Answered Prayers

This semester I have the privilege of leading the 7th grade girls CORE group. I love leading this age because I'm always surprised at what they come up with. As I'm sure you can imagine, middle school can be a difficult time, especially for girls. So this week as I was preparing my lesson, I took some extra time to pray, by name, for each girl. I know I shouldn't be, but I was shocked at how the Lord answered my prayers this week. Allow me to explain.

Right now I'm going through Beth Moore's Psalms of Ascent Bible study with a group of women at the church. (Powerful stuff, but that's a whole other blessing to describe.) On Sunday, my study led me to think and reflect on oppressive situations. I thought and prayed through how much of our reactions are based on other's actions. I felt strongly that the Lord was telling me to share this word with my 7th graders. In my mind, however, I was thinking "what does this have to do with what they're going through?" That's when God reassured me that he would show me. Sure enough, Sunday afternoon some of my girls called to ask if they could come over a little bit early to talk about a problem they were having. I wasn't surprised when they wanted to talk about some issues they were having with their group of girl friends. It was awesome to see God speak straight to their hearts and bring healing and comfort to their situation. I was encouraged even more when our Bible study that night talked about loving others even in difficult situations. The girls and I learned alot that night but more than anything we saw firsthand at how awesome a God we serve!

ONE

Last week, Wopsle and I sang this song as a duet in church. That week we were really connecting with the simplicity of the lyrics and just tried our hardest to make it our prayer for our ministry. This week, I feel like it is even more of what I need to be praying. Have you ever felt like you suck at multitasking? This week I have had the overwhelming feeling that I'm good at many things, but am I really doing just ONE with greatness? Yesterday I got really down on myself for this and that's when I realized that instead of trying to figure out what that one thing is that I can excel at, I should just instead make God my ONE. Here's this beautiful simple song by Watermark.

Give me one pure and holy passion

Give me one magnificent obsession

Give me one glorious ambition for my life

To know and follow hard after you

To grow as your disciple and your truth

This world is empty pale and poor

Compared to knowing you my Lord

Lead me on and I will run after you!

GleanWeanDreamNeedPlead

This is from the Purpose Driven blog posted by Brandon Barker. The title is 5 Keys to Long-Term Ministry but I think it translates into most, if not all, aspects of living life to the fullest. Everyday I wake up and ask that God would use me to do his ministry to the best of my ability. Here's what he says...
After 17 years of being in ministry, here are a few tips I would suggest.
GLEAN
Glean: as much as possible from the people around you, the people in your field (Christian) or in a different profession. Look to people who have the characteristics you want. Do this because it will help define you. Also, be proactive about this by searching these people out, don't wait for them to approach you.
WEAN
Wean: yourself off of traditional ministry and thinking
Everything people tell you is not gospel. Remember the church will look and be different in 10 years so you cannot depend on how things are taught now or what is traditional.
DREAM
Dream: take time out to dream and to think about what you want out of life and what you want your ministry to look like. Get away from the daily duties and tasks for a time to dream. Remember, if you don't extend your dreams you won't extend yourself.
NEED
Need: other people, gifts, talents, resources. Figure out a way of needing and depending on people. You make them the heroes, and they will want to support you more.
PLEAD
Plead: wake up every day asking God to use you and keep using you. What you have now could be so much more if you invest it. Beg God to keep using you.

Wow! These words are so empowering to me and I truly feel that they are attainable. Here is a list of high school students whom we are teaching the value of being purpose driven. I encourage you to join with us in praying for them by name:
Jade
Jeremy
Ben
Jacqui
Allison
Claire
Jessica
Kate
Carter
Landon
Sarah
Jon

Our Reach

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

-Romans 12:12

Things we've been praying for this week:

• We pray for the students in our ministry. That their hearts would be softened and open to hearing the Good News. That they would be hungry for things outside of themselves and that God would expand their minds to reach the lost and hurting around them. That they would be protected from gossip, compromise, and complacency. That God would connect us as His Church to fulfill His plans.
• We pray for the students in Duncan who are unreached. There are 1200 students in the high school alone and only about a third of them have a church home. Allow us to be open to opportunities to minister to them and love them for who they are. Let us extinguish unwholesome talk among groups, and encourage love and authentic relationships built on Biblical principals
• We pray for the families that God has allowed us to minister to. For the broken and unbroken, the rich and the poor, the special needs and busy schedules that strain a family's relationship. We pray that nothing would come before their love and commitment to Jesus Christ and the Church and that strong values would be upheld.
• We pray for the city of Duncan. For leadership in the community, for the town's Church body, and the overall prosperity of the city. We recognize that we need God to be our leader and that without him, our efforts are useless. We know that we must put Him first and through every blessing that he pours out we should turn back with praise.