19 Days to Lift Off

We leave in 19 days on a 7 week mission trip around the world. This morning David and I spent a couple of hours in prayer getting our hearts ready. We can visualize the people in Australia, Indonesia, Kenya, and Germany where we'll be speaking and we're praying for transformation for many lives. But before we can go, we have to be clean and pure and true worshipers. Today it was wonderful to be in God's presence with my best friend and prayer partner, my lover and leader, and to hear his humble prayers of heart preparation. I can only imagine what God has planned...

The Response Prayer Day

David and I went to the Response Day of Prayer yesterday at Reliant Stadium in Houston. For my readers outside the US, our governor of Texas called a day of fasting and prayer for our nation and the prayer gathering was held in our Houston football (gridiron) stadium. I haven't heard the numbers, but we guessed about 25,000 people were there--young families with little children, elderly adults, young people, professional people, pastors, those from every walk of life. It was a glorious time of worship and intercession and a powerful time of personal and corporate confession of sin. Although our governor took at lot of criticism for this call to prayer, there was no political statement and no one took our names for future "marketing."

We were asked to pray sometimes in groups of 3 or 5 and sometimes prayed individually as we were led in prayer by person after person at the microphone. The worship band led us to sing our worship and intercession in familiar and not so familiar, but glorious songs. The event lasted all day and was based on Joel 2, "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart, not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing--grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God. Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priest, who minister before the Lord, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, "Spare your people, O Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, "Where is their God?'"

What do you think about all this?

My Hotel Room

Ok, we've been living in a hotel room since April 25...and it's July 29. Why? We've made an international move and instead of immediately finding a house and settling in, we've decided to build one. I was really gripping to the Lord about it and He did two things that changed me completely. First, He told me to count my blessings. When I looked around, I realized how many there are. Secondly, He told me He was providing exactly what I needed to make the massive adjustments of life in America, a husband newly retired, ministry office changes and re-entering our family network after a 7 year absence. What I needed was zero responsibility and that's what I've got. Precious Fay from Jamaica makes our bed and cleans our room each day, sweet Beatrice cooks our breakfast each morning, and cute Anwar at the front desk makes us new keys when we lose ours. Life doesn't get simpler or sweeter than that.

Noah Built an Artwork

Last night we were keeping two grandchildren, ages 1 and 3. (This is a different family from my previous post quoting a grandchild.) In response to a request that I continue to occaisionally quote my funny three year old grandchildren (I have 3 three year olds at present!!), I have to post this one. It's just too cute. I asked, "What did you learn at church today?" The response: "We llearned about Noah building an artwork." I said, "Oh, yes, Noah built an ark." She said, "No, he built an artwork!" Well, I stand corrected. She's right!!

Kids Say The Funniest Things!

I promise I won't quote my grandchildren's quips often, but this week when we kept three granddaughters, ages 3, 4, and 6, their funny little mispronunciations tickled me. As we were riding up an elevator, the 3 year old informed me she is no longer afraid of the "alligator" (elevator). If you look for it, something funny happens almost every day. "A cheerful heart is good medicine." Proverbs 17:22.

New Every Morning

We are driving home from a family trip to Colorado. It's been a great week of respite from Texas heat and a wonderful time with the Lord. In the past 24 hours, He's reminded me that this move and transition from my life in Australia is an opportunity to enjoy new beginnings. Lamentations 3 tells us His compassions are new every morning...great is His faithfulness. I'm getting ready to build a new house in a new neighborhood, we have a new team at the Kardo/MotherWise ministry office, David and I are reinventing our relationship since he has retired from the marketplace and is full time at our ministry, and we have the chance to establish new family traditions now that we're back home with our kids and grandkids. New mercies every morning. Great is His faithfulness!!

Tree Transplant

Yesterday, David and I realized that our move from Australia to Texas is sort of like being a transplanted tree. When you uproot an oak tree, some of the roots will be cut, the leaves will fall off, it won't bear fruit for a while, and when you replant it, it will need support just to stand. It won't be too functional while the new roots are forming. We love being back home in Texas near family, friends, and faithful ministry partners. But it doesn't matter how glad you are to be in a new place, moving stinks. I feel a bit foggy most of the time. So if you're talking to me or texting or emailing, just know I'm on about 30% power right now. Just smile at me and give me a hug. :)