Divine Appointments & the Depravity of Man

It never ceases to amaze me the encounters I've had with vicious neighbors in every rental situation I've been in since 1993. Each succeeding one is worse than the previous in some way. Any ideas as to how to reach those who reject you from the outset, avoid you without ever having known or seen you before, and make every effort to drive you away, though you would befriend them in a heartbeat? I think I know why they do it, but do they respond to anything? If so, what? Serious answers only, please. I definitely need prayer for strength and wisdom. I am very thankful that the Lord has enabled me to experience victories in my spiritual life as I struggle with this latest encounter (and some previous ones as well). Some definite housing decisions will be made this week. I'm thankful the Lord provided an opportunity to house sit 3/30-4/28 for a couple going to Pakistan (they retired from there). My job/ministry search continues.

Well, well

It looks like the agressive job search approach has the same or similar results, though it feels good initially. Maybe I'm in too much of a hurry to reach a conclusion. I like the approach of posting my resume on Intercristo. That way, only those who are really interested will contact me. I've had a total of four contacts from Intercristo, but haven't checked snail mail yet today. Contacts have included an administrative assistant position in India, a school in Indiana, a possible professorship in a secular university in any of a variety of locations worldwide, and a sort of maverick position with a group that lets the missionary create a ministry as the Lord leads on one of their mission fields. I also searched the Intercristo site and listed some groups that have mostly English teaching positions in mainly "closed" countries, as well as an Eastern European orphanage looking for workers, and some other groups. Lots of choices. I'm not pursuing the secretarial position, because I have no aptitude. I also believe that an expatriate should not hold a position that could be filled by a national. I've also done alot of reading. One amazing book, called When Christians Roamed the Earth, by Morris, Morris, Wieland, and Cuozzo, deals with issues related to the creation vs. evolution debate. It would take more space than I have to review it for you, but my conclusion is that we should take the accounts of Creation (literal six days), Fall, Flood, and Babel literally. If we don't, we have no basis for believing that anything else in the Bible is true, and we leave the door wide open for the enemy to score victories in a number of areas (cf. Scopes trial). Also, the Bible is true, not only for matters of faith a practice, but also in the areas of history, geology, science, and everything else. The Bible is true in all areas. Sound too simplistic? Read the book. Comments?

Surprise, Surprise!

Yesterday I posted my resume on a ministry website. I'm starting to wonder if the Lord wants to send me to China. Just praying about it at this point. But perhaps this ministry that has been on my heart (Leeward Hope) is to take place in a different location than I originally thought. (Any newcomers to this blog who don't know about the beginning of Leeward Hope, please access the archives, located on the left side of the page.) PS to an earlier blog. Some men at church treat me very well.

To Be Continued...More Challenges

A lady at church challenged me to search for jobs differently than before. It seems more hopeful, but the necessity of putting one foot in front of another is constantly present. It's easy to wish someone would do this for me, but no. The obligation falls on me. It's hard to stay motivated, except I need the money. Like the Bible says, "The worker's hunger drives him on." I saw it a different way on a bumper sticker: "I fight poverty. I work!" True. Then I ran into another challenge. Disrespect from men (and occasionally women) at church. Is this misogyny? Gynophobia? (Look those words up). Chauvanism? Shouldn't the church be protecting its single women rather than "beating up on" its own? I do know that if I was at my brother's church (same denomination), this wouldn't be happening. His presence would act as a deterrent. No man, no deterrent, apparently. The Bible talks about the care/treatment of "older women" (terminology open to interpretation, to be sure). I'm prayerfully considering how to handle this. It's tempting to bolt, but would that be a godly response? I visited with a friend yesterday (Becky R. - I've referred to her before). She called me "dignified" (the Bible says "older women" should be dignified). How does that show itself practically? (Becky hasn't seen me when I'm expressing myself with convulsions of laughter. She's very serious). Anyway, she could hardly believe it when I told her how the men at church were treating me. Her comment was that I'm so dignified and quiet that she couldn't imagine that my behavior could provoke such treatment. Thank God for supportive friends. I never thought of myself as dignified. Hmm. I still need to find out how the Lord wants me to respond to this.

Plodding Along

The Lord provided a team of hardworking movers (from church), and a very generous church to get me moved and settled into a temporary home. Praise His Name! Am researching possible ways of having a surgery done as an office procedure, since my insurance policy doesn't cover facility charges. Am also resuming my job search (which may include Leeward Hope). Thank you for your prayers.