What's a Missionary?

Missionary - a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country.

This is the definition of missionary that we think of when you hear someone use the term missionary...someone sent to a foreign land on a religious mission.  In all actuality, every follower of Christ is a missionary or at least we should be.  I am a missionary in prisons..."sent" on a mission to a "foreign" place, foreign to me anyway.  But this is where the Lord has sent me, a mission field surrounded and guarded by razor wire, steel doors, and corrections officers.  If you've ever been on any kind of mission trip I imagine that it is hard to leave to go home and go about your daily life.  You wonder if those who surrendered their lives to Jesus will realize how free they now are in Him, how loved, how precious.  You hope they will fall in love with the Word so it penetrates their hearts and grows them into the men and women of God that He has purposed them to be. You pray they will surround themselves with like-minded people, that they will deny themselves and not fall, that they won't compromise but that they will be bold ambassadors for Jesus Christ.  You pray they grasp what grace is.  I think about and pray for the souls we encounter, that they really get it and become missionaries right where they are.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

A missionary tells the story of Jesus and we can do that anywhere, we should do that anywhere and everywhere!

Let's look at that definition again... a person sent on a religious mission.  Jesus has saved us and has instructed us to go, we have been sent to proclaim the Gospel.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:14-17

Now go...

2016 - What a Year!

It's been a great year!  A ministry, a daughter-in-law, a new "job", song writing, worship leading, traveling, and more....it's been a sold out to Jesus year and I can't wait to see how He is going to use me in 2017.  Life, of course, is not without its ups and downs...my mom has been in and out of the hospital (she's doing pretty good right now), my grandpa was just released from the hospital (seems to be better), I lost miserably in fantasy football...last place, seriously....it was bad (there's always next season), sorry, that was rather tacky...but I really do love football.  I haven't blogged since September, shame on me, but rest assured, I'm ok and sort of have good reasons excuses.  Lots of ministry happening here and there and everywhere...in prisons, North Carolina, Arkansas, it's really been amazing.  I've read lots of books (ok...a couple), I finished another course in my goal to obtain a Certificate in Worship Ministry through Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary...almost done :)  I should wrap it up this Spring, lots of hospital runs and appointments with my mama, the discovery of Gilmore Girls on netflix...the list goes on and on.  But those are the highlights.  Let's back up...

The wedding....July 30, 2016, my son, Christian and his bride, Sydney tied the knot.  It was a lovely wedding officiated by my father-in-law and Christian's grandpa, Lester.  Sydney is a precious young lady and we are proud to have her in our family.

I quit my job in July, so I could do more ministry work, write more songs, etc....and boy, did that explode!  I wrote four songs from August to October, traveled to Arkansas to lead worship for a ladies retreat, traveled to North Carolina to participate with a TV ministry - I led worship there as well, it's been pretty amazing...read our Sing for the King Ministries 2016 Year in Review.

https://singfortheking.com/2016/12/31/2016-a-year-in-review/

Our ministry has seen countless lives changed by the Gospel in and out of prison, I have been so blessed to be a part of it all.  My marriage, faith, and love for people is stronger than it ever has been and the Glory belongs to the Lord.  Thank You, Jesus, for these life-changing moments of 2016, I won't forget them.

Almost forgot to do our Christmas Card though, that would've been tragic, ha.  I threw this together and mailed it on December 22nd...what a loser ;)

And hey, read these books...

Joy in the Small Things....or Weird Things

If you know me, then you know I'm easily amused.  Like I've said before and so has many others...I laugh all the time, I love to laugh!...especially at myself.  I think I'm hilarious, moreso than most other people but who cares.

I was recently shown the app "Dubsmash", it is a lip syncing app.  It gives you short clips (sentences or phrases), song lyrics, etc and you lip sync with them.  Sounds easy enough but I am really not that good at them but they crack me up nonetheless.  Here's a brief example:

https://youtu.be/aO17Pnp_pnI

I told you I'm not that great at it...but here's me trying to do another one, James thought he'd be funny and record me in the process.

https://youtu.be/2aZsIG7qy-g

There you have it, another time waster (which I do not waste time doing a lot, just once in a great while) it's a good pick me up if you're having a rough day ;)

A Captured Heart

I am in the midst of back to back services/events (7 in 6 days).  Due to circumstances beyond my control it ended up this way and that's ok.  Yes, I am tired...and vocally challenged but yesterday God overwhelmed me with His goodness, His faithfulness, and I am thankful, blessed really, to be doing what I'm doing and once again in awe of how He works.  Jesus captured my heart yesterday in so many ways.  Through the preaching of the Word yesterday morning, to being allowed to lead people in the praise and worship of Him, to be able to share of His gift of salvation and the continued sanctification process in my own heart and life.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:17

God is revealing so many things to me, He wants so much more for us than we allow Him to give.  He wants our hearts...completely focused and surrendered to Him.  We get so caught up in doing, going, checking our boxes...and suddenly we are going through the motions instead of living each moment in anticipation of what He is going to do, can do and will do when we come before Him with a captured heart, a broken and contrite heart.  A heart for His purpose for us, a heart for the lost, a heart that sees people hurting and stops to see them instead of passing by or giving a quick fix. When did we (Christians) become so apathetic?  When we start telling ourselves that it is not our problem or our job to share the story of Jesus...then there's an issue.

Let's get caught up in Jesus, in His love, His grace, His mission.

I Marvel

I wrote my 5th song yesterday...I've been walking around with the words I marvel in my head. Those are the only words I had prior to sitting down to write but I love the word marvel, Jesus used it, others used it. It means be filled with wonder, astonishment. The greatest thing that fills me with wonder and astonishment is the work of Christ on the cross for me, his sacrificial death, his resurrection...that's what I marvel at. Why this perfect, Holy God would come to this cruel world, be mocked, rejected, and die a horrific death for you and for me when He really didn't have to...He did it willingly because of His great love for us.  I can't even begin to comprehend that kind of love and when in the tiniest way I try to understand it, it overwhelms me and I weep at the thought of it.  So as I wrote the lyrics to this song, I wept, I sobbed, I was overwhelmed...I hope I never get over Jesus dying for me.

"I Marvel" by Christy Hoagland

Verse 1
The cross of calvary, You bore for me
You saved me from myself, from the enemy
You willingly took my place, You suffered, died, in disgrace
And through Your grace and mercy, You set me free

Chorus
And I marvel, at Your sacrifice
I'm filled with wonder, why You'd give Your life
For me, this sinner, why You bled and died
Your great love for me, I'm still amazed by
It astonishes me
How You saved me, how You changed me
A mystery
How You love me, how You keep me

Verse 2
To understand the cross of Christ, no one will know
God wrapped in flesh, crucified, the debt we owe
Holy Spirit, Father, Son, Almighty King, the Holy One
Died and rose again to give us hope

Chorus

Verse 3
Life was given in Your glorious victory
My guilt and shame washed away in misery
You conquered darkness and the grave
What an awesome price You paid
And in You, risen Lord, gave me eternity!

Chorus