Ministry

Something God has graciously given me already is the sense that ministry happens right where I am, right now. Not only is my ministry in the church where I teach a Precept class, co-lead the couples ministry, and am co-directing VBS, but it is also with the people I interact with every day.

Today I was blessed to have the chance to minister to a friend who is hurting. This person is very dear to me and it hurts my heart that their heart is hurting. I think sometimes the Holy Spirit pricks my emotions to drive me to my knees more often for someone. My friend is someone whom I pray for occasionally, but lately have been led to really seek God on their behalf. Most importantly, I prayed with my friend today.

So often I find myself telling a person I'll pray for them but not taking the time to actually pray with them. I am trying to be better about saying, "Let's take time to pray right now" and taking the time to do so. When I did this with my friend today I could tell it made a difference. It encouraged them in a way that just telling them I was praying for them does not seem to do. What a privilege to be "Christ" to my friend, pray with them, and encourage them.

Guess what I really am learning is that no matter what direction God takes me, He has already given me a ministry that is so very important. It's not about having a title, or being in charge of a ministry in a church, or being a church worker. Ministry is about being Christ's hands and feet every day to every person He sends my way.

While I'm waiting.....

"I will worship while I'm waiting..." the song sang over the radio today striking a chord deep inside. While I wait on the Lord for His answer to my plea for direction I will worship Him and adore Him on this path, singing His praises. I am excited about this path God has me on. I know that no matter where I turn for information or advice He will ultimately show me His plan.

Today I met with our women's ministry director and am excited for new possibilities in helping with women's ministry at my church. I have a heart for women; to help them learn God's word and read it for themselves. I love how diverse and dynamic women are here in the D.C. area. I once helped with a women's retreat (I was a speaker) and had a lady come up to me and say, "You know, I think you are the next big thing in women's ministry." At the time I thought she was crazy! I had only been married for 3 years, had no child of my own and had accepted the invitation to speak at the retreat b/c I was speaking with my friend. I don't think I'm the next 'Beth Moore' but it would be interesting if women's ministry is where God leads me.

Keep looking up and have a blessed Holy Week!

A New Journey

Spring greetings to you and yours!

I wanted to let you know what God is doing in my life and ask if you would be a part of this important journey. Last weekend at our church's women's retreat I began a journey to seek what God's will for my life may be instead of just assuming I am to be a teacher of little children.

My church going growing up was very eclectic and at one point I wanted to become a pastor and was being groomed by a female chaplain. When my family moved to our final church (where I had wonderfully sound Biblical teaching and met my amazing husband) I was discouraged from pursuing that path and went into teaching little children since I loved kids and needed to do something that would employ me after college. Instead of going to seminary I did what I could to quench my hunger for God's word by studying on my own and with my husband.

Over a year ago, my husband and I became members of the Lutheran church where our child has been going to school for the past 4 years. We love the people and are totally on board with their doctrine (they are Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, conservative- check it out: www.lcms.org ). What I didn't know, but learned last weekend, is that women can work in the church and go to seminary!! My life long dream has been to go to seminary but I never pursued this course because in the churches we previously attended women did not go to seminary unless they were going to be a missionary in a foreign country.

My desire has always been to serve and teach God's word right where God plants me and I was ecstatic to learn that women have this opportunity in LCMS. My education choices and career paths have (mostly) been decided by the need for a career that brings in money. The last 2 years God has been putting on my heart that this perceived need for money is unfounded. My desire is to have a better, deeper understanding of His word and to serve Him. I have been doing this in my own study of the word and prayer and I hunger and long to know more.

I no longer want to make choices based on what career I can make money doing, but I want to serve God and learn more of Him and His word. I do not know if I am to go to seminary first and then be certified by the church (or vice a verse) or if God would chose for me to continue to volunteer and learn on my own.

So, why I am blogging about this? I do not want to make a career path change and make a decision based on emotions. I am asking for your support in prayer and this blog will be a wonderful way for me to communicate with you. Would you be a part of my prayer team? I will post some requests once a week and will periodically update this blog about what God is doing in my life. You can print my prayer requests off or just take a minute in front of your computer screen and seek God's will on my behalf.

I believe in the power of prayer and am claiming God's promise that if we ask of Him he will answer: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 7: 7-8 ESV

In Him,

Liz