Tithing Taters

Left: village life

Michael got to go out to the village to preach again today, after our regular service from 10:30 to 2:30. I was disturbed after hearing about the frantic shoppers....black friday or something like that, I call it greed and discontentment...they got the black part right...but now after Michael's story today, I am encouraged and blessed. We had the privilege to see something we had never seen, and rarely hear in the news: giving, not taking, sacrifice and not greed. The people in the villages here in Siberia, in our region, are poor, most don't have an income, only the vegetables they grow. For the second time this month one of the believers tithed their potatoes to the Lord and sent them by Michael back to the church. Lena's husband, Velodya: like Nina's husband, Dima a couple of weeks ago, who are not yet believers , loaded 4 huge bags of potatoes into the van, joyfully. Oh Lord, make me more content, more joyful, more giving.

"You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled." C H Spurgeon

UNCLASPED HANDS

Our family spent most of July, Aug, and Sept in the U.S. We were privileged to share in 15 Southern Baptist Churches of our past year's service in Siberia. We left our second oldest, Bryan,for college, celebrated with our oldest, Reagan, in his full time surrender to Christian service, and in Bryan's engagement, enjoyed a second honeymoon-a Christian cruise, held and beheld a beautiful and a handsome new great niece and nephew (and another coming soon), enjoyed alot of family time, reunited with old friends, made new friends, and endured 2 of the hardest heart aches of my life: losing my dear friend, Teri, very unexpectedly, and seeing my brother in law, Steve, my sister, Donia and their children endure a life threatening accident, Both of which have changed my life. It was hard to leave my mama, after losing my daddy just a year ago, and to leave our two oldest sons there in college, but I left them and they sent us with unclasped hands.



Oh, Lord, give me unclasped hands which symbolize my willingness to receive all You choose to give, and give up all You choose to take, receiving and giving, as an act of worship and praise to you.

In Memory of my sweet dacha sister chick, Teri Tarleton, July 4, 1959 - July 28, 2008, who lived a life of unclasped hands.

Even the fairest of petals must fall.

"See the flower in maturity. The calyx hands have unclasped utterly now. They have folded themselves back, past all power of closing again upon the petals, leaving the golden crown free to float away when God's time and wind come." Lilias Trotter (Parables of the Cross / Parables of the Christ Life)

Where does my help come from? Psalms 121

Psalm 121: 1-7

I lift up my eyes to the hills– where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip– he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you– the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm– he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.