Spiritual Descendants

Have you ever thought about your spiritual descendants? Not just your spiritual children- those people you are leading through a mentoring or discipleship process or who you have led to the Lord. But what about those disciples’ spiritual children, continuing on generation after generation? That is what we are to be about: making disciples who make disciples who make disciples who make disciples… You get the idea.

I have found so many gems in Isaiah lately, and read several verses today that applied to this idea of spiritual descendants.

Isaiah 44:3-5 For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. One will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s’ and will take the name of Israel.

Who are your spiritual descendants?

Giving Up...Gaining More

I love fall. Although we haven’t had a particularly scorching summer (95 most days instead of 105 like last summer), the thought of cool breezes and fleece jackets sounds quite appealing. I have been doing lots and lots of thinking about Cambodia lately, and I have visited the land of the things I will miss. Fall weather is one of them. I will be in 90 degree year-round temps, 6 months of rain and 6 months of dry. No more crunchy leaves, scarves, apple cinnamon candles, or pumpkin pie. 

Someone once told me that it is okay to grieve the things we will miss, the things we are leaving behind when we enter into something new.  We grieve and acknowledge those things…but then we need to move on. I’m sure there will be plenty of things that will be hard to give up, things I love about the US or events in my family’s life I'm not there for or things that make me comfortable. The awesome thing is that God gives grace in those moments, and He often gives something very special and unique in place of the things we are giving up. But for now… I’m grieving giving up fall.