� Princeton, New Jersey
My missions, my purpose


The "Seed" is the Word....the thought, the idea, the image planted in the heart....

Planting Seeds,

I have been interested in God's mission of "calling people from every group and nation to himself in love" for a long time. I"ve often wondered "what is my part? God works in us before he can work through us. And my part changes over the years. I'm not a terribly disciplined person and I have three chronic illnesses. I work from home. Working for a mission agency such as Wycliffe Bible translators or CLC, Inc. as an artist was my "high goal", something I set out to do but at the last minute, when I was raising my support, a new health problem kept me from it. So what do you do when providence keeps you home? The Wycliffe pre-candidate program refreshed me and prepared me to get back to work in my own neighborhood. Living a Christian life in the neighborhood and sharing the gospel with children and families became my mission. Now, I support a child through a Christian mission in another country and I pray. Mother Teresa said "Do small things" with great love. Recently I've found myself on the receiving end of love because of illness. How helpful and kind my sisters have been. My son is an urban missionary with Innerchange in Los Angeles and I pray for him, and a nearby church that supports him has also been there for me in prayer and in many other ways. Even though I haven't had sufficient health to use my art full time for a mission agency, I have had opportunities to make postcards for his youth ministry on themes that he requests. As a freelance artist, I've done book covers for CLC Publications and I am a "reserve artist" for Missionary Tech Team. In 2005, the Lord sent me to Texas to do graphics for Him for three months. I had such a blessed time. God made it possible to raise the money I needed quickly and provided strength to work an eight to five job for that time. I loved the people that I worked with and I'd love to do it again. And with this web site, I use my art, to make note cards, and share a love of nature which, in a way reflects His love. Do you ever wonder how God could use your talents to further his mission?

Ever since I can remember, my father has planted a garden. He prepares the soil and sows the seed. Then comes the weeding and watering ( I used to help him with that part) and before long, -- beans and beets, carrots and tomatoes! Dad doesn't use poisonous pesticides on his garden because he cares about the long term results of his land use and he loves birds and wants to protect the soil and the underground water supply. His mission is living simply, growing the vegetables he uses and protecting the earth and that's so necessary especially in our time. But I have a spiritual mission as well. Jesus talked about gardening but he didn't stop there. Jesus' analogy compared gardening to sharing "God's Word". In fact Jesus said the Word was like "good seed" sown in the earth. What you "sow" is what your harvest should be.....of course there is that other factor, the condition of the "soil" (the heart in the analogy). We cannot change other people but we can love them in God's way and help when we can and share God's truth with love and extend forgiveness and ask for it when we need to. Share inklings of God in your everyday conversation, Share it in note cards and letters. Send a postcard to a kid who is struggling. Increased spiritual vigor and genuine fellowship can result. I love the Wycliffe Bible translators organization because their mission is to meet the deepest need of people by translating the Word of God into their native unwritten languages . They don't force their culture on anyone but they translate a book. People who have the Bible in their "heart language" can apply it to their life circumstances with clarity and understanding. They are better prepared to negotiate with the modern world. Their churches are more indigenous and they better avoid manipulation by people who may have selfish interests at heart and best of all they find eternal life with God here and now and forever. What about our own culture in our post modern era? We have the Bible, but Christians in America haven't seemed to be very good at applying it recently to their life circumstances. They don't seem to use the Bible as they once did. For one thing we are traveling too fast and not making time for God. We have often been carried away by values of materialism and success that has become greed and over work rather than being thankful for what we have and spending time with the Lord. Would we be more blessed if we learned to make do with "enough"and were more faithful to our families? What if we supported third world children or missions or a search for alternative energy with our abundance. What if our children and nieces and nephews who live in this fast paced society and hear their faith denigrated in the world would see it at work in our lives? What if we were "seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and trusting that all things would be added to us as well"? We might have the time to share with them in honest meaningful relevant ways so that they would know that we struggle too and yet God can be trusted. Let's live so that the children see God's "Light" shine in us. I know some who do. That means resisting the "god's" of power, sensuality and selfishness and living our lives in God's peace and love. We won't do it perfectly. God never said we would be perfect but we can humbly go in the right direction, confess our sins when we fail and find God there to pick us up and restore us again. Resume My testimony