Loving the Shutterfly Christmas card options this year!!
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Cornerstone Blog
Please check out Cornerstone's Missions Blog for updates while I am away.
http://cornerstone-missions.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Diane
http://cornerstone-missions.blogspot.com/
Thanks,
Diane
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Our Good & His Glory
This is my final week of preparation before leaving for India! We had our last team meeting Sunday where we were prayed over as a team during church service. It gives me great peace of mind and encouragement knowing we are supported by so many at our home. My desire from the beginning of this process was to involve as many as possible in this journey so we could ALL be impacted by what God is doing, and going to do in India. Our team has completed the final details of our ministry programs. We will be hosting worship, crafts and giving short teachings/ bible stories at the orphanages and at the leprosy colony, as well as assisting medical clinics. Myself and Colette are in charge of the childrens worship. We have selected and put 'dance moves' to five songs. This is the portion of the trip I most looking forward to! Nothing compares to the laughter of children having a good time. This will be an opportunity for us to connect with the kids and for them to have some fun. The songs we chose are uplifting, with lyrics like "I'm trading my sorrows...I'm trading my sickness, for the joy of Lord". We are hoping to leave the boom-box with the CD before we go so the children will be able to replay the music and dance when we are gone.
During this process of preparation for India I have been filled with incredible joy knowing that we are going to serve and love-on the people we come into contact with.We are only ten people who come from different backgrounds. We are not anything special. Not the best-of-the-best. We have all been given gifts from God. Some of us (me) have at times abused God's gifts to us and at other times we have been accurate and elite in the use of our gifts. And even still, God has called us to serve and to be a part of His this mission. I am humbled and grateful to be going.
I thank the Lord for His encouraging word in First Corinthians, "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Amen! I pray we would be the fragrance of Christ as we go and serve, that they would know we are Your disciples by our love for each other and that we would esteem others higher than ourselves. Lord help us to be filled with wisdom and understanding. Give us the strength to endure the hardships along the way. Lord fill us with your joy in the face of trials and deep faith that would overflow into the lives of each person we meet. Use us Lord to live out Your will here on earth as it is in heaven. Open the hearts of the people we come into contact with, that 'those who are blind would see, and those who are deaf would hear'. May this all be done for our good and Your glory.
During this process of preparation for India I have been filled with incredible joy knowing that we are going to serve and love-on the people we come into contact with.We are only ten people who come from different backgrounds. We are not anything special. Not the best-of-the-best. We have all been given gifts from God. Some of us (me) have at times abused God's gifts to us and at other times we have been accurate and elite in the use of our gifts. And even still, God has called us to serve and to be a part of His this mission. I am humbled and grateful to be going.
I thank the Lord for His encouraging word in First Corinthians, "Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Amen! I pray we would be the fragrance of Christ as we go and serve, that they would know we are Your disciples by our love for each other and that we would esteem others higher than ourselves. Lord help us to be filled with wisdom and understanding. Give us the strength to endure the hardships along the way. Lord fill us with your joy in the face of trials and deep faith that would overflow into the lives of each person we meet. Use us Lord to live out Your will here on earth as it is in heaven. Open the hearts of the people we come into contact with, that 'those who are blind would see, and those who are deaf would hear'. May this all be done for our good and Your glory.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Total Surrender
Sunday we had our second team meeting. Many details of our trip are coming together! We will be hosting crafts in the orphanages, sharing bible stories, giving our testimonies, leading worship songs for the kids in the orphanages and at the leprosy colony. We will also be aiding the medical clinics, and hopefully have opportunities for the things "unplanned" that God has willed for us during our journey.
As our departure date draws near our nerves are definitely setting in. Many of the women on our team have young children they will be leaving behind (including me) and although we know the Lord has in deed called us, leaving our children is not an easy task. I am reminded of Christs words, "If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it." Matthew 10:37-39
On first glance this passage may seem harsh or extreme. How could Christ say such things? I have read this verse many times in my walk with God and every time it speaks to me in a different way. This time around the Lord is speaking to my heart about total surrender. Not just partially serving Him when it fits perfectly into my life and doesn't cause me to sacrifice anything. But to be willing to give it all up because He is worthy of that type of surrender. God never asks us to do anything he Himself is not willing to do for us or has not already done for us. Christ willingly gave up everything for our sake. He chose the cross so we could have life. Jesus understands what total surrender is, and desires for us to partake in it with Him. If we are willing, He will show us an aspect of life we have never known apart from surrendering. There is freedom that comes from serving God boldly and not holding anything back. My son is in Gods hands. Whether or not I am with my family does not change the fact that God is always present with them, watching over them and guiding their lives. Lord, I do surrender and I am willing to take up my cross. This is my personal challenge as I gear up for India. I pray the Lords protection over each child who will not have their mommy for a couple weeks.
Blessings,
Diane
As our departure date draws near our nerves are definitely setting in. Many of the women on our team have young children they will be leaving behind (including me) and although we know the Lord has in deed called us, leaving our children is not an easy task. I am reminded of Christs words, "If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it." Matthew 10:37-39
On first glance this passage may seem harsh or extreme. How could Christ say such things? I have read this verse many times in my walk with God and every time it speaks to me in a different way. This time around the Lord is speaking to my heart about total surrender. Not just partially serving Him when it fits perfectly into my life and doesn't cause me to sacrifice anything. But to be willing to give it all up because He is worthy of that type of surrender. God never asks us to do anything he Himself is not willing to do for us or has not already done for us. Christ willingly gave up everything for our sake. He chose the cross so we could have life. Jesus understands what total surrender is, and desires for us to partake in it with Him. If we are willing, He will show us an aspect of life we have never known apart from surrendering. There is freedom that comes from serving God boldly and not holding anything back. My son is in Gods hands. Whether or not I am with my family does not change the fact that God is always present with them, watching over them and guiding their lives. Lord, I do surrender and I am willing to take up my cross. This is my personal challenge as I gear up for India. I pray the Lords protection over each child who will not have their mommy for a couple weeks.
Blessings,
Diane
Monday, February 7, 2011
India Countdown
We are officially four weeks away from our India mission to Delhi! I am so humbled and grateful for each persons generous giving towards this mission. I know that any dollar amount "small" or "large" is a sacrifice. My prayer is that God would richly use this team to bring hope to the person who is hopeless, comfort to the person who is hurting, and the love of Christ to each person we meet along the way. Thank you so much also for your prayers leading into this mission. We will not be effective with out your prayers being lifted up as we prepare to go and while we are serving in India.
God has a great plan for the lives of each person on our time, as well as the preordained meetings we will have with the people of India. I look forward to learning more about the culture of India, being exposed to God's heart for the people in this country, and serving & learning from each person we meet. I feel strongly that God wants me to go with my mind set on being willing to learn and grow as a person and in my faith. It is easy for me to think I am being called to "bring" the Good News, but God reminds me daily that His truth is every where. I'm not bringing the Good News, I am helping to reveal what is already there. Jesus is in India. He has long been fighting the battle for the people in this country, to reveal to each person the hope of His salvation. The book of Romans tells us, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes... since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen (by man), being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Thank you Lord for being so near to us, and desiring nothing more than to reveal Yourself to all creation!
God has a great plan for the lives of each person on our time, as well as the preordained meetings we will have with the people of India. I look forward to learning more about the culture of India, being exposed to God's heart for the people in this country, and serving & learning from each person we meet. I feel strongly that God wants me to go with my mind set on being willing to learn and grow as a person and in my faith. It is easy for me to think I am being called to "bring" the Good News, but God reminds me daily that His truth is every where. I'm not bringing the Good News, I am helping to reveal what is already there. Jesus is in India. He has long been fighting the battle for the people in this country, to reveal to each person the hope of His salvation. The book of Romans tells us, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes... since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen (by man), being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Thank you Lord for being so near to us, and desiring nothing more than to reveal Yourself to all creation!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
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