It's been a while since I've posted (busy growing a baby and taking care of family). However, the Mother's Day message at Trinity Church in Cedar Hill, TX was thought provoking and I wanted to share it.
The pastor asked us the question "What is Beauty?" What is beautiful? Today we may define it as certain facial attributes, a certain size, maybe something in nature, a newborn baby.... I can think of many things that are beautiful. It can be different for everyone.
He began to throw some untraditional examples out there..... the human network of nerves is beautiful. The wrinkles on an old man's face are beautiful. Basically, anything you gaze at long enough will reveal it's beauty. Interesting thought.... I believe that. I can find beauty in anything. I can even find beauty in seemingly bad situations. The human spirit can be beautiful as it rises to face impossible scenarios.
Psalm 34:8 says "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." The word 'good' is translated from a word that means 'beautiful'. So it reads "Taste and see that the Lord is beautiful". This prompted his statement that "beauty arrives through sustained and adoring attentiveness". This can be applied to our lives by keeping a sustained and adoring gaze on what we know to be true. When things in life don't go the way we expect them to or we feel we are dealt an unfair hand, maintaining a sustained and adoring gaze on God's beauty will help us make it through. He then will pour out his grace to give us strength and restore our beauty.
Think of Leah in the Bible. She was given in marriage as a trick to a husband that loved her sister. Talk about feeling rejected! After she bears her first child, Reuben, she says "The Lord has surely looked upon my affliction" (maybe my husband will love me now). After the second, Simeon, she says "God has heard me" (God has heard that my husband does not love me). After the third, Levi, she says "Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons" (If he doesn't love me, he at least has to respect my child-bearing abilities). After the fourth son, Judah, she says "This time I will praise the LORD" (sustained and adoring gaze on God's beauty). This is the key. Through her heartache she longed for love from her husband. Her life was less than ideal. But what she missed in the birth of her first three sons is that God is the only one that can fulfill that need for love. He finds her beautiful. She is his creation. She can find refuge in Him.
Because of her choice to praise instead of focusing on the less than ideal circumstances she lived in, Leah was blessed in life. Look at her legacy! Judah, her fourth son, began the line of kings that contained the likes of David and Solomon.... and, oh yeah, JESUS. From the line of her third son, Levi, came the line of priests (like Aaron). She was buried in honor and at the end of his life, her husband Jacob requested to be buried next to her, not Rachel.
So things turned around for Leah. She chose to praise in the face of adversity, to love in an environment where there was no love, to retain her beauty (not bitterness) through God's grace. What is beautiful? Really, think about it. What is beautiful? Beauty happens when indignities and injustices turn to praise. Beauty happens when we trust and celebrate God's design (not our own). Go be beautiful!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Friday, November 27, 2009
Goodwill to all men...
The holidays often cause us to think of others less fortunate. We usually organize various food drives, gather coats for kids, or adopt families for Christmas. I wanted to shed some light on another way to bring goodwill during the season. For those who might be tight in your budget this year and are thinking you can't afford to support someone financially, maybe you can give your time in the way of volunteering. It is a great way to gain some perspective and also to show your children what it means to have such blessings in this life.
With our economy struggling there has been an increase in people needing assistance. There are several places that provide assistance for people in need, but I want to highlight two in particular. The Union Rescue Mission of Little Rock provides assistance to the men of our city. They serve over 5,000 meals in a month, provide shelter over 2,000 times a month. The Dorcus House provides assistance to the women of our city - homeless, abused, neglected. They served over 21,000 meals this year and provided shelter over 7,000 times.
The Independent Start estimates that volunteer time is worth $20.25 per hour. Father, mother, and child make up nearly one quarter of the poor and homeless families currently seeking assistance across North America. Ages 46 - 65 were the largest portion of those surveyed (31%). Veterans made up 21% of the men served in these shelters.
These statistics tell us that struggles are everywhere. They touch everyone. But, we can help.... These shelters are always accepting donations of food and supplies. However, I want to encourage you to volunteer your time. Offer a helping hand, a word of encouragement, a handshake and a pat on the back. Have a positive impact on a negative situation. Use your blessings to inspire someone else to keep putting one foot in front of the other, to make it through this season in their life.
Below you will find a listing of some of the places you can provide assistance. Please consider giving of your time this holiday season and throughout the year. It is a great experience! Browse their sites to learn about ministry opportunities and programs they have available to the public.
Union Rescue Mission
3001 Confederate Blvd
Little Rock, AR 72206-3345
http://www.urmission.org/
Dorcus House
823 S Park St
Little Rock, AR 72202-3427
(501) 374-4022
(501) 370-0808
http://www.urmission.org/ministries/dorcas-house/
Our House
302 East Roosevelt Road near I-30 in Central Little Rock
to volunteer : http://www.ourhouseshelter.org/volunteer/index.html
Little Rock Compassion Center, Inc.
3618 West Roosevelt
Little Rock, AR 72204
Phone: (501)-296-9114
Toll Free: 866-296-3291
Fax: 501-664-6847
http://www.lrcompassioncenter.org/contact.php
Here is another interesting site that lists a directory of homeless shelters and food banks, alchohol/drug recovery programs, etc. in the Little Rock area. http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/cgi-bin/id/city.cgi?city=Little%20Rock&state=AR
With our economy struggling there has been an increase in people needing assistance. There are several places that provide assistance for people in need, but I want to highlight two in particular. The Union Rescue Mission of Little Rock provides assistance to the men of our city. They serve over 5,000 meals in a month, provide shelter over 2,000 times a month. The Dorcus House provides assistance to the women of our city - homeless, abused, neglected. They served over 21,000 meals this year and provided shelter over 7,000 times.
The Independent Start estimates that volunteer time is worth $20.25 per hour. Father, mother, and child make up nearly one quarter of the poor and homeless families currently seeking assistance across North America. Ages 46 - 65 were the largest portion of those surveyed (31%). Veterans made up 21% of the men served in these shelters.
These statistics tell us that struggles are everywhere. They touch everyone. But, we can help.... These shelters are always accepting donations of food and supplies. However, I want to encourage you to volunteer your time. Offer a helping hand, a word of encouragement, a handshake and a pat on the back. Have a positive impact on a negative situation. Use your blessings to inspire someone else to keep putting one foot in front of the other, to make it through this season in their life.
Below you will find a listing of some of the places you can provide assistance. Please consider giving of your time this holiday season and throughout the year. It is a great experience! Browse their sites to learn about ministry opportunities and programs they have available to the public.
Union Rescue Mission
3001 Confederate Blvd
Little Rock, AR 72206-3345
http://www.urmission.org/
Dorcus House
823 S Park St
Little Rock, AR 72202-3427
(501) 374-4022
(501) 370-0808
http://www.urmission.org/ministries/dorcas-house/
Our House
302 East Roosevelt Road near I-30 in Central Little Rock
to volunteer : http://www.ourhouseshelter.org/volunteer/index.html
Little Rock Compassion Center, Inc.
3618 West Roosevelt
Little Rock, AR 72204
Phone: (501)-296-9114
Toll Free: 866-296-3291
Fax: 501-664-6847
http://www.lrcompassioncenter.org/contact.php
Here is another interesting site that lists a directory of homeless shelters and food banks, alchohol/drug recovery programs, etc. in the Little Rock area. http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/cgi-bin/id/city.cgi?city=Little%20Rock&state=AR
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Here is a slideshow below of some pics from the first few months in Dallas, including the arrival of my new niece Evie Lynn Voth. There are some from our apartment and the kids. The corley-cylcle even makes an appearance! We are loving it here.
We all have to participate in a student ministry to receive one of our credits each semester. Brad is doing children's ministry and is growing/stretching each week as he learns to relate the stories of the Bible to little kids...not an easy task.
I chose teaching English to international students. I am so amazed at the stories of how these students arrived here. Some waited years to raise enough money to come here. Others left professional careers in engineering, opera/orchestra, medicine, etc to follow a call they had on their lives. I have a particular group of students from South Korea who have come to learn more about ministry so they can go back to a country where Christianity is not common. One couple has had their first child here and will not be able to introduce that child to their family for 3 years. The sacrifices they have made amaze me.
Our neighbors downstairs arrived a few days after us. They spoke very little English and only had a few boxes that held the bare minimum of possessions. I think about the sacrifices we made to get here and they pale in comparison. I think about the challenges of being away from our families and juggling school with two small children. Then, I am reminded of my neighbors who also have two small children, and the fact that they will not go home nor will their family visit for the entire time they are at CFNI. Suddenly, my challenges don't seem so difficult.
I am burdened in my heart for these students and for our culture. I have had my eyes opened to all the things we take for granted. We have the freedom to worship and believe whatever we want. We have the freedom to dispute and fight over whatever we want. We have the freedom to pick apart any decision that is made in our country. No one will put us to death for any of it. In many of the countries that these students are from, they have had to risk their lives, leave everything, in pursuit of God. That is faith. They have had family members disown them for believing in Jesus Christ.
I have to ask myself the question, could I do that for my faith? Could I come from a communist country where it is illegal to own a Bible and dare serve God in spite of that? I wonder if we would find people like that here.
We all have to participate in a student ministry to receive one of our credits each semester. Brad is doing children's ministry and is growing/stretching each week as he learns to relate the stories of the Bible to little kids...not an easy task.
I chose teaching English to international students. I am so amazed at the stories of how these students arrived here. Some waited years to raise enough money to come here. Others left professional careers in engineering, opera/orchestra, medicine, etc to follow a call they had on their lives. I have a particular group of students from South Korea who have come to learn more about ministry so they can go back to a country where Christianity is not common. One couple has had their first child here and will not be able to introduce that child to their family for 3 years. The sacrifices they have made amaze me.
Our neighbors downstairs arrived a few days after us. They spoke very little English and only had a few boxes that held the bare minimum of possessions. I think about the sacrifices we made to get here and they pale in comparison. I think about the challenges of being away from our families and juggling school with two small children. Then, I am reminded of my neighbors who also have two small children, and the fact that they will not go home nor will their family visit for the entire time they are at CFNI. Suddenly, my challenges don't seem so difficult.
I am burdened in my heart for these students and for our culture. I have had my eyes opened to all the things we take for granted. We have the freedom to worship and believe whatever we want. We have the freedom to dispute and fight over whatever we want. We have the freedom to pick apart any decision that is made in our country. No one will put us to death for any of it. In many of the countries that these students are from, they have had to risk their lives, leave everything, in pursuit of God. That is faith. They have had family members disown them for believing in Jesus Christ.
I have to ask myself the question, could I do that for my faith? Could I come from a communist country where it is illegal to own a Bible and dare serve God in spite of that? I wonder if we would find people like that here.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
This is the slideshow that we played at our auction. Brad did such a good job sharing about how this journey began. The slideshow was my contribution :)
The auction was a success! Thank you to all who came and shared that time with us. Your support means so much!
We are preparing to leave on Monday. Saturday will be a big day for all of us. We will officially be out of the house that afternoon. Our minds are constantly on where we are headed. There is a peace in our hearts about this next step. Even though moving can be hectic and unsettling, we are amazingly calmed. I guess that is because we know we are following God's voice in our lives!
Thank you again for you prayers. We will continue to keep you updated on things that are happening.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Silent Auction
Our church is hosting a silent auction in the Walker Center for us on Friday, July 24th from 6 to 8pm. Everyone we know is invited to attend! It will be a great time of fellowship with our friends and family before we depart to Dallas on this new journey. We will be auctioning off some of my paintings and photos, as well as some other handmade items by friends of ours. All this in an effort to raise money for our tuition this fall.
Please come out to see us! We will be sharing a slideshow and story of how this all came about and what we feel God is calling us to. Again, everyone is welcome!
Otter Creek Assembly
9415 Stagecoach Rd.
Little Rock, AR 72210
501-455-0946
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Support
For those of you who are not familiar with Christ for the Nations Institute, I am posting a link to their website and to the site of their music program. Look them up! It is a great place!We also want to thank everyone who has supported us recently. The outpouring of love, encouragement, and financial support we have received is literally leaving us speechless! I am amazed at how God is surrounding us with people that are full of encouraging words. You all seem to wrap your arms around us and hold us up reminding us that we can do it. Your support means so much! Thank you for holding us up in prayer. This journey is a journey of faith and we expect God to do great things. He has already proven Himself multiple times and this is just the beginning.
Some of you have asked about monthly support and auto-draft. I called the Finance department at CFNI to ask what they had available. You can give them your account information, the amount you would like to contribute monthly, and our student ID. They will automatically handle the transaction every month and it will go directly towards the cost of our training. If you are interested in this, please email us at bbowman348@sbcglobal.net and we will forward you our student ID information. Again, thank you for supporting what God is calling us to do. We love and pray for each of you!
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