The Team

From left to right, Sharon Danley, Kim Cosgrove, Billye Knox, Charlotte Buell, Sandi Dietrich, Sherri Whitener. Not pictured, Mary Alice Brumley.

Ambassadors

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says,      

“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
  Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
(2 Corinthians 5:14-6:2 ESV)

We are ambassadors... we represent the King. If you know Jesus, you do too. I've been thinking on that this morning, and was helped by a book to think on three areas of focus on being an ambassador.

As an ambassador, I will represent:
1. The message of the King. An ambassador is always asking, "What does my Lord want to communicate to this person in this situation? What truths should shape my response? What goals should motivate me?
2. The methods of the King. Here I will ask, "How does the Lord bring change in me and in others? How did he respond to people here on earth? What responses are consistent with the goals and resources of the gospel?"
3. The character of the King. Here I ask, "Why does the Lord do what he does? How can I faithfully represent the character that motivates his redemptive work? What motives in my own heart could hinder what the Lord wants to do in this situation?"

It's a sobering thing to be an ambassador. We represent bodily, the currently veiled King. The King is too valuable to do this poorly. Lord, please help me do this well.

Kim

Ode to team barnabas (that means i couldn't think of what to write, so i wrote a poem- enjoy!)

Dear Jesus, how can I express in words

thoughts and feelings way too deep

for You have planted new seeds here

and left them here to steep (get it? - like tea :-).

how can I move on with life?

the daily demands too great,

my focus on myself, I stress

12 cookies I just ate.

I'm craving Diet Coke right now,

and maybe a glass of wine

but I'll cry out to You the same,

after all, it's just past nine (A.M.)

too early for that glass of wine,

and besides I promised and signed

a covenant with a precious team

with whom tonight I'll dine.

Thank you for these women dear,

they welcome me in their midst,

the tears they flow as i just think

of all we'll do, and say and list-

of all we think we have to do,

and all we want to see

but really Lord You know our hearts,

we truly bend a knee.

We exalt You as the risen King,

our Warrior and our Prince,

who gathers all His daughters near

and fights with armaments-

For You alone have victory

over death and flesh and sin;

our efforts, they are powerless

and implode our works within.

so we ask You, Lord, as we boldly come-

before Your throne of grace,

Show power, mercy and Your glory too

Shine down upon our face.

Praise Jesus, lift Your Name on High!

You alone have made us right

we walk with You and talk with You

and praise You for our sight.

Remove today the blinders still,

from women near and far

Reveal Yourself, O Mighty God,

in dreams, visions and the car (carpool line maybe?)

Let them know, that they are loved,

precious in Your sight

they can know You- Father, Friend,

For You have fought the fight.

Precious woman- you are the prize!

For You He gave His life,

Receive His peace, believe His Name

Let go of sin and strife!

True freedom in the Father's Name-

He offers to each one

please Jesus let them see and know,

You are God's one, true Son!

Give us Your message, loud and clear,

Protect us in this fight,

Your Name we lift on high today

You give us Life and Light!

Amen

What a great start we have had in becoming a cohesive group.  The women are fantastic and God is moving among us.  I can't wait for our next meeting as Sharon demonstrates the craft.  It makes me chuckle just to imagine these fingers involved in crafts.  But, we serve a big God and He is able to do even that.  I love working together with each of them and look forward to every step of our journey.

Billye

The Journey

The joy in going on mission with God is the journey on which He takes us. It's not just the time we are in country, but also the times we are together planning. As a team we've had three meetings. I wish I could convey how fun these meetings are as we pray, plan, laugh, and eat. It's just so good to be together. We are all so different, yet are hearts are united together to bring glory to the name of the One who has called us. Mary Alice, our special team member who is holding our prayer rope while the other six go, gave us a scripture verse the other day.

Isaiah 42:16 And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do and I do not forsake them.

We are clinging to that promise. We all want to make an eternal difference, so we are praying that God will be pleased to act.

So that the world may know,
Kim