by Tina | Jan 13, 2016 | Devotional
This morning over breakfast, Dan and I were talking about the dreams we have for GECHAAN and this area of Nigeria and what the future may hold for us here As we drank coffee, ate oatmeal and banana and laughed and talked, this idea came from our The Daily Love Talk Devotional Book that we read together in the morning by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott.
As we were talking, I was reminded of the goals and dreams that we used to have for ourselves, our family, our ministries, our life. You see, in our Amway days we were introduced to the idea of “dream building”. This was a concept pretty foreign to us at that time because we were kind of stuck in the “survive today” mode of life. Don’t get me wrong, we planned for our future, but we didn’t dream about what we wanted to do or who we wanted to influence, or what we wanted to change in this world. Our biggest dream was keeping our heads above water.
Tomorrow we are hosting the Global Leadership Summit here in Gembu in our hall. This is the first event that we are having strictly for uplifting, encouraging, and training leaders. We have experienced individually, and as a couple the joy of having common goals and dreams and working together to achieve them as a couple. We have also experienced many people inputting positive into our lives and good books and seminars teaching us leadership skills. For many years our dreams were separate and we worked on them separately. There is a beauty and intense satisfaction in working toward a goal together, as a couple and as a family.
I would encourage you married couples out there to find ONE thing that you can do together that you can make a difference in this great big World that God gave us. Sit down and discuss where you see this “dream” going. What can you contribute as a couple. What can you do together at whatever stage of life you are in. If you have young children, what can you do that involves them as well? Teenagers? What can you do as a family to better the world around you? Start teaching your children to dream. Dream about what they would like to see this world look like in the future and dream about the abilities God has given them that can make a difference out there.
My point for today is this: What would happen in your marriage, your family if you just did one thing together to serve others and make a difference in this world? What if you worked together toward the same goal, rather than many scattered, separate goals? What if you were intentional about working toward a common goal together? Are you stuck in survival mode? What can you do to get out of that cycle and get intentional? We are dreaming after 33 years of marriage, it couldn’t get better!
by Tina | Jan 6, 2016 | Devotional
“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Luke 16:10
Servants do every task with equal dedication. Whatever they do, servants “do it with all their heart” Colossians 3:23
Today I want to focus on “the little things”. Here is a picture of our guard dog, Ruthie, you can see the joy on her doggie face as she is chomping on a new bone! She gets fed twice a day, fresh water, but the little treat of a bone just once in a while totally brightens her life!
This got me to contemplating the small things in life. I once supervised a teacher who would not clean up messes, (after leaving pre-schoolers with paint and no supervision) she would not do anything she thought a “teacher” should not do. It was beneath her to clean, change, or do anything else but teach. As you can imagine, this did not sit well with me as that is a small part of working with toddlers!
I believe in WHATEVER we do, we should do it with joy, it should not be beneath any of us to do whatever is needed in any situation in our path. Look at Jesus, HE was the one who washed the disciples feet as an example that no job was too menial for a true servant. As a mother, pre-school teacher, and director of ministries there have been many opportunities to practice this. I have to say, I have not always been the servant that I wished that I was. But God is showing me and growing me in ways I could never imagine in younger years.
People, God is making us into the leaders He wants us to be and I believe that the first step in that process is to be a “servant leader”. I know much has been said about servant leadership, but how much is truly practiced?
My point for today is this: Do you do WHATEVER IT TAKES with a cheerful heart and spirit? Do you do EVERYTHING like you work for the Creator of the Universe? Is there a heart-change or a humbling required?
by Tina | Dec 30, 2015 | Devotional
Here in Nigeria, on the Mambilla Plateau you can see children everywhere, working, playing, laughing, talking, or singing. I am always observing to see how children here live their lives here and it amazes me to see a little girl skipping down the street singing a song, barefoot, dirty clothes, and happy or a little boy rolling a bike tire down the road with a stick, proud that he has a bike tire and can keep it upright.
Since God has wired me with an affinity for children, this picture also reminds me of mistakes and lessons learned along this road of life in dealing with and loving children. I have one I would like to share with you today.
I want you to think of children as buckets. Every experience and word said to them all goes into their buckets and develops their views of the world around them, other people, and themselves. Studies have shown that a child needs at least six positive comments or affirmations to every negative word spoken to them to have a “balanced” view of themselves and their environment.
Do children every do anything wrong or need guiding? Of course they do, but how we phrase things, our tone of voice, and our approach can make all of the difference in the world in how this impacts the child and how the child looks at God and himself. Children that are treated harshly, belittled, and demeaned see God as a “Great Being waiting to zap them”. Children that are corrected gently with the focus being on the wrong behavior, rather than a list of other offenses generally have a more balanced outlook on things.
These are some words we need to avoid saying. Words such as “ What’s wrong with you?”, “You’ll never amount to anything.” “ I wish you were more like ____.”, “ You’re such a disappointment.” I know you can probably think of others as well. Also, the way we say things and the look on our face also impacts our children.
This year with 2016 right around the corner here is something to think about. What are you putting into other peoples buckets? I like to picture each of us as little children deep inside our “adult exteriors”. What are you putting into the buckets of those you love the most? What about those you come in contact with EVER?
My point for today is this: Do you want to leave positive impact or negative? It really is a choice, a deliberate, pre-planned choice. Choose wisely!
by Tina | Dec 20, 2015 | Devotional
Every Sunday we go to a different church to connect with congregations as we are a para-church organization. This morning we went to church at one of the churches that is doing the AWANA Clubs. I was so blessed to be able to witness this church (who just recently started doing any children’s ministry) bring all of their children onto the platform, anoint each one and then pray for the children. After that, the Pastor called up all of the children’s workers (both Sunday mornings and AWANA Clubs) and anointed each one, prayed for, and blessed them for ministry.
Friends, I can’t tell you how choked up and a little teary I was. This is not a typical thing in our area of the country. Four years ago when I first learned that AWANA had developed their program to better fit developing countries. I knew that we needed to do what we could, with God’s help, to get this awesome training program to our area of Nigeria. I have seen the change in children and families through AWANA when God gets into their hearts and they are consistently discipled (and I knew the lack of resources in Nigeria for such things).
I don’t know if you know this, but an adult empowered to teach children gets as much back as they give. Things only children can give! I have worked with small children for years, and I still miss it. I am, however, making in-roads here with the children. I have a few little friends here, but there are still a lot of children that are afraid as they have not seen a white person before. There is a very long way to go, but these little hearts and smiles so bless me!
We also had communion this morning and on the dusty, stained cement floor, someone had spilled some drops of juice. When I saw this, immediately it reminded me of Christ’s blood, shed for me. Christ’s blood shed for these little children and their families.
My point for today is this: We all have children in our lives, no matter if we think we are “kid people” or not, it is our job and privilege to share love and compassion and the story of redemption with them. How do you treat the children in your life? This Christmas can you give them something better than stuff? Give them a little part of you, give them love and understanding. Show them Jesus. Just something to think about as you prepare your heart to celebrate Christmas.
by Tina | Dec 9, 2015 | Devotional
Well, here in Gembu at GECHAAN we have had a lot of building going on lately. Here are bricks that the brick makers have made and they are drying in the sun. They have been working all week making them.
I got to thinking about how we prepare for things in life and this occurred to me. What if you spent all of your time “making bricks”, you take classes, you check all of the different sands that you need, you make sure you measure the water perfectly and then you even start making bricks. Well, after you have a bunch of bricks made, you get afraid to actually take the first steps you need to for building. “It’s too scary” you think. “What if I fail?” You sit there for a year with a bunch of bricks, and no new fence or pharmacy facility. Just sitting there.
This is a lot like those times I have had in my life where I get in “preparation block”. Afraid to fail or make a mistake or make the wrong decision, I make no decision at all! I once asked a friend and co-worker how she got so much accomplished and she told me, “Tina, you just have to get out there and do it!”
I am here to encourage you in this! If you are not moving forward, you are falling behind. There is no “standing still”. With the Christmas season right around the corner you have the most perfect opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and ask a neighbor, relative, or friend to join you in church Christmas events or a concert, or dessert at your house.
My point for today is this: You can read a book about it, practice it, take a class, but I am encouraging you right now to JUST DO IT! Start moving forward with sharing your faith, you never know who’s life He’ll change!
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