Open Wide!

We have all likely seen (or been) that parent who, in an attempt to get their fussy, distracted baby to eat something, tried sneakily coaxing their little one, ''Open up wide, the airplane's coming in for a landing!''

Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Babies kinda have a mind of their own.

(cute kid!)

The thing is, for babies (and for all of us), it's difficult to receive anything when your mouth is closed.

I wish my 3-month old would catch onto that concept. Sometimes when he is hungry and frustrated, it is literally impossible to nurse him because although his mouth is open, he is crying too hard to suck. I feel bad, knowing that I have what he wants and what he needs is available to him, but he is too caught up in his own irritation to receive it.

Those of us who are parents know that there is a difference between a baby crying to communicate with us, and a cry of anger.

My child knows that I can satisfy his hunger, but he doesn't yet realize that I do it out of love and that he doesn't need to demand it from me. He gets impatient pretty quickly, which makes him unable to enjoy what he actually needs.

But can I really blame him? Don't I often do the same thing?

In Psalm 81:10 God extends an invitation: ''Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.'' He is the Giver of good gifts Who is ready to extend grace. Why do I feel like I need to force it from Him?

At times my mouth is wide open, but not to receive. Instead, my mouth is filled with complaining or self-pity. Instead of resting by my heavenly Father, trusting Him to provide me with what I need, I'm busy fighting for my ''rights'', thinking I somehow have to convince Him to give.

A baby who still nurses can be demanding. A weaned child, on the other hand, knows that they will receive what they need and is simply satisfied in being.

''But I have calmed and quieted myself,
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content.''

Psalm 131:2 

Would you say you are ''weaned'' - content, trusting, patient, delighting in His presence? Or do you find yourself striving, pleading with angry cries for what you want? Remember, we are welcome to approach God with confidence, ''so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need'' (Hebrews 4:16). He wants to give.

Today, friend, let's ''open up wide'', knowing that our Father ''knows what we need before we ask him'' (Matthew 6:8).

Praying you experience His provision in the way you need it today!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A nurse. 

Can't quite believe I answered with that when I was younger; today I can't imagine working in the medical field! I'm very thankful for the people who do, but I know I'm definitely not cut out for it. Uh-uh. No way.

A teacher.

Now that's more like it. I remember playing with a friend when we were younger, setting up all of our stuffed teddy bears, stuffed monkeys, stuffed penguins and stuffed-everything-else on her bed, and teaching our "class" together (also disciplining when the big stuffed moose caused trouble!). My heart is still for teaching, and although I've never exactly studied it, I thoroughly enjoyed my semester internship as Teacher's Assistant at Prairie Bible College, and love the opportunities that I have now to preach the odd time, teach English, etc. If I were to get into the working world, I think I'd go in the direction of teaching.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

How did you respond to that question when you were little?

I think I can assume some of the answers you didn't give.

Stressed.

Uneducated.  

Discriminated against.  

Dependent on social systems for financial support.

Without access to health care.

Poor.

How is it that we can so easily end up where we never wanted to be? But what if you were never aware of another option?

The theme of social justice remains on my heart, and I'm becoming more and more convinced that poverty isn't just a physical state of need; it starts in the mind. It's easy for us (rich? educated? advanced?) people to look at beggars or homeless people and think, "Oh, just get a job." Or to hear stories of plight, awful stories of children sold into sex trafficking, and wonder what is so wrong with the family that they didn't see that danger coming, and believed their daughter would really have a better life with that stranger who offered to marry them.

But if poverty was all you'd ever known, all that your parents grew up with, and what their parents before them struggled with as well, wouldn't you also begin to believe that poverty was simply your lot in life?

Image from Atlantic Cities

I read a super interesting article the other day about how "poverty taxes the brain." This website discusses some new, groundbreaking findings which conclude that "poverty imposes such a massive cognitive load on the poor that they have little bandwidth left over to do many of the things that might lift them out of poverty – like go to night school, or search for a new job, or even remember to pay bills on time." Even something like struggling to be a good parent can be connected to not handling finances well. "Poor people live in a constant state of scarcity (in this case, scarce mental bandwidth)." Poverty, as well as everything that accompanies it (discrimination, dependency, stress), puts such a burden on the minds of those caught up in it that it's like a loaded mental bandwidth, where "in the case of the poor...you’re just more likely to not notice things, you’re more likely to not resist things you ought to resist, you’re more likely to forget things, you’re going to have less patience, less attention to devote to your children when they come back from school.”

Our dear brothers and sisters living in Third World countries, living in slums, sleeping in shelters, or even living across the street from us...they can't always help themselves.

And I was convicted again when I read from Provers 14 this morning: "Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God" (v. 31). 

I know that decisions have consequences and that you reap what you sow, but I also know that probably none of the people whom we find easy to judge set out as a child to be "poor" when they grew up. Or to be a bad parent. Or to be an addict. Or to not be able to provide for their family.

They had dreams...and they still do.

This online article concludes with some good news:

"Conversely, going forward, this also means that anti-poverty programs could have a huge benefit that we've never recognized before: Help people become more financially stable, and you also free up their cognitive resources to succeed in all kinds of other ways as well."

HELPING PEOPLE...that's the key. And that is good news!

~~~~~~~~

Friends, I'm currently working on a little design project, and would like your ideas. I want to make bookmarks to give away, with a list of things people can do to "practically engage in the fight against injustice." Sometimes the need seems so great and we don't know where to start so we just do nothing at all.

What resources, what causes, what links or ideas could you add to my list below?

1. Pray!
2. Donate to organizations (such as?) who are already "on the ground," running with a vision.
3. Buy Fair Trade (lots of items, such as chocolate and coffee, can be found in normal grocery stores. I was excited when I recently found a small shop in our city that sells directly imported, hand-made products such as stationary, jewelry, and bags!)
4. Sponsor a child, and help them escape the cycle of poverty and fulfill their dreams.

Your suggestions?

The City of God

So much is happening in the Middle East right now....I don't understand it all and haven't been able to keep up with everything, but it's on my heart.

I just wanted to share these verses from Psalm 122 that I was encouraged with this morning. When we don't know what to do, we can always pray!

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love you be secure.
⁷ May there be peace within your walls
    and security within your citadels.”
⁸ For the sake of my brothers and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.

And a beautiful song I just discovered on YouTube - "Shalom Jerusalem" by Paul Wilbur:

Vision & Surrender

Today marks one year of my husband and I living in Germany! It's crazy to think of when we landed in Frankfurt on August 30, 2011, and consider how far the Lord has brought us since then - what we've experienced, the challenges we've faced, how we have grown and the ways God has used us. All with incredible blessings and lessons along the way! God is SO faithful...always.

As we were reflecting last night on what an adventure it's been, we were faced with the need to remind ourselves to continually surrender. God gave us a vision and has led us and provided for us, but oh how easy it is to take matters into our own hands!

"It makes a difference whether you were sent, or whether you just went..."
 
God gave us a clear vision of what our work and ministry here were to look like: "Bringing restoration to your family and my Glory to Germany," He said. And as we shared that vision with family, friends, and our church, we were supported on all sides and all the love, advice, encouragement, and prayers felt to us like fuel in our jet that was preparing for "take off." We didn't go on our own strength; we knew we were called, and we had people standing by us (thank you!)

And now we are here. It hasn't always been easy, but obedience isn't always comfortable. We have adjusted though, and are feeling quite at home. In fact, we thought that if God were to now tell us to move, even to the next village, that would be kind of hard for us! To leave our nice apartment that we've invested time and money into decorating so it's just our style? Our cozy fireplace? Our newly renovated kitchen? Our quiet neighborhood? But the key is that IT'S NOT "OURS." We need to live with open hands and intentionally acknowledge that it is God's house and God's time and God's ministry and God's marriage and His heart for our family members here is bigger than any love we have for them! It's HIS vision and HIS will.

It's easy to walk in excitement when God gives you a vision or reveals a next step, etc. But the key is to remain just as dependent on His Spirit, just as attentive to His Voice, and just as denying to yourself one month, one year, or 30 years later as you were during the time you were seeking His will in the first place. It's like Paul's tough exhortation to the Galatians: "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (3:3). Beware of becoming comfortable, becoming competent in your own strength, becoming apathetic. 

We serve a God who is all about relationship and he LOVES to communicate with us! He has a good plan and he doesn't mean for it to be difficult or mysterious to discover His will. It is easy - His word says, " If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). When we're lacking wisdom or don't know the way, all we have to do is ask! But here's the key -  "When he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does" (vs. 6-8). God is generous and freely gives out wisdom - without fault. He doesn't stand there thinking, "Come on, can't you figure this out on your own? Why are you so uncertain? Don't you get it?" He delights to give.  

But the key is this: I can't ask for wisdom yet still insist on doing it my way.

One of my pet peeves (spoiler alert: insight into our marriage!) is when my husband asks me about something, for example, "Hmm, should I eat cherry or strawberry yogurt today?" and then when I answer, he ends up doing the exact opposite. I suppose that's just because he's extroverted and needs to think aloud :-) But it makes me laugh every time and I always say, "Why do you ask if you're not gonna do what I suggest anyway?!"

Well, it works the same with God. We can't ask Him to direct our steps and then when He shows us the path we say, "Oh actually the other one looks more appealing." His plans are *always* good and even if we don't understand them, we have to be willing to obey. God doesn't like to reveal his heart if He can't trust us to live out what He speaks to us.

So...it comes back to surrender. In my life, it meant moving across the ocean to my husband's homeland and taking care of my sick mother-in-law. The Lord has given us the great blessing of getting involved with a discipleship center here as well. Obedience and the unfolding of the Lord's vision for your life will likely look different for you, but one thing is the same:

"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it" 
(1 Thessalonians 5:24).

The Pattern of the Levites

About a month ago, a verse caught my attention: 1 Chronicles 16:4 -  It says that David "appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel."

The Levites were the "worship leaders" of the Israelites, and their job description was to thank, praise, and make petition unto the Lord. I was intrigued by that pattern and decided to incorporate it into my own life and worship. It has been powerful! There are times where I don't feel like worshiping, but I choose to anyway, because God is worthy.

I begin by praising. What is praise? It has to do with adoration, and we adore God for who he is. Doing this has helped me see God in new ways. I am reminded of the verse, "the name of the Lord is a strong tower" (Proverbs 18:10). When we acknowledge who God is (the unchanging one, despite whatever our situation is), then we find refuge and shelter. The picture below is a neat illustration.

There are so many things to praise God for - he is our Creator, Sustainer, Provider, Savior, Lover, the One who Sees us, the One who Knows us, our Forgiver. And the list goes on! In what ways has God revealed himself to you lately, and how can you praise him?

And then I give thanks. This has to do with what God has done. The list here is also endless. And even on those days where I'm frustrated or disengaged, I can always find something to be thankful for. Since I've started paying attention, I'm realizing how frequently the Bible commands us to be grateful! It's not an option for Christians. And why should it be? What are you thankful for today?

Then, I make petition. I ask, I intercede. There is always something for this category too. I shake my head sometimes when I'm in group situations where we're sharing prayer requests, and I can't think of anything. The world is a needy place! There is always something we can petition the Lord for! This is part of our priestly privilege. What situation can you bring before the Lord today? Who can you intercede for?

How would your worship life (which should be a lifestyle of worship) be different if you intentionally offered praise, thanksgiving, and petitions to the Lord?

Serving our awesome God and worshiping with you,
-Kristyn & Mogi 

One-Way Tickets

Last weekend I was on a retreat for one of my classes. We had been told to come prepared with a list of a dozen or so life-events and a short description of how they impacted us. I had listed things like my grandma's death, coming to Prairie, marrying Mogi, etc. We then divided those events into three categories: our "Gifted History" (good things we experienced basically without any effort of our own), our "Suffering History" (pain we experienced that we couldn't help) and our "Shadow History" (the brokenness of our own choices/patterns). We then spent the day praying through each of these items and asking God to highlight and speak to us about one or two specific areas. (It's a great exercise - you should try it!)

I want to share what God challenged and encouraged me with that day. But it requires some background...

A few months ago, Mogi and I spent time intentionally praying and seeking God about his will for our future. I graduate college this April, and we weren't sure what we should do after that. We have absolutely loved our time here at Prairie and would love to become more involved as staff somehow. Another option was to return to Germany - Mogi working, me learning the language and getting to know his family, etc. Or of course maybe God wanted neither of those for us and had something else in mind. So one week we were desperate for an answer, wanting to know God's will so we could be obedient and begin making plans. That weekend we headed off to a conference at church, and there...God showed up. 

We had been reading in the Bible the story of Zechariah. One day as he was just doing his priestly duty in the temple, an angel of the Lord showed up and told him that he was going to have a son, who would be John the Baptist. God just invaded his world with this huge announcement!

That's how Mogi and I felt. Just before one of the sessions, God showed up in our life and spoke very clearly, revealing his will. The speaker, who didn't know us, began praying over us and said, in essence, "God is sending you back to Germany...you will bring the glory of God back to that nation and will bring restoration to your family." WOW!

That was the answer we'd been looking for. It definitely resonated in our spirits. The reason we had been considering Germany is because we wanted to help Mogi's family, as they're experiencing some struggles health-wise and emotionally. And now out of the blue we hear from a stranger that God wants us there and promises to use us there! We were so relieved.

So this event was the last on my list of "impacting life-events." As I looked at it on my sheet of paper and started praying about it, God began speaking to me. I had placed it in the category of my "Gifted History." But God showed me that I hadn't really received it as a gift. Sure, I was excited about it at first. We had our answer from God! But then doubt started creeping in. Is this really God's will? Why can't we move in another year or two? God's doing amazing things here that we want to be part of! And then I faced fear. This will be the furthest I've ever been from my family. I don't know the language! What will a new culture be like?

Weeks and months passed. God continued to speak, confirming that this is his will. He's encouraged us through friends and family. He's spoken through dreams. He's already provided furniture for us - for free!

And yet as I sat reflecting and praying, I realized how self-centered I'd become. The goal in going to Germany is to serve others, and meanwhile I'd become concerned about my own comfort. I'd misconstrued God by forgetting that every good and perfect gift is from above - from a loving Heavenly Father who does not change (James 1:17). I had not been giving thanks.

Have you ever wondered what God's will for your life is? The Bible tells us what it is in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."


Rejoice...pray...give thanks. I believe that the whole matter of where to live and what to do after graduation is secondary to learning this principle of gratefulness. God didn't have to speak so clearly, but he did. It's a gift. He doesn't have to provide encouragement and confirmation along the way, but he does. It's a gift. He wouldn't have to daily remind us of his presence and his provision, but he will. It's a gift. And the only appropriate response to his gifts is saying thank you. 


So sometime soon, Mogi and I will be purchasing plane tickets to Germany...one-way tickets. Is it scary? Sometimes. Will it be easy? Not necessarily. But is it good? Absolutely. It is a gift. 


Here's a poem we heard recently in chapel that was a huge encouragement to us, and I pray it will be for you as well: 

The will of God will never take you,

Where the Grace of God cannot keep you,

Where the Arms of God cannot support you,

Where the Riches of God cannot supply your needs,

Where the Power of God cannot endow you.

The will of God will never take you,

Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,

Where the Wisdom of God cannot teach you,

Where the Army of God cannot protect you,

Where the Hands of God cannot mold you.

The will of God will never take you,

Where the Love of God cannot enfold you,

Where the Mercies of God cannot calm you,

Where the Peace of God cannot calm your fears,

Where the Authority of God cannot overrule you.

The will of God will never take you

Where the Comfort of God cannot dry your tears,

Where the Word of God cannot feed you, 

Where the Miracles of God cannot be done for you,

Where the Omnipresence of God cannot find you.

The will of God...is good. And worth giving thanks for. 

We ask for your prayers as we begin to embark on this journey of a new season of our lives. It is exciting! We continue to wait on the Lord to reveal more details of what our ministry in Germany will be. But we rest in his goodness and his faithfulness, proven over and over in our lives. 

Rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks,

The Moglers

The Prayer of Jabez

1 Chronicles 4:10

"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request."


I know there is some controversy about this verse and its implications. But I wanted to share how it has impacted me this week...


I prayed it last week. At first it seems selfish - wanting to be blessed, wanting to be free from pain. But I got thinking that in essence, we absolutely need the blessing of God! In this cursed world of sin, disaster, and pain, God wants to offer us true life (John 10:10). To pray for his blessing isn't selfish. We are his children and we can approach him with confidence. Apart from him we can do nothing!


But the phrase that really caught me was "enlarge my territory." In my heart as I prayed it, I meant an increase in opportunities and influence. Someone was sharing with me the other day how they've been facing challenging situations lately, but God was revealing to them that it is exactly in those situations that they have a chance to grow. In fact the only option is to grow or to backslide. So I've been praying for God to stretch my faith, to grow me, and to enlarge my territory of influence so I can be a blessing to other people. And it's been incredible how he has answered! I think nearly every day this week I've had a random conversation, received a random email or Facebook message, or heard a random story that has driven me to prayer. All these situations have been out of the blue, and with people I haven't necessarily been in contact with for awhile or don't know very well. God is enlarging my territory! Now the challenge is that I am faithful with these opportunities. I want my Master to say to me, as in Matthew 25:21, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things."


One thing God is challenging me with this year is to go deeper in prayer. (And as was raised in one of my courses - not to have a better 'prayer life', but to have a life of prayer!) I heard a speaker a few days ago mention that interceding for others is one practical way we can 'lay down our lives for our friends' (John 15:13). Sure we're not dying in doing so, but it can be a sacrifice. But what a privilege we have to come before our awesome, majestic, powerful king and ask him to intervene in the lives of people we know who need him to! To speak blessing into their lives when it is likely that they are usually faced with doubt, fear, and lies. 


In a sense it was one of those 'dangerous prayers' - because I wasn't sure how God would answer. But he is good, all the time. And I've been humbled and amazed at his graciousness - that when I make myself available, he opens my eyes to the good works he has prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). 


What are the opportunities God has placed in your life? Pray for him to use you and believe that he will...and see what happens.