Monday, December 28, 2009
My quiet Holiday in Ohio...
Friday, December 25, 2009
The following quote and story really inspired me...and reminded me of the fun we had last year with our Advent HOPE Christmas party, raising money for orphans and the needy over seas. Unfortunately this year I haven't had time to do much of anything for anyone, not even my family, let alone the needy. However, I am reminded, "What I do isn't really that important! For truly CHRIST is the REAL GIFT of the season!" He's given to us so we can give to others...but that gift may not always be "tangible." The gift He has given us, we cannot begin to comprehend or repay!!
Nevertheless, here's some inspiring thoughts on "giving" and how this commercialized holiday might could be more profitably spent:
"Let your Christmas tree be dedicated to God, and let its boughs be laden with offerings for Christ. Do not give as though it were a task, doling out your donations with a niggardly hand. Good works are no drudgery. In giving to us his Son, God has poured out to us all Heaven in one gift. Let us with an overflowing heart, with gratitude and joy because of Christ's matchless love, bring him our offerings. Teach your children by your own example the blessedness of doing for Christ. Train them to go on errands of love for him, and in all their gifts to remember the gracious Giver. If there are any who are in need of food or comfortable clothing, they should be remembered; we are not to neglect Christ in the person of his saints. But let us be constantly seeking to make God and his cause first in our thoughts and plans.
Many hardly, know as yet what self-denial is, or what it is to suffer for the truth's sake; but none will enter Heaven without making a sacrifice. Yet self-denial will not make us joyless; it will not cast a shadow upon our holidays. It is not what we have, not the abundance of the things of this life, that will make us happy. Our happiness depends upon the relation we sustain to God. An approving conscience, a contented spirit, sweet communion with Jesus, will make us the happiest beings in the world." {ST, December 8, 1887 par. 18}
A Christmas Story
It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.
It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas---oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it... overspending...the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike.
The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them."
Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition---one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there.
You see, we lost Mike last year. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
May we all remember Christ, and "give" in a Christ-like manner. After all, he is the reason for the season, and the true "Christmas spirit" this year and always.
Merry Christmas Friends!!! And remember...we shouldn't just be giving at Christmas...Giving should be our WAY of LIFE...all year long!!!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
His Strength is Perfect...

Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Humbled by my baby brother...
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
- God's WORD (actually this IS in order of importance!!!) is one of the gifts I am most thankful for this year. I am thankful for the guidance, the direction, the encouragement, and the inspiration that I am constantly finding within its pages. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." Jer 15:16 I'm thankful that we still have freedom to freely read these words and share them...I know that freedom will not last much longer.
- I'm thankful for the golden yellows and pinks of the early morning sunrise across our lake. And I'm reminded that it's because of the dust and atmospheric debris that we have such beautiful radiant colors. (It's a little more technical than that...but that's the gist!) And so it is in our own lives, the pain and sorrows and irritations can, when given to God, be used to make a beautiful picture of His love and mercy to be shared with all the world. "When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:10
- I'm thankful for my parents and brothers, and their love for me. I've lived away from home basically ever since I was 15, and yet every time I come back to visit or stay a little while, I am reminded again of what a great home I grew up in. I'll never forget sitting in daddy's lap, as an early teen, with 3 babies on top of me... all squirming and squiggling...and singing... "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam!" What great memories!! Now we all gather in our living room...my dad with the same "Happy Songs for Boys and Girls" books, my brother Daniel with his guitar, me at another guitar or at the piano, my mom with flute, and Homer with his grin...and we all sing away...just like old times...well, almost...ha ha!
- I'm thankful for the fragrance of flowers... I'm also thankful for the gift of "Forgiveness"...for it is "the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that crushed it." And this fragrance we have great need of in this sin filled broken world.
- I am thankful for "salt." Daddy made some apple pies today, and forgot to put in the salt...and the moment we tasted them, we knew something important was missing!!! Only 1/2 teaspoon...but that little lack made a BIG difference. Reminds me of how we are to be the "salt of the earth" (Matt 5:13) and add the "seasoning of Heaven" to all our interactions. If Christ is not at work in our hearts, then we will be like "salt without savour" and we will be just like those apple pies... "Man, something just ain't right here! Something is missing..." :-(
- I'm thankful for the kindness of strangers. This spring I spent several months on a travel nurse contract in a lonely town in TX, and during this time was blessed immeasurably by a church family that I had never met before. If only we all could be as kind to the strangers within our midst...
- I'm thankful for my girl-friends...the best friends that share my life and my heart!! Whether it's talking late into the night during a sleep over (yep, we still have those), or talking on the phone across the miles...I am soooo blessed to have such a great group of girl-friends. (Thanks Val, Season, Vanessa, Sunny, Sue, Heather, Becca, Rita, Cara, Joy, Mary and others!)
- I'm thankful for the warmth of a home-built fire...especially as I realize that there are many in our world who don't have such a luxury, let alone, a home to enjoy it in.
- I'm thankful for my new Fami-LEE...for the unique perspectives they have added to my life, for the ways they have encouraged and challenged me to grow in the Lord, and for the privilege of being "GoMo" (Auntie) to little TaeHo and HeeSunny. (God is in the business of "last-minute" encounters and "miracle moments." And we've had a few of those already.) Wonder how many more of such God-ordained encounters are waiting ahead for me...
- I'm thankful for old-fashion hand-written letters and cards that we still get from time to time in our mailbox. These are rare, but when they come, they are treasured and read over and over again. For some reason, e-mail and Internet communications just can't come close in value...or specialness.
- I'm thankful for the love and affection of my many little kiddos in Bangladesh. Even though it had been a year since I visited last, when I visited the Orphanage this past September, they all came running to meet me as if the Queen of England had come to visit. (Come to think of it, the Queen of England probably wouldn't have gotten such a warm welcome!)
- I'm thankful for the Hollands...and their continued contributions to my life. We've made a lot of great memories over the last 17+ years...and this year, we made some more...moving Tim and Sunny to Ohio...and waltzing through the streets of Phoenix in the scorching heat. "What would I do without you guys??? I love you sooooo much!!!"
- I'm thankful for music...and the ability to praise God in song. Right now my brother is playing his guitar and singing his heart out. I know that God is looking down with approval and love...
- I'm thankful for LIGHT and TRUTH. Light dispels the darkness, and the truth sets us free. "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." Jn 12:46 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32
- I am thankful for ARME...and the passion of our team...as we seek to work together to help equip people how to REALLY STUDY the BIBLE for themselves!!! We had our first powerful conference this past summer, and look forward to several more this next year...
- I'm thankful for the "Set-Apart Life Discipleship Series" by Eric Ludy that has been one of the most spiritually impacting series of talks I have ever heard. I continue to be challenged by these messages and share them with as many friends as possible...
- I'm thankful for Pictures and Words...they say "A picture is worth a thousand words" so...between my pictures and my words...there have been a few hundred thousand I've shared just from this year alone!! I pray continually that both...my words and pictures...may be to the glory and honor of God!
- I'm thankful for MEMORIES...and especially those of Thanksgiving day over the years. But they haven't all been easy. Twelve years ago, on this very day, a good friend (Debbie Fox) died after a two year struggle with colon cancer. She was 25. Even though we all knew she was finally at peace, it was heartbreaking. Thanksgiving has never been quite the same since...and there's not a Thanksgiving that goes by that I don't remember her. Yet I thank God for the blessing and inspiration she was in my life, even thru her pain.
- I'm thankful for KEYS...the keys that allow me to lock and unlock my car door (especially when I am in California - ha), the "Keys of trust" that others give me...the key to their hearts (wow - what a treasure), the "Keys to truth" that God gives us in His Word (the ultimate gift)...and the list could go on. Keys are such privileged gifts to own...maybe I'll have to expound upon this further in another blog! :-)
- I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit...and for being privileged to often feel it's sweet wind upon my face. It's not something you can see, but you see its effects...in the gentle rustle of the leaves on the trees or the hearts close by. You see its subduing effects upon the lives around you, and you feel it softening your own heart. What a special gift... this unseen miracle that you cannot touch.
- Most of all...I'm thankful for the gift of LOVE...the love of my collective family, the love of my friends, and most importantly, the love of my God...who loved me soooooooo much that He sent His only Son to die for my sins!!! I'm told that, even if I'd been the only one that sinned, He would have still died...just for me! I will never cease to be amazed!!!!!
Friday, November 20, 2009
- "God is love" is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green, all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God, and to His desire to make His children happy. pg 10
- The father loves us, not because of the great propitiation (death of His Son), but He provided the propitiation because He loves us... pg 13 [Wow!]
- Jesus did not suppress one word of truth, but He uttered it always in love...pg 12
- It is impossible for us of ourselves to escape from the pit of sin in which we have sunken. Our hearts are evil, and we cannot change them...There must be a power working from within, a new life from above, before men can be changed from sin to holiness. The power is Christ...pg 18
- Christ is the source of every right impulse. He is the only one that can implant in the heart enmity against sin. Every desire for truth and purity, even conviction of our own sinfulness is an evidence that His spirit is moving upon our hearts. pg 26
- If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to make yourself better. How many there are who think they are not good enough to come to Christ. Do you expect to become better through your own efforts?? We must come to Christ [now] and just as we are... pg 31 (I am reminded of "But God commendeth His love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom 5:8)
- Beware of procrastination. Do not put off the work of forsaking your sins, and seeking purity of heart through Jesus. Do not make the faults of others an excuse for your own neglect of duty. The Lord has not given us an erring human pattern. [No...we can look only to] the spotless Son of God as our example...pg 32
- Sin, however small it may be esteemed, can be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss. What we do not overcome, will overcome us, and work out our destruction. pg 33
- As you see the enormity of sin, as you see yourself as you really are, do not give up in despair. It was sinners that Christ came to save...Christ died that we might be forgiven. The merits of His sacrifice are sufficient to present to the Father in our behalf. Those to whom He has forgiven most will stand nearest to His throne and praise Him for His great love and infinite sacrifice. [Yes] it is when we most fully comprehend the love of God that we best realize the sinfulness of [our] sin. pg 35
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
between my God and me.
I do not choose the colors
He works steadily.
Sometimes He weaves sorrow
and I in foolish pride
forget He sees the upper,
and I the underside.
and the shuttle cease to fly
will God unroll the canvas
and explain the reason why
in the skillful weaver's hand
as the threads of gold and silver
in the pattern He has planned
Saturday, November 14, 2009
My Child,
You may not know me,
but I know everything about you.
Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways.
Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image.
Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being.
Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring.
Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation.
Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book.
Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.
Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb.
Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born.
Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love.
1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.
1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father.
Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love.
Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
Psalms 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you.
Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me.
Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires.
Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine.
Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.
Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart.
Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes.
Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being.
Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.
Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you.
1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love.
Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
Luke 15:7
I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is…
Will you be my child?
John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you.
Luke 15:11-32
Love, Your Dad
Almighty God
Reprinted with permission from: www.fathersloveletter.com
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Leaves of Autumn

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up, and choked them." "He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful." Matt 13:7,22
Here is represented the controversy between satanic agencies and the Prince of Life. Which will obtain the supremacy? Which will become possessor of the soul? If the truth impressed upon human hearts is carefully cherished, and the weeds are uprooted, there will be a precious crop of grain. But the gospel seed often drops among thorns and noxious weed; and if there is not a moral transformation in the human heart; if old habits and practises and the former life of sin are not left behind; if the attributes of Satan are not expelled from the soul, the wheat crop will be stunted. The thorns of sin will grow in any soil. They need no cultivation. But grace must be carefully cultivated." {RH, October 3, 1899 par. 2-3}
So my friends...I think we probably all could find a few weeds in our lives...maybe attitudes of "ungratefulness, impatience, selfishness, vanity, or vain glory..." Let's get on our knees and go find them, whatever they may be, and pull them NOW...quickly, before they get ANY bigger. God will help us!!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Moving again: The Broad or Narrow way...


"Before you are two ways--the broad road of self-indulgence and the narrow path of self-sacrifice. Into the broad road you can take selfishness, pride, love of the world; but those who walk in the narrow way must lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset. Which road have you chosen--the road which leads to everlasting death, or the road which leads to glory and immortality? There never was a more solemn time in the history of the world than the time in which we are now living. Our eternal interests are at stake, and we should arouse to the importance of making our calling and election sure. We dare not risk our eternal interests on mere probabilities. We must be in earnest. What we are, what we are doing, what is to be our course of action in the future, are all questions of untold moment, and we cannot afford to be listless, indifferent, unconcerned. It becomes each one of us to inquire, "What is eternity to me?" Are our feet in the path that leads to heaven, or in the broad road that leads to perdition?" Our High Calling, page 8-9
Thursday, October 08, 2009
HOPE for Bengali Orphans...and HOPE for me!
Valerie and I have been humbled and challenged...and convicted...in a deeper way to make priority to share the resources God has given us...with Bangla-Hope, but also with anyone that God brings us in need.
"Said the angel, 'Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye will have to die a greater death to the world than ye have ever yet died.' I saw that there was a great work to do for them and but little time in which to do it." Early Writings, Page 64.
"By all that has given us advantage over another, be it education and retirement, nobility of character, Christian training, religious experience, we are in debt to those less favored, and so far as lies in our power, we are to minister unto them. If we are strong, we are to stay up the hands of the weak." Ministry of Healing 29
"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me." Matt 19:21
*To donate to Bangla-HOPE or help sponsor a child, you can visit their website at: http://www.banglahope.org/ I am hoping to help them completely redo their website in the near future as it is in severe need of a face-lift, but for now, this is their contact info.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Let me be a Servant...
“Hundreds of people push and shove their way forward as they clamor their way towards the gate entering our medical clinic and compound. Each one has been given a ticket with a number, and each one will be seen at some point in the day by our medical team, but each one still struggles to be first. Each one is sure they are number #1. In fact, as I triage and register the patients we’ve called thru the gate, I am constantly called away from my task…back to the gate by the guards. “Madam…this person has a very special case, we must let them through first.” Or “Madam, this person is a very important official in this community…even though he came late and does not have a number, we need to let him in first.” (Granted there are hundreds of more urgent and critical cases in line begging to be seen, this “important official” is convinced that he deserves to be first.)
Then there are the areas of religious prestige. “Madam, I’m Muslim or Hindu, so you should see me first.” Or “I’m Christian like you, so you should see me first.” (As if either are more deserving of help then the other.) And on and on the request go. Even the policemen, who are suppose to be helping us with crowd control, push and shove their own way to the entrance, begging to be seen by our doctors and dentist...FIRST! It is mayhem…all pushing and shoving, and all feeling that THEY of ALL PEOPLE, should receive our special services FIRST. It is only a bit of concrete and metal that keeps the mob from stampeding forward and crushing us all…”
Thankfully, the above scenes are now only a memory. Yet, amazingly, during our five days of medical work in Jalchatra, Madhupur Bangladesh…we did not get stampeded, and we saw over 3,000 patients – a number breaking the record of the last 3 years. While our medical team was smaller this year, most of the care‐givers were much more experienced and efficient…and this truly paid off in the long run.
However, as I reflect back on the scenes that took place before me just a few brief days ago, I realize that while we were in a struggling third‐world country, filled with poverty and despair…the actions of those around me really weren’t all that “third-world”after all. No, in fact, they are rather akin to our own…even back in the land of freedom, plenty and prosperity (or at least what is prosperity in comparison with this.) Yes, even back in the homeland of the good old USA, it’s all about the “ME FIRST”mentality. And we have just as many reasons and a thousand excuses for why WE of ALL PEOPLE should be receiving the special treatment we deserve…FIRST!!
It could be, “I'm a doctor,”or “I'm a lawyer”…"I'm a celebrity,” or “I'm a high‐ranking official”…or “I can pay whatever is required, so treat me accordingly.” Or “I’ve made a large donation to your organization so I should receive extra perks.”Or on the flip side it could be, “I’m a struggling single mom, I’m a poor student,” or even… “I’m a missionary, I’m a conference president, I’m the head deacon,”or “I’m part of the leadership of such and such an organization...if anyone deserves special treatment, I do!” Status is such a huge thing…even if it’s negative status…but especially if it is “Religious status” and the list goes on and on and on…
In fact, even in Christ’s time…the same struggle was taking place…not just in the heathen mobs around him, or within the obvious pride of the pompous Pharisees, but among his very own disciples. “Who is going to sit next to Christ on the throne? It has to be ME…I deserve to be FIRST.”
Yet, how contrary to Christ whole nature and mentality this struggle is. In fact, it makes me wonder…If this is our mentality, are we truly surrendered to Christ, even now??
Christ has left us a very clear pattern and example…and yet we always seem to be looking for “exceptions”or reasons why WE should not have to follow it.
“Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matt 20:27‐28
“Let this mind be in you, which also was in Christ Jesus. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant…” Phil 2:5‐7
The FORM OF A SERVANT!!!!! Wow…what a concept! How many of us are seeking to pattern our lives after the “form of a servant”?? Can you just imagine the latest breaking news from Hollywood Boulevard, “Celebrity clash over who gets to pick up the trash and feed the homeless!” or "Celebrity does not want to accept Oscar award, but pushes for it to be given to another!" Or what about from our own comfortable church pews…“Conflict at Central SDA over who gets to wash everyone’s feet!”In fact, we could even make headline news from our own homes. “Family members fight over who gets to clean the house, wash the dishes, take out the trash, be last in line to eat…and on and on!”The above scenarios are so unheard of, they are comical. (Of course, if “true servant hood”was practiced as God ordained it, there would be no fighting either… it would be a team spirit of give and take and working together in unity and peace for the betterment of all involved!) And yet, how we struggle with this whole concept of “servant hood”as people and as Christians. In fact, sadly if we are acting the part of “servant”we often stumble over “pride in our service”and if not pride, then feelings of “martyrdom”or something else…
As I contemplate these concepts and our need of “true Servant’ spirit formed by a surrendered heart,” I’m reminded once again…“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.”II Cor 3:5
Only GOD…HE ALONE can give us this HEART!!!!!
“What is man, that thou art mindful of Him…?” Heb 2:6
“For ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea and the things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. That according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”I Cor 1:26‐31
And Paul continues in the next chapter, with what I believe should be the summary and sole focus in all that we breath, live, and do:
“For I am determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” I Cor 2:2
So simple, and yet so profound…yet I think this is the KEY to true “Servant hood”…the servant hood that Christ asked that we embrace.
For we are nothing apart from Christ, we can glory in nothing apart from Christ. But when we have Christ, we have everything…and through Christ, we can do what the carnal man cannot do. We can be a servant!! But the key is Christ!! Not I and Christ, or Christ and I, but CHRIST!!!
The following quote sums it up precisely I think, and gives all of us a convicting challenge.
“You may have left much to follow Christ…you may have believed on him, and worked for Him, and loved Him, and yet may not be like Him. (Ouch!! Really??) Allegiance you know, and confidence you know, but not yet union….There are two wills, two interests, two lives. You have not yet lost your own life that you may live only in His. Once it was I and not Christ; then it was I and Christ; perhaps now it is even Christ and I. But has it come yet to be Christ only, and not I at all?” The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, by Hannah Whitall Smith p. 156‐157
As I have once again experienced a few short weeks of service in Bangladesh, I am again reminded of the inadequacies and weakness of my flesh, the struggles of my will, the sin of my own heart…and my prayer for CHRIST and only CHRIST grows stronger.
Live out Thy life within me,
O Jesus, King of kings!
Be Thou Thyself the answer
to all my questionings;
Live out Thy life within me,
in all things have Thy way!
I, the transparent medium,
Thy glory to display.
The temple has been yielded,
And purified of sin;
Let Thy Shekinah glory
Now shine forth from within,
And all the earth keep silence,
The body henceforth be
Thy silent, gentle servant,
Moved only as by Thee.
“There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, by putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.” Desire of Ages, p. 250
So my inspiration for today ends as it began…
“But he that is greatest among you
shall be your SERVANT!” Matt 23:11
May we learn to truly be…His Servants!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Please break my heart...

"Please break my heart!!"
That doesn't sound like a good prayer to be praying, does it? No, not really from our world's perspective. But it has been my prayer recently!! My prayer to God...
A powerful video clip: The call to Serve
"By all that has given us advantage over another, be it education and refinement, nobility of character, Christian training, religious experience, we are in debt to those less favored and, so far as lies in our power, we are to minister unto them. If we are strong, we are to stay up the hands of the weak." Ministry of Healing page 105
"Perhaps if there were more of that intense distress for souls that leads to tears, we should more frequently see the results we desire. Sometimes it may be that while we are complaining of the hardness of the hearts of those we are seeking to benefit, the hardness of our own hearts and our feeble apprehension of the solemn reality of eternal things may be the true cause of our want of success." -Hudson Taylor
Sunday, September 13, 2009
~ Time with Fami-LEE and Friends up North ~
After helping host our first ARME BIBLE CAMP in Central CA (which I shared about below), I headed North with my Asian friend and twin Sue. Since we spent a mission trip in Korea together this summer (you can also read about that below) we have become permanently attached I think, a little like Siamese twins! (We have either talked or texted each other at least once every day since we came back from Korea!! Like I said, "Siamese twins." I think Sue is the "twin" I always dreamed of, but never had...truly my "Harmonious Joy.") She is overflowing with energy (relax Sue!) and loves people, but also is personable and down to earth. While a Speech Pathologist by training, she has a heart for serving and looking out for the underdog and those less fortunate. The more we get to know each other, the more we find in common...even to our shoe size. And our personalities have really clicked. We both thank God for allowing our paths to FINALLY cross. Sue has become a true friend, sister, and inspiration...and adds so much laughter to my days.
Actually, the whole Lee family (or "Fami-LEE" as I like to call them) has taken a very special place in my heart. I told them whether they like it or not, I am adopting them! I think they are still deciding IF they like that. Ha ha...) Anyway, I have been privileged to get a peek into their lives and who they are, and being in their home was such a blessing. Let me share a little below:
Jed (who was the director of our Korea team) and his wife Irene are also an incredible godly couple. He is an excellent teacher and enjoys giving Bible studies, mentoring young people, and sharing the Biblical message of Creation as well as many other inspirational Biblical insights. (I am already trying to book him more speaking engagements!) There's lots more I could say about Jed, but he's very humble and doesn't like my public appraisals, so suffice it to say, just as Sue has become my "Ssang-doong-Eee" (or twin), Jed has become my "Obba" or big brother. And we'll leave it at that!
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Are you ready for the ARME???

Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Korea Summer Camp - Updates
Monday, July 20, 2009
Korea - Here we come!!!
Sunday, July 05, 2009
A call to Anguish...
Saturday, July 04, 2009
The more I seek Him, the more I find...
Friday, July 03, 2009
Joys forever more...

Saturday, June 20, 2009
Where in the World is Melody???
I've had a few e-mails from concerned friends... "Where are you Melody? What's up with your life? Things have been kinda silent on your blog. Is everything ok?" And I just chuckle...
Everything is more than "ok." Yes, my life continues to be full and blessed!! (Just see pics above!!) The problem is, it is sooooo full and blessed, I've not had time to write about it. To catch the highlights of where I have been or what I've been up to...you have to be a friend on FACEBOOK!
Here's an overview from the last 6 weeks - Facebook Style :-)
May 3rd - Melody wants to GROW FAITH like potatoes!!! ;-) [Note - if you haven't watched the documentary, it is great! Not the movie, the DOCUMENTARY in the special feature section of the movie.]
May 4th - with a heavy heart, is reminded this earth is NOT our home...we're just passing through!! [Friend's child drowned!]
May 8th - Melody has seen AGAIN this week....His Strength is Perfect!!!
May 10th - I just called and wished BOTH my MOTHER'S a Happy mothers Day!! I am sooo blessed!!! [Still have warm memories of their visit here in TX this spring!!]
May 12th - Melody had to call a CODE BLUE tonight!!! [It was too late...his heart recovered, but his brain never did! He transferred to ICU and family pulled life support a few days later...soooo sad! I can't ask myself "If only" - God is in control...]
May 13th - Melody is sooo proud of her sister SANDRA....graduating and about to join our ranks of "REGISTERED NURSES"!!! [Sandra completed Nursing and we all celebrated in Oklahoma for her Nurse's pinning ceremony!]
May 14th - Time to mark your calenders and plan to attend our first ARMe Bible Camp!!! It's a conference you don't want to miss! It's gonna be AWESOME!!!! http://www.armebiblecamp.com/ [This is one of the ministry projects I've been working on this spring with a team of dedicated leaders. Our speakers will be Pastor Ivor Myers, Pastor Doug Batchelor, Pastor Stephen Bohr, Evangelist Emmaneul Baek, and Taj Pacleb! We are thrilled and know it will be an awesome conference!!]
May 16th - Melody is learning new things about Medical Evangelism from Mr. Fiedler, and enjoying time with OA family! [Mr. Fiedler was one of my favorite teachers in highschool, and I still enjoy listening to him share! He's gained quite a reputation for his knowledge in SDA church history.]
May 17th - Melody is hanging out at Ouachita Hills Campus in AR, with Tim and Sunny!! It is soooooo green here!! [Went over with them to Alistair Huongs graduation!]
May 18th - Melody is thankful for His GRACE...and energized for a wonderful new week!!
May 20th - Melody is having fun training in my REPLACEMENT at work! She's gonna be great!! [They've had me doing specialized "plastic surgery patient" care, so now that I am leaving, they wanted me to train in a replacement!]
May 21st - Melody is praying about WHAT TO DO next?! It's exciting walking by faith, because you never know what Great things God has in store around the next corner, and I'm approaching another corner... ;-)
May 22nd - KOREA - here I come!!! (God has opened the doors for me to work with a mission team doing child/youth evangelism for a couple weeks this summer! I'm excited!)
May 26th - Melody is on a treadmill that keeps going FASTER!!!! Help.....stop this thing!!! ;-)
May 27th - Melody is seeing how long she can burn the candle at both ends and still LIVE! ;-) Worked til midnight, and haven't been to bed yet...leave for airport in a hour!! (You're RIGHT, I am nuts!!!)
May 30th - had a great evening with old Loma Linda friends, and thankful for Sabbath tomorrow!!! [Traveled to CA for Dave/Vanessa wedding weekend, and then to help Tim and Sunny drive to Ohio!]
May 31st - Melody is TIRED...but enjoying vacation with friends. Tomorrow is the BIG DAY for Dave and Vanessa!!!! Congratulations guys!!!!! [See slideshow and post below for more glimpse of this beautiful occasion!]
June 1st - is helping Tim and Sunny move to Ohio!!! I even get to help drive the big 26 foot truck....YEAH!!!!
June 2nd - 1:15 am - is having fun reading Tim and Deb's status updates...we are all on our computers (well 4 out of 6 of us) and we are all crashing after a long day!!! I drove the big 26 foot Penske all afternoon! Wooohoooo!!!! [Written from Flagstaff AZ]
June 1st - 8am - Grand Canyon HERE WE COME!!!! This is not my first time, but it's fun to be with everyone else when it is their FIRST!! ;-)
June 3rd - drove the big truck ALL the way from CA to OK (all but the first 4 hours - my daddy would be sooo proud of me!) Praising the Lord to get it here safely...and excited to be having Dad and Mom Holland join our travel crew for our last LONG day of driving to OH!!
June 5th - It's 1:18 AM....and we arrived safely to Sunny and Tim's new home in Ohio!! We've set up our air mattresses, and tomorrow will unload the truck! Praising the Lord for safe travels!!!! ;-) (PS: I am going to miss driving that BIG truck...it was a blast!!!)
June 5th - 6pm - Truck unloaded, food for Sabbath ready, rooms in house are in progress...still can't decide where to put mirror! (It's a looong story!!) We are all pooped!! Praise the Lord for a day of rest!!!
June 7th - Got to take a quick trip to Illinois and visit Carolyn and 3ABN!! Enjoyed touring the sets and seeing more behind the scenes!
June 8th - Melody has enjoyed the time with Tim/Sunny and family and is heading back to TX to finish her contract!! Then on to NEW ADVENTURES...
June 9th - Melody missed both flights out of Ohio today...first one was over-booked, second one had mechanical problems!!! (So....sigh....I got a free round trip ticket and get to hang out with family for 1 more day...minus all my luggage!!) [During this extra day, we toured the National Airforce Museum in Dayton. Even toured all the planes that the President - as recent as Clinton (yeah!) have ridden in!]
June 11th - I did NOT make it to my destination airport but am very glad to be ALIVE!! Wildest flight of my life! (Now I've got to figure out how to get to Killeen as I'm not ready to fly again right now!!) [This flight, obviously also had problems, due to weather! It's a long story I will write out soon, hopefully! Or maybe you can read about it in the next SetApartGirl online magazine!]
June 12th - The storms are still raging, but I am back in TX safe.....FINALLY!!! And I'm thankful for human guardian angels! [God sent someone to give me a ride from Abilene (where we had our emergency landing) all the way to Killeen! What a huge blessing!]
June 13th - Melody is listentening to: "My redeemer is faithful and true....everything He has said He will do, and every morning His mercies are new, my redeemer is faithful and true..." (I LOVE IT!!!!!)
June 15th - Melody can't go to sleep because she's reading the new SETAPARTGIRL online magazine!!! Wow...it's amazing how all our articles fit so perfectly together!!! I am sooo inspired!! http://www.setapartgirl.com/
June 17th - Melody is LOVING the life God has given her!!!!!
June 18th - Melody just finished a 60 hour work-week (5 twelve hour shifts in a row!! Wow! I am dead tired!!!)
June 19th - Melody is taking some extra time SET-APART (from FB) for her greatest LOVE, Jesus Christ!! "Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the [woman] that trusteth in Him. O fear the Lord ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear Him!" Ps 34:8-9
Yep, just acknowledging what has been obvious to everyone else...I've been on the treadmill too long, and need a break from it all. Don't get me wrong...I love FB, and I'll be back, but it can take up precious time, and since time is very limited right now as I am working soooo hard to finish up this contract and get ready for my next adventures, I decided I'd take a step back from it for a bit! Thus...my final and most recent status update...Besides, now that I'm off Facebook for a bit...I can actually take time to update my blog!! Yeah!
So...you see, it's been a full 6 weeks!!! ;-) All I can say is, through it all...God is good! All the time, God is good!!!
Friday, June 19, 2009
And they lived...Happily Ever After!!
*Thanks Wanda, for the Great photos!!
To see the professional slideshow - click here Rowena Curtis Photography
In tribute to Dave and Vanessa...
Last summer it was my sister Sunny's big day...this summer it was Vanessa's!!
From the very beginning I've enjoyed watching Vanessa and Dave's love blossom (it all started in the California poppy fields). And when Dave finally asked Vanessa to be his wife...well, you can just imagine the excitement for us all!! Then there were the trips to "David's Bridal" (how ironic is that), and trips to more wedding stores. What a fun time of life!!
Well, this past May 31st, they finally tied the knot...in the most beautiful and sacred way I think I have ever seen! I knew Vanessa was working like crazy trying to iron out all the details...but since I've been away in Texas this spring, I had no idea...just how many details. Once the big weekend came, it was evident...there was much thought, prayer, and planning in this wedding.
Of course, the setting was scenic, as you can see by the pictures. But more than a beautiful scene, and a lovely bride and groom, was the emphasis they put on God and His glory and honor. It was a beautiful tribute to a marvelous Creator...the author of true romance! I was inspired and impressed...and very blessed.
So Vanessa, you did good...on your man, on your day, and most importantly...on making a memory that ultimately glorified God!! May the rest of your love story be as beautiful as the beginning...and grow more beautiful through the years!!
And don't ever forget...your girlfriends will always love you!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Our prayers...God's answer...
- We pray for patience, and our Father sends those who tax us to the utmost; for "tribulation worketh patience."
- We pray for submission, and God sends sufferings; for "we learn obediently by the things we suffer."
- We pray for unselfishness, and God gives us opportunities to sacrifice ourselves by thinking on the things of others, and by laying down our lives for the brethren.
- We pray for strength and humility, and some messenger of Satan torments us until we lie in the dust crying for its removal.
- We pray, "Lord increase our faith," and money takes wings; or the children are alarmingly ill; or a servant comes who is careless, extravagant, untidy or slow, or some hitherto unknown trial calls for an increase of faith along a line where we have not needed to exercise much faith before.
- We pray for the Lamb-like life, and are given a portion of lowly service, or we are injured and must seek no redress; for "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter...and opened not his mouth."
- We pray for gentleness, and there comes a perfect storm of temptation to harshness and irritability.
- We pray for quietness, and every nerve is strung to the utmost tension, so that looking to Him we may learn that when He giveth quietness, no one can make trouble.
- We pray for love, and God sends peculiar suffering and puts us with apparently unlovely people, and lets them say things which rasp the nerves and lacerate the heart; for love suffereth long and is kind, love is not impolite, love is not provoked. Love beareth all things, believeth, hopeth and endureth. Love never faileth.
- We pray for likeness to Jesus, and the answer is, "I have chosen thee in the furnance of affliction." "Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong."











