Seeking

In the last two years , Husband and I have asked for your prayers as we have been training with the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship , AKA IBCD, to be better equiped to come alongside of others. IBCD training consists of watching online videos on different topics like the sufficiency of God's word in contrast to psychology, taking exams and interviewing with an elder. We are thankful that we have finished two out of three levels . The third consists of reading two books, writing a response paper on each, another interview and observation hours of counseling. Please continue praying for us as we work toward completing these steps by the end of the year, wisdom on whether to pursue formal certification with ACBC  next and faithfulness to apply what we are learning in our own hearts, relationships and church.   Also, we recently had the blessing of attending IBCD's annual conference and learned so much - over 600 attended! Below are a few of my own encourag...

Do you remember when the Israelites were fleeing from Egypt and the Pharoah, only to find themselves sandwiched in between the Red Sea on one side and the Egyptian army on the other? Exodus 14:10 and 14:12 says "...they [the Israelites] were very afraid and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord...[and Moses] it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness." Despite their fear and hopelessness, the Lord answers to Moses: " 'Tell the children of Israel to go forward...[they] shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea' " (vv.15-16). In this instance, there was valid reason for fear of death: "the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the Sea" (v.23). But the Lord "troubled the army" (v.24), "took off their chariot wheels" (v.25), 'brought the waters back upon them' (v.26), until "not so much as one of them remained" (v.28). While ...

At the start of each year, my husband and I sketch out annual goals, and the anchor verse that has been rising to the top for me is  John 15:5 : " I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." Throughout my life, I have found myself asking and being asked, what is God's will in X, Y or Z? Can you relate? It is a good question to ask, because believers desire to glorify the Lord with their lives, in response to the Father's love in sending His Son for us . But I confess, I can get so fixated on what is uncertain and my action, I lose sight of the big picture. This month we hope to encourage you as you rest and walk in the finished work of Christ. In two recent conversations with young adult students, we discussed ambitions and what should I do with...? Oh how I remember my college days drawing to a close and the anxiety over choosing " the right path " from what seemed like a...

Happy August beloved! This month, Zachary started 11th grade; Jacob is about to start band camp and his second year of college; Husband begins the Training Center (bible training) on August 30; and it feels like I am back in high-school, because I have been experiencing anxiety (more below). Also, Rick and I continue praying about, planning and asking our church to support a potential visit to Rome in January 2022 to: 1) attend a bible training conference, 2) visit the Italian Theological Academy (ITA), a biblical training center we are exploring for a long-term place to serve (click ITA  for more info) and 3) meet others serving the Lord, in the region. We request your faithful prayers for these items (and others below).  [ Asking the Question ] In May of this year, I spoke with a sister about my ongoing health challenge with allergies, fatigue and insomnia. In June, she called me on the phone and asked, ' Is it anxiety ?' Quickly, I said no - I had that before as a (lost) te...