All in Ministries and Missions

5 Habits of a Happy Family

“Mommy, come. I’ve found this path and there are so many flowers.”

It’s morning, and our second day camping in Jasper, Alberta, our favorite place on earth with its mountain peaks—like a father’s hands cupped, shielding this sacred hollow of water and spruce from the rest of the world.

I leave my coffee and follow my oldest son to the path he’s found and he points out the daisies, the bluebells, the buttercups.

How To Be Most Effective in Ministry

As women, we often have a heart to naturally help people. Typically we want to nurture the hearts of other women or children. Sometimes we minister to our own hearts' as we help others. But we need to ask ourselves, "What is my ultimate goal? Is it to be used by God?"

There is ministry outside our doors just as there is inside. Sometimes it's in the church, sometimes it's in the neighborhood or surrounding community, and sometimes it's overseas. There is no shortage of need and we were never meant to hide our lights remaining cooped up in our homes. However, there are still a few basic factors we need to remember in order to do ministry that's effective.

What are the elements for doing effective ministry while in the thick of motherhood?

“Father of the fatherless…is God in His holy habitation. God settles the lonely in a home.” ~Psalm 68: 5 & 6

God has a particular love for the child in need of a family. And He has a special love for adoption because He chooses to describe our own relationship with Him as one of-- adoption.

“Adoption in God’s mind was not Plan B. He predestined us for adoption before the creation of the world. Plan A was not lots of children who never sin and never need to be redeemed. Plan A was creation, fall, redemption, and adoption so that the full range of God’s glory and mercy and grace could be known by His adopted children. Adoption was not second best. It was planned from the beginning.” ~John Piper

Today, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, is National Adoption Day .