Using Caution

Cautiously ask the Lord to break your heart for 

what breaks His...because He will!

Digging up sweet potatoes in our garden I was so burdened by the children in Congo. My heart hurts! Tears are shed often for them! We live in the land of plenty. Actually, we live in the land of disgusting excess! 

Luke 12:48 says, "Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater." 

(Living Bible)

But what does this mean? So many in our society are considered low income and in a poverty stricken state. Millions are homeless! Who determines who has been given a lot and who has a little? Neighbors? The Government? You?

In thinking on this I am reminded of the poor widow who gave all she had and the rich who gave out of their wealth. Who gave more, the woman who gave two pennies or those who gave hundreds of dollars? Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all.” (The Message)

This verse says that this woman trusted she would be provided for. It also is saying despite what you have or have not been given, you are expected to contribute. (Not only have I heard the excuse but I have made it, "I don't have enough to live on myself! I have nothing to give.") In giving out of little or giving a lot, you are trusting that the Lord your God will provide for your every need! 

Trusting fully in Christ is one thing I have learned while my husband was away in Congo and Nigeria. Especially Nigeria. Not only was he out of work for those weeks, which obviously means zero income for our household, but he was in a foreign land where Muslims sought out Christians to kill and had no form of communication home. Being unable to talk to him, just as a reassurance he was okay, was difficult and required the kind of trust in the Lord that I had not fully known...until now. 

As a Christian, would Jesus be pleased with your heart? Do you give what you would not miss? We hold on tight because we do not want to be without! We are scared of growing old without a retirement plan, two cars and a vacation home. 

Where is your trust? Is it in that phone call from your significant other (as it was with me)? Is it in a strong portfolio? How about in your children? Your parents? Your job? Your bank account? Where is your trust, really?

These things are not bad! However, they can become bad when we rely fully on them to provide for our needs, rather than turning to Christ to take that position.

Out of our personal excess (comparatively speaking), I feel we are called to give! In my families world that means giving time, energy, prayers, love, money and clothing to those in desperate need! 

Those dear, sweet children in the Congo have not known what it is like to have plenty. But they know what it is like to trust. We could learn from them. Looking solely to the Father to provide. 

Seek first the Kingdom of God. Not the kingdom of plenty. 

Trusting in the unseen is never easy...but when you open up your heart to believe Jesus will provide, He will protect, He will keep His promises - He IS who He claimed to be, you let yourself off the hook of trying to control every situation and you allow the Holy Spirit to MOVE! 


I implore you, Get out of the way, Give it to Him. He knows what to do, He can handle it and in return, you will have a relationship with your heavenly Father that is immeasurable!

He continues to provide because we believe He will!

Lesson Learned!

 

"Look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant or gather crops. They don’t put away crops in storerooms. But your Father who is in heaven feeds them. Aren't you worth much more than they are?"

Matthew 6:26

God is Bigger

When Satan (and maybe a few individuals) told us that a 

clothing ministry was impossible, we told him/them 

God was bigger. 

When doubt entered our minds about getting clothing to 

these children, we told those doubts 

God was bigger. 

When our world was flooded with confusion, expenses and 

needs, we told those things 

God was bigger.

 When we would hear whispers that we were nobodies and 

were unable to start a ministry such as this, 

we laughed and said,

You are right! But our God is bigger! 

God is seeing Ovadia Ministries through. 

This is not our doing but the work fully of the Lord Jesus! 

To Him be all the Glory, Honor and Praise! 

One of the 3 bags packed full of shoes/clothes  

               

Beautiful little girl holding her brother

                                       

 Sweet little face

On the Hunt!

God has an agenda. 


When God considers a task, He searches for a friend of the kingdom to join 

the fight. Who is willing? Who will be His ally on the ground? Who is up for a 

great adventure? If we decline, He’ll knock on the next door. 


“You are somebody’s answer. You are something’s answer. There is a

problem out there only your presence can solve. There is a broken and 

wounded heart to which only you can administer healing. You are a voice 

to the mute. You are beauty  amid desolation. You are not a victim; you 

are an answer. Imagine the power in this change of perspective.”


When I read that…I went “WOW”!!! That is such a powerful realization, ya’ 

know? I found it flattering to know that God TRUSTS me not to screw up 

someone’s life – this person or people he has chosen for me - with my words 

or actions, but rather BLESS them, heal them, or make them feel the love they 

have never felt, that can only be by and through HIM! It made me excited…

almost like a “TREASURE HUNT”!

A little history...AFRICA...and the birth of Ovadia Ministries

This year, I may have an exciting adventure. I have poured out my heart to God through prayer, song and tears. Asking for His blessing for me to set foot on African soil. This very well may come to fruition. If not this year, then soon!

It is no secret our faithful God has laid on my heart the needs of the children of Africa. There was a time when I was specific about a location. In my own arrogance I TOLD the Lord where I was going and where I was NOT! I made it very clear to Him (and everyone who would listen to me babble on about it) what I would do and would not do.

Many many years ago I thought I would go into the medical field. I though with my medical training I would be able to better serve the children of Africa who have contracted HIV/AIDS. I went through a trade school, which was unaccredited at the time - stupid me - and graduated on Dean's List as a Medical Assistant. 

A few years ago I thought the Lord was taking me to Africa to love on the children, to just lend a helping hand. Then I was thinking maybe sign language was the way I wanted to go. I went through several classes, to the point where I was able to take the state exam to become 'ASL certified' to be an interpreter for the deaf or hard of hearing. The desire wasn't strong enough to pursue fully.

As I sat at a desk working for a nonprofit organization, reviewing nonprofit organizations, I started to wonder 'Is this job just a stepping stone for me? What am I supposed to be learning while doing all this tediousness?' Prayers went up as I was deciding Christ's direction for my life. In all honesty, prayers continue to go up for direction.

After working for the same office for over four years, I prayerfully decided to stay home with our newborn daughter. I knew this meant being poor, very poor. I knew this meant cutting back on anything that was a want. But I also knew that I had faith that the Lord would be our provider. In this time, I put my full trust in Him.

In no way am I suggesting it was easy or that, in the beginning disconnect notices didn't flow in or rent was a month late, making it two months due or that we didn't know where the next meal would come from. There were a few times I cried out to God 'WHY?' However, in all of it, I still strongly felt I was meant to be home with our children. Every time I'd cry out, the Lord provided. None of the utilities were cut off, we didn't get evicted, random checks would show up in the mail and loving people (sometimes strangers) would deliver meals. All of this without us asking or telling anyone what we needed! Who can't see God in that?

The year 2012 was a pretty big year for my husband and I. He has fully surrendered his life to Christ's call and has stepped up to lead a new youth group. His testimony has brought many to want to know more about the God we serve. He was sponsored for the Walk to Emmaus and was forever changed! He has been a blessing to me in more ways than he will ever know. He is becoming the warrior Jesus wants him to be!

I was extremely blessed to lead a ladies bible study about dancing with Jesus. And OH, How I Did Dance in His arms! In this study I learned that my God fights for me, He is my defender! He is my fortress, my refuge! The Walk to Emmaus was an experience I pray I never forget! I grew so much spiritually this year.

The Lord has paired us together for a reason! And man am I glad He did!!

Fast forward into the new year - 2013. 

A dozen months have gone by where I have prayed, and have had my husband pray about sending clothes to the orphans in Africa. How do you do that? How can we afford to do that even if we figure out HOW to do that? I need connections - Lord, please send me connections! And why clothes? Why not funds? That's so much easier, less complicated. But with God, nothing is complicated!! Through Him all things are possible.

Doors opened...prayers are answered...donations are welcome and needed (any for infants up to 15 years)...and a plan is being established. We are in deep prayer about starting the nonprofit organization to meet the needs of the orphaned in Africa. Today the clothes will go to several villages in the Congo (the place I TOLD the Lord I was NOT going)! Tomorrow it may be Sudan or Uganda (the place I TOLD Him I WAS going). I dare NOT tell the Lord where or what I will be doing, instead I say 'Lead the way!'

Right now I am simply being obedient to the call; I am praying a lot...and I am learning to stop and LISTEN to His response.

Yesterday, He spoke to me! Well, not audibly but by His Word. Through days of prayer, actually begging for His voice, His presence, His vision through starting Ovadia Ministries, I heard Him loud and clear. Through a tender kiss from my daughter's baby doll as she sat beside me while I prayed, I felt Him say "I'm with you and you are My Princess." When I opened my Bible, immediately I was open to Proverbs 16. I cried. The Lord DOES speak! We just have to open our hearts to listen!

Proverbs 16:3

Commit your work to the Lord,

and your plans will be established.

Meaning behind the name Ovadia Ministries:

Ovadia is Hebrew and means "Worker of the Lord" or "God's Servant"

(The mission statement for Ovadia Ministries is being derived.)

True Christianity is this...

Lately I have been convicted of how I treat people. In this, I am learning that everyone needs LOVE, right where they are. Without judgement! Isn't that what Jesus did? Didn't He go to the sick, to the lame, to the blind, to the woman at well, to the sinner - didn't He see all their needs immediately? Didn't He give them hope, right where they were? Through rolling peppers, didn't Jesus meet my husband right where he was in Wal-Mart produce isle? Didn't Jesus come for me, right where I was? Right there with a hangover, right there dancing the night away in a club, right there in my brokenness, my anger, my hurt, my rage -- right there when I had my back to Him? 

We are all sinners - Jesus came for us. Jesus came for ME, for YOU, for US!

He came to me...all I had to do was turn around. Turn around to face Him. In doing so, I turned my back to the sin. I cannot continue walking forward in Christ if my eyes are focused on the rear view mirror.

I can totally relate to Paul in so many ways. One of the most profound of statements made by him in the New Testament comes from his letter to Timothy. 

"I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He judged me faithful and appointed me to His service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a [wo]man of violence. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners---of whom I am the worst."

Paul goes on to say, "But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the worst of sinners, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in Him for eternal life." 1 Timothy 1:12-13, 15-16

In my conviction, I prayed to receive the full mind of Christ. Not just to know His Word but to wear HIS mind - to think the way He does and to act the way He does. Luckily we don't have to guess how to do this. We have explicit instruction in Philippians. Imitating Christ's humility takes action from us. In order for me to move forward in Him, I so desperately needed to remove all the impurities. For months, I had been praying Psalm 139, "Search me, O Lord, and know my heart,". 

In my personal life, I discovered there was an area of un-forgiveness that needed to be addressed and it needed immediate attention! I won't say with whom or the exact situation but I will say that after MUCH prayer, I moved forward, the Holy Spirit took over, I was able to witness to this unbeliever and healing began. I felt free from a huge dark weight that I had been dragging behind me for years. Philippians 2:3 was my encouragement. It was how I was able to humble myself...because I was COMMANDED to do so! So, out of "humility [I] regard others as better than [my]self." That's HARD! Think about it. How arrogant are you? Do you look at someone and think that by chance you have a better life? They clean your hotel room with a smile, you can't imagine where that smile comes from because they are cleaning YOUR room. That maybe you are more spiritual because you sing louder, raise your hands, pray more in public. Maybe the Lord has shown you more favor because you give more in the offering plate than the unwed-single-mom next to you in the pew. Maybe during a social gathering you walk with your head held high because you are wearing exactly what everyone else isn't. Or maybe it's purely internal. You don't behave with outward arrogance. Maybe in your mind you judge according to a person's past life, current situation or even what church they do (or do not) attend.   

When you and I humble ourselves and begin to look at one another as being better than ourselves, things change! You change! I have changed! The world can change!

Jesus was GOD and He came to meet YOU, ME, the Gentiles, the Jews, the Samaritans, the WORLD right here, where we are! In our brokenness, in our distress, in our joy, in our sufferings, in our sin, in our shame, in our depression, in our darkness. He "emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, and being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death---even death on a cross." Philippians 2:7-8

I know that the Lord has a calling on my life. I have a passion that burns deep for Africa. I understand (as it continues to be revealed) that one day, I will serve as His hands and His feet in this beautiful land. I am growing in Spirit and in His truth every day. I pray you are too. From the depths of my soul I never want to grow stagnate in my faith. I want to rejoice, even in my sufferings "because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5

Most of all, I want to insure that I always have on Jesus' brain, His mind, His likeness. I want to be just like Him in all my ways. I want to cast my crowns at His thrown, bow down and simply worship. Commending my life to His hands. I vow to look up when I'm feeling down, to remember the sacrifice that was made for a sinner like me and to condone the person, condemn the sin and not the other way around! Because I am absolutely no better than you, my sister or brother!