323/365

O Gladsome Light
Phos Hilaron

O gladsome light of the holy glory
of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by joyful voices,
O Son of God, Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

- from The Trinity Mission, Evening Prayer

SaveSave

241/365

We set out in the late morning with a goal of visiting a list of 10 or so homes. We figure early that number might be optimistic.  We are working our way through a list of people who had expressed interest in a visit and participating in a bible study during our summer medical clinic. My daughter, one of the ones who sat at the exit to clinic and took names and addresses from our interested neighbors, warned me it would be a challenge. "A lot of people didn't know their address," she told me. "I think they might be guessing."
They might be guessing. That might be a good guess.
Turns out that we are, too.

Thankfully, we have experience guessing. We lived in San Jose, Costa Rica for eight months. I have heard that gradually the system is improving, but for nearly ever, Costa Ricans have had no traditional number and street name. They use a "landmark system." For example, the address of our house was something like
The Holliday Family
San Francisco de Dos Rios,
Four blocks south from the Shell station,
Turn left,
Fourth house on the right, a yellow house with a white fence.
We didn't have a mailbox. When the electric bill and the cable bill and the water bill came, it arrived rolled up and stuck in our front gate. More than once, we found ourselves without services because we forgot to pay. More than once, we found a bill, not our own, blowing down the street. Amazingly, we did receive mail, but not at home. We used the more reliable school address for letters from back at home.

But back in our Aquiles neighborhood... we look at the first address on the list. We pull up Google maps for street names, because signs sure are no where to be found. We go to the corner and turn right. And we start to look for numbers. We turn left and again start to look for numbers. Amazingly, the house waits right on the corner. With a mailbox! With a sign with the family name! With a name that matches the name on the paper! And she's home! (Yes- that's a lot of exclamation points, but it is a Lot of Exclamation Point Worthy Event!)

We look for places to sit in her front porch. I take a seat on the toilet. We laugh. (For those wondering,  yes, the lid was down. For those wondering, no, the toilet was not hooked up. For those wondering, no, I'm not sure why there was a toilet waiting on her front porch...) And then this dear lady tells us about her family and about her health and about her work. It is hard. We pray. We leave her a bag of basic food from the church. She thanks us and kisses our cheeks and bids us farewell. We promise to return. We set out again.

And this process of searching, of squinting for non-existent numbers, of greeting the saints and of greeting the needy, it continues. We discover the numbers are not in order. We discover streets that are called by different names. We discover that more than one blue house is on each of the corners of the street. We meet the neighbors of the neighbors. We pray. We take a break for a gringo lunch. And we return to the list.

We hear impossible stories. One lady greets us with her arm in a sling and we hear about how she was injured at work. Now she is out of work and wondering how to provide for her family. We pray. We meet a lady whose children are scattered far and wide, working here and there, problems big and small. We pray. We meet a mom of four boys. She works the night shift and leaves the boys in the late afternoon and returns to them in the early morning. She worries that her boys are on the streets at night. She looks at us, tired and fighting a cold. We pray. We lean on cars and we lean on fences and we sit on plastic chairs and we sit on mini-van seats made into couches. We listen. We pray.

Often I hear people count their blessings as if it might be a list of "but it could be worse." I wish they could spend time with people that they might consider "worse off." It is humbling. In the hardest times, our only hope is to lean into our God even harder. One of the ladies we talk to told me that.

We finish for one day. Still, we have plenty more to visit. Plenty more numbers to find. Plenty more stories to hear. Plenty more opportunities to pray.

115/365

That photo- it doesn't begin to do justice to the beauty of the morning. It doesn't show the warm gusty winds, the shadow of the clouds across the fields, the true blue of the sky, or the emerald greens of new growth. I want to remember that the scene was enough to draw me to the side of the road to kneel down and try to capture the moment.

The morning reminded me of the importance of living with intention- and of being purposeful to take time to be still. How do you put words to the value of gathering to pray, no chatter, no requests, but directly to heads bowed down and voices lifted up? How many times have we seen our Father's faithfulness in very specific answers to petition? I have lost count. But it's not just that, as He would yet be good even if we never knew a single Yes. It's also the sitting quiet and remembering and knowing with absolute certainty, we are His. Oh that mystery, that He lives to make intercession for us, and yet, we are commanded to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, to give thanks in all circumstances. I needed that time, and on this day, I am thankful for those reminders of His steadfast lovingkindness.

9/365

First day back to my Mexican English students. I left with the rising sun in my rear view mirror. A few miles down the road, I realized that I would be arriving in the 'hood completely on my own for the morning. I left my husband at home. My usual bodyguard, PE teacher Big D, has started sabbatical. I knew that others might be late to the office. I pulled over before entering the bridge and sent a quick text to my best-est prayer partner to join me in petition for the day. "I'm fine and I'm not anxious, but I'm mindful of the battle. And our prayers are never wasted, right?," I tapped.

It was bright with clear blue skies when the school aide came to tell me that I left my lights on. We do that a lot in this car. My third graders ran to the window. I ran to turn the lights off and then tried to turn the car on. No such luck. The next text was to my Reynosa missionary brotherhood. "Can any of you come over and give me a jump before noon...?," I asked. My hero was waiting outside the gate before I finished the morning classes.

Again, I can't help but be thankful for protection and for provision and for the village that surrounds me so faithfully, even in my own carelessness.

3/365

It is not the arithmetic of our prayers — how many they be;
nor the rhetoric of our prayers — how eloquent they be;
nor their geometry — how long they be;
nor their music — how sweet their voice may be;
nor their logic — how argumentative they be;
nor yet their method — how orderly they be;
nor even their divinity — how good their doctrine may be, which God cares for:
but it is the fervency of spirit which availeth much.
(Bishop Joseph Hall, 1808)
(from "Seven Steps to Strengthen Prayer" by Bonnie McKernan on the Desiring God blog)

I think about the new year and new mercies and how to pray-
that I would recognize God's glory all around me,
that I would daily know and share His grace and steadfast lovingkindness,
that I would be His messenger, in word and in deed, to hungry world searching for hope,
that I would be quick to confess and quick to repent and quick to cry out, "I believe; help my unbelief."

118/366

We are weary, give us rest,
  ignorant, make us wise unto salvation,
  helpless, let thy strength be made perfect
    in our weakness,
  poor and needy, bless us with Christ’s
    unsearchable riches,
  perplexed and tempted, let us travel on
    unchecked, undismayed,
      knowing that thou hast said,
‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’
Blessed be thy name!

- from The Valley of Vision, "Fourth Day Evening: God All-Sufficient."

317/365

Only the prayer which comes from our heart can get to God's heart.
- Charles Spurgeon

thankful for prayer, in any language.

254/365

Because of you, terror is terrified. Indeed, because of you, one day there will be no terror or tears. There will be no more brokenness or barrenness, no more heartaches or even heartburn, no more human trafficking or even human tooth decay, no more war or even aggravation, no more evil or even envy, no more poverty or even pouting, and no more “not yet,” “not enough,” or “not now.”

     Our labors in you, King Jesus, are not in vain. Because of you we can, and must, live as peacemakers, sowing the peace of the gospel of the kingdom, with the absolute assurance that a harvest of righteousness is being raised and will be reaped.

     We praise and adore you, for your name is Redeemer, Reconciler, and Restorer. We cry out loud, “Maranatha!” Come, Lord Jesus, come! Give us all the mercy, grace, and peace we need for this day, as we labor and wait for that Day. So very Amen we pray, with kingdom joy and great hope.

- "A Prayer About Peace," Everyday Prayers by Scotty Smith

227/365

Through the hardest parts of life and the most joyful ones; in the crazy-making seasons and the oasis-like breathers; in the stories that vex us, and the relationships that test us—you love us, will never leave us, and will complete us. Father, we praise, bless, and adore you. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ merciful and mighty name.
- from "Shutting Down Our Whines with Worship- Praying through Romans 8:31-37," by Scotty Smith, August 14, 2015

Thankful for an oasis-like breather in the crazy-making season and a few days with these people, most dear. Father, I praise, bless and adore you.

187/365

Father, these cherished friendships turn my heart heavenward. They simply remind me that the foundation and fountain of all good friendship is found in you. I praise you for befriending us in the gospel. It is overwhelming, settling, and centering to hear Jesus say to us, “I no longer call you servants. . . . I call you friends” (John 15:15).
- from "A Prayer of Thanks for Long-Standing Friends," Everyday Prayers by Scotty Smith

A prayer for our growing children

A Prayer for Our Growing Children

by Jason Helopoulos

As they mature and leave the home
Provide them adequate finances, but not riches
spouses who will love them, but not worship them
Give them sorrows, but not too deep
struggles, but not too great
Make them seasoned, but not hopeless
comfortable in their own skin, but not vain
zealous, but equally wise
knowledgeable, but filled with humility
content, but continually striving
Allow them to be confident, but not cocky
humble, but not sheepish
gracious, but not fearful
Mature their body in strength
their emotions with sophistication
and their imaginations with grounding
Fill their lungs with deep laughter
and their souls with joy

But even as I pray these things,
there is one prayer that soars above the rest
Bestow upon them your grace
Lavish them with your mercy
Drench them with your love
Give them the gift of faith
Satiate all their appetites with you
Fill them with your Holy Spirit
Set them apart for your holy service
Bring them into union with Christ
Let their hearts know a peace that surpasses understanding
Grant that my children would be Your children

That would make this child exceedingly thankful
Hear my prayer, O Father of mercy and grace

(from DeYoung, Restless and Reformed blog by Kevin DeYoung, 23January2014)

A Prayer for the New Year

Thanks to Andrew Peterson at The Rabbit Room  for this prayer from John Bailie's A Diary of Private Prayer. On the first day of the new year and every day after, I am thankful for worship, for refuge, for peace, and for the hope of Christ. It's difficult to even put words on all that, and thus, I am also thankful for the Holy Spirit, that I don't really have to...

Eternal Father of my soul, let my first thought be of you, let my first impulse be to worship you, let my first speech be your name, let my first action be to kneel before you in prayer.

For your perfect wisdom and perfect goodness;
For the love wherewith you love mankind;
For the love wherewith you love me;
For the great and mysterious opportunity of my life;
For the indwelling of your Spirit in my heart;
For the sevenfold gifts of your Spirit;
I praise and worship you.

Yet let me not, when this prayer is said, think my worship ended and spend this year in forgetfulness of you. Rather from these moments of quietness let light go forth, and joy, and power, that will remain with me through all the days of the year,

Keeping me chaste in thought;
Keeping me temperate and truthful in speech;
Keeping me faithful and diligent in my work;
Keeping me humble in my estimation of myself;
Keeping me honorable and generous in my dealings with others;
Keeping me loyal to every hallowed memory of the past;
Keeping me mindful of my eternal destiny as a child of yours.

O God, who have been the refuge of my fathers through many generations, be my refuge this year in every time and circumstance of need. Be my guide through all that is dark and doubtful. Be my guard against all that threatens my spirit’s welfare. Be my strength in time of testing. Gladden my heart with your peace, through Jesus Christ my Lord.

Amen.

"Thy Divine Will"

Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will,
by leaning hard on thy rich free mercy,
by believing thou wilt give what thou has promised;

Strengthen me to pray with the conviction
that whatever I receive is thy gift,
so that I may pray until prayer be granted;

Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy arise
from several degrees of prayer,
that when faith is begun it is imperfect and must grow,
as chapped ground opens wider and wider until rain comes.

So shall I wait thy will, pray for it to be done,
and by thy grace become fully obedient.

from "Thy Divine Will," The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers

253/365

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
    and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
    more than watchmen for the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.
- Psalm 130:5-6 (ESV)

"and other mind numbing horrors"

My high school junior is reading The Road from Home as part of her 20th Century World History studies this week. The following are the teacher's introductory comments on the book-

"...why spend two weeks reading about the Armenian extermination?

I think the answer comes before the Author's Note, in the front pages. Read the quote by Talaat Pasha, that orders the Armenians all be killed, "however criminal the measures taken may be."

And then, the chilling statement by Hitler, ordering all Poles killed: "After all, who remembers today the extermination of the Armenians?"

Hitler uses as his justification for genocide the lack of memory of history!

May this quote spur you on to pray for events in our world today, whether the genocide in Sudan, the horrific conditions in North Korea, or whatever other mind-numbing horrors are taking place."

Once again, I'm so thankful for the rock solid curriculum Sonlight provides and how it continues to bless our family, even as we begin our 14th year of using it.
And, I'm praying for Syria (click on the link to read an in-the-streets view of the situation in Aleppo, Syria).

177/365

There are few things more humbling than to meet and hear from people who tell us, "We are praying for you." We respond with "we are thankful." But, truthfully, that is never enough.
We are grateful.

We travel back and forth from Texas to Mexico at least weekly and sometimes even more. It is not a Big Deal to us, and yet, we are cognizant that we are small and God is big. Even that sentence sounds pretty trite. Occasionally we are reminded of those ideas, that we are ever reliant on His steadfast lovingkindness and mercy, in specific ways. And such happened this week.

We traveled across on this day with several purposes in mind. We volunteered to bring over a visiting pastor from Haiti to see some of the work in Mexico. (note- there are few things more humbling than spending time with a pastor who grew up on the street in Haiti, who now lives and serves orphans in that country, and pastors and plants thriving churches in some of the most impoverished areas of his community. Our needs are very very few.) We needed to check on a few things for our upcoming teams at the end of July. We had my dad visiting from out of town along too, to show him where my son is serving this summer and where we spend time.

All was on track, until it wasn't, of course. Ready to leave the school and get back into the comfort of air conditioning and onto lunch, the van would not start. We were parked in front of the school where we will be serving at later in the summer, but it was midday on a hot June afternoon, and not many people were around. We didn't have jumper cables. The caretaker of the school didn't have a car. We didn't have a Mexican phone. I prayed for His provision.

We asked at the corner store if anyone had cables, and indeed, one man from the neighborhood did. But remember- gringos in the neighborhood? Why are you here, he asked me. I was so very grateful that I could quickly and honestly answer, we are missionaries and we will be helping at the school later in the July; we want to serve this neighborhood. And our battery is dead. He had cables, but no car. We met the girl who lives across the street from the school. No car, but she was excited to speak English to me.

It was at just the right moment that the front loader turns down the street. Yes, we got a jump from the front loader. It was quite the event. Both my family and the girl across the street took pictures, which were posted on Facebook and Instagram within minutes of having a wifi connection. But much more importantly, yes, those prayers, for safety and for provision and for opportunities to meet people and share the faithfulness of our God, all those prayers were recognized as answered on that hot afternoon in a sunny northern Mexico border neighborhood.

Please continue to pray. We are grateful.

matters of consquence

"When prayer requests deal with matters of consequence, when we learn to pray for each other about the actual struggles of our souls, when prayer aligns with God’s deepest purposes, then we simultaneously are making a huge start at becoming alert, effective counselors. For example, the Bible’s prayers are rarely about health, travel mercies, finances, doing well on a test, finding a job, or the salvation of unsaved relatives. Of course, these are legitimate things to pray for, but they are a minor emphasis in Scripture. Even so, these topics typically dominate most church and small group prayer requests. They easily miss the real action of God’s dealings with his beloved people.

In contrast, the driving focus of biblical prayer asks God to show himself, asks that we will know him, asks that we will love others. It names our troubles. It names our troublesome reactions and temptations. It names our holy desires. It names our God, his promises, and his will."

- David Powlinson, "Prayer Is A Great Place to Begin Biblical Counseling," CCEF blog, 12 March 2013

That couple of paragraphs, and the entire article, speak to my soul. O to know God better, to love others better, to name "our God, his promises, and his will." THAT is the desire of my heart.

243/366

from A Prayer about a Third Kind of Prodigal Son by Scotty Smith

Because the gospel is true, I bring you my busy, not-very-well-focused, somewhat meandering heart. I feel like a third son right now. I’m not struggling with the extremes of either of the sons in Luke 15. I’m not acting out in destructive “fleshy” ways, and I’m not presently throwing myself a self-righteous pity party. I’m just somewhere in between. I still hear and love the wonderful music of the gospel, but I just don’t feel like dancing right now.


So, Father, as I come to you today, I take great comfort in knowing that I’ll always find you filled with compassion for me, even when my feelings are not fully engaged with you. As I saunter toward you, you’re always running toward me in Jesus. As I’m glad to see you, you see me from afar and are thrilled at the sighting. I believe this, help my unbelief.

135/366

Today we completed the SENTRI process with an interview and fingerprints, and turned in an expedited passport application. I'm pretty confident that passports are a means of sanctification, for me, anyway.

In all seriousness, we are grateful for prayers for the passport. My oldest at home daughter will be spending 2 months in Honduras this summer as an intern with Mission to the World (MTW). We just discovered that her passport was 2 weeks short of being sufficient for the Honduran requirements, so we have expedited a new passport for her. She needs it in her hands in 10 working days. Pray that the process will be without delay and that she will have the needed passport in hand to leave on time. And pray that we will be at peace and confident in our sovereign God as we wait.

praying for missionaries

When people ask me how to pray for missionaries, I tell them they need to be remembered daily, because these kinds of stresses are everyday realities. Pray for the big things: that the gospel will advance through their efforts; that they will be sustained through loneliness; that the Lord will provide financial partnerships; and that He will protect them from illness and those who would do them harm. But also remember to pray for the everyday things: transportation to the market, strength to do tasks such as washing clothes and making meals, finding correct boundaries in relation to possessions and privacy, and enduring the stress of long periods of separation. Pray for the Lord to sustain their relationship with Him and with one another. And, particularly, pray for their children. (64-65)
Tommie Sitton, in Reckless Abandon: A Modern-Day Gospel Pioneer's Exploits Among the Most Difficult to Reach Peoples by David Sitton

I recently attended our denomination's women's conference, primarily to represent ESL ministry opportunities and training. But in truth, everywhere I go, I go as a missionary for Christ, as my family and I serve with Mission to the World on the US/Mexico border. At the conference, I was speaking to a kind lady, and after a few minutes of conversation, she made the connection that she prays for me and my family and the ministry at the border. Later in the weekend, a similar conversation was repeated with another lady. Those encounters humbled me, and served as such an encouragement. These ladies I've never met, they pray for me and my family!

Today on his blog Kevin DeYoung highlights a new book by David Sitton, founder of To Every Tribe Ministries. We have a soft heart for To Every Tribe because our team leaders' son is in training with them at the Center for Pioneer Church Planting here in the Rio Grande Valley. But it's the quote by Sitton's wife, Tommi, that stands out to me today- her wisdom after more than 30 years on the mission field.

Serving here on the US/Mexico border, I echo those same requests. I am grateful for prayer for the Big Things- that we would have opportunity to further the Gospel; that we would serve well; that we would be zealous and untiring for Kingdom work; that His provision would always be sufficient. We are grateful for those who recognize the spiritual battle around us, and pray "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done..." And although the routine of everyday life is not unusual here as we live on the Texas side of the border, it is different. We do miss family and friends and familiar worship and even seasons and routines of old. Finally, oh how I am thankful for those who pray for my kids, who pray for their hearts and their safety and their spiritual growth and maturity.

Twice in the last couple of months I have received unexpected notes of encouragement, from ladies that are praying for our family and ministry. One was from a lady in a supporting church that I have never met, and included the praises and petitions of the church; the other from a good friend catching me up on ministry happenings and her family. Both blessed my heart, and caused me to smile broadly. It is really sweet to know that we are remembered in prayer.

Our family, and most missionaries I know, send out regular prayer updates via email. Send me a note, and I'd be happy to share our latest with you. In His Word, the Lord tells us that He knows us by name. What an encouragement when His people petition our needs by name before our very sovereign God!

(photo credit: taken at the gardens at Quinta Mazatlan yesterday)