Opportunities

I am a huge movie buff and I was watching the movie “Evan Almighty” the other day with a friend. If you haven’t seen this movie before, basically Evan is a newly elected congressman and God asks him to build an ark because there is going to be a flood.

Now, God often speaks to me through movies and TV shows. Something that really stood out to me was a conversation between the character of God and Evan’s wife. She had left with their children because Evan seemed to be going crazy. She asks the waiter, aka God in disguise, what she should do with the “God told me to” answer Evan had given her. The waiter replies, “ Sounds like an opportunity. Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”

Earlier in the movie Evan’s wife had prayed for their family to be closer. God was giving them an opportunity to do just that.
How many times do we pray for patience and then we are surrounded with the most annoying people in the world? How often do we pray for something and we don’t get what we ask for but instead seem to get the complete opposite? I think that God is using those times to teach us.

Read Isaiah 48:17. God wants to teach us and gives us opportunities to learn.

August 2008 Newsletter

The Summer Months are QUITE hectic for me as I am in charge of over 500 people over the course of 3 months and directly responsible for the welfare and well-being of over 50 staff who are working to make this program run smoothly!!  I often feel that I go from meeting to meeting and am working until the wee hours of the morning to get the actual work done!!!

Hopefully after reading the newsletter below (simply click on the pictures to view them clearly) you will better understand what my summer has looked like.

I love you all very much and am praying for you!!!  If you have any questions or would like more information about our ministries here don't hesitate to ask.  I love hearing from you guys.  I feel so connected to home when I receive emails and letters from back home.

Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support over the course of the past 2 years and look forward to hearing about what is going on in your lives.

I will be traveling to Birmingham, AL September 4 and will be home until September 22 and would love to sit down over coffee or dinner to catch up.  Also, I am trying to organize my schedule so if you would like me share my experiences with your small group, sunday school class or church, please let me know as soon as possible.  You can email me or find me on facebook. 

I love you all and cherish each word of encouragement.  Thank you for being so amazing!!!

~ Sheril