MULTI-CULTURAL SUMMER

MULTI-CULTURAL SUMMER

One summer when my children were teenagers we decided to have a multi-cultural summer.  Having five children made this a wonderful event.  

Each week, starting with one of the oldest twins I would ask them to pick a country.  After they had decided upon their country, we would start digging through the encyclopedia and read what the people of the region they chose were like.  Then the child would go shopping with me during the week and we would buy a few decorations to hang in the kitchen area and use for table settings.  We would decorate a poster or two with different things we found in magazines.  At the end of the week, we would then go shopping and buy food that fit with the culture they were going to present to the family that evening. 

The older children would cook the meal themselves with my assistance and then at the dinner table we would have open discussions about the country they choose and why they had made that selection. The younger children assisted me as I cooked and we would have discussions about the type food we were cooking.

Having five children that ranged from fourth to tenth grade gave us a full summer of multi-cultural studies.  it not only enlightened them on other countries but introduced them to new foods and helped them understand people from other regions once they were out on their own and living among diverse ethnic groups.  This was an event I planned for them, hoping to help them develop and learn.  Looking back it also gave me a great foundation for the type ministry I have each day as I meet people from every ethnic group and something I would love to do again.  

If you choose to have a multi-cultural summer we would love for you to share your idea's with us as each person will have new ideas and unique ways of doing this event. 

HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY MORNING

Photo provided by Katie Gray Brady 

It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are 

not consumed, because his compassions 

fail not. They are new every morning: 

great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my 

portion, saith my soul; therefore will 

I hope in him.  The LORD is good unto 

them that wait for him, to the soul that 

seeketh him.  It is good that a man should 

both hope and quietly wait for the 

salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:22-26

DAYS OF OLD

Photo by Lisa Villarreal

O LORD, give ear to my supplications: 

in thy faithfulness answer me, and in 

thy righteousness.   And enter not into 

judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight 

shall no man living be justified.  For the 

enemy hath persecuted my soul;  he hath 

smitten my life down to the ground; he hath 

made me to dwell in darkness, as those that 

have been long dead.  Therefore is my spirit 

overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is 

desolate.  I remember the days of old;  I meditate 

on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul 

thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: 

hide not thy face from me, lest I be 

like unto them that go down into the pit.

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in 

the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to 

know  the way wherein I should walk; for I lift 

up my soul unto thee.  Deliver me, O LORD, 

from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art 

my God:  thy spirit is good; lead me into 

the land of uprightness.  Quicken me, O 

LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy 

righteousness’ sake bring my soul out 

of trouble.  And of thy mercy cut off 

mine enemies, and destroy all them that 

afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Psalms 143

WAIT, WATCH & PRAY

Photo provided by Tina Leigh

Why we should Wait, Watch Pray!

As I was praying about the ministry over the last 

few weeks I continue to feel that we are not to jump 

and take off running in all sorts of directions trying 

to stir up the ministry. When the Lord opens the door,

we are ready to walk through it but when he isn't
moving and opening doors we need to be content
and realize he is still moving and sometimes
preparing things we can't see. 

There have been many confirmations that the
Lord was going to open the windows of heaven
and he did.  He continues to give confirmations
of certain things but we just don't see it taking
off and happening.  Therefore, I began to ponder
about Abraham and Sarah and how they tried
to make the Word of Lord happen much faster
than what the Lord had planned.  The Lord was
truly going to send them a son but because
it didn't start happening the way they thought
the Lord was going to do it, they began
to plan and plot it out.  (Genesis 16)

Probably somewhere in their mind thinking they
were possibly doing things right because after all,
God had promised.  They both knew in themselves
having this child was impossible so God must
be showing them to do it in a different manner.  So
instead of letting God do it, they just decided
to help out just a little bit.  As we can see with
Abraham and Sarah when we try to get in the way
of the Lord we cause brokenness and problems
for future generations to come and for
our own generation.

I also began to ponder on the thought that a friend 

and I talked about a couple weeks ago. When the 

Lord was ready to lead Lot out of Sodom, the Lord
sent His angels and they took Lot by the hand and
brought him back into the house where there was safety
and protection and made plans for his family to
leave the city (Genesis 19).

Then we have the story in the bible of
Enoch who walked with God.

"And Enoch walked with God:
and he was not; for God took him."
(Genesis 5:24)

In all my searching and prayers I feel the
Lord is just saying to wait for Him and let
Him open the doors that need opening in His
time.  It is far wiser to move beside the Lord
than to move in front of Him.  When He
is ready for us to go forth I believe He
will lead the way.  He may lead in a
way that we are not planning.  It's so easy
for us to think of all the women who
are speakers, teachers and leaders and
the world begins to press and feel this is
what we should do, while the Lord may
have a different path that we could totally
mess up if we try to do things in our
own way and our own time. 

SO WE WAIT, WATCH AND PRAY!

...HIS WATERS SHALL BE SURE

He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; 

he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh 

his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears 

from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing 

evil;  He shall dwell on high: his place of defence 

shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given 

him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the 

king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is 

very far off. Thine heart shall meditate terror. 

Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? 

where is he that counted the towers? Thou shalt 

not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper 

speech than thou canst perceive; of a 

stammering tongue, that thou canst not
understand.  Look upon Zion, the city
of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see
Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle
that shall not be taken down; not one
of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed,
neither shall any of the cords thereof 

be broken. But there the glorious LORD 

will be unto us a place of broad rivers and 

streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, 

neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.  For the 

LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, 

the LORD is our king; he will save us.

ISAIAH 33:15-22

REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD

Grace be to you, and peace, from God 

our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Blessed be the God and Father of our 

Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us 

with all spiritual blessings in heavenly 

places in Christ: According as he hath 

chosen us in him before the foundation 

of the world, that we should be holy 

and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the 

adoption of children by Jesus Christ 

to himself, according to the good 

pleasure of his will,  To the praise 

of the glory of his grace, wherein he 

hath made us accepted in the beloved.

SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME

 Photo by Angela Conner

And they brought young children to him, 

that he should touch them: and his disciples 

rebuked those that brought them.

But when Jesus saw it, he was much 

displeased, and said unto them, 

Suffer the little children to come 

unto me, and forbid them not: 

for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever 

shall not receive the kingdom of God 

as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

And he took them up in his arms, 

put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

Mark 10:13-16

PERFECT PEACE

Photo Provided byTina Leigh

In that day shall this song be sung in the 

land of Judah; We have a strong city; 

salvation will God appoint for walls 

and bulwarks.  Open ye the gates, 

that the righteous nation which 

keepeth the truth may enter in.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, 

whose mind is stayed on thee: 

because he trusteth in thee. Trust 

ye in the LORD for ever: for in 

the LORD JEHOVAH is 

everlasting strength: 

Isaiah 26:1-4