. . .tomorrow. . .

. . . we are going back to the place of ocean and mountains. . .

privileged to answer His call

There seems to be something about the changing of seasons or transitions that the Lord often seems to leverage for growth and renewed clarity.  What joy to serve such a Saviour who is no content to leave us stuck in the mediocre - ever upward and onward!

"And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.  For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?"  

Luke 9:23-25

I have been reminded lately of Amy Carmichael's description of life in ministry.  She said simply "It is a chance to die". And to those who do not know and love Christ, that may sound both overwhelming and unappealing.  But to those who have seen and known their Savior there is a desire to live such a life, that in all things He may be known and preeminent.  

Yet lately the Lord has been revealing the difference in my life between knowing this truth and truly living it.  You can be involved in full-time ministry but still not truly daily dying to self.  You can be doing all the right things, reading the right books and saying the right things, but still be clinging to your life.  And perhaps it is in little ways, unseen or unnoticed by those around you.  We can be clinging to hidden comforts - silly things really - when there is a greater call upon our lives.

And the choice has been laid before me with such clarity.  We could try to live a self-preserving existence, one that clings stubbornly to trite and worldly things.   That clings to 'life' so tightly that the abundant life in Christ is never seen or lived.  But let us know this and neither avoid nor justify it no longer - in trying to keep our lives, in holding on to those things which make us more comfortable or life more easy, we lose the our life.  

The life of a Christian is to be an offering completely given, a sacrifice completely spent.  That is the life we are both called and enabled to live.  Let us answer the call upon our lives with abandon that in all things Christ may be preeminent and seen - and let us live our lives in a way that the supreme worth of Jesus is manifest!

"So the mixture of our message is life and death, laughter and tears.  But for us, life is never ordinary, life is never flat.  I'm here with a plea for you.  If you've known the love of God, if you have tasted of His sweetness at all, there is no other way to serve Him except to give up your life.  And this is voluntary. This is not a sentence of death at all. . .we are privileged to answer His call."  

Jackie Pullinger

when one does not write for a couple of months

When one does not write for a couple of months,

it is hard to know where to begin.  

And I'm not sure that this is the best time to begin again,

because there have already been some pretty funny slips of the fingers 

while I have been typing and slips of the tongue while I've been talking tonight.  

But something that has been mulling around in my head lately

as the Lord has given so many opportunities to read and hear and learn and discover

so many things, is that it would be so good to write.  

And one can say that they are busy.  

And one might be. 

Really Busy.

With more 'things to do' than there are 'hours in the day'. 

Yet, this one is pretty sure that life will probably never get less busy.  

And a lot of things in life, important things, will have to happen because they will probably never just  happen to happen.

So, Lord willing, there will be more things happening in this quiet corner.

(notice, I make no promises!) 

Writing about Jesus, the Gospel, life in ministry, unreached places and people.  

Thoughts after reading books and listening to sermons and studying Scripture.

Probably a smattering of funny stories about life too, because I want to remember things like that. 

But for now, all that is left to say is,

good night!  

  

To Walk This Earth

To walk this earth as my Master walked,

along dirt roads and trails

   feet covered in a thick grey dust

such is life - abundant and free.

To walk this earth as my Master walked

ever bent to the Father’s will

   every desire but His laid aside

such is life - abundant and free.

To walk this earth as my Master walked

proclaiming in the murky darkness

  the Light of Zion lives and shines

such is life - abundant and free.

To walk this earth as my Master walked

seeking the weak and the lost

  lavishly loving the least of all

such is life - abundant and free.

To walk this earth as my Master walked,

communion constant and sweet,

   loved by the King, my heart drawn to His
such is life - abundant and free!
nic.christine  july 2012

{africa}

If you had asked me a couple of months ago, 

I would have said that I would have been more likely to be planning a trip

to Antarctica than to Africa.

No exaggeration.  

Yet the Lord, in His mysterious and unexpected ways, opened the door 

(and then rather pushed me through it)

for me to join a team of five other people from here in Colorado

to go for three weeks to South Sudan.  

In a few short weeks, (we leave on May 20th) we will be partnering with the long-term

missionaries in the village of Nagishot to put on two VBS camps for the children of the villages.

We are currently in the midst of working on curriculum

(for it is rather impossible to find a pre-packaged deal for an unreached people group)

and oh! how beautiful it has been, to be constantly thinking about,

reading again and praying about how to communicate

the Gospel.

It is amazing to me, the beauty and simplicity of the Good News.  

The longer that I study it, the fewer words I seem to have, just a thankful and amazed awe.  

And to be part of the Lord's work in bringing the news

to a people for generation after generation

have lived in darkness, sin and fear - 

it seems like the most unbelievable privilege and joy.

It truly would be a blessing have a team of people 'holding the ropes' as we walk forward in this adventure.  Below are a couple of specifics in regards to prayer. . .

prayer points:

That the Lord would now be softening and awakening the hearts of these people, 

that they might see the worth of Christ and grasp the power of the Gospel.  

A true revival in the Didinga people, church and community.

For the translators we shall be working with - may the Truth penetrate deeply in their lives.
(we will be learning some key memory verses in their language (and just as much of their language as we can!) - and we'll probably need a special measure of grace for that one!) 

Wisdom, creativity and unction for curriculum development.

Unity, health and wholeness for the entire team - the Colorado contingent and the team already in Africa.

(if you are interested in a little more information, you can check out this blog or this one, written by two of the missionaries that we'll be joining.  All photos are from them!)

"I want to learn the words of God - come to Nagishot"

"For God so loved, that He sent. . ."

from hudson taylor

"My experience was that the less I spent on myself and the more I gave to others, the fuller of happiness and blessing did my soul become"

The secret of faith that is ready for emergencies is the quiet practical dependence upon God day by day which makes Him real to the believing heart.

"How then to have our faith increased? No by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One."

John 7:37-39 - "If any man thirst, let him come unto ME and drink" Who does not thirst? Who has not mind-thirst, heart-thirsts or body-thirsts? Well, no matter which or whether I have them all - "Come unto me and. . ." remain thirsty? Ah no! "Come unto me and drink"

What, can Jesus meet my need? Yes, and more than meet it. No matter how intricate my path, how difficult my service; no matter how sad my bereavement, how far away my loved ones; no matter how helpless I am,how deep are my soul yearnings -

Jesus can meet all, all, and more than meet. 

all quotes by Hudson Taylor

brothers.

Growing up, I rather wished for a sister rather than three younger brothers.  

Now I feel slightly sorry for anyone who doesn't have three younger brothers.

Younger brothers even grow up to be taller and older looking so everyone thinks you have older brothers.  

.......................

three random reasons why I have the three best brothers ever:

(just a sampling from a whole bunch of possible reasons)

one.

Robert finds fun, eclectic coffee shops close to downtown and then brings me there.  He makes our whole family laugh with his perfectly dry sense of humour and wants me to go back to university.

two.  

Michael has not only learned this song on the piano the original way but also has transposed it to the minor key.  It is pretty much amazing - and he is patient enough to play it repeatedly for his sister. 

You heard it first here, folks.  

three.

Ryan cam down to breakfast one morning and said that he wished that he could add 'Wallace' to his middle name.  So it would be 'Ryan William Wallace'.   He also wants to learn to play the bagpipes.

Yep, he's cool like that.  

.......................

Being able to spend time with them is one of my favourite parts about being home and I am so blessed to know each of them.  It is amazing watch them grow into men of integrity, to make hard decisions, stand alone, to work hard and grow closer to the Lord.  Love you all and will miss you while I'm away -  and who's going to make me laugh!

with a special thanks to our fun photographer and friend. . .that was quite the memorable afternoon, wasn't it Merissa?

{scotland} part two.

a quick wee video I put together with pictures of Scotland.  And the song just fits so perfectly with somethings that the Lord hallmarked too. . .listen once for the pictures and once for the lyrics (smiles)

could you imagine?

Could you imagine a life in which you never knew where you would sleep each night?

One in which you almost wished you were still in jail or on parole, 

because then you at least had people checking up on you?  

Because then at least you weren't alone?

Or one in which people would take one look at you
and cross the street
rather then to walk by you?

A life in which you said "Be safe" when you were 

parting with someone rather than saying 

"See you tomorrow", "Have a great evening" and the like?

Before this past Saturday,

I couldn't have really imagined it either.

..................................

As I stood in the dining room of homeless shelter in a neighboring city, the thought that if Jesus were here today, I could picture Him standing in that room and talking with these people just would not leave me.  Oh, may we walk ever and always with a heart of love towards our God, that we might have eyes to see those that He sees and to love those He loves.

"Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me."
Matthew 25:40

a table for nine

Since the summer, we have had the joy of sharing the campus with an extraordinary family.  In the eyes of the world, there truly is nothing ordinary about them.  A young single woman who has adopted seven children and in the process of adopting more.  Oh, here is something so powerful to watch someone surrender all, to joyous give all to Jesus.  To be used by Him in ways unimaginable.  Below is a story written by one of Heather's young daughters.  I remember hearing her read it herself over the summer.  And to this day, I'm not sure if there is something that else that I could point to so definitely as life-changing as that morning when I heard those women share.  May we be a people who always have a 'yes' upon our lips to what the Lord is calling us to do.

 a table for nine

I will never forget the day I first came to my adoptive family. My mother told us she was taking us to a fancy restaurant for a “family night.” I remember walking into this classy restaurant and hearing my mother say,"A TABLE FOR NINE" please. I was a bit confused because I counted and there was only seven adopted kids plus one single momma. I had heard my new mom was a bit eccentric, so I just thought this was one of her moments. Shouldn't we of gotten a table for eight I thought to myself? I recounted all of us and was just confused. As we all sat down, my mom saved a place for someone right next to her. I began looking around wondering who in the world was meeting us for dinner. Who was joining us for "Our Family Night?" At the time I was too scared to even talk, so I just sat there curiously wondering and expecting someone to join us for dinner. My mother began to order and smile and carry on as if nothing was wrong. She began to seriously get on my nerves, and then I couldn't take it anymore. I had to find out who she was saving the seat for.

I will never forget the words that came out of her mouth. "Kids, I want to introduce you to your father." "I have invited him to dinner with us tonight, and would like to tell you all about him." I was shocked. I thought that my new adopted mother was single!? I quickly glance back at the door expecting a man to walk in. I was stunned, as my mother began to talk about a man who would never leave us or forsake us. She talked about His heart and who His character was. She began to describe how he saved her life, and began to tell us all about him. She said she would like to introduce Him to us. I will never forget that moment. The tears just fell from my eyes. I had become so numb and this was the first time I could even feel again. As she began to describe who He was, I felt as if I had already met him. It was a familiar feeling. I can't describe it, but there were many and I mean many nights where I lay bleeding and in pain where I felt His presence. I wanted to die so the pain would stop. When I say pain I mean severe pain. My body was used as a chopping block or a cutting board. I not only felt physical pain as my biological parents would do horrors to me, but I felt such deep heart pain. There were many nights I felt as if someone was carrying me, keeping me warm, and whispering into my ear words of hope. I then realized as my mother began to describe this person who she saved a seat for and claimed to be my father, it was the same person who held me, wiped my tears, and mended my open wounds. That night in a restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma I met a man that has forever changed my life.

This man has truly healed me. He is my father and my Doctor. With tears I accepted Jesus into my heart that night. I will never forget the evening when God came to dinner with us, and I officially met him. I will never forget the prayer and tears streaming down my newly adoptive mother's face as she introduced us to the man that had once healed her as well. I will never forget the embrace I got, I never wanted my mom to let go. I didn't just feel her arms around me but God's arms. When she prayed over me and cried over me I promise you this, I saw my father God in her eyes. I didn’t just get adopted by a new family, I got adopted by a father who knows how many hairs are upon my head.

To think that I was once the abused child whose story was plastered all over national television. I will never forget the day my caseworker told my mom not to adopt me because I was too old, too much work, and too sick. I will never forget turning on the news and hearing the reporter say that I had one of the most severe cases of sexual abuse she had ever heard of where the child actually lived. I remember listening to my teacher as she told my mom I was considered mentally retarded because I couldn’t read or write at age eleven. I remember listening to my foster parents whisper about how “homely” looking I was and how messed up my body and teeth are. I remember at school how my peers would tell me they weren’t allowed to play with me because they were afraid to catch some disease or that I would hurt them. I write this to say that God still performs signs, wonders, and miracles. I am now a daughter of a King. I was once lost but now I am found. I was ashes turned into beauty. I was once damaged and broken and now restored and whole. God is reaching His hands out to you today. He has seen your tears, he has cried with you. Let him heal and restore you today. I will never forget the day when my mom said the words, “ A table for nine,” please.

adoption.

Do you know the feeling when what you are trying to communicate is too big for words?  When you are worried that in your stumbling and faltering, something indescribable will become cheapened or lessened?  This season has been one of the Lord so beautifully and perfectly deepening my understanding of the Gospel and though it seems hard, I'm going to try to jot down some thoughts.

Wednesday evening a group of us were able to go to the airport to welcome five children from Ethiopia and a little boy from Haiti.  The Ethiopians had just travelled half way around the world to be part of an international children's choir; the Haitian boy had just been picked up by his forever family and on his way home.  

I remember walking in the airport and first seeing the cheerful circle of orange, as the children and staff of the choir were gathered together.  We walked up, greeting our friends who are on staff with the ministry.  The children were tired - exhausted - after 20 hours of traveling.  They were wearing their matching orange t-shirts and holding onto balloons.  

Reaching out, I snagged the ribbon on one of the little boy's balloons, causing the bright balloon to bob up and down.  His face looked up at mine and a smile lit up his face and eyes.  And right then, something happened in my heart.  

We had such fun - each of us talking in our own language - playing with the balloons.  Up and down, watching the static electricity.  And somehow, I'm still not sure how, they stole a part of my heart and I'm pretty convinced that things will never be entirely the same.  

 

Then we all gathered at the meeting place, for word had passed that the one that we had been waiting for was about to arrive.  How amazing it was to stand there, realizing that the little boy that we have been praying for by name for the past two years, was about to walk there in front of us - to be here.

The elevator doors opened and the newly united family walked out; a Dad, a Mum, a baby sister and a little boy.  And it was then that the Lord showed me a little of the beauty of the miracle of adoption in the Gospel.

How often do we say the words "We are adopted as sons and daughters of the King"?  Yet we say it casually and move on. . .do we really grasp what that means?

Adoption is not just an idealistic concept, or an idea that sounds socially pleasing.  It is a legal and binding decision - a covenant in a sense perhaps - for a lifetime.  It means you take a new name, a new place.  It means that you belong to someone.

This little boy, standing there holding onto his new Dad's hand, had no right or merit of his own that he should be standing there.  Yet he was - and with more rights in this country of the United States of America than this girl does!  All because he was adopted as a son.  

And to think of our rejoicing, the forty or so people from the school and church, when they walked through the doors.  In the same way, what rejoicing there must be in heaven when the Lord presents His sons and daughters.  Oh, how absolutely incomprehensible!

In the next little bit, we are so blessed to be either praying for the adoptions of close friends in our midst or celebrating the arrival of new lives into families.  And we have the joy of having the Ethiopian children right on campus with us. . .as I walked by their dorm this morning I could hear them practicing their songs.  May the Lord continue to reveal His heart and nature in and through all of these circumstances and people.

{scotland} part one

a story in pictures. . .

Over the summer, the Lord opened up the way for a friend and I to spend two weeks in Scotland this fall.  It was an absolutely beautiful time in ways that words can never fully communicate.  The Lord has truly hallmarked this little country in my life and it was such a blessing to go on this trip with a friend who is so surrendered to the Him.  And now, let us end the words and continue with this story in pictures. . .  

so this girl got a plane

and hopped the pond.

and she met her friend

and then they got on a bus

(they rode a lot of buses) 

and then a train

and then a ferry

and ended up on an island.

the isle of eigg in the western Hebrides 

there were many cups of tea

and tramps about and across the island

and walks down by the ocean.

the sheep didn't like us much.

yes, they all lined up and charged at us.  typical sheep behaviour? I think not. 

there was a time to share of Christ and testify to His exceeding greatness, glory and worth.

 ^"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

1 Peter 2:9

And then it was time to travel onward. . .

fall leaves and a quote

a quick snapshot of a local church. . .look at all the lovely leaves and the red door

"A man is what he is on his knees before God, and nothing more."

Robert Murray M'Cheyne

And we're back. . .

the west coast of the isle of eigg

. . .with many Scottish stories, adventures and memories from the
"islands, highlands and cities".
Hopefully an update soon!

Cheers!

bon voyage

and I'm off!

photo credit

The picture is rather deceiving though.  

Rather then taking such charming suitcases, I shall be lugging around a backpack.  

smiles

to walk with courage and peace

photo credit

"To have a master and to be mastered is not the same thing.
To have a master means that there is one who knows me better than I know myself,
one who is closer than a friend, one who fathoms the remotest abyss of my heart and satisfies it,
one who has brought me into the secure sense that he has met and solved
every perplexity and problem of my mind.
To have a master is this and nothing less - 

"One is your Master even Christ."

My Utmost For His Highest, September 22

Oswald Chambers

ex·cite·ment

a feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness.

swings and a catechism

It has been a very long time that this wee corner of the internet has seen anything other than pictures and quotes.  So, just to keep things interesting, I thought I would change things up a little this time.

The time at home again has been such a sweet season.  Setting up a room again (I'm starting to wonder if the Lord is preparing me for ministry among nomads. . .I may have to break the habit of lugging so many books around with me if that is so!).  Being with my family always means much laughter, as my three brothers with their dry sense of humour keeps us all smiling.

And the Lord has provided an opportunity for me to babysit two young girls in the neighbourhood here.  It has been a long time since I've spent my afternoons jumping on trampolines, colouring, painting with water (one of our favourite pastimes) and going to the park.  It has been quite invigorating!

And though days look quite different then they do when I am down at my 'campus-home'; no organizing trips to bring 120 people to the mountains or the park, no answering phone inquiries, or doing all the little random things that come up in a day down there.

A couple of days ago, my Mum came upstairs and asked me the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism ("What is the chief aim of man?")  All of us children have gone through the catechism when we were in grade eight or nine and she just finished doing the first lesson with one of my brothers.  But as I repeated the answer, the Lord used it as such a reminder.  Whether we as His children are here or there. . .doing this or that. . .we are to be given to Him entirely.  So whether today finds us pouring out in ministry or simply swinging at the park, our purpose and commission is the same.

"To glorify God and enjoy Him forever"

to follow

". . .you will regret nothing when you look back, except lack of faith, or fortitude, or love.  

You will never regret having thrown all to the winds in order to follow Your Master and Lord. 

Nothing will seem too much to have done or suffered, when on the end, 

we see Him and the marks of His wounds; 

nothing will ever seem enough. . ."

Amy Carmichael

something to listen to