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Category Archives: Ministry

A Mother’s Grief

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Wende Parsley and Ethan, a mother's grief

Wende and Ethan

Two years and counting. My friend Wende continues to grieve the loss of her son Ethan. In the spring of 2010, an aneurysm in Ethan’s brain – caused by Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) – ruptured and Ethan woke up in Jesus’ presence. (Wende and Ethan’s story is featured in “Unshakeable Faith” but you can also read it here.)

Recently, Wende sent me a poem she wrote on the first anniversary of Ethan’s death. It’s emotional, honest, and hopeful. Although grief sometimes seems to take on a life of its own, God is faithful to work through it to shape and strengthen us. Wended graciously shares her poem of grief with us today.


“Grief” by Wende Parsley

It is always there
This thick, grey ball of feeling just behind my face.
It travels down through me and connects with my soul,
There are traces in every cell
Daring to seep out.
Impossible to hold in.
Everything is colored by it
Forever changed.
Some days, even one small, negative word pulls it forth.
At other times, it bubbles out freely, slowly
Always replenished by a seemingly never-ending pool.
This is a gift from God.

Eventually, as it lightens and loosens,
Small burrows are left behind.
Places for new.
It is a way to forever keep what has been so lost
Inside of me forever.
Replacing parts of my being with tiny pieces of joy,
Spiritual remnants left on earth by my son.
This is a gift from God.

Tragedy and suffering become glory.
The worst in me will be transformed
Into something worthy.
Gifts passed on are more purposeful now.
The legacies of others flourish in me,
As if my struggle has made them stronger, greater,
More permanent.
This sorrow will matter.
It will bring a new brightness to the world.
This is a gift from God.

Wende sees God’s hand in her grief. She sees Him working in it to transform her worst into something worthy. She recognizes God’s work to be a gift to her in the midst of her grief. Thank you Wende for sharing your grief with us.

How have you seen God work in the midst of your grief? What did He teach you that you can share with us?

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Friend or Foe – Monday Minute in the Word

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Monday Minute in the Word, devotionOver the years I’ve felt mostly support as I’ve taught God’s Word, ministered to women, and served in the church. I wrote “mostly” because there have been a few minor occasions when individuals objected to a certain aspect of ministry or a specific action. While none of them were serious, it did give me a sense of what strong opposition by another believer might feel like.

Support or Opposition?

I thought of this recently when I read about the friendship between David and Jonathan during my daily quiet time. As always, Jonathan’s loyalty struck me. But this time through 1 Samuel, what stood out even more was how Jonathan’s support of David sharply contrasted with Saul’s opposition.

19 Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2 and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.” 4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The LORD won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”

1 Samuel 19:1-5, NIV

Jonathan recognized God was working through David to accomplish His purposes (vs 5). Therefore, Jonathan supported David and refused to side with his father. Saul opposed David because of jealousy. David’s success drew attention and Saul sought his own glory instead of God’s. Jonathan was David’s friend, but his father Saul was David’s foe.

Unity among believers

Jealousy is only one of many reasons believers oppose each other. Tradition, misunderstanding, personality clashes, hurt feelings, and more all work to pit believer against believer. God calls believers to unity (1 Corinthians 12:25). He wants us to strengthen, encourage, and help each other as we carry out the work He has for us.

God uses many wonderful Christian friends to spur me on in ministry and service. In fact there have been a few times that I might have given up on a task had not one of them “intervened” with encouragement. I thank God for every one of them.

I also want to support other believers. I want to be a friend and not a foe as they serve God and minister to His people.

In what ways have other believers supported and encouraged you? Is there someone in your life now that needs your support? How can you do that in practical ways?

 

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Famous Last Words – Anna

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Have you ever noticed that many older Christians “retire” from serving God? Once they aren’t working or their kids are grown or they can’t get around like they used to, they step back from active involvement in ministry. They continue to attend church, but they pretty much become a Christian spectator. (Lord, I’m praying already that this won’t be me.)

Anna, the Jewish prophetess, is a great example for all of us as we get older. (I know, some of us are older than others.) We meet Anna in the temple not long after the birth of Jesus. Joseph and Mary took Jesus there to observe all the ceremonies required by Jewish law.

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Luke 2:36-38, NIV

Although some scholars think Anna could have been more than 100 years old, she had not retired. She constantly served God and His people at the temple. Although we don’t have a specific quote from Anna, the Bible does tell us that after she met Jesus, she “spoke about the child to all…”

Anna faithfully witnessed about Jesus Christ to all who would listen. The implication is she continued witnessing until her death. I can imagine that the last words on her lips may have been, “Jesus is the redemption of Israel!”

Will you testify about your Savior with your dying words? Who do you need to tell?

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5 Ways to Impact Your Children with Easter’s Message

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My brother, my father, & me, Easter 1969

Rich memories of childhood Easters keep popping up in my mind. I can still feel the cold metal of the folding chair as I sat with my family in the church parking lot waiting for the first rays of the sun to make their appearance. And with the sun, the somber notes of “low in the grave He lay…” became the joyous thunder of “up from the grave He arose (He arose), with a mighty triumph o’er His foes.” After prayer and singing, everyone escaped the chilly air and enjoyed pancakes and sausage in the church fellowship hall.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about the impact Easter had on me as a child. I also have wonderful memories of Christmas, but Easter took root in my soul from an early age. Even then, I must have sensed the eternal significance of Christ’s death and resurrection. As parents and grandparents, we have a great opportunity – and God-given responsibility – to make sure our children understand the great truth and power of Easter.

Below are five easy, but memorable, ways to help your children understand the Easter story. Make sure you check out the links for details and more information:

1. Make a set of Resurrection Eggs – This is a fun way to “concretely” share the Easter story with your kids. You can purchase a ready-made set, but putting them together with your kids is part of the fun. Here are the instructions for making your own Resurrection Eggs.

2. Watch a movie together – One great way to start a conversation with your children about the Easter is by watching a movie that portrays the Easter story or illustrates its truths. Several great ones are available. Just choose one that is age-appropriate for the kids in your life. Here are a few suggestions:

3. Attend a Good Friday service or event – Many churches have services on Good Friday to help us remember Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. This is a great opportunity to talk about Jesus’ death and what it accomplished for us. Cochrane, the small town where we lived in Canada, had a “Cross Walk.” Members from all areas of the community met downtown and prayerfully followed the cross as a volunteer carried it through the streets.

4. Make Resurrection Cookies – Use this tasty object lesson to teach your kids about the empty tomb. Make them on Saturday night and enjoy them first thing Sunday. Here’s the recipe and how-to’s for Resurrection Cookies.

5. Experience the Easter Sunrise – Like the women who went to the tomb, be up and ready to greet the first light of Sunday morning. You can do this at an official sunrise service or in your own backyard. Friday was somber. Sunday is a celebration! (And don’t forget the pancake breakfast!)

I’d love to hear about your childhood Easter memories! Also, please share ways you celebrate Easter with your kids and grandkids.

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Join the M.O.M. revolution!

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I asked my dear friend Stephanie Shott to share with us today about an exciting new movement she’s initiated. If you’re a mom, a grandma, an aunt, or ever want to be a mom, don’t miss this!

 

The M.O.M. Initiative

Many women dream of being the perfect mom who has all the right answers, never raises her voice and never has to count to three, but we all know being a good mom is not that easy. Those sweet little bundles of joy don’t come with instruction manuals or warning labels and moms are often left to figure it out on their own.

What is the M.O.M. Initiative?

“Mothers On a Mission to Mentor Other Mothers” is a group of moms and a package of resources to equip, enable and support women as they experience Titus 2 principles in real life. It is a mentoring package of resources that give Christian mothers an easy, hands on approach to passionately pursue mentor relationships with younger mothers and mothers-to-be, and ultimately impact the next generation for Christ. Simply stated, the M.O.M. Initiative exists to help moms become the best moms they can possibly be.

The M.O.M. Initiative website

Virtual encouragement for real life moms: The website is a safe place to grow as a mother, to gain a better understanding of what a mother is and what a mother does, and to foster and support mentor/mentee relationships.

Virtual mentoring in times of need:  Find practical tips, helpful tools, godly wisdom, and informative insight on current issues. The M.O.M. Initiative website also offers a private chat room where a mom can connect virtually with a mentor and find help in times of need. The website offers help for both the mentor and the mentee.

Practical articles for every season of life: A diverse and experienced group of moms provide the helpful and insightful articles on the M.O.M. Initiative website. Not only are they passionate about ministering to the hearts of mothers, they are also writers, speakers, counselors, nurses, or experts in their fields who devote much time and effort to serving other mothers.

The M.O.M. Initiative workbook

This workbook – currently in development – will be an invaluable tool to help Christian moms mentor other moms in the church and beyond. This eight-week study, five lessons per week, study will:

  • Present moms with biblical truths and solid information on the mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and developmental needs of a child
  • Foster insight through thought provoking questions
  • Encourage moms to implement proactive mothering techniques
  • Include a M.O.M. mentor guide and a missional planning guide

Giving birth to the M.O.M. Initiative

M.O.M. Initiative founder Stephanie Shott was a single mom at age nineteen. Without Christ and without a mentor, she made a series of serious choices that affected her precious young son. When Stephanie became a Christian five years later she learned being a mom is much more than a three-letter word and a handful of sacrifices. The significance of Titus 2:4-5 deeply impacted her.

Stephanie’s experience fostered passion for mentoring moms and birthed the vision for the M.O.M. Initiative. Her goal is to impact not just church moms, but to also facilitate mentoring relationships with young moms wherever they are found – in homes for unwed mothers, low-income housing projects, apartment complexes, homeless shelters, prisons, juvenile shelters, schools, hospitals, the mission field and more. (Planning guides for each of these venues will be available in the back of the book.)

Will you join the M.O.M revolution? The M.O.M. Initiative is not just a book. It’s not just a website. IT’S A REVOLUTION!

 

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