Did you assume, or did you assume your assuming?

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I find life is so funny. Just about the time you think you have it right you find you need to get it right. God is teaching me personally about assuming not assuming. It is easy to over guess situations and feels  of others through the filters of your life.  Sometimes its funny and embracing when you find out you thought you know what was happening and you were wrong. The best way is for me to sort it all out is to try to think positive. Step back and run it through your mind in a positive way and keeping communication open by talking it out with the person. You don’t always want to cause drama by assuming you are a mind reader.  You defeat Satan by having an open communication with all people and thinking with clarity of mind.

WOOPS!

Woops!

I really believe I am such a blessed woman!. I have a husband who thinks way to highly of me, 8 kids who now are adults who once in a while answer their phones to talk to me when I call. LOL. No not really :}I have kids who are doing well in their lives making Godly choices in a world that does not favor holy living. I have some sons who have found some really amazing women. LoL By the way your choices were your choices but your match maker was God. I prayed for you guys from the day you were born and to the day you walked off of that plane for your now beautiful wife. Two youth beautiful now engaged girlfriend. Welcome to the family girls! Ron and I was so excited that you are both joining the family!

This year is running by, so much to do . If you know me would tell you me knows I LOVE hard work when it means working with people and church. I am not one who sit long. I always have to be doing so much I have put my jogging shoes on. So yes I am happy. Love my church.

The challenging part of this year has been my health. I walked into January needing a complete back reconstruction and three fusions. I had a 5 1/2 hour surgery when the straightened my back with steel rods fix three bulging disc using bone grafts from dead people.

Six months later I should be jumping over couches LOL The truth of the matter is My 76 year old mother walker an all could get from the van to Wal-Mart and back faster than I can now. After my car wreak doctors did a CT scan reveling The hard ware was loose on the bottom part of my Spine. Whoops! this mainly happened from the car accident. In addition to this my body was rejecting one of the bone grafts. Surgery again!!! The first surgery I had really work hard getting my strength back. This is the one I get two doctors and it will be a 2 ½ hour surgery. So August 9th I go back to have the surgery again! UGH!!

What about healing? Well since I have had most of these conditions since birth. God hears daily about my need for healing, There have been days where I remind him hourly. I have reminded him Here I have been on Benny Hinn’s platform where the anointing has been so strong I could not even stand, Left without healing.

At the pool of Bethesda by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, hundreds were sick and dying. Jesus healed one of them. What about the rest of those people? As far as we can tell from John’s story, they were left in their misery.

God is God and I am not! I have been healed of many different things over the years, So I still seeking healing. I live with the knowledge and conviction he is God a that is big enough and willing to heal me. Yet, if I can be used to minister to one person through this then ,,,I’m Good.

“…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” -Psalm 30:5

Missions 2012 Hillcrest

“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” Psalm 82:3

Our team hand- deliver “Care Packs” filled with toys, school supplies and messages of Christian faith. Sometimes the Hillcrest and Highland facility unfolds in the shape of one-on-one encouragement and small gifts; other times it means working on repairing buildings, and facilities, and acquiring beds, and maybe a new paint brought a simile to workers of this ministry and children.

“The fact that she went there may have touched one of those children, teens and adults or one of those who worked there,” Connie says. To those in the orphanages, she represented a world of possibility they were ordinarily unable to grasp. Those who never experienced such a life might not understand, but in extending her smile and heart to those children, she says, she gave them an unfathomable gift. Love and hope.

“Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.” ― Mother Teresa

Every night we had a big children’s crusade. All the children and a few teenagers joined us. There was laughter, games and fun for all. One the end of each service the altars were full and prayer was offered. Highlights of our team were Connie and I having to teach on the wordless book. I don’t think Connie will ever want to co-teach with me again. LOL I acted like I was a first grader and asked her ?’s about the gospel. Jacoby was ask to do a sign language solo. He did a great job.

Our team worked so hard I was very proud of all of them. The one thing that grabbed my heart was a little seven year old girl came up to me and asked me if I was adopting her. Turns out she believes everyone that comes to the facility is adopting her. Even though she has six sisters none of them are together and the state is determined they will all place them together. The chances are this little girl will never be adopted since most of us don’t have room to adopt seven kids at one time.God blessed us because we were able to serve. He blessing the children, teens and mothers because we came to serve. The church is blessed because they sent us out an d allowed us to serve.

We left Hillcrest children’s home with not a dry eye in the house.

The children cried, our team cried and all hugged.

Thank you Life church for sending us.

Jenny

Live Life Forward

Reflecting on the Coming Trip Two days to finish up before we lease for the mission trip

 

I’ve spent some time the last few days thinking about this trip, praying for the people on the team. This trip is different kind of trip where most of my time will be to help in a building program. Use to be involved in these kid of mission but with age comes the growing Knowles getting up on a scuffle after back surgery thinking more about how we can partner alongside that vision.

I realize that one of the reasons this ministry works so well is because you constantly see the fruits of your labor and it encourages more work. The physical need is so great that you cannot help but see it around you, and when you see it with your eyes, it’s much easier to get up and serve. I know that seeing the work come to fruition is not the ultimate goal and should in no way become the purpose for which we work, but it does help us continue in doing good. We must remember always that the work we do is not the ultimate goal, but it is the opportunity we earn with that work, to share the Gospel, that is the ultimate.

However, the hidden needs are just as important for us to pour ourselves into. As are any other needs. And just as it is here, if we are willing to take the time to find those needs, we may earn the right to share from our experience where we have all of our needs met (Phil. 4:19).

But by serving them in the physical need, we earn the opportunity to discover the other needs. And of course, by serving their needs at the surface, it gives us the chance to speak to the greatest need of all: the need for a Savior.

In going, we must learn to be observant. We must pray for the discernment of the Spirit. We must plead with the Lord to give us a sensitivity to His voice in finding the needs of others. Only after we show them that we care will we have the opportunity to explain why we care

1 John 4:19

We love each other because he loved us first.

The Journey

 

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….. lol

It is four days until Life church mission team joins the Hillcrest Mission group from the AG district office to head off to minister to the kids who are in foster care in Arkansas Hillcrest Christian Home.

Jam. 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their misfortune and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Bio. on Hillcrest

AGFSA’s beautiful 65-acre campus, located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is home to both Hillcrest Children’s Home, Highlands Maternity Home & Life Center, Murry Transitional Living Center, and AG Family Services Adoptions. Located on the campus are seven homes for children (Hillcrest Children’s Home), the maternity home and life center, Highlands Chapel and Highlands Cafe, a campus chapel and dining hall, gymnasium, fitness area/running path, outdoor basketball court, indoor swimming pool, the fine arts building, library and computer lab, a mechanics’ garage, the Murry Transitional Living Center, a 24-apartment TLC for post high school age, and a 3,100 square foot playground for children. In addition, you’ll find a fishing pond, therapy barn with miniature horses and goats along with a campfire area for great fun and fellowship.
Serving America’s Abandoned and Neglected Children/Infants since 1944.

I usually try to stay away from orphans because I want to take them all home. But this trip has been truly sent by God.

20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” Romans 15 :20

This year Life Church tried to join with the missionaries first n Haiti then in Peru and something always happened. So AK here we go. We leave at 2:15 from Jasper and return Friday afternoon. I have had to have 60 texts phone calls asking me about something three times. Last minute paper work and people desiring t-shirts at last min. In addition to this I have to put together the Dodge City Festival on the day before we leave. I am going full tilt right now to get everything together at home at church and with the trip before I take off.

A lot of the people I am taking have never been on a mission field my prayer is their heart will beat with a passion for missions after we are done then infect the whole church with that virus.

I have grave concerns of late on how self centered we have become as the Christian church and how warped our understanding of the great commission is. I hear, “ God has called me to the community and not to another place. I have never been before.” If it was resounding through one person I would not even take notice but is resounding through this new generations of leaders in the church. How did my generation miss teaching the great commission in its entire message to the next generation? Did we just cut out the part of the entire world. The church is not called to the community in which is sits. It is called to the world. Somehow in our presentation we have created a generation that is so self centered in its being it fails to accept the responsibility of the peoples of the world.

The fear in this is if the current generation that is now in charge of the churches if they fail to hold the burden of the world church will stop supporting missions and stop supporting missionaries. The whole world does not know the gospel. I hope by my little trip to change a generation or a little sliver of a generation. God has called me to infect the church.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere–in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

Outreach

Tomorrow after church I meet with whoever wants to start getting ready for our mission trip in July in Peru helping the Masks to start a new church plant. It has been a long time since I have  served over seas. I would be lying if I said I was not excited. But I find these days I am easily excited about all I’m doing. Life church is going full throttle and I am finding If I don’t keep my schedule well planned the now needs will eat my time up. I am having to remember to put aside times of rest and times that are Jacoby’s and Shawna’s alone void of technology. Ron is so supportive as he watches his wife walk out the door to met with people , work my second job as a chaplain for Market Place or go to another meeting. meeting.

He is working killer hours during the week. He goes to work at 7:00am gets home some times at 9:00pm. He comes in looking like death warmed over. I am a blessed women for a husband who loves God, desires to take care of his family and loves his wife.  Could I ask for more…no! Thirty one years and he still has not grown tired of me. Man I’m blessed!

We both feel  a little fried right now so we have decide that we need time away and fun being a kid without kids. The house by all promises closing happens next week. Walking in the old house empty except memories is still a little overwhelming. Blessing to the new owners.

So we will have a little bit of money and off to Disneyworld just the two of us without kids. Christmas open the present s eat dinner and off we go.

 

Ministry wise I have a big assignment. Start a ministry to the poor, rehab small group, jail ministry, foster care summer camp and a mission trip.  Plus miscellaneous all church outreaches. Some of this I have had a lot of experience , some of this a little experience. All of it is my heart. To reach hurting people with the Love of Christ and the life changing gospel. Wow! So cool! Thank you Lord!

Fun, exciting, boy I’m tired! Mickey Mouse beam me up!  When Pastor Brad appointed me to this my attitude was ok, that might be good. I never really understood how much of this was my calling and hearts desire. Thanks God and Pastor Brad!

Merry Christmas to all of you my friends!

How Can I Be Happier?

The middle aged women walks slowing in the room. The night light glows dimly giving a soft glow over the room enough to barely light up the large crib in the corner of the room. As you walk closer to the crib you are shock expecting to see a small cherub faced baby sleeping peacefully, as the music of a toy floats in the air above the crib. Instead, you see the cherub face of a nighteen year old sleeping quietly and the woman brushes the black strains of hair away from Shawna’s face. The women is me and it is good night in the Young household,

Over the years I have heard many names from onlookers who observed our children and our household. “ Saints”, “ self –giving”, “remarkable,” “God sees you and he will reward you.” Anybody that really knows us know we are none of that, just parents trying to raise and disciple children the best way we can.

We are children of God who have claimed to have their Father God’s heart and have seen the world for a second through his eyes. Nothing more nothing less.  People who have denied my children medical treatments, or wheelchairs have even less of flowery things to say about me. I hate fighting for my kids rights but I will not stand for them to denying things to make their lives better.

But on the end of the day we are the blessed ones getting to raise such wonderful kids. I am a blessed woman. I have a God that loves me enough that he taught me to see the world a little differently. I am a blessed women, who God allowed me to meet and marry a man who see the world the same way I do. Yet,  he  has the strength and understanding that I can’t mother all the world’s  forgotten children. So he has the strength to desire the will of God and to tell me no at God’s appointed times in our lives. I have wonderfully imperfect kids that He has allowed me to love, yell at, cry for on my knees in prayer, and have visions for their futures which sees no limitations.

We are joining a new church plant with people young enough they could be my kids. Learning how to talk about ministry with a younger terminology and how to function on staff with blending job talents and responsibilities to form a team.

Middle age is not the time to stop doing something for God. Of course we have been “crazy” most of our lives. We have adopted seven kids, many with special needs. We have literally sold everything we owned except the clothes on our back and moved to Namibia, Africa, only to come home almost two years latter with  two additional kids, then announced we were moving to Alabama.

I say we are blessed. We have crawled into God’s lap and seen the would through his eyes and He changed us forever. Someone recently told me “you are not supposed to birth children in your fifties. Why no? Sarah did it and it turned out pretty good. If birthing ministries and churches is wrong then half on the men and women who listened to the leading of God in their old ages and God worked miracles in their behalf were also wrong. God does not do thing that are ever normal to the word. After all did Mary not give birth and still was a virgin?

I am the bless one who gets the pleasure of living the dream. I am a 52 year old women who has the pleasure of raising remarkable disabled children, with one remarkable husband, who loves God and me. We are selling our old house and have moved to be better positioned so we can help start a church that is targeting a younger group of people I could have given birth too. It’s not us, it’s only because we took a quick peek into the Father;s eyes and we were forever changed.