Get Inspired: You Were Made For So Much More!
Isn’t it easy to read that statement and be cynical—oh, yes,
that’s definitely true of me! And if you think I’m implying that
you’ll become a world-renowned celebrity, I agree; that is unlikely
to happen (unless you’re planning to gate-crash the White House!).
But consider this:
Mary was an ordinary young woman, yet God saw her heart and
had so much more for her.
Joseph was a simple carpenter whose heart was also in tune
with God. The consequence: He had so much more for Joseph.
Look at each key person in the story of Christ’s birth and
you see the same thing: ordinary people with hearts focused on God,
seeking His purposes, and available to be used.
God expanded their lives to include much more than they ever
dreamed—and He wants us to grasp the wonder, and calling, of His
involvement in our lives today:
Eph. 2:10 emphasizes that He made us for so much more than ho-hum
lives. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to
do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Phil.2:13 states clearly that God is working in us, making us so
aware that we are made for more than self-focused lives. “For it
is God who works in you to will (want, desire, dream) and to act
(step forward, be available, serve) according to his good purpose.”
Imagine—there are God prepared, specific things intended for you to
do. What could they be? Are they in front of you this month, or in
the coming year?
What might the Holy Spirit be saying to you about being made for
so much more?
Wishing you the deep awareness of all your blessings, especially
the greatest one of all: God’s blessing in sending Jesus to
reconcile us to Himself—and leading us to know and receive Him.
Merry Christmas!
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Joash Osoro
by Poppy Smith
Story adapted from an article in The Oregonian,
Nov.23, 2009, author: Doug Binders.
Photo
shot in Nairobi, Kenya, 2008 at a
medical training event, by my husband.
: : : : :
After his parents died, 6 year old Joash Osoro’s extended
family could not take care of him and his two older brothers,
Rogers and Calvin. As orphans of AID’S victims they felt
ostracized.
Rogers and Calvin were fortunate enough to go away to
school during the week, coming home on weekends. Their house
was a one-room mud hut, but Joash survived as best he could.
Farming the one acre plot left by his father, he learned what
to do by watching his neighbors tilling soil, planting seed,
and pulling weeds.
Over time he acquired a few chickens, using their eggs to
buy vegetables or get the corn he grew ground into flour. He
had learned to cook cornmeal mush, called Ugali, when he was
4. But he didn’t dare eat any of the eggs because they were
too valuable. He existed on one meal a day, often wracked with
hunger through the night. In spite of his physical
circumstances, Joash firmly rejected any temptation to steal.
Determined to keep going to public school, Joash walked
several miles each way and studied as hard as he could. When
he was 13, his brother Calvin received the opportunity of a
lifetime. Through a missionary who had connections with a
Catholic church in North Dakota, Calvin was adopted into a
warm, caring family with eight children of their own!
Two more years passed with Joash trying to survive both
hunger and the roving gangs associated with witchcraft that
ran through his village every night. Calvin’s generous,
adoptive family extended their love again, offering to adopt
him if he stayed in school. Leaving behind all that was
familiar, plus his beloved chickens, pigeons and the cat that
was his valued pet wasn’t easy. His remaining brother, Rogers,
promised to take care of the animals and Joash left, to
experience a life he had never dreamed of.
Starting ninth grade at a fourth grade reading level, Josiah
moved into Advanced Placement courses by his senior year. He
was also on the national recruiting radar for track and placed
third at the Nike Cross National competition last year. This
year he has blossomed into one of the top distance runners on
the West Coast. “I thank God for what he has done for me,”
said Joash in a recent interview. “My family and what they’ve
done for me—without their support I would be nobody.”
INSPIRED? I HOPE SO! Joash Orsoro knew there
was so much more for him—and refused to succumb to the
devastating heartache of poverty, no family, no hope. He
refused to succumb to freezing North Dakota winters and the
difficulties of adjusting to an alien culture. When he faced
difficulties, he overcame them, refusing to allow what stood
in his way to keep him from moving towards what lay ahead.
A Special Christmas Give-away for
You!
Be the fifth person to contact Poppy with a comment
about THRIVE and you'll receive the newly released book:
Surviving One Bad Year (7 Spiritual Strategies to Lead
You to a
New Beginning) authored by Nancy Carmichael.
It will give you hope and practical help for those
days
when you wonder how to survive.
(Only for North American recipients, sorry!)
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There was once a young
man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great
writer.
When asked to define
“great,” he said, “I want to write stuff that the whole world
will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly
emotional level, stuff that will make them scream in
disbelief, cry in despair, howl in pain, and vent their anger
in ways they’ve never dreamed of!”
He now works for
Microsoft, writing error messages.
Upcoming
Events:
Speaking Calendar:
2009:
Sept/ Dec. 12 week series on Spiritual Disciplines,
Village Church, Oregon
2010:
February 5th: Hong Kong, ECC Leadership Training.
Outreach Luncheon
February 11th: Singapore, IBC,
February 15-19th: Bangladesh,
March 5-7: Salem Heights Church Retreat
April 15, 22: Professionally Speaking, Portland, OR.
May 8th: Women’s retreat, Molalla, Oregon
July: AWSA/ICRS Conference, St. Louis, MO.
August 2-5: Oregon Christian Writers’ Conference
September 15: Aging to Perfection, Eugene, OR.
October 16: Plenary Speaker, OCW, Fall meeting
October 20-30: Nairobi, Kenya
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Speaking
in 2010. I am currently taking bookings for next year and
2011. |
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