Mstones 2.25.07 -- "Out of Africa" or "In to Africa" or is it "In to Honduras" or "In to Madison"? I'm Confused.

As a rule i am not a "forwarder." Lots of you are probably questioning veracity of that statement. But that said, i have enjoyed the email going round lately "Here's a few things about me."

i learned Margaret was once a waitress at Ye Olde Colonial, Ruth and i like lots of the same things and Mexican seems to be somewhere on everyone's favorite food list.

As i was pondering who to "forward" my little questionnaire to, i decided most all of Mad had seen it. Looking through my vast address book (all 10 people who aren't SS), I gathered a bunch of names on the "send to" line. Before i could press "forward", the Lord popped Mary Kay in my mind.

Mary Kay, a former Peachtree Road Methodist SS friend. Now back then, i didn't think we had tons in common as most late 20s people do in passing judgement on things. We were just different. She was extremely smart (designed water waste treatment facilities for starters). She and her husband Charlie met in graduate school at Stanford.

Ten some odd years later, she and husband and 2 boys are in Ghana. She is using all her smarts in helping them with one of the most basic things we take for granted -- clean/purifying water to drink. Something most villages don't have. They became missionaries, and have been there 6 months. It just occurred to me she might be missing us or "US" as in the United States.

Guess who was the first response back i received. Mary Kay from Ghana, West Africa and it was great to hear from her.

Missionaries in Africa. I have a longtime friend -- Tracy -- from same SS class at Peachtree Road. Whenever our husband's had some crazy idea, we always used to say, "Well, at least we're not in Africa." Because 15 years ago, one of our Peachtree Road friends, Claire, went with her husband and family and they are still there.

Guess the joke was on Tracy, for she also has gone to Africa. Funny, lots of us in that tiny SS class in that huge church, ended up in Africa.

Well, we all have ended up in Madison, Georgia at least for the time being.

But what is our Africa -- what are we supposed to be doing for God?

Last Sunday, February 25 (where did Feb. go?) Butch Thompson visited our class.

Butch has been one of the driving forces behind all the wonderful outreach our church has done in Honduras. It was great! He gave a detailed recounting of how the Lord has worked miracles in growing this ministry. Am so sorry for all who missed.

The Great Commission -- "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." Matt. 28: 19 - 20

I loved what Bruce said.

Question: What does Christ mean when he spoke of "all nations."

Answer: "Just walk outside the door." "Reach out to people who need Christianity." Whether that be Ghana, Honduras or a child at MC Middle School in desperate need of Godly mentor.

Terry is smart guy. See, i finally am kind of getting it.

We took these Spiritual Gift tests. Now we've been pointed to some of Christ's last earthly words which command us to go forth and use those Gifts.

That sounds a little scary and ever so slightly overwhelming -- but i am a timid soul at heart.

But then i read this.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

A piece of cake. We just have to abide. To remain. I can do that. I picture myself lying on a raft in the middle of the calmest, bluest ocean drinking up the sunshine. (i'm not even wearing sunscreen, well maybe a 15 -- okay, who am i kidding the damage has already been done.)

The Lord will carry me along. i guess i do need to get off my raft and act,- but the point is that i don't have to strive. We just have to let go and let God place us where we need to be and the Holy Spirit will use our gifts.

Perfect. As i am not a planner. No need to plan. Hurrah!

So get ready to use those Gifts....(am sure you are already doing so, but i just needed a transitional phrase.)

1. Submit to God. easy.
2. Don't try to do it in our own strength. easy. stop striving. just abide.
3. Encourage each other. all our gifts are of equal importance and value.

Okay -- it really isn't that easy to let go of the control, but it really is so much better once we get the hang of it. Remember the raft.

Many thanks Terry and Many thanks Butch!

Next week: Terry and i think John M. too.

Prayer Requests and Announcements

Dena Lewis is having surgery on Friday 3/2. Let's see how we can help out with the children (Ron, Colson, and Bailey) while she is down for a while. We pray that the surgery and recovery go smoothly.

Karen's sister Becky is having knee surgery and there are concerns about an autoimmune disorder as well. Are prayers are with her healing.

Happy Birthday -- Mary (2/25), Kristie (2/22)

Laree mentioned very good article in recent TIME magazine laying out history of conflict between the Muslim sects.

God Bless, Good Week and

a. Go Forth to touch an individual for God,

b. Hey, looks like we could sign up for TriathlonWest Ghana ...anyone game?

joe, gills, bob, kristie, shelagh, kat?

i think even i could take the guy with bike flag and orange shorts.
(okay, that sounded meanish, but i do think i could take him.)

Milestones 2.11.07... Chocolate the perfect gift..

Gifts.

Gifts are very funny things. At least to me. When our most excellent teacher T.Massey last taught us Mstones, the subject was love languages. I remember "gifts" was one of them. It seemed like in all my individual testing -- "gifts" was no where in my love language.

And in thinking about today's class i suddenly had an epiphany. Most of all the gifts i have ever received -- esp. as a child -- i really had to "act" happy about.

Now, i love to watch Joe open gifts -- he is ssooo happy!

What was my deal? Why was i always so inwardly disappointed?

Because for some reason i never, ever told anyone what i really wanted to receive. Why? That is very weird. I received very few gifts that i was really excited about because i just never had the courage to say what i really wanted. Now, that is very weird.

Thank goodness, i've gotten over that. but maybe that is why gifts (the wrapped kind) mean so little to me -- unless there is real thought behind it. like your little alligators Jules, and the little angel holding the child that you gave us Mary when we received Joe. If i receive a gift that really, really touches me -- however small it is, i never forget it.

Maybe that is the way it is with our spiritual gifts. Unless we truly get honest with ourselves about how we really are and let God speak to us -- we never, ever really learn what we were created to do.

At least for me it was hard even now to be honest taking that test. What did i like to do? What did i do well?

Not what should i do well?

What do others think i do well?

What would i really, really like to do well?

Often the things that are so natural to us we devalue. Like Terry saying he made all those telephone calls to round up people to complete the Living Christmas Tree at his old church. To him that seemed so easy -- for he is very people, very extroverted. But for me that would be hell.

i couldn't muster enough courage to "ask" my parents what i really wanted for a present -- rather than what i thought they wanted me to receive. How could it be natural for me to call people and ask them to do something when i really resented being asked to call in first place.

So go take Terry's test http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/ -- and forward the result back to him. He's put a lot of effort in this, and you might learn something about yourself. (but of course, i probably am only one that is total Spiritual Gift head case, but as of today -- i now have that straightened out) hurrah!!!

The Methodist church has a good test and intro on Gifts that i looked at today...
http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1355371/k.9501/Spiritual_Gifts.htm
Watching it, i realized that i needed to be honest with myself and find out what it is that God has specifically created me to do, darn it.

So what is it that when you do it for Him brings God honor, glory and great pleasure. What is it you do that makes God smile?

And like those human gifts given with all the thought, how much more consideration, love and perfection did the Lord use in choosing our specific gift? He wove it into our DNA before the creation for goodness sakes.

That made me think. just a little anyway.

So i took a few more of those tests this afternoon and really tried to be honest this time. And i came up with a new #1 spiritual gift that was not really mentioned first time. And it was consistently the same Gift on all the other tests i took today. Go Figure?

(i didn't take your test again Terry, only because it was 100 plus questions.) and i just didn't have energy. See, i am totally being honest.

Terry has put a lot of time in this. He is a great example of a committed servant to this church and more importantly to the Lord.

Let's all try to find sometime this week for a little positive and honest personal reflection. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in answering the questions. Then ask the Lord how you can be used to His glory in the church and community.

Terry will be back next week --

Prayer Requests

Please keep Chrissy Mitchell in your prayers. She was in a horse accident yesterday, and was flown to Atlanta for additional testing. Most thankfully, everything is alright.

Praise for the safe arrival (as in birth) of Jill and Kevin Meeler's new daughter Chapel Caroline. Yea!

Troy announced a need for a new person to run the computer/screen thing for Nine Alive. This would require a commitment during the service and about an hour during the week preparing materials for Sunday. Contact Troy if you are interested.

God Bless, Good Week and Go buy someone you love a Valentine.

and dark chocolate.

Did you see the ad that said a Special Dark chocolate bar contains as many antioxidants as 2 cups of green tea?

very intriguing....

for green tea always makes me slightly nauseous. With dark chocolate i don't seem to have that problem.

Just Five Minutes

So simple. Just 5 minutes to email a childhood friend.

My 25th high school reunion last fall was great. No cliques in sight. Regina, our most dutiful class president observed, “We all are in our 40s now – it’s like everyone is comfortable with themselves. This is me; this is who I have become.”

And I had the best time talking with Dent Turner. I sat beside him in first grade and we shared the next 12 years of schooling. He lived in Virginia with his wife Tina (we joked about her being Tina Turner – with an equally gifted set of legs) and four beautiful children.

But it was hard not to notice that he walked with the help of a cane. Dent was battling a rare form of cancer. It had been in remission but had resurfaced. Yet he looked so good; his same smile. Our conversation finishing Dent added, “We’ll talk later – I want to meet your husband.” An odd remark for the party would wrap up soon. Stupid me, Dent was not going to be one to say goodbye. “Goodbye” implied finality.

I just couldn’t get Dent off my mind. Every week I lamented to my prayer partner, “I need to get Dent’s email from Regina, so we can get an update on his condition.” Each Tuesday Heather would ask, “How’s Dent? Have you written Dent?” My heart would sink at her questions for I hadn’t contacted him. But he looked so good. Everything must be fine.

This was getting silly. Yesterday, another Tuesday, I looked for
Dent’s email. I had lost the address; it figured. So I sheepishly asked our class president to resend it. Today, I eagerly opened her response. Regina’s reply contained the news that Dent had passed away a few days before.

Death is inevitable, but very hard to stomach sometimes. And so is the fact that I didn’t take 5 minutes two months ago to email a friend. I was just so busy. What would I say, “Dent, we’re thinking about you and praying for you.” It rang so shallow.

And what of that confident reunion banter on being comfortable with ourselves at 43. Must question self: What have I become? I’d like to imagine someone very big and brave. Well, I’m not really all that big or brave. And I’ve learned there’s something far worse than cowardice. The “I should haves.” No, guess cowardice and deeds undone are two sides of a fickle coin.

Foolishly, a coin that I hold unspent in my hand.