More Relevant than a Beard

Yeah, I know I am behind the times, perhaps an ancient cog in a mighty big old wheel, but I try to stay relevant, so I grew a beard. That should be enough, right? 

You see I had heard about Black Friday.  In our family it once was a tradition that Deb, her mom and her sister left the house around 11:00pm on Thursday - Thanksgiving Night - to go shopping for all the Christmas “deals.”  They would return looking like they had done battle around noon on Friday to recover. Dad and I stayed home and watched the news reports about all the crazy people grabbing this, that or the other thing. We laughed one night when we watched a live news report of a female fist fight in the shoe department at Macy’s - downtown Atlanta. For a moment we were concerned about the safety of our women, and then joked to ourselves about which one of them had caused the fight over shoes.  I still giggle a little while thinking about my tiny little wife playing keep away with a pair of red pumps in the middle of the night. She claims it wasn’t her, but when kidding Deb, why should I let the truth to get in the way. Then a few years ago along came Cyber Monday. I am a little fuzzy on this one, but I think if you do your online ordering by today, which is Cyber Monday, then delivery will reach you in plenty of time before Christmas to get everything wrapped and delivered to where it belongs. Ok, that makes sense to me, but it's a sad sign of the times for the mom and pop shops that are not so relevant anymore. Then a couple of months ago I heard about a new thing - Giving Tuesday.  I heard about it while talking to our website developers.  Apparently, Giving Tuesday was developed by someone ten years or so ago, who wanted to change the Christmas season focus from material possessions to helping others. Well, OK then — this is something I can really get behind, and tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, so let's consider the IMFC. 

Most of you who are one of the IMFC or follow the field work closely know what goes on. You know that three thousand people per month are fed by the IMFC as we work to transform their lives by teaching them how to begin and sustain a business. You know about the lives saved through the MAMA Kit distributions, or changed through the sanitary pads “trainings.” You have read the stories from the prisons, or participated with us as we disciple behind the bars and razor wire. If you know about those, then you know about the discipleship movement going on right now among the refugees. You would also know that Kenya and the Congo are begging for more Discipleship books. Wow, thousands of people are running with the Gospel. The Gospel is still relevant today! Who knew? 

Every one of us who are a part of the IMFC in both hemispheres believe God has called us to make a bigger difference. We completely understand running with the Gospel. I am sure that most of us want to live life being more relevant than a beard, so if you feel you need to do more and complete God’s purpose for your life then follow one of the links below.  

• Walk Dusty Roads
• Join IMFC's Brand New Prayer Team
• Donate for Giving Tuesday
• Create your own fundraising team for one of the IMFC ministries

I do look forward to working with you more closely.

Until Jesus Comes - GO,
Steve DuVall

This Is Weird

Hmmm. This is weird; I’m very confused. Well, it’s not weird that I am confused, this is something that happens to me quite often. The current problem is that I don’t know if I am grateful or thankful.  Grateful and thankful are both positive feelings of gratitude with the difference being that grateful implies that you need others to be happy, while you can be thankful all by your lonesome.  

I’m thankful that my wife loves me enough not to kill me in my sleep even though I probably deserve it much of the time.  

I’m grateful that Debbie consented to marry me.   

I’m thankful that together we have a wonderful, smart, talented and beautiful daughter.

I’m grateful that Hannah’s sense of humor mirrors mine.

I’m thankful that I have a job that positively affects hundreds of thousands of people of many different races and cultures.

I’m grateful that my little family has plenty of food, clothing, and shelter - much of the world, especially where I work doesn’t. 

I’m thankful that I have more real friends than I can count who live all around the world - on every continent -  and many, many of them I will call them very close friends.  Well that's not quite true - I don't think I know anyone at all living on Antartica.  

I’m grateful that a dear husband of one of those friends who passed away just last night is walking with Jesus today, speaking with Moses, Paul, my mom and dad, and he no longer has to fight a disease that robbed him of all his memories.  He is whole today.  

I'm both grateful and so very thankful that so many of my friends and family are becoming partners with the IMFC reaching the poor and displaced people of the world, so I guess I am not confused at all, rather I'm just a very happy, contented and blessed man.  Hmmm. I guess though that in this day and age being happy, contented and blessed is a very weird thing.    

Happy Thanksgiving all y’all.  

Steve D

www.imfcworld.org

SHAKING YOUR WORLD

This is huge. This is a game changer. This is the truth.

Do you know why the church isn't growing? Because it's the church that is trying to do the growing. It's the church trying to reach the lost ones in the community. It's the church trying to go to the ends of the earth.

Are you ready for the game changer: THE CHURCH WAS NEVER MEANT TO DO THE GROWING. 

Jesus commissioned His followers to go into all the world. Jesus commissioned you and me.

Now the church is a huge part of that individual's efforts, but it is ultimately up to the individual to go and teach. The church grows because of the individual's efforts.

If you don't believe me look it up. 

Blessings,
Steve