Faithfulness & Indiana Jones

December 4, 2015 Faithfulness & Indiana Jones It seems that over the past year, every time that I’ve been led to think on the Lord and what He is to me, the very first word that comes to mind is “faithful”. Over and over and over again, I find myself thanking Him for being so faithful. It’s something I’ve been thinking through even more so here recently. Today marks 3 years officially cancer-free for me, which is a pretty big deal. Seriously, in my life over the years, time and time again He has proven faithful. As we are in the final 6+ weeks of our time here in the States, we inevitably get asked by everyone we see about how things are going and where we are in the process. Basically, here is where we are as of today: We just purchased our plane tickets yesterday and will be departing on Jan. 18. We just sold our house today. We are still working on the visa situation. We are trying to figure out what is going with us and how we are going to ship the few things that we are taking. We have raised between 70-75% of the support that we need on a monthly basis, so we still have a bit further to go. Regarding the last point, in man’s wisdom it doesn’t make sense that we would have already purchased tickets for mid-January. Initially we thought that the finances would all be in prior to making the arrangements, however the more we prayed about it and had others praying about it, the more we felt that the Father was telling us to begin moving and as we walked, the provision would come. To be completely honest, as a husband and father, that’s a tough pill to swallow. I’ve always seen it as my responsibility to provide for and protect my family, and now all of a sudden I’m being challenged to trust in something that is not tangibly present yet. The Father has stretched me more during this season than I’ve ever been stretched in my life. I had a good job in the corporate world working for a great global company and I was able through that to provide for my family. Now all of a sudden I find myself in a place where I don’t know for certain where all of our provision will be coming from, other than the Lord. The movie scene that comes to mind is from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. You know the scene…Indy’s dad has been shot and is lying there dying. Indy is his only hope at making it to the cup that can provide the healing his dad needs (not exactly theologically sound, but hey, it’s a movie). He makes it successfully through the initial trials when all of a sudden he finds himself at the edge of the large cavern where he cannot see the bottom and he cannot jump across. After a few moments and knowing that life or death hangs in the balance, he comes to the realization that “it’s a leap of faith”. He lets go of the wall, sticks his foot in the air and steps into what his eyes cannot see…and when it appears that he will certainly fall into the cavern, his foot hits something and a bridge appears before him. Once he stepped into the faith, his perspective was changed and he was tangibly able to see the provision that was there all along. That movie scene summarizes beautifully where I feel like the Lord has me in this moment. The Father has spoken to me that the best way for me to provide for and protect my family is to trust Him as Protector and Provider. The word translated “Lord” in the Bible, also means, “Owner”. The way I see it, I have 2 choices. I can sulk and ask the Owner why everything isn’t already ready, or I can praise and trust that this is His thing anyways and, “faithful is He who has promised, and He will bring it to pass.” (1 Thess. 5.24) I choose the latter. I see all of this as an honor…that the Father would love me so much to stretch my capacity. Where are being stretched? What is a recent example of the Lord’s faithfulness in your life? I’d love to hear your testimony in the comments below. Once he stepped into the faith, his perspective was changed and he was tangibly able to see the provision that was there all along. Comments Meryl McGinleyDecember 5, 2015 at 12:36 pm | EditReply Enjoyed reading your blog. Your message really ministered to me regarding walking forward in faith and believing God to provide. I have found this to be true too. God bless you and I stand along side of you believing for His provision for you all. Clay DannerDecember 5, 2015 at 4:34 pm | EditReply Thanks so much for sharing, Meryl and thank you for standing with us! Leave a Reply Cancel reply Logged in as Ani Kirkes. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* More Posts Rhonda’s posts Uncategorized Let Your Faith Be Greater Than Your Fear! August 17, 2015 11 Baptism Celebration Charis & Meili’s Baptism! July 28, 2016 1 Baptism Celebration Sean’s Baptism! August 23, 2016 0 Support Our Mission Every gift helps us reach more people and share the love of Christ in meaningful ways. Donate

Let Your Faith Be Greater Than Your Fear!

August 17, 2015 Let Your Faith Be Greater Than Your Fear! Faith Over Fear: Trusting God’s Plan in the Face of Uncertainty “You’re going out of town today?!” Charis said as I was dropping her off for her first day camp. “But what if you aren’t back to pick me up?!” “Charis, have I ever not picked you up?” “No.” she said. “Have I ever not been there for you?”  “No.” came her reply. “I will be there today too.” I said a little frustrated at her irrational fear. I felt the Lord gently remind me…”Rhonda, have I ever not provided for you? Have I ever not been there for you?” “Um, no.” I said in my spirit and smiled as I realized Charis’ worry was a reminder to me of my sometimes irrational fears and how the Lord is always there saying the same thing, “I AM FAITHFUL! I have never not been there for you.” Raising support is a new adventure for us. It’s one that, I have to admit, is a little awkward and uncomfortable at times. These thoughts began coming to my mind…”What if we do the best we can and it’s a flop? What if, after all this time of waiting to return to Taiwan and walking through the doors He has opened, the money doesn’t come in? What if friendships are affected because people feel weird about not being able to support us?” These are some of the thoughts that came one day not long ago. The word I kept hearing from the Lord is “faithful”. He always has been and always will be faithful. I felt Him challenge me to not apologize for what He is calling us to…to see it and share it as an opportunity to partner with what He is doing and wants to do in Taiwan. “But what if my girls have a really hard time adjusting? What about the time they will miss with our family left in America? What about those relationships? I don’t know if I can watch them grieve at such a young age. It will break my heart. I don’t know how I’m going to do this.” The Lord quickly reminds me, “I’ve made them for this Rhonda. I love them more than you do and I have a great adventure waiting for all of you. Your girls are in your family for a reason.” “Do you trust me?” “Yes, I do trust You.” The words of Peter come to mind, “Where else will I go?” Only You have the words of life.” As I surrender…again…excitement replaces the fear. What an honor to be called to this! What an honor to be an empty vessel the Lord can use to reach the nations. This world has nothing to offer compared to the fullness of the Lord and walking in step with Him! That’s what I want my girls to know, to learn, and to experience for themselves even at ages 6, 4, and 8 months old, because He is worth it! He is worth all of it and more. This life is not about me…it’s not about my girls or Clay or our life together. It’s all about Jesus and making His name known and making Him famous in this life. It’s about the Father’s love and how His love can and will abolish fear among the nations and draw His sons and daughters home. Is the Lord calling you to something that seems impossible? If so, is your fight bigger than your fear? I don’t want to miss out on anything He has for me. What an adventure this life is and we only have one life! So get out there and trust Him more than yourself. Let your faith be greater than your fear. Comments JanuceAugust 19, 2017 at 2:24 am | EditReply Love reading this-will again and again! Meryl McGinleyJanuary 18, 2016 at 6:40 pm | EditReply So excited for you all. Praying for you. Loved your message! It inspires me to continue to walk out in faith. Looking forward to your future blogs. Clay DannerJanuary 28, 2016 at 5:44 pm | EditReply Thank you, Meryl! Melissa HesterDecember 21, 2015 at 8:30 pm | EditReply Wow! This post brought me to tears! SO MUCH TRUTH in here that resonates!! And seriously, Rhonda, you are an amazing writer!! Well said, friend. Love you and praying for you guys on this tremendous adventure!! xoxo Clay DannerDecember 27, 2015 at 7:47 pm | EditReply Thanks so much, Mel! We love you too. SabrinaAugust 26, 2015 at 8:40 am | EditReply bon courage! it’s going to be a wonderful journey with the Lord. I realise it’s not about where I am but it’s really about God’s presence with you wherever you go. (Exodus 33:15) Pray for the Lord’s clear guidance, peace, and joy be with your family forever! amen Clay DannerAugust 27, 2015 at 8:39 pm | EditReply Thanks, Sabrina! We agree completely. Jennifer FreshAugust 21, 2015 at 8:12 pm | EditReply Rhonda and Clay, I can completely relate to your fears concerning your girls. When we felt called to become foster parents, our 3 biological children were a huge concern. How would having other children come into our home and live with us effect them? To make a long story short, God has shown me exactly what you already know. My 3 kids were made to be foster siblings. They have loved several other kiddos as if they were our own! It has been such a joy to see! We are praying for you, Clay and the girls! I know God has big plans for you and your ministry! Jennifer Fresh Clay DannerAugust 27, 2015 at 8:38 pm | EditReply Thanks for sharing that, Jennifer! It’s awesome to hear of His faithfulness with you guys. Thank you so much for your prayers! KandyAugust 18, 2015 at 12:17 am | EditReply What a great analogy and vulnerable testimony. Thank you for sharing your struggle …

Mark’s Story…

May 12, 2015 Mark’s Story… Meet Mark: Our Friend & Teammate in Taiwan | His Story & Our First Conversation! https://youtu.be/6wA3iAcSh1w Meet Mark Zheng. This is the name of a man you will hear about quite a bit over the coming months and years as he is my closest friend and will be working alongside us during our time in Taiwan. He actually lives in Taipei. We had the pleasure of having Mark stay with us for most of the month of April, which was awesome! Our girls had a great time getting to know “Uncle Mark” better, which is great as they’ll have someone locally that they’re really familiar with when we do make the move. While Mark was here, he graciously sat down to share his story on camera and to answer some questions that will help give you a better feel for what things are like in Taiwan. Right now, we’re going to introduce him and his story. In the video I also share our very first conversation, which was a bit of a “Who’s on first” situation in two languages – classic! Comments Leave a Reply Cancel reply Logged in as Ani Kirkes. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* More Posts Clay’s posts Love Through Power December 12, 2017 2 Uncategorized Walking In Victory October 2, 2024 0 Uncategorized Following Jesus Into Discipleship July 26, 2024 0 Support Our Mission Every gift helps us reach more people and share the love of Christ in meaningful ways. Donate

The Dragon Warrior

April 23, 2015 The Dragon Warrior Embracing Who God Made You to Be If you read my husband’s first blog post, he compared his journey to Bilbo Baggins in ‘The Hobbit.’ Well, where he relates to Bilbo, I relate to Kung Fu Panda :) …..seriously though. I grew up as a pastor’s kid in South Carolina. I can remember in middle and high school feeling frustrated because I was always looked to as a “leader” and always being held to what seemed to be higher standards than other kids around me. I loved the Lord and had a relationship with Him even then. I distinctly remember a moment where I felt like the Lord was saying, “I wouldn’t have put you in this position if you couldn’t handle it.” So, I just embraced my life, looked to the Lord, and did what He asked me to do to the best that I could at that age. My journey led me through college then overseas where I lived for a year in Poland and a year and a half in Taiwan. I remember trying to pin point what the Lord was “calling” me to in my future and I narrowed it to music or missions or both. I met Clay along the way and together we said forever to what the Lord had for us believing it would be back overseas one day. A couple of years ago, the Lord showed us we were in the right place and our moving overseas would be coming soon. I kind of freaked out. :) I realized that in the few years leading up to this, there had been many insecurities, questions, and doubts that I had been believing about myself. 

An Unexpected Journey…

March 15, 2015 An Unexpected Journey… "Each step along the journey he had to make a choice…" The Shire, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” was a beautiful and considerably sleepy little place in the grand scheme of Middle Earth. It was here, after a visit from Gandalf and a group of dwarves, that the ordinary Bilbo Baggins was invited on a journey, a journey for which he initially felt drastically under-qualified, which even made him question the sanity of the one asking. After several initial declines, he decided to say “yes”, and his life changed forever. He became part of a grander story, one that ultimately helped him realize the depths of his identity, find a greater sense of purpose, and restore things that had gone wrong in the lives of others and the world. Each step along the journey he had to make a choice, he could turn back as things got harder and what lay ahead was unclear and potentially scary, or he could continue on and see through to completion the quest for which he was born. This story resonates deep within me…