Category: Uncategorized

A friend recently encouraged me to choose a word, one word, to really focus on in 2019. I realized that this past year, I had a prayer for the year that focused on two words: joy and health. Throughout 2018, I saw the Lord answer my prayer to experience deeper joy in Him and to be healthier–spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, etc. Because of that, I was really challenged to sit, process, and pray through what one word I would choose for this year.

After some time, one word kept coming to the forefront of my mind–pursue. While there were plenty of other characteristics I want to grow in, I believe that “pursue” is the word for 2019. This year, I want to pursue God deeper and more intentionally than I ever have before. I want to pursue people for the sake of the gospel, and I want to pursue others in a way that reflects how I have been ultimately pursued by God through Jesus Christ. Jesus humbled Himself and stepped out of heaven in order that we may know God. Jesus emptied Himself for our sake, and through Jesus’ humility, God pursued His people.

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11

This year, I want to pursue people, but my prayer is that any pursuit of others will come out of a deeper understanding and love for the One that has first pursued me.

A neat part about choosing one word for this year is that this one word leads to so many other words. If I pursue God and others, I will (Lord-willing) be growing in humility, intentionality, love, selflessness, obedience (to God), compassion, and more. While I know this one word could bring some growing pains, I eagerly await to see how God will reveal more of Himself through this word this year and how He will cultivate my heart more to pursue those around me.

I know my one word. I want to challenge you, my friend, what one word might the Lord have for you this year?

I love New Year’s Eve and all that comes with the day and the days after. There is a lot of excitement about leaving behind bad experiences and memories from the current year and looking forward to what’s next. The New Year is also accompanied by thousands of resolutions on what to improve on or how to live this next year in a way that will make life better. I like the New Year because it represents a new start. It is a reminder that things can change and we can always improve.

I believe that we have been created with the desire for new starts, new opportunities, and the ability to change and grow from the way things have been. We have been created with the desire of all things being new. From the very beginning of the story of God, everything was made perfect. Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with each other and with creation. They were living in the way the world was meant to be. However, sin has broken the peace, and our hearts know it. We long for the day that all things will be made new. We long for the day when “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14)”. I believe that God has put the desire to grow and change in our hearts.  Because of this, every Christian should take action and reflect on what God has done in and through his or her life this year. Over the past few days, my wife and I have done two things: prayerfully reflect and plan. Below I want to share a little bit about what this has looked like for us.

First, over the past few days, we have taken time to reflect on this past year. We reflect by asking questions that help us to look over the many experiences of our year, the good and the bad. Reflection allows us to remember the good and the bad and praise God for both. It helps us to think deeply about our year and leads us to hopeful change. As Christians, we reflect because we are constantly looking to Christ as the one who changes us.  We look to Him on how to live and we seek to walk in His ways so that the world will see and know how good and amazing He is because of our lives. Our reflection is vital for us to change.

The second thing we have done is to make a plan based on our reflection. Based on this past year, in what ways can we continued to make much of Christ in our lives? What steps am I going to take to take my reflections from 2018 and put them to practice in 2019? What is my theme for this year and what steps will I take weekly to live this out?  Our hope is that we don’t move forward without reflecting on this past year. We believe that we will be greater ambassadors of Christ as we make intentional efforts to live out our calling as disciples of Jesus. As we move into 2019, how can we all make much of Jesus in our lives?

*Below are some questions that we used to help us reflect and think about 2019. These questions have come from www.saturatetheworld.com.

• What were the lowlights and hard things last year?
• What were the highlights and clear blessings last year?
• What did we see God doing last year (in personal life, family, work, community, church, etc.)? 
• What is God doing in our lives right now? What do we see as our purpose? Why are you where you are and doing what you’re doing? 
• What is unresolved from last year? What pains, struggles, and doubts do we carry into this year? 
• What hopes and dreams do we carry into this new year? 
• What do we hope to see happen this next year? 
• What things do we pray for God to do within us this next year? 
• What are our fears with this next year? 
• How do you hope and pray to be transformed this next year?

-Daniel McDonald, GEM Missionary 

As I sit writing, I am mere days from the completion of my master’s degree. It has been a while in the making. It is hard to remember not being in school at this point. And it has sure been full of challenges… In many ways, more than had I taken a more traditional route to get here.

Nearly reaching this long-awaited accomplishment, I have been thinking of other things I hope and yearn for. Christmas break is just around the corner. Time with family and friend’s is something I look forward to each year.

Then I think about my 7-year-old baby girl. She is a fighter. Doctors said she would be lucky to see her 5^th birthday. She was born with a rare type of leukodystrophy. It is a white matter brain disorder. She is unable to walk, use the bathroom, feed herself, talk. She is very limited in her ability to express herself. Despite this, there are so many times I see genuine joy and connection emanating from this little girl. I have hoped and prayed and yearned for God to heal her. It hasn’t happened yet, but I know one day it will. It just may not be here on Earth.

I hope for family and friends far from Christ to know Him. To be released from the weight of their own sins and free in the love of God.

There are so many things I hope for each day. Some are trivial and fleeting, while others are important and enduring. The sense of accomplishment and relief from completing my master’s program will pass when the next thing comes along. It will become a long-forgotten memory. Time with friend’s and family will be cherished, but the memories will fade, and they will become the past. My baby may never be healed this side of heaven. I may never see those I love come to know Christ in my lifetime.

Despite this, I know a greater hope. A hope that is assured. An enduring hope. I can set aside the fleeting hopes for eternity.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away. Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” Revelation 21:1-5

– Angela Fontanelli, GEM Missionary

If you’d like to support Angela as she serves with GEM in Mexico, you can do so HERE. You can also contact her directly to talk further about what it means to be on her support team and find out how you can be praying for her!

Over the last 10 years of dating and marriage, my husband Casey and I have lived in 4 different countries, and with that comes lots of packing, unpacking, selling, and storing. Although we don’t have many material possessions stored away, one thing I refused to part with were my stacks and stacks of old journals I’ve accumulated over the years. I still remember that very first floral one I purchased from Target my freshmen year of college when I first started walking with the Lord.

I haven’t actually taken the time to sit down and count how many I have, but if I were to guess, there would be a couple boxes full of them, probably 40-50 in all. Over the last several years, as consecutive kiddos have filled our home, the journaling time has significantly dwindled, but I still cherish the moments where I’m able to pour out my heart to the Lord in this way.

There is something so special and humbling about looking back and seeing the way the Lord has continually answered prayer, time and time again. His faithfulness and kindness towards me are so evident as I pour over past requests and see the way His loving and gracious hand orchestrated countless details, situations, and experiences in ways I never could on my own.

However, the other day, as I was looking through an old journal from several years ago, I felt myself start to get discouraged. As I was reading about different sins and strongholds I was facing from years ago, frustration and annoyance welled up in me, as I realized these struggles from back then, are things I’m still battling with today. “Why Lord? Can’t I figure this out already??? I’ve been walking with you for almost 15 years now, and my flesh still battles the same temptations now as I do then?” All of these thoughts flooded my mind for quite a while, and yet God was gracious to remind me of His truth and goodness.

In a daily devotion I’m reading called New Morning Mercies, the author Paul Tripp, says this, “The reality is that if we followed Jesus for a thousand years, we would need His grace as much for the next day as we did the first day that we believed. We are not spiritually independent in any way. The opposite is true. Just as in the first moment we believed, we are ALWAYS completely DEPENDENT on the grace of the Savior for EVERY spiritual need.”

Does that mean I can just rest in my sin? To say “Well, its no use! I’ve always been this way, always struggled with this, so no point in continuing to battle this stronghold?” No, definitely not! I should always be seeking to surrender these persistent struggles to the Lord, taking action to fight against them, and aiming to look back and see proof of victory in these areas. God never wants me to be satisfied in my sin. BUT, at the same time, I’m realizing more and more that as we live life on this fallen earth, that the same temptation and struggles will always be there. And that is okay because it draws me to my knees. It makes me see that I am completely dependent on the grace of Jesus every. single. moment. It makes me so very grateful and thankful for God’s relentless and unending patience with me.

So as I pour through old journals, I can rejoice in my challenges and struggles because although I am forgetful and flaky, God is so very faithful. He will never give up on me. And I can look forward with anticipation, “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

-Megan Herring, GEM Co-founder

It is amazing to reflect back on everything in your life and see how God has been orchestrating everything according to His perfect timing, how intricately He has pieced life together, and how He continues to unfold His perfect plan before you. Never could I have pictured life to have taken me where I am now but “to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ever ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20) and God has certainly directed my curvy roads straight and has invited me into a life of surrender and obedience to Him. He is so sweet and so good all the time.

There are many reasons and events in my life (that I now am able to see) of which have all led up to my decision to follow God’s call for me to go to Mexico. When I was younger, God instilled a passion for travel and to experience different cultures across the nations. He then instilled the passion for education and using it as a tool for the sake of spreading the Gospel once I was a sophomore at Liberty University.

But if we’re talking about truly why I decided to move to Mexico, I think it stems back to all the simple “yes’s” made in my life that have ultimately prepared me for each “next thing.”  God has a way of always presenting opportunities in front of me where I know my faith will be challenged but ultimately strengthened… and in the end, He is molding me to look more and more like Him with every step: big or small.  But saying “yes” to God, even in the mundane and “simple things” sounds a lot easier said than done. He certainly equips the called and leaves room for grace.

Several years ago, Christine Caine came to speak at my school and shared her testimony of almost losing her life to cancer.  Right before undergoing surgery, not knowing the outcome, she prayed, “God, I hope I have done everything you have called me to do while here on earth, and I’m bringing home the people I was meant to bring.”

Like her, I also have had an experience where I’ve said similar words. In February 2017, I was in a car accident that I shouldn’t have walked away from.  My best friend and I decided to drive out to a nearby lake and on our way out, we rounded a curve a little too sharp that sent the vehicle out of control. The car went left of center at 55mph, hit a mound on the side of the road which sent the car airborne, and then flipped around 4 or 5 times. By the grace of God we walked away from the hospital that night with minimal injuries but according to law enforcement and paramedics, we were walking miracles.

I share this with you because just as God spared my spiritual life the day I decided to follow Jesus and accept His gift of Salvation, God ALSO spared my physical life the day of my accident so that I could continue on with life serving Him and making Him known to all those I encounter. “To live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).  At the end of the day, the ONLY thing that truly matters is whether or not I lived my life in reverence to the Lord, being obedient to all that He would call me to (no matter the difficulty), and inviting others along for the ride so that they also would choose to have a relationship with Christ.  And one day, I hope to be able to reach the gates of heaven and hear “well done thy good and faithful servant.” One day, I hope to say “I did everything that you, God, had called me to do and now I’m coming home with the people I was supposed to bring with me (perhaps even God used me as a vessel in their lives to share the Gift of Life and Salvation with them) …and wow what a big ole party we’ll throw for them and we’ll sing praises forevermore.

After my accident, God began working in my heart (in ways I didn’t even realize it at the time) and began to really show me what it meant to trust in Him. I haven’t mastered this at all and I feel like I’m revisiting this every day, but I simply began to just say “yes” to the things He would lay before me. Even things as “simple” as texting someone when they came to mind to let them know I was thinking and praying for them, or getting up and spending time with Jesus when I really felt like sleeping more, or being present in a conversation and not allowing my mind to drift.  When I began to be more intentional (though I have failed…many many times) with this cycle of “yes’s” I was able to see God work in huge ways in the end.

I learned about Global Education Ministries at a career fair that my school hosted. I was pretty dead set that I wanted to teach in the Lynchburg City Schools when a representative of GEM stopped me and asked if I had ever considered teaching in Mexico. To be honest, I thought “NOPE” but felt the Lord telling me “Shelby, just listen to what she has to share.” So I said, “Yes Lord, I will stay and listen.” Then it turned into “Yes Lord, I will sign up for an interview… but this is kinda crazy.” And then it turned into “yes, I will fill out an application,” “Yes, I will have that facetime interview,” “yes I will pray and seek the Lord and his guidance over where he is potentially leading me.” “Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes Lord.” When I said “yes” to the decision to join the ministry of GEM I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that this was in fact where God had been leading me because of incredible peace and discernment given by Him.

Life is beautiful and SUCH A HUGE GIFT. His plans are far greater than what I could have ever imagined for my life.  I am constantly reminding myself that this life isn’t about me, nor was it ever, nor will it ever be. It has always been about serving and loving God and sharing His goodness with everyone around me. I get to continue on with life now and make Him known. I’m so excited to be joining the ministry in Puerto in a few short months.

-Shelby Davis, GEM Missionary

If you’d like to support Shelby as she serves with GEM in Mexico, you can do so HERE. You can also contact her directly to talk further about what it means to be on her support team and find out how you can be praying for her!