missions" by Sydney Bland

      My sweet daughter Sydney wanted to encourage me after my last post.   She wrote this paper for her Social Work class.  I couldn't be more proud if I tried!  I am one blessed Mama!

 

The other day I was laughing with a few friends about the things we used to be afraid of.  My biggest fear when I was five was E.T.  The little alien who simply wanted to make it back home had me absolutely terrified.  Cruelly, my parents got me the movie for my fifth birthday and I hid through the entire film.  Recently I have been thinking of how my fears have changed over the years, going from E.T. to going to the orthodontist, to entering high school, to having to leave high school, to growing up and learning how to walk in God’s path.  But a fear that has been drawing more of my attention is one that is not my own, but belongs to my parents.

            My parents decided about a year and a half ago that they would quit their jobs and go into the mission field.  They have notified their jobs, sold our house, and have been accepted as full time missionaries in Go MAD (Make A Difference) Ministry.  There they will be helping to run a health clinic at a school and working with sex trafficking slaves.  One would think their biggest fear for all of this might be safety, financial support, or leaving behind their old lives,  but recently the biggest one they have been fearful of is having our friends or family turn their backs on them.  While many people have been fully encouraging and uplifting, there are also quite a few that do not agree and that have not been afraid to share that with my parents.  Needless to say, not having the support of some close friends and relatives has been very difficult on them.  I did not understand why anyone would not be supportive of their listening to and obeying God, and I quickly realized that the only way to know how to handle this situation would be to turn to God.

            God has placed 1 Thessalonians 2:4 on my heart lately.  In the New Living Translation this reads, “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News.  Our purpose is to please God, not people.  He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”  This passage has brought joy to my heart.  In this I have seen three truths as to why we should not be fearful to follow God’s call into missions, or of other people’s objecting words.  These are because God trusts us with His message, we are working for God, and lastly because God knows our hearts.

            The first truth that God trusts us with His message is both extremely joyous and overwhelming when first heard.  God’s message is the greatest news we will ever here.  The One who is of highest power, who created the earth and everything in it, has not only conquered death through His beloved son, but has made it so we never have to be apart from Him.  God has the victory and loves us, and has sent His Spirit to live with us and guide us.  Nothing we ever hear will be able to beat this.  Not only has God told us this, but He trusts us with this message.  God calls us and commands that we tell the world of the best news we have ever heard.  Psalm 96:3 says “Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!” It is God’s plan for us to spread this message like fire.  Hearing that we are God’s plan can seem very intimidating at first, until we remember that God will guide us.  His Spirit is with us, so we need to remember that it is God working in us to complete His task.  That is the only way we are able to accomplish it.  When God calls us to missions He is not only trusting us with His precious message, but is fully equipping us to deliver it.

            The second truth that we are working for God is very applicable in our daily lives.  The verse says that it is our purpose to please God, not people.  This should come as a huge relief.  So often we put our worth into pleasing others, especially as a young female.  One of the last things we would want to do is upset someone or have someone not like us.  But this passage states it pretty clearly that making sure others are happy with us is not what is important.  I have found that a great majority of the time when we please God we end up pleasing others as well, but God wants the focus on Him.  Jesus tells us that our most important commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  He calls this the first and greatest commandment, then tells us the second is to love your neighbor has yourself.  While Jesus is not disregarding the importance of others, He shows us that still God is greater.  We are to love people, but listen to God’s voice above theirs.  We need others to partner with us as God’s Kingdom and to pray for us constantly, but ultimately God is our authority.  This means that, without a question, our call to missions from God should be trusted and obeyed over other people’s doubts or offending words.

            The last truth that we see in 1 Thessalonians 2:4 is the truth that God knows our hearts.  Our God is all knowing, more-so than we could even imagine.  God knows the motives of our hearts, and that means that only He has the ability to judge our actions.  We do not have to be fearful of other’s thoughts or opinions, because they do not know our hearts like our God does.  Other good news that goes along with God knowing our hearts is that this means God knows what we are capable of.  He will never send us into anything that we are not able to handle, or that we are not able to handle without His help.  When applying this to God sending us as His messengers, ultimately this truth should leave us fearless.  God will equip us when He sends us to spread His message.

            If anyone has any doubts about obeying their call from God to missions, I sincerely hope this verse would clear that up for them.  God has given us the greatest news of His victory and trusts us to tell the world of it, expanding His Kingdom to the ends of the earth.  He tells us that we only need to focus on pleasing Him, because He is our King.  All the while God lets us see that He completely knows us, making it so we can put our full trust in Him.  No matter if God is sending us across the country or calling us to stay and serve in our own community while praying for those going afar, we can put our complete faith into the plan that God has for us.  We can be fearless in doing the work of our God.  No fear of ours’ or anyone else’s can prevent the spread of God’s Kingdom.

           

FRUSTRATED!!!!

 
 Please Jesus help me understand! Give me the right words....Give me strength to smile, walk away and pray for the judgmental comments of other's.  Help me only see myself as YOU see me!


    I do not see how people sit in church and listen to scripture after scripture and then tell my family that we shouldn't move and that we should stay here and help "our own".   I totally want to vomit when I hear the words "our own"!  We are ALL God's children.... aren't we????  I don't know about you but I don't remember filling out a questionnaire before I was born asking me my preference on what country I would like to live in!  And by the way....I love the United States and all of our agency's and churches that are helping in this country although it's not perfect....our basic needs are WAYYYYYYYYYY better off that 3/4 or more of the world. 

I recently had someone say right in front of my children, "You shouldn't leave, you are so loved and respected and safe here.  There.... you will probably get a gun pointed at your head."   

SERIOUSLY????  

 I have to say I have never walked up to somebody and gave them my opinion on where they should work, who they should or shouldn't help AND place fears into their children's heads!!!! 

You will also NEVER hear me say that I think you are wrong for staying here and not moving overseas.  Everybody has their roles and it's their personal relationship with Jesus that will answer your own calling on who to disciple to.

No where in the Bible does Jesus say, "Stay warm and comfy and safe in your home.  Do not trust me to take care of you....lean only on yourself to meet your needs." 

What the Bible DOES say is:

James 2 14-17
<sup>What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.



The Bible also does not say, "Only take care of people in your own country and let them know about my love of specific people."

It actually says:</sup>

Matthew 28:19-20

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Mark 16:15   
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.


I know I am not going to solve the world's problems by myself, but if I can open a few eyes along the way to aiding what I consider my brothers then I will say to my God one day, "My faith in you was the best thing I could show them."
 

What are we taking for granted?

I saw this today and it truly spoke to me.  My main job when we move to the Dominican Republic will be offering more services at our children's health clinic.  So I have been doing research on many different classes we could offer because I believe that education is key to changing our habits.  I found some wonderful brochures to give out to the parents that I currently use in our community.  I was thrilled to discover that they are offered in Spanish.  The thrill quickly vanished when I began reading the topics and the reality of our differences soaked in.  My heart began to break over how some of the world has the basic needs covered and a large part still lives without.

Here are some of the topics that made my heart break even more for the parents that love their children just as much as I do but have no resources to help their babies like I do.

1. "You Children's Mental Health:  What is Essential?"   For good mental health, you children need-

• a safe place to live and play
• the right amount of health food to eat

What factors might contribute to a young child's mental health problems?

• Illness
• exposure to lead, mercury or other environmental poisons
• abuse or neglect
• natural disaster that disrupts family life
• difficulties related to poverty

2.  "Fight Germs!  Wash your Hands!"  They live amongst contaminated water that must be boiled.

3.   "Importance of Vision and Hearing Screenings"  The children in these villages rarely see a doctor.

4.  "Your Babies Dental Health"  Most of the children in these areas do not even own a toothbrush.

5.   "Say Yes to Healthy Snacks!"  They are fortunate if they get 3 meals a day.

6.    "Keeping Your Children Safe in the Car"  Cars are extremely expensive. 

So I am choosing to embrace all that the Dominican children are blessed with.....the love of each other in their community, the freedom to run and play without distractions of electronics.  :)  Their desire for education and their sweet personalities.....but I am determined to provide the basic health care that should be every child's right.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18


Will you consider partnering with me to Make A Difference???? 

www.gomadministries.org -  Click on Make a Donation.  On the 'Program Designation' drop down box choose "Brian and Jenny Bland.

What if He Meant You?

Sometimes, we find it easiest to look the other way.

Sometimes, we believe He isn't talking to us.

Sometimes, we figure someone else will do it.

Sometimes, we blow it off as someone elses responsibility.

But what if... God meant for you to do it?

As we were talking to someone the other day about support for our mission work we heard the all to common comment of 'go ask this church- or go ask that church'.

But what I sometimes think we forget is WE ARE THE CHURCH.

And often times we use the church as our excuse to not have to do what we are called as individuals to do.

We hide behind the title 'the church' and forget the church is made up of individual Christ followers who are all to do their own part.

Because after all, He is a personal God.

Personal to me- and personal to you.

While the church as a whole is powerful enough to knock out poverty- it's going to take all of us to do our part to make it happen- or it never will.

And yet all too often we sit and we wait...

For someone else to take care of the problem...

For someone else to give...

For someone else to serve...

For someone else to do something about it...

And we excuse ourselves of our individual responsibility.

When perhaps He was talking to us all along...

In the past I have talked a lot on my blog about our ties to money- and what the Lord has been teaching us. As we are raising funds for missions, more than ever before, our eyes are being opened to our cultures connection to the almighty dollar.

And more than ever before- I see how clearly it is the one thing that is bringing us, as a nation, down.

Our love for things...

and our love of self...

Over our love for Him.

I came across this picture the other day and I felt like someone punched me in the gut. I wondered how someone could just look the other way and go on without doing something to help?



But then it hit me..

Aren't we, in essence, doing this exact thing when we- choose that $6.00 latte over giving to missions?

When we choose to take a family vacation instead of giving our tithe?

Choose to have a pedicure over sponsoring a child in need?

Choose to look the other way as the homeless man sits on the corner begging for our help?

Choose a bigger house over adopting a child?

Choose to do nothing- when we could do something?

Choose not to respond.

Roman 14:12 tells us "Each of us will give an account of himself to God."

Belonging to a church isn't enough.

Each one of us, individually, are accountable to God for what we have done for the poor, the helpless, the widow and the orphan.

I once heard someone say the only thing worse than being lost- is being lost and knowing there is no one looking for you. As the body of Christ I believe the Lord is calling each one of us- as individuals- to open our eyes and LOOK. Look for the need and act.

Give.

Serve.

Love.

Take it personal-

Because He does.



Written by my sweet sister....Amy Block.