Patsy and Troy Clark were married for 61 years and faithful members of Council Road for over 20 years. Patsy, and their three children cared for Troy the last four years of his life. Now as Patsy enters a new phase of life, she has shifted her focus of service, and started an official Council Road Widow’s Group.
What does a “life on mission” really look like? We hear this phrase or one like it regularly in Christian circles. But, what does it really look like? It is different for each follower of Christ, depending on your gifts and talents, but there should be some underlying similarities that we find in scripture. I also believe a “life on mission” changes as we age, grow, and follow Christ. We all know the Great Commission, but do we live it out or just recite it with our mouths? “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).
I don’t know about you, but the longer I live, the more I realize that doing things with others makes life more fun. There truly is beauty and blessing when living in community. If you attended our Women’s Ministry Launch, you’ll recall that we hosted a fabulous panel of women involved in various ministries, highlighting ways we could jump in and serve together. I have experienced firsthand what a practical and powerful concept this is. Making memories with women in our community + serving = a win/win!
I still remember sitting in the upper section of what was then called the Ford Center. It was June 2003. The concert was packed, people were smoking weed around me, and I had a great time. A few weeks later, I went back to the Ford Center for a Billy Graham Crusade and just happened to sit in the same section as the concert a few weeks back. I was in a very public arena, yet I could feel the tangible presence of God. I could not tell you any of the points to his sermon, however I vividly remember the stark difference of the two events because of the light that Billy Graham was sharing.
On my birthday in July, my sweet husband brought me coffee in bed. That had been one of my requests, to have coffee in bed and sit together for the morning. Not long after taking my first couple of sips, my husband left for work and one of our twins started crying. I grabbed my coffee and began the process of changing my son and getting him fed. Then, I repeated the process for my daughter. As I fed them, I thought, “This is what my birthday is going to look like from here on out.”
I like a predictable life. I like normal routines and schedules. It sets my mind at ease to know what is happening day in and day out. But what happens when God starts pressing in on your heart to step out in faith and do something new? Something unpredictable? Something you never would have imagined yourself doing in a million years? I can tell you from experience that it rocks your world, but it is such a blessing.
Women and Church. That particular string of words may conjure strong opinions. If not in yourself, definitely in others. If your opinion is determined in part by what is seen in media, culture, dax, it has likely been shaped by loud, perhaps even extreme, voices which may not always represent the majority.
Shelby Moore placed her McDonald’s breakfast burrito and coffee on the table, looking across at her good friend Frankie Frasier. Shelby kindly interrupted one of Frankie’s classic humorously woven tales to say, “Frankie, would you like to pray for our breakfast?” Frankie, being slightly hard of hearing, nodded at Shelby and continued to blaze through this unscripted, yet brilliantly worded story. Another attempt from Shelby to refocus Frankie, “Yes, but Frankie, shouldn’t we pray over our breakfast?”
