Interview on Victory 91.5/Moving Update

As you might remember from reading A Series of Divine Appointments, the Lord gave me an opportunity to share my Portland story on Victory 91.5. Here is a recording of the radio broadcast. Please share it with family and friends!

As for a moving date update, I am still hoping to leave for Oregon on the 15th but still need to raise 24% ($720/month in commitments) between now and then. Please be praying that He will provide in crazy ways through His people! I am in contact with several churches and individuals but I will need a few more contacts before this is complete. I will need His provision, direction, and wisdom very much in these next seven days if I am to reach Portland by Sunday a week from tomorrow!



(Credit for the radio broadcast goes to Victory 91.5 and David and LeAnna Stein; you can visit their webpage at: http://victory915.com)

Support-raising lessons from Haggai

After taking time to pray and prepare for support-raising, I officially began contacting churches and individuals two weeks ago. Today I had the opportunity to have my first official support-raising meeting; I met my church missions committee to discuss my calling to Portland and vision for PSU. Please be in prayer for them as they make decisions in the next week or so about how the Lord may lead Concord to support me next year and be a part of the immeasurably more that I know God has in store for Portland!

Before the meeting, I was rather nervous and shaky, just because I was unsure of how the meeting would go seeing how it was my first. This morning, I was in a hurry to prepare for our meeting, so rather than read in the Minor Prophets like I have been in my regular Bible study, I only read a Psalm. Though that was very encouraging, I knew I needed to spend some more time with the Lord before going into the support-raising meeting. The Lord brought to mind that I was supposed to be in Haggai this morning as well as the Psalm and said, "Read Haggai." And as many of you might think as well, I was sitting there thinking, "Haggai?! Out of all the books in the Bible, I'm supposed to read Haggai?"

But let me tell you, I think Haggai might just be one of my favorite books of the Bible, now! Because Haggai rocked my world!

At first, it was really discouraging, because the people of Israel aren't listening and so the Lord is telling them He's going to take all their wealth away in chapter 1. And so I was sitting there wondering what in the world the Lord was trying to do. But then I got to chapter 2! I'd like to share verses 4b-9 with you:

"'...be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!' “For thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this place with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. 'The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

From these verses, the Lord reminded me that I needed to take my focus off of me and my needs and focus on the ministry He has called me to and His glory! And why need I worry about His glory? His glory as the Great I AM is already in existence--always has been and always will be!

That is my confidence. He will never lose the glory. He can't. He IS Glory.

The Great I AM.

Praise Him with me, won't you?

AAAHHHHH!!!

I JUST BOUGHT A PLANE TICKET TO VISIT OREGON!

In the past few days, several pieces of the puzzle have begun falling together. I will be raising support through NorthWest Collegiate Ministries (NCM), a non-profit, tax-deductible organization (a 501C3). On March 7th and 8th, the NorthWest Baptist Convention is hosting a support-raising school which will teach me valuable information about the process. I will also get a chance to visit and explore this city which is soon-to-be my mission field! I will be in Portland from Wednesday night the 6th-Sunday evening the 10th. Please pray for safe travels and that my time there would be fruitful. Also pray for me as I prepare and do the homework pre-travels--both that I will learn all that I need to and that I will know the balance between preparation for the future and being "all in" with my ministry here at North Georgia; these next few weeks promise to be full and stretching ones!

Still can't believe I'm bound for Oregon two weeks from tonight! Our God's plans are CRAZY sometimes!

Introduction

Precious friends,
As many of you know, I have been serving as the Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) intern at the University of North Georgia this past school year. In November, the Lord confirmed my call to campus ministry and began laying the Western region on my heart. Throughout ministry this year, I have realized how very blessed we are here in the South with 55 BCMs in the state of GA, numerous churches, and multiple, willing servants. However, the Western region is not only the most unreached but also the most understaffed. Collegiate ministries are scarce.
In recent months, I have specifically been praying about the state of Oregon, specifically Portland State University. In Oregon, there are approximately 650,000 college students, 80% of which do not claim to have any religious beliefs at all. The culture is very much "pre-Christian" (will be explained in a later post) and approximately 1 gospel-preaching church exists for every 36,000 people. The most wide-spread religions of those who do claim affiliation with church are Catholicism and Mormonism. 
On Friday night, I finally surrendered to the Lord's leading in this area after weeks of fighting with Him over fear of support-raising. Because of a the lack of believers who live in the Pacific North Western region, there are no funded positions available for campus ministers filling open positions in Oregon. Please be in prayer for me as I begin this long and learning-filled process! Many crucial conversations will be happening in the coming days. Though I know that I do not fully understand yet what I've been called to, I trust that when I humble myself in the sight of the LORD, then He will lift me up! (I Peter 5:8)
Love you all and appreciate each one of you!
That His glory might be revealed,
Miriam