Mindy, called office manager....

by the will of God.

In the opening lines of I Corinthians, Paul explains why he is still working with a church that has essentially rejected him, by telling them that he is "a called apostle, by the will of God".

This morning we talked about the word "calling" and how our reactions should not be based on our perceived circumstances but on what God has called us to. If He hasn't given you your "call" yet, then wait, and realize that what you are doing while you are waiting is what you are currently "called" to do.

In the last few weeks I have been slowly realizing, and even more slowly accepting, that God is calling me to be still at More Than A Teacher, and work there every day as though I were working for Him, not for man.

This has been hard for me to accept for one reason....the root of all sin....PRIDE. I think that I have been given higher training, and have more capabilities than to answer phones and take messages. Granted, I do a LOT more than that at MTAT, but in light of 7 years of higher education culminating in a Master's degree, I was really getting frustrated that God wasn't opening more doors for me to "do something" with my life.

But I am doing something. First of all, there is merit in what I do at MTAT. I have the opportunity to be light not only to our customers, but my co-workers. Instead of thinking "Man, I have to go to work today" I should be thinking "Who can I bless today?".

All of that is to say, no matter where you ARE, what you ARE doing, where you think you SHOULD be, or what you think you SHOULD be doing, God is well aware of where you are, and He has allowed, if not ordained it, for this season in your life. How sweet it is to rest in total trust of Him and His soverienty. It's much nicer than fighting against it I can tell you from experience!

I challenge you (as Matt challenged us this morning) to take I Corinthians 1:1 and insert your name and your role. Mindy Clow, called office manager, by the will of God. It is not a mistake.

In my humanity I have completely butchered Matt's sermon. It's really worth a listen, especially if you find yourself frustrated or discontent in your current circumstances....whether it be a work situation, a relationship, or life in general. You can access the sermon online by clicking the picture ------>

Not a Corinthian....a child of God

I Corinthians 6:9-11 is an amazing group of verses. I have to admit that upon first reading it I was not inspired. I felt like it was condemning and just reminded me that God is a God of wrath and judgement.

9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do
not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor
male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor
drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And
that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our
God.

But then, a small word was pointed out to me: were. The past tense of “are” meaning….no more. Once you WERE these things, but now you are washed in the blood and sanctified by God. I have a hard time separating myself from the things that I once was. Satan is good at making me believe that when I struggle with sin the old me is not really gone and that God knows I’m a hopeless case. This is NOT what scripture says. According to Paul we will all continue to struggle against the flesh, but it is that struggle that sets us apart. This is not a license to sin….do not misinterpret what I am saying. But it is FREEDOM in knowing that we are still God’s children and He is still perfecting the good work He began in us….even when we sin. News flash: we are all going to continue to sin. Just because daily it isn’t huge sin doesn’t mean we are perfect.

Recently I have fallen back into some of my old habits. I admit that this was due in large part to me not trusting the Lord to make me happy for fulfill my desires. As a side note to any of you who think you can make yourselves happy: YOU CAN’T. I knew I couldn’t. The decisions I was making were fun in the moment, but even then, and especially later that night or the next day when I was alone and quiet, my heart was in turmoil. Scripture tells me that turmoil was caused by the Holy Spirit grieving my spirit.

How amazing! Amazing that my God cares enough about my relationship with Him that he has the Holy Spirit GRIEVE me when I am at odds with Him so that He can bring me back into relationship with Him.

Absolution

We forgive because we are forgiven. I don't think forgiveness is inherently in our human nature, but thanks to the gift of God we are able to show mercy to one another.

In the summer and fall of 2004 I worked as a TA and then as a lead teacher at Hyde Park Baptist Church's Child Development Center. I was 23 years old, in the middle of my master's work and not nearly as mature and capable as I thought I was.

I left in a most immature fashion and have been haunted by it for the past 3 years. Every time I thought about a career change or about working with kids I had to think back to my last conversation with the director. It wasn't a pleasant one.

Today the hauntings stop. Today I picked up the phone and apologized. Some people may think it's crazy to go back and apologize 3 years late....but I think an apology is one of those things that is better late than never.

I had no idea what to expect from the conversation. Ginny would have been completely within her rights to be cold, and even if she accepted my apology she didn't owe me anything. But that is not how she recieved me. She told me she appreciated my apology, and understood the stress of being a student. She engaged in conversation with me about my current status, and filled me in on the goings on at the CDC. She even encouraged me to stop by and say hello sometime. I don't know whether I will or not, but at least I know that if I do I will not be given a cold shoulder and shown the door.

Praise God for His forgiveness and mercy. Praise God for the fact that He gives us the ability to extend forgiveness and mercy to others in our lives.

If there is someone you need to ask forgiveness from or someone you need to extend forgiveness to I heartily encourage you to do it. Mulungu ni wambweno (God is good all the time).

Candy Land

Aunt Honey (left) and Mimi (right) at Mimi's 90th Birthday party in Nov. 2006.

She was always willing to play Candy Land with me. Or Go Fish. Because of her, I love to read. In the summertime when I was out of school I would talk to her on the phone for hours....who can talk to a 7 year old for hours? My grandmother could. And did. She was the first person to let me drive.

She never EVER missed sending me a birthday card. And it was ALWAYS on time.

She taught Sunday school at the Methodist church with my Aunt Honey, her younger sister, for more years than I can count. I can remember spending Saturday nights with her. She'd sit up late working on the lesson. Then Sunday morning Aunt Honey would pick us up and we'd go to church. I'd go to my class with Mary, and Mimi, Aunt Honey, and Mary's grandmother would go into the little chapel for their class.

I can remember spending Friday nights with her during football season. The lights shone right in her bedroom window. I always snuggled into the small of her back. Who knows how she could sleep that way!

I can't tell you how many times she walked me to Kenner's because I wanted a candy bar or a coke. She never said no. She also never said no to lunch at Jarrett's. I LOVED sitting at that counter with her.

She made me, and my dolls, new clothes. She understood Little Pat needed a new dress as much as I did. In fact, Little Pat got her name because of one of the books Mimi read me. The baby in it looked just like my doll, and her name was Little Pat. She read that dumb book to me so much I'm sure she had it memorized.

I remember how strong she was when my grandfather died. I was in 8th grade and she just held me.

Last year she turned 90 on November 17. We had a huge party. We all wondered if it would be the last. My Aunt Jenny gave me Mimi's wedding ring at that party. She told me she knew what a special relationship we had, and that she would one day give me Papaw's ring as well...but she wanted to wear it a little longer.

This morning my Mimi went home. She was 11 days shy of her 91st birthday.

Mulungu ni wambweno

Mulungu ni wambweno is Nyanja for "God is good all the time". He is good even when we don't like His answers.

It is with a sad, but peaceful heart that I announce to the world (which as we know makes it real) that I will not go to Zambia in 2008.


Sad because I will not see the faces of the boys I have grown relationships with over the last 2 years.....sad because I will not get to have Paul Mulenga sing Feliz Cumpleanos to me on June 16....sad because I will not be a part of the amazing work that FLMI is doing in the lives of thousands of kids in Lusaka....sad because my heart is in Africa.





Peaceful because I know this is what is right for me at this time....peaceful because I feel the Lord asking me to be still and trust Him....peaceful because as much as I LOVE being a part of this ministry I feel zapped and dry right now and if I were to pursue serving I would be doing it in my own strength.





I don't feel like my work in Zambia is done forever. I pray it is not! Who knows? Maybe the Lord will surprise me again in Februrary and say "Ok, no, actually you ARE suppose to be there this summer." - like He did in 2006. I don't put anything past my God. But I do know that for now His answer is NO and I have to accept it.





I love you all and thank you so much for your support of me and this ministry. I hope those of you who have become involved will continue to support or go to minister to these children in person. They are amazing, and the things the Lord teaches you about Himself (and yourself!) while in Africa are priceless.














Pictures from the top (left to right): (1) Some of my Jesus Army kids dog piled on me and Precious. (2) My friends wishing me a happy birthday - Chishemba, Godfrey, Abraham, and Innocent. (3) a picture of me and the "big" boys of Jesus Army. and last (4) Esnart and Chi Chi....crazy girls!!!!