Boldness

Bold enough to take photos in a bright red gown on the sidewalk, so why wouldn't we be bold enough to take chances when we know God is leading?

"Boldness is critical.  Without boldness, my life story will be one of great deeds left undone, victories left unwon, petitions left unprayed, and timely words unsaid.  If I wish to live only a pathetically small portion of the life God has prepared for me, then I need no boldness.  But if I want my life to bloom full and loom large for the glory of God, then I must have boldness -- and nothing so nourishes boldness in me like the gospel!"  A Gospel Primer for Christians by Milton Vincent 

This passage challenged my small group Bible study and me to think about areas of our lives we are living timidly, living less than the full potential God has for us.

The Bible is full of verses speaking of the confidence we can have through the Spirit.  Confidence to approach God with big prayers.  Confidence to speak His truth in all situations.  Confidence to walk forward in faith.  Confidence to be someone who doesn't always go with the crowd.  Confidence to share the gospel amid cultural or language barriers. 
 

Ministry Glimpse: Child Sponsorship Program

Mem* dreamed of going to university. She dreamed of becoming a nurse. She dreamed of earning enough to help her little brother go to school so her parents didn’t have to work so hard, and so her little brother could finish school.

They were just dreams until Project L.I.F.E.’s Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) team came to her village.  As her family was so poor they often didn’t even have enough food to eat, Mem was quickly accepted for their sponsorship program. 

Wanting to prove herself worthy of their trust, Mem studied hard and then studied some more. CSP’s caring staff stood with her, encouraged her to ‘go for her dream’, and sought extra funding so she could go to university.  Next year, she graduates as a nurse! Her parents are proud. Her village is proud. And the CSP team smiles and smiles and smiles. They love helping dreams come true. That’s Mem. That’s what L.I.F.E. is all about.  
(*not real name)

Education – to the poor, it is the way out of poverty. But how can a family that has barely enough to eat, send their children to school? Project L.I.F.E.'s Child Sponsorship Program is there to help, providing funds, counseling and general support to needy children in Bangkok slums and poor rural villages. Working hand-in-hand with 3 churches, 41 schools, 4 centers, 25 villages,   Child Sponsorship now helps 612 families in 5 provinces throughout Thailand. Child Sponsorship has opened “Baan Chu Jai”, a Social Development Center for teens in crisis. These teens are in very difficult family situations, but with Baan Chu Jai’s help, they will be able to finish their schooling.

www.ywamthai.org/childsponsorship

Neighborhood Sounds

Sound.

What is sound?

Sound is a sequence of waves of pressure that propagates through compressible media such as air or water.

No, no, no.  What I mean is, what is the significance of the sound we hear?

My new neighborhood has a lot of new sounds.  Some may see them as disruptions to the peace and quiet of home.  But if one is attentive, these sounds can tell time.  They can be prayer reminders.

Elementary School

At 6:00 a.m. the flat, monotone temple chanting begins.  But even before then, buses and trucks rumble down the street.  The sound of children greeting their friends in the school yard begins around 7:30. 

Bangkok Southeastern High School

Not long after that, the high school school marching band begins warming up.  First, a tumbleweed of random noise, then tuning, then scales.  At 8:00 sharp, the Thai National Anthem is played by the band while a group of students sing along.  Everyone else stands still to listen and pay respect.

Kitchen View

All day long the clank and bang of a nearby construction site comes through our windows (open or closed).  The people working there have families, worries of their own, daily challenges and joys.  The loud speaker from the school announces more activities and instructions.  Noisy motorcycles zip along the road.  The occasional laugh or child's cry from the apartment complex floats by. 

Chinese Temple

As the sun starts to get sleepy, the sounds change.  The Chinese temple is having an event.  Music and a blurred microphone voice saturate the neighborhood, competing with the local karaoke bar.  The shouts of street vendors advertising their tasty treats cross paths with the screech of tires grappling to get home through traffic. 

Buddhist Temple

When the stars (all six of them) light up the dark sky, the sounds are more dull.  An airplane overhead, cars on the expressway going home late, the drone of neighbor's TV, and the low hum of fans and air conditioning units.

We could look at these as interruptions or ignore them as sounds of our world or hear them as prayer requests, calls for help, peas for relief, reminders of the hurting and lost world around us.

Welcome to my neighborhood.  Will you pray for it with me?

Temple Parking Lot