Tag: reading

How to Never Give Up #MotivationMonday

Journaling with Monday Motivation here. 

“Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged.” – Luke 18:1

A thousand times I repent of my previous words, spoken in haste and without understanding, of what an international worker goes through and really does with their time until I became one. All our journeys are different with WorldVenture. Some are learning new cultures, experiencing a loss of roots, and learning to adapt to a new normal, and here I am, pioneering a new way, meeting doubt head on, and completely growing in faith.

In today’s Bible reading (Genesis 44-46), I learned about Joseph and his brothers. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sent to Egypt. Genesis 44-46 talks about Joseph reuniting with his brothers. Joseph is one of my favorite Bible narratives. After much trial, he stands in a position of power to help his family and the countries around him going through famine. Joseph kept his faith. In Luke 18, we learn about Jesus’ encounters and a parable, starting and ending with the theme of praying continuously and living in obedience. The blind man asked Jesus twice to heal him. A rich man was asked to give up his wealth. The faith of a broken man is compared to that of a prideful one. The glaring theme of this chapter felt like, “Keep pestering God. Don’t cling to the world. Keep looking up to the Father.” How do you never give up when a future is uncertain, even unwritten?

  • Refresh your spirit in the Words of the Bible.
  • Find joy and hope in today and hold on to those memories for tougher and more impassable roads.
  • Keep your eyes on the bigger picture. It’s the bigger picture that matters. God doesn’t think small. Neither should you!
  • Keep wise counsel around you (Proverbs 15:22)
  • Understand better the Christian faith through the narratives of the Old and New Testament. Bear your cross well.

Meanwhile, I look ahead with eagerness and walk the road I am on now with determination fueled by a growing faith.

How are you today? Can I pray with you? You can email me at mentoring4lifewv@gmail.com or leave a comment. 

 

FAQs: Why Do I Review Books on This Site?

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Reviewing books is a way for me to refuel my creativity. Unashamedly, it is also a way to receive free books. On a missionary budget, this is helpful. All books will be reviewed from a Christian perspective, but not all books are Christian in nature.

Reading secular books and novels allow me to understand the world in which we live. It’s easy to sequester myself in the coziness of the Christian world, reading safe fiction and nonfiction, but that doesn’t help me learn how to communicate with people from other worldviews.

Writing and grammar also change. This means I have to continually educate myself in trends and new writing styles. With my field being in social media, I also have to read and learn marketing trends. My goal is to make marketing human. Just because I have to market, doesn’t mean I don’t think of people as individuals. I put people and relationships first above my agenda.

 That’s a promise. 

Notes From The Field

Sipping a Latte at Firehouse Coffee in Prescott, Arizona, I came across this in my required reading of “Intercultural Communication for Christian Ministry” by Frank Tucker:

1: Combine an understanding of the Gospel with an understanding of contemporary worldviews.

2: Challenge contemporary worldviews where necessary and present the big story of the Bible.

What I got from this chapter was to listen first. I need to learn their worldview before I prayerfully assert mine. It’s difficult to “listen” in the traditional sense on social media. Listening can look like lurking on social media.

People on social media participate sometimes through quiet scrolling. They are the “listeners” of the online world. They read your statuses, pray for you, and stay informed, but rarely participate online. This, too, can be a way of learning another’s worldview in order to know how to serve that person and use contemporary ways to deliver the truth of the Gospel to them.

It’s especially important if the person online is from another country. If you don’t know the culture yet, you can fall into miscommunication fairly easy.

More later on this. I am 30% done with this book. It’s one of the required reading books as an appointee with WorldVenture. Sometimes, there just isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done.

Social Media World: How to be Teachable

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The post was up to several likes on my social media. I smiled in the semi-darkness of the living room. My statistics on TRC Magazine were really doing well, too, with people coming from all over the world. Compared to other much bigger and well-known people, it’s barely a blip on the radar, but satisfying. Without my belief in God, memories of being humbled, and knowing that, if I don’t keep my intentions in check, I could end up like other leaders in the online world who built their own kingdom rather than God’s; a kingdom scattered now like broken porcelain around their feet. So what does it look like to be teachable?

Intercultural Communication for Christian Ministry by Frank Tucker said:

“House plans are drawn from various perspectives, they are not complete; all perspectives are needed to contribute to the whole. When we apply this concept to an intercultural situation, the people of each culture have a unique perspective on life. We may learn from one-another, but each is only a partial perception of reality and each needs to be subject to modification in openness to the Spirits’ revelation of reality as God sees it. (Location 1090-1091; emphasis mine).”

  • Listen first. It is only our arrogance that keeps us from hearing what the others are saying. Even if we disagree with them, we don’t have a whole picture. Practice listening on social media.
  • Ask questions. I find that, when I don’t have the answer or a complete picture, I ask questions. A teacher once said there are no stupid questions. Asking questions is especially handy when trying to open up a discussion. A person doesn’t want to be told what to think. It is the right question that makes them think further on the subject.
  • Admit what you don’t know. Christians don’t have all the answers. We can learn better together; Leaning on each other, helping each other, and working together is wise.

In A Teachable Spirit by Justin Taylor, he describes Philip and the Eunuch in Acts 8:

“Acts 8 describes a story that might help us think through this. An Ethiopian eunuch — a God-fearing Gentile who served as treasurer to the Ethiopian queen — had made a five-month journey by chariot to Jerusalem in order to worship God. During his return trip he was puzzling out loud over the Isaiah scroll that he held in his hands. And the Holy Spirit appointed Philip to help him understand the meaning of the Bible.” 

The eunuch understood his own insufficiency. A Teachable Spirit urges us to be quick to hear and slow to speak. The article reminds us to be doers of the Word, to wrestle with the Word within ourselves, asking God for meaning, and going to others when we need help understanding it. I’m new to the mission field.

The help of others experienced in the field, rich with Biblical education, and well-versed in more complex issues help me. I am grateful for them. Their encouragement reminds me that what I am building is not my own kingdom. A good strategy is bringing in people from many different backgrounds and experiences to participate in God’s Kingdom so we can be better in the field than the evil out there.

Who are your social media accountability partners? Who are your mentors?

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