Category Archives: Family of God

Pattern your life after me?

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Pattern your life after me?

“Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.”  Philippians 3:17

Paul is speaking to the church in Philippi and gives quite the dissertation explaining to them his credentials first of all, and that he had the authority to even speak to them. He was a Jew by birth, but had abandoned everything in order to follow Jesus Christ.

In verses ten and eleven he says,‘That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death…”

He didn’t want to just know about Him, he wanted that personal relationship with Him.

And finally, he gets to what he wants to leave them with… “Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example.”

Paul was telling them to learn from what he had learned. Follow in his footsteps, pattern their lives after his life. Why?

  • Because Paul was following Jesus Christ.
  • He had walked where Jesus walked.
  • He had endured trials and tribulations.
  • Paul had also been
    • beaten
    • threatened
    • starved
    • imprisoned
    • lied about
    • stoned
    • and many, many other atrocities had been committed against him.

And in all of these things he had NOT wavered. He had learned to give God praise, and to endure, despite his sufferings.

“Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:24-28.

The Early Christians didn’t have the New Testament to read…no self-help books, Matthew Henry commentaries or Google search to look up hundreds and hundreds of devotions and sermons online.

But they had Paul.

He had lived through persecution after being the Persecutor! Yet, in all of those things he still continued to be faithful and his concern was for the care of the churches.

Could we say the same as Paul did? Could we assuredly tell others to, “Pattern your life after me.”? (Of course correct grammar would change my title to “Pattern your life after mine”? But then my graphic image wouldn’t rhyme!) (insert smile here).

 

A sobering thought!

We have all heard it said that we may be the only Jesus that some people ever see or the only Bible they will ever read. That is why we must be so careful the way we live our Christian lives. That doesn’t mean we walk on eggshells all the time, scared to death we are going to make mistakes.

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” Matthew 5:14,15.

What it does mean is that we should be sure to spend time with the Savior. And the more time we spend with Him, the more we become like Him…the more we radiate His glory and His goodness…then others will see the Lord Jesus Christ IN us. They will want to know Him because He shines through us.

That is what Paul was talking about…pattern your life after me because I KNOW HIM!!

Kingdom2

 

 

Korey and Alicia: A Guide Post for your Wedding Day

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Korey and Alicia: A Guide Post for your Wedding Day

This post is too long for a #fiveminutefriday submission but today’s word prompt and the occasion is my excuse to tie in my youngest son’s wedding today and the word, Guide.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye Psalm 32:8.

No one likes to be called a baby but the youngest in the family takes on that title role rather unwillingly, for a while unknowingly and hopefully wears it proudly, as mine likes to say, “Why have any more when you created the best?!”

Korey Ross Elkins came into our lives almost 26 years ago and has been guided and protected by his brothers from Day One. They are each a little over five years apart so there was quite a spread between the oldest and the youngest. But, it never seemed to matter, especially as they have all grown into adults, I have seen the three of them be angry, even furious with the other but you better not let anyone else do the same or you would have all three of them to tangle with!

When we first made the decision to sell all and move to Latvia, for what was initially a long-term adventure, Korey decided to go with us for the first six months and make sure there was a music team for outreach and church planting. He was 18 years old. It forever changed him and was such a great time for all three of us learning to be guided and even protected by The One True God, Jesus Christ. We have gone through things together that others may or may not understand and we will forever have those memories of the big and the little things that God did just for us…right on time…every time.

But today isn’t all about Korey, because Korey has found Alicia Melynne Hudson, who just happens to be the baby of her family too. (I didn’t look up statistics on the possible day-to-day pitfalls of that arrangement.) If you follow them at all, you have heard that they can create beautiful music together. Understatement! Alicia has the voice we all wish we were born and blessed with. She sings with passion, anointing and allows her ministry to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Walking a pathway of brokenness, she has a ministry to the hurting, the lost and the lonely, giving assurance that this great God we serve never, ever leaves us even when we are sure we can never rise above our circumstances or our past. You can see some of her writings here on her blog, So Far, So Good and her newest recorded Spoken Word here.

Together, they are allowing God to use them, however He chooses, putting Him first and their ambitions in His hands. And with them they bring a pure bundle of joy that has won our hearts from the very first day, Lark Lynnette.

 

This precious, bouncing, never-know-what-she-will-say two year old beauty is the icing on the cake. There was no doubt  from our first meeting that The Sweetheart and I would love her and spoil her rotten because that is what Nana’s and Poppy’s role is.

But we also want to be part of the influence and guide in her life, along with her other grandparents. (She is blessed with so many!) What we do and say in front of these little ones impacts them for the rest of their lives and I want her to have memories of us with her in church, hands raised to God, and even more importantly, I want us to live it out in front of her. The best teacher is LIFE and what she sees at church, and around church people had better be what she sees when she is in our home. Let it be, Lord, let it be.

So, we will be thankful today, even with happy tears, that what God has brought together, no one can put asunder. I finally looked that up after hearing it for 56 years! The common definition is to tear apart, into pieces.

The Middle English used to know the word asunder as distinguish or tell apart. And that makes today even more special, whether those words are actually spoken over them or not, that as they are united in marriage, that they will truly be one, as the Bible declares, that no one can distinguish them apart from the other, no one can tell them apart because they forever belong together. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Mark 10:7-9

The NKJV says it like this:

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:7-9 NKJV

Korey, Alicia and Lark, as you begin this journey as a family, may you always put God first and your family as the utmost second, let nothing get in the way of allowing Him to guide your every thought and purpose and then no one, absolutely no one, can tell you apart or tear you apart.

Love,

Mom

 

 

Never discount what a child can accomplish for the Kingdom!

Never discount what a child can accomplish for the Kingdom!

The only person who dares wake up a king for glass of water at 3 a.m. is a child.                                 We have that kind of access. ~Tim Keller

I am so excited to bring you a soul-stirring, true story from my friend, Kim Buerky. I met Kim when we pastored in NW Missouri and she was truly a bright spot in my life at that time. She and her husband were also pastors in the same city and they were instrumental in bringing several ministers and their wives together for fellowship, all different denominations! Kim opened her home and her heart and just loved on us all. Several days ago, on Facebook, I posted the following: “Does anyone else turn up the radio when the song gets to “What a POWERFUL Name it is!”?? In reference to the song by Hillsong Worship, “What a Beautiful Name it is”. Kim private messaged me with the following true story. I promise you won’t want to start reading without a box of tissues; you have been warned! Be blessed…

My husband and I recently traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for a family reunion on my dad’s side of the family.  We have family in Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri.  Louisville is the middle location for all of us to gather.  It is also the home of my uncle, aunt, his two grown sons and their families.  One of his sons, Darren, and his wife Jenna, pastor a multi-cultural church in Louisville.

Darren and Jenna have two teenagers of their own but felt a great calling to also be adoptive parents.  A couple years back, they adopted a seven year old girl from the Philippines and then, just seven months ago, adoption was final and they brought a seven year old little boy from China, who also is blind!

Joshua adapted to his new family and America immediately.  He has embraced the language and culture change successfully.  He attends regular classes at school.  They have many resources for the visually impaired so Joshua has learned braille and to speak English very well in his short time in America.

Joshua loves to go to church and has asked Jesus into his heart!  This little boy has such a sweet, gentle spirit about him.  He has learned many songs at home, and in church, with one of his favorites being, What A Beautiful Name It Is.  He loves to sing!  Joshua rides a school bus to and from school with just one other visually impaired boy.

On the last day of school this year, Darren went to meet Joshua at the bus stop.  The bus driver told Darren how much he had enjoyed having Joshua ride his bus.  He said, “I can tell from all the songs he sings that you all are a Christian family.”  He and Darren talked some more and the bus driver began to share some of the songs that Joshua would sing on the bus. He had even gone home and looked some of them up to see who sang them.

While sharing his heart, the driver started to cry and said, “I was raised in a Christian home but have walked away from God, but when Joshua would sing the song, What A Beautiful Name It Is…….What a Powerful Name It Is……The Name Of Jesus, I could feel something stir inside of me telling me I needed to get back into church and start serving God again!”

“People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16 NIV

So, at our family reunion we started the weekend off with family worship and communion.  We sang What A Beautiful Name It Is with Joshua up front helping lead.  There were tears throughout the family.  I could hear his precious little voice singing his very favorite song that he has learned since being with his new family in America and it has great meaning to him because he now knows who Jesus is!

I hope your heart has been touched by this story of how God can work even through a child.  He brought a child from China to lead a bus driver in Kentucky back to God!

Never discount what a child can accomplish for the Kingdom!

Kim Buerky has been married to her wonderful husband, Tim, for 39 years. She is a mother of two married children and “Meena” to three beautiful, fun, creative grandkids: An eleven year old boy, six year old girl and a 16 month old girl.

In her spare time, Kim loves shopping for bargains, having the grandkids over and absolutely loves to cook and entertain. Kim says, “Probably one of my favorite things to do is cook a good meal up for my kids and grandkids and have them over for dinner.  I like to make their favorite things on each of their birthdays.  My son who lives in Michigan gets his favorites when he and his family are coming for a visit.  I love spending time with family!!” Kim and Tim attend Cornerstone Church in Chillicothe, Mo., where their son-in-law and daughter pastor.