Live Your Story

In July we were privileged to spend a week at Gasconade Christian Service Camp for High School Camp.  It was an amazing week and we had such a great time.  There was a camp team from Central Christian College of the Bible at the week as well.  The theme of their display was “Live Your Story.”  That thought has echoed through my head ever since the week of camp.  God is calling us…His children…to Live Your Story.

As I have wrestled with this simple phrase, three things have jumped out at me.  First, LIVE your story.  Sometimes we are better at talking about our story, dreaming about our story or just sitting by and letting the story go.  As a Church we talk about love.  We talk about action.  We talk about praying for each other, but are our words empty or filled with action?  1 John 3:18, the foundational verse for this ministry says, “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”  God has called us to live our stories in our families, in our neighborhoods, in our schools.  God has placed us in a circle of influence.  He desperately needs His people, each and every one of us, to live our story.  Let God write your story while you live it out!

Live YOUR story.  How often do we look at other peoples’ stories and wish it was our story?  Maybe this one is just for me (maybe not), but I spend way too much time comparing myself, my ministry, my family to others.  God is dealing with me and my own personal insecurities.  As I have wrestled with living my story God keeps reminding me that He created a story specifically for me and my family.  He has created a storyline just for me.  He has a part in the story only I can fill.  I must stop looking around and just be willing to look within and live my story, the story He has laid out just for me.

Live your STORY.  God has been writing a story since the beginning of creation.  What amazes me is He has a part in His story He has created specifically for each and every one of us.  God wants us to be a part of His story.  God has written me into His story.  A story is written with words.  What words would you use to describe your story?  Grace?  Mercy?  Forgiveness?  Redemption?  All of the above?  If your story is full of grace, mercy, forgiveness and redemption then who should we be as a people?  God needs you to live your story, in your circle of influence, for His kingdom and for His glory.  There is a world all around us lost, dying and going to hell.  They are desperately waiting for us.  Live your story…

tory

An Amazing Journey

August 1st, 2003

Kara and I were on an airplane with an incredible group of students from Fort Street Christian Church.  We had just taken off from Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska and were enroute to Globe, Arizona for our third short-term mission trip.  I had just finished our team devotional and began reading Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest. 

“He comes where He commands us to leave.  If you stayed home when God told you to go because you were so concerned about your own people there, then you actually robbed them of the teaching of Jesus Christ Himself.  When you obeyed and left all the consequences to God, the Lord went into your city to teach, but as long as you were disobedient, you blocked His way.  Watch where you begin to debate with Him and put what you call your duty into competition with His commands.  If you say, ‘I know that He told me to go, but my duty is here,’ it simply means that you do not believe that Jesus means what He says.”

I turned to Kara who was sitting next to me in the plane, handed her the book and said, “Read this.  I think we are in trouble.”

Kara and I had so many excuses about why we didn’t want to move to Globe, Arizona.  We were close to all our family.  We were a part of a great church body.  We had dear friends and a great small group.  We had just purchased our first home.  And yet the call of God was so clear...to be a light in a dark world.  The field was white for harvest and yet the workers were few.  We could no longer sit by and just pray for the Lord to send workers.  At the time it seemed like a scary journey full of sacrifices.  Over the past 7 1/2 years our journey has been full of God's blessings.  What an amazing journey it has been.  I am thankful for the moments when we can pause and reflect on the call of God!

tory

Housing Conditions on the San Carlos Apache Reservation

Here are some picture taken with written permission and the understanding they would be placed on the internet to show people the current housing situation.  We are currently working on providing a 20' by 28' one bedroom home for an elderly lady who currently lives in the house in these pictures.

Native Family Attacked by Skinheads

Discrimination against Native Americans still happens today.  When will the church stand up for those whose voice has not been heard?

This article does contain some foul language.
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/06/native-family-attacked-by-skinheads/

Parkcrest Christian Church's Short-Term Ministry Team's Recap Video

Here is a video of Parkcrest Christian Church's High School Ministry's short-term ministry trip!
April 2011

http://animoto.com/play/03oI0rLfznWlFgXFZdKlWg

Faith To Be Strong

The following is reprinted from our April 2004 newsletter:

“Faith To Be Strong” by Andrew Peterson

Give us faith to be strong, Father we are so weak,

Our bodies are fragile and weary

And as we stagger and stumble to walk where You lead,

Give us faith to be strong

Chorus

Give us faith to be strong, give us strength to be faithful,

Cause life is not long, but it’s hard

Give us grace to go on, make us willing and able,

Lord, give us faith to be strong

Give us peace when we’re torn, mend us up when we break,

Cause flesh can be wounded and shaky

When there’s much too much trouble for one heart to take,

Give us peace when we’re torn

Give us hearts to find hope, Father we cannot see

How the sorrow we feel can bring freedom

And as hard as we try Lord it’s hard to believe

So give us hearts to find hope

This song “happened” to be playing this past November when we were in Globe wrestling with God’s plan for our lives.  It quickly became our battle cry as we staggered and stumbled to walk where God was leading.  As we left family behind in the Midwest and dropped my parents off at the Phoenix airport after they helped us move down, this song became our cry of surrender (through many tears) as we were torn between family and the call of God.  Now as we have spent two weeks on the reservation it has become our plea of intercession on behalf of a nation so hopeless.   We do not completely understand the sorrow we see in our brothers’ eyes, but we do know the only one who can mend their brokenness.  Lord, give us faith to be strong!

The following is reprinted from our April 2007 newsletter:

Three years later this song has continued to be our prayer as we strive for faithfulness.  Over the past three years we have experienced incredible victories and some heartbreaking defeats.  We have watched kids suffer from the choices their parents were making and we have watched kids suffer from choices they were making.  We have walked alongside our Apache brothers and sisters on the mountaintops and we have walked with them through the valleys.  We have really seen that life is not long, but it’s hard.  But through it all, God continues to lead us, give us peace and give us the strength to continue.  We pray He gives us the grace to go on until He returns.  Thank you for your vital partnership in this journey.

Thoughts from 2011:

Almost one year ago 3:18 Ministries was officially incorporated.  It has been an incredible journey as we have found our way through new territory.  Through this process our focus has been on relationships.  Our hearts remain broken for the lost and hurting on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.  Our hearts break for a 10 year old boy who is so lost, angry and confused that he was threatening suicide this past week.  Our hearts break for a 13 year old girl who was at the emergency room alone because there is no sober adult to take care of her.  Our hearts break for a 22 year old who had so much promise and was making a difference on his reservation and now his life is gone.  We are so weak.  We are staggering and stumbling to walk where He leads.  Our biggest prayer is for our hearts to find hope so we can share Hope with our dear brothers and sisters.  Please Lord, give us faith to be strong.

-tory

Another Article on the Use of "Geronimo"

Here is another article.  What are your thoughts?

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/05/apache-leader-jeff-houser-on-use-of-geronimo-name/