Life is...Time

Life is...Time

This morning my son woke up and came to give me a hug. Our routine is that I work in the morning until 7:30, and then we start homeschool. He seemed sad, and I asked him what was wrong. He said that I don’t have time to play with him I’m always working. 

I was thinking how can that be? I am almost always with my kids, but I also knew he was right: though I’m around it’s mostly teaching time, or work time, or getting things done around the house: food, doing laundry. While they are playing I’m trying to get other things done. So we abandoned the routine for the morning and we played a game. 

Am I too busy checking off the boxes that I’ve missed the point?

https://generationstogenerations.com/

Life is...A Question?

 Life is...A Question?

I was reminded over the last few weeks how powerful asking a question is.

I get to spend a lot of time with my kids: being a homeschool mom & working from home.

At VBS this year they had take home questions & one of them was - what is 1 thing you wish I knew about you.

I was tempted to not even ask the question- assuming I know everything about them since we’re together so much, but I asked. 

Rachel said “ I wanted to tell you that I am afraid of the shower curtain being closed and there’s a monster in the tub.” 

I told her I was happy to know that and that we could easily leave the shower curtain open. David said that he used to be afraid of that too and told her how he got over it. It was really special.

Then David said I’ve been trying to find a time to tell you this and I guess it’s now…. He went on to tell me about an incident with a friend that I knew about but a little bit more backstory on it. 

It was all very humbling to me, realizing that even though we spend so much time together, I need to ask more thought-provoking question.

Around the same time Chris got his haircut. He asked the woman cutting his hair how she was & she said OK. He thought by the way she answered that there was more to her response and asked a follow-up question. She was able to share some hard things that were going on in her life to a complete stranger. Sometimes people just need to know you care.

Would you join me in asking a question and being there to listen to someone today.

https://generationstogenerations.com/

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1882033

Life is...Why Now?

Life is...Why Now?

Why a mental health crisis now? 

Why the rise in mental health issues when we're finally getting out of the pandemic? 

When I've gone through difficult times I think...

"If I can just get through this part - THEN everything will be better."

And when the season passes and it's not all better it's devastating.

Life is still hard, even after the storm passes.

There's a rainbow, there's sunshine, but there will be another big storm or small thunderstorms and rain, BUT it's nothing to fear. 

 

There's a beautiful story about a storm in Matthew 4. 

The disciples and Jesus were in a boat and a great storm came upon them.

They cried out to Jesus, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And he awoke and and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be Still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 

He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" 

And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

What storm do you have in your life? 

What changes can take place if we are bold enough to... 

+ Cry out to Jesus.

+ Listen for Peace! Be Still!

+ Take in the great calm.

Jesus showed that he did care. 

Then and Now.

If you're struggling don't stay in the darkness alone. Cry out to Jesus. Call out to a friend, a counselor, a pastor, a helpline.

"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us." ~Psalm 62:8

Life is...Finishing Well

 Life is...Finishing Well

It's easy to show kindness to someone when they are around. 

BUT how you treat others when they aren't there shows your true character.

It's easier to start a journey well than to end well, but how you end a journey makes all the difference.

We end journeys big and small every day: jobs, relationships, conversations, putting the kids to bed at the end of a long day...

*That is a hard one for me. It's difficult to end the day well when I just want my kids to go to sleep, so I can have a few minutes to relax.

It's hard to end well. 

It's tiring. 

It's exhausting. 

It's frustrating. 

~2 Timothy 4:7 says "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 

The finish is crucial!

What if Jesus didn't finish well?

What if he stopped before the cross or before the resurrection?

We didn't need another great teacher. We needed a Savior!

He had to finish well.

Peter and Judas BOTH betrayed Jesus. It is how they finished that made all the difference. Judas wrongly believed he couldn't be forgiven. He wouldn't ask. He decided it was the end. Peter asked for forgiveness and FINISHED the journey well!

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." ~Galations 6:9

My prayer for you and for me is that we FINISH WELL!

Things that Change & Things that Don't

 Life is...Things that Change & Things that Don't

When I think of how to explain the last 9 months it almost seems impossible. How do you explain the craziness? It has been so life-altering & changes daily. I think this is the pinnacle of the destruction, the madness, the hurt, the heartache, the uncertainty - but it's not.

For me I can sum the changes into:

Fighter jets used to bring me a sense of peace

           -

Now they bring fear

So much has changed in 9 months

BUT...

God is still the same.

"For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." ~Malachi 3:6

There is NO OTHER place to put my hope. Everything has changed. Everything seems uncertain. EXCEPT God!

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is in him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah" ~Psalm 62:5-8

Will you join me on focusing on God and not on the headlines?

Will you join me in bringing TRUE Love, Hope, & Light into a world that DESPERATELY needs it?!

Christmas Sucks

 Life is...Christmas Sucks

(I actually wrote this a few years ago, but felt 2020 was a good year to post it).

Christmas - What a wonderful, magical time as a child. What a difficult, stressful, sad time as an adult.

As I sit here on Christmas night pondering what a difficult Christmas season it has been & I realize...

We idolize Christmas (the nativity & Jesus' birth) but it must have been awful giving birth in a stable. And later having to flee to Egypt to avoid being killed.

What was it like the 1st Christmas?

"and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." ~Luke 2:7

but what were Mary and Joseph thinking? 

"But Mary treasured up these things and pondered them in her heart." ~Luke 2:19

Maybe they were thinking...

-Is this really how God wanted His son to be born?

-Is this really the plan?

-I don't want to have a baby here!

But yet, under these circumstances, of a baby being born next to animals, the Salvation of the World came.

Don't let this small, well-known verse pass you by.

It is like God is telling us, even from the birth of His Son...

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." ~John 16:33

If the things that aren't really Christmas start to interrupt your Joy of the birth of the Savior - let them pass by. For Jesus came into the harsh world as a defenseless baby - born into extreme circumstances to be The Light of the World!!!!!

So, even though the Christmas season is hard - all of us have our own story and difficulties - when you start to think "Christmas Sucks!" Remember that in fact 

CHRISTMAS SAVES!!!!

For it was on Christmas that the Child was born into the world - the Child that would redeem all mankind.

Life is...Breastfeeding and a World Hurting

 Life is...Breastfeeding and a World Hurting

I was reminiscing this morning about when David and Rachel were babies. I was fortunate to be able to breastfeed them, and anytime they would get a cold or start to feel sick I would give them extra kisses deliberately trying to get the germs they had, because I knew I could fight it easier than they could. I was stronger, and I could pass those antibodies on to them. 

Now our world is facing extreme sickness. 

Physical, yes, but also emotional, mental, financial, spiritual...

I am not saying deliberately try to get sick (that would not be helpful), but the same thought process applies as it did when I was breastfeeding. 

I am strong. Let me help!

How can you help someone who is hurting? Are they physically sick, are they lonely, did they lose their job, have they lost hope? 

Since March we have prayed daily for our family's health, but we always ask for health so that we can bless others. 

"God, thank you for our health. Please continue to keep us healthy so that we can bless others. Be with those who are not healthy. Let us see them and be willing and able to help."

Right now I am strong. How can I help you?

Life is...An Obituary

 Life is...An Obituary

My Gma would have been 87 years old today. Sometimes I write as the emotions hit me. Sometimes I need to process in order to write.

My Gma died almost a month ago. I could share a million memories, but I'm not sure they would matter to you.

An obituary is fine but is so incomplete. Here is what I would say about my Gma.

1 Corinthians 13:13 was read at her funeral..."And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

My Gma lived out FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE.

And I would add JOY.

They weren't just words that she didn't put into action. She lived them out to show their purpose and their power.

Even during her last months, during a worldwide pandemic, she was teaching me. 

Here's what I learned through her Actions...

1. Even when I'm confused, scared, and hurting I want to be someone others want to be around. Someone who exemplifies JOY and HOPE.

2. Even during a pandemic of fear Gma showed LOVE and FAITH. She said but also showed that LOVE drives out Fear!

There is a great song by Kari Jobe "The Blessing" 

"May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children

In your coming, and your going
In your weeping, and rejoicing
He is for you, He is for you"

I feel comforted during the weeping and thankful for the amazing blessing that has come to me, because of the FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, and JOY from previous generations. 

May we continue it on to be a blessing to others.

Life is...What If?

Life is...What If?

What would happen if we simply let politicians know that we are praying for them?

How would it change their heart? How would it change ours?
I have a lot of opinions on what is happening, and I have a lot of ideas, but I can’t see the whole picture, no one can. What if we handed it over to the only One who can see the whole picture and see what God will do!?
What if we prayed for those making decisions, no matter if we agreed with them or not.
What will God do when we pray - not argue or demand - just pray!

Dear President, Representative, Governor, Mayor, School Board Member.....

During this extremely stressful and challenging time I just wanted to say I’m praying for you.

Praying for wisdom and understanding, praying for endurance, praying for your family, and praying you see the impact your decisions make.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him as God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Thank you,
Nancy 

Life is...Waiting 4 Death

Life is...Waiting 4 Death

Just rants. Just rants. Just rants.
No checking. No filter. No censoring. No...

Just pure emotion. Pure heartache.
Pure sadness.

Confusion.

What?
What am I supposed to do?
How do you wait?
How do you wait for someone you love to die?
How do you go on as normal?
How do you be there for them?
What is enough?
What is right?
What helps?
What?

Cry. Cry. Breakdown.
Grieving before the death.
Grieving as if death had already come.
Grief.
Pain.
Sadness.

What do I say?
Do I pretend everything is normal?
Do I breakdown?
Do I say everything I’ve said before?

Do you know?
Do you know how I feel?
Do you know how much you’ll be missed?
Do you know?

Memories
I have them.
No - it’s not enough.

Don’t say contrite things.
Don’t try to take away my sadness.
Let me be.
Let me mourn.
Let me.

It may not be right, but this is how I feel.

I love you Gma!

~Nancy Bruscher
www.GenerationsToGenerations.com
Dedicated to Capturing Memories
Blog: https://lifeisbynancy.blogspot.com

Skinny Jeans

Life is...Skinny Jeans

So, I have a pair of skinny jeans in my closet with the note "Before I was pregnant - fit into them again." It's been almost 8 years & 

I'm throwing them away! 

It is not a real incentive to eat better or workout more. It does make me feel like a failure. I don't think my hips will ever go back to the way they were - and that's ok. 

I'm not giving up on being healthy and feeling good, but I don't need jeans I wore before I was pregnant to gauge how I'm doing health wise. It's like a scale - personally I don't see the purpose for one in my home. I know if I am gaining weight or losing weight without a number. And I'm grateful my parents didn't have one in the house growing up. Some of the high school memories I think about often is...
-When I would go on a walk with my mom, and she would tell me how beautiful I was. I didn't think I was, but I knew she truly believed it and that mattered. 
-When I was at a restaurant with my parents and some of their friends, and someone commented that I was eating too much. My mom put them in their place right away. "You will not talk to my daughter that way." 
Funny that I think about that so often; probably because most of us think about our looks or our weight A LOT.
I didn't really want to tell those two stories, but felt for some reason I should. I hope it's helpful.

Here's what I would hate, for someone's first thought of me to be..."Oh yeah, she got back into those jeans she wore before she was pregnant."
Wow, who cares?
So why would I keep them?
I have things in my life that I actually care about. That I actually want to do. 

So goodbye skinny jeans! Hello goals that I actually care about!

*Thank you for reading my blog - you can follow by email in the upper, left side!

David's First Blog

Life is...David's First Blog

"It's been really hard the last few weeks. It's been really hard, because we haven't been able to go out of the house. We haven't been able to go to church at daytime. We haven't been to go to church at nighttime. We haven't been able to go to the rec center pool. It's been really hard." 

~David

I hugged him and said, "I know!"
"Let's think of things we are thankful for."

"Not now, Mom."
That's ok - sometimes you just need time to be sad.

I was so proud of him - that night he had a whole list of things he was thankful for - he just needed time.

When the pressure of this quarantine season gets to us everyone in our family reacts differently...

-David talks

-Chris is positive

-Rachel has extreme temper tantrums

-I cry

When both Rachel and David had several hard days in a row Chris decided to make something special for them to pass the time. They made an incubator & we are now taking care of 18 chicken eggs, hoping a few will hatch into baby chicks in 21 days!

Keep going! You can do this!

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." ~Isaiah 41:10

*Thank you for reading my blog - you can follow by email in the upper, left side!

The 1991 Ice Storm & 2020 Coronavirus

Life is...The 1991 Ice Storm & 2020 Coronavirus

Yesterday was not a great day for me. I let fear get the best of me.
+Not fear of the virus but fear of how our life has been altered so quickly and completely by those in power.
+Fear of how long these changes will take place.
+Fear of what the "new normal" will look like and when.

+Fear of the economic fall out of these closures.

Last night a great memory came to mind - the 1991 Ice Storm. Yes, an ice storm - some amazing childhood memories come from those days with no electricity.

Now here's how I remember it - it may not be accurate - you would have to ask my parents, siblings, aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandma. 

Because the ice storm knocked out the power our family went into town to stay with my Aunt Karen, Uncle Jim, and 3 cousins. At least they had running water, because in the country when electricity goes out you don't have a pump to pump the water into the house. My grandma and grandpa also came to stay with all of us; they lived in the country too.

I don't remember...
...how we stayed warm (was there a generator)?
...being in fear.
...wondering when the electricity would come back on.
...wondering if the food would go bad in the freezers.
....worrying about how to cook the food.

This is what I remember...
~Having an amazing time with my family.
~No electricity. No TV. And loving it!
~Playing countless games, including MASH!
~Playing outside (I remember a snowmobile and building a snowman and fort).
~Sitting in the dark with candles and talking and playing.
~Going to my aunt and uncle's locker - I don't remember if it was to check on things or get food - I just remember having a ball playing in the dark, lobby area.

We had such great memories that for YEARS we would pray for another ice storm. Of course my parents were like....NOOOOOO! But what a testament to living through a hard, frustrating time and showing your kids the best part of it!

I want my kids perspective of the coronavirus not to be of fear and things that were taken away, but a memory like I have of the 1991 Ice Storm. 
And for their memories to be good I need to be in a healthy place - a place of love, peace, and generosity.

**Thank you for taking the time to read. Please subscribe by "Follow by email" on the left side!

Last Words

Life is...Last Words

What words of encouragement and love are you not sharing, because you are too busy?

"Gracious words are like honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." ~Proverbs 16:24

Twice in the last year I did not take the time to reach out. 

About a year ago, on a Monday, I felt a tugging to call an elderly Mary Kay customer. I felt the tugging for 3 days, but I didn't call. 

I was busy. 

Truly I was, but really too busy to make a phone call?

Even as I felt this struggling and didn't do it I told myself - I'll do it later. 

If I could text her I could do that, that's fast, but she doesn't text. An actual phone call - I just dont' have time for that today.

Then I was on Facebook Wednesday night (I guess I had time for that!) and I found out she had passed away earlier that day. 

I had felt God nudging me to reach out, but I didn't take the time. 

It haunted me.

I don't know what I was supposed to say or what she would have said to me.

I decided I wouldn't be too busy again.

WELL....I guess I didn't learn my lesson because a few months ago I again felt compelled to call an elderly man, a Generations to Generations client. 

AGAIN, I kept putting it off. 

Same excuses...
I'll call soon. I'm really busy. I don't have time to actually make a phone call.

This time I received a phone call from my mom saying he had passed away.

I don't want to live in guilt, because that doesn't actually change me, but I do want to learn from these lessons. 

Putting off words of encouragement or just a word to let someone know they are loved and being thought of should not be dismissed or left for later.

This is an eerie verse that hits me to the core.
Jesus said, "I tell you, on the day of judgement people will give an account for every careless words they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." ~Matthew 12:36-37

My BIG question is - Am I more willing to "find time" to complain on social media more easily than I am willing to call and share words of life and love?


**Thank you for following me by email!

A Song

Life is...A Song

During Halloween I was singing my kids songs I learned in Elementary school.

"I am a witch and my name is Tilly and I am going to scare you silly..."

How can I remember all the words to silly songs I haven't sang for decades?!

Songs seem to have a special hold on our hearts. They can stay with us our whole life and typically hearing them takes us back to a specific time and place.

The song "Raise a Halleljah" by Bethel has been especially moving lately.

When I first heard it during  a hard time it was a 

+prayer

+a cry out

+a pleading to God.

"I'm gonna sing, in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes, hope will arise
Death is defeated, the King is alive!"

Lately when I have sang it it has been a praise & a reminder of where I was and how He is so faithful.

 

Please follow by email on the top left of my page.

Big, Small, or House Church?

What's the best church: big, small, or house church?

Here's the answer: whatever one you prefer. Whichever one God has called you to. Now I know you have reasons and convictions why you think one of these is the best, and that's fine, but there is no room for rudeness. When we judge and bicker amongst ourselves we are not only hurting one another and tearing one another down, but others see the hurtfulness and don't want anything to do with Jesus. 

Is this one reason Christianity is dying in America? 
Because we can't show love?

"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." 1 John 4:11-12

Some of the differences we have are minor. Kind of like California going strawless.  Yes, I understand the reasoning, but there are so many bigger humanitarian needs. Christians, let us not fight over whether to have a drum in worship or whether you can wear hats. It's imperative to have your convictions and beliefs, but let's keep our eyes on the prize.

There are people who are... 
-starving
-dying
-being killed for their faith
-in slavery
-forced into sex-trafficking
-living without the hope Jesus brings!

BUT we're too busy bickering about insignificant points. We're not all the same, of course not, all of us are different, so it makes complete sense that our faith journey and churches will look different. 

Let's show love first!

Then in love and prayer God may show you how to lovingly correct. If all we do is correct and judge without showing love no change will come. Only hurt and continual dissension within the Church instead of unity that lets Jesus' love shine into the world.

I started writing this post last October, but never finished, because my desire is not to cause more hurt or tension. I understand how hard it is. I have been to conferences where I was writing about this topic and the very next speaker was difficult to listen to. I did not like her delivery or agree with her. But I hear God reminding me - don't be so quick to judge. Love first.

Let me leave you with a positive note...

Our church has been going through a difficult season. There were many weekends I didn't want to go, because it was so hard to see people hurting and leaving. But David was always excited to go and many weekends a guest speaker would be there. The message was good, but what always stuck with me was they said they were praying for us and their church was praying for us. 
Now their churches don't believe exactly what we do, but they saw people hurting and instead of condemning or gossiping they decided to show love. They prayed, and we've had churches all over Parker, Colorado, and the U.S. showing their love and praying for our hurting church. 

THAT is the Church!

The Open Casket & the Goldfish

Life is...The Open Casket & the Goldfish

This is a very different blog for me, but I thought sharing might help others with little kids as they navigate funerals.

Last December we went to a  funeral of a dear friend. It was an open casket. Now David had been to several funerals before but not seen this. In the past we were able to steer him away from seeing the body, but this time his very good friend said he wanted to show him his grandpa. So David took his hand and went up the aisle. I went with him. It seemed to go fine. The two, young boys stood silently for a while and then went back up the aisle into the lobby.

Then David came to me and said, "I thought you told me he was in heaven!" He was very upset.

I sat him on my lap and tried to explain that it was just his body that was here. That his soul was in heaven.

He seemed to take that for a while, but over the next weeks the questions came daily.
-What is a soul?
-Where is it?
-How does it get out?
-What happens to the body?

Such hard, deep questions for a five-year-old.

I felt like I was not getting through to him. I felt like I had broken him. He said he never wanted to see anything like that again. My heart was breaking as he was trying to figure out this part of life.

Finally I thought we had made progress. He seemed to understand that the body stays here, but the soul goes to heaven. He hadn't talked about it for a week, but then on the way home from skiing the questions came back.
This time it was...I don't want to die, because I don't want my body to explode when my soul leaves.

Oh, poor boy, No, it doesn't explode.

I tried to explain, but it wasn't getting through.

He asked, "Why do people have funerals? Why do they have open caskets?"

I tried to explain again, but it didn't help.

It was just him and I in the car driving on I-70. I prayed for words to reach a 5-year-old's heart.

A few minutes later it came to me.

I said, "Do you remember when your goldfish died? His body wasn't broken. He was still whole."
This seemed to be making sense to him.
I continued, "Remember before I buried him you wanted to say goodbye. You looked at your goldfish and told him you loved him and would miss him."
Yes, he did. I explained that it's the same for a funeral. It is a way for people to say goodbye.

For David this was the lightbulb. He understood and was able to move on. The questions were able to cease, and he had the answers he needed. For now.

Follow my blog by entering your email on the left. Thanks!

To Flip Off or Wave

Life is...To Flip Off or Wave

I was driving into town with Rachel and David. We merged from one road to another. The road has a merge lane, and in six years of driving I have only slowed down once to merge. But today I had to slam on my brakes, because the person in front of me was stopped - a dead stop - not moving - no cars coming. After a few seconds I decided to honk my horn. I wasn't sure if she was day dreaming or checking her phone. I meant it as a friendly honk, a 'Hey wake up' honk, but of course a horn honk is a horn honk.

Well, she did not take that honk well. She flipped me off and started driving. I was surprised by her gesture but tried to shake it off. As we were driving she decided one time flipping me off wasn't enough, so she did it again. My five-year-old saw it and asked what she was doing.

"She's just mad at me I said, but don't ever do that. It's not nice." 

Just a few miles down, the road turns from 2 lanes to 4 lanes. She gets into the left lane and starts accelerating and passing the other cars. Then she changes her mind, steps on the brake and goes so slow that she gets back in front of me in the right land, and then brings her speed WAY down, so far down that I realize she wants me to pass her.

And I want to. 
I'm just not sure what she is going to do. 
What is the point of this? 
Is she going to run my car off the road? 

After a little deliberation I decide to pass and get this weird scenario over with. I pass, and she just stares and flips me off for the 3rd time - holding her middle finger up the entire time. 

I have a split second choice to make. I knew I wasn't going to flip her off, but should I just ignore her? 

I decided to smile and wave. 

I don't know if that was the right decision, but I wanted to let her know, 
Yes, I see you & No, I'm not going to get mad. 

David asked, "Why is she doing that if it's mean?"

I wanted to say...
It's the world we live in.
People are crazy.
People are mean.
What is this world coming to?

It has been a while since that drive, and I can't stop thinking about that woman. But instead of thinking negatively about her and how could she do that? I have decided to pray for her. 

Clearly something was going on besides my horn honk. 
Maybe her kids were all screaming in the car.
Maybe she just received a diagnosis. 
Maybe she was just fired.
Maybe....

For myself, though I didn't mean to be rude by honking my horn, it was obviously misinterpreted. Maybe I'll use my horn even less.

*Please enter your email address on the left to subscribe to future posts.

Perfectionism

Life is...Perfectionism

It has been a long since I posted a blog. Yes, I have been very, very busy, but if I am honest I haven't written, because of my perfectionism.

I want the blog to be perfect - for example the layout and highlighting of my latest blogs annoys me. Why is it formatting that way?

But more importantly I want the content to be perfect - BUT IT CAN'T.

I am human. 

I will do my best. 

I will ask God for the right words.

I will pray that it is helpful to you.

But if it's not or you disagree, that's OK. We can disagree and still be friends or disagree and still be loving to one another. 

Is that too much to ask in our society? 

Disagreement with love?

There's your ? for the day.

-Thank you for sharing my blog.

The Prostitute's Bed

 Life is...The Prostitute's Bed 

I had the opportunity to go on a short-term mission trip to India last year – I felt so bold showing and sharing about Jesus. We prayed out loud with people of different faiths in a county where evangelism is prohibited. We went in the slums and brothels, where we sat on the women’s beds where they make their living. We listened to their story, hugged them and prayed with them. We met with a man who used to own women and sold them in the brothel, and prayed with him.

I know I’m equipped, so what is holding me back from doing this every day?
One of the beauties of a short-term mission trip is the limited amount of time you have. It gives an urgency to speaking and sharing Jesus’s love. Yes, intellectually I know that we don’t have much time here on earth, but it’s hard to live in that mindset. 
So, I think the answer is being on short-term mission in every day life….I can say for the next 2 weeks I am going to work on showing God’s love to my neighbors. The following 2 weeks I’ll focus on showing love while doing errands. The next 2 weeks showing love at work, and ON and ON. This can easily keep me engaged and not growing complacent with God’s call to love others.

Another reason I find it so hard to love others around me is people are confusing, annoying, frustrating, complicated, & irritating. I know, that applies to me too! In a lot of ways it is easier to love someone I just met – it gets harder as I realize their strengths and weaknesses, and they get to know mine. It is easy to show God’s love for a moment – harder for a lifetime. Personally I get worn out and tired of dealing with people in this broken world. When I get discouraged I turn to God’s word. Here are some of my favorites.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~John‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” ~‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

My prayer is that I will be bold in sharing Jesus’s love EVERYWHERE I go.