Epistles in Our Hearts

The McKendree Family

 "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:  forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."  2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Matt, Sarah, Juan, Martha, Ian, & Phebe

The McKendree Family with Pepe and Lupe

David

Jose, Eli, Coco, Olga, Isabel, Hilda

Efata Baptist Deaf Church - Callao Dulanto

Ian the Hero

Martha the Lady

Dorcas the Hija (Daughter)

Pastoral Duties?

Irene with her family, the McKendree Family with Esther

Pepe & Betty with grandchildren and the McKendree Family

A Glimpse of Heaven

In my last post, I mentioned listening to my friend's Japanese Radio Station.  Yes, I'm listening to it as I type these thoughts.  While listening to the station recently, I heard "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" sung in Japanese.  This morning I heard "How Great Thou Art."
It's a funny thing about knowing a foreign language.  After a while you begin to think in that language.  I still find myself thinking in Cebuano occasionally - usually when I 'm trying to "wax eloquent" in Spanish!
Anyways, as I was listening to "How Great Thou Art" in Japanese, I found myself singing the words in Spanish.  The same thought crossed my mind this morning as it did when I heard "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" being sung in Japanese.
Beloved, how often do we stop to think of how wonderful Heaven will really be?  "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."  Revelation 7:9-10
Can you imagine hearing something like "The Hallelujah Chorus" being sung in many different languages?  Wow!  To me, that is something exciting to think about!  I think of all the friends that God has given me who are missionaries.  I have friends who know Swahili, French, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, English, Cebuano, Portuguese, and Sign Language -  just to name a few!  What a beautiful sight and sound it will be in Heaven to hear all those languages!  Will the Deaf need to use Sign Language in Heaven?  I don't think so, but I think we'll use it anyway - it is truly a beautiful language!
I really have to laugh at myself!  I listen to a Japanese Radio Station, and find myself singing the songs in Spanish, English, or Sign Language.  Yet, what a beautiful glimpse of Heaven my Lord gives me!

One More Year

Today is a very special day.  Today is the day I celebrate one more year of being a Daughter of the King!  Yes, today is my spiritual birthday.  God has given me 28 years to love Him and serve Him.  I'll admit, I haven't always done my best, and sometimes I'm not a very good soldier.  How grateful I am that His mercies are new every morning!!
As I am typing this, I am listening to the radio station that my missionary friends in Japan have.   About the only word I understand in Japanese is "Konichiwa" (I had to check and make sure I spelled that right!), but they play a lot of instrumental music.  Every song this morning has been exactly what I have needed to hear!  (This radio station is extra-special, because the missionary's wife (who is one of my dearest friends) and I have the same spiritual birthday!)
In my mind's eye, I see a little girl sitting in church.  She normally sits right next to her parents, but this Sunday she is sitting at the other end of the pew.  It is invitation time, and her heart is quaking.  She has just heard her Preacher preach a message about unsaved church members.  She is wondering how Preacher knew the condition of her heart, when she realizes the Holy Spirit is prompting her to go forward and get her salvation settled.  "How can I?" she thinks.  "Everyone thinks I'm already saved.  What will people say?"  Putting her pride and the opinions of people aside, she goes forward and tells her Preacher that she needs to be saved.  Her Preacher's wife takes her to Preacher's office and shows her the plan of salvation.  The verses were not new - she has known those verses for a long time!  But this Sunday is different...she moved those verses and that knowledge from her head to her heart!  She prayed and received Christ as her personal Saviour!
28 years later.....Now that little girl is all grown up.  She is married and has three dear children of her own.  She has had the privilege of living in the Philippines, and now she gets to live in Peru.  She has the blessing of serving the Lord with her family.  They work together to reach the Deaf for Christ.
I never could have imagined all the things the Lord had in store for me that Sunday morning I sat in Preacher's office and asked Jesus to live in my heart!  Now I sit here typing these words, listening to a Japanese radio station play "Wonderful Grace of Jesus."  I have a little boy sitting on my lap, asking me if the song on the radio is about Jesus in Heaven.  I find myself thinking about that song "Wonderful Grace of Jesus."  I used to sing that song with my Mom when we were in the car on our way to town.  I always loved singing that song with Mom, along with "Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul."  I liked them because they were the longest songs in the songbook!  I loved them because my Mom would sing them to me during thunderstorms so I wouldn't be afraid.  I love them now because they remind me of my Mom, who is now in Heaven.  I love them because they remind me that the grace of Jesus really IS wonderful!
28 years....the years have gone by so quickly!  How grateful I am that Jesus died to save me!  Beloved, do you know that Jesus died to save you?  He is no respecter of persons.  He died on the cross for you - no matter what you've done or where you've been.  He loves you.  If you have never accepted His free gift of salvation, won't you accept Him today?

Unnoticed Blessings

I thought you would like to see some recent pictures of my growing kiddos!  Hubby and I are so very blessed to have these three treasures!
Martha and Ian love Phebe so much!  I didn't have the camera handy recently when Ian and Phebe were looking at each other...I wish I could have captured that moment.  Ian was looking at Phebe, and she was giving her big brother such a sweet, adoring look.  It was certainly one of those "Awww!!!" moments!

 Martha is my "Little Mama"!  She loves holding Phebe and reading books to her.  While I do have to remind both Martha and Ian that Phebe is not a dolly, I am grateful that they love her so much!

 Phebe is growing so quickly!  She is rolling over, and taking great delight in wiggling herself around.  She'll be crawling before I know it!  I giggle to myself as I remind Martha and Ian that one of these days Phebe will be following them around everywhere!

I am grateful for the blessings God has given me.  You know, sometimes I get so focused on the "big" blessings (answers to prayers, a kindness received, etc.) that I forget about the "Unnoticed" blessings (an hour of sunshine on a mostly cloudy day, a good bargain at the grocery store, a hug and a sticky kiss from one of my kids, etc.)!
It's easy to be thankful for the big blessings.  What "unnoticed" blessings have we been blessed with today?