Katrina in The Photo Booth

Just wanted to pass on some medicine for your heart today at my expense! I am having way too much fun with my new computer tricks! :-)

Hope you get a chuckle out of these...

Another CMO Video!

Yesterday's video shows the team distributing film invitations in the mountains. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, and the weather so beautiful! Joshua gives some great examples of the Ukrainian language in action, and Abby adds a cute element to the group! Click here for the latest from the CMO cinema productions! :-)

Learning to Let Peace Rule

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:15)

Recently, as I was reading through the book of Colossians, this verse seemed to leap off the page at me. Peace. It was a missing element at that moment in my life. I felt anything but at peace. Rather, pressures, deadlines, stress, and a feeling of being utterly overwhelmed threatened to consume me.

This verse told me to let God’s peace rule my heart. In other words, I realized that I held the keys to peace in my hands. I could choose to either let God’s peace rule, or to let my anxieties rule.

It was a matter of obedience, for God had clearly said, “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-8, emphasis mine)

In that moment, I realized that I was worried and fretful about many things because I had not taken the time to pray and commit each issue to the Lord. I made a list in my journal of each item about which I was worried. These issues didn’t look so overwhelming once they were on paper, and I realized how silly I was to be stressed.

One by one, I prayed over each item on my list, committing them into the Lord’s care and voicing my trust in Him to bring everything to pass. As I went through this simple exercise, God brought to mind one of my favorite verses from the Psalms: “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass…Rest in the LORD…” (Psalm 37:5, 7) There was such freedom in taking this step of obedience! It was as though the many worries which had previously loomed up before me as giants to be overcome simply evaporated into the air. No longer did I look toward the future with all its activities and deadlines and responsibilities with dread.

God’s promises proved true. As I prayed about everything with thanksgiving, He gave me peace which passes all understanding. As I committed my way unto the Lord and trusted in Him, He brought everything to pass in His perfect way!

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Thank You, Lord, for your peace, and for teaching me to let it rule my heart. May it be a lesson I won’t soon forget!

Another Great Witnessing Story!

Grace Mally has been one of the biggest inspirations to me when it comes to sharing the Gospel with people. She is a bold young evangelist with a true heart of compassion for the lost. Recently, she posted another encouraging story on her blog, Grace Notes. Click here to read it!

Summer Fun with ACF Girls

Last night, four of my Bible study girls from American Chinese Fellowship came home with me for a summer fun sleepover and service project. It was a joy to have them in our home, investing in their lives in a personal way.

For our service project, we made care packages for poor and/or homeless children who go to the Star of Hope Mission with their families seeking shelter and aid. These care packages are designed to be special gift bags welcoming the children to the mission and providing them with basic items they need or would enjoy.

We started out by shopping at the dollar store with a set budget in mind. Each girl brought money to purchase their items and were very deliberate in their shopping process. I got such a kick out of watching them meander the aisles, each with a basket in hand, looking for just the right items they thought "their" girl would like, and making sure they stayed within their budget. It reminded me of the days when I would play pretend shopping at the Children's Museum grocery store --- only this time it was for real!

Here are the items that went into my care package: bubble bath, hair clips, pencils, stickers, toothbrush/toothpaste, socks, and hard candy.

After shopping for the package contents, we returned home and set to work decorating the bags. Then, each girl made a card with a sweet message inside for the recipient of their care package.

Here are a couple examples of the notes they composed all on their own:

Dear Princess,

You are not alone. God is always with us and loves us. Do not forget that. May God bless and lead in your young life.

Dear Friend,

I hope that all the things that I have given you will help you in some way. I just want you to know that you are a very special person and God loves you. I encourage you to go to Star of Hope's Sunday services. Remember, you are very special and God loves you. I hope you will accept Him as your Savior. He will always be there for you if you do. God bless you, my friend. And may your life be full of love, joy, and peace.

Finally, we stuffed the bags, and they were ready to go!

Excited to bless the poor and needy...what a joy to see!

Behind the Scenes with CMO

The Carpathian Mountain Outreach (CMO) is now in full swing over in Ukraine! This is the main summer-time endeavor that Katelin and Nathan's missionary organization, Euro Team Outreach, engages in every summer.

You Tube videos are being put together this year to give you a behind-the-scenes look at ministry preparations and experiences as they take place. The videos are informative, entertaining, and good reminders to pray!

Click here and here to see them now!

Observations from a Corner Table

As the heat of the day gave way to a pleasant, breezy evening, I made my way to a rod-iron table at Market Street juggling school books and a salad to-go. I was to meet up with friends in an hour, so meanwhile, I spread my books out on the table determined to catch up on a few Bible college assignments as I munched on my dinner. Light jazz music was being piped through the speakers around Market Square, and the sound of childrens' laughter filled the air as they played in the grassy park area near my table. It was a beautiful evening.

Not long after I sat down at my park-side table, another family came over to a table close by licking ice cream cones. (I like to observe people when they don't know I'm watching them, simply because I find such observations to be fascinating and educational by turn.) This particular family looked very much the typical American family today: Father, Mother, Son, Daughter. The mother I guessed to be a working woman judging from her business attire and high heels. Manicured fingernails, blond highlights, and a Coach purse completed the picture, lending an air of wealth and material comfort. After awhile, the father and son wandered away to look at something in another area, leaving the mother and daughter at the table.

Curious to see if the mother would seize the opportunity to enjoy one-on-one conversation with her "tween" daughter, I discreetly peeked up from my books now and then to see how they got along. Things seemed pretty quiet at their table...

Suddenly, a child's shout to my left diverted my attention momentarily away from the mother-daughter scene toward a completely different scene. A raggedy-haired, barefoot boy, about ten years old, was calling for his little sister, telling her they had to stay on the grass. With squeals of delight the two then took off racing across the grass. I was amazed and delighted when I saw that the object of their excitement was their daddy.

They skirted around his legs with a "catch-me-if-you-can-attitude," and he immediately ran after them, a big smile on his face. Apparently, I had just caught up with them in the middle of a grand game of Chase! First, he chased his son, then his daughter, then his son again, back and forth around the grass. It didn't matter that he was dressed in nice slacks and a button down shirt, fresh from the office. It was obvious that he wanted to play with his children, and they were absolutely thrilled.

I was so intrigued by this beautiful scene of fatherly love being played out before me, I could barely tare my eyes away. How far we have strayed as a nation from the central theme of family-togetherness that such a simple thing as a father actually playing with his children made me stop and stare with amazement!

Glancing back toward the mother-daughter pair to my right, I was so saddened (but not surprised) to see the woman texting on her touch-phone rather than conversing with the precious daughter right in front of her. The girl didn't seem to mind; maybe she's used to it. She meandered around the table aimlessly, fingering the umbrella above, as they waited in silence for the dad and brother to return.

What a contrast between the two families.

A mother too connected to her cell phone to appreciate an opportunity to connect with her daughter.

A father who loved being with his children so much he was willing to get on their level and play chase, filling the air with their laughter.

I turned my attention back to the fun going on in the grassy area. By now, a woman (presumably the man's wife) had come up to the father, shopping bag in hand. They conversed for a few minutes while the little boy put his shoes and socks back on. I was again amazed when the father then bent over his son, kissing his upturned face several times and stroking his tangled hair as he spoke to him. I can't remember the last time I saw such a tender display of affection in public between a dad and his son. Next, the man took the shopping bag from the lady's hand and walked it to their car, before rejoining his family and walking on down the sidewalk.

I returned to my studies deep in thought over all I had just witnessed from my little corner table. So many emotions welled up inside me at that moment.

Gratefulness for parents who took the time to play with me, talk with me, and delight in me as a child (and now as an adult)...

Sadness for the state of so many families today who don't know how to enjoy being together untethered from the constant presence of electronic devices...

Gratefulness for this dad who set the example for everyone passing by that here was a man who loved his children and didn't mind showing it...

Desires and prayers for such a man to be the father of my children one day, Lord willing...

I am reminded from my corner table at Market Street that "better is a game of chase with a raggedy-haired, barefoot boy where love is, than a houseful of material wealth where deep relationships do not thrive." (Paraphrase of Proverbs 15:7)