Oh, Baby!

Well, my life has changed quite a bit since the last time I wrote a blog entry. Little Amelia Ruth made her appearance two weeks early on March 23 and took over the world. Amazing how a little 6-lb. ball of cute that can't even talk can do that to a household!

I took a few weeks off the road, and the guys were great about it. A wonderful friend of ours filled in for me and did a fantastic job. In fact, a lot of folks said she even looks like me, so maybe I should watch my back.

Now that I'm getting back in the groove of traveling and learning how to be a mom, here are a few things I've learned.

1 -- God blessed me with a baby who likes to sleep on the road. Very little screaming on the RV, which is a good thing.
2 -- I appreciate my own parents more than I ever have.
3 -- You can never have too many diapers in the diaper bag.
4 -- It is impossible to think of soothing songs at 2 a.m. when a baby is crying. It is OK to sing "Here Comes Santa Claus" for the 84th time.
5 -- A big smile from an 8-week-old can make up for a lot of lost sleep.
6 -- I do not deserve the trust God has in me that He would place such a treasure in my care.

As my little girl naps in the next room, I feel overwhelmed. Of course, I'm overwhelmed with the usual parenthood stuff, like "What if she doesn't finish her nap. Will she be cranky all afternoon?" And "What if she gets sick?" But I'm also overwhelmed by love. Amelia has given me a tiny glimpse into the vast ocean of love God has for His children. What a love it is! And how He must love me to have given me such a precious gift!

I have been given a fresh perspective on the world. God LOVES the world! So much that He gave His only son to die for it. Amazing! How could we keep from sharing such great news?

Just like God has trusted me with Amelia, He has trusted all of us with a responsibility to take His love to the world. Are you worthy of the trust He has placed in you?

We are so excited to go on the road this summer. Please check out LetItStartWithMe.com and make a pledge for how God is going to use you to make a change in the world. Also, listen for the single "Let It Start With Me" on your local radio station, and watch for the Let It Start With Me race car in some NASCAR races this summer! We are thrilled to be partnering with driver Michael McDowell to spread the Let It Start With Me message, and we can't wait to attend some races in the next few months!

We've got a few open dates in the summer and fall as well, so contact us if you'd like us to share at your church or event.

See you on the road (or the race track)!

Love,
Laura

Missions Monday: Persecution

"'This is your last chance,' the big officer said. 'Denounce Jesus and gain your freedom.'"

For Missions Monday, read this Chinese student's testimony about how he was tortured for his faith. Pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

Missions Monday: Go

Go to your neighbors. Go to another country. Go to Nashville with us this summer! Just be obedient.

Missions Monday: Start

Have you ever put off a project because of how intimidating it seemed? You looked at all the steps required to finish it, calculated the time it would take you and thought, "Yeah, I'll get on that later."

It's not that you don't want to do it, necessarily; it's just that you don't even know where to begin. If you haven't done this, you should probably write a self-help book.

In high school I had a motto that went something like this: "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?" Probably not the best paradigm, I'm sure. In fact, I used to joke that I'm an obsessive-compulsive workaholic, it's just that my laziness trumps those other qualities. But it wasn't until later in life that I realized my problem wasn't laziness (well, maybe in high school it was—but I digress), it was intimidation. It was a lack of preparation. It was ignorance. It was a lack of organization. I was literally scared to fail because I didn't know what I was doing.

Something has become gradually clearer to me since No Other Name has been focusing heavily on the church in America becoming more mission minded: the apparent indifference of the church toward truly living out the Great Commission is not simply due to laziness or apathy, rather, it seems more like intimidation caused by a lack of understanding of what to do and how to do it. Just like the times in my life when I would try to find any excuse not to get something done simply because I didn't want to think about the details or complexity of it, it seems that many in the Church have ignored a call to missions simply because they don't know where to start.

It is not my intention to make light of this. It can be discouraging to be a Christian in an increasingly secular world. After all, with 7 billion people on the globe and more distractions than at any time in history, sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees. This raises the question: "Where do we even start?"

There is good news! God does not hold you responsible for the actions (or inaction) of others. You are responsible for you. He wants you to be obedient and faithful—even if it's in the smallest matter imaginable. In other words, it's starts with you!

It was this very thing that inspired No Other Name to initiate the "Let it Start with Me" campaign. We wanted to encourage believers to find their place in the Great Commission by providing practical ways to get involved. Whether it's helping a neighbor in need or going to a far-away country, we all have a place. He commands us to go. He commands us to reach the nations for His sake. He gives us no outs or excuses.

So if you're feeling a little overwhelmed by the daunting task of trying to change the world, be comforted. Just start.

Sam

It's Missions Monday! We want to encourage you by sharing how God is at work around the world.

For this week, check out this article about a grandmother who has devoted to her life to serving on the mission field. She didn't even enter the field till she was 50 years old - now in her mid-sixties, she continues to share the Gospel in unexpected ways in South Asia.

It shows that regardless of your age, health, or past history, God can use you. You just have to be obedient.

If you're interested in serving with us this summer, we still have some slots open for our Nashville trip! Click here for more info.