Jean Stockdale...

Go and do likewise.

Jesus said, I washed your feet. I, the Lord the Glory, set a side the glories of heaven, took the form of man in my Incarnation, lived a holy and perfect life and now I say unto you, go and do likewise. (Obviously my paraphrase) To all my bloggy mommies, we MUST develop the heart of a servant. Craig took this picture of my other little buddy, Stef Deck, as she knelt in the dirt and washed the feet of Indian women. Use your sanctified imagination and add the stirring sound of 600 women weeping and praying under the black night sky and you will get a sense of what we experienced. To God be the glory! We must become a servant-to our husband, to our children, to the body of the Christ, and to those who stand outside a personal relationship with Christ. We must. It is not fashionable. It is not easy. It assaults the self-life and forces it to be put to death, it goes against the diva nature we all have, it crucifies self, it keeps us dependent on God and it makes usmore like Him. Sister, we MUST develop the devotion of a servant. Notice I did not say the to develop the discipline of it-the grinding out of the legalistic bend of that part of tour nature that loves to check something off our long "to-do" list or that selfish part of us that loves to be seen of men. No, I am talking about learning to live out of the overflow of a devotion that is so Christ-centered that the driving passion of Christ consumes the soul and and calls us to kneel to wash the dirty feet of our husband or the dirty face of a child.

I challenge you to meet your husband at the end of his long day at the door with a basin and a towel. I beg you to consider washing your little children's feet and tell them the story of what Jesus did and teach them the Truth of what a true disciple of Christ is and how the Spirit-filled life looks when it is lived out in the life of a mommy. If you sense God is leading you to step out of your comfort zone and do it, please post a comment and tell me about it. Jesus is dying to hear from you and so am I. Blessings.

A Heart Like His

Darlene Stroud washing the feet of the Indian women at our Women's Conference. John 13:4ff in the Bible records, "Jesus...rose from supper, an laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about." The King of Glory stooped to wash the dirty feet of His disciples and then He said, "If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave  you an example that you also should do as I did to you." Determine to have a heart like His. Blessings.

Sleepless in Fayette County

I have finally had enough of a break in a demanding schedule to stop and relive my trip to India. Frankly, up to this point it has seemed like a vague memory since we got home and immediately began the grieving process with the loss of Craig's mom. Consequently, the strong memories of a place I have come to love, have flooded over me today and robbed me of sleep. It is 3 am and really I need to be in bed, but the weight of what I saw and experienced in India has stirred my heart and soul so I thought I would share with my bloggy mommys. The one good thing about the blog is that you can talk to someone no matter what time-day or night-it is. Tomorrow when I have to get up, I won't think I am so clever but right this moments the words and thoughts are flowing.

India is a country of over 1 BILLION people and it is 2/3 the land mass of the United States. It is a beautiful place filled with fascinating people. Sadly, many of them are locked in spiritual darkness. Stats tell us that less than 2% are evangelicals. The Christians told us that the percentage may be higher than recorded because of the ever-present threat of violence and death for the profession of Christ. The majority of the population are Hindu and they worship millions of gods. The sheer numbers of people make India a city in constant motion which never sleeps-except perhaps for a cat nap on a scooter in unbelievable traffic and unbearable heat. The roads have no lines, no speed limit and few traffic lights. The streets are clogged with 2-wheeled taxis, ox-carts, camels, scooters, bicycles, buses, water buffalo (they evidently have the right of way!) and any other contraption or manner of transpiration known to man, including foot traffic. Every morning we had a "Mr. Todd's Wild Ride" which generally laster 45 minutes, due to traffic to get to the compound.

Craig took this shot of this precious baby sleeping out the window. Notice how close he is to our cab. You could literally roll down the window and touch the driver (or herder) of the next carpooler. The car trips were one of my favorite things. I prayed for the masses of humanity as we drove through the crush of people everywhere. This is a land cloaked in darkness. The gospel is spreading dramatically in spite of such spiritual darkness and idolatry, but the danger of escalating persecution is growing as well. Professing Christ in India will result in unspeakable hardship,persecution and possibly death. To walk among such, humbled me and staggered me. The Indian team we ministered with have been beaten for their faith. Their response? They praised the Lord that He considered them glory to suffer on His behalf. The depth of devotion I witnessed in India defies what we know as Christianity in the United States. For the privilege of teaching and touching these who are so intimate with the knowledge of the One True God was a holy experience for Craig and I. We shall never be the same.

My It's Been a Long Time

It is important to me, as a lover of the Word of God, to remind you, as sisters in Christ, that the Spirit-filled life is often difficult and full of pain, sorrow, stress and crisis. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we have all bought into the idea that if we just love God enough, if we just serve Him enough, if we just give enough...we will live an enjoyable life, free of pain and problemes. I tell you this, my beloved little bloggy mommy, life with God is so much bigger than that! It is full of JOY but that does not negate the crisis that accompanies this life. It is a divine paradox that the Christian life is full of hurts and hallelujahs! Most of us acknowledge this but are still chopped off at the knees when real life intrudes upon our placid Christian experience.

I have walked through the most difficult days of my life in the recent past. Preparing for a trip like India is daunting in and of itself. Adding to that the illness of my mother-in -aw and the care-giving that was needed and I was on the ragged edge when I left for India. I was not sleeping well at all and I did not even go to bed the night before I left. I got on the plane fueled with caffeine and raw nerves. It that what the Spirit-filled life really looks like? Sometimes, yes. Craig and I were both exhausted as he and I headed off on a 24-hour plane ride to Hyderabad India. We arrived more tired than ever but we were determined to walk in the Spirit and found our joy in Jesus.

Pictured above is one of the many familiar faces, Joti, a wonderful Christian who works in the children's ministry. Joti told me that when she was baptized, she fasted for 16 days in order to prepare her heart for this glorious visual testimony of the saving life of Jesus Christ. She told me this was not uncommon practice for the Indian Christians. For baptism the women make themselves a brand new sari. After they are baptized a friend drapes them in the new garment as they exit the baptismal waters in order to represent the new creation they have become in Christ. The old things have passed away. Behold all things are new. This is the essence of the Spirit-filled Christian life - Christ in us, the hope of glory.

The issues of this life - suffering, sorrow and sadness do not change. What changes is our ability to accept it and walk through the valley of the Shadow of death with grace and joy-despite the circumstances, in the power of the Holy Spirit. So how does that look? I am here to tell you that sometimes it looks messy, painful, gritty, stressful and altogether untidy. We have convinced ourselves that the victorious Christian life is little more than slapping on a fake smile and reciting catchy Christian bumper sticker phrases like "I'm too blessed to be stressed" or "Let Go and Let God." Beloved, those are catchy phrases if you are a car, but for those of us who are living for the glory of God and striving to walk in His power, I am compelled to tell you that this life is full of sorrow and acquainted with grief. In the midst of such, God will breathe His joy into you and hide you in His Tabernacle and allow you to abide in the shadow of the Almighty. That, beloved, is the Spirit-filled Christian life.

Thanks for all who have faithfully checked my blog only to find them I was AWOL. But I am back. I am tired, bone weary and a bit the worse for wear, but I am back. My oral surgery went well on Wednesday but the recovery was not quite as sleep-inducing as I had hoped. However, I am recovering and trying to catch up with life in general. The study on James is finished. I worte the last lesson on Tuesday night before having the oral surgery. The book Run Well, Finish Strong is about to be shipped. Because I know you want to know, Declan is deliciously adorable and I will post some pictures soon. More to come. Blessings.

We Pause for a brief Intermission

For those of you who regularly check in with me, I apologize. I have been so busy and so tired after the trip to India and the death of my mother-in-law that I have not been my usually "bloggy self." This has been an extraordinary season in my life. On one side, we have experienced the joy of a lifetime with the arrival of our Baby Love Declan and on the other side we have known the sorrow of losing Craig's mom. We got to go and experience the mountaintop experience of India and we have walked through the "valley of the shadow of death." I have much to share with you and some photos to show but they must wait until I can pull myself together to write about them and do them justice. I still have 5 lessons to write on the James study that is due Sept. 5 in order to go to print. Pray for me as I press on to that deadline. I will have to have a surgical dental implant in the next week due to an unusual condition that caused a root to disintegrate. Don't worry about me-frankly, I am looking forward to the rest it will afford me! Baby D is still as delicious as ever. I got to see him Thursday and he is cooing and responding quite a bit. I returned home from India with an upper respiratory infection and had to have a self-imposed quarantine from Declan while I recovered. Now that was hard! After 2 rounds of antibiotics and a bottle of cough medicine I finally overcame it and got to hold Declan Thursday. God has been good to allow us to have him as a glorious distraction in the midst of the chaos and confusion that is my so-called life! Thank you for your prayers and support during this time. I am still dwelling in the shadow of the Almighty and curled up quite securely under His wing. Blessings.

Present with the Lord

Craig and I returned from a marvelous trip to India on Sunday night. On Tuesday night we got word that his mom had passed away. "Absent from the body, present with the Lord." We both felt we had told her goodbye for the last time when we saw her the night before we left for India. She was very confused and so frail. Although it is difficult, we are both grateful that she is out of her suffering and home with the Lord-reunited with Craig's dad who proceeded her almost 15 years ago. The funeral was Tuesday after we got home. Today-Thursday-Craig has flown to Florida with our boys for the graveside service. She will be buried in Inverness, Florida next to Bob. They are returning tomorrow. Thank you for all of your prayers and all the acts of kindness that have been expressed during this time of grieving. We grieve, but not as those who have no hope. We know she is in the presence of the Lord and we will one day be reunited in eternity with the Lord. I came home with an upper respiratory infection from India and am quite weak. When I am up to it, I will write of the glorious trip and the marvelous way we saw God move in India...complete with pictures. Blessings.