Indian summer intersects with ministry

Today has been just a glorious day ~ Indian summer has arrived in Belgium, and just yesterday when I glanced at the five day weather forecast, there were too many rainy and cloudy days looming on the horizon.  But just now, that same forecast shows sunny days and 70 degrees on all five days that are coming before us.  

It's Thursday today, and in my ministry world, this day is reserved for working with women.  We started out with our second week of studying about prayer in my home.  I am blessed to be studying with some of the most amazing women in Belgium.  At one point in our prayers this morning, we said "God, we just feel like dancing".  So many things that we had prayed over last week have been answered in ways that we couldn't ever have imagined.  Lives being transformed, health being restored, immigration issues being resolved.  We are keenly aware of how God answers our prayers when our hearts are pure before Him.

And then it was off to my next group of women, and today we had to be mobile.  So our snacks weren't the usual coffee and tea, just juice boxes and water.  We shared boxes of raisins, the new harvest of clementines (little tangerines), grapes that just burst with sunshine.  Since we were being mobile today anyway, and since the sun was just shining so brightly, we just sat around the picnic table and enjoyed a surprise dose of Vitamin D.  Our project today was making jewelry together, and each friend went back to her world with a new necklace or pair of earrings.

Some of our work tools ~

I love it when life surprises us!  When a girl gets weary of the rain forecast only to find that sun is bursting forth all over....that's a nice surprise.  When a group starts small and then grows to where there isn't enough room around the table....that's a nice surprise.  When God answers our prayers even when we're thinking "does God even hear me?"....that's a nice surprise.  

I like surprises....how about you?

Time to go work in the garden.  Fall is here, but spring will come.  Have to get my tulip bulbs in the ground :-)

Living abundantly in an era of scarcity

What happens when you get a bunch of missionary colleagues spread out across Europe together for a couple of days of staff meetings and retreat?  Competitive edges come out all over the place when you try to have a bit of fun!  We always have a fun night together, and this year our teams were orange, yellow and purple, as noted by the brightly colored bandana scarves that we all were wearing.  Whether you chose to wear your bandana as a fashion statement (as most of the women did, quite European fashion tied loosely around your neck), or as a pirate scarf on your forehead, or looped loosely through your jean belt hole (that was the typical male fashion statement), or as a babushka scarf (this missionary shall remain unnamed!).....there sure was a lot of laughter going on in the room that night.  We laughed a lot, found out who really likes to win (and this time, it wasn't me!), learned a lot about animals and things related to the sea, and celebrated an amazing time together as colleagues in ministry but more importantly as family in the body of Christ.  Our speaker began our time together with confessions of a Costco lover, and brought us into teachings about "God as a God of abundance and how God understands a key part of our brokenness is the lie of scarcity.  God deliberately and intentionally gives enough.  He delights in unexpected surprises.  And He wants us to walk through life believing in His abundance."  I will never be able to stock up on supplies again without revisiting the words that were taught to us during this important week of meetings.  (And remember: I'm one of those missionaries who had to purchase 3 years of supplies and pack barrels for each term of service in the heart of Africa!)

Preparing a place for reflection and worship

One of our last assignments was to go for a walk on the grounds of the retreat center and thank God for His abundance.  As I left the room, I quickly went back to fetch my camera, so that I could document the things that I would see in the next 3-5 minutes that represented to me evidence of God's abundance.  Enjoy with me what I saw on that walk....

Thankful for my new bike in Belgium!

Thankful for the ability to read!

Thankful for the beauty of God's creation!

Thankful for good friends (and competitive spirits!)

Guess what we're thankful for in this photo??
this was a major paella dish, and Pia said that
 it was small compared to what they use in Spain! 

So thankful for the love of my life!

Thankful for new colleagues and friends ~

Thankful for memories and color~

Consider these words from King David in 1 Chronicles 29:10-16...

David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly saying, "Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.  Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.  In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?  Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand".

Are you experiencing a life of abundance lived out in service to our God who gives to us abundantly, amidst our present generation that worries if there will ever be enough?  Food for thought.