We are Protected by the Shield of God!

 

But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah, I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

Psalm 3:3-5

I was given this verse this week as I finished the last week of shepherd training at my church. Each of the 8 of us in training met for six weeks and read and discussed a book together on how to be an effective and loving shepherd for each small group that we would be shepherding....God willing. At the very end of our training each one of us was given a verse that was prayed over us. And this one was mine....Psalm 3:3-5.

I sat and soaked in each word as a direct message from God. I had to think about it for a little while and realize what this verse really meant. After a short time frame of wishing I had received some of the other verses that other people got:); will the child in me ever grow up? I closed my eyes and thanked my heavenly Father that He would always be my shield. That He would in times of distress sustain me. 

Then something cool happened. In my prayer time, I lifted up all my friends who are suffering from cancer, anxiety, hardship, financial struggles and asked that God would sustain them and strengthen them. Many times I had prayed that God protect my friends, but now this verse became very special! The words became alive to me!

This is a beautiful verse that is so importantl for all of us because as we all serve in missions in one way or another, this verse really encourages and empowers me! When we travel overseas and are in third world countries and come face to face with opposing forces or circumstances that are stressful, we can submit to the thrown because our King will sustain us just like He did David when his son Absalom rebelled and gathered an army to kill him. God is our protector, and as we stay connected to Him in our missions projects and service, I pray He will protect and sustain each one of us!!!

May I pray? Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus, I ask that you put a hedge over my husband who is in Ethiopia right now and please strengthen and sustain him and ever lead him! Please Lord protect and watch over our friends serving in Ethiopia full-time and be their ever provider and sustainer! Also, all our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are traveling this week and this month, please watch over them and care for them. Provide for their every need and please give them joy to serve where they are! Help them to remember that You are in control and you lead us....we just have to follow and remain in you (John 15:4) Thank you for building us up brick by brick by your every word! In Jesus name, Amen!

Give me a grateful heart....Lord!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer ad supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Phillippians 4:6

                 Last night was our Thanksgiving service at church. Every year our church has a Thanksgiving service the night before Thanksgiving, and we all share with the rest of the congregation what we are thankful for. My husband and I both shared how we are thankful for the fact that we pray together. Also that we have God among us which helps us in our relationship with each other. We mentioned we were thankful for the small groups that we are in at church. Being in a group where we come together and grow together and work out “problems” together has been priceless. 
          Today is Thanksgiving, and I have a sweet story to share. Yesterday my three year old Isabelle had a Thanksgiving parade at her school. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and braced myself for a “Thanksgiving” day before Thanksgiving. So emotionally, I was not at a very good place and was determined to stay there for maybe another day:) All  the parents were asked to go to the gym and wait for the kids to come out for the parade. I had my iphone in position and was ready to take some pictures and a video still determined that it was ok to stay in my not so jolly state.... I have my rights:) The teachers came out with the kids behind them in an array of paper feathers in pilgrim hats and cute paper bag pilgrim costumes. One baby had pretend braids on his cute little bald head. My daughter was holding a sign of what she was thankful for. She was dressed like a pilgrim....how sweet....But here’s the kicker.....the song the little children came out to was this....”Give thanks with a grateful heart...give thanks to the Holy One....give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ His Son.....and now.....let the meek say I am strong.....let the poor say I am rich....because of what the Lord has done.....for US.....Give thanks......” It’s as if God himself came down into the gymnasium and shot an arrow of grace and forgiveness and love into my stoney heart. My eyes filled with tears, and the rest is history. God is alive and living and wants us be grateful for all things for this is the will of Jesus Christ for us. 1 Thessalonians 5:18. I am so thankful that God is not finished with me yet and has me in the palm of his hands! What a royal mess I can be....Have a blessed Thanksgiving everyone!!!

What Happened to My Light?

This Little Light of Mine....I’m Going to Let it Shine!

 If You Abide in Me and My Words Abide in You. Ask Whatever You Will, and It Shall Be Done For You!

John 15:7

 
Do you remember this song growing up, “This Little Light Of Mine...I’m Going to Let it Shine....Don’t let Satan blow it out...I’m going to Let it Shine!” Perhaps your kids have sung this song in Sunday School or church? As cute as this song is....it is so true in our spiritual walk with the Lord. We all have a light within us. Some are shining already....some bright. In others the light was there at one point, and the storms of life have blown it out. Or maybe your candle has been temporarily blown out but is on the verge of being rekindled into a small flame which will grow into a blazing fire one day....whatever the case....nurture your spirit with the Word of God, make it to church, carve out some time each day to pray....start out with a few minutes....That’s all it takes. It doesn’t have to be 30 minutes or an hour. Just even a few minutes to check in with our Lord and to still your mind and to be quiet with Jesus is one way to care for your candle. You are plugging into the One true God!

    “This Little Light of Mine....I’m Going to Let It Shine...” is a song that I learned growing up in church. The other day, my three year old daughter was singing it with some hums and babbles...and made up words... and I couldn’t quite understand what she was singing, but suddenly I knew when she pulled out her pointer finger and pretended to blow out her “candle.” This makes me think of some things that can blow out the love of God in each of us. It could be an action that was disrespectful or an unkind word that was spoken and worse in a harsh tone and even worse.... at a time when you are at your breaking point. When it comes down to it, none of us are perfect. We all have moments of chaos and haste and perhaps say or do something that was not the most Rico Suaveish....this is a real word people. God desires that we not take things too personally and not be too sensitive. It is our choice whether we allow things to bother us to the point of dimming our light. Each of our days are made up of choices and for today let’s choose to let things roll off our backs, plug into God, and thank Jesus for another day of life and another day to enjoy the people in our lives! I will add in there, some things do need to be addressed, but pray first that God give you the right time with the right loving attitude to speak your truth in love.....and better...that it will be received well:)

    May I pray? Father, thank you so much for this day and for giving each one of us an opportunity to show up for life. Give us the strength to rise above peoples’ mistakes and help us show grace and let your love in us shine because you first loved us! In Jesus name, Amen!

Do Not Stop Meeting Together But Spur One Another On!

We Were Designed To Be In Fellowship With One Another!

Two Are Better Than One, Because They Have A Good Return for Their Work...If One Falls Down, His Friend Can Help Him Up. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

          Just looking at this picture explains what friendship is all about. By ourselves we can only achieve the veggie drawer. With friends and fellowship, we can lean on each other and get the cake and manage to get it down! It’s our friends that cheer us on and stand in the gap for each other.. A dear friend of mine has been diagnosed with stage two cancer and had a double mastectomy. It is amazing to see how her brothers and sisters in Christ have come along side of her and have helped her whole family during this difficult period in her life. The prayer support has been amazing, and it is the prayers that are sustaining her and her family.

          When I think of this picture of the three animals and how they are all piled on top of each other, I think of the importance of fellowship and being in prayer together. KAMHC was that prayer support for my family and me when my husband went to North Korea in September for one week. My husband got such an encouraging e-mail from someone from KAMHC wondering if we had any prayer requests. We instantly asked for prayer support for safety for my husband while in North Korea as he taught other neurosurgeons how to do certain surgeries....We also needed prayer for the rest of us stateside. Three sassy kids and a crazy dog....and a nutty mom can be dangerous business when my hubby’s not around. Just knowing that some people were specifically praying for us during this medical missions trip was exactly what I needed. There were no problems during this week and during the board retreat weekend, we met our prayer partners! They are so dear!!

          The Bible speaks about not forgetting to meet together. I remember a pastor at my church when I used to live in Missouri. He said something that stuck! He said that a grill full of coals burning together will burn bigger, brighter, and stronger together. When one coal goes astray and tries to stay lit, eventually the fire grows dim and eventually goes out. KAMHC seems to be this grill of coals of Christians who want to further God’s kingdom and share the love of Christ with the less fortunate and deprived. If you are going on a missions trip and need prayer support, please ask for prayer. I could definitely feel it that week!

          May I pray? Father, thank you for a body of believers where we can stand together and pray for each other for safety, strength, knowledge, and wisdom. I pray for all the trips and projects that your people are planning and in the midst of. Please put a hedge of protection around KAMHC and all the volunteers and keep them in your care and in fellowship with one another because where there is three, when one falls, the other can help back up! Peace...

We Are One Body In Christ

So In Christ We Who Are Many Form One Body, and Each Member Belongs to All the Others.

Romans 12:5

Greetings from New Jersey as our town has had no power for 6 days now since the aftermath of Sandy. Luckily, it is not the dead of winter and gas burners still provide a source of heat to cook. The girls have had no school all week! The quietness and no electricity has given me time to finish my first blog entry. My name is Susan Park, and I am so happy to start a blog on KAMHC’s website! A little about myself, I was introduced to KAMHC while attending it’s conference in LA a few weekends ago with my husband Kee Park, neurosurgeon extraordinaire. Don’t let him fool you as a neurosurgeon. He really is a passionate kiteboarder in a neurosurgeon’s body. My hubby enjoys going on mission trips primarily to North Korea and Ethiopia among some other war torn or poverty stricken areas in the world. To make a long story short, I was riding with Jane, Dr. Yong Sik Kim’s wise and lovely wife in a car leaving a beautiful dinner for the KAMHC welcome board retreat meeting.  Mrs. William IL Han (I am convinced she is a chef and not telling us) and her friends concocted the most lovely sight; dinner can only be described as ART.  My favorites were the zaru soba in the Inalee sushi tofu pockets with just a splash of green onion in each pocket. The mushroom and bulgogi “bones” combination was mouth watering and the seafood medley of fresh oyster, shrimp and scallops made me feel like the world was my oyster...no pun intended! It was heaven on earth!  Thank you for such an enchanting Korean dinner experience.

To get back to the story, I was telling Jane that I know we will one day see Jesus face to face and will be held accountable for the gifts and talents God has given each one of us. I have been hearing this quite a lot lately. I was telling her that I used to be an English teacher and did some writings some 10 years ago, but had really put my love of writing aside to raise three daughters. I proceeded to tell Jane that I was very excited about a family devotional book I am working on. She then said perhaps I could do a devotional section on the KAMHC website. One month later, here we are! Jane’s pretty persistent:) Jane is a counselor. I think we need to get her on board too. I am honored to be a part of KAMHC in this way and look forward to hearing from you as well as we walk together on our journey to grow in Christ! 

I said a prayer and asked God how I could start this blog and what came quickly to my mind is what was given to me to teach Sunday School last Sunday at my local church on the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:12-21 the Bible speaks about the body of Christ and how each person is so very important in furthering God’s kingdom and without each one of us, we as a whole do not function as God intended. I loved teaching this in Sunday School especially with my three year old daughter’s Mr. Potato head toy. I illustrated how each body part helps the rest of the body. Without the eyes, the body might have legs to run and a mouth to speak and arms to help but no eyes to see. Or without a nose, we might have everything except being able to smell. “For just as the body is a unity and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form one body, so it is with Christ. Vs. 18, “But as it is, God has placed and arranged the limbs and organs in the body, each of them, just as He wished and saw fit and with the best adaptation.” Vs. 20, “And now there are many limbs and organs, but a single body and finally Vs. 21 my favorite, “ And the eye is not able to say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.”

This is a beautiful explanation of how God designed all of us to work together to further His kingdom. Not any of us is any better than anyone else. We are all designed by God with different gifts and talents. KAMHC is an example of this body. Everyone in this missions organization is a body part and without each one of you, KAMHC would not function properly. I encourage anyone else who is not a member but would like to be, to please join whether it is prayer support, administration, hospitality, IT support, medical, whatever your talent is because God has a purpose for you in this organization. Or if you are already a member keep going and do your best as if doing it for the Lord (Colossians 3:23-4). Or if you are not sure what your talent is....ask God and He will show you! We have one thing in common: We want to further God’s kingdom as described in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). One of satan’s powerful lies is that your skill or ability is not as important. Or better, we don’t have anything to contribute. This is so not true! As written in Psalms 139, “Each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made and we are all God’s workmanship.” Let me close this entry with a prayer. Father, thank you for each member of KAMHC and the gift that this organization is to all of mankind in our backyard as well as overseas. Please give KAMHC more and more opportunities to further your kingdom because the harvest is plentiful. Let us all be sensitive to your spirit and give us eyes to see the tasks you put in front of us each day. And the best job of all, to serve our families with patience, grace, and acceptance as we are all a body in Christ!  In Jesus name, Amen. See you next time!