If you'd like to begin giving, you may follow this link: http://efca.org/giving
Please include my ID with your donations: #1514. Checks are payable to EFCA and donations are tax deductible.
Thank you for your support!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
How you can get involved
Prayer
"Until we know that life is war we will not know what prayer is for." - John Piper
For a good sermon, said better than I could, check out DesiringGod.org for Prayer: The Work of Missions.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Because of Him
God has captured my heart. From the early days in Pioneer Girls at NorthCreek Church memorizing Ps.119 through song and sign language, the high school trips to Mexicali, and the cross-cultural experiences during college in Europe, Central and East Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Central America, I realized how much God loves the whole world. (1 John 2:2)
In the summer of 2005 in Kenya, the Holy Spirit convicted me of how often I compare my budget and lifestyle with those of my affluent neighbors but do not compare myself to the poorest one-half of the world’s people. I was challenged to give of my time, knowledge, and money seeing the current condition of the world and knowing God's view that “whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:17) Everything is God’s. He gives and He takes away. I have never been so grateful for the many blessings I have. The most difficult part is the reconciliation of the knowledge I have and the actions I need to take.
Just a year ago, I was contemplating another short term summer opportunity with the church, yet I was extremely unsettled. My spirit within me said, “Another short term?!” At the direction of the Holy Spirit and outside counsel, I decided to stay and prayerfully consider what that meant. Within days, doors began to open with many unique opportunities. I was reminded that the harvest is plentiful and yet the workers are few. I had committed myself to stay till October of last year with my current employer to finish the coordination of our annual charity golf tournament. The local beneficiary, Capernaum Young Life Diablo Valley, was an organization dear to my roommate, and so also dear to me. In June, I was able to take a week off, to assist with EFCA’s Crisis Response Team in New Orleans, LA, and was moved even more to find a place where my skills and passion could be combined to serve God.
In October, NorthCreek Church’s former high school youth pastor, Doug Stolhand contacted me and shared what he has been doing, launching the program LIVEº (pronounced Live to the Power of Nothing or Live Zero). It was developed in 2006 as a vehicle for Christ’s followers to live out compassion among the underserved in the most overlooked places in the world. Infected in Sudan, homeless in Sarajevo, hungry in Manila, there are places in the world where hope is almost non-existent. How can we change that? Military power? Political power? Economic power? God’s plan to fix the world is through the unique power revealed in the life of Jesus Christ. How did Jesus live? He made himself nothing. Phil 2:7 He reached out to the poor, the outcast, the sick, the sinner. He allowed Himself to be subjected to ridicule, hunger, betrayal, death. He became nothing so a broken world could be healed, restored, repaired, renewed. Nothing saved everything. LIVEº teams live simply among those they serve for a period of 2 years. During that time, they partner with missionaries and relief organizations, striving to display the power of God in tangible ways to the hurting, the sick, and the poor in their communities. LIVEº is part of ReachGlobal’s (Evangelical Free Church of America, International Mission) outreach to multiply healthy churches.
Doug asked me to think and pray about joining the team being the office support staff in Minneapolis, Minnesota- like what I do now at Summit Financial Group, a financial planning office, in San Ramon. I have completed ReachGlobal’s Evaluation Training and received the approval from our Global Outreach Team to serve on LIVEº staff. I am extremely grateful for the many blessings I have and for this opportunity to use my skills, gifting, and passion for God’s Glory.
It is a daily struggle to not succumb to worldly ‘common sense’, but to be recklessly abandoned to HIM. “He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” (2 Cor. 5:15) Today, that means leaving family, friends, a great job, and sunny California weather; but I must not ask at what cost? But for what privilege do I owe this honor? For I know tomorrow may hold the eternal kingdom where I will kneel before the one true God.
check out http://www.goreachglobal.org/ and http://www.powerofnothing.org/
In the summer of 2005 in Kenya, the Holy Spirit convicted me of how often I compare my budget and lifestyle with those of my affluent neighbors but do not compare myself to the poorest one-half of the world’s people. I was challenged to give of my time, knowledge, and money seeing the current condition of the world and knowing God's view that “whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord.” (Proverbs 19:17) Everything is God’s. He gives and He takes away. I have never been so grateful for the many blessings I have. The most difficult part is the reconciliation of the knowledge I have and the actions I need to take.
Just a year ago, I was contemplating another short term summer opportunity with the church, yet I was extremely unsettled. My spirit within me said, “Another short term?!” At the direction of the Holy Spirit and outside counsel, I decided to stay and prayerfully consider what that meant. Within days, doors began to open with many unique opportunities. I was reminded that the harvest is plentiful and yet the workers are few. I had committed myself to stay till October of last year with my current employer to finish the coordination of our annual charity golf tournament. The local beneficiary, Capernaum Young Life Diablo Valley, was an organization dear to my roommate, and so also dear to me. In June, I was able to take a week off, to assist with EFCA’s Crisis Response Team in New Orleans, LA, and was moved even more to find a place where my skills and passion could be combined to serve God.
In October, NorthCreek Church’s former high school youth pastor, Doug Stolhand contacted me and shared what he has been doing, launching the program LIVEº (pronounced Live to the Power of Nothing or Live Zero). It was developed in 2006 as a vehicle for Christ’s followers to live out compassion among the underserved in the most overlooked places in the world. Infected in Sudan, homeless in Sarajevo, hungry in Manila, there are places in the world where hope is almost non-existent. How can we change that? Military power? Political power? Economic power? God’s plan to fix the world is through the unique power revealed in the life of Jesus Christ. How did Jesus live? He made himself nothing. Phil 2:7 He reached out to the poor, the outcast, the sick, the sinner. He allowed Himself to be subjected to ridicule, hunger, betrayal, death. He became nothing so a broken world could be healed, restored, repaired, renewed. Nothing saved everything. LIVEº teams live simply among those they serve for a period of 2 years. During that time, they partner with missionaries and relief organizations, striving to display the power of God in tangible ways to the hurting, the sick, and the poor in their communities. LIVEº is part of ReachGlobal’s (Evangelical Free Church of America, International Mission) outreach to multiply healthy churches.
Doug asked me to think and pray about joining the team being the office support staff in Minneapolis, Minnesota- like what I do now at Summit Financial Group, a financial planning office, in San Ramon. I have completed ReachGlobal’s Evaluation Training and received the approval from our Global Outreach Team to serve on LIVEº staff. I am extremely grateful for the many blessings I have and for this opportunity to use my skills, gifting, and passion for God’s Glory.
It is a daily struggle to not succumb to worldly ‘common sense’, but to be recklessly abandoned to HIM. “He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” (2 Cor. 5:15) Today, that means leaving family, friends, a great job, and sunny California weather; but I must not ask at what cost? But for what privilege do I owe this honor? For I know tomorrow may hold the eternal kingdom where I will kneel before the one true God.
check out http://www.goreachglobal.org/ and http://www.powerofnothing.org/
Friday, June 08, 2007
the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep
L'Éternel est mon berger: je ne manquerai de rien. Il me fait reposer dans de verts pâturages, Il me dirige près des eaux paisibles. Il restaure mon âme, Il me conduit dans les sentiers de la justice, A cause de son nom. Quand je marche dans la vallée de l'ombre de la mort, Je ne crains aucun mal, car tu es avec moi: Ta houlette et ton bâton me rassurent. Tu dresses devant moi une table, En face de mes adversaires; Tu oins d'huile ma tête, Et ma coupe déborde. Oui, le bonheur et la grâce m'accompagneront Tous les jours de ma vie, Et j'habiterai dans la maison de l'Éternel Jusqu'à la fin de mes jours. Psaume 23
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
