Reposting Our Weapons...

We know that those of you that get the blog via email and on Facebook were not able to see the video posted with yesterday's (9/8) blog. It did work on the regular Blogspot site but we don't want anyone to miss it so we are reposting the entire blog entry below with a link to the video instead of embedding it in hopes that you can enjoy it now.

This morning, as I write this blog, my mom and I are sitting in a hotel room just a little over an hour outside of Knoxville, TN headed to Williamsburg, VA to watch my godson’s wife run in her first Triathlon. I can’t wait to see them and be one of her cheerleaders!

Anyway, as I was preparing to have my quiet time I received a text from a counselee dealing with a difficult situation. After responding I set down to my quiet time and began reading God’s Word. One truth that burned in my heart from the reading is something I have found myself telling my counselee’s and friends a lot lately and that is we, as believers, cannot deal with life from a physical world view and walk victoriously! If our eyes are only on the physical we will crumble, be defeated, give in, give up, and give out! The enemy is out to destroy us! He doesn’t have to destroy lost people He already has them. But you and I he has to destroy because we are God’s tools for reaching them and proclaiming that JESUS IS THE HOPE OF THIS WORLD! Therefore, life is not going to get simpler. In fact, the very people we are trying to minister truth too most often are the very people the enemy uses to distract and overwhelm us, such as a spouse, child, sibling, parent, friend, etc.

I say all these things to encourage you and remind you we are in a battle daily! The enemy loves to lull us to sleep with no gun-fire for a season and then drop a grenade and or a missile! But we have the victory through the shed blood of Christ! Therefore, remember the words of 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 which says: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive everything to make it obedient to Christ.”

What are those weapons…check out Ephesians 6:10-20 (Spiritual Armor). In short, get dressed friends…..we are in a WAR!!!!!!!!

We have 43 women signed up for Peru as of today! It is so exciting to us to watch those slots fill up! The team continues to be in the prayer and preparation mode. It is so fun for me to watch the team starting to get excited. Give it about two more weeks and they will be like, “I can’t believe we are going to Peru to minister to missionary women.” Oh, wait, that is what I start saying about 4-6 weeks out! Ha,ha,ha,ha Anyway, please keep us in your prayer as we continue all the detail work of preparation. Also, do not miss out on an opportunity to be a part of this trip by giving towards helping sponsor the missionary women to attend the 4 day-3 night event free of charge to them. I wish all of you could experience what this opportunity means to them. Follow the link below for a video that will help you get a glance into what God desires to accomplish through the ministry of Pure Joy international from out trip two months ago to Costa Rica. Enjoy! (Tip - If the video doesn't play smoothly try pausing it and allow it to load for a few minutes then start playing again.)

http://www.screencast.com/t/bvHSnozUxm6

And remember to pray, go, and give to missionaries all over the world!!!!

Love you all like crazy!!!

His, Vickie

Our Weapons...

This morning, as I write this blog, my mom and I are sitting in a hotel room just a little over an hour outside of Knoxville, TN headed to Williamsburg, VA to watch my godson’s wife run in her first Triathlon.  I can’t wait to see them and be one of her cheerleaders!  

Anyway, as I was preparing to have my quiet time I received a text from a counselee dealing with a difficult situation.  After responding I set down to my quiet time and began reading God’s Word.  One truth that burned in my heart from the reading is something I have found myself telling my counselee’s and friends a lot lately and that is we, as believers, cannot deal with life from a physical world view and walk victoriously!  If our eyes are only on the physical we will crumble, be defeated, give in, give up, and give out!  The enemy is out to destroy us!  He doesn’t have to destroy lost people He already has them.  But you and I he has to destroy because we are God’s tools for reaching them and proclaiming that JESUS IS THE HOPE OF THIS WORLD!  Therefore, life is not going to get simpler.  In fact, the very people we are trying to minister truth too most often are the very people the enemy uses to distract and overwhelm us, such as a spouse, child, sibling, parent, friend, etc. 

I say all these things to encourage you and remind you we are in a battle daily!  The enemy loves to lull us to sleep with no gun-fire for a season and then drop a grenade and or a missile!  But we have the victory through the shed blood of Christ!   Therefore, remember the words of 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 which says:  “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive everything to make it obedient to Christ.”

What are those weapons…check out Ephesians 6:10-20 (Spiritual Armor).  In short, get dressed friends…..we are in a WAR!!!!!!!!

We have 43 women signed up for Peru as of today!  It is so exciting to us to watch those slots fill up!  The team continues to be in the prayer and preparation mode.  It is so fun for me to watch the team starting to get excited.  Give it about two more weeks and they will be like, “I can’t believe we are going to Peru to minister to missionary women.”  Oh, wait, that is what I start saying about 4-6 weeks out! Ha,ha,ha,ha  Anyway, please keep us in your prayer as we continue all the detail work of preparation.  Also, do not miss out on an opportunity to be a part of this trip by giving towards helping sponsor the missionary women to attend the 4 day-3 night event free of charge to them.  I wish all of you could experience what this opportunity means to them.  Here is something that might help you get a glance into what God desires to accomplish through the ministry of Pure Joy international from out trip two months ago to Costa Rica.  Enjoy!  (Tip - If the video doesn't play smoothly try pausing it and allow it to load for a few minutes then start playing again.)

And remember to pray, go, and give to missionaries all over the world!!!!

Love you all like crazy!!!

His, Vickie

I'm Laughing...

So, I spent this past weekend with some dear friends who have a marriage retreat ministry called “Let’s Get Real-Marriages” (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lets-Get-Real-Marriages/264310908290), and they do get ‘real’ in the teaching time.  No I’m not married, but I have been counseling married couples for almost 30 years now with 21 of those years being Biblical Counseling.  The reason I attended was to observe what was being taught, because I have some of the participants in follow up counseling.  It was very scripturally tight and the presenters were excellent (and I’m not just saying that because they are good friends.  You that know me know that’s true).  I’m laughing out loud because God has clear teaching in His word regarding the principles of marriage.  You only need to be able to read or listen to a CD to get the information.  Ah, but it is receiving the information that gets everyone in trouble.  Why?  Because by the time most people get the information, their mind’s filtering system is already full of worldly lint!  I mean some big lint balls that got passed on from parents, friends, peers, books, TV, magazines, etc., that weren’t doing life God’s way.  Lint balls that say things like, “Hey if you don’t like it, you know were the door is!”  At this point I think that statement would make me want to regress into a tad bit of drama where I immediately start flinging my arms in the air in front of me while saying something like, “Where am I?  I can’t see? Where’s the door?”  Ha, ha.  Anyway, I pray that the couples were able to receive the truth that was taught and will put it into practice daily.

We are booking team tickets this week for the Peru trip.  Please pray as a few ladies are still in decision mode regarding their part on the team.  It is so cool to look at how God positions us for the trips.  When we left for Costa Rica, the team was full.  As you know last week I shared with you that we had a few places open back up for team members.  He has filled several of those this week.  I love how HE KNOWS!

As of today there are 39 missionary women registered for the retreat.  I suspect the final 11 places will fill up by the end of next week.  Please begin to prayerfully start seeking the LORD to see if He would have you give to help towards sponsoring the missionary women that will be attending.  I know I say this often.  We would be lying to you if we said we didn’t need your resources, but more than that, we need your hearts!  Hearts that truly understand the need this ministry meets for the missionary women as we go each time.  Hearts that can really pray with us in the preparations process as we ask for prayers for the details.  So, yes, give us your resources if God so leads, but above all else give us your hearts!!

I shared with you earlier our theme is “Take Off the Mask”.  I wonder as you read this how many of you out there are hiding behind a ‘Mask’?  You look happy, content, confident, self-assured, in control; you are leading music, bible studies, women’s ministries, homeschooling, running businesses, etc. and you walk in fear daily that someone is going to find out that your marriage is falling apart, your children are living in the world, your job is about to be terminated, you’re at the door of bankruptcy, etc.  What you are hiding?

Love you All and Covet your Prayers,

His,

Vickie

Peru On The Horizon...

We have 39 missionary women signed up for Peru with registration having opened up to them just last week.  Please pray as the remaining 11 openings are filled.  Please join us in praying for God to put women in those openings that will need what He has put on our hearts to take to Peru as a ministry team! If you know a missionary woman serving in the Lima, Peru area and/or surrounding countries, please direct them to the web site for registration: www.purejoyinternational.org.   Once they are at the home page they can click on “Registration is now open for our next retreat in Peru!”  Please let them know that the retreat is for missionary women serving in the Lima, Peru and surrounding areas.  There is no cost to the missionary women except each is responsible for their transportation to and from the retreat facility. The retreat is four days and three nights in length.  Again, send them to the web site for information.

All of that information concerns women that would attend the retreat from in and around Peru. As for the rest of us who are reading this blog, please as always be in prayer for the trip and be praying about giving towards sponsorship of the missionary women.  All donations are tax deductible.

Also, please tell a friend about this ministry and allow God to stir their hearts!  I learned along time ago through wise counsel not to decide for people what they do or don’t want to be a part of, because we don’t always know what God is doing in a person’s heart and life.  So, share, pray, give.  And here is a seed for you out there in blog land...we have a couple of spots still open for team members to Peru.  If you are interested you will need to contact me at vickie@purejoyinternational.org  ASAP and I will be glad to give you details.

Also, many times people will ask us what Pure Joy International does.  The simplest explanation is: we wash the feet of our missionary women that serve overseas.  Why, because they too wash the feet of others.  Why, because all of us recognize the significance of the word ‘so’ in verse 4 of John 13:1-5.   

Starting with verse 3, "Jesus knew the Father had put all things under his power, and that he (Jesus) had come from God and was returning to God; ‘so’ He (Jesus) got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciple’s feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him."

Do you understand why Jesus could humble Himself and serve?  Because, he (Jesus) KNEW where he came from, who his power came from and where he was going when the curtain closes.  ‘So’ he humbled himself and served others!

We as believers must KNOW where we came from. Psalm 139 tells us God created and made us; we must KNOW our power source is God the Holy Spirit.  Acts 1:8 promises "We will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes", and finally we must KNOW where we are going because John 14:2-3 tells us, He (Jesus) is preparing a place for us to dwell with him for eternity!

"So" knowing this are you serving?

 

A lot is going on with Pure Joy International right now but I have to wait a couple of weeks to share with you what God is up to.  I can tell you this…God has increased the vision He gave me 11 years ago regarding our ministry.  Therefore, there are many changes taking place even as I write these words.  I can’t wait to share with you in a few weeks more details but for now just KNOW THIS (especially if you are a missionary woman reading this blog and/or you have a daughter, sister, mother, wife,  grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, and/or niece who is a missionary on the field)…GOD KNOWS YOUR NAME and He has called this ministry to come to you bringing you times of refreshing and encouragement so you can come out of the storms and challenges of everyday life on your field of service. And rest, regroup, breathe, and be renewed, strengthened, reminded, encouraged, loved on, and, yes, so you can laugh out loud with other ladies of like mind at life, yourself, and even with each other.

Why?

So you can return to your marriages, children, and family with a new attitude so that His Name may be HIGH and LIFTED UP in all you do on the field that others might KNOW HIM!  That others might KNOW HIM is what it is all about!!  It is hopefully why any one of us as His children, beloved, followers of Christ, do anything we do so that we may make Him known!   Pure Joy is here to for you to help encourage you to be the best at what God has called you to do!

Love you all!

Blessings,

His,
Vickie

Good Wednesday Morning to all you bloggers out there!

I know the blog is late getting out this week but if you get to know me you will understand that I can’t just write for the sake of writing.  I want to be able to share things with you that are from my heart.  The last couple of days my heart has been really heavy due to some of my counseling ministry and things people are going through that grieve my heart to the bone.  I didn’t want to grieve your hearts because I suspect some of you are already experiencing that in the circumstances of your life.  I wanted to try to write something uplifting but that didn’t seem to be coming to me either as I waited on the Lord for the words for the blog. (Yes, I believe He even cares about the things I put in this blog!)  Then this morning the answer came through an email from a dear friend.  She sent me the following story about her husband Roger and it is worth a smile, especially if you know that this man always has one of the most awesome gardens around and is kind enough to share with some of the rest of us.  Here was what she wrote me. Enjoy!
Love You All,
Vickie

I wanted to share a tale with you about Farmer Roger or maybe that should be Gardener Roger.

Once upon a time, in 2011, Farmer Roger (that sounds better) planted a garden and included cantaloupes.  The weather turned hot and dry and very little in the garden survived.  But being tenacious (ok he's not but that sounds good, too) Farmer Roger finally succeeded in getting two cantaloupe vines to grow.  One produced two cantaloupes and he watched them carefully, checking on them twice a day, and even breaking his cardinal rule to never water the garden, he watered these precious vines.  One day he decided it was time to pull one of the cantaloupes, but it wasn't just right, so he decided to wait one more day.  The next morning when he checked his two cantaloupes, one was completely missing.  Some varmint had taken his precious cantaloupe.  Well not to be outdone by a varmint, Farmer Roger took some wire and bent it in an arc and put it over the remaining cantaloupe, and then as a further measure to insure it would not be overripe, he covered the wire with weed blanket that lets in water but not bugs and varmints.

When he checked the next day, everything was fine.  The next day I heard him say, "Laura, come and look.  You won't believe this."  Being the dutiful wife I am (well most of the time) I went and looked and sure enough there was the evidence the varmint had outwitted him again.  Not being able to take the whole cantaloupe, the varmint had eaten half of it.  He entered through the end of the arc and got to the prize.  So learning his lesson and spotting another cantaloupe about to develop, he shut up both ends and placed the wire arc over the developing cantaloupe.  Only time will tell.  And after recalling these events I would have to say he is tenacious at least about gardening.

Now when I reflected on this I saw a spiritual meaning.  We can put our all into something but there is no guarantee that things will work out like we plan.  Maybe God just wants us to look after the cantaloupe but the end result has to be His plan and not ours.

Love you,
Laura

Repost of Thoughts from Costa Rica Team Members...

(There were some text issues in Monday's post for those that receive it via email so we are reposting it to correct - hope you don't mind reading it again!)

Last week I asked the Costa Rica team members if they could find time to share a few thoughts on what it meant to them to serve as a team member during the retreat. Several of them responded back over the weekend and here is their view…..


I keep trying to find an adequate way to describe the team member experience on a Pure Joy adventure. All the words that form are insufficient. God was at work from the beginning, His hand putting all the pieces in place, the big pieces and the little pieces, who needed to attend, who needed to work and even who needed to stay home this time if only to allow another to participate. I feel blessed and honored to have been a part of what God did in Costa Rica this year, in the women that attended, the team members and myself.

Pure Joy was amply named from blessings received, lives touched and the hearts affected. Thanks, Vickie, for continuing to let God use you in this ministry.

Denise
 

As I look back on the trip with Pure Joy I am amazed at how 12 people, most of whom had never met, seamlessly came together to be a team. Each person had their job and yet no one grasped at being more important. Instead each person did their job, but also folded in to make sure each team member was successful. Huh, many parts- one body- I think I've heard that somewhere before. Ha ha. I know a large part of this was because of the incredible prayer coverage for Pure Joy's trips. It is truly an amazing experience. As incredibly beautiful as Costa Rica was what went on inside the hotel with those missionary women was equally as beautiful.

Kathleen


Being on the Pure Joy team was a "mountain top" experience for me. Having known about this ministry for several years, I would pray that someday, when the time was right, I would get to help with a retreat. From the start of the journey, which began several months before the actual trip, God confirmed over and over that this was the time! Boy, I had no idea what we were in for!! Through preparation for the retreat and my personal role, I was stretched and pulled in directions I was not completely (or at all!) comfortable with. That just lead to more prayer and total dependence on a God who I knew had called me to this and who knew I could Not do it without Him! That puts you in a place of humility where God will use you for His glory in ways we cannot imagine and that is exactly what happened. The missionaries on the trip were so personally blessed and refreshed, but at the same time, so were the team members.

So much prayer was behind all of the speakers, and I know the goal was to speak to the hearts of the missionaries, but it felt like the talks were just for me. I had known for years that there was something holding me back from fully believing that God is good. I would certainly say that He was good and could tell you lots of reasons why I thought so, but there was fear in me that proved deep down, I believed otherwise. The person I loved the most in the world was taken from me when I was six. 27 years later, during a prayer time at the retreat, God revealed what was holding me back and I was finally able to truly thank God that He was sovereign, He knew best, and because of and in spite of this tragedy, He has been glorified. He is so good! That is a major one, but there were several ways that my perspective was challenged and changed. This was an experience I don't think I will ever get over and I'm pretty sure I don't want to. :)

Heather


I hope reading these ladies hearts has encouraged some of you to take the challenge to become part of a team in the days ahead.

Please remember to pray for our Peru trip. Registration will begin in a few weeks. Pray for the team that will be going. Already God is up to His awesome ways! Please begin praying for the missionary women that will register, the team going, and as always sponsorship of the missionary women in attendance. We have 13 sponsored with 37 more to go.

Recently it was reported to me that someone felt that we shouldn’t have to ask for sponsorship of the women for each trip, that we should have the trips built into our budget for each year. Well, truthfully we do have the sponsorship built into our budget each year because we trust God that He gave the vision for Pure Joy and that He will make provision for what He has called us to. We never know for sure how many trips He will call us to take in a year. But when He does, we go! Truly, every trip we are completely dependant on God for our resources for that trip. It keeps us in prayer and it keeps us humble before Him because ONLY GOD through HIS people could make this happen each time. It is an incredible thing to be a part of. However, if any of you feel led to give us a donation to cover all the trips before Jesus returns we will count that as from God, too! All kidding aside, if HE ever stops providing then we will have to suppose He has a different plan. Until then we will do as the song says, “Trust and Obey”, because there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.

Peru or Bust!

Love you all so much,

His,
Vickie

Thoughts from the Team from Costa Rica...

Last week I asked the Costa Rica team members if they could find time to share a few thoughts on what it meant to them to serve as a team member during the retreat. Several of them responded back over the weekend and here is their view…..

I keep trying to find an adequate way to describe the team member experience on a Pure Joy adventure. All the words that form are insufficient.  God was at work from the beginning, His hand putting all the pieces in place, the big pieces and the little pieces, who needed to attend, who needed to work and even who needed to stay home this time if only to allow another to participate. I feel blessed and honored to have been a part of what God did in Costa Rica this year, in the women that attended, the team members and myself.

Pure Joy was amply named from blessings received, lives touched and the hearts affected.  Thanks, Vickie,  for continuing to let God use you in this ministry. 

Denise

As I look back on the trip with Pure Joy I am amazed at how 12 people, most of whom had never met, seamlessly came together to be a team. Each person had their job and yet no one grasped at being more important.  Instead each person did their job, but also folded in to make sure each team member was successful. Huh, many parts- one body- I think I've heard that somewhere before. Ha ha. I know a large part of this was because of the incredible prayer coverage for Pure Joy's trips. It is truly an amazing experience. As incredibly beautiful as Costa Rica was what went on inside the hotel with those missionary women was equally as beautiful.

Kathleen

Being on the Pure Joy team was a "mountain top" experience for me.  Having known about this ministry for several years, I would pray that someday, when the time was right, I would get to help with a retreat.  From the start of the journey, which began several months before the actual trip, God confirmed over and over that this was the time!  Boy, I had no idea what we were in for!!  Through preparation for the retreat and my personal role, I was stretched and pulled in directions I was not completely (or at all!) comfortable with.  That just lead to more prayer and total dependence on a God who I knew had called me to this and who knew I could Not do it without Him!  That puts you in a place of humility where God will use you for His glory in ways we cannot imagine and that is exactly what happened.  The missionaries on the trip were so personally blessed and refreshed, but at the same time, so were the team members.

So much prayer was behind all of the speakers, and I know the goal was to speak to the hearts of the missionaries, but it felt like the talks were just for me.  I had known for years that there was something holding me back from fully believing that God is good.  I would certainly say that He was good and could tell you lots of reasons why I thought so, but there was fear in me that proved deep down, I believed otherwise.  The person I loved the most in the world was taken from me when I was six.  27 years later, during a prayer time at the retreat, God revealed what was holding me back and I was finally able to truly thank God that He was sovereign, He knew best, and because of and in spite of this tragedy, He has been glorified.  He is so good!  That is a major one, but there were several ways that my perspective was challenged and changed.  This was an experience I don't think I will ever get over and I'm pretty sure I don't want to.  :)

Heather

I hope reading these ladies hearts has encouraged some of you to take the challenge to become part of a team in the days ahead. 

Please remember to pray for our Peru trip.  Registration will begin in a few weeks.  Pray for the team that will be going.  Already God is up to His awesome ways!  Please begin praying for the missionary women that will register, the team going, and as always sponsorship of the missionary women in attendance.  We have 13 sponsored with 37 more to go.

Recently it was reported to me that someone felt that we shouldn’t have to ask for sponsorship of the women for each trip,  that we should have the trips built into our budget for each year.  Well, truthfully we do have the sponsorship built into our budget each year because we trust God that He gave the vision for Pure Joy and that He will make provision for what He has called us to.  We never know for sure how many trips He will call us to take in a year.  But when He does, we go!  Truly, every trip we are completely dependant on God for our resources for that trip.  It keeps us in prayer and it keeps us humble before Him because ONLY GOD through HIS people could make this happen each time.  It is an incredible thing to be a part of.   However, if any of you feel led to give us a donation to cover all the trips before Jesus returns we will count that as from God, too!  All kidding aside, if HE ever stops providing then we will have to suppose He has a different plan.  Until then we will do as the song says, “Trust and Obey”,   because there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.   

Peru or Bust!

Love you all so much,

His,

Vickie