What's next, Papa?

I feel like I have fallen off of the blogging planet!  It has been a very long time, as I find myself journalling more and typing less.  

Our lives seem to be taking a turn, a curve in the road....in a direction I was never certain we would actually go.  We have begun the journey to ADOPTION.  My husband and I have always considered this, never knowing when the timing would be right.  Not knowing where to adopt from, either locally or overseas, when is the best time for our existing four children, etc, etc.

Well, now seems to be the right time!  Our kids are currently 11, 10, almost 9 (in 2 months) and 7 and have been urging us to bring more kids into our family!  We are looking to adopt a sibling group through the Ministry of Children and Family Development here in BC.  This could mean so many things!!  There are so many different parameters to set, decisions to make as far as what kinds of issues we are willing to deal with, how old the kids will be, how many....

And this is where God steps in and lets us know that He is leading us forward.  Because the children that I cannot get out of my mind, the children that I am anxious to bring home forever, the children whom I have never seen and have no more information about them than a brief profile of on the internet, are in a sibling group of FOUR.  Yes, FOUR.  Oh, Lord, what are you THINKING?!? Do you realize this will DOUBLE my family size overnight?!!

Their current ages are 6, 4, 2 1/2 and 18 mos.  Three boys and the baby is a girl.  

SO many thoughts run through my mind all the time about them!  Can we do this?  Why are they in care? Can we handle the issues that come?  Do I remember how to parent toddlers?  How will this all work out? What if , what if, what if????!!? 

And God says, "Do you trust me?"  

God says, "You weren't perfect when I brought you into My family...I loved you WITH all of your issues!"

God says, "If this is My plan, how can you go wrong?"

God says, " I will give you the capacity to love beyond what you ever thought possible."

He says a lot of things!! :D

He equips us for everything He asks of us.  Every day we walk in God's grace, love, peace, freedom, wisdom, guidance, protection.  

I have been reading from the Message bible, and love the way some things are put.  In 1 Cor. 13:12-13 it says,

 "We don't YET see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.  But it WON'T BE LONG before the weather clears and the sun shines bright!......but as for right now.... TRUST STEADILY, HOPE UNSWERVINGLY, LOVE EXTRAVAGANTLY.." (emphasis mine)

Trust, hope, love.  But not just that!  Steadily....Unswervingly....EXTRAVAGANTLY!! No holds barred, jumping in with both feet, excited for adventure!

And why can we do this?

Not from our flesh, not from our natural mindset. (Because really, who in their RIGHT MIND would do this??!)

We do this by opening up our hands and our hearts, handing over to God what we have to give, and trusting him to give it back to us in a form that He finds useful.  

Just like Moses with his staff, just like the disciples with the loaves and fishes.  Lay it down, and let Him work!  A good friend of ours preached on this very thing a few weeks ago (thanks, Jimmy!) and it still resonates with me. What is in your hands? God has given us gifts to use for His Kingdom, for His glory...what are we doing with them?

"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life.  It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, "what's next, Papa?"  Rom. 8:15

And once you ask, be ready to embrace the challenge of the answer!

This life does not belong to us.  We are here with one purpose: to serve the Father, to further His kingdom, to be His hands and feet.  No matter what.

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground.  And don't hold back.  Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.

1Cor. 15:58

Looking forward to this new adventure,

One day at a time,

Darcie.

Thy Kingdom Come

Travelling for the sake of missions is an eye-opening experience.  Going from a place where poverty is basically non-existent to a place where the same could be said of wealth, is like being transported into another era.  Things look different, smell different, taste different.  The people look different, act different, live differently than us.  Bigger and better traded for smaller and simpler.  Luscious and green traded for dry, bare and desolate.

But something happens in the midst of all of this juxtaposition. (my grade 8 LA teacher would be so proud!)  A faint glimmer of similarity rises up among us, black ,white, short, tall, English, Spanish, Indian, Ukrainian.

I saw it during worship services in every country I have been in.  I saw it in the driveway of a church in Krasni Mak, Ukraine, as we sang outside because the power had gone out in the hall.  I saw it in a small rooftop church in India that made me think of the Acts church meeting in the upper room.  I saw it in a dusty, dirt-floored, ramshackle church in Mexico.  Something that unites us all.  Are you ready?

it was the KINGDOM.

Floating around as we sang in the open air to nothing but a single, non-amplified guitar.

 As we sang familiar songs in a foreign land.  With many instruments or none, in tune or out.

You know what I have discovered?  The Kingdom of God knows no bounds.  I realize that I have known this in my head for years, but it is different to witness it first hand.

The Kingdom of God is not bound by borders, by culture, by race or language.

The Kingdom is in us, as believers, AROUND THE WORLD.  And this is not an easy concept.  We tend to think of the Church as OUR church, our community of believers, our city or town.  We read bible verses and think they apply only to us, because this is what we know and see.

But when you step out of your area and enter another, perhaps half a world away, you begin to see that they, too, are included in who the Bible is addressed to!

When I was in India we sang "God of this City"

"You're the God of this city

You're the King of these people

You're the Lord of this nation, you are

You're the light in this darkness

You're the hope to the hopeless

You're the peace to the restless, You are

There is no one like our God

There is no one like You, God

Greater things have yet to come

and greater things have still to be done in this city"

I realized 2 things in singing this song. The first was, "oh my goodness, is it ever evident that these people MEAN what they are singing!"  Their passion for their city and their nation was incredible, challenging and contagious.  My second thought was, as we ALL sing this song, we are addressing the WORLD!

The Kingdom is not bound by geography.

There are many things to consider when going overseas.  Dress code, how people demonstrate love, affection, emotion...these things really differ by country.  But God is constant!  He is the same in India as He is in Ukraine, as He is in Spain, Mexico, and Canada!  We, the Church, are a united people, whether we realize it or not.

I believe there is a lesson to be learned from this.  In Romans 12:2 Paul says, "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

We cannot let our culture bind us.

It's not about our culture. Paul says not to copy the customs of this world! It is about the Kingdom, it is about spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.  It is about Jesus.  And by letting God transform you into a new person, your eyes will be open and you will learn to hear His voice!

The Kingdom is what allows us to spend a week in Mexico developing a bond with 2 families who we cannot verbally communicate with.

The Kingdom is what draws Hindu people in India to accept the Lord.

The Kingdom enables us to heal the sick, to see the lame walk, the blind see and the deaf hear!

The Kingdom is here.  It is inside of us.  And all God wants us to do is to release it.

I don't want to be bound by my culture.  I don't want my traditions, teachings, logic, etc to dictate what I do for the Lord.

I am a disciple of Christ, I carry the Kingdom with me everywhere I go.  My culture is a Kingdom culture.  It unites, bonds, draws near, knits together people of every tribe, tongue and nation.  It is exciting to be part of a global force, united in expanding the Kingdom!  

The Kingdom is here, waiting for your words and actions to release it.

Step into the Kingdom culture

one day at a time,

Darcie.

Risk doesn't fit in a box

I like boxes.  They are square, stackable, neat and tidy. Everything safe and secure.  Baskets, too.  I LOVE baskets when I am in an organizational frenzy!  Life would be so amazing if everything was always put away, stored in it's rightful spot..all would be well with the world. 

We have been talking a lot about missions lately. In our church, in our home. And not just talking, but GOING.

With these trips there is a certain amount of RISK involved.  

Risk is uncomfortable.  It can be quite scary to step out into the unknown. 

 Risk doesn't fit in a box.

There are MANY, many awful things happening in our world today. Things worth standing up and stepping out for. Things we may need to risk something for. Poverty, disease, sex slavery, human trafficking, addiction, abuse, child soldiers, homelessness, the list is endless. I keep coming back to a passage of scripture in John 9:35-41 that hits me pretty hard when I read it.

v.39-41 says, " Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”     “If you were blind, you wouldn’t  be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see."  (emphasis mine)

Am I guilty? Are you?  Do we claim we can see, and yet turn our eyes from what is right in front of us?  I desperately do not want to be like the Pharisees, and yet some days I think we are more like them than we care to admit.

What reasons do you have for not getting involved?

I know what my reasons have been:

NUMBER ONE: I can't afford it.

number 2: I don't have time

number 3: my kids are too young

number 4: I am not ready/prepared spiritually

number 5: what will people think?

Look at these reasons as boxes stacked nicely on a shelf.  Packaging God up into neat little packages that we can organize and control. Everything in its place, as it should be. These reasons are all logical, valid reasons...from a human perspective, anyway.  I am the first to admit that the logical thinking comes in first.  

But what about the Holy Spirit?

What about God leading His people?

What about His plan and His provision for His purpose?

This is a very difficult mold to break out of.  Our society and our culture teaches us to be ultra-cautious, ultra-conservative.  Risk is seen in a negative light and frowned upon.

 

 I think what we really need to realize is that God is not bound by our thinking!! His views of our excuses are pretty clear:  His wealth is not reliant on our understanding of it.  His timing has nothing to do with ours.  We will never be prepared enough to go, by our standards, and who really cares what people think??!? We won't be answering to them in the end, anyway. Our actions do not have to take us over an ocean, away from small children. There is a definite season, I believe, where travel is not the top priority!  There are many local things we can be involved in, as mothers, that may only require phone calls or the occasional outing.  Having said that, I also know that there will be a time to GO.

I think it is time to unpack some boxes.  I believe that God would be happy to help!  God rarely throws money at people, opens the door, hands out plane tickets and says, "Have a great mission trip!" The degree that you risk is directly proportional to the amount He will provide. This has happened time and time again for me/us!  God pays for what He orders! He wouldn't ask us to do things if He was not going to provide a way.

So, now what?

Step out, I dare you. For the thrill of the adventure, for the excitement of seeing God step in as you step out.  Take a risk, with eyes that truly see.

One day at a time, 

step by step,

Darcie.   

MEXICO

I have recently returned from a trip to Mexico.  I didn't go on a cruise ship.  I didn't stay at a resort. I didn't have anyone bring me lovely drinks with a little umbrella in them. (we did get ice cream treats every day!)  The weather wasn't hot, although we did get a lot of sun! It was not your typical spring break vacation.  And let me say, there is nothing wrong with a relaxing, sunny vacation!  But not this time.
I went for these people:

I went so that they could avoid living in something like this:

I went with a team that wanted to give them this:

We worked hard for 4 days, hammering nails, measuring (twice!), cutting, painting.  25 people from our church just wanted to help where we saw a need.  And we did!  Two amazing families now have homes. They have some supplies, groceries, beds.  They have a leg up that may otherwise never have come.  

But I think that we received so much more than we gave.  We were honored by their strength, their resolve to work hard.  We witnessed family relationships that many here in Canada would envy.  We also witnessed a generosity like none other. The family we built for spent likely a week's wages to make a meal for our team to thank us.  So humbling.

The Bible tells us in so many different passages to feed the hungry, clothe those who need them, give shelter to the homeless.  So we took a step.

I remember when I was pregnant with my first baby.  I was sick, tired, swollen,saw my figure disappear, not knowing yet if it was worth all the effort of carrying this baby.  And then after going overdue, being induced, going through the pains of labor and delivery, I met my son.  

And let me tell you, it was WORTH IT.  Worth the pain, the effort, the work, the sickness, the swollen ankles, the weight gain, the stretch marks.  To see that little face, that part of US...it was a moment of wonder and amazement I will never forget.

My experience in Mexico was the same in this aspect.

It is worth every penny spent, every hour worked.  It was worth leaving my kids behind for 10 days even though I missed them like crazy!  It was worth my husband taking time off work.  

 It is worth it to see the smiles on the girls' faces when their beds were brought into the house.  They have never had beds before!  It was worth it, knowing that 2 families now have proper shelter and will sleep warmly!  It was worth it to see the pride in the face of the men as they opened their new homes and invited their families inside. It is worth it, knowing that this will make a difference in their lives forever.  And once you see that change, you see the impact, there is no turning back. 

 We are beyond the time of knowing and doing nothing about it. This is our responsibility, our right, our great honor.

Still processing,

one day at a time,

Darcie.

What if??

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately. There are so many things that have challenged me since my trip to India!  Like, what is our purpose? What is God calling me to do? What are we doing with what we have? How can we be better stewards of what God has given us?

The interesting thing is that many others are also pondering the same questions.  God is putting exactly the same scripture verses, passages, words, on the hearts of MANY.  My anticipation grows as I see things building and it is exciting to know that great things are coming!  Isn't it interesting that God can set things up ALL by Himself?! :) That he does not require our help to orchestrate His plan?  I love it. 

One thing I remarked on today as we travelled about to various activities was this: We are gifted people!  God has put us here, as Christians, for very specific purposes with very individual callings and gifting.  And those gifts have a 2-fold purpose: To edify the Church, and to expand the Kingdom.  There is no other reason why you exist, in my opinion.  Jesus said we are to Love the Lord, and love our neighbours.  How can we do this?  By using all of who He made us to be!! 

I wonder what this would actually look like.  I wonder how our churches would function if we were all actually walking this out.  Because, sadly, I do not think we are.  What would the church look like if we were truly each stepping into our callings, exercising our gifts to edify and expand??  And these gifts do not all need to be exercised solely in the church building!  The Capital C Church, the Church of North America, the Church of the world, is what I am talking about. 

Jesus told us that we would do greater things than He. (John 14:12).  Do you know why? Because He was one person, walking in the Spirit, doing what He saw His father doing.  And WE are MANY, walking in the Spirit, doing what we see our Father doing!  Our power is exponentially greater because we are MANY, working as the Church, for the Kingdom!

What will that look like?  What will it look like in YOUR area, in your church?  It will not and can not be the same across the board.  We are not carbon-copy people.  But it must look like SOMETHING. 

And SOMETHING may be uncomfortable for others. It may challenge the "way we've always done it".  It might actually start to look like the early church did, where disciples were sent out, empowered by Jesus' teaching and later the Holy Spirit, to edify and expand.

What if people got so busy working for the Kingdom that they could no longer attend church programs? 

Can we only spread the Kingdom within the walls of the church?  Will people be released to GO?

What if people stepping into their purposes would mean others have to share theirs? 

Is there only one person in any congregation capable of leading, encouraging, teaching, helping, serving?

What if by gripping so tightly to your calling you hold others back from stepping into theirs? 

What if we were all able to work together, to encourage each other, to build each other up as fellow disciples of Christ, and to help each other to walk out our purposes?

What would the Kingdom look like then?

to expand the Kingdom, and edify the Church,

One day at a time,

Darcie.

Well Done!!

"The master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.  Let's celebrate together!' "

Matthew 25:21

TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS REQUIRED. (Luke 12:48)

 I have been processing these verses since returning from India. The stark contrast between our countries is not easily ignored!  I see so much great wealth around us, so many fantastic blessings! India, as a nation, has very little in terms of wealth.  They do their best with what they have.  In North America we are overflowing in finance, posessions- we have the ability to create wealth! We are truly blessed beyond measure. I have read these verses many times, and I used to think they related only to finance, that those financially blessed have great responsibility.  This is certainly true!  But I believe it goes beyond finance. 

I look at my surroundings and see a nice house with things that I love, cherish and find comfort in.  I see my family, my four beautiful, healthy children, my handsome husband who works hard to provide for us.  In the driveway are our two vehicles, our lawn tractor is in the shed, the skidoo sits awaiting a good snowfall. The land we live on stretches out behind the house, and we can see the mountains in the distance. We have been given MUCH.  We are indeed blessed, and are thankful for what we have daily. 

1 Peter 4:10 says, "As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Gifts are given for a PURPOSE, not merely to create happiness in the recipient.  We are asked to be good stewards of what we have been given and I believe that Jesus wasn't just talking about physical things! 

In 1Cor 12:7-11, Paul lists many spiritual gifts: wisdom, words of knowledge, great faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, interpretation of tongues. He says, "it is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts." (v.11)  We have been given MUCH!! 

He continues the list in verse 28: some are gifted in hospitality, some are teachers, apostles, prophets, those gifted in helping others, the gift of leadership.  How many of these can you relate to? 

I believe God has given each of us very specific gifts for very specific purposes. Nobody can carry out that purpose with that gift the same way you can!  These gifts are given so we can help each other, to edify the church, and to show the power of Christ to unbelievers.

SO...WHAT ARE WE DOING?

  As the Canadian Church, are we using our gifts as faithful servants?  I assure you, many are!  Many are pushing forward in the things of the Lord, eager to see His Kingdom advance.  This is good news!  Can you imagine the powerful advance that would occur with the sum total of all of our gifts being lived out in our daily lives???  That would be a sight to behold, and certainly a force the enemy could not contend with!  According to a 2001 survey, nearly 75% of Canadians claim to be Christian. I wonder, if this is even close to accurate, why is it not more apparent?

 Further on in the parable in Matthew we see the second part to this responsiblilty: "To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away." (emphasis mine).

What are we doing?  What danger are we facing of losing these great gifts we have been given simply because we chose to do nothing with them? A sobering thought. Shocking to me, actually.

I am speaking to myself here as well.  I am completely challenged in this area, and I write out of my own desire to change.

My challenge to you is this:

1.Identify your gifts! Ask the Lord, ask your friends, seek out the answers. 

2.Begin to ask the Lord what His purposes are for you in your gifts

3.Walk it out!  Let His purposes for you be know by all you come into contact with as you seek to serve Him, using the gifts he has equipped you with to do so!!

May His Kingdom advance as you step into the Lord's purposes for you,

one day at a time,

Darcie.

India- Healing!!

Da da daaa!!! What you have all been waiting for!  :D  There is not much that is more exciting than seeing God heal people and bring them to salvation!! It's like the cherry on the sundae. 
At the beginning of this Journey of Compassion we had 2 days of training, as I have mentioned.  Steve taught a lot on the Kingdom and healing. The message of the Kingdom is of the power of the age to come!  The bible says that there is no sickness in Heaven, and to be healed is to receive a taste of the Kingdom. 
 John 1:5 says, "The light shines in the darkness,
                   and the darkness can not overcome it."
Jesus RAN into the darkness!  Darkness is dark, sin is sin, but Jesus made the exchange.  We need to connect the supply of Heaven to the need in front of us.  Heaven is waiting for the words we speak, then power is released!
    And so, there are a few keys of healing.  The first is Expectation.  We need to move from the "hope so" to the "KNOW so".  The second is participating in Heavenly activity, and then recognizing that we are a part of what God is doing. Matthew 11:12 says that "the Kingdom of Heaven is forcefully advancing"! The last 3 keys are: understanding what the bible says about healing, (we need to study!) knowing the authority we carry to take back what the enemy has stolen, and knowing the delight of God- Jesus loves to heal!!
Now, there is a LOT more to all of this, but I'm sure you don't want my notes copied out on this page.  If you want more information, let me know!

We followed a very simple 5 step prayer model (Jesus doesn't need 5 steps, but it helps us keep things simple and allow Him to do the work!)
1. Ask, "What do you need?"
2. Listen to God
3. Invite God's Love
4. Command the healing (eyes open!)
5. Test it out!

Over 6 days of clinics and evening meetings in the villages we had MANY opportunities to pray for the sick.  In the waiting areas of the clinic, out in the village as we walked around, and in the evening meetings. The meetings would start with music, dancing and skits from the FM team. Then Steve or RK would give a salvation message and pray for those who would accept Christ for the first time. Then they would direct those who needed prayer to come to one of our team.  So many saved, and many healings as over 30 of us prayed for so many! 

One man with a very sore back was able to bend over and touch his toes, and came up smiling!  I remember him because of his smile :)
A woman with very painful, tight shoulders couldn't lift her hands above shoulder height.  After prayer she could raise them all the way straight up without any pain!
One woman had very poor vision due to cataracts.  After prayer her eyes went from cloudy to clear and her vision was fully restored!
There were two women with leg pains healed, and many with headaches and fevers healed as well!
One little boy had one hand that had been curled up for 2 years.  We shook hands while playing during the service.  Afterwards his mother came up to us to show that he could now freely open and close his hand!
One of our translators brought her mother to the open-air concert we took part in.  She couldn't understand why, with all of the healings we had been seeing in the villages, her mom was still almost completely deaf.  So we prayed, and her hearing was fully restored!! 
A young girl, from her apartment could hear the music from the same concert.  She had pills in her hand, ready to take her life.  As she listened to the worship music, she changed her mind!  Praise God for loud music! 
One young girl who had never spoken spoke her first words after prayer in one of the clinics. 
An elderly lady who was deaf and dumb received prayer and was able to speak AND hear again! She and her husband were overwhelmed with joy!
A woman who had been blinded by cataract surgery in one eye and had blurry vision in the other eye had her sight in BOTH eyes restored!
These are just a few, a sampling of what went on all week.  Mostly these are what I witnessed, others are testimonies from our team. 

I went to India hoping I would come home with a better understanding of how healing works, why some people are healed and not others, etc.  And sadly, I am none the wiser.  BUT I did learn that Jesus LOVES to heal, and every single person I prayed for was healed in Jesus name! 

  "And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind

and unplug the ears of the deaf.

 The lame will leap like a deer,

and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! "

Is. 35:5-6a