Me an Evangelist?

Linda — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 12:04:00 GMT

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations... Matthew 28:19

I had the most wonderful and awesome worship experience on Amtrak between San Antonio and Chicago on my way home from Arizona this past weekend. There were a group of Korean missionaries traveling the United States blessing the cities and the Christians of this country. One of the women of the group had been in Israel and felt called to perform this mission. So here they were traveling on the same Amtrak train as I. After performing a blessing at a stop, they were standing outside my door praying. I asked if I might say a prayer of blessing for their mission. Their blessing ceremony had been very moving to me. Afterall, how many missionaries come to the US or see the US as a mission field? They explained that they felt the US christians are being persecuted and needed to be blessed. Again, I requested to pray a blessing for their mission. After praying, one gentleman named Sing took my hand and placed it over his heart and began praying and weeping. He explained that he felt I was a woman truly from God. Wow! But the experience doesn't stop here...oh no!

The next day we stopped in St. Louis where they again performed their blessing ceremony. After leaving, St. Louis they were in their room (which was 2 doors down from my room) singing beautiful songs in Korean. The car attendant stood there with me listening to them. The singing was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't help myself...I just had to knock on their door and ask if I could give them another blessing for their mission. We by this time were not too far out from Chicago. Sing took my hand and invited me to sit with them. He began interpretting everything of their worship for me. How awesome is that? Out of the blue one of the other fellows says he had a vision for me....for me? Oh, oh. His vision was that there would be a christian man will come into my life that will love me and take care of me....hmmmm. Nice thought. Then everyone laid hands on me and began praying. Sing began weeping again. I patted his hand and told him not to cry. He told me that God had let me survive great tragedy so that I might be an evangelist and witness as I was to them. Me an evangelist?????

...endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist,... 2 Timothy 4:5

Now today I have all the cartons to unpack containing my birthday stash, LQS purchases, quilt tops, completed UFO, Indy's placemats and pillowcases, all my online orders from Connecting Threads, Nancy's Notions, equilters, Quilt ina Day, and PetMeds, plus excess clothes I shipped home, I think there might even be some purchases from the Antique Market in Chandler in one of those cartons too. No worries...I'm getting help with all the unpacking today from a new quilty friend from the Ohio Quilters who doesn't live far from me. A huge thank you to Brenda and a big bear hug too.

Another big thank to Mother Nature for the relatively warm and very sunny homecoming and for the bright blue skies too! And two days in a row yet!! Yea!!!

Well, the sooner the unpacking starts, the sooner I can get sewing. It's good to be home again!

I Chronicles 17:26

Linda — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:24:00 GMT

You, Lord, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. (1 Chronicles 17:26)

He has given me some good things during these last few days in Arizona. It all started on Friday, Feb. 17 at noon with the Quilters Club of America/Reap What You Sew Luncheon held at my church Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Scottsdale. We had a great turnout and I was able to introduce the QCA members that live in Phoenix to each other and to Reap What You Sew. RWYS is a large quilt group started 16 years ago that distributes approximately 2500 quilts to various charities (mostly children's) throughout the Phoenix metro area. About four years ago I started a small chapter at my church to help finish quilt tops that people made but didn't complete the quilt process. We had a lovely luncheon with twice baked potatoes, salads, fettucine, and desserts preceded by a devotion and singing "Bringing in the Quilts" to the tune of "Bringing in the Sheaves". We ended the program with a show and tell.

We were just finishing with cleaning the Fellowship Hall after all our guests had left. Another good thing came my way.

My brother Bill and his wife Gerry arrived from California. This was the first time I have met my brother. Bill is Daddy's middle son from his second marriage. My parents were divorced when I was 13 and I never saw Daddy again. I had a call from a California attorney back in 1980 telling me my father had passed away and that there were 3 boys ages 18 thru 13. I wanted to take them in and raise them. However, I was in an abusive marriage and my husband wouldn't hear of it. So all those years were lost and I always wondered what had happened to them. Finally last summer I gathered up the courage to start searching and found them! Turned out Robert (the oldest) lives near me and we have gotten together several times.

I have been able to spend a wonderful weekend with Bill and Gerry. He reminds me so much of Daddy. I now feel like I have a part of him returned to me. Bill is equally happy that we have met and has promised that we will stay in touch. He even has a nickname for me...Sunshine. No one has ever had a nickname for me. I'm so touched. I just remembered something...on the luggage tags I made, I put "You are my Sunshine". Think God had a hand in this?? I am so happy Bill and I had this weekend together and I was so sad when we parted this morning. We have friended each other on Facebook. I will be praying we will have many more get togethers. Here's Bill....

The third brother, Gary has not been receptive to meeting. Perhaps in time he will change his mind. I will continue to pray that he will have a change of heart.

Now I start preparing to return home to Ohio on Wednesday evening. I shipped out the last of the cartons of sewing supplies, gifts, finished projects, extra clothes, my birthday stash, LQS purchases, etc. this morning. Think of all the fabric I could have bought with the shipping costs!! It would almost be cheaper to rent an apartment here year round and just keep things here....well, not really. Traveling would be a lot easier tho.

Tomorrow I see the chiropractor and massage therapist for the last time. Wednesday Pastor is coming over to give me communion and I'll see my caregiver for the last time till next winter. My caregiver will be keeping in touch as she will be managing my care long distance with the help of an agency that we'll be talking to via phone on Monday. Well, I'll be at home with the agency rep and we'll be on the phone with my caregiver. We have managed to get some support systems in place to help me back home which is making me feel much more secure. It's been difficult managing my own health care when I'm not able to focus or feel overwhelmed most of the time. Should start to feel less stressed. Praise God!

Sing to him a new song...and shout for joy! (Psalm 33:3)

my.sewingroom's blog : quilt top, LQS

Me an Evangelist?

I Chronicles 17:26