Feb 1, 2012
He Leadeth Me
By Robin Khoury
I love old timey hymns, and He Leadeth Me was always one of my favorites. It is even one of the few songs that I can bang out on the piano. Yesterday the good Lord led me so clearly that I had to share it with you!
This story really begins about eight years ago when I joined Metropolitan Baptist Church. As we became active, we got to know the missionaries that our church supports. One of these people is Helen Williams.
Helen works with inner city kids. I have thought about Helen so many times throughout the years. I have asked her about her summer day camp. I interviewed her for a podcast one time. Strangely enough, I never followed through on any of my thoughts about her ministry or got myself downtown to help. It was sort of like a bucket list item: Someday, I’m Going To Do That.
Fast forward nine years. God has led me into ministry myself, working with children of incarcerated parents. I had taken a volunteer position leading the children’s ministry at a church for people incarcerated in community release centers.
Helen had ordered some salvation workbooks and baptism storybooks from Little Light Press, my micro publishing outfit. As we were visiting in her office, I asked her what type of special training she took to prepare her to work with children in poverty. She told me about Christian Community Development Association which holds annual seminars in Chicago. She said that she had been trying to get a “seminar buddy” for years to share expenses.
Once again, I filed this under Someday, I’m Going To Do That.
Fast forward two months. My children’s ministry leadership position got complicated and God led me to resign. I went to see my mentor and prayer partner, Carol Cutler, to talk things over. We held hands and prayed for God to clearly lead me to the next step. While we prayed, my phone buzzed in my purse.
As soon as I left Carol’s I checked my phone. It was Helen. “I just wanted to get your email so that I could send you the latest newsletter from CCDA,” she said. I thought it was funny that she called at the very moment we were praying.
When I got home, I read the CCDA newsletter online about the upcoming conference in Chicago. I took note of the keynote speaker’s name, Dr. John Perkins. Yes, Someday, I’m Going To Do That.
Four days later I went to a new Bible study at Carol’s house. She had nearly insisted that I come, because the focus is leadership. I basked in the story about how God developed Moses and prepared him for each new task. I was on a spiritual high that didn’t go away when I got home.
While soaking in the tub that night I finished the book I was reading, (Leadership is Dead, How Influence is Revising It, by Jeremie Kubicek). Right before I met Mr. Sandman I picked up my ipad and started searching for my next read. (I had made a New Year’s Resolution to read a book a week, and that doesn’t leave a lot of time for waffling between titles.) I had heard about a book called, When Giving Hurts. I thought it was a Ruby Payne book.
I finally found it on Amazon. It was actually called When Helping Hurts,How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself. The authors are Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. It had lots of reviews, so I read five or six. They were so good that within a few seconds I had downloaded and was reading the preface in my pitch black room with my snoring husband by my side. I promised myself I would put it away right after I read the intro.
“Yes, this is going to be really good,” I thought as I turned the pages. I came to the end of the introduction and it was signed by Dr. John Perkins, Founder and Director of Christian Community Development Association.
He leadeth me! O blessed thought! O words with heavenly comfort fraught! What-e’re I do,where-e’re I be, still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me!
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When you spend a little time with Wanda Pratt, mother of OKC Thunder basketball player Kevin Durant, you understand one reason that her son Kevin is such A nice guy. Today Wanda was at Esther Women, the monthly luncheon for women of Faith at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. Jayne Jayroe interviewed Wanda as well as Gayle Griffin, mother of OKC’s own Blake Griffin, winner of the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest last year. Both of these women shed light on their faith walk while raising their boys.
Jayne asked Wanda if she was a fan and she paused. “Well, I’m his fan but I’m also his mama. So I don’t let him see that I’m his fan. Sometimes I have to tell him to pick it up on defense.” This was followed by a big laugh.
Tears flowed when Jayne asked Wanda about her relationship with God. After describing her vivid salvation experience, stopping several times to try to stem the tide of tears, she said, “I didn’t want to mess up my makeup, you all.”
Jayne asked her about raising her children as a single mom. Wanda smiled and said, “I feel like we have always been blessed. We had good times together and some hard times, but it was our life. We just lived our lives. I didn’t do anything different than a lot of other moms who sacrifice for their kids.
Wanda shared her biggest fear Kevin was that he would marry the wrong girl. One piece of motherly advice that she gives to Kevin is that he must always be mindful of the little boys who look up to him. “I try to tell him not to ever take his position for granted,” she said. “It didn’t have to be you, you have been blessed.” And we have been blessed to have the Durant family in OKC.
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Merry Christmas! As usual, I would like to share one of my family recipes as my gift to you. Today I am cooking a roast dinner for twenty, as tonight is Arab Christmas. The Arabs all come over and we feast and open presents and love each other. (What Christmas is all about!)
So, I’m taking a break before I perform my other maternal act of love, making my quadruple batch of chocolate chip cookies. (If you are nice I will share this with you soon.) Anyhow, in case you are breaking out in hives at the mere thought of cooking a huge roast, let me assure you that roast is one of the easiest things to make for a lot of people. Are you ready?
Granny’s Roast
Granny made a version of this roast for my extended family every single Sunday of my growing up years. I thank God every day for her and her loving influence on my life. My mom and I have tweaked it through the years to this final form.
I started with a fourteen pound roast. preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheight. Generously salt the roast on all sides and rub in. Sparsely pepper. Take a sharp pointed knife and cut some cloves of garlic into slivers. Cut some half inch deep slices into the top of the roast just big enough to stick the garlic in.Turn roast over and do the same on the other side.
the garlic
Next take some kitchen Bouquet (which you can find in the store by the beef bouillion and gravy mix) and rub all over the meat on all sides.
Now take any kind of wine that you have on hand and pour over the meat and rub in on all sides.
Next take some onion soup mix and sprinkle on all sides and roub in.
Get your fav bbq sauce and pour some on the bottom side (the side without the big layer of fat) of the roast.
Now take some ketchup and squirt on top of this.
Slice an onion and arrange the slices on top of the bbq sauce and ketchup turn the roast over with ketchup side down. Wash and or peel your carrots and lay them all around the roast. Sprinkle more onion soup mix on these. If my roast isn’t this big, I sometimes put potatoes in here too, if I am not going to make mashed ones.
Wipe off your mushrooms nd add to the roaster.
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Add about 2 cups of water for this size roast, (around a cup for smaller ones.) Pour some more wine over all. Put lid on and put in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes, then turn down and cook for 25 minutes per-pound, or until it is tender when you stick a fork in it.
Merry Christmas, all, and be sure to thank the Good Lord for coming to earth to be our Savior.
If you get a car that breaks down all of the time, you bought a lemon. If you get stuck with anything that doesn’t work, well, you got a lemon. But what do you call a lemon that doesn’t work?
A few days ago I made a batch of tabouli, ( a middle eastern salad made with cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, parsley, burghul wheat, spices, lemon juice and olive oil.) I juiced two fresh lemons and added to the salad. It tasted pretty bland, so I juiced two more. That should be enough lemon to knock your socks off. However, nobody at dinner seemed to like the tabouli as much as usual. There were no hearty seconds or accolades for the usual favorite dish. “Oh well, even Chef Ramsey has his off nights,” I thought.
Last night I made another middle eastern dish, m’lakhiye (you whiteys don’t even need to try to say this.) This dish is greens sort of like spinach served with chicken over rice. (sorry no photo, I wasn’t thinking!) M’lakhiye is quite tasty. We serve lemons as a garnish for everybody to squeeze over the top of the dish.
E.J. (my husband) squeezed his lemon, then tasted. He squeezed another lemon, then another and another! Those darn lemons weren’t any good! Somehow I had gotten a bad batch of lemons. They weren’t sour. They put out water, but it was fake lemon water. No zip, no tang, just BLAH. What do you call a lemon that doesn’t work? (Leave your comments if you have any ideas! 
)
box of salt
This reminded me of the story Jesus told his followers in Matthew 5 about salt. He told this story right after he warned true followers that people will say and do evil things to them because of Him. Jesus told them not to worry though, because their reward would be great in heaven.
Jesus went on to say, “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its taste, (its strength, its quality) how can its saltiness be restored? It is good for nothing except to be thrown out and walked on.”
Salt was extremely valuable in Biblical times. It was used as a preservative and a medicine. It was even useful for bartering, and was just as good as money. (Ever heard of anybody being “worth their salt”?)
When we live God’s word in front of others, it preserves them spiritually. God’s truth is the medicine and preservative of the souls of our spiritually dead friends and neighbors. Without it they are doomed.
But what good are we if we are just like everybody else? No zip, no tang, just BLAH. Just trying to get by, compromising our beliefs, acting like everybody else. We are good for nothing except to be thrown out. And that’s excactly what I’m going to do with the rest of those lemons!
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Right now I am reading the autobiography of George Mueller. God is using this book to teach me so many things. He lived back in the early eighteen hundreds in England. His ministry included Bible distribution, schools for poor children, Sunday Schools for adults, support of foreign missionaries in their work. His major work was starting and maintaining orpanages, which by 1875, educated and completely cared for 2000 English children.
George was quite a scoundrel in his youth and early twenties.He had a little trouble getting on the right track, but once he did he did not waver. God called George Mueller out of his sinful ways and into a life of trust in Him.
George Mueller was an indpendent servant of God. He was never affiliated with any Missionary Organization or denomination to get his support. He relied only on private donations as God was pleased to send them to him. In case you are imagining George spending a lot of time fundraising, think again! His whole foundation for ministry, his mission statement, was that others may see from his ministry that God supplies us with our every need and that we can trust him. Mr. Mueller would not even answer people when they directly asked about the needs of his ministry. He relied solely on the convicting power of the Holy Spirit to nudge the saints to give to him.
What George Mueller did, in effect, was a trade off. He traded a lot of hours pounding the pavement for donations for a lot of hours spent talking to God. The thing about this method is, that in this process, not only were his needs met, but he was changed in the process. God used these hours of fellowship to continually increase George Mueller’s faith. In turn God worked through this humble servant and God received His rightful glory.
Take Away
This part of the story speaks to me in several ways. First, if you know a young man who is a scoundrel, pray for him. Pray for God to call him out as he did His servant, George Mueller. Second, ask God for the things that you need. (You have not because you ask not. James 4:2 b)
I’m still trying to take this in. Lord, help me rely on You for everything. Help me lead Little Light Ministries as George Muller led.
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Well Hallelujah! It’s about time somebody busted the giant federally funded abortion mill, Planned Parenthood. Good JobLila Rose and Live-Action.org! They shot an undercover video (a la ACORN) and caught a Planned Parenthood employee giving advice to a couple whom she thought to be a pimp and prostitute on how to fake reports and such for underage girls working for them. What a joke! Stuart Schear, the spokesperson for Planned Parenthood just called Live-Action “an extreme group.” Yeah. He said, “Live-Action is an extreme group trying to deny young women health care.” These folks have a pretty weird view of health care, don’t they?
I have to say, how great it was to see this beautiful 23 year old, Lila Rose, defend her organization on CNN. She did such a good job! Defunding of Planned Parenthood is long overdue.
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Resolution to Read
One of my new year’s resolutions is to read two books per month. Last month I read “The Working Poor” by David Shipler. Though I don’t agree with Shipler on a lot of stuff, his pulitzer prize winning book has changed the way that I think about poor and homeless people. Today I started a new book, “It’s Not About the Bike”, by Lance Armstrong.
Lance Armstrong Quotation
I am already loving this book! I am on page three and have already mined this jewel:
You do not fly up a hill. You struggle slowly and painfully up a hill, and maybe, if you work very hard, you get to the top ahead of everybody else.
Just before this quote Armstrong (with ghostwriter Sally Jenkins) tells us to watch out, that his story is real, not Hollywood. He reminds the reader that we are not in Disneyland.
Application for Young People
My thought: “How perfect! How much better prepared for life young people would be if they watched less movies and learned more about hard work, sacrifice, and compassion for others.” Perhaps then they would not be so easily discouraged when their own lives do not mirror the Hollywood drivel that they are immersed in. I can’t wait to really dig in to Lance’s story!
]]>Someone in my Sunday School class taught me this daily Bible reading plan, and it has really changed my life. This is how to read the Psalms through in a month. Start with the Psalm that matches the date: (Today is the 18th of Dec. so I found Psalm 18.) Read that one. Then add thirty to 18, (uh, duh, let’s see, I guess that would be 48.) Other than the math part, this Psalm reading plan is really easy! Read Psalm 48 now. Add 30 to that and you come up with Psalm 78. Read Psalm 78, add thirty, then read 108. Add 30, read Psalm 138. The Psalms end with 150, so you stop at 138 for today. The only time I deviate from this is on the day that Psalm 119 comes up. It is so long that I try to read it at other times. (Ms. Johnson, who started Bible study fellowship, read this Psalm every day!) Perhaps that should be my goal for the new year?
When I was in Israel I saw a lot of vines.
I remembered what Jesus said.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever Lives in me and I in him bears much fruit.
However, apart from me, cut off from vital union with me, you can do nothing…If you live in Me and…my words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. (Taken from John 15: 1-7)
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Sunset on the Mediterranean Sea at Aqzib, Israel
I just got home from one month in Israel. Israel is wonderful, I love it. But internet connection where I was is spotty. So I will try to make up for lost time by sharing my trip. The picture above was taken on a family picnic. Can you believe it?
First of all, my husband’s giant family lives, in Tarshiha, a village in the north of Galillee. Tarshiha is only a few miles from the Lebanese border. The occasion for our trip was our nephew’s wedding. When you get married in the middle east folks, it isn’t just a trip to the courthouse! Even with all of the wedding festivities, we had a chance to see a lot of the country. Although I have been to Israel five times before, I probably enjoyed this trip more than any previous ones. (This probably has to do with the fact that my kids are grown now and I was not having to stress over them the whole trip!)
I was glad I cut my hair this year, because it was really HOT. Even hotter than Oklahoma, and Oklahoma is pretty darn hot. Many times the breeze cools off in Tarshiha in the evening, but that only happened twice this trip! We were there from August 18, 2010 till Sept. 21, 2010.
E.J. and Robin on a family porch in Tarshiha, Israel
Now that I’m back there’s so much reflecting to do. I thank God for letting me walk where Jesus walked. I can’t believe I have stood on the Mount of Beatitudes, next to Peter’s house in Capernaum, and next to the manger in Bethlehem. Aside from these experiences and so many more, Just seeing the fruit trees and plants was incredible. I’ve decided that Christmas tree ornaments were inspired by pomegranates!
Tarshiha pomegranates
Next blog I’ll share grapevine pictures and thoughts.
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