Doing The Rarest Thing In The World

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”― Oscar Wilde

It’s not every day you’ll find me quoting Oscar Wilde, but in this instance, his words make perfect sense.

I’ve blogged before about my approach to life and how growing up in a large family, where perhaps death and tragedy seem more common, has a lot to do with my sense of urgency toward life. I over commit, have trouble telling people no, and loathe wasting time. To merely exist is unacceptable. Is this necessarily a bad thing?

I have six siblings, so my parents’ home overflows when we’re all there at the same time with our children and grandchildren. My dad has fourteen siblings, so an extended Hodges family reunion has well over a hundred people, though empty spots exist from each generation. My aunts and uncles are well into their 70s and 80s (one just turned 90), yet many passed away young, and the trend has remained into my generation.

Cemetery on my return visit in 2011

My earliest childhood memory is trudging through a cemetery in the late 1960s, my little legs straining to keep up with the adults and older children, as infant twins were buried in tiny coffins. I hadn’t even started school, and the enormity and finality of death were thrust upon me. Life is so different now where parents go to extremes to shield their children from the natural process of dying. We’re doing our kids a disservice.

But I digress.

My point is that as I’ve watched the young and old alike pass from this world to the next, I’ve often heard the phrase “life is short.” And it is. Just in the past decade the number we’ve lost in my family is in the double digits, most relatively young, some my age or younger. We treasure our reunions and don’t take a single one for granted. We understand when we hug each other good-bye, it may be for the last time.

My dad and his siblings
(George in background)

My cousin George, a pillar of the Hodges family, and his wife Sabrina have hosted the reunion for years on their sprawling property graced by a beautiful wood home with a porch that wraps around the entire house. It’s a serene environment that bustles with activity for the day and then winds down to a quiet evening for the handful staying overnight. My husband, kids, and I have been in that handful relaxing on the porch, watching the sun set, and eating peanut butter pie. One year, we enjoyed a thunderstorm after sunset. We reveled in the thunderclaps and rain since we were in a severe drought back home in South Carolina.

George talking with Josh
(Sabrina in red shirt in background)

George once spent more than an hour at the end of this long day talking with my son Josh about being a police officer. A couple years later, Josh shared that he’d chosen to become a firefighter instead. George and Sabrina listened with rapt attention and asked questions about his training and future. I’ve encountered very few people who listen like that, especially to kids. They have a passion for kids, evidenced by the fact that George was a school resource officer for years until he retired last year, and Sabrina is a school principal.

Playing a water game in the hot
July weather in Florida

Hodges are headstrong and often set in our ways but passionate about our beliefs and how we treat others. As apparent is the urgency with which we live. So after New Year’s, the family starts anticipating the reunion on Fourth of July weekend in Hilliard, Florida. The family is so extensive and spread out around the country that this year we even have a FB page to make sure no one gets left out. 

The reunion was part of my exchange with George on my birthday almost two weeks ago on Facebook. 

A little more than twelve hours later, George began suffering strokes and was airlifted to a hospital in Jacksonville in critical condition. I was dumbfounded when I heard. This was unfathomable. I couldn’t believe it, yet at the same time, I could. Life is fragile. We fool ourselves on a daily basis by thinking otherwise.

Yet, we know who holds each day in His hand. Nothing dumbfounds God or catches Him by surprise. We simply have to make the most of each day in service to Him, and trust Him for the future.

No one holds the golden ticket to immortality on this earth. Our only hope for living forever into eternity is through the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Each week I ask if you have a prayer request you’d like to share. This week, I’d like you to pray for George and Sabrina, his elderly mother, siblings, and children. Pray specifically for George’s recovery and wisdom for his medical team as they make decisions for his future.

How may I pray for you? Please leave a comment or e-mail me confidential requests.

“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

God bless you all,

Laura ✞

©Laura Hodges Poole

Escaping Life's Superficial Trap

“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young.” Psalm 84:3a   

How do you like the photo of my little friends on the left? Their mama and daddy built this nest anticipating their arrival. The nest was intricately constructed with beautiful flowers, moss, grass, and twigs. It’s in a precarious place atop my porch light, but apparently, the birds feel safe because they return every spring to make a new home. Only when the front door opens do they flee, shrieking in terror that “something” almost got them. 
 

The birds start singing every morning around 3:00 a.m. when they imagine the first hint of daylight. I say imagine because it’s still pretty dark to me. 

“In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” Psalm 5:3

One of the first things I realize upon awakening is the blessing of another day. I envy the bird’s ability to sing this to the world each morning. Often before I’m even fully awake, I began to talk to God about the day ahead. 

Sometimes humans dwell in an apparent safe place. We’ve created our perfect nest lined with beautiful things, content until something threatens our earthly trappings. While we shriek about superficial terror, we often hit the snooze button when it comes to spiritual threats.

Which would matter more?
     If my electricity were off for 24 hours or my access to God denied for 24 hours?
     If I lost my car keys or lost my Bible?
     If I were denied a promotion or a family member refused salvation?
     If the baseball game I attended went to extra innings or Sunday morning church service ran late?

The things we consider important in this temporal life are often nothing more than superficial security blankets. In fact, they may even have us in bondage. Just like the birds, we often repeat our mistakes while believing "this" time we'll be safe, when the only true security we have is inside the will of God.

The bird’s nest, which was so beautiful in the spring, deteriorated after it served its purpose. By autumn, it no longer existed. Likewise, our only lasting treasures are stored up in heaven for eternity (Matthew 6:20).

What earthly thing or situation has you trapped? Or perhaps is threatening the work God has called you to do? God already knows about it. He’s just waiting for you to ask for help.

If you have a prayer request, leave it in the comment section below or e-mail me confidential requests. My contact info is under the heading marked “Talk to Me.” I’d love to pray for you!

 

God bless,

Laura ✞

 

©Laura Hodges Poole

Revised post from archives—originally published June 6, 2012.

Are You Turning Stones to Bread?

“The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Matthew 4:3 

In our quest to faithfully serve God, the danger is in becoming too involved in worthy causes that detract from our individual ministry purpose.

Feeding the hungry is a good thing, but has God called you to spend several hours a week in a soup kitchen? Serving the homeless is a noble cause, but has God called you to volunteer at a homeless shelter?

After Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness following his baptism, he was hungry. The first thing Satan tempted Jesus with was food. Turning stones to bread would have not only solved Jesus’ hunger but many others. Surely he was sympathetic to the needy in his community. Yet Jesus refused Satan’s offer.

Jesus didn’t lack empathy for the hungry. Throughout the Gospels, we see examples of Jesus feeding thousands rather than sending them on their way after he preached. But eradicating hunger in the world wasn’t Jesus’ ministry.

Satan will present service opportunities, which are charitable, yet divert from a more important ministry in that moment. If we’re not careful (or prayerful), we’ll jump at every opportunity to serve, even if it diminishes our capacity to fulfill the role God called us to.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.” Matthew 13:24b-26 

The flower on the right is a daucus pusillus or, in lay terms, Wild Carrot or Rattlesnake Weed. According to legend, it can be used as a poultice for a rattlesnake bite. Weeds serve as food in the animal kingdom. Like many weeds, this one produces a beautiful flower.

Weeds can be beautiful or even beneficial while at the same time destructive. Left unchecked, they choke out vital crops for man. The same is true when we participate in activities, however worthy, when we’re called to do something else for that season in our life.

The purpose of the enemy sowing weeds is to reduce the Kingdom harvest.

Are you busy turning stones to bread while the enemy sows weeds in your ministry field? Is the Kingdom work you were called to do getting your leftover time and talent?

If you feel overworked, overcommitted, or stressed, ask God for clarity in your ministry. Perhaps you’re right where He wants you for spiritual growth. Perhaps not. He might point you in a different direction.

How may I pray for you today? Please leave a comment or e-mail me confidential requests. My contact info is under the heading above marked “Talk to Me.” While you’re here, would you lift up those who leave prayer requests, as well as those on the prayer list at the top of the blog?

God bless,
Laura ✞

© Laura Hodges Poole 

Stones image courtesy of suphakit73/freedigitalphotos.net. 

Post from archives—originally published May 29, 2012.

What Are You Giving Up?

Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Colossians 2:20-23 

I love the Easter season even more than Christmas. No frenzied store sales, excessive buying, or parties to attend. Just a breathless anticipation of spring and the celebration of the resurrection of my Savior. There’s a feeling of rejuvenation each year as daffodils push their little yellow heads up toward the warm sun, Bradford pear trees sprout beautiful white blooms, and the grass suddenly turns green as life begins anew. Christians mark the beginning of the countdown to Easter with a period known as Lent.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never given up anything for Lent. At least not that I can remember. My son once gave up pizza as young teen, and it was a long 40 days! J Growing up as a Methodist, we had little offering booklets with 40 slots to insert a quarter for each day of Lent. We placed our filled booklets in the offering plate on Easter. Or at least that was the idea. We often didn’t have two quarters to rub together, so filling that booklet was a challenge.

I’ve always had mixed feelings about the self-denial that marks the Lenten season. I can understand giving up cigarettes or excessive eating or something like that since our bodies are the temple of the Lord. If you manage to give up a vice for 40 days, your chances of sticking with it beyond that are really good. Even giving up a television show that consumes time that could be spent in prayer or Bible study is an excellent idea. But chocolate or the other things I hear mentioned seem more like what Martin Luther fought against in the time preceding Reformation. In other words, self-sacrifice that somehow makes us feel more righteous or more of a Christian isn’t what God wants from us. He wants our love and devotion and, as Christians, to reflect that love into the world around us 365 days a year.

Don’t get me wrong. If you’ve chosen to participate in self-denial during the Lenten season, that’s between you and God. He’s the only one who knows your motives and what glory your actions will bring to Him. I pray that your actions do just that.

Maybe an even better idea than self-denial would be to give more of ourselves to Christ. What can I do to bring more glory to Him? To bring others to Christ? Or rework my schedule so I’m spending more time in prayer and Bible study? Or maybe volunteer my time to a worthwhile cause that will reflect Christ's love to those I'm serving?

My ultimate goal this Lenten season is to continue to become more like Christ in order to further His Great Commission. As I think of it in that light, a certain amount of self-sacrifice will be a necessary part of my success.

Have you decided to give up something for Lent? If not, how do you plan to mark the Lenten season?

Meanwhile, if you have a prayer request, please leave a comment or e-mail me confidential requests. I’d love to pray for you. While you’re here, would you lift up others in prayer who leave comments? A permanent prayer list is also at the top of the blog.

This heartbreaking prayer request was shared last week on our prayer list:

Please pray for little 2 year old Katie Barkley. She was in an auto accident, both C1 & C2 broken, spinal cord stretched, blood clot on brain (left side of brain is dead), and a stroke. Doctors are telling the family Katie will be a quadriplegia - from neck down. This is so difficult for us to believe - since Katie was an active 2 year old - playing, watching TV & enjoying life to the fullest...PLEASE PRAY FOR KATIE…Our hearts are broken...If you want to follow her on social media - please join us on FB at "Pray for little 2 year old Katie Barkley." Thank you.

Please join me in prayer for Katie and her family. If you’re reading this blog post, know that you’re in my prayers today, as well.

God bless,

Laura ✞

Would you like a devotion delivered to your e-mail each day of Lent? Sign up at Gateway Bible.

Additional reading on Lent: 

"What is Lent?"

"The True Meaning of Lent"

"Reader Question: Lent, Fasting, and the Bible"

Bible/cross/crown image courtesy of lamnee/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Daffodils image courtesy of Arvind Balaramen/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Praying image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

©Laura Hodges Poole

Your Appointed Time

Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.” 

Habakkuk 2:2-3 NKJV

Great advice, especially for writers. When I first began writing years ago, the process of becoming published was a mystery. I did all the things new writers should. I acquired market books, attended conferences and workshops, and found mentors for my writing. I submitted articles to publications and eventually got published. Meanwhile, I began writing my first book.

Any time a neighbor, friend, or family member read one of my articles, their suggestions were always the same: “You should write a book.” I’d summon up the courage to say, “I am writing a book.” Their response? “When is it going to be published?” If only it were that simple. J

Cindy, Me, and Katy 

I spent the past weekend at The Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, North Carolina. This is the third year I’ve attended an annual writers’ bootcamp there. There’s nothing better than being on the mountain in such a tranquil environment with deer, wild turkeys, and hibernating black bears (my favorite kind). The Cove is a spiritual oasis that can’t be matched. Friendships formed are forever.

Wild turkeys

Normally I return home exhausted but reenergized. This year I returned home just plain tired (as we say in the South).  Maybe I went with my expectations too high, or maybe I’m beginning to see some things a little more clearly than I did before.

Even so, my state of mind could be described as determined. Determined to see my manuscripts published. Determined to do more to further God’s Kingdom. Determined to walk the path God has planned for me. Though it often feels like His way tarries like a winding mountain path through bushes, trees, and over rocks or streams, eventually you come into a clearing and see a sprawling landscape of rolling pasture where deer frolic and God’s plans are fulfilled.  

Deer playing 

I encourage you to seek God’s hand in all that you do—whether you’re a writer or whatever occupation or spiritual gift you have. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time.” Trust that God will walk alongside you until the appointed time.

What problem are you facing today that feels insurmountable? I’ve love to pray for you. Please leave a comment or e-mail me confidential requests. While you’re here, would you lift up others in prayer who leave comments? A permanent prayer list is also at the top of the blog.

Now it’s your turn. How has God worked in your life to help you overcome trials or reach seemingly unachievable goals?  

Laura ✞

Chapel

Inside the Pilgrims Inn

©Laura Hodges Poole

Do You Trust God?

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” Exodus 3:7-8a NIV

When you cry out to God in the midst of suffering, do you ever wish He’d come down and give you a definitive game plan like He gave Moses? It’s easy to say, “If God actually stood in front of me and explained how the solution to my problem would work out, I wouldn’t react like Moses. I would do exactly what I was told.” Hmmmm. Maybe.

Because God doesn’t appear to us out of a burning bush, we sometimes lack faith that He is attentive to see, hear, be concerned, and rescue us. Aside from the fact Christians have life experiences showing He’s done just that, if we believe God is who He claims to be, then—given all the examples of His perfect will and timing in the Bible—why do we refuse to put total trust in His plans—no matter how slow or fast they unfold for us?

An obvious reason is few of us can claim an audience with God like Moses had. Not a physical audience. I mean Moses’ willingness to be completely “there” in God’s presence, contrasted with our busy lifestyles where we sometimes squeeze prayer in between other activities. This doesn’t allow silent meditation for God to speak to us so we can feel firmly rooted in His guidance. 

Moses:

• listened
• asked questions
• asked for provision

But we also don’t believe we can experience God on the level Moses did. The biggest reason is self-doubt. Like Moses. Instead of trusting God to bring us up out of our problems His way and in His perfect time, we get distracted by our reasons it might not happen.

I began re-reading the Bible at the beginning of the year. Exodus 3-4 really spoke to me about how my attitude and life often mirrors Moses.

 

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” Exodus 3:11

What if I can't?

Wow! How many times have I uttered something similar when God opens a door or smoothes a path for me?

What if I can’t do that? What if I don’t succeed? What if I’ve misunderstood His direction?

God’s patience must surely be tried when He sees my self-doubt instead of reliance on Him. But He always gives me the same assurance He gave Moses:

And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Exodus 3:12

So, that’s enough, right? End of story. Moses obeyed. We obey. Hmmmm. Not so fast.

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ Exodus 3:13-15a

It’s mind boggling after God spoke those powerful words, Moses still had self-doubts!

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Exodus 4:1

Then God showed Moses the miracle of the staff and leprous hand to use as signs.

The next passage is where I share a major similarity with Moses. Regardless of my level of faith in God—my focus on my shortcomings impedes what He seeks to accomplish through and for me.

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” Exodus 4:10

I love God’s answer. J

The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” Exodus 4:11-12

After all this reassurance, Moses still doesn’t get it. So he did what many of us would—he tried to squirm out of God’s assignment. Up to this point, God has been patient. However, Moses doesn’t have the insight he does later when he comes off the mountain and finds the Israelites in all forms of debauchery, and God opens the earth to swallow them. That might have given Moses a different perspective in challenging God’s instructions. Instead, Moses blunders ahead.

 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Exodus 4:13

Now God has heard enough. His patience has ended. He doesn’t let Moses off the hook for being the one He called to lead the Israelites, but He offers a solution that best matches Moses’ nature and spiritual maturity at that point in time.

Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.” Exodus 4:14-17

Even in God’s anger toward Moses’ inward focus on his shortcomings, He still provided a path for Moses to serve and obey Him. As Moses’ life unfolded, he gained spiritual maturity and became the leader God envisioned when He first called Moses to the task. To be effective in our Christian walk and serving our risen Savior, we must have faith that He is attentive to see, hear, be concerned, and rescue us in His perfect time and His way. This may not match what we expect, but we can trust Him to get it right.

What are you trusting God for today that you’re having trouble seeing His hand in? I’d love to hear from you. If you would like prayer, please leave a comment or e-mail me confidential requests. A prayer list at the top of the blog has info on people we are praying for.

Praise Report:
Courtney, a young mother who’s battled a cancerous brain tumor (Glioblastoma) for the past couple of years, went for her two-month checkup. She’s had several clean MRIs. Here’s her latest update:

"Praise to the good Lord upstairs, my scan came back clear!!!! In another 8 weeks, I will get another MRI and a PET scan. If everything still looks good like today, I will be taken off my chemo!!!! [The doctor] said this upcoming appointment will be the "big one" and to be safe, they will do another MRI 6 weeks after. Thank you so much for the prayers. They were certainly answered! God is so good!"

I agree wholeheartedly with Courtney. God is so good! He’s been merciful in answering prayers for her healing.

On Friday, I’m traveling to Asheville, NC, to attend a weekend writer’s conference at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. I’d appreciate prayers for my safe travel and for spiritual guidance in my writing career this year. I look forward to sharing my experience with you next week. J

God bless,

Laura ✞

©Laura Hodges Poole

Images courtesy of thepathtraveler/FreeDigitalPhotos.net (1)

Michael Marcel/FreeDigitalPhotos.net (2)

Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net (3)

Good News From A Far Country

Today, I have the privilege to welcome guest blogger and missionary Pastor Michael Andrzejewski who is currently serving in Portugal with his wife Nina. He shares a heart-felt and very honest mission moment from the field.

Welcome, Michael!

A few weeks ago we had an incident at church. It was something that doesn’t happen in our church. It was something that shouldn’t happen in any church. But it does.

After the service I was outside trying to hang out with the teens in an effort to get my cool points up. When everything went down, my wife had to step in. Literally. She had to step in between two people. One lady actually shoved another and told her to get away from her. In church! There were tears. Stomping. Glares. It all came out of left field, and the damage was done before I knew anything had even happened.

Both of the women involved—we'll call them Euodias and Syntyche—are middle aged. Both have attended our church for several years. To say it like that is kind of like saying that Bill Gates has a little bit in savings. Up until this incident, I would have laughed out loud if you questioned their character. Both have a public testimony of salvation that spans decades. They’ve been friends for over thirty years. They’ve raised their kids together. They’ve seen each other through divorces and funerals. Both of them should know better than to behave like that. They don’t need to read 1 Timothy to find out how to act in church—in the living body.

Yet, you wouldn’t know any of that by the way that either of them acted that day.

For some reason they had to go and get picayune. They had to get silly and selfish. Fleshly. They acted a whole lot more devilish than Christ-like. Hellish is probably the best word to describe what happened. It was ugly and embarrassing and could’ve easily been avoided. Just thinking about it again makes me angry. Mad. Peeved. If I got any madder, I'd want to cuss.

As a pastor it makes my blood boil and my heart race. It irritates my hiatal hernia. Food doesn't go down the right way when junk like this shows up and people just want to stir the pot. I’m not only mad, though. Like the Spirit, I’m deeply grieved. I’m sad. We had a wonderful day. It was our Youth Sunday. Excited young people ministered to our hearts. They led their parents in singing praises. They took hold of the service with a responsibility and a reverence well beyond their years. And then with a shameful amount of immaturity, two grown women ruined it in the blink of an eye.

The guest preacher, a young man who beat cancer and then spent a year in Brazil studying the Bible, had the perfect message for the day. Those two women sat through the message and shut their ears to everything that was said. He told us that there exists only one word to accurately describe those who don’t abide by what they read in God’s Word. Hypocrisy. If we don’t fulfill what’s in those divinely inspired sixty-six books, we’re shallow hypocrites.

As a father it pains me to have to explain it all to my children. Right or wrong—judge me if you will—but I’m less concerned with the disturbers than I am with my own family. I’m less concerned with them than I am with the rest of the church family that was affected. Sin affects people. It destroys lives. It destroys families, and it destroys churches. It aggravates me that because of this—that because of the melodrama—my wife spoke the five least favorite words of all missionary men everywhere: “I’m ready to go back...” She meant it, too.

Her camel just snapped a vertebra.

So, here’s what I want you to get a hold of today. We’ve hit a rough patch. Choppy waters. A lot of times missions is not easy. Juggling multiple cultures within the context a foreign culture can get dicey. It’s tiring and draining and regularly disappointing. Not to mention frustrating. No matter how fluent you are, stuff gets lost in translation. Junk gets jumbled up in semantics and non-verbal cues. The mission field is a very different spiritual battlefield from the good ol’ US of A. Missionaries need your prayers. They need your encouragement. They need your faithful financial support. We need to know that somebody over there is still holding on to the rope.

Don’t get me wrong. I know that you’ve got problems, too, and I’m not pitting my problems against yours. They’re not worse. They’re different. However, let me be kind by saying that we’ve got enough to worry about over here without having to worry about everything that’s going on over there. I’ve got enough to worry about over here than whether we can put food on the table and fuel in the car.

You don’t really know what it’s like to spend three months visiting churches (when you need to be resting) so that you can raise a few hundred dollars a month only to return to the field and have those gains erased because other churches decided to re-allocate their missions budget where they are seeing more conversions. You don’t know what that’s like until you’ve been there.

Just so you don’t misunderstand me or misinterpret what I’m saying—yes, I still believe that we’re firmly planted in the hands of a Sovereign and all-powerful God. His grace is sufficient.

But look, let Nina say that she’s ready to go back because she misses her mother. Let her say she wants to get out of here because she wants to dip a salty fry in a sweet Wendy's Frosty. Let her say that because it’s rained for three weeks straight, and mold is growing on every window seal in our house. But don't under any circumstances force her to say that because the stress from “home” combined with the stress from the field has caused the overall stress to boil over. Please. And while you couldn’t have done anything to help us avoid this incident, and while you can’t do anything to help us manage this incident, you can help by giving good news from a far country every once in a while.

Nina and Michael Andrzejewski

Michael Andrzejewski. Missionary. Writer. Normal Guy. Serving in western Europe since early 2008, with his wife Nina and their 5 kids, Michael loves to share his stories. A graduate of West Point but an introvert by nature, he swims upstream while struggling to pastor cross-culturally. Passionate about both the Gospel and football, he constantly searches for really good sushi. His writing has been published by several small-town newspapers and magazines. You can pick up his first ebook, The Overflow: Avoiding the Normal on Amazon.com. He opines about missions at michaelandrzejewski.com and looks forward seeing Jesus one day. Follow him on Twitter (@cbcportugal).

Prayer Update:

We’ve been praying for Emily, a teenager who has battled Osteosarcoma for a couple of years. She’s having her quarterly scans on Friday. Here’s an excerpt from her father’s update: 

Emily's quarterly scan is scheduled for February 14, 2014 at 1:00 PM...Please continue to send the positive thoughts and prayers for Emily to be clear of cancer and treatment side effects. It is important that we share inspiring stories and events. The brief story below is a tribute to everyone who has encouraged us and whispered prayers on Emily’s and our family’s behalf.

On February 3, 2014, I received a text that made me tearful. Good tears, the kind of tears I never understood. These were the type of tears that flow out of my Wife, Sister-In-Law, Mother, and Mother-In-Law while they are watching Julia Roberts/Sandra Bullock/Hugh Grant "romantic" movies. Maybe the tears started because my testosterone levels are decreasing as I age, maybe the Edamame at dinner increased my estrogen supply, or maybe it was because my wife shared something remarkable with me...She shared with me a simple text and photo. The text stated, "I am tearing up.” Those profound words can suggest good emotions or bad thoughts. In this case, the words described Nicki’s merry sentiment as she watched our Emily perform the Croisé Devant, À la Quatrieme Devant, and Effacé Devant Ballet facing positions at Dana’s Studio of Dance. Emily is dancing again! Happiness can create a tear. The pictures are below. 

On a serious note, one of our friends, Muriel Walters, is in the midst of a horrible battle with Osteosarcoma. Please take a moment to pray, and send positive thoughts to Muriel and her family. With Appreciation, Steve

Please join me in praying for Emily, Muriel, Michael and Nina, and other missionaries around the world. Much of the southeastern United States (where I live) is experiencing a crippling winter storm right now. Please pray for the emergency responders who have to get out in it (my son included), as well as those already chronically ill and those without electricity.

If you have a prayer request you’d like added to our prayer list at the top of the blog, please leave a comment. Please e-mail me any confidential requests. I’d love to pray for you. J While you’re here, please pray for others’ requests.

And would you take a moment to leave a word of encouragement for Michael and Nina? Thanks!

God bless,

Laura ✞

©Laura Hodges Poole

Mission image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.