A Craving for Fundraising

Have you ever felt like you had an opportunity to say something and just couldn't figure out what to say? Or just the opposite, you knew what you wanted to say, but didn't have the opportunity to? 

That's the beauty of writing. The empty words on the page can be just as revealing as specific penned words in our thesis papers. The most amazing aspect of writing to me is that it reflects the innermost thoughts from its author. Almost like what I am reading was once something screaming to get out of another. 

“Writing is not just jotting down ideas. Often we say: ‘I don’t know what to write. I have no thoughts worth writing down.’ But much good writing emerges from the process of writing itself. As we simply sit down in front of a sheet of paper and start to express in words what is on our minds or in our hearts, new ideas emerge, ideas that can surprise us and lead us to inner places we hardly knew were there.

“One of the most satisfying aspects of writing is that it can open in us deep wells of hidden treasures that are beautiful for us as well as for others to see.”

— Henri Nouwen

 Many of you know I have years of experience with fundraising. Back in 2005 I started on a journey of raising support for my time in YWAM. Then after three years I found myself helping the Donor Marketing team at WAY-FM, to raise the financial support needed to operate the radio stations. Words became my life line. Support letters, email updates, and phone call scripts seemed to all come naturally after 6 years. God continuously amazed me as he used the words I can up with to raise funds to advance His kingdom.

So what's the connection between my desire to write and share the stuff screaming to get out and fundraising techniques. Well, that's just it... until you see that connection your fundraising will be pointless. God uses the people that are most passionate about spreading His Glory to raise awareness to the funds needed. When I look back I see a women that never wanted to "fundraise", but kept being put in spots that saw how God supernaturally provided through it. I have seen God move the hearts of men to give tremendous amounts, simply because people like me put words on a page asking for support. 

Henri Nouwen has a book on fundraising that I highly recommend. A Spirituality of Fundraising has become, for me, one of the blue prints for fundraising. One of the first things he writes is, 

"fundraising is first of all, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing your vision, and inviting other people into your vision with the resources that are available to them."

So instead of simply sending out an "ask", those that are a part of God's supernatural plan to fund His ministry should ask themselves what it is they are passionate about. Does each letter, email, or phone call have the main purpose of glorifying God, or have you succumb to the desire to just simply fund "your" ministry. If God ever calls me back into a career or life of fundraising, it is my prayer that my soul purpose of each written piece would be to raise the funds needed to bring Him the most glory, where He has me, for the ministry that He has me doing. 

But regardless my writing will continue to be the same. One that desires to give others the opportunity to see a women that is on the same journey as they are, the journey of becoming more like Christ. Learning to trust and believe that he loves, lives, and is always there for us!

B

Seriously it's been 2 years...

Brian died. There are still moments when those two words sound so foreign to me. What did my mom just tell me? Seriously, she said what at 5:30 in the morning Aug. 15, 2010 over the phone. No way!

I thought about writing a blog last week about how much I missed him, but honestly it just seemed strange to think about him. Over the past two years I have caught myself thinking about him at random moments. At first it was just remembering the fun times, great conversations, and frustrating moments that we all have with our older brothers. Then came the times when I just missed him. I would call my mom and the words would almost slip out of my mouth, "How's Brian and Will?" For so long it was always the two of them. Now, it's the trips home that make me miss him or the holiday traditions, birthdays, and anniversaries.

For months afterwards I can remember listening to this song that kept repeating these words, "Sometimes all that you can do is just keep breathing and believing. Telling yourself that you'll make it, and not to give in." As the breathing got easier and time set in, my heart began to ache less often. I don't know if time heals all wounds, but what I do know is that Christ does. As I have dealt with the grief over these two years, I have caught a glimpse of what the Psalmist might have felt as he wrote these words,

"The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hear and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken."                                                    (Psalms 34:15-20)

As I cried out for comfort during the moments of grief, I found God to be standing there ready to comfort me. My eyes were dried by his touch and my soul found hope again as I began to see the goodness of God, especially in the midst of such great pain. I am not saying that I find it joyful to have lost such a person or that I understand God's timing or plan. However, I choose to trust my King. To look at life through the eyes of trust and belief rather than frustration and pain.

It is my prayer that you too would remind yourself today that our God is good. There is nothing in His character that is bad. May you taste and see the goodness of the Lord, in the midst of the pain and grief that you may be experiencing. Remember He is the only one that can bring true healing and restoration to your soul.

662 reasons to believe in the miracles.

What is it about miracles that makes them thrilling and terrifying at the same time? We long to see the miracles but when experiencing it our response is fear. Continuing my study in Mark, it seems as if both responses are present. Chapter 6 recalls how Jesus' hometown responded to His presence. 

Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household." 

What was it about Jesus' presence in Nazareth that the people didn't like or embrace? Sometimes I wonder if it is the same reasons we don't embrace Him. Have we become so accustomed to "Jesus" that we have blinded our own eyes to His miracles ways. Just after we read about how these people rejected Jesus, we see how Jesus responds.

And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief.

I don't for one second think that Jesus has stopped doing miracles around us every day; however, I do have to ask myself if my unbelief is preventing me from seeing them or receiving them. Do I question God's ability to move mountains, or heal broken spirits. Has my prayer life turned from into a boring routine recital of the same requests because I am too afraid to really ask for and believe in getting what my heart desires. Don't I believe that God wants the best, wildest, and craziest things for me. He wants me to expect the unexpected, and trust in Him to fulfill the dreams that He placed in my heart.

So, like yesterday, I challenge each of us to boldly approach the throne of God with the covering of grace and mercy with anticipation. May you have a renewed sense of fulfillment today as you pray and expect great things from God.

O and if you were thinking I was really going to name all 662 reason to believe in the miracles, then my theory worked. Numbers in the subject line do motivate people to read my blog. :)

B

 

Grateful for the supernatural

Over the past few days, it seems as if the Lord is speaking to me about my lack of faith in all the supernatural things that he has done for me and wants to do. Like a stubborn child, I have yet to fully comprehend just how much God is interested in my day to day affairs. It's sad to me, how often I fail to recognize him in my small decisions and struggle to go back and thank him for leading me through each storm. In my reading today, Mark shares a part of his Jesus' walk, that in my opinion reveals the same struggle for him.

Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

The disciples had seen first hand the miracles of Jesus. They walked alongside Jesus as he healed on the Sabbath, drove evil spirits out, and cleansed a leper. He sat with them and shared the true meanings of each parable, and even called each of them by name to a journey they would have never imagined being a part of. So why the doubt?

It's tempting to be judgmental when we neglect to look at the plank in our own eyes. Have I not seen just as many supernatural events and moments in my life time? Don't I walk just as close to Jesus, if not closer now that I have the Holy Spirit within in?  He's proven to me over and over again, how faithful he is to calm the storms within me and around me, yet I still frantically wake him up pleading for some sort of salvation. I doubt that the disciples recognized their fear as lack of faith. In fact, I am not sure they would have connected it to fear at all. Think about it, the boat was filling up! This was no small wave crashing alongside the bow of the boat. These guys were in the throws of panic with good reason, expect that with Jesus there really is no good reason.

Is that what Jesus was trying to get at. Having the faith to believe that He, who is able to do more for us than we could possible imagine, is still in control as the boat seems to be sinking. So what if the boat had sunk? Would He still be in control, be good, and be God of your life? If you ask yourself that question, it may be time to ask the ultimate question. Did he die on the cross or not and save us all from the ultimate storm? Our truest battle has already been won and we didn't even have to panic or fret. By us recognizing that our eternal destiny is secure in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, we begin to point our hearts towards being grateful for the supernatural. In light of the cross, we can not walk away without faith in the God who is able to calm all the storms that get thrown at us. Even if the storm doesn't disappear, leaves behind wreckage, and heartache, we know that Jesus is still on the thrown. Interceding on our behalf.

It is my prayer that each of us would walk in light of the gospel, with hearts full of awe and trust in the supernatural. May He bless you as you seek Him and trust in His mighty power to save.

B