Have you ever wondered what ministry God has planned for you, so you can prepare for it? We look around our church community or community to find the needs and where we can fit in. 


Have you ever considered that your ministry is wherever you are in the here and now? Are you in your home with your spouse and children? That is your ministry… Are you at your job? That is your ministry...your coworkers, staff, clients, customers… I work in Memory Care, my residents, family members and other coworkers are my ministry. I am not afraid to speak up and pray with anyone that needs it.


What if you are left sitting at home alone? You are not only God's project, but you should also be your own project. Have you ever considered yourself as part of your ministry? We are never to old to learn. 


I have coached people through many different areas in their life and have considered being a Life Coach. As I went through some of the training I came to the realization; if I am going to coach others I have to first be willing to look at myself and make the changes I consider to be important for me and my life. I have always felt, "To be a leader, you must first learn to follow." Let me explain why with a story:


My husband is retired military and has been deployed in combat situations a few times. We have all learned from "Mash" and from others about KP duty or Guard duty. None of us have given any thought to the Sh**...Shtuff duty. You know the outhouses, they have to be emptied and cleaned out. But what do you do with those remnants? Well, you put two people on detail to burn that sh**...So the lieutenant tells my husband they need to make a roster for a weekly Sh** Duty and my husband says, "Okay! You and I are on for this week." The lieutenant asks why do we have to be on the roster? My husband tells him, "How can we ask our soldiers to do anything we are not willing to do ourselves?" It was about earning respect. It was easier to tell the soldiers they were on Sh** duty after they could say, "We were the first ones to pull the duty." If you are curious why it requires 2 soldiers to pull this duty, they were in a combat situation. You would definitely draw attention to yourself by burning sh**.


Luckily not all of us have to pull sh** duty. But how can we teach if we haven't done the work to learn and understand that it is all about the love and mercy of God. Preparing ourselves could mean just that, getting our own hearts and mind ready right here and right now.


We don't know when our time will come. Will we leave this earth kicking and screaming, full of fear...or will we be full of peace knowing our eternity will be better than anything we could ever imagine, with excitement and anticipation. 


A friend came by to say goodbye. She had just been told she had 6 to 8 weeks to live. She seemed to be at peace with her situation, with the same smile she always wears. But then, she knows God and walks closely with him. She has more concerns for her husband and family. I had prayed with him earlier today for strength and comfort for the both of them. I pray she feels God's embrace at this time. I have to say I did not show her a strong front today, with the shock of hearing the news. She stated she was in shock also. I broke into tears with her from the news. I will miss her dearly, as I know others including her family will. But I wish I would have finished our conversation with, "Til we meet again…what a glorious day it will be my friend." I will say that each day she walks in to visit her husband she shares her love with every other person she can. She knows her ministry is HERE and NOW, and she blesses each of us with her presence.



2 Timothy 2:15 -- Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.


Romans 10:13-15 -- For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”


The greatest lesson of all is, "God is love!"