URGENCY!!!

"God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16

How is your “Love Challenge” going?  It seems like the more I ask God to help me love like Him, the more opportunities He provides for me to live that out!  It's not easy!  If you don’t know what I’m talking about read this and join me!

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URGENCY!!!

Last night I sat in my kitchen nursing the baby.  It was so wonderful to listen to the dishwasher purring and to hear the happy sounds of my children lingering from the playroom.  All 3 “big” kids were in the playroom making posters for their daddy’s return tonight.  I could hear George, the oldest, spelling out “Welcome Home Daddy” for the younger ones.  I was overwhelmed at how big and mature he has become.  Where did the time go?  He was the one I should have been nursing!  Where did these 3 other children come from???  How have almost 6 years passed me bye.  Time is truly flying!  The older I get the more I realize the truth of this!

For a long time now I have had a desire to have an international student ministry of my own, under the umbrella of my parent’s ministry, FollowOne International.   I have had many obstacles/excuses that have kept me from walking on to one of the many university campuses in my area and volunteering in their international studies department.   I have continued to pray and seek God’s heart for me in this area.  I have also prayed that if it was His will for me that He would make it happen because I just couldn’t get my act together enough to seek it out right now.

God is so amazing!  You will not even believe what He did!  

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  Ephesians 3:20-21

The other night Doug and I decided to have a date night “IN”, which meant after we put our children to bed we order “take out” and watch a movie!  We ordered sushi and had it delivered.  When the doorbell rang I quickly went to answer it and there was the nicest young Chinese man I’ve ever met standing on my front porch.  We talked at first about where he was from and why he was here in the U.S.  Just as I had thought, he is here studying to get his Master’s Degree.  At one point in our conversation, which was easy and so enjoyable, I asked my new friend if he had ever heard of Jesus.  “Yes, but I am far too busy with my studies right now for Jesus, maybe later,” he said.  Wow…powerful words, too busy for Jesus!

We exchanged phone numbers and I am going to be inviting him over for a meal very soon.  I also have a very special gift for him, a Chinese/English Bible.  I am so excited about this adventure that the Lord has totally dropped on my door step!!!  I would ask you to please pray for me as I begin this relationship with my new friend, Si Wei. 

Time is running out.  Life is very short.  And we have an urgent message to share.  There are lost and hurting people all around us in our city, our country and our world that don’t know the saving love of God.  Who will you share the Good News of Jesus with today? I would encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to put someone in your path.  You never know who might show up on your front porch!

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"  Matthew 28:18-20

I am praying that the Holy Spirit will fill each of us with a mighty sense of urgency to tell others about Jesus!

Joyfully,

Ashley