"Christ Sharing" Block - A Little Something for Christ Followers

I have started this sentence over enough times. I am trying to find that perfect intro to transition into the thoughts that I want to share. I started writing about Tuesday morning prayer.  Next, then how Tuesday morning is better than Monday morning and then about my new strange breakfast combo, coffee and popcorn. None of these introductions were particularly relevant and were all slightly lame. Perhaps I can blame it on 9:30am bloggers block. Then as I am writing this equally lame introduction paragraph I had my "ah ha" moment. This lack of coming up with a clever introduction to my blog does relate to what I read in My Utmost for His Highest today. Instead of bloggers block Oswald Chambers does write about working to prevent having a "Sharing Christ" block.

Chambers challenged his readers to work on expressing well our beliefs. He wrote "If you don't, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth"(December 15th entry). In the second paragraph he writes "Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study". (Is he trying to say that to study is to suffer? =) ). I like this line because our faith and beliefs in Christ need to belong to us. If we don't understand why we believe what we believe and if we don't own them as our own then when the time comes to share Christ with others we will find that we have "Sharing Christ" block.

I loved my time at Vanguard University for many reasons. One of my favorite parts of Vanguard were my Bible and Mission classes. These classes gave me the perfect opportunity to study God's word and to further my understanding of my beliefs. When you understand what you believe and why you believe it you don't need to feel threatened when someone challenges your faith in Christ. The maturity we find in Christ will allow us to be "a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool" because "you never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth".(2 Timothy 24- 16 The Message Version).

I want to encourage you as Chambers encourages his readers to know how to express your beliefs. Chambers even suggest rehearsing your words. So, not only do we need to know what we believe and why we believe it, but need to know how to express it in words! I pray that you and I will not find ourselves with "Christ Sharing" block, but with the ability to speak truth lovingly and clearly! So, today make sure you know, understand and are able to express the essentials of what you believe. After all you never know what meetings God has ordained for your day. =)

Bread Bowls, Grapes and Oswald Chambers.....

I am waiting for Lolo to come over. I told her to come over at or after 7:30pm and it is now 10:30pm. Apparently she took "after 7:30pm" to be I didn't want her to come until the world has frozen over. Of course according to some that may be closer than we think =). While waiting for her I decided to bake gluten free bread bowls. This is my first time baking gluten free bread and my first time baking bread bowls. They are currently in the oven. Sarah, Josh, Lolo and I are going to have a bread bowl and soup party after church tomorrow. So, while I am waiting for Lolo and my bread, I am eating the world's largest grapes. I wonder what they used to grow the grapes, steroids perhaps???? I haven't blogged in a while, so I thought it was time for an update. Now you know what I do in my free time - bake bread, wait for Lolo to come over and eat grapes that most defiantly have been given steroid shots.

I also read My Utmost for His Highest today by Oswald Chambers. Chambers discussed being accountable to God for the way we act and behave. Essentially we are responsible for our actions, thoughts, behaviors and so forth. God has given us grace and salvation, but we are accountable to God for how we behave and represent him. We exemplify Christ when we call ourselves Christians.

The verse Chambers used was "...only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you" Genesis 41:40 This was interesting to me because this verse is Pharaoh telling Joseph that he has power over all of Egypt. Only Pharaoh was greater and more powerful than Joseph. It is interesting to me the parallel here. Just as Joseph was accountable and a representative to Pharaoh, so are we to Christ. Just as Pharaoh freed Joseph from prison and gave him freedom, so Christ frees us from sin and death. Just as Pharaoh entrusted Joseph to represent him and to do his work in the land of Egypt, so Christ has asked us to represent him and to do his work in this world.

 I am not sure what Chambers original intent was in using this verse. However, I like how this story can be related to our relationship with Christ.  Normally, when I read this story or hear preaching on it people focus on Joseph's interperatation or how God took the terrible circumstances of Joseph's life and used them for good.  I thought the different slant was refreshing.  So, on this note - Go and live as Christ representative.  Take your grace and freedom and use it for God's purposes.  Remember who you are in Christ and that ultimately you are accountable to him!  

Amen y Amen =)

.

                                                   My Gluten Free Bread Bowls -)

El Salvador Floods

Here are some pictures from El Salvador.  The school is called Achiotal and the beach is called Las Ojas.  This is one of the areas that was hit by the floods.  We distributed mattresses to the elderly in the village today as well as food and water.  On Wednesday we will go back to this area to distribute to the rest of the community and bring food as well as have a medical clinic.  We are also buying a water tank, since the public water system isn't working.  Tomorrow we are going to visit a place called Vera Paz.  Please continue to pray for El Salvador.  Another place that was hit with severe flooding was the Phillipines.  Please pray for this country as well.  I will write more later, but I wanted to share some pictures with you about the current work in El Salvador.  I hope all is well. Le vaya bien. Have a good day!       

Some of the El Salvadorians we gave mattresses and food too. 

Clothes - Hanging to dry

Houses destroyed by the rain - on the other side the road is wiped out.

Cows crossing where there use to be a road

My favorite guest - He sported the glasses

A Sandal on the Beach

From a Neglectful Blogger

Once again it has been longer than I prefer since my last blog.  The schedule in El Salvador was busy and then I flew towards California.  I took a few stops along the way, but ended up in Fresno, California for a Convoy of Hope Outreach.  It was the first time I had ever attended an outreach.  So, I have a lot to say, but I know your attention span is already waning =).  I made a video that explained the work we were doing in El Salvador.  I can't seem to figure out how to post a video.  They took off that option on the top of my blog editer.  I don't feel like being the geek squad. So, you will have to wait, with great anticipation for my video =).

I stayed a few days in El Salvador after the team left to visit with a missionary from Enlace and to surf with a friend from Cincel.  Enlace, for those that don't know, is a non-profit organization in El Salvador that equips churches to transform their communities.  After returning from El Salvador I had a day in Springfield to pack for California.  The Outreach in Fresno was fun.  It was a nice fall day and lots of people showed up to the outreach.  Here are some basic statistics:

10,158 Guests

2,342 Volunteers
76 Participating Churches
65 Participating Organizations
5,100 Guests Prayed With
542 Salvations
160,000 lbs of Groceries & Fresh Produce
505 Haircuts
600 Family Portraits
275 Haircuts

A food bank in Fresno donated fresh produce.  I worked in this area most of the day.  The guest would get their bagged food and then would go around a fresh produce circle.  Volunteers would help them carry all the food.  I would get two thirds around the circle and wouldn't be able to hold the box anymore.  There would usually be two or three volunteers helping each guest carry all their food and produce to the shuttle.  I'm a fan of vegetables and fruit, so I was happy that the attendees could leave with produce.  Especially, since produce can be expensive, so most probally buy canned and boxed goods first. 

Finally, there has been alot of flooding in El Salvador.  Some of the schools where we have our Nutrition Program were damaged and we lost some of our students. Many families lost all their material goods and these were families who probally did not have much before the floods.  It may even be difficult for students to return to school.  Please remember these families and communities in your prayers!  When a volcano exploded in 2000 many people were put into a refugee camp.  These people are still living there and have never been able to move away from the camp.  When disaster hits no matter your economic status it is difficult, but for those in the developing world and the lower economic strata the struggle is much greater! 

These pictures were sent to me from our staff in El Salvador of the damage done from the floods!

El Salvador!

Hi! It's been a long day, so I will post pictures later.  I just wanted to let you all know that I made it to El Salvador in one piece.  However my i-pod nano was stolen on the plane!  This was quite sad, though I'm more sad about losing my music and earphones.  Oh well - this is life sometimes! 

I am working with a women's ministries team from the Potomac District.  We have painted classrooms, cleaned floors, eaten tortillas, played with children, set up a teachers quarters, visited a refugee camp and so on.  Friday, we have an open house for the community and families.  The Women's Ministries has poured alot of money and time into this school in a rural community of El Salvador.  It will truly be a blessing to the teachers and students!

I have had fun using my spanish, playing with children and eating the food of El Salvador.  There are certain foods that are just hard to get in the states like papaya, mangos, pupusas, plantains, certain cookies, and so forth.  I've had the opportunity to pray for a couple El Salvadorian ladies dealing with health issues.  I can't wait to post some of my pictures to share with you of some of the kids who I have become friends with and the children I visited with at the Refugee Camp here in El Salvador.  I even got a loofah from a little girl today!  I wonder what customs will think of that - ha! 

Anyhow I am going to go - I need to clean my room and go to bed - Its late and it was a long day.  I pray all is well with you!  Everytime I hug a child, everytime I pray with a little old lady, everytime I paint a school wall it's because of your faithfullness and support.  In a way it's you hugging that child, and you praying for the little old lady, and you painting a school.  May you be blessed today!

Claire Balch

Ramblings of Claire Balch

Today we had chapel. I was asked to pray, which was kind of awful. I don't have a problem with public speaking, but public praying has also caused me to sweat a little. Popcorn prayer when everyone prays always leaves me thinking when the best time is to "pop" in, I worry about when it is ending (after all I don't want to sit there with my eyes closed, while everyone else is done!), and I worry about what to say. I always get more nervous praying at Convoy - especially during chapel! I think today I said "Lord" about 100 hundred times, possibly stuttered, switched around my words, used bad grammar and so on. I suppose that is last time I will be asked to pray and at least the Lord knows what I was attempting to say. =) At least the speaker stopped and thanked me for my prayer. I guess I will keep my opinions to myself on what I thought about his facts on Christopher Columbus....

One person the speaker also mentioned was George Washington. He is one of my favorite political American leaders. The fact that I always loved about George Washington is that he was offered to be the President of the United States for a third term and he turned it down. I have always thought that this was a noble action. He knew his limits (he was feeling old and was tired) and in doing so set a precedent for leaders to come. While it is now a law, congress and the following Presidents have honored it. Though I could not find it in any of the articles I briefly reviewed, I wonder if he wasn't well aware that his actions would set a precedent. This is a quote I found about good old Washington "He wrote, 'It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn.' This call to his fellow citizens was meant for each of us as well."

Every action has a consequence. The consequence may be immediate or in the far future and good or bad. Every action affects the people around us. Our actions not only represent ourselves, but our families, friends, beliefs and so on. This is a tough pill to swallow at times for the individualistic culture we live in. So, when we make decisions we need to not only think what is the consequence for me now and in the future, but what is the consequence for those around me both now and in the future.

I head to El Salvador on October 16th and will be there until the 29th. The 1st of Novemeber I will head towards Fresno, California for a Convoy Outreach. Please keep me in your prayers as I travel. In El Salvador I am helping with a Women's Ministries team, so you can pray for things to go smooth and that everyone is protected as they travel. Also, life can be tough sometimes for a California girl living in Springfield, Mo. While, I can only speak for myself I have seen the transition be a little rough for my sisters as well. Not that there are not things to like about Missiouri. After all it has Bass Pro Shop, Fireflies, Andy's Frozen Custard, lots of trails and some cool parks, a restaurant where they throw rolls and serve fried Okra, Lolo Balch, Sarah and Josh Young and of course Branson. However, it is far from California, family, the ocean, its much more conservative and the winter is cold, but without very much snow. I have a little less than a year left, so if you can remember me in your prayers I would be grateful.

Live in His Love,

Claire Balch

In the Comfortable Times Don't Forget God!

Okay - So I confess this might be the longest time I have gone between blog post!  Now that I have been filled with Salad and Soup from Panera, checked my facebook, read a few other blogs, and let myself become distracted I am now finally sitting down to write this blog.

It is Sunday today.  I woke up and read a bit in a book I have been reading forever now called "Lead Like Jesus" by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges.  I may have mentioned this book in some of my other blog post.  I have been reading this book for forever.  I am not sure why, but it seems books keep taking me longer and longer to read.  Despite the time it is taking me to get through this book it is a good read.  Lots of good information for leading people.  What it really boils down to though is being confident in Christ and who you are in Christ.  Which is good for total life living!  I just finished the chapter on some healthy habits of good leaders.  They are as follows: Solitude, Prayer, Study and Application of Scripture, Accepting and Responding to God's Unconditional Love, and Involvement in Supportive Relationships.

 In summary each one of these habits roots you in God. If your confidence and trust is in God you can't be shaken by too much praise or too much critiscm.  You will not be afraid to examine your leadership and admit your weaknesses.  Solitude, Prayer and Study of the Scripture allow God to refresh you, speak into your life, and prepare you for life circumstances.  Accepting and Responding to God's Unconditional Love allows you to be confident in Christ and treat others around you with that love and confidence, and Involvement in Supportive Relationships means you have people in your life who are not just "Yes" men.  They will shoot straight with you, let you know how people are feeling, hold you accountable and so on. I liked this quote in regards to the last habit "I learned in the Navy if you don't hear about any problems, watch out, because you are about to go over the side.  You have mutiny on your hands, because the people around you have cut you off from the truth" (pg. 181 Ken Blanchard's Father).  I think these are habits that we all can continue to add into our lifes.

To drive the point home - In church today they discussed the failings of David.  The thing I took from it was that in the good times David let his relationship with God go lax.  Instead of fighting with his men he was napping and strolling the palace walls, he let himself lust over Bathesheba and then commit adultery with Bathesheba. In his attempt to rationalize the issue he ended up murdering her husband.  In the end David repented thanks to the prophet Nathan.  If David had never gone lax in his relationship with God maybe history would have looked different.  In all times good and bad we need to be spending time with God through solitude, prayer and the word.  We need to apply what we are learning in these times, let God touch us, change us and heal us.

Be Blessed by God today!

I have been editing some of my pictures from Europe, so you may have seen some of this pictures before, but these are with a new twist.  These are all from Moldova and I will conquer Armenia and Georgia soon.