Fullfillment In the Whirlwind

Good morning/afternoon/evening! Whatever time you are reading this I am glad you stopped by. I am so honored to be asked to write a little something for you. I hope to encourage you today to be flexible enough to allow God to interrupt your plans by telling you my story of how I ended up on this site in the first place.

My name is Venus. (really) I am a single mom to two very strong willed children. While they are my daily challenges, they are also my daily blessings. 2008 has been a whirlwind year for me. For the last year and a half I feel God has really been inspiring me with ideas of things I want to do for his kingdom. Well, for a year of this year and a half I felt just plain stuck. I had this vision of what I wanted to do and I wanted to do it right then. With no finances and no idea how or where to begin this wonderful venture, I began to feel frustrated and lost. I began to think maybe this "crazy" idea was just that, a crazy idea.

June 2008: I attended my monthly Faith At Work luncheon. Once a month Christian women get together to hear speakers teach us how to bring our faith to the workplace. That month our guest speaker was Diane Cunningham, life purpose coach. Exactly what I needed at just the right time! But of course, does God do it any other way? That day I won a door prize directly related to the ideas I had been having and I just had to share with her. I told her how stuck I was and she suggested we talk. Before we had our phone session I had started a blog. I was just craving to connect with other Christian women to grow in my faith since so many of my friends are not believers. YET. I had sent her a link and asked her to check it out. http://todayschristianmom.blogspot.com/

She did, and she liked it! When we got to speak one on one she told me I was a writer and suggested I check out a site she was involved with Take Root and Write. She said it was fairly new and they were looking for writers. Well, this had nothing to do with my vision, in fact it was not even in the same category and I have never considered myself to be a writer, or at least a good one, but since I had just stumbled on the site the day before and now here she was mentioning it, I felt God's hand in it.

I contacted the site's creator and had her look at my new blog. Granted I was doing all this not really knowing what I would do if she actually asked me to write for her. Guess what. She did! She asked me to write a column about being a single Christian mom. The introduction to my bi-weekly column was published on 8/8/08. I had heard somewhere that 8 was the number of new beginnings and I thought, " how appropriate".

http://www.takerootandwrite.com/columns_single_moms/index.html

I have to say this has been the most challenging thing I have done in a long time. At first I thought I really had nothing to contribute or anything encouraging to say to other women who are in my situation, have been at one time, or are about to be. I was really nervous about the whole thing until I started getting emails from women telling me they understood exactly where I was coming from!

I am now part of this wonderful on-line ministry I do not think I would have found had God not guided me to it. Each and every one of the women involved has been such a blessing to me words just cannot express. While writing was not the original tool I had planned to use to reach women and bring them closer to Christ, it has still been just as effective. And it has been an even bigger blessing to me and I feel it is just the first step in God's purpose for my life. I am so glad he has a plan for me because if He didn't I might still be just sitting on my own plans. He has a plan for you too if you will allow him to guide you.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:9 NIV

Ya Gotta Love The Streets

Words like what’s up, good time’s, and Wodaa fills the air, young man chasings car’s yelling “Hey, Hey” as they whistle to make a drug sell. I see young ladies being pull to the side of the road by men twice their age some with a young child on their side already. Yup, that’s when I know I’m on the streets in the heart of the projects in my Lil town where the lost gather and broken heart s corral.

I smile as I walk sometimes nodding my head to greet a stranger even speaking the language at times (what’s up) I would say. You see, these streets are a different world those who are in them cannot see past the scales on their eyes. The people who roam these streets view the world in an different light. In fact, there is no light for them to view. When I hear a church mention the phase "street ministry" it makes me feel uncomfortable not knowing whom they will choose to be the leader of the pack. You can’t just send out anyone to the streets it must come natural you have to have a feeling for the task

Example when Christ wanted the disciples to catch a fish and gatherer money out of its mouth to pay taxes, he didn’t send the disciple who was a tax collector he sent the fishmen. Christ used the skills inside one to perform a task, I believe it’s no different than street ministry; you have know your roll.

When I move through the hood sometimes it’s just to show my face letting them see me around; other times I’m stopping to ask questions to the youngster about life. I don’t judge because the saved is just a sinner who was down and was bless enough to get up. I put myself in their shoes. I embark on conversations that they can related to, like how the police treat them, school, something they might be involved in. I allow these lost souls to talk their heart out with no perceived or hidden agenda; I listen and listen and listen.

I know someone might say isn’t the purpose of being out there is to save souls and you would be correct, but I cannot take away what God has given them and that’s a choice. So I have no agenda but I do have faith that after they are done venting and sharing that they would allow me to pray or share testimonies of what Christ has done for me. Street ministry is about showing where God could bring a person from.

For me personally, I share how I slept on the floor in the jail house and how I faced three felonies. I share how I was unfaithful to the woman I loved. I share how I used to drink and smoke weed until the cows came home. I give them a sample of who I used to be, and how God changed me into the man of purpose and integrity of today.

The streets, you got to love them. It is the one place where you could find soul’s who truly want the truth. Ask yourself when was the last time you passed thorough a rough neighbor and locked your doors as you rolled by? What do you say when you see someone's pants hanging of their (back side)? When I view that rough neighbor I see challenges but also opportunity.

When I see someone with their pants hanging down I view them as prospects of hope. How could one view this in that manner, easy it’s the same feeling you get when you see a blind man walking across the street, you want to be his eyes because they cannot see. This is the same way we should feel about the street let’s not fault them for being blind let’s try and be their eyes. But just like the blind man walking across the street he has a choice whether he will allow you to help him or not, street ministry is all about giving them a choice.

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Be sure to check out Donald Bogen's "Bathroom Minister" videos on http://www.youtube.com/ and http://www.livinginblackandwhite.com/

Donald is a minister with Church of God In Christ in Louisiana. I met this example of Christ's love on Living In Black and White--Real Life In Christ social media site. Donald isn't afraid to keep things real in talking with people. All it takes is a few minutes either in person, blogging, or chat to know he doesn't play and has a heart for help other people.

Heart of God -- India

Susan asked me to share about the projects we’re involved in through Heart of God International Ministries or to pick my favorite projects to share on her blog. I’m honored to have the opportunity to share although it’s quite difficult to pick a “favorite project”.

Heart of God International Ministries is a growing family of ministry outreaches both internationally and domestically. However, one of my greatest passions is happening in India right now … the Heart of God School of Ministry.

Last January, we launched our first phase of a new School of Ministry under the leadership of our Pastor partner in India. Being a graduate of Bible College, he felt the call to impart what he learned to pastors who oversee churches he has planted throughout the region. Because these pastors are very poor and have no means to go to Bible College, Pastor felt the Spirit of God lead him to gather these pastors together each month for three days of intense training in the Word of God.

When we were visiting with them two years ago, the vision was birthed and planning began. Within a few short months, support was raised, the syllabus was put together, and we began to make ready for the first session.

Coming from long distances, sometimes on foot, twenty-eight men, called of God and anointed for service, gather for three days each month. We purchased blankets and pillows, school supplies such as paper, notebooks, and pens, etc. The pastors sleep on the concrete floor of a church, when they have a chance to sleep.

Not only do these men gather for learning, but they spend their time in prayer—praying for their villages, the people, the sponsors who help make the School of Ministry in India possible, and most importantly, to be used to win souls to the Kingdom of God.

Nearly every month the pastors are met with great opposition from typhoons, floods, threatening persecution, high winds, etc., to prevent them from attending classes. Yet, very few have actually been prevented from coming together to learn.

This next year, the Heart of God School of Ministry will be opening its doors to more men who are called as Christian leaders in the region. The goal is for those who have already been attending the first year to begin to mentor and train those who will be beginning classes next year. All attendees will be participating in monthly village outreach into remote areas where the Gospel has not yet been preached.

Good things are going on in India despite the persecution in the neighboring State of Orissa. God has protected these pastors. I can’t help but believe it’s because of their sacrificial lifestyles—they are truly willing to lay their lives down for the sake of the cross.

Pray for the Heart of God School of Ministry in India. Pray for its leaders, its growth, and its outreaches into areas that have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. Pray for God to raise up more sponsors so more pastors can be cared for as they work diligently doing the work of ministry as they respond to the call of God on their lives.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please visit the website at http://india.heartofgodinternational or email me at jan@heartofgodinternational.com