One day when I was talking with my youngest daughter on the phone, she said a most insightful thing. She had been asked to take on some new responsibility at Metro Ministries in NYC where she was working. I ask her if she had decided if she was going to go for it, and she said, "I made the decision to step outside my comfort zone, because I know when I have to stretch, I grow." WOW! I was impressed.

She and her boyfriend had determined that they were not going to just be for God. They wanted to be GREAT for God. It is a choice that would cost them, but they knew that, and they were not turning back.

Now, they are preparing to embark on a new adventure. Married, with two little girls (and a baby on the way!) they are preparing to move to Siberia this September. They have felt God's call to Russia for some years now, and in the past few months, God has opened doors for them. So, they will be selling their little house in N.Ireland and moving far, far away. Pray for them, please! Pray for me, too. I am struggling a bit, although I know this is right. Obeying God is not always easy, but it is incomparably wonderful!

How many of us are willing to step outside our comfort zone? There is always that "be reasonable" voice whispering in our ear to play it safe, isn't there? Don't volunteer. Don't reach out. Keep your mouth shut. Just keep a low profile. The mediocre choice. The easy choice. The boring choice.

I often think that there are many people who are far more gifted and able than I am to be a missionary. The thing is —— I said YES! God has shown me over and over that it's not my gifts and abilities He is interested in —— It's my heart. Oh, how He looks to find someone who will say YES! Oh, how He rejoices over the willing heart!

One of my favorite books is You Were Born an Original. Don't Die a Copy, by John L. Mason. He says, "Failure is waiting on the path of least persistence." We have to push. We have to fight. We have to be determined that we are NOT going to be mediocre. Average is our enemy! "Good enough" is not good enough. Excuses don't cut it. Age is not an issue. Just step up! Just say YES, and God will empower you to do more than you ever thought you could.

Decide to be great for God.

Spring is finally showing up here in Denmark, and it is most welcome! This Winter seemed particularly long. We did not see much of the sun, and that can really start to get to you! But now, the brave, little crocus are coming up showing bright spots of color. It makes me happy!

It reminds me of these verses from the Song of Solomon.
(Song of Solomon 2:10-13 NLT) My lover said to me, "Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!"

I am by no means a Bible scholar, but I understand that the Song of Solomon is a type of Christ's love for His church. The church is considered to be the bride of Christ. The lover of our souls calls us, His beloved, to come away with Him. We understand so little of what that means, don't we? And the times that we live in influence the way we see and think about things. Christ wants a pure Bride. He, the bridegroom, will return someday to claim His bride, the church. Brides and purity do not necessarily go together anymore. The idea of a young woman "saving herself" for her husband is considered by many as a silly, old fashioned idea. But, does God want a Bride who has given herself to many others? Does God want a Bride with a divided heart--- one who has one eye on Him, and the other on the world?

When I was a kid, one of the songs we used to sing had words that said, "It's a glorious church without spot or wrinkle....." Oh, that this were so! I am sorry to say that as I see the church today, there are far too many spots and wrinkles. There is far too much building of personal kingdoms and far too little earnest, selfless, spirit-inspired prayer and serving. Far too many beautiful churches, and far too few beautiful souls. God has called His people to so much more than most of us seem able to comprehend. We are too tied to this present world to see it. We want our rewards HERE, instead of in Heaven. We want to be comfortable. We want to enjoy our pleasures and our stuff. We have hardened our hearts to the lost; to those who do not know Christ and are doomed to an eternity without hope. We don't care about making disciples. We want to enjoy life. We want to just get through the day and relax on the weekend. We have stopped loving what God loves and hating what He hates. We rarely even THINK about that. Those who still have a passion for God and a radical faith make us uncomfortable. A sermon preached on sacrifice has us squirming in our seats.

For me, I think for most of us, it is a constant battle. I know my true home is Heaven, but it is so easy to get distracted. I know what God considers most important, but too often I am tempted to choose what is easier ---safer. When God called my husband and I into the ministry, I really dragged my feet. No thank you, God! But, I knew my heart was wrong -- that saying "NO" to God would make me miserable. We became pastors. It was all right. Then, some years later, God called us to the mission field. Oh God, REALLY? Haven't I done enough? How selfish of me to say that to a Savior Who gave up EVERYTHING for me! So, we moved to Denmark. It's been good. Hard, but good. Often, the right choice -- the BEST choice, is not easy. Then God called my children into the ministry. Again, I had a battle with my heart. But it's OK. Then, God called my youngest daughter and her husband to be missionaries. SIGH... I think I am starting to get it, Jesus! WE ARE NOT OUR OWN! You bought and paid for us with Your blood.

I am beginning to understand that the heart-peace and deep joy I have in serving the King are worth the sacrifices. That having a front row seat watching God do incredible things in people's lives is worth the price. That watching Him provide for us again and again is good for my faith. I am learning that Jesus wants to be more than my Savior --- He is LORD. Lord of my life. Lord of my finances, free time and choices. He is Lord over my children and grandchildren. He is Lord of ALL.

Is Jesus Lord of ALL in your life?