Loving someone.

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

One of my morning devotions this week had the above scripture reading; a message that revolved around love and the attached photo is of two girls living in Ouanaminthe, Haiti and their smiles tell you they have a Savior and are eating Trinity HOPE food.  How can you help but not love this photo?
“Have you ever loved someone?  Love causes us to reach out to another.  It causes us to make sacrifices.  We sacrifice our time, our money and sometimes our own desires.  Love binds a person to the thing that they love.  Loving is a risky business, because sometimes the one that we love does not and will not love us back.”

That was the opening message this morning from one of my morning devotions; loving someone, reaching out and making various sacrifices.  Trinity HOPE supporters love their Savior, their Creator and their Comforter; and His children.  We make sacrifices sometimes and other times we just give.  I am guilty of that, giving without really considering how special the life is that my gift is touching…reaching out to a life that doesn’t know I exist.
At those times, the Holy Spirit uses my gift, my ‘sacrifice’ to touch that life with a blessing that will prayerfully place an ear-to-ear smile upon their face.  Not often in our lifetime do we get to see such happiness, as in the two smiles in this photo.  They are genuine, they are real, they are thankful and they truly believe that you are a Godsend to them.  I pray that your financial sacrifice, your prayers and your love will continue to touch girls in white ribbons and boys in plaid shirts living in Ouanaminthe.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

Rejoice!

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4

The windchill in Normal this morning is -11 and that is nothing to ‘rejoice’ about.  I will say again…-11.  As many of you may probably know by now, the book of Philippians is one of my favorite books in the Bible and the Apostle Paul is my hero, although I have surpassed him as chief of all sinners.  In Philippians 4:4 Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!"  There is a story you should probably know that goes with the attached photo of two girls, sisters who attend school at Bois Marchand which is located on the Northern outskirts of Gonaives.

The photo of them was taken back in the day, on my journey to Haiti in March of 2010.  It was just two months after the terrible earthquake that took thousands of lives in Port-au-Prince.  I traveled alone on that trip and was just blown away that I could capture this photographic moment in time.  In the first photo, these two girls were about to eat their lunch, the girl on the left was in the process of getting up from ‘their’ desk and getting her plate of rice and beans.

After both girls ate their lunch, I took a photo of her plate that had been polished clean and this girl, the one on the left, let out a squeal of laughter that turned many of the heads in the classroom, as she was embarrassed that I was taking a photo of her empty plate.  REJOICE for that sound of laughter, for that smile, for that gift from God through someone like you…and me.  Your quarter put a wide smile on her face; you can barely see it in the second photo attached (that is my normal photography skills).
Back to Philippians, we read that Paul wrote about how the Lord had given him joy even though there had been so much suffering in his life.  And as he served the Lord, Paul found a great deal of joy.  Sometimes it is really easy for us to rejoice and to fulfill Paul's command.  Sure, everything's going right in our lives even during this pandemic; house doesn’t need repairs, money is in the bank, car is running smoothly and heck, I have even managed to lose five pounds during the pandemic holiday season; rejoice, I will say it again REJOICE!

But there are some times when it is not so easy to rejoice.  While I was  interviewing these two girls, I learned that they had not had anything to eat before coming to school that hot day in March, nor had they anything to eat the night before.  A plate of beans and rice is a reason to REJOICE.  For you and for me as believers, we have much to rejoice in when we think of our salvation.  These two sisters will prayerfully bring many reasons to rejoice in their lifetimes as they bring the saving message of the salvation of Jesus Christ to the lost in Haiti.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

Something simple.

“I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me.  Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.  I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”  Philippians 4:10-12

Back in the day, while living in Haiti, the words of the Apostle Paul brought me comfort, understanding, peace and patience.  If you know me, that last word may not be a word that you would count as one of my strong attributes or high points.  Imagine what Paul must have endured on his mission trips.  Imagine the people that he met and the lives that he shared the message of salvation with along his many travels; probably saw faces similar to these four children.

Some comments from people who have seen this photo are these kids look so happy, so clean and friendly.  Look closer at these children who attend a school in Ouanaminthe that is called Messif.  Their school was very, very dark and the flash from the camera poured intense volumes of light into their dark classroom; no electricity or windows.  The temperature in their classroom at 11:30 AM was probably in the mid 90’s in October and there was no breeze.

The photo reveals two really important facets; the children are in school and very happy to be in school because they just finished eating.  Also notice the bracelet of the girl on the right side.  She has the message of salvation wrapped around her wrist that may provide a lifeline to another lost child in Haiti on her walk home this day, or tomorrow. 

Trinity HOPE is so very simple; we feed children attending Christian schools in Haiti and they in turn share the Gospel message with Haiti.  It cost one dollar to feed these four children on this hot day in Ouanaminthe.  The Apostle Paul would be so very happy to have these young missionaries joining in his call, the same call that you and I have from our Lord Jesus; go and seek and save the lost.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

A missionary.

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.  God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.  I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong; that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.  I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.”  Romans 1:8-13  

Have you ever met a missionary?  The apostle Paul was a missionary.  The dictionary states that a ‘missionary’ is someone who leaves their home and goes to live, work and witness in another location.  What it doesn’t mention is anything about them sharing the Holy Gospel or healing a disease, helping to build a school or putting a meal on their table at lunch time.
I hope that you have had an opportunity to meet a missionary at some point in your life and that they have been a blessing to you and your earthly journey.  The three children in the attached photo are missionaries from the Lutheran School in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.  They are young but with your help, they will be very wonderful missionaries to their neighbors who have not yet heard the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Their colorful wrist bands tell the story of creation, baptism, death, resurrection and salvation; the saving message is easy to understand in ways that can only be told by a child to another child or their parents or grandparents.  These three would probably have been favorites of the Apostle Paul; they are favorites of mine because they will be spreading the Gospel message to the lost throughout Haiti in the coming decades.

Thank you for supporting missionary preparation through Trinity HOPE; it only takes a quarter to provide a hot lunch for one of these Kingdom builders; seventy five cents for the three of them.  Consider for a moment that one small quarter could be all that it takes to keep one precious life out of satan’s grips.  One small coin in the right place could win a soul for Christ; that is a God thing and we just can’t begin to fully understand or appreciate the slogan, “ain’t God good?”
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

God is with us.

“But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him.  When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.  But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” Job 23:8-10

Last week, as I was sitting in ‘my’ spot at Our Redeemer Lutheran, listening to our guest Pastor Fritzer listing the numerous sins that I was guilty of doing recently, the above passages from Job came to mind.  Job kept asking God; ‘where are you?’  He knows where I am and where I’ve been.

That was way, way, back in the day; Old Testament times when everything was black and white.  Fast forward, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Hebrews and in chapter 13 verse 5 he wrote to them, and us; “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  God has not promised that we will always ‘feel’ His presence.  When I don’t feel His presence, it’s because I have seemingly run miles from him in places that I knew were bad and then came my question ‘where were You’?   

Looking at the morning headlines here in the USA and also Haiti and it seems like most of our world has separated ourselves from our Triune God.  We live in a sinful world.  Our disobedience is a normal part of the testing and maturing of our relationship with God.  Every Christian goes through it at least once.  It is painful and confusing, but it is absolutely vital for the development of your faith.

Pastor Fritzer said that we are all guilty, even the man at the lectern.  We, like Job, the Apostle Paul and these Haitian kids stray like sheep run from their shepherd and find ourselves not feeling our Creators presence.  But God often removes feelings so you won’t depend on them.  Instead, He wants to draw you into a deeper relationship with Him.  He will never leave you.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

Two cooks.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12

This photo really grabbed my attention; two cooks, food preparations done and ready to serve to the children.  You can tell there are a lot of kids by the size of the rice pot.  These two women brought buckets of water to this little kitchen from a community well earlier in the morning.  They brought water for cooking and cleaning their cooking pots and utensils. 

This photo was probably taken around 11 AM, just before lunch was served.  The forecast high for today in Port-au-Prince, Haiti is 88 with a low of 68.  These two women walk many blocks or farther to their kitchen, with the buckets of water, every school day.  They are very thankful for their jobs.  They know Jesus and give thanks that He is their Savior.  Everyone, and I do mean everyone at this school loves these two women dearly, because they provide the food for the kids, teachers, principal and themselves and their small children not yet in school.

Today is Saturday and they are probably washing clothes at their homes.  Once again, they have made the journey to the community well and brought home water to wash their clothes and water for their rinse basin.  This is 2022, what are your plans for this weekend?

In chapter 5 of the book ‘Cure for the Common Life; finding your sweet spot.’ by Max Lucado, he shared a quote by Linda Kulman; “We are a nation that believes in having it all.  In 1950, American families owned one car and saved for a second.  In 2000, nearly 1 in 5 families owned three cars or more.  Americans shell out more for garbage bags than 90 of the world’s 210 countries spend for everything.  Indeed, America has double the number of shopping malls as it does High Schools.”

These two cooks, they are very thankful for their jobs.  They know Jesus and give thanks that He is their Savior.  They probably heard about the 4.5 magnitude earthquake that shook 90 miles west of their home this week and also remembered the terrible earthquake that killed thousands in their town 12 years ago.  They know Jesus, and give thanks that He is their Savior. 

I hope that you, like the Apostle Paul and these two cooks, are content in your surroundings and with what you have; you have a Savior.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

A shining light.

“You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14

There are some people that really enjoy being in the brightest spotlights in this fallen world; they truly thrive on the applause and adulations from the throngs in this world.  Conversely, there are those that would rather work behind the spotlight, giving anonymously, serving quietly and living in the shadow of the spotlight.  Their work is important but they would not choose to build their ‘town’ on a hill so that all could see where they are located.  I am very happy that God has created each of us so very differently.

This small child attending one of the Lutheran schools in Gonaives is like us, a ‘Gospel light’ in this world.  She like you and I were placed on this earth to serve the One who came to be the ‘Light to the Gentiles’.  Our Savior came so that we would not live in the darkness of this world.  He came to encourage us to share our ‘light’, His light, with those still living in darkness.

If you enjoy working in the trenches of this world and out of the spotlight and you find yourself being applauded for your service, don’t be dismayed, the adulations are for Him who sent you.  Give thanks for His nudging you to send this small child to do His work in Haiti.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

The perfect gift.

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” Galatians 4:4-5

How much planning went into your Christmas activities last year?  My youngest granddaughter had a teacher test positive on the 22nd and our Christmas plans were once again altered due to COVID-19.  Did you give much thought when picking out a special gift for a family member?  Did the supply chain mess with your selection?  How important was it for you to get that ‘special gift’ for your family member and be blessed to see their faces light up as they removed the wrapping paper to reveal a gift that brought about a huge smile and loud “WOW”!  Consider the gift that our Heavenly Father sent us.  It only needed to be given once as it keeps on giving throughout the ages. 

Our Heavenly Father waited until history reached the proper moment in time and then sent us Jesus.  The timing was perfect; the Roman rule, Jewish ordination, passable roads, freedom, a degree of safety and a common trading language.  He sent His Son to be a sinful woman's son.  From Heaven He sent His Son to earth to be the Savior of the world.  He did it so all of the inhabitants of His world could be called His children.  He gave the ‘perfect’ gift of all time; for ‘all’ time.  Thank you for sharing your ‘perfect gift’ of financial support for these children attending Christian schools in Haiti; enabling and preparing them to share the Gift of salvation with those still living in bondage to the vodou priests of Haiti.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

A willing spirit.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12

The photo of this boy with the little wooden chair on his head and these verses never grow old.  The last eight words of the above verses “grant me a willing spirit to sustain me” are words that should be in our daily prayers.  A ‘willing spirit’ needs to drive me in this fallen world where we are often being told these days to mind your own business; don’t get involved because the government will handle it.

How many people did your Heavenly Father place along your journey yesterday?  How many hurting lives brushed up against you at work?  How many lonely souls sat next to you at the doctor office or drugstore waiting for their booster shot?  How many broken relationships went past your grocery cart last week?  How many visitors wearing a mask sat in your pew at Church on Sunday?  How many lives searching for a Savior did you share the Gospel with yesterday?

This little boy from Cap Haitian who is carrying a chair on his head touched my life on the day this picture was taken and today as well; he knows Jesus and lives in a neighborhood where many inhabitants do not.  A willing spirit continues to move me to help him share the message with the people along his journey by purchasing his lunch through Trinity HOPE.  May a ‘willing spirit’ move you as well to finish well in the remainder of your days.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay

Where do you turn?

“[Elisha] said, "This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water.  For this s what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink." 2 Kings 3:16-17

There are probably times in your life when prayers just aren’t being answered in what we would consider to be a ‘timely’ manner; it has happened to me.  The pandemic is still dwelling amongst us; what is the most recent variant?  There was an assassination attempt on Haiti’s P.M. last week in Gonaives.  Seemingly unanswered prayers can bring a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.  The people that are being described in 2nd Kings had no water.  No clouds in sight and not a drop of water could be found in the wells; that was hopelessness.  Where do you turn when your faucet is dry, when your marriage is breaking up, when you kids are fighting, when medical bills are mounting, when your last booster shot isn’t any good for the newest mutant, when you can’t get tested for COVID, when you are turned down for another job or when your doctor tells you that you only have a short time to live? 

The young boy in this photo attends the Bois Marchand School in Gonaives and there is no well at their school.  Before my visit there ended, he followed me to the door and asked if I could do something to get a well at their school.  He had been praying…but the cooks were still hauling water from a community well a few blocks away; every day.  We need to be patient and remain faithful.  The people in 2nd Kings were so certain that God would bring rain that they began to dig ditches…and continued to pray.  Children attending the Lutheran School in Thomassique brought kindling wood to school, knowing that a Trinity HOPE feeding program would come someday and the cooks would need wood for the fire…and they faithfully prayed and it did come.

Our Triune God has a way of answering prayers, quite often in ways that we don’t understand at the moment but come to enjoy the blessing later on in life.  Our Heavenly Father’s timetable is not one that we are familiar with or can understand.  He provides in His time and in His way and we give thanks for taking care of us.  Have you started to dig any ditches recently?  Have you begun to store up firewood?  Have you got a well?  He is faithful.

Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

May God be with you…Jay