Daily Devotion:Thankfulness

This Tuesday in our staff meeting, Meggan, our Office Administrator, opened up with devotion about thanksgiving—giving thanks to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Her words were much needed as to bring us back to reality that His grace is enough. His love is enough. What do we have to not be thankful for? 

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him and bless His name.” Psalm 100:4

Meggan’s heart is in Romania, as she attends a Romanian Church here in Nashville to stay in tune with the culture and language.  The Romanian for thank you is, multumesc, a contraction of the Latin phrase ‘multum est’ meaning—‘it is much.’

As in, “it is enough and it is more than enough--it is much.”

She shared with us that at their church service last Sunday, all they continued to say as they prayed aloud was, multumesc, “thank you.” There were no requests, no asks made during their prayer, just “thank you.”

When was the last time we said thank you in a prayer—was it because a prayer had been answered, because something went our way, something was positive?  Was it because you were in a time of suffering?

We were not called to a life of comfort, in fact, we were guaranteed suffering—but do we not suffer because He called us His own and we live in a fallen world that will not back down in persecuting the Christian.  If that is the life we have accepted to live,  choosing to serve our Lord, the head of the church, then we will face trials and suffering, but all for the Glory of our Lord and Savior! He has chosen us. We are His. Thank the Lord for that!

Take Away’s:

1.      Sometimes the great thing that heals is doing a small thing over and over again. "giving thanks"

2.      Nothing is too much to handle when I think about the so much from His hand.  And the way out of the pressing “too much” is to say thank you for the providential “so much.”

 “You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy ; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.”

 Psalm 16:11

In all things give thanks, because we were bought at a price, our sins have been wiped clean, we can be thankful because we know we have an eternity in heaven waiting for us, being prepared for us upon our return Home; thank you Lord for that hope and joy. I will be thankful in all circumstances because of that truth.

Jen's Pen October 2012

Hello Friends!

God is up to big things here at Sweet Sleep!  Thanks to the His guidance and gifts from friends like you, Sweet Sleep has continued to grow in many ways!  

Did you know India’s orphan population is the largest in the world? According to sources, there are more children in India than people in the United States! I’ve prayed for God to reveal how Sweet Sleep might have opportunities for our ministry to impact and change the lives of the country’s most vulnerable. Over the last year God has brought those conversations into being and a month from today I’ll step foot in India for the very first time during a vision trip. Will you join me in praying for wisdom and discernment as I continue to ask God to lead me in the direction He intends?

On the heal of my India trip I will be in Moldova with Sweet Sleep’s newly appointed Global Ministry Director, Madelene Metcalf, where we will be working with indigenous experts on the deinstitutionalization of the orphans in the country’s orphanages. As Moldova begins to close its orphanages over the next eight years, Sweet Sleep is placing itself to become one of six organizations working with the government to help ensure that these vulnerable children are not put onto the streets. We will strengthen our partnership with the Baptist Union in order to help encourage families within the church to give a “forever family” to each child. Beds will be an important part of that process. It continues to amaze me how much of a catalyst a simple bed is. Sweet Sleep as well!  

These next few months are packed with great ministry needs and opportunities. Sweet Sleep is preparing itself for the responsibility we have in all God has entrusted us with through your support.   Without consistent support like yours, the ministry of Sweet Sleep would not be possible. We are humbled by every opportunity God has given us.  I ask you to continue to partner with Sweet Sleep through learning how to become an advocate right where you are, or becoming a prayer warrior, taking a mission journey with us or financially supporting the work we are doing around the world.  

I am eagerly looking forward to all the ways God will gloriously wreck us, together, for His Kingdom.

Sweetly,

Jen 

P.S. Be sure you read how Sweet Sleep friend, Kathy Alwahab, “gave away” her birthday to save and change the lives of orphans! Then, consider how YOU might also “give away” your birthday, or even your CHRISTMAS to being hope, life and love to an orphan in need! Click Here to learn more!

Impossible

It's time for staff devo again! 

This week's devotion was brought to us by Dustin Tracy, our Development Director.

Do you ever feel like you are facing the impossible.  Like there is something standing before you that looks like it could never be accomplished because the goal is too far fetched and seemingly impossible to reach?

Sometimes the Lord asks us to do what our human selves view as impossible.  He asks us to step out and trust Him, because we realize that without Him, yes, it would be impossible.

Joshua 6:1-5

This task that the Lord gave Joshua seemed impossible, to march around the city and bring a wall down through their marching and horn blowing.  But the task is not just the action that takes place, it's the faith behind the action!

Just like Joshua,  we are given tasks which may otherwise seem impossible if God is not in the mix; if He is not in the forefront of the work He chooses us to accomplish for Him.

We will be given tasks that we think will be impossible, but isn't that what faith is all about?  Faith that through these things that seem too big or out of reach, that God will be our guide through each task.

If He orchestrates all things, regardless of the outcome, the Lord will complete what He has begun because all things are possible through Him.

God has a 100% success rate in "impossible situations."

Take heart, we serve a God that does not have impossible in His vocabulary :)

We ask that you join us in prayer for the ministry of Sweet Sleep.  That as a staff we are continually filled with His love and spirit to complete the work He has set before us and do it knowing that with Him all things are possible.