Hey everyone,
After a lot of prayer and planning we are excited to relaunch our ministry together. God has been doing a lot of work in both of us, and we realized HIS timing is always right. This was not a year ago for us but right now. We would love to tell you more about this so continue to follow our story which is ultimately HIS (God's Story).
You can find us at http://sherryandstephanie.org or our new blog at http://sherryandstephanie.blogspot.com
Thanks for "doing" life with us.
-Sherry and Stephanie-
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Our five loaves and two fishes
Today life came to an overwhelming pace as it often can and all of it in the middle of church. When I was suppose to be focusing on God and the message, I was trying to figure out our lives. Just to give you a peek inside my brain it went something like this...
"That was a great clip on missions they just showed! I loved what they said about how their primary goal was just to be with people and teach them English but model Christ. Say, that's what we are hoping to do. Now how can we invite people over without it being wierd? Well, we have my work friends, Tim's work friends, and our neighbors. Man, I wish our basement was finished. Where are we going to fit everyone? Hmm let's see, if I went back to work maybe I could make enough money so we could finish our basement. Well then, if we want to have another kid that wouldn't work, because we would have three in daycare and there is no way that we could afford that. Well, what if we waited a few more years for another kid when the girls get closer to school age? Yah, that might work. But, what am I going to go back to work to do? With all that I've been learning I don't know if I am wanting to go back into ministry full time, plus there aren't any jobs here in my area anyway. What else could I do? Hmmm.. maybe I could go back to be a teacher. If we wait for a couple years I could go to school, then when the girls are ready for school I could teach. Then we could have more money and we could get a bigger house so that we can have people over so that we can do more ministry. But that means we'd have to wait a couple years to get everything started."
And that was all within about 10 minutes. Meanwhile I tried to focus on the remainder of the service.
After church was over we went home and my mom called. The night before my brother and sister-in law had gone to look at a new vehicle (their old car was totaled in an accident). They ended up buying and my mom described the new van they just got....leather seats, dvd player, lots of extra features all for a steal of a deal.
All the sudden our mini van became unworthy. It was just a regular minivan (no self opening doors, no hidden storage spaces, no dvd player). I also began to think of our house and compare it with our other friend's houses and how their's were so much better, and how we should build a new one but we don't have the money or the jobs everyone else does. As I tried desperately in that moment to convince myself not to, tears burned in my eyes falling across my face. I felt so hurt by God at that moment.
"God, I don't understand -- we try to live our lives in a way that pleases you. We do everything our other Christian friends do yet look at all the things they are blessed with. They have gaming systems and new TV's that would be awesome to attract people with. They have big houses with lots of space and pool tables. We have a small house with a PROJECTION TV (you know one of the big tvs that take 3 people to move). We have nothing to offer these people. We aren't cool and we don't have any money to buy all the cool things so they'll want to get to know us. We have nothing to offer you."
As my husband came into the room and heard the despair that I had been wallowing in for most of the morning, he spoke God-inspired words to me. He said, "Yes, your right. We don't have a lot to offer people. We don't have gaming systems and TV's but we have food, us and God. This house is our five loaves and two fishes. It may not be a lot, but it's what we have to offer God. "
God's spoke directly to my heart through my husband the minute he said "five loaves and two fishes". You see the Sunday before we had just taught our 1st and 2nd grade Sunday School class about the miracle of Jesus taking a boys lunch of five loaves and two fishes and using it to feed over 5,000 people who were listening to Him teach. We would all look at that and say there is no way that would be enough, but God used it to do the miraculous.
I believe that will be the new name for our house "our five loaves and two fishes." It may not be much, but it WILL be a place for Jesus to use to do his miraculous work-- gaming systems or not.
"That was a great clip on missions they just showed! I loved what they said about how their primary goal was just to be with people and teach them English but model Christ. Say, that's what we are hoping to do. Now how can we invite people over without it being wierd? Well, we have my work friends, Tim's work friends, and our neighbors. Man, I wish our basement was finished. Where are we going to fit everyone? Hmm let's see, if I went back to work maybe I could make enough money so we could finish our basement. Well then, if we want to have another kid that wouldn't work, because we would have three in daycare and there is no way that we could afford that. Well, what if we waited a few more years for another kid when the girls get closer to school age? Yah, that might work. But, what am I going to go back to work to do? With all that I've been learning I don't know if I am wanting to go back into ministry full time, plus there aren't any jobs here in my area anyway. What else could I do? Hmmm.. maybe I could go back to be a teacher. If we wait for a couple years I could go to school, then when the girls are ready for school I could teach. Then we could have more money and we could get a bigger house so that we can have people over so that we can do more ministry. But that means we'd have to wait a couple years to get everything started."
And that was all within about 10 minutes. Meanwhile I tried to focus on the remainder of the service.
After church was over we went home and my mom called. The night before my brother and sister-in law had gone to look at a new vehicle (their old car was totaled in an accident). They ended up buying and my mom described the new van they just got....leather seats, dvd player, lots of extra features all for a steal of a deal.
All the sudden our mini van became unworthy. It was just a regular minivan (no self opening doors, no hidden storage spaces, no dvd player). I also began to think of our house and compare it with our other friend's houses and how their's were so much better, and how we should build a new one but we don't have the money or the jobs everyone else does. As I tried desperately in that moment to convince myself not to, tears burned in my eyes falling across my face. I felt so hurt by God at that moment.
"God, I don't understand -- we try to live our lives in a way that pleases you. We do everything our other Christian friends do yet look at all the things they are blessed with. They have gaming systems and new TV's that would be awesome to attract people with. They have big houses with lots of space and pool tables. We have a small house with a PROJECTION TV (you know one of the big tvs that take 3 people to move). We have nothing to offer these people. We aren't cool and we don't have any money to buy all the cool things so they'll want to get to know us. We have nothing to offer you."
As my husband came into the room and heard the despair that I had been wallowing in for most of the morning, he spoke God-inspired words to me. He said, "Yes, your right. We don't have a lot to offer people. We don't have gaming systems and TV's but we have food, us and God. This house is our five loaves and two fishes. It may not be a lot, but it's what we have to offer God. "
God's spoke directly to my heart through my husband the minute he said "five loaves and two fishes". You see the Sunday before we had just taught our 1st and 2nd grade Sunday School class about the miracle of Jesus taking a boys lunch of five loaves and two fishes and using it to feed over 5,000 people who were listening to Him teach. We would all look at that and say there is no way that would be enough, but God used it to do the miraculous.
I believe that will be the new name for our house "our five loaves and two fishes." It may not be much, but it WILL be a place for Jesus to use to do his miraculous work-- gaming systems or not.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Being Missional While Being A Mom
I (Stephanie) have recently been reading a book that is completely turning my Christian bubble literally upside down. It is called The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay. I'm only half way through the book but so far am understanding the main focus to be about being missional (sent out) and incarnational (embody in the flesh). It talks a lot about not waiting for people to come to church but being church (or better said Christ) to them. This is not done through preaching at them but through modeling Christ to them. It's not a thing that can be done overnight, but something that you do by growing in a relationship with them through time all the while showing them Christ. It is based on your actions not your words.
I have to admit this book resounds with my soul on many levels. Tim and I are in a very unique and unfamiliar time in our lives. We both have been surrounded by the church and have been in some form of Christian ministry most if not all our lives. We have been content to live in our Christian bubble and to seclude ourselves from "the world." We have often seen the focus of our ministry be to the people inside the church. We have supported missionaries and been on missions trips ourselves. My way of evangelism has been to invite someone to church in hopes that the pastor would maybe lead them in a prayer or that the music or church program would engage them. I've taken all the responsibility off of myself. Yet within this last year we have both been employed in jobs outside of the church and christian school and are meeting tons of people who have yet to join us on our journey of faith. We completely enjoy the people that we have been working with and our hearts are growing with love towards them. We know that God is calling us to engage them and to be Christ to them.
As I've been looking at actually doing and reorientating myself to think and live this way, I have one obstacle I am going to have to get over. Well more than that, but one that sticks out to me right now as I type is my 18 month old crying, grabbing my leg, and throwing a tantrum on the floor. The last few days I've been thinking a lot of how I can be more like Christ to people and have wonderful ideas, but then I am reminded that I have two toddlers to "help" me. It's hard to carry on a conversation with someone and try to get to know them with spit up, monkeying, screaming, crying, tattling, fighting and mischief happening around your ankles.
This isn't me throwing in the towel to the idea of being missional... it's just going to take a lot more creativity on my part. If anyone has some ideas of how I can hang out with people and my kids at the same time I'm all ears.
I have to admit this book resounds with my soul on many levels. Tim and I are in a very unique and unfamiliar time in our lives. We both have been surrounded by the church and have been in some form of Christian ministry most if not all our lives. We have been content to live in our Christian bubble and to seclude ourselves from "the world." We have often seen the focus of our ministry be to the people inside the church. We have supported missionaries and been on missions trips ourselves. My way of evangelism has been to invite someone to church in hopes that the pastor would maybe lead them in a prayer or that the music or church program would engage them. I've taken all the responsibility off of myself. Yet within this last year we have both been employed in jobs outside of the church and christian school and are meeting tons of people who have yet to join us on our journey of faith. We completely enjoy the people that we have been working with and our hearts are growing with love towards them. We know that God is calling us to engage them and to be Christ to them.
As I've been looking at actually doing and reorientating myself to think and live this way, I have one obstacle I am going to have to get over. Well more than that, but one that sticks out to me right now as I type is my 18 month old crying, grabbing my leg, and throwing a tantrum on the floor. The last few days I've been thinking a lot of how I can be more like Christ to people and have wonderful ideas, but then I am reminded that I have two toddlers to "help" me. It's hard to carry on a conversation with someone and try to get to know them with spit up, monkeying, screaming, crying, tattling, fighting and mischief happening around your ankles.
This isn't me throwing in the towel to the idea of being missional... it's just going to take a lot more creativity on my part. If anyone has some ideas of how I can hang out with people and my kids at the same time I'm all ears.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Psalm 32:8 The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."
I am drawn to Psalm 32:8 because I am between a rock and a hard place needing the Lord's guidance and direction. In January, I will be done teaching at Our Redeemer's Christian School. After several months of prayer and study, I am still unsure of what or where I am to do or go.
My ear is pressed to the ground, my mind is open to many possibilities, my heart is still and patient, but heaven is silent. If money and medical insurance were not needed commodities (the rock), I would continue coaching volleyball at Our Redeemer's and write (the hard place). Logic requires a real job until the dream job can take flight but a real job with its demands will steal the time needed to pursue the dream. What am I to do?
Psalm 32:8 promises that the Lord will guide us along the best pathway and that is something I hold on to with all abandon. I desire His best because it is there I know He will use me to His fullest. It requires a lot of trust and patience on my part not to forge ahead clinging to the security medical insurance and money provides. I don't want an Ishmael job or ministry--I desire an Isaac one because I know when the Israelites harbored between their rock (the Red Sea) and a hard place (the Egyptian army), God was there, at just the right time, with His best path.
I am drawn to Psalm 32:8 because I am between a rock and a hard place needing the Lord's guidance and direction. In January, I will be done teaching at Our Redeemer's Christian School. After several months of prayer and study, I am still unsure of what or where I am to do or go.
My ear is pressed to the ground, my mind is open to many possibilities, my heart is still and patient, but heaven is silent. If money and medical insurance were not needed commodities (the rock), I would continue coaching volleyball at Our Redeemer's and write (the hard place). Logic requires a real job until the dream job can take flight but a real job with its demands will steal the time needed to pursue the dream. What am I to do?
Psalm 32:8 promises that the Lord will guide us along the best pathway and that is something I hold on to with all abandon. I desire His best because it is there I know He will use me to His fullest. It requires a lot of trust and patience on my part not to forge ahead clinging to the security medical insurance and money provides. I don't want an Ishmael job or ministry--I desire an Isaac one because I know when the Israelites harbored between their rock (the Red Sea) and a hard place (the Egyptian army), God was there, at just the right time, with His best path.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
God Moments
I (Sherry) am reading a new book by Bruce Wilkinson, You Were Born For This. The stories are amazing as he reveals how God would like to work in each of our lives with everyday miracles. Not the walk on water and healing type of miracles but the meeting a need kind of miracles. I am not very far in the book but it has caused me to ponder, reflect, and pursue my reading of it.
Beth Moore, (another favorite author/speaker of mine) talks about God's delights. Everyday, she asks God to show her His delight and He responds with amazing things.
Things like this stir my heart to look for God more (practicing His presence) in everyday life. Yesterday while driving to work, I prayed for help with my hectic schedule. Within minutes, I spotted a flock of geese flying in a V formation and knew God was speaking to my heart. If you know the importance of that V-like formation, you will know what I mean.
Today, God placed someone in my life to bless me by doing something I was responsible for which saved me a considerable amount of time. Two days in a row, I have been blessed because I know these are God moments whereby only He could orchestrate the timing and delivery of such messages. He sees, He hears, and He cares.
Beth Moore, (another favorite author/speaker of mine) talks about God's delights. Everyday, she asks God to show her His delight and He responds with amazing things.
Things like this stir my heart to look for God more (practicing His presence) in everyday life. Yesterday while driving to work, I prayed for help with my hectic schedule. Within minutes, I spotted a flock of geese flying in a V formation and knew God was speaking to my heart. If you know the importance of that V-like formation, you will know what I mean.
Today, God placed someone in my life to bless me by doing something I was responsible for which saved me a considerable amount of time. Two days in a row, I have been blessed because I know these are God moments whereby only He could orchestrate the timing and delivery of such messages. He sees, He hears, and He cares.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The continuous fight for the fame
Have you ever made a suggestion or had an idea only to watch someone else get the credit for it? How did it make you feel? This happened to me recently with the church we attend and I can tell you how it made me feel...sad, frustrated, angry, hurt and most of all I wanted to be validated. I think the reason I felt so strongly about this was because it was a larger group of people, and I wanted to impress them. I wanted them to know I was the one with the idea so that they would continue to include me when they were making decisons. I wanted to make a good impression on them. I didn't need the pat on the backs or the accolade, but I did want the respect that would have come. I replayed different scenarios over and over in my mind how I would make it work. How I would set them straight. For almost a week this consumed me. After talking with my husband, Tim, he continued to remind me that the important thing was that the idea was leading to a better church and overall that was really what we wanted. It didn't matter who had the idea only that it had been considered, prayed about, and implemented. I knew he was right and resolved to let it go.
Last night I was reading Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT), "Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing."
Immediately I was reminded about my idea at the church. My motives behind it were pure. I really was looking at how the church could be better and that is when the idea came into my mind. I didn't think I was doing it to make a good impression on others or thinking about my own affairs; yet, I realized when the idea was used and the credit wasn't given how much my sin nature did play into it. My motives weren't all pure. I wasn't being completely humble. I wasn't just concerned about the affairs of others.
How hard are these words of God through Paul in Philippians to live out? Honestly, if they weren't coming from Paul himself it would be easy to dismiss them. But at this point Paul had been put in prison, beaten, exiled, tortured all more than once for the name of Christ. He really was an example to us of how this looked and it was all because he was following the example that Christ left for him. Continuing in Philippians it says,
Last night I was reading Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT), "Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing."
Immediately I was reminded about my idea at the church. My motives behind it were pure. I really was looking at how the church could be better and that is when the idea came into my mind. I didn't think I was doing it to make a good impression on others or thinking about my own affairs; yet, I realized when the idea was used and the credit wasn't given how much my sin nature did play into it. My motives weren't all pure. I wasn't being completely humble. I wasn't just concerned about the affairs of others.
How hard are these words of God through Paul in Philippians to live out? Honestly, if they weren't coming from Paul himself it would be easy to dismiss them. But at this point Paul had been put in prison, beaten, exiled, tortured all more than once for the name of Christ. He really was an example to us of how this looked and it was all because he was following the example that Christ left for him. Continuing in Philippians it says,
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. "
I know that my lesson is far from being over. I'm continuously desiring to make my name great-- to have the glory, the fame. My prayer is that God would help me to see those times and remind me of His sacrifice and example, and that I would learn to look at others through His eyes.
(Stephanie)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Love of a Family
At a Friday night football game for the ORCS knights.
All five of the grandchildren in their first picture together. (l to r: Kemper 7mo; Kaiya 2 1/2 yr; Allie 1 yr.; Tavia 2 1/2 yr; Cohen 2 weeks)
The beautiful trio of granddaughters
Our handsome grandsons
The beautiful trio of granddaughters
Our handsome grandsonsDaNae, our daughter from Florida, arrived in Minot just in time to watch my Our Redeemer's volleyball girls compete against Velva. Her seven-month old son Kemper came to North Dakota with her and we did a lot of running (sometimes literally). I love when all the brothers and sisters can be together, but it can reach chaotic levels when their children (five of them, all 2 years old and under) congregate in one room.
One night, it reached unbelievable proportions. I was trying to make supper and it was one fight after another. With countless toys around the living room, the bathroom (tub toys), and the basement, the girls found the one toy they all had to have at the same time. After we (moms and dads) discussed the need to share, the fight would subside -- well, until one of them found a new toy that they all wanted at the same time. This continued for most of the evening and I wondered (in my spirit) how people could possibly believe we don't have a sin nature!
I love these little ones and look forward to the next time we are all together. What they did in no way changed how I feel about any of them. It is easy to excuse the behavior, because it has been quite the week -- late nights, lots of activities, and few quality naps. My love for them is beyond words to describe the overwhelming emotions that stir within my heart.
I picture God just like that. When we, as adults, are fighting about things we can not have and about things we do not want to share with behavior that reflects anything but Christ-like. And yet, nothing can separate us from His love.
One night, it reached unbelievable proportions. I was trying to make supper and it was one fight after another. With countless toys around the living room, the bathroom (tub toys), and the basement, the girls found the one toy they all had to have at the same time. After we (moms and dads) discussed the need to share, the fight would subside -- well, until one of them found a new toy that they all wanted at the same time. This continued for most of the evening and I wondered (in my spirit) how people could possibly believe we don't have a sin nature!
I love these little ones and look forward to the next time we are all together. What they did in no way changed how I feel about any of them. It is easy to excuse the behavior, because it has been quite the week -- late nights, lots of activities, and few quality naps. My love for them is beyond words to describe the overwhelming emotions that stir within my heart.
I picture God just like that. When we, as adults, are fighting about things we can not have and about things we do not want to share with behavior that reflects anything but Christ-like. And yet, nothing can separate us from His love.
Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Even when our sinful nature makes a wrong decision, nothing...absolutely nothing...will be able to separate us from His love. I pray you will be encourage today with this tremendous promise!
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