PARACLETOS BLOG
Jumpstart: Sizing Up Life
The size of your life is really up to you.Want to live large? Dare to step out.
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Casual First Friday of Summer
Summer officially begins today. I hope Indiana gets the memo. So far we’ve had nearly incessant rain; more like spring than summer. Many of you will have extra opportunities to interact with missionaries while they are on home assignment this summer. Be ready to bless...
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Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
Summer can be a very busy season. Vacations, sporting events, special times with the kids or grandkids. I appreciate you taking the time to check in and avail yourself of these missionary care resources. Please take special note of the article under Fundraising. Your...
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Jumpstart: What real success looks like
Maybe you feel like Mondays are made for failure. So go ahead and fail...then get back up. Don't let failure steal your enthusiasm for trying.
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Casual First of June Friday
As I type this, people all over the world are remembering and commemorating what took place on this date (June 6) 75 years ago. Regardless of your perspective on war, there’s a reason why that generation is known as “the greatest.” People who lay down their lives for...
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Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
Well, another month has sped past. For many of us, the days were over-filled with end-of-the-year school events, including graduations and graduation parties. But it’s also the time of year when many cross-cultural workers will begin to show up for a time of home...
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Jumpstart: Do the second best time
So maybe you missed the best time.All the more reason not to miss the second best time.
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Casual End of May Friday
Can you believe May is nearly gone? So many things on my get-around-to list that never came to pass. I hope that’s not the case for you when it comes to caring for missionaries. There are so many ways in which you can be a vital part of their lives and ministries...
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Jumpstart: What are you measuring?
When was the last time God took your breath away?We only measure the things we count as important.What are you measuring?
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Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
Seems like Spring cannot make up its mind this year. One day it’s 80 degrees, the next day it’s snowing. Sorta like the unpredictable life of a global worker—like those with whom you partner. You can help them cope by learning more about their realities, and by...
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Jumpstart: Take the risk
Your path is not determined by the number of others who have walked it.Take the risk.
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Casual Mental Health Friday
This should go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway. Missionaries are just as prone (perhaps more so, due to the nature of their living situation) to mental illness as anyone else you love. Since May is mental health awareness month, you should take a little...
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Jumpstart: Make time for this
Are you as proud of your "unwork" as you are of your work? Maybe you should be.
read more Casual First of May Friday
Well, April sure went out with a bang. Snow for many of you; tornadoes and severe storms for many of the rest of us. But May flowers are out in profusion. A beautiful reminder that God is still in control, and he delights to give us beautiful things to enjoy. How...
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Jumpstart: Be uncomfortable
Old problems will never be solved by the same thinking that created them.It's OK to be uncomfortable.
read more Casual Friday Care Resources
Hard to believe that April is almost over. What has been on your to-do list that you haven’t gotten around to yet? Whatever it is, I trust your desire to add to your missionary care skills hasn’t been buried. To borrow a line from the folks at Cracker Barrel, here’s...
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Jumpstart: Don’t expect to know everything
There is only one person who knows everything, and He will make sure you know what you need to know when you need to know it.He's waiting for you...
read more Casual Storm Season Friday
Tornadoes in the South. Severe thunderstorms in the Midwest. And (more) blizzards up north. Spring is anything but subtle, and every season has its good and bad. Just like life on the mission field. Storms can hit at any time: emotional, spiritual, relational… Help...
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Jumpstart: Don’t make excuses
The God who created the universe out of nothing has all of the resources you need for what you need to accomplish.Don't let the fact that you don't know yet where they will come from be an excuse for not stepping out.
read more Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
Blizzards in April? For some, that may be outrageously abnormal. For those of us who have lived in the part of the U.S. susceptible to such weather, it’s par for the course. When it’s unexpected, it can be devastating; when it’s anticipated, it can be taken in stride....
read more Jumpstart: Don’t wait to be satisfied
There will never be a time when all the questions are answered.There will never be a better time to begin.
read more Casual Spring Friday
Looks like spring has arrived. You can tell because the weather forecast is only good for 15 minutes at a time. Unlike the needs that missionaries have for your involvement; that’s always required. Equip yourself with resources like these so you can be a strategic...
read more Jumpstart: Be Careful What You Don’t Do
The only people who don't make mistakes are the people who never try anything new.Don't be that person.
read more Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
I’ve got to say that Florida in March is pretty nice. Even nicer when you get to attend the wedding of a grandson. We still had time to compile some resources for all you missionary advocates, so here you go. Put them to good use. EQUIP YOURSELFHere’s a new resource...
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Jumpstart: Be Careful What You Cling To
A righteous man falls seven times, and gets up.Everyone makes mistakes. Don't let yours define you.
read more Casual Special Edition Friday
I am out of town this week to attend the wedding of our oldest grandson. Rather than skip this week’s Casual Friday, I put together a special edition focused on events—both training opportunities for you, and refreshing opportunities for those missionaries you love....
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Jumpstart: Be Careful What You Ask For
Be careful what you ask for.It is far too easy to ask for too little, and nearly impossible to ask for too much.
read more Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
In like a lion, out like a lion? Half way through March and unpredictable volatility is the norm. Sounds a bit like life on the mission field. There are some things you can do to help your friends cope with the ups and downs. The following resources will get you...
read more Casual Mid-March Friday
March seems to be the month of successive snow storms. Most of them of little consequence; just enough to keep the plows in business and the motorists on edge. The needs that missionaries have for encouragement and care can be like that. Not often dramatic; more often...
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Jumpstart: What do you truly value?
Consider your actions.Do your goals and your values match up?
read more Casual In-Like-a-Lion Friday
March—comin’ in like a lion in these parts. That means we can look forward to a calm exit, right? Yeah, sure. Fortunately, the issues that missionaries face are somewhat more predictable than the weather. You can be prepared to come alongside of them in helpful ways...
read more Jumpstart: Do the next best thing
There comes a time in life when most of us wish we could start over.Since that isn't possible, do the next best thing.
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Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
I’m beginning to wonder what we brought back with us from the frozen tundra known as Minneapolis. With temps below zero, and wind chills much lower than that, you would think viruses would all be dead. Well….Irene and I have both come home sick. Doing a lot of...
read more Jumpstart: A prayer for you
A prayer for you today.May the Father, in his infinite wisdom, tenderness, and mercy, grace you with this reality.
read more Casual Valentine’s Week Friday
Seems like everyone is talking about love this week. Is there some holiday going on? Anyway, it’s a good week to be loving on missionaries, as is every week. You don’t need candy or flowers (but hey, no one said you can’t), but these resources will enable you to show...
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Jumpstart: Don’t limit yourself
What dream of yours are you thinking is impossible?What if you changed your opinion?
read more Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
Well, we missed the recent polar vortex by being in southern California when it hit Indiana. Looks like we’ll make up for that today. Wherever you are as you read this, I hope you are comfortable and healthy. Take some time to peruse this newest batch of missionary...
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Jumpstart: Making the impossible possible
What if sharing my dream makes people believe the impossible is possible? (Bernadette Jiwa) What dream are you sharing?
read more Casual Frozen Friday
I am writing this week from the enviable location of southern California—blissfully unaffected by the polar vortex that is currently affecting so much of the U.S., including our home in SE Indiana. It is interesting to watch the precautions, the preparations, and the...
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Jumpstart: Average Loves Company
If you're afraid that people will laugh, go ahead and quit.But if you prefer to have the last laugh, tough it out.It's your choice.
read more Casual Dead of Winter Friday
So I think this article deserves to take precedence over everything else in this week’s edition of Casual Friday. Not every missionary works in a dangerous place. Not every missionary comes back broken beyond repair. But most do encounter danger and hardships of a...
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Jumpstart: What are you waiting for?
You made the decision, but you wonder about the tenacity it will take to carry through on it.It is God who is at work in you, to will and to do of his good pleasure.He's got this. It's time to launch.
read more Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
Snow, ice, more snow, more ice…it’s been an interesting week in our neck of the woods. Great opportunity to scour the internet for resources like these that will enhance your missionary care efforts. LIFE ON THE FIELDThere are two primary paradigms within which we can...
read more Casual Friday Missionary Care Resources
I can’t believe myself. Here we are, not even two weeks into January, and I already feel like the year is slipping away from me. Every feel that way? When we are on the mission field, we often felt like there was never enough time to accomplish all the urgent things...
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Jumpstart: What do you see?
What do you see on the horizon?In the coming year, what will you do with the abundance that God desires to lavish on you?You are limited only by your willingness to appropriate the limitless love of the Father.
read more First Casual Friday of 2019
Hard to believe, isn’t it? Another new year. We are almost two decades into this century already. Doubtless there will be many surprises in the days ahead—some good, many not so much. But one thing will remain the same: the need that missionaries have for your...
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Jumpstart: Ridiculous goals
As you start thinking ahead to the new year, as you begin planning what you'd like to attempt, don't settle for anything ridiculously low.
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Jumpstart: Pay attention
What could be more delightful than the Christmas season? What could be more healing than the delightful gift we have received?
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Casual End of the Year Friday
Here we are at the end of 2018—already! Hard to believe, isn’t it? I suspect that your calendar looks about as full as mine these days, so I won’t overload this final edition of Casual Friday for the year. As you celebrate the Incarnation, as you enjoy the Advent...
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Jumpstart: Immanuel
Of course this is the time of year to read the Christmas story. Of course the essence of the Christmas story is Immanuel - God with us. We are not alone, after all.
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