Grab a moment and google this short testimony by my “chocolate daughter”! You will be blessed …

``Losing and Gaining a Father - Lydia Teera 1/2``
``Losing and Gaining a Father - Lydia Teera 2/2``

This is only an abbreviation of Lydia’s whole story but it will give you a glimpse of one challenge she has met in her life and how our Father’s grace has moved her forward into a major wholesome ministry.

It is individuals like Lydia who really encourage us in this outreach that Laura and I do. She is an example of the vision and passion that leaders exhibit in accepting any life challenge. She is one reward of your intercession expressed on our behalf.

During one meeting in our recent speaking tour, a guy left midway through because Lydia’s “… calamity was tearing his heart out”. I begged him to stay to hear her solution, but his own life wounds were too fresh and he couldn’t come to terms. The contrast between those who follow our Father and those who sit in their own misery became very vivid to me.

…… Should I go to Senegal (Africa) in January?

An invitation begs me to go there but I need assurance that my acceptance of THAT invitation is the right choice. The same issue applies to Ghana (May) and Chad (June). I’ve confirmed Papua New Guinea and Australia in March and Turkey plus Dubai in April. There are also two courses booked in Canada during February. Other invites to A’stan and Indonesia stand in the wings. We appreciate your intercession for wisdom in accepting any invitations.

I’m reminded of how unprepared I was with an itinerary plan during this past Sept to Dec. Two overseas trips had been organized … but then Lydia was granted a visa at the last moment to come to Canada. My expectations dissolved when I discovered our Father already had an alternate schedule in the works. We had 92 meetings in 99 days (plus 3 workshops of a total 38 hrs!) in Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Yellowknife and Alberta. We’re pretty chuffed and blessed because of His interventions. I’m looking forward to more!

Someone wrote “The Ten Commandments for Christmas”. And # 8 is “Thou shalt slow down.”  Hmmmm! There’s also a quote that admonishes “God made us ‘human beings’ not ‘human doings’”. That’s great for the ‘beings’, but believe it or not, some of us are wired in such a way that we actually relax in the midst of ‘doing’. Evidence indicates that I’m happily one of those!

And you know what? Our Father doesn’t just organize our surface issues. While on this three month trip away from home, I spent various moments quietly contemplating how to arrange time to split our winter firewood when I got back home. But He had that in the mix too. While we were away, 15 neighbours, over three days, sneaked in and split and piled 10 bush cords of wood for us. WOW!

I’m surely a blessed fellow! … john