In His Service

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-24T18:06:00.001-05:00

Dear friends,

First of all, Merry Christmas! Emmanuel, God with us... this is truly a reason to celebrate! And although I know the true meaning of Christmas, with all the busyness, it still takes me a while to weave through the commercialized Westernized 'Holiday' season, and really savor our Savior's birth.
I just watched a 5 minute video clip from a group called Journey of Faith who 'spontaneously' started singing in a mall last week... well worth watching! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnt7euRF5Pg

Quick update on our housing situation... Praise the Lord, we have a contract pending on our house!

What most of you don't know is that we have another house that we were unable to sell a couple years back... No, we aren't that rich... I worked for the largest builder in the area for 6 years and as an employee, I was able to purchase houses at 10-20% discount. So we did! However, when the housing market took a plunge a couple years ago, we were unable to sell the house but we decided to proceeded with buying a smaller house anyway, to save on our monthly costs. We've been renting the larger house out in the meantime.

All in about a weeks time, right after we decided to postpone moving to Belgium, we received news from our rental agency that our renter was moving out end of December AND a family at church said that they were ready to move forward with the purchase of the house we are living in now and had been trying to sell!
It also happens to be that if I were to refinance our rental house right now, it would lower the interest rate by almost 3%! But we have to be living in the house to get that rate...

Hmmm... I think God is up to something here! To make a long story short: we will be moving to our 'rental' house first week of January and closing on our other house shortly thereafter! Through all this I am reminded of Acts 17:26b

"And He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."

In His Service,
Jonathan & Grace

December Update 2011

2011-12-11T21:09:00.001-05:00

Dear friends,

God has made it clear that we are to stay put for another 5 or 6 months. Our house did not sell in November, a deadline we had put in place in order to be able to move this year. This will allow us though, to enjoy the birth of our son in familiar surroundings (mid-February) and then after Grace has recovered, we will make the international move. Given our circumstances, both our church elders and our sending agency (OM) have agreed to this new time frame.

Praise God that we have received news that the Belgian government is scheduled to handle my Belgian citizenship application in April 2012. If they approve, I will then become dual citizen (US-Belgian) and won't be needing visas anymore... which I do not have yet either. I never imagined that when I left Belgium 10 years ago, it would require so much paperwork to move back to the country where I was born! Ironically the naturalization paperwork I had to fill out was a lot less work than the visa paperwork!

Although a missionary life isn't all roses and sunshine, I am very honored and privileged to be able to serve God and His people full-time in Belgium. A BIG "Thank You' to all who have made this possible through your faithful prayers and financial support. We are very excited to be at the 88% mark in support commitments. For those of you who have already started giving, thank you! Those gifts are adding up and will be made available to us once we arrive in Belgium.

Many of you know that I am a foreman for a 3-year old landscape company. The birth of the company was clearly orchestrated by God and it has been great working closely alongside Ryan, the (Christian) owner as well as a great friend. We are very excited that God has added another Christian brother and friend to the company this week! Jim has 20+ years of landscaping experience and will be a tremendous help in leading this company as he starts taking over some of my responsibilities.

God's hand is at work in our lives, and it's exciting to see the puzzle pieces fall in place in His perfect timing! To Him be all the Glory!

In His service,
Jonathan & Grace

Time for tickets?

2011-11-08T18:29:00.002-05:00

Dear friends,

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3: 5-6

Crunch time has arrived... As most of you know, we are working towards moving this year in order to arrive in Belgium at least a month before Grace's due date (mid February).

Praise God that we have reached 81% in support commitments! This is a HUGE answer to prayer and it means that we can purchase plane tickets now, while working on the remaining 19%. However... we cannot board the plane until our house is sold.

We are torn between purchasing the tickets by faith vs. what if God has a different time table... It is our desire to be able to move this year, but we are at peace to whatever time frame God has for us. We are eager to close a chapter in our life and open a new one in Belgium with the birth of our son.
Other than the practical and emotional implications of not moving this year, we have seen God move through people in the area of support commitments, which leads us to believe that He wants to move us sooner than later.

However, we will not be moving without a couple more miracles... Would you pray with us for these miracles? As I was struggling through the timing of our departure this weekend; praying, seeking council and reading His Word; two verses stood out to me...

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." John 14:13-14

"Apart from me you can do nothing. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you." John 15: 5b,7

Our Father knows what's best. We think we know what's best. We rest in His sovereignty. We make plans, commit them to Him, and He will make our paths straight. Jesus taught us to "ask and it will be given to you" (Matt 7:7), so by faith we are asking for:

- our house to sell in November. If it doesn't, we are probably looking at early summer next year before we would be able to move to Belgium
- our visa's to process quickly
- the remainder of the support to come in
Would you also pray for us as a family. Not knowing for sure when we are leaving combined with the desire to 'nest' in preparation for the baby is emotionally very taxing...

Thank you so much for battling with us on this journey.

In His Service,
Jonathan & Grace

OM Belgium Video

2011-10-23T20:42:00.002-04:00

Dear friends,

Follow this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9x6-AJXSaY and this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_PRFQhYReA
to watch video testimonials about the work we will be involved in with OM Belgium.
Please pray for God to send out more workers to this harvest field. Pray for strength for the team members at OM Belgium as they are very under-staffed at the moment.

It is our desire to be able to join the team before the end of the year, giving enough time for us to unpack and settle before the arrival of our son in February. Please bring the following items before the throne of our Loving Father:
-The sale of our house
-Belgian Citizenship or visas
-The remaining support needed (27%)

Some have asked what 27% means, so here is how that breaks down. We need an additional $1400/month for the next two years.
This can be met by:
-14 people committing to $100/month, or
-28 people committing to $50 a month or
-140 people committing to $10/month, or by
-one time gifts totaling $33,600.
Or a combination of them all!

Thank you for your prayers! We serve a great God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills!

In His Service,
Jonathan & Grace

The battle is the Lord's

2011-09-26T18:33:00.001-04:00

Dear friends,

Life is a battle! And the more we seek to do the will of our Father, the more intense the battle gets. Aren't we glad that the God we serve is far greater than he who is in the world?!

Work has been busy and very taxing on me lately. I have not had much time for family and certainly no time to communicate about our calling to serve with OM Belgium! Is it a coincidence that after a focused and determined effort in support raising, that work gets hectic and consumes all of my time and energy? I think not!
Am I super spiritual that I recognize this right off the bat? I think not! Actually God convicted me last week after reading this passage in I Samuel 17:47

"All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."

Here you have a young David standing in front of Goliath, a seasoned warrior. I'm sure David was a talented and skilled young man. He knew what he could do with a sling and a stone... yet he recognized that this was not David vs Goliath but GOD vs Goliath! He could have relied on his God-given skills and taken down that giant... but he didn't. Instead, before taking down the giant, he proclaimed victory to all and accredited this to God, knowing that this was not his battle, but God's. Then, relying on God, he used the skills God gave him to take down the giant.

So here is what many of my workdays look like... I have tasks to accomplish and deadlines to meet. I make plans and then get thrown a curve ball. No problem, I have skills and resources, I get the job done. Oh yeah, did I mention that God wasn't one of those resources...! Ouch!!! I could learn a thing or two from David!
I am a bigger-picture kind of guy, but I certainly often fail to see the BIGGER picture and thus fail to involve the God who is bigger than the situation! Work is a battle... one I fight all too often in my own strength...!

But let me also tell you a GOD-story! July 25th we were at 38% in support commitments. By the end of August, God brought us all the way up to 70%!!! This battle belongs to the Lord! We are currently just under 73%. With our son due to be born in early February, it's important to make our international move soon. We are hoping for the end of November. Would you continue to lift us up in prayer?

-Please pray that we get to 80% very soon, so that we can buy plane tickets!
-Please pray for all 100% to come in by the end of November.
-Please pray that God will sell this house and relieve us from this financial obligation (Or if someone would like to pay off the rest of our mortgage, I'm OK with that too!!! My dream would be to turn this into a missionary guest house!)
-Please pray for margin, that we will have the time and energy to share about our calling.
-Please pray that my (Jonathan) Belgian citizenship will come through soon, so we don't have to mess with visa's.
-Please pray for unity and understanding in our family.
-Please pray for Grace and the girls, as the implications of moving away from friends and family are already starting to have their emotional effects.

Thank you so much!

Jonathan & Grace

Meyer Update

2011-08-25T21:36:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends,

Praise God! We have reached 63% in support commitments! We serve a great God!

As some of you might remember, our goal was to have at least 80% by the end of August. We are still praying for that! We have less then a week now, so would you join us in prayer for this? God is not bound to our time frame, but he does takes pleasure in giving good gifts to His children.

So what happens if we don't meet the goal?

In order to stay on track, a funds deadline was put into place for the end of August. We need to be at at least 80% before we can start shopping for airline tickets and proceed with the moving details. There is some 'grace' to this deadline but not meeting it does add more pressure to the time crunch. Both OM and our church have told us we need to be in Belgium by January. If we aren't, they will reconsider whether they still want to send us.

Introducing the budget friendly way of being part of His ministry in Belgium!

1. Pray! Pray! Pray!
2. Then Pray again!
3. Commit to giving $10 or $20 / month
With over 600 friends receiving these updates through Email or Facebook, $10/month adds up when given by many. Our remaining need is just under $2000/month. (Less then $1000 to get to 80%).
The commitment would be for 2 years. Automated giving is an option for those in the US. All gifts can be send through the OM office in the country you live in.

If God has prompted you to become a financial partner, let me know since it takes a couple weeks for it to process through OM. I challenge you to overwhelm my inbox with replies!!!

A BIG thank you to all who are praying and to all who have already committed to support us financially!!!

In His Service,
Jonathan

Perfect Timing

2011-08-18T21:10:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

Perfect timing! Oh yeah, for those of you that haven't heard the news yet, we are expecting our third child in February 2012!
Soon after the weekend that the Lord confirmed for us to move forward on plans to move to Belgium this year, we were pleasantly surprised with the news of new life. We still believe we are to stay on track with the timing of the move, and pregnancy has only fueled the cause. If any doubt existed before Sunday's sermon on 'pursuing God's call on your life', it is now gone!

"Come, follow me" Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:19-22

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, " I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family," Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
Luke 9:57-62

Earlier last week I (Jonathan) ran across the verse below during a Bible study... it hit particularly close to home for me.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. Luke 5:4-7

Sometimes I feel like I've been working hard all week and not made any progress in regards to fulfilling the call to move and minister in Belgium... Still God is telling me to let down the nets once more. Will you pray with us that our nets will be overflowing with people who desire to be part of the work God is doing in Belgium?

-Praise God that we are nearly half way there, support wise (46%).
-Continue to pray for the sale of our house and for Belgian citizenship.
-Pray for clear focus as Grace helps prepare the girls for the school year amid the occasional bout of nausea.
-Pray for Ryan, the owner of Pinnacle Landscape & Design (where I work), as I transition out and he presses forward without his right-hand man.
-Praise God that the summer heat wave has broken and it's 10 degrees cooler now.
-Pray for unity and peace, as the adversary fires his darts at us, trying to discourage and derail.

Thank you again for praying! We are well aware that we can work hard and cast nets all we want, but without prayer, we work in vain.

Jonathan & Grace

Conference Facility Manager

2011-07-13T21:32:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Imagine with me... you walk into the grocery store and of the 100 people in the store, odds are, you are the only Christian. You will probably run into 4 Muslims though...
If you live in Belgium, you don't have to imagine that at all... it's a daily reality. Unless you go to a bible study or Sunday worship or purpose to hang out with a fellow believer, it's not very common to just 'run into' another Christian.

Living in the 'Bible belt' of America I have become accustomed to working with and running into believers around every corner. Along with that comes an array of churches to choose from; every worship, fellowship and preaching style possible. Did you know that there are as many churches in the Columbia area as there are in the entire country of Belgium! (with a population of almost 11 million vs. 732,000 in the Columbia area.)
Most churches in Belgium are small and many do not own their own facility. It is very uncommon that a church actually has a conference or fellowship room aside from the room they meet in to worship. This is where OM Belgium's Conference Facility comes into play...

OM Belgium's purpose is to slide alongside the local church and help them fulfill their mission. This manifests itself in different ways, including organized outreach events like Hope Brussels, (http://www.youtube.com/ombelgium), but also through providing a facility at low cost for churches, Christian organizations and mission agencies to use for worship, training, meeting and lodging. In doing so, OM has partnered with hundreds of groups and individuals over the years.
I was pleasantly surprised a few weeks back to hear that former GEM and Proclaim International worker Dave Wegener had used this facility multiple times over the years as he served and toured in Europe! (Dave goes to our church.)

And this is where I fit in. My specific role with OM Belgium will be to manage the conference facility. That will involve overseeing the scheduling, accommodation, meals and transportation of the guests as well as minor maintenance projects. Serving in and through a local church will also be part of our ministry in Belgium and in doing so, strengthening the local body of Christ! Every 'light' counts in this 'dark' country. Our presence alone will be an encouragement to the church and a witness to the world!

Please pray with us for God to open the doors for us to move to Belgium fully supported.
Thank you,

Jonathan & Family

http://zavcentre.be/

Prayer is the Key

2011-06-05T21:56:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends,

As we look at August 2011 as our target date for departure to Belgium, I become overwhelmed at times with the impossibility of that... impossible without God that is. But as I struggle through those thoughts in prayer, I cannot find a good reason why we should not be 'fielded' this year. Our life circumstances are pointing towards a move sooner than later... but there are still some key factors that need to fall in place before that becomes reality. And as I sensed the Lord telling me last week, these will only happen through prayer. One thing I know for sure... it won't be because of anything I did! To Him belongs all the glory!

-Belgian citizenship: I (Jonathan) applied for dual citizenship almost 2 years ago now. I currently am a US citizen only, but becoming Belgian as well would be extremely helpful in avoiding the hassle of applying and maintaining a visa for living and 'working' in Belgium. Please pray that my application moves from a 'lost' stack on someones desk into the right hands and citizenship is granted speedily.

-Sale of our house: Pray that God will not only sell the house but that He will also plant a family here who has a heart for ministering to our neighbors and caring for their needs.

-Financial support: Between monthly commitments and one time gifts, we are currently 30% supported. Cost of living in Belgium for us is roughly $5000/month. Pray that God will raise up people (and businesses) that are willing to invest the funds God has entrusted to them into the ministry we will be involved with during the next 2 years. Specifically we are looking for:
50 people who are willing to commit to $10/month (or the equivalent of a one time $240 gift)
40 people who are willing to commit to $25/month
10 people who are willing to commit to $50/month
5 people who are willing to commit to $100/month
5 people who are willing to commit to $200/month
Please pray that the individuals, families and businesses who will be partnering with us financially will feel and respond to His nudge.

-Time & energy: Raising a support team is very time consuming and physically and emotionally taxing. I do not have the margin to meet with over 100 people individually to share our vision and ask them to pray about joining our support team.
Please pray that God will bless us with people who approach us about supporting the ministry. Please pray for physical strength at the end of a workday in the hot sun. Please pray against discouragement, as our adversary tries to tear us down.

-Spiritual growth: Please pray that this season will be one that grows our faith, revolutionizes our prayer life and deepens our love for Him!

-Unity: Pray that the devil will not get a foothold in our family, as he will seek ways to discourage, distract, derail and destroy the unity in our family.

Thank you so much for your prayers!!!

Serving Christ Together,
Jonathan & Grace

Social Media

2011-06-03T21:16:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

Here is a guest post from our friend Rick Stilwell, a social media networking specialist. Please read, as he is helping us spread the word online about how we are pursuing God's call on our lives:

One of the things that "floats my boat" is being able to help people get the most out of the tools available in social media online. We might all be on Facebook, use Twitter, browse through cat videos on YouTube, or have our resumes on LinkedIN - but that's for fun, right? Well - yes and no. There's more to it if you want to use these sites for more than "just fun", and it can be a big boost to friends and, when the time's right, to your own business/career goals.

Specifically here, it's one way for Jonathan and Grace to increase their reach beyond their current contacts and to speak directly (in some way) to your friends and family.

First, Jonathan is going to post my 'Guest Post' to his own blog - this gives me an opportunity to write to you, his audience, which is a growing practice among bloggers these days. But it also gives me a chance to help them out in regards to the mission to which God has called them, and to hopefully help his fans, friends and followers be a part of this calling too.

Next, the link to this post from the blog will be posted to the Meyers' Facebook Fan Page, http://facebook.com/meyerfamilyadventure. For you (the reader here), please click this link and "Like" the page if you haven't already.

Now the fun stuff comes into play: Share the post. Normally, Facebook updates have Like and Comment as options - but any time Jonathan and Grace (or you on your own profile and/or page) post links, photos or videos, those updates also get the Share option along with Like and Comment. Share opens a pop-up for you to add your own thoughts and then pass along the link - in this case, a link to the blog post you're reading now. And it will say "via In His Service" with the link to that too. So with a couple of clicks and a piece of your mind, you've shared their blog, this post, and their fan page with folks who see YOUR STUFF pop into their news streams.

So now you have helped spread the message to others with just a couple of clicks. New folks can see, learn and have the opportunity to participate in what God's doing through the Meyer family as well. And then they can Share too!

Thanks for reading and participating. I know it means a great deal to the Meyer family that you've chosen to be a part of what's going on in their life. Leave a comment below if you have any questions, or if you want to talk about how something like this might be helpful for your own endeavors. I normally blog over at http://rickcaffeinated.com - lots of other information there if you're interested.

Thanks, Jonathan, for the opportunity - and thanks everyone else for reading and clicking and Share-ing and playing along.
Blessings and Godspeed - Rick Stilwell

Direction

2011-06-02T06:34:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you for praying and for all the reply Emails & the follow-up Emails!! They were very encouraging!

Our time away started shortly after lunch on Thursday. We dropped the kids off in Waynesboro, Georgia at Grace's parents house and then made our way to Hunting Island State Park on the coast. We had a 3 hour drive ahead of us, so plenty of time to unwind, relax and prepare our hearts... right? At least that's how I had envisioned it! Maybe if we knew where we were going...! You see, we normally travel from our house to Hunting Island on major Interstates, not from a town in the middle of nowhere that takes us down country roads for 3 hours! Let's say we didn't always take the right turn when a Y showed up in the road...! I was not exactly unwinding, relaxing and preparing my heart to hear from the Lord. At least Grace was...she found it quite ironic that the Lord would allow us to get lost and have to ask for directions, when the whole purpose of our get-a-way was to seek direction!!!

We eventually arrived at our destination, settled in and had all evening to walk, talk and pray together. The next morning we split up and spent time alone with God; sharing with each other what God was telling us later in the afternoon. The Lord confirmed to both of us again that Belgium is where He wants us to be. I can't say that I know we will be moving to Belgium in August 2011, but I do know that we are to be very intentional about leaving. Several factors point towards August being our goal. Our support level is definitely not one of those... but nothing I do is going to bring in the funds anyway. I will gladly leave that in God's capable hands!

So what is stopping us from leaving? Is there something God wants to teach us while we wait, that we otherwise wouldn't learn?
One big take-a-way from our time with God is a conviction that our prayer life needs to be revolutionized... He is our recourse for everything... and though we know this to be true, do we really live by this truth? I know I frequently don't...
It was also a great time away for us as a couple. It was so refreshing to take the time to share our thoughts and feelings in an un-rushed setting, and we feel a lot more united as a result!
We'll share some specific prayer requests shortly. Have a great day!

Love,
Jonathan & Grace

Spiritual warfare

2011-05-25T21:29:00.002-04:00

Dear friends,

There is no coincidence that today was littered with work related curve balls as well as bloopers made by all three of my crew leaders, resulting in a frustrating and extra long work day on the eve of tomorrow... Tomorrow? What's the big deal about tomorrow?! Well, Grace and I are dropping the kids off at their grandparents house in the morning so that we can spend the next 24 hours praying and seeking God for direction, clarity, strategy and timing in regards to us moving to Belgium as missionaries. Tomorrow could be life changing... and the spiritual warfare leading up to it certainly confirms that.
Would you cover us in prayer for the next 48 hours? Please pray for safety as we travel, please pray that we don't run into mechanical problems with our vehicle... it would be just like our adversary to slow us down, shortening our time alone with God. Please pray over our 2 little girls... surprise, surprise, they've been acting up today and one came down with the sniffles... pray for all of our health. Pray for intimate communion with God, that we may hear his voice clearly. All we want to do is His will in His time... please pray for clarity in this.
Thank you for standing in the gap...
Jonathan & Grace

Why Belgium?

2011-05-09T21:29:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Belgium is not a country where the church is growing at a fast pace and people are responding to the Gospel right , left, and center... so why would we invest our time, energy and money in Belgium, when we could be much more 'fruitful' with the same amount of resources in a country where the hearts of people are turning to Jesus daily? Should we not be going to a harvest field that is ripe? It just doesn't make strategic and financial sense to invest in something with little return and little excitement...
Honestly, I would much rather be on the front lines, in a country where the Spirit of God is moving in obvious ways. For years now, Grace and I have been praying about where God would have us serve in His Kingdom. After praying through many options, including in the US, we sensed that we needed to pray about serving in Belgium. Though that would be a logical choice because I grew up there and know the language and culture, I struggled with the thought of serving a people with slow receptivity to the Gospel, let alone the lack of excitement and adventure that would bring.
As I was specifically praying about whether or not God wanted us to go to Belgium, God's Word pierced me like a two-edged sword. God told Ezekiel: “You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language…” (ch.3 vs.5) “Go now to your countrymen and speak to them… whether they listen or fail to listen.” (ch. 3 vs.11) It finally dawned on me that for the most part, God’s message through the prophets rarely landed on receptive hearts. Yet that is where God sent them.

The church in Belgium is small, roughly 1% of the population. Due to immigration, 4% of the population is Muslim! The country has a Catholic background with 48% calling themselves Catholic, though only 7% attend mass. 31% call themselves non-religious or atheist.
According to Operation World by Jason Mandryk, "the lack of Belgian, and especially Flemish Christian workers and pastors is crippling indigeneity and growth. There are very few full-time pastors; most are bi-vocational. This in turn undermines first generation believers, since they need solid discipleship in a post-Christian Belgium." In light of this, OM Belgium purposes to come along side the local church and help them fulfill their purpose in this country and beyond.
Would you pray with me for God to raise up full-time pastors and Christian workers in Belgium to shepherd and disciple His people, encouraging them to reach out to their neighbors and friends? Would you also pray that God will soften the hearts of the Belgian people and caused them to be responsive to the Gospel? Would you pray that God would strengthen and encourage His servants in Belgium to persevere despite the slow growth of the church?

As always, thank you for your prayers!
In His Service,
Jonathan

Who's the owner?

2011-04-03T19:12:00.002-04:00

Dear friends,

These last few weeks I have be wrestling with God's views on leadership, specifically how it relates to an employer or foreman. It's so easy for me to get extremely task oriented when the job deadlines are staring me in the face. How do I get past the pressures of the job and see it as God sees it?
Saturday night we watched the movie 'Flywheel'. It's a faith-based movie about a used-car salesman and owner who gets to the end of his rope and decides to give his life and business completely to God. Sales do not pick up and the bank is about to close the business down... yet he stands firm trusting God because this is not his business anymore... it is God's... and He can do whatever He pleases with the business.
I've always seen Pinnacle Landscape & Design as a gift from God and Ryan and I are committed to bring Him glory through the business and through the profit the business generates... We would even say that it is His business. But if we really believed that, why do we get so worried about missing a deadline when the circumstances are out of our control? Why are we anxious when threatened to loose a particular job or bid? It's not 'our' job to loose... it is His job, His business.
This morning in church, Pastor Al ( FBC Waynesboro) preached on Ephesians 6:5-9. One of the statements he made was that the purpose of an employer is to serve their employees, to look out for their needs, to treat them like family. You see, the first 4 verses address the slaves; that they need to obey their masters with respect, fear and sincerity of heart, and serve wholeheartedly as if working for the Lord and not for men. Then verse 9 says: "And masters, treat your slaves in the same way." (NIV) The Amplified version says: "You masters, act on the same principal toward them." The respect, sincerity of heart and wholehearted service needs to go both ways! The Pastor made it clear that employers need to communicate with their employees, telling them that they care deeply about their lives, especially their eternal destiny.
I can see the puzzle pieces coming together now. God could care less if deadlines are met and if a job is profitable. What he really he cares about is the souls of people. He may choose to bless a business so that it provides for both employer and employee... but how much more would He bless a business if it were used as a vessel to draw people into His Kingdom rather than a vessel used only to provide for the physical needs of people? Yes, employers need to be good stewards of the business entrusted into their care... but it's so easy to forget that it is His business and that His heart is for the souls of men...
If I am to understand the purpose of a leader (employer), I have to understand the purpose of the business... and if I am to grasp the purpose of the business, I have to know the heart of the 'Owner'...

Thanks for letting me share,
Jonathan

Prayer update

2011-03-26T19:13:00.002-04:00

Dear friends,

Thank you for standing behind us in prayer. This season of building a financial support team is not exactly what we call 'fun'. Though there are exciting days when we see God provide through His people and when God is obviously working in our own lives, there are also many days where we are just plain tired. Physically tired because of a full plate, emotionally tired at the thought of uprooting and moving to another culture and mentally tired when we see no progress.

Praise points:
- Praise God for adding new members to our support team. We are now at 24% confirmed with another estimated 5% unconfirmed.
- Praise Him for growing Grace's business with essential oils. It is not at the stage yet where it is providing income for missions, but it has proven to be a great ministry tool!
- Praise God for you who faithfully pray for us!
- Praise God for working in our lives, drawing Him closer to His heart.

Prayer points:
- Pray for physical and emotional rest and that we may embark on this mission not in our own strength but fueled by His power.
- Pray for the transition at work. Pray for wisdom as I train new crew leaders, that I will know how to correct and sharpen them in an encouraging way.
- Pray for unity in our family, that instead of drifting apart we may grow closer together during this time of challenge and change.
- Pray that people will be sensitive to God calling them to be part of our support team.
- Pray that we will have the wisdom to know what our part is in this and then leave the rest up to Him.

In His Service,
Jonathan

Shepherd

2011-03-13T20:39:00.001-04:00

Dear friends,

Apparently God isn't quite finished with me yet in regards to Philippians 2:3-4! My hard head came in handy this week-end though, cuz He hit me square between the eyes with a 2-by-4!!!
I had the opportunity Friday and Saturday to participate in a crash course on leadership. They used the Shepherd as their model for an ideal leader. We all know that Jesus said: "I am the Good Shepherd." (John 10:11-15). And Israel's leaders in the OT were often referred to as shepherds. Likewise in the NT there are several references to God's people like the one in 1 Peter 5:2 "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care..."
They had us study several passages that refer to leaders as shepherds. Psalm 23 alone was enough to overwhelm me of the characteristics of a good leader! It's no surprise to me that I have a lot of growing to do... that's why I was attending! But I wasn't expecting this one...
Paul Stanley made a comment about the purpose of a leader (in a Christian environment or not) that absolutely floored me. He said that the primary role of a leader is to help his followers succeed. The followers are not there to help the leader succeed... WOW! Really?! I can see how that could be the case in a ministry context and at home with the family, but in the business world? Are the guys not hired to help ME get the job done? He challenged us to look at our followers through a whole different lens. Can you imagine if leaders in the work place saw all their employees as sheep to care for, to guide, to protect, to feed, to love, to comfort, to equip and to direct, instead of a means to complete a task, a job or a deadline?! I would think that would create a tremendous amount of loyalty among the workers and the side effect of that would pay off on the production side... let alone the spiritual impact that that would have!
"Do nothing (including leading) out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each one of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4
This is just a small taste of what He is teaching me about being a Christ-like leader. Thanks for praying as I look to apply these truths at home and at work amidst the pressure of meeting deadlines profitably.
In His service,
Jonathan

Modern Day Levites

2011-01-24T21:33:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

Strangely, I have never desired to live in an expensive house, drive a fancy car, own a boat or pursue a financially successful career. Why is that? None of these are wrong desires. God designs people the way he wants them to be and gives them possessions to be used for His glory and purposes. So am I really that strange? I think not.
As I was reading though the OT, I noticed that the Levites not only weren't given any territory in the Promised Land, but they were also not allowed to pursue great wealth and land possession. They were set apart as servants for God. I wonder if God designed them without the desire to accumulate wealth... I would think that to be true for at least some of them.
I see other similarities as well. When I think through the responsibilities of the Levites, the first one to come to mind are the priests. But when you dig a little deeper you'll find that actually the majority of them were tabernacle or temple servants. Some of them washed the dishes that were used for the sacrifices all day long, others kept the floor clean, some gathered the wood for the burnt offerings. They were the ones who packed down, transported and set up the tabernacle. They were the worship team, band and choir, some were Bible teachers. They were God's appointed servants.
Similarly, that's what we will be doing; serving God and God's people. I have been asked to serve as conference facility manager. This job involves making sure the facility is clean and functional for worship services, prayer meetings, missionary conferences, evangelism meetings, etc... It means making sure that the 'guests' have everything they need to pursue their calling and gifting.
Interestingly, it's also a lot easier for evangelists, church planters and relief workers to raise funds for their mission than it is for the servants who aren't on the front lines. Like wise, the Levites in the OT frequently had to discontinue their service in the temple and go work the fields because the tithes that came in were not enough to sustain them. As a result the temple maintenance would not get done and the temple would fall into ruin. It would take a prophet or a new king to come along and bring change. Nehemiah comes to mind as one of those examples.
So there you have it! That's why I consider myself a 'Modern Day Levite'!!!

In His Service,
Jonathan

Target date

2011-01-09T20:04:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

As we kick off this New Year, I want to take a moment to give you a quick update. This year promises to be loaded with change as we hope to be able to move to Belgium this summer. Would you pray for us through this season of change?

-Our support level is at 20%. We need to be 100% funded before we can purchase our airplane tickets. Please pray for generous hearts that are in tune with His leading.
-I (Jonathan) am awaiting a reply from the Belgian government in regards to my application for Belgian citizenship. If I am granted dual citizenship, this would eliminate a lot of visa application headaches. Please pray for speedy processing.
-Margin... Please pray for wisdom as I amp up the fund raising efforts these next few months while still working full-time.
-Work... Please pray for a smooth transition at work as I start focusing more on training the new guys and phasing myself out.
-Family... Please pray for protection over our family, as our adversary would like nothing better than to thwart our plans and destroy our family.
-Intimacy with God... above all else, pray that we may stay in tune with our Father, grow in our love for Him and for people. Pray that our desire will be not so much to serve Him, but rather to be used by Him for His glory.

Thank you for your prayers and support!
The Meyers

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T21:03:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,
We wish you a very Merry Christmas 2010 and hope you will feel God's closeness throughout this Holiday season and into the New Year. May God bless you richly this coming year.
Love, Jonathan

What is Love?

2010-12-11T17:37:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

As the years go by I realize more and more that I have no clue what it means to truly love... and I will probably never fully grasp the depth of God's love for us either. Over the years God has used my wife and then my kids to teach me some of what it love means.
When I think of love, I think of I Corinthians 13 (Love is patient, love is kind... ) and of John 15:13 (Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.) And as a husband I am also told to "love my wife, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5:25). I have known these truths for years and have no doubt that I would 'lay down' my life down for God, my wife or my kids; that is my physical life. Though I have never done a word study on 'lay down my life', but I think it's talking about more then just whether my heart is beating or not. God has really been working hard in this area of my life this year. He has shown me that 'my life' is synonymous to my dreams, my passions. Am I willing to 'lay those down'? Not only that, am I willing to pursue my wife's dreams and passions instead, and do it wholeheartedly? "...in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3b-4). Hmmm... I don't remember being explained that part when I said "I do"... Sure, we both have made our sacrifices and gone along with each others interests, desires, dreams and passions... but to actually set those aside altogether... that's a whole other question.
I haven't fully gotten there yet, but by His grace I have been able to set aside my passions and desires that don't line up with my wife's; and when Grace came home one day filled with a new found passion, how could I not slide along side her and help her pursue it? That, my friends, is the new definition of love that God revealed to me this year. Thought I would share it...

In His Service,
Jonathan

Showers of Blessing

2010-11-21T20:34:00.002-05:00

Dear Friends,

If you know us well, then you know that we find great joy in being a blessing to others. I thrive when I'm serving others because that is the way God has wired and gifted me, hence one of the reasons for our desire to serve in a full-time capacity in Belgium. I've been reminded lately that God's timing is perfect and that he has us State-side right now for very specific reasons.
One of those reasons is our neighbor Tesha. She is in her mid-forties and has been a widow for 11 years now. A year ago we found out that she had cancer and was going through chemo for the second time. I felt the Lord telling me to reach out and be a blessing by keeping her grass cut, although I was very hesitant to respond to that because she has very healthy Poison Ivy is her yard! A few months ago Grace went over to her house to see how she was doing. Little did we know that this would be the beginning of a precious relationship and showers of mutual blessings.
At the time of Grace's visit, we had heard about Tesha from our other neighbor, but had not yet had much contact with her. God's timing again was perfect, because Tesha had just been visited by a man from the bank announcing that foreclosure was imminent on her house. She opened up to Grace and Grace was able to comfort and pray with her. A few weeks later her water heater sprung a leak and through the Widows and Orphans ministry at our church, we were able to get her a new water heater and help her work through any state or federal financial aid she might be eligible for. The foreclosure procedure is on hold right now and she is awaiting a reply for possible federal aid.
Tesha has been coming to church with us now for a couple months and thoroughly enjoys going to women's Bible study with Grace on Wednesday nights! She also used to be a Nanny and blesses our socks off by watching our girls frequently...! What a blessing she is to us!
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

In His Service,
Jonathan

doTERRA

2010-10-25T21:32:00.000-04:00

Dear friends,

God has continued to point us in the direction of tent-making with doTERRA. Grace is actively sharing about these oils with individuals as well as hosting events. She will be attending a 2 day seminar the first weekend in November to continue to learn more about these powerful health-promoting agents. We have heard countless of testimonials about people with serious health problems that have benefited greatly by these oils, but the exciting part is unfolding as God brings people into our path to which we can minister. We are now witnessing for ourselves how God uses these oils to reduced pain and start the healing process in people. It is quite amazing to see how God created plants that contain incredibly powerful oils for our benefit. I could go on and on but instead for those interested visit: http://www.mydoterra.com/gracemeyer and http://www.builddoterra.com .
We also had a great time 2 weekends ago at the missionary prayer dinner at church where we heard all about our 11 missionaries, including ourselves! It was great to be updated on all that God is doing throughout the world through the faithful service of the missionaries connected to Columbia Crossroads Church.
Hope you have a great day!

Jonathan

Tent-Making?

2010-10-03T20:19:00.002-04:00

Dear friends,

Praise God for this beautiful weather! It is a joy to be working outside this time of year! Seems like we jumped from the 90's to the 70's, with only a day or two in the 80's. Cooler weather also means more energy left at the end of the day, so hopefully we can get back in gear now with raising our team of supporters. Our support level is somewhere around 20%, so we have a ways to go before we can move to Belgium.
A tent-making opportunity has crossed our paths in the last couple of months which could supplement our support. At first I only saw the product of this company (doTERRA essential oils) as a ministry tool, but the more we learn about it, the more we see the potential for income as well. Please pray with us for discernment to know whether or not we should pursue this opportunity and how much time and energy we should put into it. This would be primarily Grace's ministry, as she is very passionate about 'natural' health care.
The tent-making concept seems to be surfacing regularly these last couple months, from people asking us if we would consider it, to reading about it in Scripture. It was no surprise to us this morning when this passage was read from Acts 20:34. "You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions."
Thank you again for supporting us in prayer!
Jonathan

Game over... what matters now?

2010-10-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

I am currently reading a book by John Ortberg: When the game is over it all goes back in the box. In it he compares life to a board game (like Monopoly). For those of you who know me, you won't be surprised that this analogy resonated with me!

"It's not bad to play the game. It's not bad to be really good at it. It's not bad to be Master of the Board... But there are always more rungs to climb, more money to be made, more deals to pull off. And the danger is that we forget to ask what really matters. We race around the board with shallow relationships, frenzied schedules, preoccupied souls." (p.15) "The object of life, according to Jesus, is breathtakingly simple: Be rich toward God. Don't spend your life playing Master of the Board. You can't beat the house." (p.27) The game will end... then what?
"Being rich toward God begins with giving to God that which he desires most of all. And what he desires most from you is you - your heart and devotion." (p.28)
"I can't make myself love God, but I can come to know Him better. And because God is love, the more I know Him, the more my love for Him will grow. Love is a by-product of knowing." (p.30)

Rented! PTL!!!

2010-09-14T19:15:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Today our rental agency told us they found a renter for our house in Milford Park. PTL!!! She will be moving in next week. The rent amount will even cover all of our monthly costs associated with the house! Thank you for your prayers, the bleeding has stopped! We will have to wait a few years (until the housing market picks back up again) before attempting to sell it again... or perhaps a renter will want to buy it. Either way, our Father is still in control!

Thought I would also share a portion of a song from Chris Tomlin that blessed me during worship this Sunday:

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?
What can stand against?

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome in power
Our God, Our God…

In His Service,
Jonathan

Riding the Waves

2010-09-05T20:20:00.000-04:00

Hello dear friends!

I was encouraged this morning by a Scripture passage read in church so thought I would share that with you, along with an update on us.

"From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being."
Acts 17: 26-28

I am so grateful we serve a sovereign God who is in full control of our life and circumstances! It is not primarily our job to solve our problems and change our circumstances; It is our job to seek Him, reach out to Him and find Him! "But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matt 6:33)

So we are just riding the waves of circumstances right now; seeking Him and waiting for his timing on our housing situation, creation of margin and building a team of supporters. We currently have both of our houses up for sale and for rent. We have no idea what we are supposed to do, so we have put all options on the table. We trust that in His Sovereignty all will work out according to His perfect plan.

Thank you for your continued prayers!

In His service,
Jonathan

August Prayer Update

2010-08-15T20:13:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers! We have noticed a positive difference in our family life.

- The weather continues to be hot, though I have had a few 'breaks' from the upper 90's and 100's. Please continue to pray for strength and endurance, so that I can be the father and husband my family needs me to be when I get home after a hot and long day at work.

- Our house in Milford Park is still for sale; there have been several showings, but no offers. It does have a steep driveway which does not play in our favor. Please pray that God will send a family our way that will fall in love with the house and be blessed by living in it. Also pray for wisdom on our part, as we want to be good stewards of what God has entrusted in our care. Should we consider renting it out again? How long do we wait to make that decision? How much can we discount the house? Should we sell the house we are living in now and move back into the Milford Park one if we can rent or sell it?
FYI: we downsized a year and a half ago in order to drive down our monthly expenses. We were unable to sell our house at that time due to the housing market being at it's low point, so we rented it out the past year and a half. All our equity is tied up in the Milford Park house, so we would like to sell it and recuperate that money. That in turn would allow me to cut back my hours at work in order to focus on building our support team for Belgium and continue my studies. As it stands now, I cannot afford not to work, and there is no energy left at the end of a day in the microwave, uh, I mean sun. So, I've pretty much put building our support team on the shelf until the weather cools down and/or the house sells. It's hard to know if selling the house is God's way of providing margin for me OR my way of providing for me... Needless to say, please pray for wisdom and guidance!

- At work we continue to be blessed with an abundance of jobs. This past week we were contacted by a couple people interested in working for us. This is great news! Please pray for wisdom as we interview them and work out all the details involved with hiring.

- Our church elders (Columbia Crossroads Church) have asked for prayer as they evaluate the church's involvement in missions. They desire that the whole church body will sense where God would have them focus their energy and resources.

In Christ,

Jonathan (for us all)

Mission Update June 2010

2010-06-27T19:46:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends and Family,

As we move forward on pursuing God's call on our life, we are encountering a lot of Spiritual Warfare. Satan does not want us to pick up our sword and fight the battle along side the Belgian church. He continuously seeks to overload our schedule and attack our family.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God... And pray in the Spirit in all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." Ephesians 6 vs 12,13a,18a.

We cannot fight this battle alone. We want to start posting updates regularly so that you may know how to pray for us specifically.

-We need a team of prayer warriors backing us up. Would you consider praying for us regularly? Thank you to those who already do! And please send us your prayer request so that we may battle on your behalf too!
-Please pray for health, strength & margin. I have had a heavy work load lately and I'm pretty much spent when I come home after working all day in 95-103 degree weather. This takes a toll not only on me physically, but also on Grace who ends up having to take care of the kids with limited or no help from me in the evenings.
-Please pray for our marriage and family life. Exhaustion leads to short fuses and lack of margin leads to emotional disconnect.
-Please pray for God to sell our house in Millford Park. This would help free up some funds, so that I could take some time off work to focus on building a support team around us and perhaps also make some more headway on my studies with Moody Bible Institute.
-Praise God for abundant work! We are in need of responsible crew leaders, so please pray that God may cross our path with some Godly men who would be able to help lighten my load, and eventually fill the void when I discontinue my roll as foreman.
-Please pray for God to raise up the support team needed around us to head to Belgium. Both the prayer team as well as the financially contributing partners. We have currently received commitments for 10% of our monthly need, with another estimated 10% in verbal commitments.

Serving Christ Together,

Jonathan (for all of us)

So how are we progressing?

2010-06-23T01:11:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, the month of August is our 'target' month. So you might be wondering what sort of progress we have made so far. Well, as of mid June we were at about 10% in pledged support and 10% is 'already-sent-in' support. That puts us at about 20%. There's a good ways to go, but we are learning to keep our focus on our Provider and trust that God's timing is perfect. Please keep praying with and for us.

Thank you so much!!

Belgium in a nutshell

2010-01-02T21:59:00.006-05:00

Perhaps you've been asking yourself, "so where is this country anyway and what is it like?" So to appease your curiosity here's a sneak-peek.

Surrounded by the Netherlands (Holland) to the north, Germany to the east, France to the south, and...just across the ocean... the United Kingdom to the west, lies the small kingdom of Belgium.

Belgium has a King, however, it is a socialist country run by a parliament with a prime minister. Brussels is known as the 'capital' of Europe and is home to the NATO and the EU Headquarters. Both French and Dutch are the official languages there although English is understood by most people.

The (Dutch) Flemish-speaking city of Zaventem is home to the international airport and is located a few miles from the capital city of Brussels. It is also where OM Belgium is located; the place we will soon call 'home'.

For those of you interested is all the statistics, here are the tidbits you'll want to know:

Population: 10 ½ million (SC: 4.255 million)
Area: 11773 sq miles (SC: 30109 sq miles)
Languages: Dutch 60% (North)& French 40% (South)
Evangelical Christians: 1% (US: 32.5%)
Muslims: 3% (US: 1.5%)