Carney's preparations for serving in South America

Thanks for checking out our blog! Here is where we'll chronicle the "learning opportunities" God provides for us as we seek His will in partnering full-time with Christian Veterinary Mission in Bolivia

26 January 2012

Leaving Saturday

It has been a fun, busy week for us!  Last weekend we spent an awesome time in Athens for the CVM Real Life Real Impact student meeting.  It was great to see our DVM friends and meet new vet students who love the Lord. We shared about RAIN and had a wonderful outpouring of love and prayer from the folks in our session. 
Tonight I get to share with the Bell County 4H about equine parasites, then finish packing for Nicaragua.  We leave at 3:30AM Saturday to head to Nicaragua for a week and a half of training in participatory learning for community development and fellowship with other CVM fieldworkers.  Pray for our travels and our deeper understanding of this form of ministry.

13 January 2012

White as snow

As I look at the thin layer of snow this morning, I will continue on the theme of cleansing, of sanctification.  Cue the "Washed in the Blood" chorus (are your garments spotless, are they white as snow), so it can be stuck in your head too!
The sacrifice of Jesus justifies us, that is, makes us accepatble to the Lord (remember your elementary Christian education-"just as if I'd").  Our sanctification however is another matter altogether.  That is our process of working toward holiness.  This is where the snow comes in.  Today we have a very thin layer, but all the grass is poking through, there are windswept patches on the driveway that are bare; all in all it is pretty ugly.  But if it continues to snow it will blanket everything to there are no rough edges, no poky things and it will be beautiful.  In the same manner, as we learn to let go of the things of this world and strive toward God's will, we become clothed in righteousness and just as smooth and pure as the snow-covered landscape looks.  Here is where my analogy may break down (or not).  God changes us and truly makes us holy and righteous, whereas the snow just covers us up, when it melts, the unmown grass and weedy pastures are staring. Maybe it is true of us too though.  Without God, we are still human, so if we drift away our weeds become exposed too.
Enjoy the snow and think of how we are working toward holiness, not covering up our inadequacies ourselves, but allowing God to blanket us in His purity.

04 January 2012

My cup overflows Psalm 23:5 (or runneth over, if you like KJV)
This is what I shrieked this morning as I tried to do laundry in the dark.  Pouring clear laundry detergent is not that successful in a predawn haze.  Why didn't I turn on the light?  Well, honestly I got lazy--I had flipped the breaker to rewire the ceiling fan and never gotten around to it and didn't want to run down to the basement to turn the breaker back on.
Why am I bothering to tell you this?  I was struck by the symbolism of this tiny accident.  The Lord's cup overflows with salvation, with cleansing, with goodness. My clothes may be extra sudsy today and maybe cleaner, but the Lord's cup of blessing through the blood of Jesus makes us pure and spotless, able to enter into the Lord's presence.  It is an amazing thing to be clean enough for God!  Read some Levitical laws about cleanliness (Chapter 13 is a good one).  Wow!  Maybe my grandma was right that "cleanliness is next to Godliness," but praise God for Jesus! If we had to present ourselves to the priest for every scab we had, or every spot of mold on a piece of leather to determine if we were able to worship. 
So, wash your clothes and wear them to worship our great God.  Take refuge in His glorious sanctification and freedom.