Thursday, December 24, 2020
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Breaking Bread Together….
Finally, the Pure Joy International Staff was able to break bread together in person in an exclusive location of a dear friend. It is the first time our ministry staff has been able to meet since January of this year. Wow! We have met through Zoom meetings, but it is not the same as being with each other and hearing each other’s hearts. Time was spent in prayer for each other and for the future of the ministry. God was so good to guide our hearts into focus and direction for the year ahead. Having said that let me share a couple of things we are looking at going forward.
We hope to be
able to honor our trip scheduled for Portugal last year in the Spring by
projecting a possibility of the Fall of 2021.
Counseling with missionaries overseas and stateside continue via all
means possible. In the meantime, the
staff came up with a few good possibilities to keep ministering to our people
group (missionary women) in some interesting ways. First, however, it will require some leg work
on our end. We have set the end of
January to get that accomplished. So,
please pray that God will make a way for us to get the information we need to
move forward. Also, pray for the staff,
board, and advisors of Pure Joy International and their families.
To those of you
that have asked us recently to investigate more ways to minister to you in the
middle of all this craziness, keep us in your prayers and look forward to
February. If God allows this to come
together it will be awesome!
In the meantime,
be encouraged from these words of Jesus and the following thoughts.
When is the last
time you have been stuck somewhere? For
many of you it was a traffic jam on the way to work today. For others, it could be having to be
quarantined for 5, 10, or 14 days, a job that you cannot afford to leave right
now but there is no room to grow, a line at the grocery store, a delayed
flight, etc. The list of things that
position us to be stuck at times is endless.
But the one word that accompanies being stuck is always the same
“waiting”.
Talk about a word
that stirs up a basket full of emotions.
Whew! Waiting can trigger
excitement, anticipation, frustration, anger, anxiety, fear, hopelessness,
discouragement, etc. The list is so
long.
As believers we
are “waiting” between time (this world) and eternity (timelessness). Scripture tells us we are sojourners here,
aliens, just passing through, this is not our home. I suspect most believers have really have not
thought about that much until this year. But with all the chaos of this world
we may be reminding ourselves of that truth as a reminder during the
“waiting”. Now days being a sojourner
passing through reminds us of His Sovereignty and this is not our home.
Again, take heart
believer in these words from Jesus Himself...
John 14:27 (ESV)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as
the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let
them be afraid.
And
let us not forget we have a mission while we are sojourning through this
world. Seek first His kingdom and
righteousness, serve others, share the gospel, baptize, and make disciples. So, do not be deceived into living in the
horizontal of this world. Live
vertically and keep walking!
His,
Vickie
Thursday, November 26, 2020
Thankful for you …
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you
As we head into this Thanksgiving Holiday, I want to say how thankful we are here at Pure Joy International for those of you that have continued to give faithfully to the ministry, through prayer, encouragement, and financially.
Many of
you know from your own experience and through your missionary daughters, sons,
grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends that overseas travel has been
deeply affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have
many missionaries stateside in holding patterns for now. We also have
missionaries still on the ground in different countries, and Covid-19 has
affected them, too, regarding ministry on the field. We have missionaries
that have come home for good because of the time lapse of not being able to
renew passports, work visas, etc., and the list could go on and on.
All of
this to say do not lose sight of our missionaries that God has called to the
ministry of missions overseas. They, too, are walking out the daily
journey of how God would have them serve where they are. So, as we
continue to pray for family, friends and loved ones regarding this pandemic please
remember to pray for our missionaries near and far.
On
another note, the ministry of Pure Joy International has also been interrupted
regarding overseas travel. We highly suspect it will be the fall of 2021
before we are able to leave the country, if then. In the meantime, we
continue to provide counseling for our missionaries overseas and
stateside. We would ask you to pray with us as we seek the LORD on His
continued plans for the ministry. And may I ask you to include all
missions’ ministries and organizations that travel internationally in those
prayers. If the consequence of Covid-19 has shown us anything it is that
“people need the LORD”. So much hopelessness among those that do not know
Him and hard times, challenges, and difficulties among those that do.
I
encourage all of us, keep walking we know the ending!
1 Chronicles 16:11 (ESV)
Seek
the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
From: The Staff, Board, and Advisors of Pure Joy International
Retreat Ministry
To: You
“Happy
Thanksgiving 2020”
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Thankful for you …
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
As we
head into this Thanksgiving Holiday, I want to say how thankful we are here at
Pure Joy International for those of you that have continued to give faithfully
to the ministry, through prayer, encouragement, and fina1ncially.
Many of
you know from your own experience and through your missionary daughters, sons,
grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and friends that overseas travel has been deeply
affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have
many missionaries stateside in holding patterns for now. We also have
missionaries still on the ground in different countries, and Covid-19 has
affected them, too, regarding ministry on the field. We have missionaries
that have come home for good because of the time lapse of not being able to
renew passports, work visas, etc., and the list could go on and on.
All of
this to say do not lose sight of our missionaries that God has called to the
ministry of missions overseas. They, too, are walking out the daily
journey of how God would have them serve where they are. So, as we
continue to pray for family, friends and loved ones regarding this pandemic
please remember to pray for our missionaries near and far.
On
another note, the ministry of Pure Joy International has also been interrupted
regarding overseas travel. We highly suspect it will be the fall of 2021
before we are able to leave the country, if then. In the meantime, we
continue to provide counseling for our missionaries overseas and
stateside. We would ask you to pray with us as we seek the LORD on His
continued plans for the ministry. And may I ask you to include all
missions’ ministries and organizations that travel internationally in those prayers.
If the consequence of Covid-19 has shown us anything it is that “people need
the LORD”. So much hopelessness among those that do not know Him and hard
times, challenges, and difficulties among those that do.
I
encourage all of us, keep walking, we know the ending!
1 Chronicles 16:11 (ESV)
Seek
the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
From: The Staff, Board, and Advisors of Pure Joy International
Retreat Ministry
To: You
“Happy
Thanksgiving 2020”
Monday, October 26, 2020
Hmmm?
Luke 18:31-34 (ESV)
And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and
everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be
accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked
and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill
him, and on the third day he will rise” But they understood none of these
things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the
flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Regarding Pure Joy International…
We would ask you to please be praying
with us as we step into the month of November.
It will be during this time that we believe God will begin to give us
more direction about our travel overseas for 2021. Please pray that God will speak clearly to us
as a ministry and His good and pleasing will would become clear to us regarding
His timing.
His,
Vickie
Friday, September 18, 2020
Grief/Grieving
Usually when we hear the word grief/grieving, we associate
it with the death of someone close to us. But the truth is, people can
experience grief for other reasons. Any situation that causes the feeling
of loss can result in a person experiencing grief.
I believe we are in the
“grieving” process as a nation and do not even realize it. I believe we
do not recognize we are grieving because “fear” is being promoted
irrationally. This does not mean there are not things we should
fear. It simply means it is out of balance.
For those of you that do
not know the stages of grieving I am listing them now with just a short
definition of each which is only a breath of how much stuff could be identified
for each stage.
- Denial - The inability to accept the reality (truth) of
the situation initially. Knowledge (head) and emotions (heart)
just do not connect.
- Anger – Lashing out blaming others, self, and even God
for the loss. What lies behind the anger/frustration is anxiety/fear.
Anxiety and fear cause us to feel out of control, not knowing what to do
or how we will make it, what about kids, our home, etc.
- Guilt – Usually has to do with “if I had only”
statements. If I had only been there. If I had been watching
more closely. If I had put more money in savings. If we had
gotten to the doctor sooner, etc.
- Bargaining – This usually takes place when dealing with
a terminally ill patient. In the case of a terminally ill person
bargaining with God for more time. In the case of a parent bargaining with
God to take them instead of their child, etc. This stage involves the hope
that the person can avoid a cause of grief
- Depression - This stage brings on feelings of being
overwhelmed, feeling hopeless/helplessness and belief that things will
never get better. This can result in loss of interest or desire for
usual life activity, crying spells, anxiety, insomnia, loss of weight,
gaining weight, anger outburst, etc.
- Acceptance/hope – This is the final stage of
grief/grieving. It is when we have had time to work through the
other stages and are accepting a new normal. We can talk more freely
about our loss without emotions overwhelming us. The acceptance
stage does not mean we have forgotten the loss, whether a person and or other
circumstances. It just means we have moved on to putting a new
plan/options in place for our life without allowing the loss to keep us
stuck in the past.
The
grieving process is not an exact science and it does not always follow the
5 stages in the model Kubler-Ross shared in her book in 1969 “On Death and
Dying”. It has however become a common foundation for many to understand
the grieving process. The stages do not always happen in order and many times
we go back in forth between the stages and can even get stuck in the
stages. The magnitude and intensity of grieving varies between
individuals, the circumstances of the loss, personality types, beliefs systems
about God, etc.
Why did I take the time
to give you all the information on the grieving process? Because I want
you to be able to understand what I mean when I say I believe we are grieving
as a nation.
So, what are we
“grieving”? Here are just a few possibilities of many.
- Loss of freedom- The ability to come and go without
considering covid-19 to church, the grocery store, hospitals, family
gatherings, schools, nursing homes, funerals, etc.
- The ability to have an opposing opinion without being
attacked verbally, physically, mentally, emotionally, and
spiritually.
- Loss of lives to Covid-19, rioting and murder.
The loss of jobs, homes, businesses, our history whether you
agree with it or not, good, or bad it is still history.
- The loss of feeling and or being safe.
- The loss of order that has been replaced with chaos.
That is a lot of loss my
friends!
So, would you mind doing
something today as you read this? Check yourself. Be honest. Could
you be grieving? I can promise you that many of you have been in touch
with the term “fear”. It has been being instilled in us since
Covid-19 broke out. Again, we should be wise about Covid-19 it is
real, but we should not live in the fear that is being perpetuated about
it. Then add the George Floyd’s death, rioting, media, politics, and life
as we knew it is gone.
So, I took the test if
you will. I got honest with myself and I realized that I am in the
grieving process. So here is what the grieving process looks like
for me.
- Denial –. I have had days when I could
not believe what I was seeing and hearing. I still have them
occasionally. But in the beginning of this I could not believe this
was our nation. Each day I am confounded by the craziness of it
all! When I finally accept what is occurring at face value, I go
straight to the angry stage.
- Anger – I have a difficult time believing people can be
so deceived. I can get angry about how the loss of freedom in all
those areas I mentioned earlier has affected our nation. The anger
for sure has been perpetuated by all that I see and hear. I do hold
lots of government officials responsible for where we are as a
nation. Some of my anger is righteous anger as people make a mockery
of the things of God. The absolute disrespect of authority starting
with God, coming back down to governmental authority, police, etc., wears
me out! But I keep most of my thoughts to myself and immediate
family members. Which stuffing things as we know can lead to the next
stage.
- Depression – Yes, I for sure have been in and out of
this stage. Some due to side effects of chemo medicine. But
some from stuffing feelings about everything that has been going on in the
world instead of taking it to the LORD! He is such a
Gentleman. He does not grab it from us, but He is there waiting for
us to hand it over.
- Guilt – I suspect I get concerned that I am missing
opportunities to bring truth into the middle of this chaos. But then
I am reminded by His sweet Spirit, do what I can where I am.
- Bargaining – Not really
- Acceptance/Hope – About 2 weeks ago, I started going in
and out of this stage. Mostly by being reminded by His Word that He
is Sovereign, All Knowing, All Powerful, and He fights for His Children,
He avenges wrongs, and He is a shield about us. He is our Hope and
our Salvation. He is not knocked off his throne by what is going on
anywhere in this world including our nation. Is He sad, displeased,
and angry at the sin? Yes, but as believes we know how it ends and
it does end my friends. God will not be mocked!
So, can I ask you the
question again. Is it possible that you are grieving the loss of freedom
as you knew it? Are you really living in fear and or are you grieving
loss? I suspect many people are stuck in the angry stage of grief
regarding our loss of freedom. Are you stuck in any of these
stages? Do you realize grieving is happening to you more than fear?
Being able to move forward requires us to be able to identify the real
issue.
I would like to end this
blog with a paragraph from Charles Stanley’s 30 Life Principles Bible Study,
which is well worth your time if you get a chance to go through it.
And I quote, “…because
His standard it higher than that of the culture in which you live, obeying His
commands will set your apart from the crowd. In certain circumstances, it
will make you a target or scorn from the world that denies His authority.
As you strive to meet God’s standard, you might be accused of intolerance and narrow-mindedness,
or single out on social media or in social settings. The consequences can
be sever …which is why God instructs you to leave them to Him. He can
bring ultimate good from even the direst consequences.”
And remember Ephesians
6:12 (ESV), “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
His, Vickie
Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Coming out from hiding?
Well, I suppose it is time to catch everyone up on what has been happening with me since I have been silent on blog posting for several months.
I started a blog almost 6-8 weeks ago and actually have looked at it weekly up until two weeks ago. It is a blog that I just have felt I needed to be careful in wording and what I believe God would have me share instead of my opinions about things. Like so many of you in the days we are living in, I have some opinions believe me! All that to say that next week I will post that blog, finally! I feel peaceable in saying that.
In the meantime let me share some things with you going on in my life personally and with the ministry. In January I was diagnosed with breast cancer again. I was diagnosed with cancer the first time 15 years ago. This was a different kind of cancer than the first time. Pet Scans, CT Scans, MRI’s all showed it was no place else in my body. Therefore, I made a decision to have a double-mastectomy. At the end of February I had the procedure. It went well, and the doctors gave me clearance for our trip that was to take place in Lisbon, Portugal in April as long as I continued to heal well, and I did. In March I had my first visit to the oncologist. He placed me on a chemo medication that has provided me with some trials for sure. Please pray as I visit with him about some options on my next visit.
Then as you know Covid-19
hit, then the protest, then the rioting, and then there is the election coming
up here in the US. In fact, my blog next
week is regarding all of those things.
In the meantime, Pure Joy International like so many other International
ministries is having to be still and wait on God as travel from here to most
any place in the world right now is unacceptable. Even for the very few areas we could get into
you have to quarantine for 14 days because we would be arriving from the US. This added to the 10 days for the trip makes
it difficult for team members that cannot be away from their homes and families
that long. And as many of you know that
is just a few of the problems encountered.
So, in the meantime I will
have my final surgery from the double-mastectomy in a couple of weeks. While healing I am continuing to look at a
series of pod-cast I would like to do for our missionary women around the world
to encourage them since it will be next year before we can leave the country
again. Our plan is to follow-through when
possible with the retreat we wanted to provide for the women in Lisbon,
Portugal with the women that had already
So I hope this catches you
up on things. Please know that I am
good, my spirit is good but my body is confused because of the chemo
medication! Ha,ha,ha,ha This too shall
pass.
We pray for you as we know
everyone is having a difficult time adjusting to the things going on in our
world today no matter where you live. Watch
for next weeks blog. I believe it will
be worth pondering.
Good to be back at it! Love you all..
His,
Vickie
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