Overflowing

Overflowing, overflowing, overflowing grace (Rom. 5:15)
Precious gift from You, Father, that can never be contained
You saw my need, my broken world, my fallen heart
And you gave me Your Son . . . Oh, far beyond imagination!

Oh, Your grace overflows, overflows in my heart
Let the world see the overflow and praise You!

Overflowing, overflowing, overflowing hope (Rom. 15:13)
By the power of Your Spirit as I put my trust in You
I look ahead at days to come, there's no fear
And I find joy and peace . . . Oh, far beyond imagination!

Oh, Your hope overflows, overflows in my heart
Let the world see the overflow and praise You!

Overflowing, overflowing, overflowing joy
(II Cor. 8:2, Phil. 1:26, II Cor. 7:4)
Just to be in Your family and to never be alone
Bearing burdens, sharing sorrows, tasting tears
And You turn it all to good . . . Oh, far beyond imagination!

Oh, Your joy overflows, overflows in my heart
Let the world see the overflow and praise You!

Overflowing, overflowing, overflowing comfort (II Cor. 1:5)
From You, Father of Compassion, to my soul in my distress
You heal my pain, then let me see Your aching world
And there I am Your servant . . . Oh far beyond imagination!

Oh, Your comfort overflows, overflows in my heart
Let the world see the overflow and praise You!

Overflowing, overflowing, overflowing love (I Thess. 3:12)
From one heart to another, holy, pure, spreading wide
Loving brothers, loving sisters, joy to me
And it gives You such delight . . . Oh, far beyond imagination!

Oh, Your love overflows, overflows in my heart
Let the world see the overflow and praise You!

Overflowing, overflowing, overflowing thanks (Col. 2:7; II Cor. 4:15)
For the treasure that you gave us, hidden in these jars of clay
Rooted deep, growing strong, Christ in us
And this mystery brings you glory . . . O, far beyond imagination!

Oh, our thanks overflows, overflows in our hearts
Let the world see the overflow and praise You!

I wrote this poem last year after doing a word study on "overflowing" in the New Testament. The photo is from my friend Ruth, a gifted photographer. When I saw this photo, I thought the photo and the poem belonged together! The photo is posted with her permission and the poem with her encouragement.

Personal Spiritual Growth

I teach a course in our Partners in Ministry program for our first year students called Personal Spiritual Growth. This year I have 20 students from 8 countries. They come from a variety of backgrounds. I should capitalize that: VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS. The variety is huge.

Some grew up in Christian families.
Some have been in the ministry for years.
Some are from Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist backgrounds.
Some are very young Christians.
Some have been married for many years.
Some can barely speak English.
Some have suffered severe persecution.
Some have been married just a few months.

The one thing they have in common is that their husbands are first-year students in IGSL.

This year I have incorporated much more group interaction, because I am discovering that they can learn a lot from each other, not only from me. There are some very mature ladies who have wonderful insights. At the same time, I love having new believers from non-Christian backgrounds, because their questions are honest. They don't have all the years of fitting into the mold of what is expected in the church.

Our topics include:

Displaying God's Glory
Creating an Environment for Growth
Experiencing God's Love
Enjoying the Family of God
Walking in the Spirit
Giving and Receiving Forgiveness
Using My Uniqueness for God's Glory
Living with Pain and Suffering
Studying God's Word
Praying Scripturally
Understanding God's Heart for the World

My favorite topic is the one on pain and suffering, but I find that the ladies don't like that one. It's a topic that most people would rather not talk about! But later , they often tell me that was one of the most helpful sessions. Many of the topics are just an introduction, and they will study them more in-depth in later courses.

Please pray for me. I need wisdom and creativity. We are halfway through --our last class day is December 7.

And then, on December 8, I will hop on a plane and fly to Texas to be with Michelle and Jim as they await the arrival of Baby Daniel James. I'm super excited about that!

Eating Ice Cream in the Line of Duty

It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it! Sometimes I just have to go and eat ice cream with people! Last Saturday I was relaxing at home when I got a phone call from the IGSL campus , saying that one of our scholarship supporters was visiting. Some of our students are supported by a foundation in California, and for years we have been filling out applications and sending reports to this foundation. I have never met any representative from their organization, but I assumed it was a large group with many people.

Anyway, I hurried off to campus where I met Miss May, a sweet, elderly Chinese lady who was eager to spend time with the students she supports. She just happened to be in the Philippines and thought she would look us up! And she said, "Let's go out for lunch!" So we did. Miss May, our IGSL student Sithon from Laos, and I went to the mall. After we finished our lunch, she said, "Let's go somewhere for ice cream!" Sithon suggested that we introduce her to halo-halo, a special Philippine treat featuring ice cream and twelve other ingredients. So off we went to search for halo-halo.

And as we talked, I discovered that she IS the foundation. When her father died, he left her a sum of money, and her dream was to use it to help educate Asian pastors and equip them for ministry. And she has done that for a few decades now, quietly, from her own home--an unsung hero making an impact all over Asia. My job is so fun!