Well... here goes our first post at 9:59 on a Sunday evening, February 21 after I have stayed home all day from church with a sick child. Kylee has kept no food down today, and we are believing God for a complete healing, that this virus will leave as quickly as it came!
Many of you who check out our blog likely receive our monthly newsletter keeping you updated on all the wonderful things, and sometimes not so wonderful things, going on in our life and ministry. You are a friend to us and we hold you so very dear in our hearts! Something we have learned in our 7 1/2 years of ministry is that at times God moves you to a new place and you have to leave friends and family that you love so dearly. So He placed it on our hearts to begin our newsletter to keep in touch with all the wonderful people He places in our lives, even though at times it seems only to be a season, I know in my heart that our paths will reconnect someday because we are eternal beings with an eternal purpose! After beginning our newsletter, it has been on our hearts to create this blog as well. We are new to this, so please be patient with our beginning! We hope to create discussions, and have interactive spiritual challenges, such as corporately fasting and memorizing scripture together. We want all these things to be in His timing... are you game?
We thought it would be fitting in the first posting to tell a little of our heart and how we came about the title, "On Assignment." We both at a young age felt a call of full time ministry on our lives. We met at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in Waxahachie, TX. It was there our callings began to become one calling and we long to spend our lives fulfilling the purpose God has for us. The last thing Jesus told His disciples before ascending into heaven was, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." And I cherish His promise at the end, because I think He knew it would not always be easy. He comforts us with, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19) Thank you, Jesus! I am so thankful he is with us in fulfilling the destiny He has for us... aren't you?
We feel every place He sends us to, He SENDS us! These are our assignments He has for us! God forbid we ever go to a place to better ourselves or to further our "career." It is not a career we pursue, rather it is a calling from the Most High God to see His Kingdom advance.
I had the wonderful privilege in the summer of '09 of teaching a ladies' bible study on Wednesday nights. They were a precious group of ladies, and I really enjoyed getting to teach "grown-ups" and talk about "grown-up" things rather than the sounds of the alphabet and number of the day! One night during our discussion a woman of prayer shared her story about assingments God had given her. She told of how she had prayed that God would help her to see what her God-given assignment was for each day, and help her to complete the tasks He had set out for her to accomplish. She did not want the daily affairs of life to interfere with the higher purpose God had for her. Not long after praying this, a family who had come to the states from Germany showed up at her front door one day needing help settling into a life here in the states. Of course she welcomed them in and spent time with them building a relationship over the days that followed. As they began to find jobs they asked if she would be willing to babysit for them. She had done lots of babysitting in the past, and this was a door in her life she had considered closed. She was not interested in being tied down to babysitting again. But the Holy Spirit tugged at her heart, and gently reminded her of her prayer of fulfilling God-given assignments, and she knew this was an assignment from God. Through her willingness to care for these children, she was able to show the love of God to a family who had never experienced His love before. The entire family came to know Christ, and went on to share His love with other family and friends in Germany who came to know Him as well.
A job such as babysitting can seem like such a thankless job at times. But when it is a God-given assignment, well, that changes everything! Let me ask you a simple question. When was the last time you fulfilled a God-given assignment and you knew it? Didn't it feel wonderful? There is noting better in life than fulfilling your purpose in Him. So here's the challenge:
1.) Journal a prayer to your heavenly Father asking Him to open your eyes to
assignments He has for you each day.
2.) Each time you accomplish one of these assignments journal it somewhere near
your prayer.
3.) Post a comment about your desire to fulfill His assignments, or about a time
you have. Everyone will be encouraged by your testimony, and you may just give
them the courage they need to fulfill their assignment!
So, let's get busy, friends! We have work to do!
Because of His grace and calling,
Josh and Jill
