Getting Kari'd Away

Dear Friends, I hope things are going well with you. I have some exciting news I want to share! A group from my church will be going on a service trip to Oredea, Romania this summer. I have thought about this, prayed about this, and talked it over with close friends. I really feel God is prompting me to go, and this is an opportunity to serve that I cannot pass up. My trip will take place July 22-31, 2016. A few years ago you may remember that I took two trips to Las Vegas and served a church called Verve. Some of you reading this may have supported me on that trip, either through prayers or monetarily. I am so very thankful for that support because it allowed me to learn about God and his love for all his children. The decision to take part in this trip was not an easy one. My love of children was a large part of the desire to join this trip. As I have learned more about the Roma population I will serve, I have learned that many parents and mothers are forced to either aba...

       Most people think of service as helping others, or maybe as a type of utility one receives (like cable TV or water). But a few weeks ago I was challenged to think of service as love and love as service. See, I always thought that service was a scheduled event where I give of my time and talents and then am done. But I call myself a Christian and believe in Jesus, so the truth is that that is not how Jesus lived. I also felt that Jesus' servant hood was contextual, something that should be left in the time and place Jesus lived. But the truth is that we, if we claim to be Christians, are to be servants. And when the Bible tells us this it doesn't specify a time for serving and time to take a break from serving. If serving isn't just a physical act at a specified time then what is it? It's love. So, what does that really mean? Well, it doesn't mean picketing at a funeral, standing outside a clinic with horrific pictures or sc...